6 Best Beard Trimmers (2026): Full Beards, Hair, Stubble

A beard grows a couple of millimeter each two or three days—an eighth of an inch per week, on common. So testing beard trimmers can take a very long time.

Typically, we take a look at every beard trimmer as soon as a beard has grown out sufficient for a great trim—utilizing not less than two slicing lengths. Weight and steadiness issues, and so does the blade’s means to get to the awkward areas across the neck. We examine the trimmer’s means to perform as a shaver, whether or not for balding or on the neck.

Our testers examine how well-made and simple to make use of any attachments are, and we confirm producer claims about battery life and energy. We additionally examine in with skilled haircutters, particularly to confirm claims of sturdiness and reliability amongst manufacturers and fashions.

Tester Matthew Korfhage has coarse and indignant hairs, with a seeming thoughts of their very own. Tester Andrew Williams has a comparatively full beard, with straight-growing stubble. We have tried to replicate any attainable points—combating thick bristles, as an example—in our critiques, so that you will be certain of the absolute best trim with the least quantity of effort. And we would additionally run a blade right into a horsehair broom, to check a motor’s energy and its chance of bogging down when confronted with a thick, full beard.

To pick out beard trimmers price testing on the newest rounds of testing, I consulted numerous barbers in Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon, in addition to suggestions from workers at hair provide shops. I consulted numerous guides by different reviewers, together with business publications for barbers in addition to different specialised websites dedicated to beards and trimmers. And fairly merely, some names have earned their good repute. A brand new mannequin from Wahl, Philips Norelco, Panasonic, or Andis will virtually at all times benefit testing.

Some beard trimmers had been despatched by producers as evaluate fashions; others I purchased and expensed. Our reviewers hold top-pick beard trimmer fashions for sturdiness and comparability testing, usually over the course of years, and re-test battery life and efficiency over that point.

This is some assistance on selecting the best options in your facial fuzz.

• Ceramic versus metal blades: Ceramic blades can maintain their sharpness higher than metal, however the smaller tooth of premium beard trimmer blades are typically product of stainless-steel.
• Barrel management: Some beard trimmers have on-device twist controls. For a better life, choose one with minimal attachments. However there generally is a trade-off in accuracy and added unwieldiness. Such dials additionally add a failure level to the trimmer guard.
• Ni-MH versus Li-ion: Keep away from trimmers with excessively lengthy cost instances and those who use previous nickel-metal-hydride batteries. They do not maintain their cost so long as lithium-ion.
• Waterproof? Beard trimming within the bathe isn’t as exact a course of as moist shaving, however a water resistant design does allow you to wash your trimmer beneath the tap with confidence.
• USB charging: It took far too lengthy, however USB charging cables for beard trimmers have now turn into pretty normal, usually along with proprietary charging ports. A significant bonus for journey.
• Small versus bigger tooth: Bigger blade tooth can lower thick, dense hair, however smaller tooth permit for a more in-depth, extra exact lower. The latter is exemplified by the Philips OneBlade household.
• Extensive versus slender blade: Hair trimmers have wider blade surfaces than beard trimmers. The narrower fashion of beard trimmer offers better management, with minimal time loss for these with shorter facial hair.
• Do blades must be changed? Use blade oil (usually included) to keep away from rusting, and blades ought to final for years. Trimmer-shaver hybrid Philips OneBlade will want extra common replacements, although.
• Vacuum? Some beard trimmers have a vacuum characteristic, to keep away from getting hair trimmings in every single place. It is usually a gimmick, but it surely’s a gimmick with a purpose: Beard trimmings are the worst. We’ll be including protection of beard hair vacuums in future protection.

OK, you’ve got seen it. You’ve got lived it. Each beard trimmer’s charger is a few completely different form, incompatible with all different chargers. Talking as a reviewer of trimmers, it’s maddening—requiring me to maintain straight and separate an infinite number of chargers when testing trimmers towards one another. Lose a charger, and you have to safe a alternative (or declare it inconvenient to take action, and exchange the trimmer.) Company conspiracy! Grift!

Effectively, sure and no. Proprietary charging cables are in fact one of many basic ways in which producers have used to extend earnings and decrease comfort, whether or not by promoting a number of cords to the identical particular person or by growing the chance prospects will purchase a brand new gadget. This was the impetus behind a much-ballyhooed European legislation that forced small electronics manufacturers (including Apple) to standardize charging cables and reduce waste.

However not less than within the case of beard trimmers, the producers really do have good purpose to draw back from USB-C. The USB-C format doesn’t like water very a lot, and small quantities of moisture could cause shorts. Whilst you can mitigate danger with silicone flaps and the like, USB-C ports are nonetheless not superb for belongings you take into the bathe; therefore the profusion of two-pin beard trimmer connectors whose ports are fastidiously insulated from one another.

May these waterproof connectors even be standardized by way of European parliamentary motion, as laptop computer and iPhone chargers have been? Certain! Maybe! However this hasn’t occurred. So in the intervening time, get used to a bunch of humorous twine shapes till and until wi-fi charging turns into normal. For now, USB-C charging is extra usually a trademark of finances trimmers with a brief guarantee.