The best beard trimmers to groom in comfort and style, tested

Shaving is costly and uncomfortable, and almost everyone who can grow a beard looks better with one. This was my (admittedly rather one-sided) view when I ditched the clean-shaven look 20 years ago, but perhaps I was on to something (with the first two points anyway): I still reach for a beard trimmer rather than a razor today.

If you’re the type of person who’s always clean shaven or visits the barber frequently, you can probably do without owning a beard trimmer. For others, however, this invaluable personal grooming tool can make the difference between looking like Worzel Gummidge and maintaining a well-kept look.

I can’t promise you’ll always get the results you’re hoping for (I’ve had several mishaps that I can laugh about now, even if they weren’t funny at the time) but, that aside, the potential benefits are myriad. At the very least, you’ll save money compared with wet shaving, and you can also steer well clear of razor blades, which end up in landfill.

At a glance

• Best beard trimmer overall:
  Philips Beardtrimmer 9000 Prestige

• Best budget beard trimmer:
  Remington Barba

• Best beard trimmer for travelling:
  Philips OneBlade Pro 360 face and body

• Best beard trimmer for battery life:
  Wahl All-In-One Trimmer

• Best beard trimmer for precision:
  Braun Series 9 BT9560

Why you should trust me

During my adult life, I’ve had a beard of various lengths, ranging from comically long (think Peter in Family Guy’s beard, which was big enough to house birds) to just longer than a five o’clock shadow. In fact, having rarely been clean shaven since my 20s, I’ve had more than 15 years’ experience of using a beard trimmer.

So, it’s clear that I have hair on my face … but what about professional expertise? For the past decade, I’ve tested all manner of consumer products from smartwatches to mattresses. I also have experience when it comes to grooming products: before writing this roundup, I have scrutinised more than a few beard trimmers. After this article, that number is closer to 20.

How I tested

Our writer puts his neck on the line. Photograph: Edward Munn/The Guardian

A handful of brands are known for making beard trimmers, and for good reason: they’ve been making great products for a long time. I selected nine beard trimmers from these household names along with up-and-coming brands, choosing trimmers at a range of prices to suit all budgets.

After scrutinising the beard trimmers’ features and build quality, I used each one at least twice to test how well it coped with ploughing through my relatively thick beard. While using the trimmers, I considered how easy it was to adjust the comb lengths and how well they performed essential tasks, including cutting hair around the lip, cheek and neck line.

I compared each trimmer’s specs, including claimed waterproofing and battery life, before running my own thrilling tests to see how well their batteries lasted in the real world, as well as how noisy they are (using the Decibel X mobile app). After getting a good feel for all the trimmers, I carried on using my favourites for a few weeks longer. Any beard trimmers sourced for the article will be returned to the manufacturers or donated to local charity Basic Life.

The best beard trimmers in 2025

Photograph: Edward Munn/The Guardian

Best beard trimmer overall:
Philips Beardtrimmer 9000 Prestige

Photograph: Edward Munn/The Guardian

The Prestige moniker might come across as confident – conceited even – but you’ve got to give it to Philips that the BT9000 is deserving of its name. As with the cheaper Remington Barba below, it delights in its simplicity and offers everything you need from a beard trimmer.

Why we love it
As well as having a superior build quality to the other trimmers in this roundup (its body and adjustable comb are made from stainless steel), the BT9000 performed well across the board in my tests, providing a comfortable beard trim with satisfying results time and again.

It has a simple scroll wheel to select trimming lengths from 0.4mm to 5mm; attach the click-on plastic comb, and it will then cut from 5.4mm to 10mm. Philips claims the trimmer reads the density of your facial hair 125 times a second to ensure enough cutting power is administered, and this was borne out in my tests – it never struggled to cut thick areas of facial hair, even when using a longer comb length.

An IPX7 waterproof rating means you can take it in the shower, and you can rinse away any loose hair when you’re finished using it at a sink – just remember to oil the blades regularly. It’s not the quietest trimmer on test, but at 50db it won’t wake your neighbours. It’s also a solid performer when it comes to battery life, offering two hours of use from a 60-minute charge.

It’s a shame that … its maximum trimming length is 10mm. If you’re trying to grow a full beard, you’re better off with the Remington Barba below or the Panasonic Multishape, which cuts up to 30mm.

Trimming lengths: 0.4-10mm
Travel case? Yes
Warranty: two years
Battery life (claimed): 2hrs
Battery life (tested): 1hr 50mins
Noise (dB): 50.4
Waterproof? Yes (IPX7)

Best budget beard trimmer:
Remington Barba

Photograph: Edward Munn/The Guardian

The Barba was the first beard trimmer I bought, about 20 years ago. That Remington still makes it today tells you everything you need to know: it’s a reliable workhorse and unbeatable value for money.

Why we love it
The simplicity of the Barba’s design is its greatest strength. It has a comfortable, ergonomic handle, and because of its scroll-wheel adjustable comb, it can comfortably deal with beards from 1.5mm up to 18mm in length. Remove the comb and it will not only trim as short as 0.4mm, but you’ll also uncover its pop-up mini trimmer, designed to trim intricate areas, such as the sideburns and lip line.

A few compromises must be made for Remington to offer the Barba at such a low price, but none are deal breakers. For a start, it has the worst claimed battery performance on test, promising just 40 minutes of trimming from a lengthy 16-hour charge. I found it exceeded this by about 20 minutes in my tests, though, bringing it in line with several of the other models.

The other good news is that the trimmer can run off the mains, so if you run out of juice after tidying only half of your beard, you can plug it in to get the job finished. It was also the quietest trimmer I tested. There’s no waterproofing, though, so you’ll have to look elsewhere if you want to trim your beard in the shower.

It’s a shame that … Remington doesn’t mark the adjustable comb with trimming lengths. As such, you’ll have to memorise the comb lengths that correspond with numbers one to nine.

Trimming lengths: 0.4-10mm
Travel case? No
Warranty: three years (four with registration)
Battery life (claimed): 40mins
Battery life (tested): 1hr
Noise (dB): 42
Waterproof? No

Best beard trimmer for travelling:
Philips OneBlade Pro 360 face and body

Photograph: Edward Munn/The Guardian

Philips’s line of OneBlade beard trimmers is unusual in that the blades need replacing every few months. If you like the idea of a lightweight beard trimmer that trims extra close, the OneBlade Pro 360 is among the best in the market.

Why we love it
When travelling abroad recently, the OneBlade Pro 360 was my top choice. This was partly because it’s lightweight and inconspicuous (meaning it’s perfect for chucking in your hand luggage), but also because its super-close trim meant that I didn’t have to pack a razor to get a close finish.

That’s not all there is to love about the OneBlade 360 Pro. It’s waterproof and promises two hours of battery life from a single 60-minute charge (in my tests, it actually kept going for more than three-and-a-half hours). There’s also an LED display that tells you how much battery is left, so unless you’re going away for weeks at a time, you can probably feel confident in leaving the charger at home.

Philips sent me the cheaper OneBlade 360 face and body too, but I found the Pro makes for a superior travel companion thanks to its longer battery life, robust travel case and more widely adjustable beard comb, which offers trimming lengths up to 10mm.

If you have a longer beard, you’ll be better served by a traditional beard trimmer with larger blades, but when it comes to tidying up a short beard away from home, this is as good as it gets.

It’s a shame that … there’s an ongoing cost after buying the handle. A pair of replacement blades costs about £20, so you can expect to pay about £30 a year in new blades if you use the trimmer regularly.

Trimming lengths: 0.4-10mm (or shorter with comb removed)
Travel case? Yes
Warranty: two years
Battery life (claimed): 2hrs
Battery life (tested): 3hrs 40mins
Noise (dB): 53.1
Waterproof? Yes

Best beard trimmer for battery life:
Wahl All-In-One Trimmer

Photograph: Edward Munn/The Guardian

It wasn’t the outright winner in my battery-rundown test (that honour went to the Philips OneBlade Pro 360), but the Wahl All-In-One trimmer offers excellent lasting power for such an affordable trimmer. With a wide range of cutting lengths and the power to cut head hair too, it may be the only grooming tool you need.

Why we love it
Did we mention this Wahl has incredible battery life? Despite costing just £25, it offers a whopping three-and-a-half hours of cutting from a single charge and also comes with a handy five-minute quick-charge feature, which should give you enough juice to finish a trim in the event the battery runs out.

There are a few caveats, however – you’ll need to leave it plugged in for three-and-a-half hours to charge it fully, and there’s no way of knowing when it’s done because of the frustrating omission of a status light.

Besides these gripes, the Wahl is a solid performer. With interchangeable combs offering cutting lengths from 0.5mm to 25mm, it’s second only to the Panasonic Multishape as far as maximum cutting length is concerned. It can also cut your hair, and there’s an attachment for nose/ear whiskers – though I found this finicky to attach.

Although it’s rinseable, Wahl doesn’t promise full waterproofing on this model, so it’s best not to risk taking it in the shower with you.

It’s a shame that … it doesn’t come with more comb lengths. The difference between the shortest (3mm) and second-shortest comb (6mm) is the difference between heavy stubble and a mid-length beard. As you’d expect at this price, the build quality is basic, and it was also the noisiest model on test.

Trimming lengths: 0.3-25mm
Travel case? No, storage pouch
Warranty: five years
Battery life (claimed): 3hrs 30mins
Battery life (tested): 3hrs 20mins
Noise (dB): 58.7
Waterproof? Rinseable only

Best beard trimmer for precision:
Braun Beard Trimmer Series 9 BT9560

Photograph: Edward Munn/The Guardian

On paper, the Series 9 is a seriously impressive bit of kit. It offers waterproofing, a highly competitive three-hour battery life and cutting lengths up to 20mm via a simple adjustment wheel (plus a single removable comb). Unlike any of the other trimmers on this list, it also has a power boost mode that you can enable when cutting thick hair – useful if you want to use it on your head as well as your face.

There’s an array of attachments bundled with the trimmer to help you achieve a barber-level finish (sadly, the skills need to be learned separately), including a ProDetail trimmer for intricate areas; a ProContour attachment for creating straight neck and cheek lines; and finally a foil, for shaving. The ProDetail and ProBlade will appeal to those trying to achieve the highest precision with their trim, but I suspect they’re overkill for most people – they’d almost certainly end up languishing in my drawer.

It’s a shame that … the plastic comb felt unduly flexible and uncomfortable on my face. The trimmer also came up 40 minutes short of the claimed three-hour battery life in my rundown test.

Trimming lengths: Up to 20mm
Travel case? Yes
Warranty: five years (with registration)
Battery life (claimed): 3hrs
Battery life (tested): 2hrs 20mins
Noise (dB): 45.6
Waterproof? Yes

The best of the rest

Photograph: Edward Munn/The Guardian

Wahl Pro Series high-visibility trimmer

Photograph: Edward Munn/The Guardian

Best for: a close trim

This premium trimmer’s unique head design gives you excellent visibility of the area you’re cutting, which is great for lip, cheek and neck lines. As you’d expect for such an expensive trimmer, it’s solid across the board as far as specs are concerned, offering waterproofing, two-hour battery life and a super-close 0.2mm minimum trimming length. It also comes bundled with a mini foil shaver and a nose/ear hair trimmer.

It didn’t make the final cut because … it didn’t feel like it justified its high price. The trimmer itself is ugly, and its travel case and attachments all looked less well finished than I’d expect for the price.

Trimming lengths: 0.2-13mm; travel case? Yes; warranty: five years; battery life (claimed): 2hrs; battery life (tested): 2hrs 10mins; noise (dB): 46.3; waterproof? Yes

Panasonic Multishape beard/hair/body trimmer kit

Photograph: Edward Munn/The Guardian

Best for: sustainability

Panasonic’s Multishape trimmer is a bit different: it’s a modular system. The model I received has attachments for trimming your beard, hair and body hair, but you can also buy a range of add-ons, including a full-size foil shaver, a sonic toothbrush and even a foot-care head attachment (just make sure you don’t get the last two muddled up). It’s an interesting proposition, especially from a sustainability perspective, since you only need the one battery and motor.

In practice, it gave an excellent trim, both on my face and head. However, I found the wide blade too cumbersome for trimming intricate areas such as my sideburns and lip line. Ironically, this would probably be fixed with the detail shave/trim attachment, which isn’t included as standard and costs extra.

It didn’t make the final cut because … without buying other attachments, you won’t be able to easily trim tighter areas such as the lip line.

Trimming lengths: 0.5-30mm; travel case? Yes; warranty: one year; battery life (claimed): 1hr 10mins; battery life (tested): 1hrs 20mins; noise (dB): 51; waterproof? Yes

Manscaped the Beard Hedger

Photograph: Edward Munn/The Guardian

Best for: easy charging

Manscaped’s Beard Hedger is another solid all-rounder and almost made the top picks. I liked its ergonomic design, and it felt powerful, comfortable and quiet in use. It’s waterproof to the IPX7 standard, which means you can use it in the shower, and it’s got solid, if not standout, specs: for instance, it lasts an hour from a single charge.

Perhaps its biggest selling point is that it offers USB-C charging, so if you’re away from home without a charger, you can get yourself out of a bind with any USB-C cable. Just bear in mind that, unlike some other trimmers on this list, there’s no quick-charge function.

It didn’t make the final cut because … it’s not cheap and, besides the USB-C charging, it didn’t really stand out among the competition

Trimming lengths: 10-30mm; travel case? Yes; warranty: one year; battery life (claimed): 1hr; battery life (tested): 1hr 10mins; noise (dB): 46; waterproof? Yes (IPX7)

What you need to know

The brush-off: many trimmers are supplied with a cleaning tool to remove hairs from around the blade. Photograph: Edward Munn/The Guardian

How to clean your beard trimmer

How you go about cleaning your beard trimmer all depends on the trimmer you own. You might be tempted to just rinse it under running water, and while that’s fine in most cases, check the manual before risking ruining your precious new trimmer.

With most of the trimmers on this list, you can indeed rinse away any loose hair by running the blades under a tap. However, with any models that aren’t waterproof, the manufacturer will often provide a small brush that you can use to clean around the blades and any other moving parts.

Most, but not all, of the trimmers in this article have lifetime blades. That’s great in the sense that it will spare you the ongoing cost of replacement blades, but it’s important to check what this means in terms of maintenance. In most cases, it’s recommended that you oil the blades regularly, but some models, including the Remington Barba, never need oiling.

Hair clippers and beard trimmers – what’s the difference?

Hair clippers and beard trimmers are fundamentally similar. Both usually have overlapping comb-like blades, though there are a few key differences. Hair clippers are larger, with longer and wider blades and a more powerful motor, making it possible for them to cut through large areas of thick hair. In most cases, they’re not designed to cut as close as beard trimmers, since they’re not intended for trimming details, such as the sideburns, lip and cheek lines.

Confusingly, some beard trimmers are marketed as being able to cut hair as well as facial hair, while others are not. This likely comes down to how confident the manufacturer is that the trimmer will cope with cutting long, thick hair without pulling it – as with the cleaning advice, it’s always best to refer to the manual if you’re planning to use your trimmer to cut anything other than your facial hair.

How to recycle an old beard trimmer

You have a few options when it comes to recycling an old beard trimmer that’s given up the ghost. In most cases, the best starting point is your local authority’s website. Here, you should be able to find out whether you can put small electricals out with your household waste collection (some councils offer kerbside collections), or failing that, where your nearest recycling centre or electrical recycling bank is.

Another handy tool is the Recycling Locator on the Recycle Your Electricals website. This campaign, from not-for-profit organisation Material Focus, lets you enter your postcode, along with the type of product you want to repair, recycle or donate, before giving you a list of nearby drop-off locations. I tried entering “body trimmer” alongside my Suffolk postcode, and there were two options – one for repairs and one for recycling – within a five-mile trip.

For more, read top hairdressers on the 14 best at-home styling tools

Edward Munn is a writer and editor with a lifelong passion for finding a bargain. Professionally, this has led him to testing all manner of products from beard trimmers to e-bikes, headphones, mattresses and smartwatches. When not writing about the aforementioned products, you can probably find him doing similarly in-depth research about 20-year-old cameras, all in the name of fun