The 8 Very Best Hair Clippers (2024)

hair tools

Fourteen barbers (and a couple of regular folks known to buzz at home) recommend the clippers to use to get the job done.

By Rachael Griffiths, a writer at the Strategist covering beauty, fashion, and travel. She joined the Strategist in 2021 after interning for the site.

The 8 Very Best Hair Clippers (2)

Photo: Marcus McDonald

The 8 Very Best Hair Clippers (3)

Photo: Marcus McDonald

In this article

  • Best hair clippers overall
  • Best easy-to-use
  • Best for longer hair
  • Best for buzz cuts
  • Best for neatening hairlines
  • Best for bald heads

Repeat after me: Beard trimmers and hair clippers can’t be used interchangeably. Many beard trimmers will cut too close to the head, leaving little room to “go shorter,” explains barber Mike Sposito. That’s where a pair of hair clippers come in: With slightly longer guards, they’re a less risky option for trimming — and if you’re determined to only own one piece of kit, some do come with add-ons that will allow them to be used as a beard trimmer, too.

Below, I spoke to Sposito and 13 other experts about their favorite hair clippers. I got my hands on the standouts to test battery life and quality, and then, as I have no facial hair myself, I enlisted guys who shave regularly to test the clippers over several weeks. No matter your hair type, though, it’s important to use a clipper with enough power to cut your hair consistently. Barber Julien Howard (a.k.a. the Velo Barber) says that trimmers and clippers from brands like Wahl, Andis, Philips Norelco, and Oster typically have the motors (and blades) with the power to handle even the coarsest of hair. So that’s why you’ll see those brands recommended time and time again below.

Update on October 3, 2024:Updated prices and checked stock for all products.

What we’re looking for

Corded versus cordless

Professional barbers will often opt for a corded clipper over a cordless one because they tend to have the most powerful and consistent motors. Plus, they never have to be charged and won’t start to lose power after just one client. Cordless clippers can be more convenient, so choose what best suits your lifestyle.

Battery life

If you find using a cordless clipper more convenient than a corded one, it’s also important to find a trimmer with decent battery life. Most will list the life of a full battery charge in minutes on their packaging — but to save you the search, I’ve listed this information below.

Guards and attachments

Different-size blade guards are like training wheels. They help guide you without cutting the hair unevenly or too short. Guards come in a variety of lengths to keep the actual blade part of the clipper back a certain distance from your head and cut each hair to that length. Sposito also has two pieces of advice for would-be barbers when it comes to using them: Before you even turn the clipper on, take whatever guard you want to use “and slide it through your hair against your scalp.” Any hair that pokes out of the guard is what you’ll be cutting. And even though you may not be able to see everything you are doing, you can always listen to your clipper, which is a great way to ensure you’re doing it right. “The minute you stop hearing the noise of hair being cut, it means you’ve got an even line,” he says.

Best hair clipper overall

Cordless | Motor: Rotary | Battery life: 100 minutes | Guards and attachments: 8 guard attachments

I’ve recommended the Wahl Magic Clip countless times, so awarding it the top spot here was a done deal. It was also the most recommended product by our barbers, who told me that it’s strong enough to manage every hair type. However, it’s also great for precision blending, too, according to Lester Rivera of Florida barbershop the Spot. Alejandro “AJ” Albano, creative director and barber at Tuft NYC, has been using the cordless Magic Clip since 2015 and agrees that it is the “lightest, easiest-on-the-wrist clipper” he’s used in his two decades of cutting hair. My tester Andre Gill, who has coarse hair and sensitive skin, was also impressed. He appreciated how easy it was to shape his beard with the clipper and told me that the range of guards let him “pick the length I wanted nicely.”

Wahl actually makes the majority of the models on this list (some of which also appear on our list of expert-recommended beard trimmers). While reporting that story, I asked Fellow Barber founder Sam Buffa why the American manufacturer’s name is so popular among his peers, and he told us there are two reasons: The quality of Wahl blades makes its products “the most bang for your buck,” and those blades often “stay sharp for longer.”

Best less-expensive hair clipper

Corded | Motor: Not specified | Guards and attachments: 13 guard attachments, plus two combs and a pair of scissors

For a more affordable option that will satisfy anyone in need of a quick cut, allow me to point you toward the inexpensive Wahl Color Pro. Even though this clipper is on the cheaper end of Wahl’s product line, barber David Kim of the Electric Barbering Company in New Jersey says you’re always going to get a “professional product” from the brand, and this one is no exception. Sposito says the Color Pro has a “great guard setup,” which takes the form of 13 guards (ranging from 1/16-inch to one-inch) color-coded by length (hence the “Color Pro” name). The color-coded guards aren’t the only thing that makes this clipper great for at-home cutters: It also comes with two combs and a pair of scissors, or pretty much everything you’d need to cut men’s hair at home. Barber Ronnal Lee King also likes the Color Pro — the first clipper he says he ever used — telling us that home use will deliver “an almost-professional cut without professional prices.”

Best easy-to-use hair clipper

Cordless | Motor: Rotary | Battery life: 60 minutes | Guards and attachments: 3 hair cutting guards plus 7 more beard and shaving attachments

Philips Norelco is another favorite brand of mine — you’ll find plenty of its products in my grooming roundups. Its multipurpose trimmer is particularly handy, though, as it’s one of those devices that can be used as both a clipper and a beard trimmer (which you can read more about in my beard trimmer guide). Andy Baraghani, cookbook author and recipe developer, who used to share his self-administered quarantine haircuts on Instagram. Baraghani, who generally keeps his hair on the shorter side, told us he’s used this trimmer both to cut and style it for “about eight years now,” praising its ability to “get the job done as fast as possible,” whether he’s trimming hair, sideburns, or beard. The clipper comes with three beard-trimming guards, a stubble-trimming guard, and three hair-cutting guards (3/8-inch, 1/2-inch, and 5/8-inch).

Best hair clipper for longer hair

Cordless | Motor: Pivot | Battery life: 5 hours | Guards and attachments: 8 guard attachments

For guys who aren’t as regular with maintenance, this clipper (made for cutting head hair) is great for those with slightly longer, more outgrown hair. Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo has been using it to trim her husband’s “curly, fast-growing hair” for several years. “I like it because it’s cordless, you can charge it with a USB cable, and it has a nice range of guards,” she says, the latter detail being especially important to her as a first-timer who wanted a wide margin for error. (The clipper comes with eight guards and a lever that adjusts their positioning to provide a cutting range from just under 1/16-inch to just over 3/4-inch.) Corsillo adds that the clipper is “really precise, with a lever for blending that I’ve got better at using each time.” It’s also made from sturdy stuff: “In the picture, it looks like it’s plastic with a chrome plate, but it’s actually steel throughout,” she notes.

Best hair clipper for a buzz cut

Cordless | Motor: Rotary | Battery life: Not specified; rechargeable batteries and charger included | Guards and attachments: 4 guard attachments

For anyone who knows they want a buzz cut, two of the barbers I spoke to recommended the lightweight Wahl Peanut — which is also one of my favorite beard trimmers — as the best clipper for getting that shorter style. Mark Miguez, co-owner and barber at New York City’s Friend of a Barber, who has used the Peanut to cut his own hair at home, says that while it comes with fewer guards than the other Wahl clippers on this list, the ones included are all you need “for a basic buzz cut” (the four included guards range from 1/8-inch to 1/2-inch). Sposito also recommends the Peanut to prospective buzz-cutters, saying its modest size and weight is “meant for the home cutter but strong enough for professionals.” It’s also available in a corded version. Before buzzing everything off, some advice from Dhiran Mistry, hairstylist and owner of the Carriage House salon: “If your hair is already short, you can just go in with clippers, but if your hair is long, you’ll have to cut length before using clippers, because otherwise it can get caught and that would be really painful.”

Best clipper for buzz-cut maintenance

Cordless | Motor: Rotary | Battery life: 210 minutes | Guards and attachments: 10 guard attachments

For keeping on top of your newly buzzed head, you’ll want something close and precise — like this steel-lithium device from Wahl. “The box comes with a bunch of different guards, oil for the blades, and a pair of scissors,”says Mistry. “If you’re shaving it all off, it doesn’t matter if you start in the front or the back.” He doesn’t recommend trying a fade, though, “because those are extremely difficult for even a professional to do.” He suggests you pay close attention to your ears, hairline, and neckline, running the clippers over those areas another time to stay on top of fuzz. The long battery life should give you more than enough time to spot-check.

Best clipper for neatening a hairline

Cordless | Motor: Rotary | Battery life: 120 minutes | Guards and attachments: 4 guard attachments

I’ve also written about the Andis Slimline Pro in my beard-trimmer story, which is a multipurpose beard trimmer and hair clipper. Whether used on your hairline or beardline, experts like Albano, Miguez, and Rivera love the “wandlike, easy-to-maneuver” Slimline Pro for neatening edges — making it a tool to consider if you’re more concerned about tending the perimeter of your hairline than your whole head. Wood Smith says it’s “easily maneuverable to trim even hard-to-reach hairs on the neck.”

Best electric shaver for bald heads

Cordless | Motor: Rotary | Battery life: 30 minutes | Guards and attachments: 4 pivoting heads, no guards

Instead of a trimmer, those with bald heads should look for an electric razor that can be easily maneuvered across the curve of the skull and doesn’t miss hairs, says Brittany Raposo, a barber at the Paul Labrecque Salon. Steve Waldman, artistic and technical director at Hair Cuttery Family of Brands, adds that the key is to find one with pivoting and adjustable blades that can “navigate the head’s uneven landscape.” Both believe this Skull Shaver electric razor fits the bill — with its ergonomic design and rotary blades. The blades cut close but skip over any of the scalp’s irregularities and won’t irritate the skin, according to Raposo. Waldman recommends going in with gentle pressure and maintaining even contact for the best shave.

Our experts

• Alejandro “AJ” Albano, creative director and barber at Tuft NYC
Sam Buff, founder of Fellow Barber
Liza Corsillo, Strategist senior writer
•Andre Gill, Strategist grooming tester
• Julien Howard, master barber
David Kim, barber at Filthy Rich Barbershop
Ronnal Lee King, barber
• Mark Miguez, co-owner and barber at New York City’s Friend of a Barber
Dhiran Mistry, hairstylist and owner of the Carriage House salon
• Brittany Raposo, barber at the Paul Labrecque Salon
Mike Sposito, barber
• Lester Rivera, barber at Florida barbershop the Spot
• Steve Waldman, artistic and technical director at Hair Cuttery Family of Brands
Miles Wood Smith, head barber at Murdock London
• Andy Baraghani, cookbook author and former senior food editor at Bon Appétit
• Brittany Raposo, master barber and educator

Additional reporting by Liza Corsillo.

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