The 9 Very Best Beard Trimmers

Cordless with battery life of 100 minutes | Blade type: Self-sharpening | Weight: 16 ounces | Extras: 8 guard attachments

The Wahl Cordless Magic Clip is a product that I’ve come across in my reporting time and time again. I’ve awarded it the top spot on this list not just because it was the most-recommended trimmer (with seven endorsements) but because I know that it really works.

I asked my tester Andre Gill to try it out on his thick beard (that he likes to keep tightly trimmed). He said the trimmer cut through his beard easily, and he was impressed by the range of guards that let him choose how close a shave he wanted. “I could also get the line at the top of my beard tight and neat,” he says. Gill has particularly sensitive skin and told me that the Magic Clip was not at all irritating. When Gill was done, I also interrogated the quality and battery life of the Magic Clip by letting it run until the battery stopped: I’m pleased to report that it lasts for the promised 100 minutes after a full charge. It also has a nice, not at all flimsy feeling in the hand, and cleaning it is straightforward.

As a beard trimmer, Murdock London’s Wood Smith says “it’s the top product to own if you want to re-create a barbershop experience in the comfort of your home.” Fellow expert Sam Buffa, founder of Fellow Barber, says that the self-sharpening blade stays sharper for longer (especially when compared to other options in this price range.) The cordless version is relatively light and the battery lasts for 100 minutes, but you can also get a corded version.

Corded | Weight: 4 ounces | Blade type: Self-sharpening | Extras: 4 guard attachments

When I asked Miguez how he keeps the famous beard of one of his clients (style writer David Coggins) so fresh, he told us his most-trusted tool is Wahl’s corded Peanut Clipper. It’s cheaper than the Magic Clip, but that isn’t why he likes it: he finds his Wahl more reliably powerful than any cordless trimmer he’s tried, and finds the four guard attachments to be just the right amount for a no-fuss shave. It’s not the first time I’ve heard about this trimmer: The Peanut is also the favored beard trimmer of Strategist columnist Chris Black, who praised it because it’s “cheap, dependable, and fits in your designer Dopp kit perfectly.”

Cordless with battery life of 60 minutes | Weight: Not specified | Blade type: Self-sharpening | Extras: 9 attachments including nose and ear trimmers

While the first Norelco I recommended is suited to a range of beard lengths, the 3000 series is great for guys who keep a shorter beard (or who prefer to keep a little scruff.) One man that’s been shaving with it for years is former Strategist senior editor Peter Martin — also a former Esquire grooming editor — keeps a shorter beard that’s typically more of a scruff. After wearing out his Gillette trimmer during quarantine, he bought this exceptionally affordable Philips trimmer on a “strong recommendation” from his brother-in-law. “I wish I’d switched to this a decade ago,” Martin says, explaining that it’s “so much easier to use” with sharp cutting blades that “never get stuck and clip all the hair in basically one pass.” He also appreciates that, unlike his old Gillette, this trimmer “came with nose and ear trimmers, which I pretend I don’t need.”

Cordless with battery life of 45 minutes | Weight: 9.7 ounces | Blade type: Dual side blade | Extras: 3 comb attachments

While Black says the cordless version of the Wahl Peanut will fit in a Dopp kit, if you’re looking for an even more affordable beard trimmer for travel, consider the OneBlade. Quilty-Harper uses it, and it made the cut on Soller’s list, too. “The small size, decent battery life, and punchy color make it just right for my Dopp kit,” Soller wrote. Quilty-Harper adds that it can “get as close as a wet shave” (to wit, the OneBlade also made our list of expert-recommended electric razors), with Soller writing that the gadget falls somewhere “between a traditional beard trimmer and a regular razor.” He adds: “Once you charge the handle and turn on the power, the blade’s rapid movements cut nearly as close as a regular disposable blade but without any fear of bleeding or ingrown hairs.”

Cordless with battery life of up to 2 hours | Weight: 4.9 ounces | Blade type: T-blade | Extras: 4 guard attachments

“Between barbershop appointments, the best thing you can do at home to maintain your beard is to keep your cheek lines and neckline neat,” Wood Smith told me. “And the Andis Slimline Pro is easily maneuverable to trim even hard-to-reach hairs on the neck.” “It’s going to get incredibly close, so professionals use it to create neat lines and then put the attachments on to trim the beard itself,” explains Karac Ruleau of Mott NYC. Miguez agrees, saying that while he wouldn’t use it as his main beard trimmer, it’s the first thing he picks up to keep the area around his clients’ ears and the backs of their necks clean. Albano, another expert who says the Slimline Pro is great for styling, adds that it is “super-light, super-sharp, and built to last.” And Mac, yet another Andis fan, told us he knows from experience that this product works on facial hair of all types and textures and holds its charge for a long time.

Cordless with battery life of 60 minutes | Weight: Not specified | Blade type: Self-sharpening | Extras: 13 attachments for beard, mustache, hair, body, ear, and nose

This trimmer is technically meant to be used all over your body, but Medium strategist Shaquille Cheris says he prefers to use this Hatteker trimmer to keep the edges of his beard in good shape between barbershop visits. Hatteker claims the product is fully waterproof and, in addition to cleaning its blades, encourages users to soak the beard trimmer itself under a faucet between uses. “It came with what felt like 15 components,” he says, “and it has a great motor compared to the Panasonic I was using before.”