Having tested options from Wahl, Philips Norelco, Bevel and more, we compared the results and determined the best beard trimmer in a variety of categories.
By Evan Malachosky, Brett Braley-Palko, and Adam Hurly Ring And Pinion Gear
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It’s a necessary evil if you plan to grow out your facial hair: regular maintenance is a must and a beard trimmer is a necessity. For the uninitiated, the best beard trimmers are intuitive and offer a range of settings for general hair trimming and precision touch-ups, making it easy to maneuver, giving a clean line when shaving, and you’re not full of razor bumps when you’re done. Luckily for you, we did the dirty work and tested out the best brands on the market today.
First, you gotta grow the scruff. Then you gotta put each device to various tests: Each attachment needs testing, and the device’s ease of use and product design go under the microscope. One of the strangest tests is the verification of runtime. Because it’s not like we’re going to actually use a 6-hour device for 6 straight hours; but can it actually achieve that feat? (It helps to smother them with pillows as they hum away and check on them every 5-10 minutes. Testing the charge time is a lot more peaceful.)
We have to use the device as it is foremost advertised, be that a trimmer, a detailer, a multitasking body groomer, a travel-friendly pick, and everything in between. We ask our barbers for their favorites when we sit in their chairs. We ask our coworkers, boyfriends, roommates, fathers, and brothers to see which devices have stuck with them for years at a time. (Rest in peace, discontinued Philips Norelco Vacuum trimmer; you were a trusted trimmer for years, but your demise paved the way for the discovery of our new favorite, the large-bellied Remington.)
And, as our scruff keeps growing and the products keep debuting, our testing continues evermore.
To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.
Wahl’s beard trimmer kit edged out the competition in our battle between top contenders. This device is housed in a durable stainless steel shell and utilizes rechargeable Lithium Ion 2.0 technology that can provide 6 hours of trimming on one charge, and with an impressive 5-year warranty, too.
On top of that, this one has 12 different heads and attachments, including a 10-position adjustable head, allowing you to follow the natural contours of your face more effectively without missing the odd angle here and there. All in all, this tool gave us infinite options for trimming, detailing, and even shaving. It has the muscle, the range, and the longevity — and at a very respectable cost. We rarely had to charge it, and, when we did, it was back in action fast.
We’re huge fans of Bevel’s original beard trimmer (you’ll even find it listed later in this roundup), but what that device lacked was customization. Before, there was just a swappable guard head (with a T-blade option for clean lines).
Now, with the newly launched BevelPro, the clip-on guards are magnetic, making them easier to attach, and you also have a zero-gap option with an LED display, meaning we could see the 0.1-mm increments that take it from 0 mm to 2.5 mm without any guards attached (and then upwards of 2.5 inches in length with those guards).
We found that the Pro has so much muscle that it also doubles as a hair clipper, and we suspect this will be the must-have device for barbers this next year — at-home ones, for now. Nothing is sexier than this new Bevel. You pay for it, too, but it’s worth it, we found.
Read our full review of the Bevel beard trimmer.
While it took an overall silver medal to Wahl’s device, Philips’ Multigroom won out in some key categories, including body trimming, hair clipping, and detailing. That makes this device an exquisite all-around choice for the guy who wants to trim head to toe (and eyebrows, nose hairs, and … well, you get the idea). Its Lithium-ion battery delivers a 6-hour runtime, too, and we only had to wait an hour for it to charge.
The fully washable device is easy to keep clean, we found, and it comes with a rugged zipper case that has a contoured foam body to hold the trimmer and pouches to secure attachments, making this an easy option to take on trips — and super hard to forget. What’s more, the steeper price is justified by an industry-leading 10-year warranty.
We felt safe moving fast across our face and body, and truly feel there are few better options at this price.
There’s plenty to love about this simple but mighty Philips Norelco model. Its long cord creates quite tangled mess, though.
This trimmer has 39 adjustable settings to fine-tune your grooming routine — a rubberized dial controls the settings in .5mm increments from .5mm to 20mm. The stainless steel blades are washable and a convenient water drain allows quick cleaning after each use. Typically, submerging your trimmer in a tub of water would kill it, but not this time.
While the battery lasts just shy of an hour (good for one long groom or at least a week of touchups), our testing found, a LED charge indicator on the handle indicates the power level as to not leave you stranded in the middle of a trim. The attachments that come with the ER-GB80-S are designed for closer facial hair trimming, longer beard styles and precision body hair grooming. Panasonic also outfitted the trimmer with a rubberized handle that fits comfortably in bigger hands.
Best Beard Trimmer for Barely-There Stubble
Bevel’s first trimmer received high praise for its weight, cutting quality and precision. The brand’s second iteration is even better.
Built to meet the demands of master barbers, the reprise is now cordless, providing up to an incredible 8 hours — 32 15-minute sessions — of cutting time. Cord-free means we could touch up wherever we needed, and the Bevel Dial allows you to make adjustments with just the flick of a thumb, meaning ultra-smooth smooth fades. The included t-blade (aka a detailer) makes achieving clean lines a breeze, we found, while also limiting skin irritation, making it ideal for guys with any skin type out there.
Yes, this is the Bevel Beard Trimmer — it’s just the limited all-black edition. It’s still a hell of a lot of hardware.
We love the MG3750’s big brother, the MG7770. But for an incredulous price of just $20, we can’t say that we’d pick another beard trimmer for the money. Its measly run-time of just an hour may put some people off, but that’s more than enough for one session, we’ve found. As such, if your beard routine only involves a quick touch-up (which is most people), that shouldn’t deter you. It comes with plenty of attachments for any precise cuts you need to take care of and the stainless steel guards are easy to detach and clean.
Plus, this option itself costs as much as some attachments. For example, I broke a guard and needed it to maintain my pandemic-era at-home hair. I ordered an entirely new trimmer just for the guard, but now I have a backup for trips or when this one kicks the bucket.
Best Beard and Body Trimmer
This compact trimmer can keep up with the best. It comes with nine attachments and could trim our beard from .5mm to 21 mm (in 2mm increments). The battery delivers one hour of runtime and a LED indicator on the handle displays the battery life. Thankfully, this trimmer is fully washable, which made cleanup a breeze. It’s also small enough to be packed into a Dopp kit without disturbing our current grooming products. The additional razor is perfect for quick touch-ups or on-the-go grooming when and if your battery dies and you don’t have time to charge it.
If you need a precision trimmer to touch up your neck, beard and mustache but want to keep the bulk of your beard intact, this is a solid option. Inside the heavy-duty housing, a quiet magnetic motor powers carbon-steel blades designed for years of use. It is, above all, an outliner for the edgework, we determined, but with its attachments (sold separately), it becomes a veritable customizer for the rest of the face.
Weighing in at 11 ounces, this trimmer is light on the hands for extended use. It’s easy to pack, too, and its corded body makes it easier to remember to grab from your hotel bathroom — at least in our experience. It can be zero-gapped for a bare-faced trim or left as-is for barely-there stubble.
Just make sure to oil the blade before each use to ensure a good trim; this one does require a little bit of upkeep, but that’s standard for a brand like Andis, which is adored by every barber ‘round the world not just for its charm, but for its precision and ease-of-use, making it a perfect option for any layperson to pick up and pack, too.
When cleaning up a beard, it’s best to be prepared to clean up the sink, too. That said, beard trimmers with integrated vacuums make the mess a bit (or a lot) less. It’s just a shame they aren’t more commonplace. Remington’s boasts a dual-motor system that delivers high-powered suction to capture up to 90 percent of trimmed hair.
The collection chamber is generous, too, we found, as it trapped a full mane —but for obvious reasons, it can only suck up the hair when it’s in short clippings; it’s not like a full-on Hoover or anything (nor could any such device have that capability). It’s more than enough to collect the leftovers of a full session of trimming and the included attachments mean you can get the detail you’re after. And will save you the trouble of cleaning up – or arguing with your significant other about the mess you left in the sink. That’s also a bonus in our book.
Although the OneBlade looks comically simple — it’s a tiny blade attached to a medium-sized body — it can do quite a lot. In fact, it’s the shape and size of the trimmer which is its strongest asset: its designed to do one job and it does it well, all packed in a hand-friendly, ergonomic design. I used it to trim my beard using one of the attachable guards, which help keep the blade far enough from the skin to only cut the hairs to your desired length. I also edged by inverting the blade and pressing it to my skin, which gave me a close enough shave to last a few days and still look put together
When shaving, the OneBlade goes flat against your skin and can go in either direction. Tilting it to an angle, to where the coated teeth are against the skin, it can sharpen a beard’s edges or carve out a mustache (or even mutton chops). Don’t press too hard, though, or drop the device — the plastic shaving components are pretty delicate (see below). I broke my first blade in less than two weeks.
Learn more about Philips Norelco’s OneBlade in our dedicated review.
This is how mine broke, but this is why they’re replaceable, right?
For a quick shave when you’re running out of time, a shower-proof trimmer with exceptional detailing capabilities might be the best option for you. Luckily, the Wahl Aqua Blade 9899 does it all. Offering a sleek blade that limits skin irritation and provides a stubble-close shave, you can clean up your sides and neck while you sing along to the radio – or is that just what I do in the shower?
The lithium battery is long-lasting, but even if you forget to charge it and are in a hurry, a 3-minute charge will give you 5 precious minutes of run time, making it a great option for those who are absent-minded or always on-the-go.
In recent years, advances in rechargeable batteries have allowed for some cordless trimmers to run for hours on end. Many beard trimmers on the market also utilize blades that require very little upkeep — as a general rule: look for self-sharpening steel blades that don’t require oil before each use or you’ll regret every time you go beyond a 5 o’clock shadow. Better yet, you want something that can rinse clean easily, making for a hygienic experience with each use.
Bottom line, you need a tool that has the right capabilities for your beard maintenance, whether it’s specific attachment heads or a vast range of trimming increments for a fully customizable clean up. That’s the keyword: The more customizable your options, the more you’ll get out of the device. Many trimmers come with interchangeable heads that allow you to clip stray hairs, cut clean lines, and define the borders of your cheeks and neck—that’s the customization you need.
And if you take those attachment heads off, will the device offer you a barely-there 5-o’clock shadow (or shorter), akin to an electric shave? While they won’t cut quite as close as the designated shaver or a razor, some trimmers even have swappable shaver heads to afford you both options. For the ingrown-prone or irritation-prone shaver, this is music to one’s ears (even if you’re just cleaning up the cheek and necklines with that guardless trimmer head). But whether you’re using an e-shaver head or a toothy trimmer head, you want a tool that won’t nip at your skin or leave you reddened, making you anxious each time you use the device.
Comparing a beard trimmer to a standard razor is more or less apples and oranges. The razor debate is one to be had with electric shavers, specifically, since both aim to give you a bare-face shave. And while beard trimmers are terrific for clipping you all the way down to a barely-there stubble (if you so please), what they are best at is offering you customization—and creative direction over your own face! You can have a bushier mustache and shorter cheek hairs or sprout a Brad Pitt-esque goatee with a John Waters-esque pencil ‘stache (hey, just spitballing here). Or, you can maintain a perfectly uniform beard of nearly any length.
“To keep the beard the desired length, trimming with an electric clipper and a guard is definitely the way to go,” Mike Gilman, the founder of Grooming Lounge, says. This is due in part to the versatility that an electric trimmer can provide, but also the specific attachments that accompany a beard trimmer versus, say, a simple razor. Those attachments make not only the job faster, but make consistency as seamless as possible.
For shorter beards, Gilman suggests that you “start with a longer guard and move toward a shorter guard — you can’t put hair back on if too much is removed,” he warns. “We’d recommend starting with a #1 guard and moving down to a .5 guard if the hair isn’t trimmed enough the first go around.”
Whether you’re looking to go even tighter or tidy loose edges after you’ve “completed with the trimming of the length, the bearded one can remove the guards and use the point of the bare clipper to outline and carve out spots around the neck, cheeks and mustache,” he adds.
Folks with longer beards should only use a trimmer to shape or sharpen. Scissors are the smarter option for serious cutting.
“For more intense facial foliage formations, it usually works best to separate the way the beard is handled on the cheeks versus the goatee, chin and upper neck area,” Gilman says. “Down below, on the chin and goatee area, it’s more of a comb and scissor situation. Comb the beard down and cut across in small sections, sometimes point cutting into the beard diagonally. If [you] cut straight across at the bottom, it’ll look like the equivalent of a bowl cut for the beard.”
Gilman offers this tip in order to get the most uniform, as-desired results from your trimmer: “It’s best to follow the grain of your facial hair growth while trimming,” he says. “This is usually a downward-facing trim, to a degree. Going against the grain and pushing too hard can leave bald patches.”
When considering which beard trimmer is best for your needs, you need to ask yourself the following questions: When and where will you be using it? Are you maintaining the same beard you’ve had for years and just need a one-trick pony? Do you alternate between short and long styles and need a trimmer that offers a lot of variety? Will you use it to draw clean lines or even trim hair down to its shortest possible length? Will you take your trimmer on trips, or are you leaving it in a bathroom cabinet? Does it matter if it’s corded, or does it need to be chargeable? (And does a quick charge matter to you?) Will you ever want to trim your facial hair while showering? (Tell us how that works out, but hey, lots of guys apparently do this!) Finally, what’s your budget?
No matter how you answered any of these questions, our picks have you covered.
Make no haste when it comes to shaving. This is your face after all, and the entire world is watching — thus, you’ve got to prevent things like irritation, ingrown hairs and infection. It’s easy to do if you put the right amount of time and care into your shave regimen.
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