- A good beard trimmer should be precise, versatile, and safe and easy to use.
- Of all the beard trimmers we researched, our favorites are from Philips Norelco, Panasonic, and Wahl because they tick off all the requirements for a great beard trimmer.
The best beard trimmer should keep your facial hair from looking unkempt, properly cutting all the hair after just a few passes.
There are a few things you should consider before buying a beard trimmer. After all, different people have different beards and styles, and you might even be looking for something that you can use for other areas of body hair, too. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Corded or cordless: Each beard trimmer you run into will fall into one of two categories: It’ll either be corded or cordless. There are advantages to both. Corded trimmers don’t require you to charge up or replace batteries, while cordless ones don’t require a power outlet and are more portable.
- Attachments: Beard trimmers often come with a range of attachments, and how you want to use your beard trimmer could dictate the attachments you need. You’ll want to think about how long your beard is, along with whether you want to use the trimmer for hair elsewhere – like the hair on the top of your head or in your nostrils.
- Waterproofing: Some people prefer to do their shaving in the shower to make for an easier cleanup, or to simply wash their trimmer under the tap after shaving. If that’s you, you’ll want to ensure you’re getting a waterproof device.
And, of course, the beard trimmer should be safe to use. After research and real-life usage, we have narrowed down the list of our favorite beard trimmers.
Here are our picks for the best beard trimmers:
- Panasonic Wet and Dry ER-GB42-K
- Wahl Lithium Ion Plus
- Philips Norelco OneBlade Face & Body Hybrid
- Philips Norelco 7200
The best overall and budget beard trimmer
The Philips Norelco Multigroom 3000 is a budget trimmer, but you wouldn’t know that from the strong performance and included attachments.
I have been using older variants of the Philips Norelco Multigroom 3000 for nearly eight years because of how reliable they have been – even though I originally bought them because of the low price and they carried the Norelco name, and not so much for longevity. It’s proof that you don’t need to spend a lot for a good trimmer.
The Multigroom 3000 comes with three interchangeable trimmer heads: full size, precision, and nose and ear. To clean, just pop the head off the trimmer and rinse it. For the full-size trimmer head, there are seven guards with varying lengths, including three for trimming head hair. An included bag helps keep everything in one place.
Regardless of beard style, this trimmer does the job: It tackles a full face of hair and shaves down stubble. The precision head is handy for creating that professional look.
What I like about the Multigroom 3000 is the high-quality steel blades and contoured shape that allows for a comfortable hold. Be careful: The blades are sharp, so make sure you use a guard or exercise care. The rechargeable battery is rated for 60 minutes of continuous use, but as someone who only needs to trim his facial hair every other week, I find these trimmers to have enough standby power. If you trim on a regular basis, you may need to charge it once a week.
While reliable, the motor can die on you - as it did with my first trimmer. For the price, you will get good use out of it before you would need a replacement. - Les Shu
Pros: Inexpensive, bag full of guards and attachments
Cons: Difficult to clean, not a ton of attachments
The best wet and dry trimmer
With a waterproof design and an adjustable blade, the Panasonic Wet and Dry ER-GB42-K can trim your beard to your desired length, whether you groom in or out of the shower.
Not everyone has the same grooming routine, so Panasonic created the Wet and Dry ER-GB42-K to accommodate a range of techniques.
Designed to be fully immersible in water, the Wet and Dry trimmer can be used anywhere, whether you're doing a quick trim while on the go or a closer, more thorough cut in the shower. The waterproof design also makes cleaning a breeze. Just open up the drainage hole and run warm water through it to clean out hair built up on the blade.
Since convenience is a huge part of the trimmer's design, you can easily adjust the level of the blade by turning the 19-setting dial. Ranging from a 1mm length to a 10mm length, the quick adjustable blade will help you achieve a close trim, a clean but grown-in look, and everything in between.
The trimmer is rated at 50 minutes of battery power, which is 10 minutes less than other options on this list like the Philips Norelco Multigroom 3000 and Philips Norelco One Blade. Despite having a slightly shorter battery life, it's still pretty good considering a beard trim usually only takes a few minutes each time.
Pros: Waterproof, adjustable blade, easy to clean
Cons: Shorter battery life
The best beard trimmer for travel
The Wahl Lithium Ion Plus is an affordable and reliable beard trimmer that comes with many attachments and is travel-friendly.
The Wahl Lithium Ion Plus has stood the test of time as one of the best-selling beard trimmers, thanks to its reliability and the many attachments that the trimmer comes with. You'll find this trimmer recommended by other reviewers, like Wirecutter and The Strategist, too.
The Lithium Ion Plus has one attachment to trim your beard and another for precise detailing. There are also attachments for trimming nose and ear hair. On top of that, it has 12 combs for different hair lengths. There is a power adapter for recharging the internal battery and tools to clean the heads. The size and weight also make it ideal for travel.
Wahl products are popular with professional barbers, but that doesn't mean they're indestructible. You'll want to be careful with how much water it's exposed to, as some users have noted a little rust after longer periods of time, and the running water can cause the blades to wear out quicker. Because of that, cleaning the device can take some time, as you'll have to use the included brush. Since the heads are removable, you can purchase new ones should you wear them out.
Pros: Lots of attachments, reliable, versatile
Cons: Cleaning can be a pain
The best trimmer for beard and body
The Philips Norelco OneBlade Face & Body Hybrid is versatile for trimming all types of body hair.
For the hirsute among us who require a trimmer that handles both face and body, the Philips OneBlade Face & Body Hybrid is the tool to consider.
Operational in both wet or dry, you can rinse it under water or shave in the shower - just don't submerge it in water. The OneBlade comes with two removable blades (each for face and body), combs for different trim lengths, and a guard for trimming around delicate areas. The blade is designed for trimming, edging, and even shaving your face, although we recommend using a separate shaver instead since it doesn't shave as close - unless you want the stubble look. But, it's comfortable to use as it doesn't pull hair out completely.
The rechargeable battery is rated for 60 minutes of continuous use, which is fine for quick, daily maintenance.
Each blade will last up to four months depending on how often you use it, according to the company. However, a two-pack blade replacement is not cheap, which means it will cost more to maintain this product. - Les Shu
Pros: Can be used for trimming and shaving, works for face and body hair, reasonable price point, wet or dry operation
Cons: Not for close shaves, expensive to maintain
The best easy-to-clean beard trimmer
The Philips Norelco 7200 is precise and easy to use, but the best thing about it is that it has a built-in vacuum to suck up those hairs.
Some trimmers are a bit difficult to clean, but Philips Norelco makes the chore easy, thanks to a built-in vacuum.
Philips claims that the vacuum in the Norelco 7200 will suck up 90% of cut hairs. After shaving, all you have to do is dump the reservoir into the trash.
Of course, the vacuum isn't the only advantage of this trimmer. It also comes with a beard comb and two detail comb attachments. Plus, you can tweak comb lengths by 0.5mm increments simply by turning a dial, making for a super precise trim.
This trimmer can be recharged, but instead of the 60-minute rating you'll find with most Philips Norelco trimmers, this one works for 80 minutes before you need to plug it in. It can also be used while charging, so even when the battery is dead, it isn't completely useless. A plus: There's a battery indicator.
Pros: Built-in vacuum, can be used in wired mode
Cons: Not as versatile as others
Check out our other men's grooming buying guides
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