Owning your own pair of quality hair clippers is a great way to save money on expensive trips to the hair stylist or barber shop. The benefits don’t stop there though; clippers can be used for grooming the entire body. Many kits come with fine attachments for nose and ear hair too, eliminating the need to purchase separate trimmers for those purposes.
It’s important to do your research and become informed before running out to make a purchase. No two clippers are made the same way. You have to choose between corded or cordless, all-in-one groomers or basic trimmer, oiled or non-oiled, titanium or carbon steel blades, waterproof or non-waterproof – and an array of other available options.
Continue reading to learn more about the benefits of owning your own set of quality clippers, features to consider before you buy, and our review of the best clippers available currently.
Top 7 Hair Clippers
#1 | Andis T-Outliner Trimmer with T-Blade (04710) | More Info |
#2 | Philips Norelco HC7452/41 7100 Hair Clipper | More Info |
#3 | Wahl 8470-500 Professional Super Taper II Hair Clipper | More Info |
#4 | OSTER Fast Feed Adjustable Pivot Motor Clipper | More Info |
#5 | Conair Lithium Ion Cord/Cordless 20pc. Professional Clipper | More Info |
#6 | Panasonic ER-GS60-S Self-Hair Clipper Wet/Dry | More Info |
#7 | Remington VPG6530 4-in-1 Personal Groomer and Trimmer | More Info |
Hair Clipper Benefits
1. Cost Savings
This is really the most attractive benefit to owning your own set of hair clippers. With a typical trip to the barbershop costing a minimum of $20, and visit to your local stylist costing double that or more, this one-time purchase can save you hundreds of dollars per year.
2. More Consistent Style
With a hectic schedule, it’s not always possible to see the same stylist every time you go in for a trim. No two will cut your hair the same way. With your own clippers, once you get a style dialed in you’ll be cutting your hair just the way you like it, each and every time.
3. More Quality Family Time
Cutting your family’s hair will give you plenty of time to catch up on what’s going on in their lives and to share your own stories with them.
4. Better All-Round Grooming
You’ll be keeping your sideburns and neckline nicely trimmed between haircuts, plus clippers can be used keep other body hair neatly trimmed such as the nose, ears, face, chest, stomach, back, and groin areas.
Features to Look for When Choosing a New Hair Clipper
1. Easy Cleaning
In the not-so-distant past, clippers needed to be meticulously cared for, to prevent the blades and motor from wearing out prematurely due to hair clippings accumulating in the blades and motor area (Note: this problem has caused many small fires in the past!) Modern designs allow for easy removal and cleaning of all vulnerable areas of the clippers.
2. Oil-Free Blades
If you don’t like messing around with lubricating oil, there are several brands that offer oil-free blade designs. Oil-free, self-sharpening blades are becoming very popular.
3. Attachments
Attachment choices will be subjective to your own styling preferences, and the styling needs of others whose hair you plan to cut. Look for multiple length guide combs, or a single comb design with several length adjustments. You can also find clippers with nose, ear and even face-shaving attachments included.
4. Accessories
Accessories such as a comb, barber scissors, cape, styling clips, carrying case, and oil (if applicable) are also nice bonuses. Certain manufacturers offer a complimentary set of blades with each purchase, which is a great value-added benefit to watch out for.
5. Warranty
Look for at least a one-year warranty to protect yourself against poorly-designed clippers that wear out after just a few uses.
Review of the Best Hair Clippers Available
1. Andis T-Outliner Trimmer with T-Blade (04710)
Where to buy: Amazon
This Andis product is made for trimming, outlining, shaving, and fading. There are no length attachments included. The powerful motor on the Andis is designed to zip through the thickest of hair and the blades themselves can be adjusted slightly, to trim hair from 0” to 1/16”. Buy this product if you like your head, face, or body clean shaven, or are just looking for a quality outliner and trimmer.
2. Philips Norelco HC7452/41 7100 Hair Clipper
Where to buy: Amazon
This is a completely cordless trimmer outfitted with a powerful Lion battery and durable motor. You get a whopping 2 hours of continuous use from 1 hour quick charge. One of the really nice features offered by the 7100 is the double-sharpened “DualCut” titanium blades, which require no oiling whatsoever. This product has a single adjustment comb with 24 built in length settings controlled by a lever on the handle. The 7100 has a turbo-boost feature to increase the motor speed and cutting efficiency for thick hair.
3. Wahl 8470-500 Professional Super Taper II Hair Clipper
Where to buy: Amazon
This lightweight Wahl product was designed for professional use. Barber shops all over use Wahl, since they’ve been around for ages and well known for their durable motors and stay sharp blades. While this product doesn’t have an adjustable comb, it does come with 6 color-coded selection combs that range from 1/8” to 1” in length. The blades on the Super Taper II require regular oiling.
4. OSTER Fast Feed Adjustable Pivot Motor Clipper 76023-510
Where to buy: Amazon
Oster is another reliable name that you can purchase with confidence. These corded professional-rated clippers come with 4 attachments ranging from 0” to 1” and are also rated to cut wet hair. There aren’t really any bells and whistles that come with this machine, the motor’s what you’re really paying for. Most clippers use a noisy magnetic resistance motor; the Oster Professional has a unique pivoting motor, which is whisper quiet and at least twice as powerful as most conventional clippers.
5. Conair Lithium Ion Cord/Cordless 20pc. Professional Clipper
Where to buy: Amazon
This Conair machine is cordless, offering 75 minutes of use from a 3-hour charge. The charging base allows you to select a 15 minute quick-charge that will give you 15 minutes of cutting time – great if you get stuck with half your hair cut and the battery dies on you! The kit comes with 10 different length guide attachment combs, scissors, styling comb, cape, styling clips, brush, oil, and a carrying case. The stainless steel blades have a taper control feature for really fine-tuning the length of your hair.
6. Panasonic ER-GS60-S Self-Hair Clipper Wet/Dry
Where to buy: Amazon
Panasonic isn’t a huge name when it comes to grooming products, but have really outdone themselves with the ER-GS60-S! These cordless clippers have a powerful Lithium Ion battery. While the charge time is only 50 minutes, the adjustable length comb makes this a good value for people who don’t want to deal with a bunch of extra attachments. These are wet/dry clippers and the kit comes with an additional set of blades too.
7. Remington Products VPG6530 4-in-1 Personal Groomer and Trimmer
Where to buy: Amazon
This Remington product has a vacuum feature for those who don’t like hair clippings getting on their clothing, counter space, or floor. It’s a cordless model, offering 60 minutes of trim time on a single charge. Remington claims the vacuum power is over twice that of other vacuum trimmers on the market. The 4-in-1 is an excellent value; offering 4 length adjustment combs, a foil face and body shaving attachment, and a nose and ear hair trimmer too!
Conclusion
As you’ve learned, there are so many options one can choose when buying a set of hair clippers. Avoid wasting your money on clippers that retail for less than $30, as you’ll surely be disappointed with their performance and will likely find yourself replacing them every couple of years to boot. Take your time deciding, and make sure to read at least 20 real customer reviews on sites like Amazon before making a final buying decision.
I prefer Karmin 😉