How to choose a beard trimmer for shorter beards: buying advice to style your stubble

When it comes to choosing the best beard trimmer, there are a surprising amount of things to consider. But ultimately, you first need to determine what type of beard style you want. If it’s shorter beards or stubble, then you’ve come to the right place. 

The type of facial hair that you grow and want will help you decide what beard trimmer you need. A shorter beard is one that’s considered longer than stubble but still relatively close to your face, i.e. a beard that’s not longer than your chin or hanging down to your knees, a la Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings.

If this is the style you prefer, then you need a beard trimmer for short beards – and this is what you should look for when buying one.

What type of blade is best for a short beard?

The most important thing to look into when buying a beard trimmer is the blade. You’ll want a blade that can manage a good amount of hair and that’s extremely sharp – it’s not safe or comfortable to shave with a dull blade, after all.

There are many different types of beard trimmer blades. In terms of materials, you have a choice of stainless steel, ceramic and titanium, but the three main blade types you’ll want to look at for a short beard are fixed, moving or foil.

A fixed blade does what it says on the tin: it’s a blade that doesn’t move and typically is used alongside a comb that moves the hair so the blade can cut. In comparison, a moving blade will oscillate or vibrate back and forth to cut your hair – another difference between a fixed and moving blade is that the latter will be electronic.

Finally, a foil blade or head is part of an electric shaver – although it can be on a beard trimmer too – and it’s a thin metal mesh with holes that works to catch and cut hair. It gets very close to the skin, so it’s recommended for closer shaves and shorter styles.

What length setting do I need for a short beard?

For a short beard, you’ll want to look for a trimmer that has a comb or attachments that come with multiple length settings. While you tame your shorter beard, you might want it to be quite close to your skin or a little longer on different days or weeks, so you’ll want a trimmer that has different lengths so you can cater to the different length of shorter beards.

As a shorter beard is described as being 4-15mm in length, you’ll want a beard trimmer with lengths between 3-10mm, so you can switch between bushier beards to a clean, close shave. It’s worth noting, though, that if you want your beard to be as close to your face as possible, or you want to completely get rid of it altogether, you’re probably best looking at an electric shaver – see our electric shaver vs beard trimmer to help decide which one you need.

In our beard trimmer guide, we note the Philips OneBlade Pro as our top choice for shorter beards and stubble. It has a removable and adjustable comb that sits atop the blade, which can be adjusted in increments from 0.4mm to 10 mm, making it perfect for stubble and short beards.

How often should I trim my short beard?

For maintaining a shorter beard, you’ll need to trim it more often than if you had a longer beard – unsurprisingly. But, how often you trim will depend on how quickly your hair grows. If your beard takes a while to grow, you won’t need to trim as much but if it grows exceedingly fast, then you’ll want to trim more often.

To avoid your beard getting too bushy, it’s recommended to trim your beard every week. This helps to maintain the length of your beard while keeping it in the short style that you like. For stubble, you’ll want to trim and style your beard every 2-3 days, while if you’re trying to grow out your beard, you can leave it for longer, like every 2-4 weeks.

Once you’ve finished your beard trimming, make sure to moisturise to keep your skin underneath happy, and apply a beard oil to keep your beard hair looking good and healthy.