If you, like myself, experienced nightmare haircuts during lockdown that involved battling with kitchen scissors and beard trimmers, you don’t need me to explain the necessity of hair clippers.
Unlike the utensils that are most certainly not intended for cutting hair, clippers boast sharp blades and a powerful motor that offer greater precision when achieving a short-back-and-sides cut. Whether you’re attempting a dreamy fade à la Idris Elba or are just going for a one-grade-all-over, they’re a key element of every man’s trimming arsenal.
According to the team at Ted’s Grooming Room, London’s go-to barber for the well-groomed gent, there are certain details to be aware of: “When selecting hair clippers, several features and accessories are essential to consider. You should look out for adjustable clipper guards to achieve different hair lengths and styles, strong motor power for effective cutting, washable easy-to-remove blades and a comfortable grip.”
Then, there are a few elements that depend totally on personal preference. First of all, they can be wired or cordless, the experts continue: “Wired clippers offer a constant power source, so they’re generally more powerful and suitable for longer sessions. However, cordless clippers provide greater flexibility and mobility - just ensure they are charged before use.”
Next up, there is a range of blades you can choose between: “Titanium blades are top of the range, known for their exceptional sharpness and durability but this comes at a price. Stainless steel blades, however, are a more affordable choice that offers durability, sharpness, and corrosion resistance, ensuring effective and reliable cutting. Both titanium and stainless steel blades offer advantages, and your choice may depend on your budget.”
We’ve searched far and wide for the best clippers on the market that cater for a range of needs and budgets, so you don’t have to.
Keep scrolling for our top pick.
Best electric shavers for men, from budget to top of the range
Best safety razors for men for a smoother, more sustainable shave
Best beard trimmers to shave and shape your facial hair in a flash
Best thickening shampoos for men to help with thinning hair
Best hair styling products for men, from wax to clay
Best men’s grooming brands to know for your bathroom cabinet
Corded
Wahl Elite Pro Haircutting Kit
Best hair clippers for: getting creative with your cut
An international heavyweight in the world of grooming, Wahl manufactures professional barber-quality clippers at a great price - as proven by this kit that’s just £58.49.
Suitable for all manner of haircuts, it features an adjustable taper lever, 10 attachments, scissors, precision blades and a lifetime motor guarantee. Welcome to your hair’s new lifelong companion.
Buy now £58.49, Wahl
Philips Series 3000 Head and Face Hair Clipper with Stainless Steel Blades
Best hair clippers for: multitasking
Designed for both head and face trimming, with these clippers from Philips, you get two for the price of one. In the box, you’ll find four attachment combs and a cleaning brush for easy upkeep.
Buy now £28.84, Amazon
Wahl 5 Star Legend
Best hair clippers for: Salon standard
If you’re in the market for salon standard, Wahl’s 5 Star Legend is the clipper for you. Featuring an ultra-powerful motor, 10 combs, an extended taper for expert fading and longer cutting grooves for improved accuracy when cutting, you’ll be able to deliver a barber-quality haircut from the comfort of your own home - your wallet and your barnet will thank you later.
Buy now £119.99, Wahl
Cordless
Braun Hair Clipper Series 7 HC7390
Best hair clippers for: Memory functions
Boasting ultra-sharp blades, a comfortable rubber grip and 17 length settings to choose from, Braun’s clippers are a bargain at £67.49. Better yet, the ‘memory safety lock’ feature means you can save the exact same settings for next time - leaving much less room for possible mishaps. The battery run time lasts for 50 minutes.
Buy now £67.49, Braun
BaBylissMEN Japanese Steel Digital Clipper
Best hair clippers for: A precision cut
If you’re a clean-cut chap who’s never without a fresh fade, this is the clipper for you. Offering ultimate precision thanks to eight comb guides and an adjustable twist taper setting, the art of blending lengths will be as easy as possible. All you need to do is charge it for three hours to enjoy 160 minutes of clipping time.
Buy now £73.33, Boots
Remington T-Series Men's Hair Clipper and Beard Trimmer Kit
Best hair clippers for: Very long runtime
Remington is a grooming industry heavyweight that you can rely on for a quality pair of clippers. From the five hour runtime to the 11 versatile attachments, the waterproof functionality to the five-minute charge for a quick trim, it will cater for all of your haircut needs.
Buy now £58.00, Amazon
Wahl Aqua Blade 10-in-1 Multi-groomer
Best hair clippers for: An all-over grooming kit
If you’re looking for more than just a standard pair of hair clippers, this comprehensive combo ticks a whole load of boxes. Featuring all manner of add-ons, including no less than 16 comb attachments, this model makes a great starter kit or office drawer backup.
Cutting lengths range from a close-cropped 0.2mm up to 25mm, taming your tangles and getting you boardroom, bedroom or beach ready from top to toe, while also offering incredibly good value.
One major selling point is the four interchangeable heads comprising a double-foil shaver, a nose trimmer and an edge trimmer for finer detailing work, in addition to the main bladed hair clippers attachment.
Admittedly, some of these, particularly the flimsy comb guides and cheap case, don’t exactly scream premium, but overall the value-backed versatility the hair clippers and grooming kit gives is hard to beat.
Factor in the impressive three hours of run-time off a one-hour charge, backed by a handy five-minute quick charge function, and you have a great go-to travel solution for a man on the move. It also comes with a five-year warranty.
Buy now £66.99, Wahl
BaByliss Super-X Metal Series Hair Clipper
Best hair clippers for: premium in the ‘£100 and over’ range
Increase your budget to just over the £100 mark and a whole new world of stylish styling options opens up. Take these deliciously designed lovelies: they have a sleek modern matt grey and shiny silver body accented by a fetching blue side-strip charger display and are topped by a Japanese steel blade.
With their quality steel blade and premium, smooth operator looks, these pro grade clippers both look and feel well made while packing enough power to effortlessly glide through even the thickest of hair.
The 10 different length guards cover grades 0.5 to 8 while that five-position taper arm takes precision cuts and fades in its stride. Another major selling point is the rapid charge function, giving three hours of juice off a three-hour charge, or 20 minutes off a 20-minute fast charge. Truly delivering where it counts, these are worth every inch of their purchase price and then some, I reckon.
Buy now £72.99, Amazon
Andis Master Cordless – Gold Limited Edition
Best hair clippers for: Luxury looks
Go for gold with these fancy-pants clippers which look like they could’ve been plucked from a showy dictator’s bathroom or Liberace’s boudoir.
Essentially a limited-edition gold version of the timeless, well-respected Andis Master Cordless model, that shiny, shiny gold exterior masks a sturdy, dependable and comfortably contoured aluminium casing and some serious cutting smarts. They are powered by a lithium ion battery providing 90 minutes of run-time off a one-hour full charge.
Capable of running at 7,200 strokes per minute, the powerful rotary motor can cut wet or dry, the ‘Constant Speed Technology’ keeping things steady as she goes. The carbon-steel blade, adjusted using the integrated taper lever, is further aided by the five supplied combs that are reassuringly metal rather than the usual plastic offerings. Further supplied items include a charging stand, blade oil and a power cord with a UK plug.
Buy now £299.99, Amazon
Philips HC5630/13 Series 5000 Hair Clipper with Turbo mode
Best hair clippers for: Turbo function
Weighing 340g, these lightweight cordless clippers feel great to use and look rather attractive to boot, offering a decent 90-minute run-time off a full charge that takes an hour.
Key features include the self-sharpening blades and Philips’ DualCut technology which, translated into normal speak, essentially means they feature a two-sided cutting element which the manufacturer claims cuts hair twice as fast. The ability to hit the Turbo button to access some added cutting ‘oomph’ and to ‘lock’ into your chosen cutting height position are yet more strings to their bow. This helps to power through the job at hand while avoiding any unfortunate hairdressing mishaps.
Users can opt between 28 lengths, from 0.5mm to 28mm, accessed by adjusting the main dial and using the two attachable comb guides. The two-millimetre stubble comb is particularly handy for short haircuts and low maintenance beard trims. Or simply remove the comb for a quick and tidy 0.5mm trim. When done, simply rinse under the tap. Splendid stuff.
Buy now £59.99, John Lewis
Corded and cordless
Remington X3 Power-X Series Hair Clipper
Best hair clippers for: Low cost, high efficiency
Don’t be put off by the lengthy 16-hour charge time and run time of just 45 minutes, these are a quality pair of clippers that, for this price point, excel in the clipping and styling stakes.
With the option of operating cordless or corded, and chargeable via a USB hub, these well-priced lovelies offer a nice mix of precision cutting and power – that X3 element of their name promising three times the cutting power of regular clippers – and they’re super simple and enjoyable to use.
Used ‘bare’, without combs, they’ll clip a head of hair to 0.5mm in a jiffy. Add one of the two provided combs and you can cut hair at lengths of between 3mm and 24mm with a turn of the dial wheel, ratcheting up or down the 22 length settings in increments of 1mm.
While somewhat plasticky, these clippers feel nice in the hand with a sleek design and anti-slip grip. Top marks for those removable Japanese steel blades which are self-sharpening and can be rinsed under the tap.
Buy now £28.99, Amazon
Wahl Clipper Kit Cord/Cordless
Best hair clippers for: A starter clipper
It’s hard to argue with the value of this comprehensive offering from the ever-dependable Wahl brand which includes everything you need to get started.
For around £20, you get items such as hairdressers’ scissors, barber’s comb and cleaning brush alongside the clippers themselves whose features include removable blades for easy cleaning.
The clippers’ 11 detachable combs serve a range of lengths from 0.8mm to 25mm, opening up a world of styles at your fingertips. While the long charge charging time is not ideal, it’ll give a 60-minute run-time and you can always use it corded, too. All in all a great pick for teens and anyone else looking to beautify on a budget.
Buy now £21.99, Amazon
What should you look out for in your hair clippers?
Cord or cordless?
Today’s home hair clippers are typically cordless, of course, with mains operation relegated to providing a handy fallback for when batteries fall flat. The proliferation of clippers that’ll work dry or wet has further aided the versatility angle, being suitable for use in the shower as well as increasingly durable.
Accessories
There’s a staggering array of options to choose between, from sturdy salon-style sets to budget all-over grooming kits containing add-ons like hairdressing scissors.
Blades
Another variant is the blades. Ceramic blades offer an attractive alternative to the more commonly found steel options, including the popular Japanese steel variants. While more brittle, ceramic blades are better at staying cool, don’t rust or corrode and, for some, produce a smoother shave. Plus, they look cool.
Motors
While cordless home-use hair clippers typically use rotary motors, other models can feature magnetic or pivot motors.
Everything else
Best of all, many hair clippers sets can be had for under £50. Just be sure to confirm your chosen hair clippers pack enough power to meet your needs, offer a close enough finish, and the battery offer acceptable recharge and runtimes.
