These are the trimmest clippers for at-home haircuts
From Remington’s RX5 head shaver to Panasonic’s cordless clippers, these are the best grooming gadgets for men's haircare...
Words: Jonathan Wells
Lockdown trims got you tearing your hair out? You’re not alone. With almost a full year of self-isolated styling under our belts, we’ve all likely experienced some sort of barbering disaster. Was it that time you tried to fade using your beard trimmer? Or when you set about cutting in a fringe with some blunt kitchen scissors? Whatever your haircare calamity, it could have almost certainly been avoided with a decent pair of hair clippers.
To help out, we’ve combed through the mens grooming market and picked out seven of the best. From Remington’s head shaver — ideal for those sticking with the skinhead style of the first lockdown, to Panasonic’s cordless clippers built for professional barbershops, these are the trimmest clippers for your next at-home haircut…
For those trickier styles, BaByliss Pro Cordless Super Motor Clipper
In high-shine Japanese steel, this cordless clipper from BaByliss looks more like a barbering trophy than a trimming tool. Thankfully, it’s as practical as it is polished — with super sharp blades, a high-torque motor and precision engineered balance to ensure superior handling during use.
Guide combs? Six, in total — from cutting grades 1 through 6
Battery life? 3 hour charge time for 120 minutes run time
Any extras? Comes with oil and cleaning brush for maintenance
For the accident-prone pruner, Wahl Colour Pro Lithium
In a badly-lit bathroom, it can be tricky to know what guard to grab next. Should you try to fade slowly — or go freehand to hurry your styling along? From Wahl, this Colour Pro Lithium clipper takes any guesswork out of graduating thanks to a wide variety of innovative colour-coded guide combs.
Guide combs? Eight, ranging in grade from 1 to 8, and colour from orange to purple
Battery life? Lithium Ion technology provides 120 minutes cordless run time
Any extras? Scissors, comb, cleaning brush, storage pouch, haircutting cape and ear taper combs
For the tousle-haired tech-head, Philips Series 9000 Digital Hair Clipper
If you’ve spent lockdown upgrading every piece of tech in your house — from home cinema to webcam set-up — then the bathroom cabinet should be your next stop. From Philips, this Series 9000 hair clipper has digital touch controls, motorised combs and an ‘auto turbo’ boost to tackle extra-thick hair. There’s even a memory function which will remember your preferred length for future trims.
Guide combs? Three, but they have more than 400 length settings between them — adjustable in 0.1 millimetre increments
Battery life? The NiMh battery lasts up to 90 minutes after a 1-hour charge
Any extras? Hair comb, beard comb and cleaning brush
For the closest shave, Remington Ultimate Series RX5 Head Shaver
During the first lockdown, a certain type of man panicked when barbers shut up shop — and decided to rashly shave his head completely bald. And ‘rashly’ is the right word. Without the proper tools, men ended up itching and scratching their scalps for months. If you’re committing to the skinhead style, at least do things properly — with Remington’s reliable Ultimate Series RX5 Head Shaver.
Guide combs? None, but there is a pop-up detail trimmer on the back of the RX5
Battery life? 50 minutes — not that you’ll need it. Remington claims the RX5 can shave a whole head in under two minutes
Any extras? Nothing to speak of, although the waterproof function comes in handy in a hurry
For the budding professional, Panasonic GP81 Linear Cordless Clipper
Technically, Panasonic’s GP81 cordless clipper is a trade product — intended for professionals. But it also happens to be better than any of the brand’s consumer clippers, and we’d recommend it for anyone taking their hairstyling seriously. If these DIY trims have seen you catch the barbering bug, this is the clipper for you.
Guide combs? Six attachments, an X-Taper blade and Advance Sensor Technology allow for 17 lengths, from three to 19 millimetres
Battery life? 50 minutes cutting from one hour charging
Any extras? A charging stand. Experts don’t need extras
For the best value, Braun Hair Clipper
If you’ve got slow-growing hair, or just fancy a surface trim now-and-then, Braun’s simply named ‘Hair Clipper’ is ideal. It’s a marvel for under £40 — a basic-but-reliable bit of kit that has multiple attachments, lifetime lasting sharp blades and a Memory SafetyLock system every bit as effective as Phillips’ digital offering above.
Guide combs? Three body attachments, a facial epilator, a shaver and a trimmer with nine length settings
Battery life? The basic dual battery shows up the price point; 8 hours charging for just 50 minutes of cordless performance
Any extras? Oil, cleaning brush and three facial brushes
For high performance, Carrera No.622 Ceramic Hair Clippers
If you’re the sort of person with Bosch appliances in your kitchen and an Audi sitting in the garage, Carrera’s No.622 design is the dynamic Germanic clipper for you. It’s been built using only the best materials, with titanium and ceramic cutters coming together to ensure that any errant hairs don’t stand a chance…
Guide combs? Two attachment combs give freedom to trim between four and 19 millimetres and 21 and 36 millimetres
Battery life? After a full charge (90 minutes) you’ll have an hour of cutting time. A five-minute charge will give you enough time for a brief trim
Any extras? The usual brushes and bag — and also a handy USB charging adapter
Looking for more top grooming tools? These gentleman’s combs will banish bad hair days for good…
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