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If you want to keep your facial hair neat and in check, you’ll want to find the right beard trimmer. Unlike body hair), neaten lines, and keep you looking sharply groomed between barbershop appointments.
The true best beard trimmers are multi-use: You can use them for your facial hair but also your nose and chest hair. You want one that’s lightweight enough to maneuver but with a battery pack sturdy enough so that it won’t stop mid-shave. I’ve also learned that you don’t have to spend a small fortune to find the right trimmer: Lots of my picks are actually under $100 — any trimmers above that price have a standalone feature that makes them impossible to ignore.
As well as my own expertise, I spoke to expert barbers and barbershop owners across the country to compile this list. They gave me not only their recommendations but tips and tricks on how to identify the best tool. If you’re less concerned with trimming, and want to go clean-shaven, you can browse my pick of razors for men, too.
Updated on September 8, 2025
These beard-trimmer picks are still our favorites. The Wahl Professional Peanut trimmer, which we recently named Best for Beginners, is 25 percent off now.
What we’re looking for
Corded vs Cordless
Professional barbers will usually opt for corded trimmers — there’s no dwindling battery life, so their trimmer won’t lose power as they work on a full day of clients. For a home shaver, though, a cordless trimmer can be more convenient: You can use it anywhere (like the gym or the shower), as you aren’t beholden to a power socket. Both have pros, so I’ve included both below. For cordless options, I’ve listed the battery life in minutes, so you know you’re getting enough.
Blade type
Naturally, sharp blades are one of the most important features of a trimmer. If you’ve ever shaved with a dull blade, you’ll understand why: It feels like you’re getting your hairs caught in a zipper, and it’ll lead to ragged edges and even damaged skin. A way around this issue is to find trimmers with self-sharpening blades. They use the friction created when shaving to sharpen themselves with each use, meaning that they’ll stay sharper for longer than a regular blade and don’t need to be replaced as frequently — saving you hassle and money. All but one trimmer on this list has them, and that’s because this trimmer (the best for body trimming) has other benefits. The shape of the blade also depends on what you need it for — T-shaped blades, for example, are great for defining edges.
Extras
Adjustable blades and blade guards make shaving simple; they help guide the trimmer and make sure the hair is cut evenly and at the right length. Blade guards come in different sizes and keep the trimmer at a certain distance from your face — depending on the length you’re aiming for. Adjustable blades have a similar effect but work by moving forward and backward using a lever on the side of the trimmer. When “open,” they act like a guard attachment that’s integrated into the trimmer blades, but they will usually only give you about 1.5 millimeters of added length. In addition to different-length blade guards, some trimmers will come with attachments for trimming nose and ear hair as well as attachments for trimming chest hair and pubic hair. To save you reading the product descriptions, I’ve listed everything each trimmer comes with below.
Our top picks
Best beard trimmer overall
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Cordless: Battery life of 100 minutes | Blade type: Self-sharpening| Extras: 8 guard attachments
I’ve been writing this guide for three years, and in all that time, the Wahl Magic Clip has never been outdone. It has seven endorsements from experts I’ve spoken to for this piece as well as excellent testing notes from a guy I know with thick, coarse hair. He said it didn’t irritate his sensitive skin, he could use the eight guards to customize the length of his beard, and that he was also able to get the line at the top of his beard nice and neat.
Miles Wood-Smith, barber at Murdock London, recommends this trimmer to anyone looking to “re-create a barbershop experience in the comfort of your home.” Sam Buffa, founder of Fellow Barber in New York, says that the self-sharpening blades are a cut above the average, staying sharper for longer than most other options in this price range. It’s lightweight, has a great battery life, has a corded option for professionals, and for a barber-used trimmer is a very fair price. So, it spends another season as my best pick overall.
Best less-expensive beard trimmer
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Cordless: Battery life of 90 minutes | Blade type: Self-sharpening | Extras: 40 length settings and 3 guard attachments
If the Wahl isn’t quite in your price range, allow me to suggest the budget-friendly, excellent-quality Philips Norelco 5500. (Philips’ Norelco line is a super popular one among professionals, it appears in lots of my grooming guides.) The most obvious things that you’re sacrificing at this price point are ten minutes of battery life and blades that self-sharpen less efficiently. But you’re getting plenty for your $50. For example, thanks to the combination of a pinwheel with settings between 0.4-mm. and 20-mm. and three guard attachments, you can customize your shave with up to 40 length adjustments. It’s easy to clean and has a rubber grip that makes it easy to maneuver. Ultimately, for a home shaver, it’s pretty great value for the money. Barber David Kim agrees. “You can generally trust Philips Norelco’s more-affordable products to work well and maintain a neat beard as long as you’re not trying to do something too complex or fancy.”
Best beard trimmer for outlining
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Cordless: Battery life of up to 2 hours | Blade type: T-blade | Extras: 4 guard attachments
If you want to keep your beard and hair looking neat between barbershop appointments, my experts all recommend keeping up with your outlining. For that, the clear favorite is the Andis T-Blade trimmer. “The reason why this is the one you learn about in barber school is because not only is it a powerful clipper, but the precision on it is really tight,” says Darius Davie, founder of Groom Guy. Thanks to the precision, it’s ideal for the lineups around your cheek lines, necklines, and sideburns — essential grooming maintenance, agree Wood Smith, Karac Ruleau (formerly of Mott NYC), and Mark Miguez, co-owner of Friend of a Barber in NYC. It also has a really impressive battery life of up to two hours, and each of my experts say that it works on facial hair of all types and textures. A truly indispensable tool.
Best beard trimmer for teens (and beginners)
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Corded: Cordless option available | Blade type: Self-sharpening | Extras: 4 guard attachments
“The Wahl is so compact and miniature, it’s great for those just starting out,” explains Davie. Like the Magic Clip, the aptly named palm-size Peanut has self-sharpening blades, though fewer guard attachments (four instead of eight). Four is all you need for a no-fuss shave, though, says Miguez, who uses this trimmer on several clients to keep their beard fresh. Another fan is Strategist columnist Chris Black, who praises it for being “cheap, dependable, and fits in your designer Dopp kit perfectly.” The only issue, according to Davie, is that it’s not the strongest tool when it comes to precision lining. But, if you’re just getting to grips with trimming and grooming, this is the best basic to train with, say my experts.
[Editor’s note: This year, Wahl released a new version of its Peanut trimmer, the Peanut Li. According to Wahl, it’s slimmer, lighter, and more powerful than the classic version. We’re calling it in to test out before the next update of this piece.]
Best heavy-duty trimmer
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Corded and cordless: Battery life of 3 hours, comes with cord | Blade type: Self-sharpening | Extras: Fixed blade and moving blade, and a mini screwdriver (to switch them)
“If money is no object, this is my suggestion,” says Giovanni Montoya, founder and barber at Fade District. “It has a precise blade, a cool operating temperature from the digital brushless motor, and one of the strongest abilities to cut through hair. It’s a favorite amongst professionals for this reason.” Digital brushless motors lack — you guess it — brushes, which means less friction, and therefore less heat. Less heat buildup is great for professionals and guys who have thicker hair alike, as it means they can shave for long periods of time without any heat irritation. This lack of friction also allows the blades to stay sharper for longer. Thanks to the two blades, it can be used to do precise lineups, as well as provide a trim. And it can be used cordlessly (for up to three hours), or plugged into the wall for continuous usage.
Best trimmer for the body
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Cordless: Battery life of 90 minutes | Blades: Non-self sharpening | Extras: 2 guard attachments
“This isn’t a trimmer that’s necessarily used in the barbershop, because it has a ceramic blade. But because of the grip of the actual clipper, there’s not much repeat when you’re using it,” explains Davie. What he means is, while ceramic blades need to be replaced, in their prime they’re sharp and precise, so one run over a certain area is all you need. This is excellent for areas of hair on the body prone to sensitivity. “Say guys getting out of the gym, looking to do a touch-up of the face, underarms, legs, etc. You can think about this as a gym clipper or just one that can switch up all over the body.” I personally like Meridian, lots of guys I know use their trimmers, and say that the battery life and easy maneuverability make them very user friendly. They’re also entirely waterproof, so if you like to shave your body in the shower or the bath, then you can go ahead.
Some more beard-care products we’ve written about
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New! You can now save this product for later.
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Our experts
• Giovanni Montoya, founder and barber at Fade District
• Karac Ruleau, formerly of Mott NYC
• Miles Wood-Smith, barber at Murdock London
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