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- Top 6
- 1. Best overall
- 2. Best budget beard trimmer
- 3. Best premium beard trimmer
- 4. Best beard trimmer for shorter beards
- 5. Best beard trimmer for longer beards
- 6. Best beard trimmer for styling
- 7. Best beard trimmer for attachments
- 8. Best beard trimmer for precision
- 9. Best cheap beard trimmer
- 10. Best self cleaning beard trimmer
- 11. Best hybrid beard trimmer
- How we test
- FAQs
The best beard trimmer is a modern-day essential for crafting an attractive beard. Be it a bushy hipster flex or a more sculpted number, carving out a stylish beard takes time, patience and a good trimmer.
If you're looking for regular beard management or the occasional trim, you might be wondering what is the best beard trimmer on the market. Our top picks for the best beard trimmers are the sharpest, to put it bluntly (no pun intended), but our favourite trimmer overall has to be the Philips BT9000 Prestige, due to its design, feel and results.
If you're looking to fully upgrade your grooming routine, then you might want to check out the best body groomer for all-over hair removal, or, if you want to remove your facial hair completely, then you'll want the best electric shaver.
Without further ado, here's the best beard trimmer you can buy today.
Beth is Home Editor for T3, covering style, living and wellness. While Beth can't grow a beard so doesn't have a need for the best beard trimmers, she still has an expansive knowledge on the subject, and is always ready to offer her latest recommendations.
The top six
The Philips BT9000 Prestige is the best beard trimmer overall, with a classy design, a premium feel and brilliant results.
For those on a tight budget, the Braun Beard Trimmer BT3040 is an effective and affordable choice.
The Braun Beard Trimmer 7 has a powerful performance and a range of cutting heads to shave through the bushiest of beards.
For shorter beards and stubble, the Philips OneBlade Pro delivers accurate edge trimming and versatile grooming.
For longer beards, the Remington B5 tackles these with ease with its rotary dial set-up, making it easy to adjust the comb length.
Designing a perfectly maintained beard needs a certain level of detail, which is where the Babyliss iStubble Beard Trimmer comes in handy.
Best beard trimmers 2024
Why you can trust T3
The best beard trimmer overall
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
There's no doubt that the Philips BT9000 Prestige is the classiest looking beard trimmer we've ever clapped eyes on. That's thanks to its steel body, steel blades and heavy-duty rubber grip. Even the battery life indicator is neatly integrated into the base of the trimmer.
Thankfully, the BT9000 Prestige isn't just a looker, because our reviewer found it offers an equally classy shave. There's a robust steel dial that quickly adjusts the blade length from 0.4mm to 5mm, or throw on a plastic guard and cover the 5.4mm to 10mm lengths.
Designed primarily with neater beard-scaping in mind, it neatly whips away whiskers without any snags or pulls. That steel cutting head is brilliantly contoured, thanks to “anti-friction skin follower” technology, and managed to get into those awkward or hard-to-reach areas where many rivals fall down.
We found the battery life is excellent too, and the 'power sensor adaptor' automatically adjusts the speed of the motor depending on how hard it works, allowing it to plough through longer sections without getting bogged down. Although we wouldn't recommend submerging it in a bubble bath, it's supposedly 100-percent waterproof and performed perfectly when tested in the shower. The easy flip-back shaving head also makes rinsing out fine hairs easy, as there's no fiddling around trying to clip a cheap plastic head back on.
Yes, it's pricey for a beard trimmer, but it feels premium and like it's built to last. Keep on top of blade maintenance (oiling them after cleaning) and this is one trimmer you won't be throwing in the bin after a few months of heavy use. Before you buy, be sure to check our Philips discount codes to bag the best deal and check out our Philips BT9000 Prestige review for more.
The best budget beard trimmer
2. Braun Beard Trimmer 3 3040
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
We’re big fans of Braun shavers, clippers and trimmers: they’re rock solid, last forever and do the job without any fuss, and they tend to be pretty cheap too. If you’re looking for a good all-rounder to keep your beard looking its best, the BT3040 is well worth a look: with two combs and precision length settings you get 39 different lengths to play with, from five o’clock shadow to a luxuriantly long 21mm.
That means it can double as a hair clipper too, and Braun also bundles a Gillette Fusion ProGlide for precision edging. It’s not the fastest to charge - it takes about eight hours to charge from flat, and needs charging again after an hour - but we think it’s an excellent all-rounder.
Read our opinion on why you should buy the Braun Beard Trimmer 3 3040, and to find out how it could work for you.
The best premium beard trimmer
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
There are slightly cheaper beard trimmers out there but the Braun Beard Trimmer 7 feels like good value for money, earning its place pretty high up on this list. It is small, light and easy to use. Our reviewer found the tough blades shave cleanly and feel like they are built to last.
Granted, the quality of the main body isn't massively impressive, and some of the included shaving attachments feel like gimmicks. However, if you stick with the main blades and the two plastic guards, you can achieve some great results, both on the face and you know...
Our reviewer said the battery life was solid and the unit is waterproof enough for easy rinsing to clean, but just beware that you’ll need a two-pin adaptor if you don’t have shaving sockets in your bathroom.
Read our full Braun Beard Trimmer 7 review for more.
The best beard trimmer for shorter beards
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Philips OneBlade is an odd-looking thing, with what appears to be a large Mach 3-style blade instead of the familiar cutting comb (although with the Pro models you get a cutting comb too).
The main selling point here is the absence of razor burn: if you’ve found other trimmers leave your face a fiery red, we think you will find the OneBlade considerably more gentle. You'll want to stand near the sink, use it in the shower, or keep a cordless vac nearby, mind: as we found the way the head vibrates sends cut stubble all over the place.
The dual-sided blade is designed to cut more precisely than a comb and we find they last about 6 weeks to 3 months before needing to be replaced. That's somewhat less than Philips' claim of 4 months, but the replacement heads aren't especially pricey or hard to find.
The battery runs for 90 minutes on a one-hour charge and it can handle beards up to 10mm via its adjustable comb head. We'd say it is suited to shorter trims on the whole – it's most ideal for those who favour neither beards nor a smooth visage: it does perma-stubble brilliantly.
There are a number of versions of the OneBlade available at Amazon and elsewhere, and particularly if you suffer from facial irritation, they are all excellent. The hardware of the non-'Pro' versions does have more of a tendency to wear out, however. That's because rather than having an integral, adjustable comb for different lengths, they use interchangeable combs.
Read our full Philips OneBlade Pro review for more information.
The best beard trimmer for longer beards
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Remington B5 borrows the rotary dial set-up of rivals, which we find makes adjusting the length of the built-in comb really easy. It also boasts one of the best spread of lengths we've seen in a single comb mechanism, covering 0.4 to 18mm.
When set to its shortest setting, the Remington B5 does a good job of slicing whiskers down to a fairly even trendy perma-stubble, but the large comb does make it difficult to reach tricky spots, like those on neck or just underneath the jaw.
For not very much money, it feels like a good buy, although it doesn't come with the nose/ear trimmer attachments like other rivals we've listed here. Bottom line: it's good for really thick beards but lacks the finesse for shorter or more lavish facial hair designs.
Read our full Remington B5 review to find out more.
The best beard trimmer for styling
6. Babyliss iStubble Beard Trimmer
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
As much as we hate the fashion for adding an “i” prefix to make things sound modern, the iStubble is a smart shaver indeed: its trimmer guard is motorised, enabling you to set the length perfectly.
You can expect around 45 minutes use from 90 minutes of charging, and if you forget to charge it completely there’s enough power for a single shave after just five minutes - although a full charge does take 16 hours.
It’s not suitable for Santa or hipsters - the maximum cutting length is 5mm - but if you prefer your beard to be short then the iStubble is one of the best shavers to keep it that way.
The best beard trimmer for attachments
7. Wahl Aqua Blade Beard Trimmer
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Wahl's excellent emergency charge system is just one reason to get excited about this trimmer, because it delivers enough power for a quick trim in just one minute - perfect for when you inevitably run it flat and need a last-minute shave before work.
On top of that, it comes with a staggering 16 guide combs, which means you can go from a 0.2mm super close shave, all the way up to a proper barbershop hair-do tidy up if you really want to. There is also the obligatory nose hair trimmer, detailer head for fancy beards and a foil shaver for getting that "smooth as a baby's bottom" look to your cheeks and chin.
The best beard trimmer for precision
8. Panasonic i-Shaper ER-GD60
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
We were a bit sceptical of this Panasonic trimmer at first, as it's unlike any trimmer we've used before, but after getting used to it (that does take some time) it's quickly become one of our favourite grooming tools.
Why is it so difficult to get used to? As you can see from the image, you don't hold it like a traditional trimmer, as the cutting blades are in-line, rather than perpendicular, to the handle. This results in a lot more visibility while trimming, making it easier to create clean edges to your stubble. This is also aided by the long and sharp cutting blades.
If you're after more precision, the Panasonic comes with a detail attachment, which essentially covers 2/3s of the blade, and makes getting to those hard to reach places easier. As well as the detail attachment, you'll also get an adjustable comb with 20 cutting lengths from 0.5 - 10 mm. This makes getting your stubble the perfect length a breeze.
Unlike the Philips above, however, you do need to oil and replace the blades. Panasonic suggests oiling after every use, which is a bit of a hassle. It also has quite a plasticky quality but then, to be fair, these things all do.
The best cheap beard trimmer
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Another good choice from Philips is the OneBlade 360. Despite it's garish looks, this is a cheap and cheerful face and body groomer that’s great value for money, and easier and more comfortable to use than ever before.
The slim and lightweight design is comfortable to use, and its flexible head makes shaving easier. The 5-in-1 adjustable comb works well on longer hair although the blades dull quicker than you might expect.
The best self cleaning beard trimmer
10. Philips Series 7000 Vacuum Beard Trimmer
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
I used to carpool for work, and one of my colleagues would always jump in the passenger seat and immediately fire up his electric shaver - something I wasn't happy about until I realised he was leaving his DNA everywhere and framed him for a series of murders. If only he’d bought the Philips, which has an integrated vacuum system to catch most of the facial fallout. It promises to catch 90% of your cuttings (albeit in lab conditions), so that should mean less cleaning up after each cut.
In my experience, you still need to clean up after, just as you do with any other beard trimmer. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say that, as with its 'laser-guided' trimmer at #1, Philips has again come up with a trimmer whose 'bonus feature' is a pure gimmick to catch your attention.
On the other hand, also like the laser-trim-o-matic, this is an excellent beard tamer, so long as you aren't too fussed about its headline feature. The lockable cutter has 20 settings from 0.5mm to 10mm and you’ll get around an hour of shaving from a single charge. Also as with the laser one, don’t pay the RRP as it’s frequently available for much less.
The best hybrid beard trimmer
11. Remington MB050 Durablade Hybrid Trimmer
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Remington Durablade is another favourite grooming tool of ours. It's a hybrid trimmer and shaver, which has both positive and negative points. The Durable is capable of a closer shave than many of the trimmers on this list, it's lightweight, and you never need to replace the blades.
However, while it does undaboutably offer a closer shave, it's not as good as a traditional electric shaver, and it's not as powerful as other trimmers on this list.
That being said, it's an incredibly useful little tool to take away one holidays or when travelling for business, and great for quick touch up jobs, when time is off the essence.
How we test the best beard trimmers
We spend a lot of time reviewing the best beard trimmers, so when it comes to recommending what beard trimmer to buy, you can be safe in the knowledge that we'll recommend the best options for you.
We'll usually spend a week or longer testing new beard trimmers, and the review process is fairly straightforward – we use them to trim our beards. This helps us see how closely they are capable of trimming, and how easy they are to use and achieve our desired facial hairstyle. It also lets us test whether the beard trimmers nick your skin and how long the battery lasts.
If the beard trimmers have any advanced features, such as laser guidance or quick charging, we'll try these out to test if they work and if they're worth the extra money they no doubt command. Once the initial review period is complete, we'll publish a full review, give the beard trimmer a star rating, and add an abridged review to this guide.
The best beard trimmers FAQs
How to choose the best beard trimmer
When considering a beard trimmer there are several things to consider. The first one is length: some trimmers are only suitable for short beards, while others come with a range of heads or guards that can be used for bushy beards.
Most trimmers can be used for body hair and the hair on the top of your head too, but if you want anything other than a skinhead, you'll again want a trimmer that's capable of longer length settings.
Charge time may matter if you’re constantly on the move, and often these things take 8 hours or more to fully juice up. Realistically, that shouldn't be a problem if you only trim once per day, but if you suffer from beard maintenance anxiety, you might favour a trimmer with an emergency 'quick charge' feature, giving a full trim after just a few minutes of charging.
Watch out for consumables – while many trimmers have self-sharpening blades that last forever, some need oiling, and some even require regular replacement.
As with electric toothbrushes, our biggest tip is: never pay the RRP on higher-end beard trimmers: grooming gadgets are regularly discounted, as reflected in our handy pricing widgets.
How often should I trim my beard?
How often you should trim your beard is completely dependent on the style you're going for. If you want to maintain a shorter and more sculpted beard, then you'll want to trim it more often than people who want to grow out a long beard. For maintaining length and style, we'd recommend trimming once a week.
If you're going for a Gandalf-style beard, then avoiding the trimmers is your best option. But you should be looking to trim your beard at least once a month if you're trying to grow it out. This helps the hair grow in the right way and gives you thicker and healthier beard hair.
How to clean a beard trimmer
As a rule of thumb, you should be cleaning your beard trimmer after every use. To do this, use the cleaning accessories that your beard trimmer came with, like brushes. Remove the head of your trimmer to do so, and rinse it with water to remove any hidden hairs. Allow the head to dry before reattaching to the main body of your trimmer.
What's the difference between a beard trimmer and a hair trimmer?
As the name suggests, a beard trimmer is used on your beard and other facial hair. In comparison, hair trimmers or clippers are designed for long hair, typically located on your head or other parts of your body like armpits or pubic hair.
Beard trimming blades are typically much smaller than hair trimmers, as they get closer to the skin and also for safety purposes. Hair trimmers have bigger blades are bigger in size in general, plus they normally come with wire.
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Beth is Home Editor for T3, looking after style, living and wellness. From the comfiest mattresses to what strange things you can cook in an air fryer, Beth covers sleep, yoga, smart home, coffee machines, grooming tools, fragrances, gardening and much more. If it's something that goes in your house, chances are Beth knows about it and has the latest reviews and recommendations! She's also in the know about the latest deals and discount codes from top brands and retailers.
Having always been passionate about writing, she’s written for websites, newspapers and magazines on a variety of topics, from jewellery and culture, to food and telecoms. You can find her work across numerous sites, including Wedding Ideas Magazine, Health & Wellbeing, The Bristol Post, Fashion & Style Directory, TechRadar, CreativeBloq and more. In her spare time, Beth enjoys running, reading, baking and attempting craft projects that will probably end in disaster!
- Lizzie WilmotStaff Writer, Home