Advertisement

Best Beard Trimmer, Tested By The Men's Health Lab

beard trimmers
The Best Beard Trimmers for Men in 2023Hearst

Trends may come and go but the beard is here to stay, (it's one of the most flattering style moves a man can make.) But if you're aiming for the groomed look rather than circa lockdown 3, investing in a beard trimmer isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Ultimately, if you want a job done right, it’s important to have the right tools.

So whether you’re looking to maintain a little bit of stubble or want to try your hand at an Inspector Clouseau-esque moustache (hey, no judgement here), we’ve found the best beard trimmers that will help you whip your facial fuzz into shape.

If you’re willing to go a step further, finding the right beard oil to accompany your grooming tool will help keep hair in tip-top condition.

Best Beard Trimmers

Men's Health Lab Approved

Products stamped with our esteemed Men's Health Lab badge have been tested by our panel of 200 men, with varying beard lengths and styles.

They tested each beard trimmer over a two to three-week period, rating how effective each was at cutting hair, as well as assessing battery life, noise levels, how easy they were to clean and store, and overall performance. In the lab, we used a noise meter to assess how loud each trimmer was.

Scroll down for our verdicts of the ones that made the cut.

Which Beard Trimmer Is Best For You?

Below is our pick of the best men's beard trimmers money can buy, but what should you be looking for in a beard shaper? Here's our pick of the most important features.

Trimmer Length Range

Most trimmers come with attachable combs that can range from 0.2mm to 30mm, so that you can cut your beard to a range of lengths. Others have adjustable combs built in that you can change with a wheel or a touchscreen.

Accessories

Some trimmers will come with additional extras to make your shaving experience easier. Whether it’s additional precision blades, travel and storage cases, or even beard oil, check out what else is on offer when you buy to get the most out of your bundle.

Battery Life

If you like to spend your time perfecting your beard in the morning, you’ll want a long battery life to keep up with your intricate shaving routine. And if you're sporting a great big bushy beard — hello Hot Fuzz fans — we can't stress enough the beauty of a big battery capacity.

The devices we have on this list will last anywhere between 50 minutes and three hours, which should keep you going over multiple shaves. We typically take around 25 minutes to sculpt our facial fuzz.

Recharge Time

Battery life is one thing, but you also need to look out for how long it takes to get back to 100% charge. The trimmers on this list can take anywhere between one minute for a quick charge (in case of a hair emergency) and one hour to regain their juice.

On top of this, some razors below can be used with the cord still plugged in if you never want to worry about charging it back up, while others have the option to use without the cord if you want more freedom to move around.

According to Craig Meggs, barber at Ruffians, the most important things to look for in a new trimmer are manoeuvrability, adjustability and, of course, price.

"Beard trimmers vary in size and durability. It’s best to go for smaller, lighter-weight beard trimmers that come with a cordless rechargeable option, which will help both speed and accuracy.”

Meggs suggests looking out for an adjustable blade head to get the perfect blend across your beard. It might cost a bit more, but he reckons it’s worth it.

beard trimmers
BG020/Bauer-Griffin - Getty Images

How Often Should You Trim Your Beard?

“A beard is easy to keep sharp if it’s trimmed regularly," says Meggs. "Every three days should be fine. The more frequently you maintain, the less time you will spend on it in the long run. If left too long between trimming the shape will disappear and it will take longer to achieve the desired result.”

Meggs also recommends using a beard oil to keep it looking shiny and nourished.

The Best Beard Trimmer for Stubble

Neat stubble can be harder to achieve than it seems. You're going to need a trimmer that can give you a very close and precise shave, so you should be paying close attention to those length ranges and accessories we mentioned earlier. A good trimmer will allow you to switch between different, but precise length settings. Alternatively, some trimmers feature separate guard attachments, which will come with the trimmer or can be bought separately.

If you're looking for a precise shave, our testers were fans of the Philips Series 9000 Prestige.

beard trimmers
Handout - Getty Images


The Best Beard Trimmer for Longer Beards

There are a few key features to look for if your trimming full-grown facial fuzz. First of all, your trimmer needs good battery life. Secondly, it needs to be capable of handling thicker manes. Thirdly, and for obvious reasons, look for a trimmer that's easy to clean, and finally, go for one that can cut multiple lengths. Our testers concluded the Panasonic ER-GB86 Electric Beard Trimmer was the best for the task.

The Best Beard Trimmers to Buy in 2023

Panasonic ER-GB86 Electric Beard, Hair & Body Trimmer

Best Beard Trimmer

A great buy for blokes with long beards and featuring an impressive range of cutting lengths (going up to 20mm), this provided a close shave for almost all of our testers. It got through hair in just one stroke and most were pleased with how it handled tricky areas, manoeuvring around the contours of the face and body with ease.

It was a top performer for cutting head hair too, with all agreeing it was easy to control, leaving them with their perfect cut. And, scoring a ‘quiet’ rating in our lab, it's discreet enough to use at any time, any place. Well, within reason.

Key specifications
Features: Dial trimmer adjustment
Trimmer length range: 0.5-20mm
Accessories: 11-20mm, 1-10mm, 1.5mm (For body hair)
Battery life: 50 mins
Waterproof: Yes


Philips Series 9000 Prestige Beard Trimmer

Best Beard Trimmer for a Precise Trim

With the bold claim that the blades “stay sharp for life”, we expected good things from this stylish device. Our testers found the blades fine enough to provide a precise and accurate shave, with many impressed by how precise it was at shaping the edges of their beard.

In fact, it got through hair in a flash across the board, with all experiencing a close shave, though some would have preferred a greater number of attachments.

Key specifications
Features: Twisting length dial
Trimmer length range: 0.4-10mm
Accessories: Click-on long beard comb, premium storage and travel case
Battery life: 120 mins
Waterproof: Yes


King C Gillette Style Master

Best Beard Trimmer for Easy Cleaning

Cleaning your tools is always the dreaded part of every grooming routine, but thankfully this nifty device made it easy to brush off any debris. It cut through stragglers without need for a redo, with our panel pleased as punch about achieving their pruning goals.

The lightweight trimmer glided over areas around the jawline, moustache and chin with ease, providing everyone with a close shave. It was simple to get to grips with and seamless when it came to swapping attachments.

Key specifications
Features: Pivoting head
Trimmer length range: 1-5mm
Accessories: Stubble combs x 3
Battery life: 45 mins
Waterproof: Yes


Wahl Stainless Steel Stubble & Beard Trimmer

Best Beard Trimmer for Battery Life

This chic stainless steel trimmer can style everything from day-four stubble to a Jason Momoa-esque beard, and comes with an impressive battery life to boot.

Providing a razor-sharp cut for all, it didn’t falter, even when dealing with tricky areas around the nose, and cut hair speedily and accurately. It left everyone happy with their final look and impressed our panel so much, all agreed they’d keep this one in their bathroom for future use.

Key specifications
Features: Lithium-Ion + technology up to four hours use for one hour charge
Trimmer length range: 0.75-25mm
Accessories: Stubble combs x 12, beard combs x 8, moustache comb, soft storage pouch, stainless steel storage stand, blade oil, cleaning brush
Battery life: 240 mins
Waterproof: No


Braun Beard Trimmer 7

Best Beard Trimmer for Tackling Stubble

Despite what you might think, the perfect stubble is anything but effortless. However, this tool made getting a precise edge easy and left testers with their ideal beard; one tester called out the mini precision detailer in particular as a winner.

It was a top scorer for dealing with head hair too, with everyone finding it easy to reach the back of their head comfortably.

Key specifications
Features: 39 length setting precision wheel
Trimmer length range: 0.5-10mm
Accessories: Mini foil shaver, beard comb, head comb, detail trimmer attachment, Gillette razor
Battery life: 100 mins
Waterproof: Yes


Braun XT5

Best Beard Trimmer for Travel

Not only will the handy travel pouch help cut down on your packing time, this trimmer’s compact and lightweight design will also help you stay well within your baggage allowance, too.

One tester found it was brilliant at gliding along the nose area, while it was irritation-free for most. Easy to control, it managed to effortlessly move around the contours of the body, leaving most of our panel by happy with the final look of their beards.

Key specifications
Features: Pivoting head
Trimmer length range: 0-5mm
Accessories: Face combs x 4, body combs x 2 (0mm SkinGuard, 3mm), travel pouch (XT5200 only), smart plug
Battery life: 45 mins
Waterproof: Yes


Wahl Aqua Blade Beard And Stubble Trimmer

Best Waterproof Beard Trimmer

Coming with 16 attachment combs, this beard trimmer can tackle an array of beard lengths and styles. Our testers appreciated how lightweight it was to use, with some describing its design as intuitive — thanks to its trim, shave and edge features.

Testers also said it was quick to achieve their desired style and only tugged slightly on thicker beard hairs. It’s also waterproof with a grippy rubber handle, so you can save time on your morning routine by bringing it in the shower.

Key specifications
Features: Shaver, trimmer and body groomer
Trimmer length range: 0.2-25mm
Accessories: 16 attachment combs, beard comb, storage pouch, blade oil, cleaning brush, charger
Battery life: 180 minutes
Waterproof: Yes


King C. Gillette Beard Trimmer

Best Beard Trimmer for Beginners

This trimmer keeps things ultra-simple with just three comb attachments that can handle 11 different lengths. It features a sliding adjustment feature too, making it fast and easy to swap between length settings.

Testers liked the accuracy of the cut it provided, with all agreeing they were happy with the results. It can be used as a hair trimmer to quickly neaten up your hairstyle, too.

Key specifications
Features: Suitable for beard and hair
Trimmer length range: 0.5-21mm
Accessories: 3 comb attachments, cleaning brush, charger
Battery life: 50 minutes
Waterproof: No


Panasonic ER-GB86 Wet&Dry Ultimate Beard Trimmer

Best Beard Trimmer for Multiple Trimmer Lengths

For those that are constantly chopping and changing their look, this trimmer features 58 cutting lengths so it can adapt with your style. Testers were impressed with how sharp the blade remained during the trial, leaving their beards looking neat and tidy throughout.

Our panel also agreed that it was comfortable to use at all angles, including those hard-to-reach areas such as underneath the jawline. It can be used on your hair too (if you’re feeling brave), making it a multi-purpose 2-in-1.

Key specifications
Features: Travel lock, suitable for beard and hair
Trimmer length range: 0.5-30mm
Accessories: Travel pouch, cleaning brush, blade guard
Battery life: 50 minutes
Waterproof: Yes


You Might Also Like