Best Beard Trimmers – For Whiskers Well-Kempt

Beards are back, baby! After a hundred years on the ragged side of American fashion, a hirsute face is once again cool. But that doesn’t mean you can let your face-fuzz grow unchecked. Tangles, split ends, and a general “crazy-man” look are not attractive. Tame that beard with a quality beard trimmer.

We called upon our extensive experience with beard trimmers to write a buyer’s guide that explains the ins and outs of the beard trimmer world. Then we scoured the internet for ten of the best beard trimmers on the market, judging each according to the usefulness of its features,  price, and quality. And did we stroke our glorious red beard in deep contemplation while we did all this research? Yes. Yes, we did. So pour yourself a scotch, light a pipe, and come with us on a journey through some of the best beard trimmers on the market.  Your beard will thank you.

The Best Beard Trimmer

Philips Norelco Series 7000 Beard Trimmer (BEST CHOICE)

Our top-rated beard trimmer is the Philips Norelco MG7750/49 Multigroom Series 7000. There’s a lot to like about this beard trimmer, starting with the extremely affordable price.

The set comes with 23 different blades and guards for a wide variety of styling and trimming needs for your beard, body, and head. The guards themselves are reinforced with fiberglass material to ensure long life and to prevent warping or buckling — not something you want as you are shaping your mane. The blades remove easily for simple cleaning, and the device is fully washable. (Just make sure you get those trimmings out of the sink before your partner uses the bathroom.)

The rechargeable lithium-ion battery will give you up to 5 hours of runtime per charge — that’s at least a few weeks’ worth of trims. All that battery life juices a powerful full-metal motor and steel-reinforced drive-train. Our favorite feature is the self-sharpening blades with an estimated lifespan of 5 years. We can’t tell you how many times a container of blade oil has burst inside our toiletry bag. But this beard trimmer doesn’t need blade oil, so toss it in your bag and roll out!

Here are some top-quality safety razors every man needs. Check them out.

Philips Norelco OneBlade Electric Beard Trimmer

Think electric razors have to be big, bulky, and loud? Think again. The Philips Norelco OneBlade Hybrid Electric Trimmer and Shaver pulls triple duty as a shaver, edger, and beard trimmer. Talk about useful!

The OneBlade features an inner blade that moves 200 times per second and includes a dual protection system. The upshot is you can shave in any direction — yes, even against the grain. Over your lips, under your nose, you name it! And if you decide to let your beard grow out (and, let’s face it, you should), the OneBlade comes with three short combs for a well-shorn beard. When you’ve finished shaving, just run the blade under water to clean it up. Precise edging is also possible with a tool this trim and skin-friendly.

We’ve got a few issues with this beard trimmer, though. An 8-hour charge only gets you 45 minutes of runtime, and the blade has to be replaced every 4 months or so (assuming you are doing a complete shave twice a week). And this isn’t the trimmer you want if your beard is long. But for short-bearded men rocking the stubbly look, it’s hard to go wrong with this beard trimmer.

Wahl Rechargeable Beard Trimmer

If you want a quality trim, use a brand favored by professional barbers. That’s the pitch behind the Wahl 5622 Groomsman beard trimmer, and our personal experience with this brand backs up the statement. This sleek stainless steel trimmer comes with high-carbon precision ground blades that get the job done cleanly and quickly. The accompanying guards accommodate 14 different beard lengths for a range of styles.

An outstanding beard trimming set if you are a world traveler, the Wahl Model 5622 Groomsman can run on both 110 and 220 volts. The set also comes with a travel pouch and a bonus nose trimmer for those stubborn inner-nostril growths. The beard trimmer is rechargeable, but the nose trimmer runs off a single AA battery. You can rinse the nose trimmer as well! The downside to this model is it needs regular oiling to remain sharp. The kit includes a small bottle of blade oil for this purpose.

For the most comfortable shave, be sure to pick your favorite electric shaver from our list.

Remington Lithium Powered Beard Trimmer

This ten-piece kit provides all the tools you need to trim yourself from stem to stern, and it all sits nicely in a handy charging stand. That’s key for keeping your tools organized, especially if you have a small bathroom. The kit comes with a full-sized trimmer, a body-hair trimmer, foil-shaver, nose, ear, and detail trimmer, three beard and stubble combs, and an adjustable clipping guard. And every one of these attachments washes clean under running water.

The body-hair trimmer is a vertical trimmer comb with three adjustable lengths, so you can tame your wild curls but also leave a little bit of that manly fur intact. You get a decent 60 minutes of runtime off of one charge, and the surgical-quality stainless steel blades are self-sharpening. All-in-all, this is a versatile system that will come in handy if your beard is only the starting point of your grooming ritual.

Hatteker USB Rechargeable Beard Trimmer

Ah, now here’s a beard trimmer with some truly handy features. Have you ever run out of juice halfway through a beard trim? We have, and it stinks. That’s why we love the digital display lets you know how much runtime is remaining. An impressive one and a half hours of charging gets you 60 minutes of shaving. On top of that, the Hatteker Hair Clipper and Beard Trimmer is USB rechargeable, making it a handy tool for traveling beards.

The special design with low-friction blades produces very little heat in the blades, making this trimmer a pleasure to use. The blades are titanium as well. Our favorite feature? The entire device is fully washable, making this a remarkably easy-cleaning beard trimmer.

Interchangeable blade-heads are up to any task–beard trimming, body trimming, head trimming, precision trimming, and nose-hair trimming. The kit also includes a few plastic guards, an ergonomically shaped beard comb, a cleaning brush, and a handy charging dock for superior organization.

Braun Beard Trimmer With Gillette ProGlide Razor

The Braun Beard Trimmer BT7240 is one of the more expensive options on our list of best beard trimmers, but we think the quality and features are worth the cost.

We love the precision dial wheel that gives you access to 39 length settings in 0.5 mm steps up to 10 mm. For longer beards, use the included 11 to 20-mm comb. This German brand features trademark German engineering and material quality, including the lifetime-sharp metal blades.

This beard trimmer features Braun’s proprietary AutoSensing technology. The trimmer takes a reading every 13 seconds and regulates the trimmer motor to better cut your beard depending on thickness. So if you hit a thick patch (maybe around your chin or under your neck), the motor will ramp up power to give you a more even shave. Pretty cool!

The Braun Beard Trimmer BT7240 will give you 80 minutes of trimming, with 8 hours to a full re-charge. That’s pretty good, but what really catches our eye is the quick charge feature. Forget to plug in your trimmer overnight? No worries. Just plug in for 5 minutes, and you’ll have an hour’s worth of juice – more than enough to get the job done.

SKEY Rechargeable Hair Beard Trimmer With LCD Display

If you are in the market for a professional hair-trimming kit that can also take care of your beard, you might be intrigued by what SKEY has to offer here. With a runtime of up to 280 minutes (on only 3 hours of charge time), you’ll have more than enough juice to trim a hockey team’s worth of scraggly beards. The NHL just applauded.

A combo ceramic/titanium blade set gives you the best of both worlds – toughness and sharpness alike. The two-gear speed control lets you toggle between 6,500 and 7,000 RPMs depending on hair thickness, and the adjustable control knob gives you access to five different lengths. This trimmer is so powerful you can even use it on the thick coats of dogs! The blade detaches for easy cleaning under running water, but SKEY is quick to recommend that you not submerge the entire device.

The LCD screen gives you access to a wealth of important information at a glance – RPMs, remaining runtime, total power left, and even when the trimmer needs to be oiled. As a final touch, this powerful device is USB rechargeable.

Hatteker Cordless Beard Trimmer

Another precision-focused beard trimmer with an LCD screen, the Hatteker Men’s Beard Trimmer’s satin finish and ergonomic design make it as eye-catching as it is functional.

The tunable blade can go from 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm, while a precision dial reaches from 3 mm to 8 mm.  The six included guide combs range from 3 mm to 24 mm. That kind of variety makes this beard trimmer an ideal option for someone who plans to have different beard lengths over this product’s lifetime. The self-sharpening blades are pretty standard fare for beard trimmers at this point, but the USB quick-charge function, an LCD screen that displays battery capacity, and the 100% waterproof construction are all winning features.

And for the traveler, this beard trimmer has a locking function to keep the trimmer from turning on (and draining itself) in your luggage while you jet around the world.

Panasonic Multigroom Beard Trimmer Kit

When you hear the name Panasonic, you might think of televisions, cameras, and other high-end, multi-thousand-dollar electronic items. But the truth is, they make a pretty darn good beard trimmer as well. This model was chosen for an award in 2015 by Men’s Health. It may be 2020, but our beard needs are the same – quality blades, well-considered design, and complete adjustability.

Thankfully, the Panasonic Multigroom Beard Trimmer has all that. It’s another all-in-one device, capable of trimming hair on the head, body, and face. The dial allows for 39 difference lengths, and a trimming tool slides up at a 45-degree angle for precision work on sideburns, mustaches, and beard edges.

As one of the few trimmers in our guide with an optional cord, the Multigroom Beard Trimmer offers versatility and universal voltage for those international travelers. It also features an ergonomic rubber grip for maximum control in those, ahem, hard to reach areas. Run it under some water, and you are all clean for next time!

SURKER Cordless Beard Trimmer

This multi-functional beard trimmer is another great option for those wanting an all-in-one trimmer capable of handling head and body hair. The titanium blades will chow down on anything you throw at them and create very little heat and friction while they do it. An LED screen and USB fast charging feature pair with a locking function make this beard trimmer a dandy tool for the traveling man, and the completely waterproof construction means you can groom in the shower without dirtying up a sink.

You get 99 minutes of runtime on only an hour’s worth of charge, easily the best battery performance in our guide. The only problem? The included comb guides are pretty small, making this beard trimmer an option for shorter-bearded men only.

Beard Trimmer Buying Guide & FAQ

Features to Look for in Beard Trimmers

Powerful Motor — If you have a thick beard (or plan on using your beard trimmer on the thicker hair atop your head), you’ll need a trimmer with a powerful motor. Professional trimmers designed for use in barbershops and hair salons often feature this type of motor. One trimmer in our guide even senses your beard’s thickness and ramps up the motor’s power to compensate. Pretty slick!

Design — Most of the beard trimmers in our guide handle beards as their primary function. They are relatively small, often have replaceable blade heads for edging and detail work, and come with relatively short blade guards.

A few of the trimmers in our guide are designed the other way around — that is to say, to cut hair — but can also handle beards for even more versatility. These trimmers tend to be larger and a little more unwieldy than dedicated beard trimmers.

The third class of trimmers in our guide is capable of shaving faces or doing delicate work on body hair, but also works well on short beards. This design is best if you are low on space in your travel bag and you like to keep your beard shaved down to stubble (or slightly longer).

Combs — Combs (or blade guards, as we’ve also seen them described) are plastic attachments that fit over the blade, allowing you to trim longer beards and, frequently, hair. When using a comb, make sure to make strokes in the direction of hair growth. If you go against the grain, you will end up with a shorter beard than you planned.

Many of the beard trimmers in our guide come with a variety of combs, though the size of these combs varies from product to product.

Battery Life — You will never need more than 20 minutes or so to trim your beard. But battery life is important if you don’t want to be constantly charging your beard trimmer (or if you are on the run and need to trim your beard off in a hurry).

Some beard trimmers feature a quick-charge function that will give you an hour of trimming time at only a fraction of the normal charging time.

Cord — Professional barber-shop hair clippers often have cords, but all of the beard trimmers in our guide are rechargeable and cord-free while in use. Our favorite models are the ones that support USB charging. We are way into minimizing cords when traveling.

Build Quality — Look for beard trimmers made of stainless steel or high-quality ceramic and come with warranties of some type. Waterproof construction is also a plus. Even if you don’t plan on using water to clean your device, beard trimmers tend to live in the bathroom, and therefore will almost certainly be exposed to water at some point.

Ease of Maintenance — Easy cleaning is an important consideration when searching for the best beard trimmer. A trimmer that gets clogged with beard clippings is of no use whatsoever. Look for models with removable blade heads or that can be submerged (at least partially) under a running tap.

Accessories — Many of the trimmers in our guide come as part of a kit that includes various accessories. These accessories might be: cutting guards or combs, cleaning tools, storage pouches, charging docks, accessory organizing methods, task-specific cutting heads (like edgers or nose-hair trimmers), and so on. Not everyone will need every accessory, so look for a package that meets your needs, not necessarily the kit that has the most accessories.

Beard Trimmer FAQ

How do beard trimmers work?

Beard trimmers, for the most part, all work the same. A row of blades oscillates quickly back and forth against a row of stationary blades, meaning the cutting edge of the trimmer only works against hair and doesn’t bite into your skin.

Some beard trimmers are designed purely for trimming beards, while other trimmers pull double or even triple duty as edgers, shavers, hair trimmers, and even body-hair clippers. We have examples of all of the above in our guide.

How often should I trim my beard?

How long do you want to grow it? If you want a long beard, don’t trim as often. But even if you choose to grow out a long, luxurious mane, regular trimming is important. A trim once a week or so will keep split ends from developing and help your beard maintain a good shape.

How do I keep my beard trimmer clean?

Many of the beard trimmers in this guide are fully washable and waterproof. Others have detachable blade heads that you can wash under a tap without exposing the trimmer’s electronic components to water. Others come with a stiff brush that you can use to sweep out the clippings that tend to clog a blade and motor. Read the instructions carefully once you choose a beard trimmer. You don’t want to accidentally destroy it while attempting to clean it.

Can I use a beard trimmer to trim armpit, body, and pubic hair?

You can, but be prepared to face some irritation on your delicate bits and bobs if your beard trimmer design isn’t specifically meant to handle body hair. Luckily for you, many of the trimmers in our guide have optional body-hair specific settings, blade heads, and blade guards. You might also consider investing in a body-hair specific trimmer if you plan to manscape more often.