How to Pick the Right Hair Trimmers for You

Hair trimmers can either be wired or cordless and usually come with a host of accessories, some of which are more essential than others. Here are some questions you should be asking yourself when buying the perfect set of trimmers for you.

Should I Choose Wired or Cordless Trimmers?

In this day and age, cordless trimmers are going to be able to serve up just as much power as the wired variety, not to mention the benefits they provide in manoeuvrability and ease of use.

If you want to give yourself a professional cut, there is only really one option. "I always go for cordless," says Robinson. "Working in the shop I find them easier to manoeuvre. But also what I discovered through cutting my own hair during lockdown was that cordless is a total boon when you’re spinning around looking in two mirrors. When cutting your own hair you will be changing hands and angles a lot and leads getting in your face is just a nuisance."

Wahl 5 Star Limited Edition Cordless Gold Detailer Li

The barber’s favorite trimmer has gone cordless and Gold! This professional-quality USA-made unit is for everyday use in the busy barbershop or salon. The cordless Detailer Li comes equipped with an extremely close cutting t-wide blade designed for detailing and fine line trimming, a lithium-ion battery with a 100-minute run time, and a heavy-duty recharging stand with a unique swivel cord rotation feature.

• DESIGNED FOR: extremely close trimming creates a crisp, clean line, extended blade cutting area produces faster cutting results facial hair detailing and design
• High carbon steel blades with titanium & diamond Coatings stay cool, are longer-lasting, have no sharpening needed to resist corrosion, and are extremely strong
• Smart Led: Solid = full charge, Flashing = Low charge & Pulse = Charging
• Blade: 2215-700 Adjustable T-wide Blade
• Motor: Rotary
• Battery: Lithium-Ion
• Run Time: 100 Minutes
• Charge Stand Weight: .53 lbs

Includes:

• Professional Trimmer
• 3 trimmer guides (1/16"-3/16")
• Power Cord
• Charge Stand
• Pr0-set Tool
• Pre-shave brush
• Oil
• Cleaning brush Operating instructions
• Red blade guard

What Do I Get If I Spend More on My Trimmers?

Choosing a pair of trimmers can be confusing at times because there are so many blade types and materials, ranging from different grades of steel, titanium and even ceramic, out there. Like most things though, ultimately you get what you pay for. "Pricier trimmers have one main thing above their cheaper relatives and that is a more powerful motor," says Robinson.

"Companies like Wahl for instance will sell trimmers for approx $85 to $135. I would say that they’re like those electric scooters people are now commuting on – they look good and get you where you’re going, but they're not very fast and not particularly stable. The professional level trimmers are like a BMW: good horsepower, safe and strong and will run well for a long time if cared for and serviced well."

Robinson says that while different brands have different price points, top of the line professional trimmers will cost somewhere between $135 and $200. The best solution to this is buying a combo of trimmer and clipper just for the price of 1 professional trimmers.

JRL FRESH FADE 2020 GOLD CLIPPER / TRIMMER COMBO PACKAGE UPGRADED METAL BRACKET

All new sleek design 2020 series cordless adjustable clipper and cordless trimmer from JRL with limited gold collection and charging dock.

Comes with:

• JRL 2020C Gold Cordless Clipper with Taper Blade
• JRL 2020T Gold Cordless Trimmer
• JRL Fresh Fade 2020 Charging Dock
• EXTRA Black Casing
• 10 Clipper Guards

Other Things to Consider When Buying Trimmers

Of course there are other things to consider when choosing a good pair of trimmers. Battery life, trimmer lengths and even weight are all important factors. Some things are going to be more important to you than others. Robinson, for example, places great weight on the, ahem, weight of his trimmers.

"I always choose trimmers in the upper price bracket. I believe it's a false economy to purchase cheaper ones as they need replacing more frequently," says Robinson. "The priority for me is weight. You can purchase good trimmers that are lightweight and those that are more solid and weightier. I choose the heavier ones personally as I like the feeling of substance in my hand."

BaBylissPRO BlueFX Boost+ Lithium Clipper & Skeleton Trimmer With Bonus Charging Base Sets - #FXHOLPKCTB-BC

BOOST+ Clipper

The BaBylissPRO BlueFX BOOST+ is a cord/cordless lithium clipper, equipped with a high-torque, brushless engine. A perfect tool for cutting all hair textures with power, speed, and precision.

BOOST+ Trimmer

The BaBylissPRO BlueFX BOOST+ is a professional, all-metal, cord/cordless lithium outlining trimmer, featuring an exposed T-blade with 360-degree views, making this the first of a kind! The perfect tool for crispy edge-ups, hard lines, and all other detail work. Welcome to the new VIP standard of outlining trimmers.

Key Features - BOOST+ Clipper

•  NEW Higher speed, higher torque brushless motor (6,800 RPM)
•  NEW DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) fade blade
•  NEW Diamond textured rubber handle
•  NEW 3300 mAh lithium-ion battery (over 2-hour run time)
• Cord/cordless operation
• 5-detent taper control
• All-metal housing
• Dual voltage
• Hanging hook
• 8 comb attachments ( 1/16", 1/8", 3/16", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8", 3/4")
• 2-year warranty

Key Features - BOOST+ Trimmer

•  NEW DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) deep tooth 360° exposed T- blade (zero gap tool included)
•  NEW Diamond textured rubber handle
•  NEW 3300 mAh lithium-ion battery (4-hour run time)
• High speed, high torque brushless motor (7,200 RPM)
• 5-detent taper control
• All-metal housing
• Dual voltage
• Hanging hook
• 2-year warranty

Charging Bases

• Solid metal base with diamond textured rubber
• Balanced and weighted
• Clipper base fits all FX870 models
• The Trimmer base Fits All FX787 models
• Adapter included