This buying guide has been carefully compiled based on our honest and unbiased opinions on ease of use, battery life, quality and value (from budget choice to premium options).
Choosing a clipper is a personal choice, and we recommend that you read this guide from start to finish to make the decision that best suits your needs.
Content:Buying: good to know
When you are going to buy a hair clipper, you have important choices to make. First of all, you have to determine what you want to use the device for.
Do you want to use clippers to cut your hair or beard? Or do you also want to update your nose hair or eyebrows with the clippers? In this case, extra accessories may be essential for you in the decision-making process.
That is not the only decision you have to make. Also consider the budget that you want to make available for the purchase.
You pay an amount ranging from a few tens to more than a hundred euros for a new clipper.
How long is your hair at the moment? And to what length do you want to cut it? The shaving length is also different for each clipper and shaving foil.
Some clippers have a shaving length of up to 25 millimeters, while with other clippers go to 35 millimeters.
Today, there are cordless and corded clippers. Which variant do you prefer? Do you enjoy the freedom of movement?
Or would you rather not have to think about the charge of your battery? The choice is yours.
When buying hair clippers, you have to take several things into account. Fortunately, we can help you with that. Before we look at the top 5 best hair clippers, let’s first zoom in on how to use clippers.
The range of hair clippers is currently quite extensive. You see all kinds of different variants available. But, which is best for you?
And which styles do not meet your needs? After reading this article, you can make a solid choice.
Using the clippers properly
With clippers, you are able to shave your hair, beard, and mustache. Bring the hair to the desired length and enjoy a fresh new cut. But how should you use them?
First of all, you need to know the final length of your hair so that you can place the correct attachment on the clipper. The attachments have different lengths, so you can shave your hair to the desired length.
When you have the clippers plus the attachment ready, you have taken the first important step. Next, make sure your hair is completely dry.
Only when your hair is dry can you shave the desired model in your hair. This is an important difference between cutting and shaving with clippers:
- Cutting: works best with wet hair
- Shaving with clippers: works best with dry hair
When shaving your hair you should shave against the direction of hair growth. This way you can make sure that your hair stays the same length.
It is also possible to comb your hair in the meantime, so that all the hair comes back to ’lie’ in the same growth direction.
Step-by-plan
In the step-by-step plan below we have briefly summarized the operation of a hair clipper.
Note: in this step-by-step plan we assume that you will shave the back and side of your hair in order to create a fade hairstyle.
Step 1:
Make sure you have placed the correct attachment on the trimmer.
Step 2:
Dry the hair by dabbing (do not rub!)
Step 3:
Set the clippers to the lowest setting and make a smooth movement upwards from the neck.
Step 4:
Does this feel good? Then set the clippers to the position of the desired length. Make the smooth movement from the bottom to the top again.
Step 5:
Repeat this process on the sides of your head as well.
Step 6:
Clean up any hair that has fallen on the floor. Tip: it can be useful to put a towel or rug underneath you.
Video guide: How to use a hair clipper
Important features
The quality of a clipper can make or break your haircut. After all, you cannot reattach shaved hair again. When shaving your haircut with clippers, you need to focus. A small mistake can have unpleasant consequences.
With clippers, you can perfect the contours of your haircut. But you can also get the opposite result. Therefore, always use your clipper with care.
After purchasing a clipper you can save a lot of money. That’s because a visit to the barber is no longer necessary. With a clipper, you can easily update your hairstyle yourself.
Maintenance tips
Did you eventually purchase one of the above clippers? Wise choice. You will undoubtedly be happy with the result.
To extend the life of your clippers, we have listed some useful maintenance tips for you.
Rinsing
In the reviews above, we have indicated that it is important to check whether you’d be able to rinse the head of your clippers. With a rinseable head, you can easily clean the trimmer and shaving foil.
That is desirable. By regularly cleaning the blades and the head of the trimmer, you extend the lifespan.
Oil
Some hair clippers come standard with oil. What is this oil for? With this oil, you can lubricate the blades so that they stay sharper for longer.
The oil also ensures that the blades can continuously move smoothly.
Tip: apply the oil to the ends of the blades and turn the clippers on for a few seconds. Do this after your shave and repeat this approximately every 5 shaves.
Replacing blades and maintaining the foil
The shaving head and the shaving foil containing the blades are subject to wear. The effect of wear is a less fine effect so that you can work longer and so that hairs are no longer shaved but are pulled out.
Depending on the type of clippers you have, it is possible to replace the shaver head as a whole or the shaving foil separately from each other.
This automatically gives you the option to maintain these parts separately from each other. We also advise you to do this regularly to enjoy the device for as long as possible.
You can always replace blades.
The best clippers of 2023
The range of hair clippers is huge. We have therefore selected the 5 best hair clippers based on important properties such as grip, battery life and quality of the shaving foil, and the general price-quality ratio.
If you buy one of these clippers, you know you are making a good buy.
All hair clippers in our top 10 are of the highest quality and tested. The brands Philips, Remington, and Wahl have lived up to their name in recent years. You can expect the best results with the hair clippers from these brands.
1. Philips HC9450/15
Philips HC9450/15
Best for Personal Use
Precision
Variety of Length Options
User friendly
Comfort in Use
Price
The Philips HC9450/15, has a color display. This display shows lots of relevant information, including the selected length.
Speaking about lengths: you can choose from no less than 400 lengths. The cutting length runs from 0.5 to 42 millimeters with a step of 0.1 millimeters each time. It is therefore possible to very precisely update your haircut with these clippers.
Did you use a desired length last time? That is beautiful! This clipper can store that length in its memory, so you can use it again effortlessly next time.
Thanks to the turbo function, it is also possible to shave off thick hair. The turbo function, in combination with the self-sharpening titanium blades, has no problems with the thickest hairs. These are also shaved to the desired length.
Product features:
- Cutting length: 0.5 to 42 millimeters
- Drive: wireless
- Washable head: no
- Battery life: 120 minutes
Good and could be better
- The choice of 400 lengths
- Includes memory function
- Handy display
- Also suitable for thick hair
- Durable titanium blades (self-sharpening )
- Not to be used in the shower
- No rinseable head
2. Clippers by WAHL
Clippers by WAHL Cordless Super Taper Clipper
Best Clipper for Professional Use
Precision
Variety of Length Options
User friendly
Comfort in use
Price
Do you want your client’s hair to shine and style it effortlessly? This is easy to achieve with this Wahl Super Taper Cordless clipper. This clipper is known as one of the best wireless clippers.
The device is weight-optimized, making the Super Taper very light and therefore easy to use for a long time without overloading the wrists.
The appearance and grip are also very professional, which means that the device is neatly placed by the mirror. When we talk about the technology, the motor is strong enough to last for years in daily use (of course, well maintained and cleaned regularly!)
It is not for nothing that this clipper is also used by hairdressers and many barbers. With the clipper it is possible to style hair with a cutting length between 3 and 130 millimeters.
This clipper is also ideal for men with thick hair. The self-sharpening blades cut the thickest hair without any problems. This is also done at the desired length.
Nice extra: this clipper can also be used while charging.
Product features:
- Cutting length: 3 to 130 millimeters
- Drive: battery
- Washable head: yes
- Battery life: 90 minutes
Pros & Cons
- Suitable for all hair types
- Suitable for all hair lengths
- Suitable for travel
- Wireless
- Can still be used even when charging
- Pro/Con text
3. Wahl’s Clipper Deluxe Chrome Pro
Wahl Clipper Deluxe Chrome Pro
Best Budget Choice
Precision
Variety of Length Options
User Friendly
Comfort in use
Price
This hair clipper from Wahl has a futuristic design, but above all delivers excellent results. Shaving your hair is easy and efficient with the Wahl Deluxe Chrome Pro.
Do you value the length of your haircut? With the adjustable blade lock, you always have optimal control over the length. You also have the choice of several comb attachments.
The cutting length varies from 3 to 25 millimeters. These clippers are not suitable for really very short hair. In that case, it is better to choose a cutting length of at least 1.2 or 1.5 millimeters.
It is very nice that you get many accessories included. Think of lubricating oil, a storage bag, scissors and several combs.
We also want to mention that this clipper is easy to operate. This is mainly due to the futuristic design. The design is adapted to the shape of a hand, making it very comfortable in the hand.
Product features:
- Cutting length: 30 to 250 millimeters
- Drive: with wire
- Rinseable head: yes
Good and could be better
- Many accessories included
- Adjustable cutting blade for optimal control over the length
- Many attachment combs included
- Lies wonderfully in the hand
- Tied to a socket
4. Philips HC5450/16
Philips HC5450/16
Best Hair Clipper for Beard Growth
Precision
Variety of length Options
User friendly
Comfort in use
Price
The well-known Dutch manufacturer Philips is also well represented in the world of hair clippers. The Philips HC5450/16 is a fine example of the quality products that they deliver. This clipper is known as very pleasant.
This is partly due to the titanium blades that can be trimmed up to “twice as fast”. You can decide for yourself whether that is an advantage for you, but the blades are of high quality.
Do you want to clean the clippers neatly after a shave? Unclip the trimming head and rinse it under the tap. Extremely quick and easy.
The Philips HC545016 has an adjustable comb attachment. This comb attachment can be adjusted in steps of 1 millimeter with length settings from 0.5 to 23 millimeters.
This clipper can be used wirelessly, so you can use the clipper wherever you want. Keep in mind that you must have a somewhat full battery charge.
Product features:
- Cutting length: 0.5 to 23 millimeters
- Drive: wireless
- Washable head: yes
Good and could be better
- Cutting length between 0.5 and 23 millimeters
- Washable head
- Wireless use
- Very affordable
- No fast charging function
5. Remington HC5035
Remington HC5035
Best user-friendly Hair Clippers
Precision
Variety of length options
User friendly
Comfort in use
Price
Remington is also a manufacturer and supplier of high-quality hair clippers. The Remington HC5035 is a typical example of the quality that this English company delivers.
Do you ever doubt the length of the comb attachment? All comb attachments have a unique color with this clipper. You can therefore tell from the color whether you are using the correct length.
By the way, you have 9 different comb attachments, with a cutting length between 1.2 and 25 millimeters. So you can also shave your hair nice and short.
Do you ever forget to charge the battery of objects? No problem. The Remington HC5035 works on a power cord, so you don’t have to worry about the battery charge.
When purchasing this clipper you also get several handy accessories: cleaning brush, neck brush, comb, and scissors.
We would also like to mention the favorable price tag as an advantage. You pay a lot less for these clippers than comparable devices.
→ Order the Remington HC5035 today via Amazon
Product features:
- Cutting length: 1.2 to 25 millimeters
- Drive: with wire
- Washable head: no
Good and could be better
- All comb attachments have a unique color
- Included multiple accessories supplied
- Relatively competitively priced
- Striking design (white with black)
- No washable head
- Tied to a socket
6. Philips Norelco
Philips Norelco Multigroom All-in-One Trimmer Series
Best Hair Clippers for Travel
Precision
Variety of length options
User friendly
Comfort in use
Price
There is no way that we’ll talk about the top 10 hair clippers and leave out this particular product from Philips. Is that still a coincidence? No, it is simply a fact that Philips supplies many nice hair clippers, including Philips Norelco.
Philips Norelco Multigroom 7770 is one of the most versatile hair clippers out on the market as it contains about 21 trimming attachments that can be used to trim your body, beard or stubble, hair, ear and nose, and even your eyebrows!
The cutting length for the beard ranges from 1 milimeter to 7 milimeters, while the variety of length for hair on other parts of your body are for another conversation. It is very much suitable for stubbles to medium-length beards!
The cutting length for the hair, however, range from 4 milimeters to 16 milimeters. It wouldn’t be able to cut your hair super short, but it should do enough to give you that clean look again!
Another thing that we absolutely love about the Philips Norelco Multigroom 7770 is the fact that the device is so easy to clean and that it is fully washable!
With proper use, you can also enjoy a long lifespan. This is thanks to the self-sharpening stainless steel blades. These knives are not only efficient but also very durable.
A fully charged device can give you over 6 hours of cordless use for every 1 hour charging time. But no worries, the device can still be used even when it’s plugged in.
But of course, we can’t forget about the fact that it’s also a great device for travel. It comes with a convenient travel and storage case that allows you to bring the device along with all of the trimming guards.
Product features:
- Cutting length: 1 to 7 millimeters
- Drive: wireless
- Washable head: yes
Good and could be better
- Minimum cutting length of 1 millimeter
- Device is fully washable
- Durable blades
- Economically priced
- Charging time of 1 hour
- Not suitable as a beard trimmer
7. Philips QC5580/32
Philips QC5580/32
Best for Quick Use
Precision
Variety of length options
User friendly
Comfort in use
Price
And we have again selected a Philips hair clipper. The Philips QC5580/32 also delivers the results you are looking for. Create your desired hairstyle yourself in an instant.
With the Philips QC5580/32 you can measure an extremely short haircut. The minimum cutting length is namely 0.5 millimeters; millimeters of your hair is certainly possible. In addition, you will receive both a precision comb attachment and an adjustable comb attachment with your purchase.
A nice feature of the head of this clipper is the fact that it can be rotated 180 degrees. So you have an optimal range; you can easily reach all places on and around your head.
With some clippers, you have to wait a few hours before it is fully charged. That is not the case with the Philips QC558032; with all thanks to the fast charge function.
→ Order the Philips QC5580/32 today via Amazon
Product features:
- Cutting length: 0.5 to 15 millimeters
- Drive: wireless
- Washable head: yes
Good and could be better
- Includes precision comb attachment
- Includes rinseable head
- With quick charge function
- Rotating head can be rotated 180 degrees
- Not be used in the shower
- Battery status is not displayed
- Can- Maximum cutting length of 15 millimeters
8. Remington HC5810
Remington HC5810
Best Long-Lasting Hair Clippers
Precision
Variety of length options
User friendly
Comfort in use
Price
This Remington hair clipper lives up to its name. The Remington HC5810 Genius is in fact a ‘genius’. The versatility of this clipper is particularly striking.
You will receive about 10 comb attachments with your purchase. With these comb attachments, you can shave with a cutting length of 0.8 to 40 millimeters. So you can shave your hair very short, but you can also just touch it up here and there.
The handy display on the clipper shows how much longer you can do with one battery charge. You can do 50 minutes with one battery charge.
You also get scissors, a neck brush, a comb, a cleaning brush, and clipper oil. The comb is especially useful for making sure that all hairs are in the same direction.
Finally, we would like to touch on the design of the Remington HC5810 Genius. This is what clippers should look like; not true?
Product features:
- Cutting length: 0.8 to 40 millimeters
- Drive: wireless
- Washable head: no
Good and could be better
- Cutting length from 0.8 to 40 millimeters
- Beautiful design
- Many accessories included
- Handy display
- No rinseable head
9. Remington Hc5880
Remington HC5880
Best Durable Hair Clippers
Precision
Variety of length options
User friendly
Comfort in use
Price
Spot number 9 in this guide is also taken by a Remington clipper. The Remington HC5880 is a pleasant trimmer that is very useful in specific situations.
Do you have thick and coarse hair? Then you know from experience that it can be difficult to shave it off. With the Remington HC5880 that is a piece of cake. These are actually the best clippers for shaving thick and coarse hair.
Have you shaved your thick and coarse hair off? Then easily clean the head of the clipper. The head is washable; click it loose and rinse it neatly under the tap.
The cutting length varies from 1.5 to 25 millimeters; this is thanks to the many comb attachments that are included. Those are not the only accessories that are included. A charger, oil, ear guides and a brush are also included.
The Remington HC5880 works on a battery. When the battery is fully charged, you can use the clippers for 120 minutes afterwards. Are the clippers empty when you want to use them? No problem. You can also use the hair clipper if it is being charged in the socket in the meantime.
Product features:
- Cutting length: 1.5 to 25 millimeters
- Drive: wireless
- Washable head: yes
Good and could be better
- Suitable for thick and stiff hair
- Includes rinseable head
- Many accessories included
- Cutting length from 1.5 to 25 millimeters
- No fast charging function
- Set-up combs difficult to distinguish
10. Remington HC6550
Remington HC6550
Best Self-Cleaning Hair Clippers
Precision
Variety of length options
User friendly
Comfort in use
Price
Say goodbye to cleaning up after trimming your beard/hair! Well, cleaning up the loose hairs, we mean.
The Remington HC6550 comes with a built-in vacuum that sucks in hair that was immediately trimmed from your face/head. It’s attached to an XXL Vacuum Chamber, which means that it can hold so much hair before needing to empty it out.
It comes as an 18-piece kit (11 guide combs, cleaning brush & oil bottle, barber scissors, and more) giving you everything you need for a proper grooming experience.
Those with thick or coarse hair shouldn’t be worried too much. The Remington HC6550’s titanium-coated blades should be able to help you clean up well without nipping or pulling on your hair.
With a cutting length range from 0.5 to 25 millimeters, you can be sure that you will have plenty to choose from.
The Remington HC6550 can run both on wireless or while it’s plugged in. The average running time of a single charge is about 60 minutes and it takes 4 hours to get it fully charged.
We would say that’s pretty worth it, considering that you won’t find yourself cleaning up any loose hairs afterward anymore!
Product features:
- Cutting length: 0.5 to 25 millimeters
- Drive: wireless
- Washable head: yes
Good but could be better
- Has a built in vacuum to help keep your workspace clean
- Comes with a pouch so it is suitable for travel
- Self-sharpening titanium-coated blades
- Can be cleaned with a cleaning brush and/or running water
- 4 hours charging time with only 60 minutes running time
Summary of best hair clippers 2023
The range of hair clippers is too large to be able to easily make an obvious choice. Considerations such as price tag, ease of use and degree of use (home or professional) all play a role in the final decision.
Within the hair clippers category there are three strong brands that dominate almost the entire market: Wahl, Philips and Remington.
The best choice for home use goes to Philips this year and Wahl is (as usual) seen as the best for professional use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good hair clipper for at home?
The Philips HC9450 is currently the best hair clipper for at home because of its practical functions and excellent quality, which always gives good results.
What are the best clippers?
That depends on your personal situation, preferences and degree of use. Read our in-depth buying guide to find out which one is best for you.
How do I use clippers?
Learn the number system on the adjustable attachments. Always start from large to small to avoid accidentally shaving off too much length. Wash your hair first to make it easier to shave. Then shave against the grain, pulling the scalp taut with each pass. Always shave one job at a time!
Which Wahl clippers are the best?
At the moment, the Wahl Elite pro has been tested as the best in our user tests. This high-quality clipper is used by barbers and hairdressers, feels great in the hand and always gives a good result.
