The average American man spends about $154.44 a year on haircuts! That’s $1500 dollars every decade! And for the most part, those same men aren’t completely satisfied with their freshly cut hair.
These days, a lot of men are saying bye-bye to the barber and cutting their hair themselves. It’s a cheaper option, and ultimately gives you more control over how your hair is cut.
Surveys show that about 23% of men prefer to get their hair cut either at home or by a friend or relative. The benefits are obvious, but it’s all for nothing if a crappy pair of clippers leaves you looking like a chump.
Good haircuts start with good tools, and to help you with that, we’re going to present you with our curated list of the best hair clippers on the market. Perfect for the self-sufficient man who wants to take control of his appearance.
Table Of Contents
- Best Hair Clippers Comparison Table
- Top 10 Hair Clippers Review
- Wahl Professional 5-Star Magic Clip #8148
- Andis Professional T-Outliner Beard/Hair Trimmer
- Wahl Clipper Stainless Steel Lithium Ion Plus Beard Trimmer #9818
- Wahl Clipper Elite Pro High Performance Haircut Kit #79602
- Remington HC4250 Shortcut Pro Self-Haircut Kit
- Wahl Professional Peanut Classic Clipper/Trimmer #8685
- Wahl Lithium Ion Cordless Hair Clippers and Trimmers #79600-2101
- Wahl Professional 5-Star Balding Clipper #8110
- Wahl Professional Peanut Clipper/Trimmer #8655-200
- Oster Fast Feed Adjustable Pivot Motor Clipper 76023-510
- A Buyer’s Guide To Hair Clippers
- A Step-By-Step Guide On Haircuts Using Hair Clippers
- A Quick Guide To Hair Clipper Maintenance
- Home Clippers Vs Professional Clippers: The Differences
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Wrapping It All Up
Best Hair Clippers Comparison Table
Clippers | Extras | Run Time | Notable Feature | Price |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wahl 5-Star Magic Clip #8148 | 8 Combs | 90 Minutes | Corded & Cordless use | Check price |
Andis T-Outliner Hair Trimmer | T-Blade | Corded | Heavy Duty Motor | Check price |
Wahl Lithium Ion Plus #9818 | 12 Combs | 4 Hours | 4 Different trimmer | Check price |
Wahl Clipper Elite Pro #79602 | 10 Combs | Corded | Blade cuts 40% faster | Check price |
Remington HC4250 Shortcut Pro | 9 Combs | 40 minutes | Extra wide blade | Check price |
Wahl Peanut Classic #8685 | 4 Combs | Corded | Powerful Rotary Motor | Check price |
Wahl Cordless #79600-2101 | 10 Combs | 2 Hours | Extra trimmer | Check price |
Wahl Balding Clipper #8110 | 3 Combs | Corded | Cuts twice the speed | Check price |
Wahl Peanut #8655-200 | 4 Combs | Corded | Powerful Rotary Motor | Check price |
Oster Fast Feed 76023-510 | 4 Combs | Corded | Quiet pivot motor | Check price |
Top 10 Hair Clippers Review
Wahl Professional 5-Star Magic Clip #8148
While this clipper is sold under Wahl’s professional line, it’s perfect for the home user who wants to add a professional touch to their hair.
Note that Wahl sells two clippers with the name ‘Magic Clip’, and this is the cordless version; the other, corded-only version is a very different machine.
At only ten ounces, the cordless Magic Clip is a really light and comfortable machine to use. At its heart is a rotary motor, providing steady and reliable power that’s coupled with Wahl’s #2161 Stagger-Tooth Crunch Blade. This winning combination lets you glide through hair without any problem at all. Even better, the motor doesn’t run hot.
For combs, you’ve got a set of eight, giving you a range of 1/16th inch on the #1/2 guard, to 1 inch on the #8 guard. A taper lever on the left side of the Magic Clip lets you adjust the blade position to a finer degree and alter how much hair is being cut without having to switch out guards. A pretty handy function for both experienced barbers and home users wanting to experiment.
The Magic Clip can run both corded and cordless. The cord plugs into a port at the base of the clipper. On cordless operation, you have 90 minutes of working life from a two-hour charge. This should be enough to get you through most cuts, and if the battery runs flat, just plug it back in.
The box also contains Wahl’s classic red blade guard, blade oil, a cleaning brush, and the charger. This is all you need to keep the clipper running, just remember to check our tips for clipper maintenance below.
Of course, nothing is perfect, but the Magic Clip’s downsides are more like inconveniences than outright shortcomings. Two things stand out: First, there’s no battery indicator so you’ll have to track for yourself how long you’ve been using it. Second, the blades are almost too sharp, and using it with no guard can lead to cuts on the skin if you’re not careful.
Overall, though, there are very few clippers that can provide as much in the way of performance as the Magic Clip. It’s nice and light, with a motor that doesn’t quit. It’s got a good set of accessories, and just a little extra capability for the barber who knows their stuff. Whether you’re cutting your family’s hair or a customer’s, the Wahl Magic Clip is our top pick for the best hair clipper.
Andis Professional T-Outliner Beard/Hair Trimmer
There are three names that stand above others when it comes to hair clippers. We’ve encountered Wahl, and the second is Andis. The T-Outliner is one of Andis’s best tools.
The shell isn’t much to write home about in looks, but it’s a pretty easy grip: a bulged case and ridged finger notches let you hold it without worry of it falling. It weighs .70 pounds, so it won’t tire you out. Cutting power comes from a fast-moving electromagnetic motor cutting at 7200 strokes per minute. That motor drives one of Andis’ best blades. Andis likes using carbon steel, which makes for very tough and sharp blades; and the usual downside of an electromagnetic motor, (the lack of power), is easily remedied by how sharp the blades are.
It’s a corded-only model with an eight-foot cord to your power outlet, so you have room to maneuver. Performance-wise, it does very well in its area. Very few clippers can provide as close a shave as the T-Outliner. It does well in precision work, particularly in fading, outlining, trimming facial hair, sideburns, and edging around the ears.
Get Andis T-Outliner at Amazon
It’s also excellent at dry shaving, so if you’re trimming your facial hair, there’s no need to lather up or apply shaving cream beforehand. It also does very well with sensitive skin, so you can go as close as you need to without risking any rashes.
There are two major downsides of the Andis T-Outliner. First is that it has a nasty habit of overheating if it’s left on for too long. After about fifteen minutes of use, the blade gets too hot to work with. This doesn’t usually come up if you’re using it in detail or outline work, so we recommend frequent cooldown periods if you’re using it back-to-back in the barber shop. Second is that it doesn’t come with any accessories, not even the usual care-package of oil and brush.
If you can work with these downsides, though, the T-Outliner is honestly excellent. When you need to pay close attention to detail, nothing works better.
Wahl Clipper Stainless Steel Lithium Ion Plus Beard Trimmer #9818
There are some clippers that are specialized for a specific task like detailing, or general trimming. And there are other tools that can do a variety of jobs, a jack-of-all-trades. Wahl’s Lithium Ion Plus is an example of the latter type. It’s pretty much perfect for anyone!
The Lithium Ion Plus weighs a bit under 13 ounces, so it’s quite comfortable. The stainless steel body is rounded for better grip, though it isn’t rubberized, so it can get rather slippery. It comes standard with a stainless steel self-sharpening T-blade, but that’s not all it can do. The blade is detachable, letting you attach three other heads for other uses: a detail trimmer, a detail shaver, and an ear and nose trimmer. These extra heads let the Lithium Ion Plus are the key to its versatility.
The T-blade is excellent for general cutting and trimming, and since the Lithium Ion Plus is smaller than most clippers, you can easily use it anywhere on your body. The detail trimmer lets you do precise outlining. The detail shaver is for those times you want to cut as close as you can. And the ear and nose trimmer is of course for the ears and nose, those pesky hairs that the other heads just can’t reach. No matter what your need, the Lithium Ion has a head for it.
Get Wahl Lithium Ion Plus at Amazon
Length is controlled by twelve combs: that’s eight standard combs from 1/8″ to 1″, plus four stubble combs. Just stick them on and off as your cut needs. While it only runs cordless, it does have a four-hour battery life, which should be enough for most haircuts or trim jobs. The power button flashes when it’s near empty, and an hour’s charge gets you that four-hour working time. If needed, a quick-charge option lets you get three minutes of use for one minute of charging time.
Other attachments included are the usual blade oil and cleaning brush, and you also get the charger, a beard comb, plus a storage case. With how small it is and its cordless capability, the Lithium Ion Plus makes for an excellent travel clipper. And in case you’re worried about accidentally turning it on in the luggage, there’s a travel lock on the tail: just stick the included bright red plug in place.
As far as downsides go: the stainless steel body doesn’t provide much grip, so you’ll have to be careful, especially if your hands are wet. And the motor is rather underpowered for thick hair; so if your thick up top, you’ll have to take your time to give yourself a proper cut.
Overall, as a one-size-fits-all tool, you can’t beat the Lithium Ion Pro. It’s pretty much the ideal all-rounder clipper.
Wahl Clipper Elite Pro High Performance Haircut Kit #79602
See that ‘kit’ in the name? Wahl’s not kidding. We’re going to start with the box, because it’s a doozy. Open up that the premium storage case, and you have a complete 21-piece barber’s kit: the clipper, a set of ten combs, blade guard, barber’s cape, cord wrap, cleaning brush, blade oil, styling comb, styling scissors and a blade cover for those scissors, and a storage bag for the guide combs.
This is all that a barber needs to start up, whether you’re cutting hair at home for your family or at a shop. And it’s a magnificent choice to start with, because the clipper at the center of it all justifies the name of Elite Pro.
The clipper is a rather chunky thing at 19 and 3/8 ounces, but the motor inside is incredibly powerful. Couple that with the self-sharpening stainless steel blades, and you can cut through almost anything. A taper lever offers fine control of the blade position, and with the combs, you can fade and taper according to your preference.
Speaking of combs, the included set of ten offers a good range of lengths, from 1/16th an inch to one full inch. The combs are Wahl’s premium combs, made from a combination of tough plastic for most of the body and a stainless steel clip. The clip fits the combs tight onto the blades for better precision. They don’t come cheap on their own, but the quality is more than worth it.
The Elite Pro is corded-only, with eight feet of heavy-duty industrial cord to give you toughness and range, and the cord wrap makes storage much easier. And of course there’s also the storage case, which makes it easy to carry all of this to a different location.
There are relatively few downsides to the Elite Pro, as you’re paying for quality. One is that there are no ear taper combs, which is odd considering the amount of care they put into the choice of combs here. Another is that it’s a bit bulky, so trying to use it in small, tight areas may be difficult. Plus it’s heavier than most clippers, which can make it tiring to use.
But it’s all worth it. The Elite Pro kit is just about the best home hair clipper kit you can get! With a high-quality cutting capabilities, and a wealth of premium accessories, what’s not to like?
Remington HC4250 Shortcut Pro Self-Haircut Kit
All of the Wahl products in this article are ‘classic clipper designs’. Some may be smaller than others, but they’re all geared toward a person looking to take his time with his haircut. But what if you want something small and quick, and don’t really need frills?
We suggest the Remington HC4250 Shortcut Pro. It’s a tiny clipper that fits right into your hand, so small that it’s only a little bigger than its combs. It weighs a bit over a pound and the back and sides are rubberized for better grip.
The Shortcut Pro may be tiny, but it’s got a great deal of power. The extra-wide curved blade allows for greater surface area, while the curve lets you follow the contours of your head, ensuring an even length all round. It comes with nine combs, ranging in size from 1/6th to 5/8th in.
It’s powered by a lithium-ion battery that provides 40 minutes of cutting time, and needs four hours to charge, and if you run out of battery, you can use it plugged in.
The whole package includes the clipper, the combs, a cleaning brush, the charger, and a travel pouch. This makes the Shortcut Pro a very good travel clipper if you need to buzz your hair down while on the go. It’s also easy to clean, because it’s washable. Run it under the tap for a bit, give it some attention with the cleaning brush, then leave it to dry on a towel.
At its heart, the Shortcut Pro is a specialist tool, and It does one thing very well: a buzzcut of varying lengths. That’s also its main downside, because it struggles when used for anything that isn’t a variation on the buzzcut. There’s not really much room for creativity; the included combs are too short to give you many other options. Plus the motor isn’t the best at handling thick hair, so brush thoroughly before cutting and go slow. The travel pouch also falls a bit short, as it can’t hold every single comb.
When you don’t want to think too much, and when you need something compact that can give you a quick and clean cut, the Shortcut Pro is the best option you have.
Wahl Professional Peanut Classic Clipper/Trimmer #8685
When you look at the Wahl Peanut, it’s difficult to expect much. Line it up next to a bunch of other clippers, and it looks like a child’s toy.
But you couldn’t be more wrong! That deceptive outer shell hosts a rotary motor that offers an incredible amount of power; and best of all? It never overheats, and it’s quiet as a mouse.
The #2068-300 blade is just as good as any of Wahl’s other professional blades. The small size works to its advantage, because it can work anywhere on the body you need it to; if you want to trim your facial hair with the Peanut 8685, you won’t be disappointed.
The Peanut 8685 also comes with four combs: 1/8″, 1/4″, 3/8″, and 1/2″. Since there’s no taper lever, this is all the length control you’ll get. You may need to be creative if you want a longer length.
Power is provided by a 7-foot cord; one foot shorter than the standard, but not that large a loss. The expected set of care tools is also included: oil, cleaning brush, and blade guard.
Not every product is perfect, however. Most notable is a tendency for the Peanut 8685 to ‘chew’ on strands before cutting. The rotary motor can be powerful, but you can only pack so much power into a small package. The other thing is that its small size works against it in two different ways: first, it takes a bit longer to finish a haircut, and second, men with larger hands may find it difficult to get a proper grip on it.
When you need a clipper that can travel, reach any part of your body, or do delicate detail work, nothing beats the Wahl Peanut 8685.
Wahl Lithium Ion Cordless Hair Clippers and Trimmers #79600-2101
Not all Wahl clippers come corded. We’ve seen the Magic Clip, and the Lithium Ion Plus 9818. Here’s a third cordless Wahl clipper: the Lithium Ion Pro 79600-2101.
The clipper itself is a bit under a pound, so you won’t need to worry about your wrists. It’s not the Wahl shell you’re used to; the Lithium Ion Pro curves nicely and makes for a very natural grip in your hand. All of Wahl’s cordless clippers come with a rotary motor, including the Lithium Ion Pro, so there’s no need to worry about power; it’s got a lot to spare. The blades are carbon steel and self-sharpening, so with the motor providing consistent power, you can get through any head of hair, no matter how thick.
Cut length is controlled two ways: fine control with a taper lever on the left side of the clipper, and ten combs from 1/16″ to 1″. It also includes two ear taper combs, letting you cut finely around the ears. All this means is that you can blend and fade, and get the haircut you really want.
While the Lithium Ion Pro is cordless-only, it does have good battery life: two hours, which should see you through an average haircut. Charge time is three hours to full. If you run short, there’s a 15-minute quick charge for about 12 minutes of use, which should be enough to finish off the haircut.
It also includes a battery-powered trimmer for the tiny spaces the clipper can’t get to. This trimmer is powered by two AA batteries, though these aren’t included in the package. Other accessories in the box are blade guards for both the clipper and the trimmer, the clipper charger, a cleaning brush and blade oil, scissors and a comb, an organizer for the combs, and a soft storage case to put it all in.
In terms of downsides, it’s battery issues on both clipper and trimmer. The trimmer doesn’t last that long on its batteries, so have replacements ready if you think you’ll take a while. The clipper needs three hours to charge, which can be a bummer; best to keep it topped up after every cut.
The Lithium Ion Pro makes for a magnificent travel clipper. The included trimmer means you can also see to the fiddly areas, and the multiple combs let you tailor your hairstyle to your preference. When you need to cut on the go, you can’t beat the Lithium Ion Pro.
Wahl Professional 5-Star Balding Clipper #8110
Sometimes, the answer to a problem is to just get rid of it all. The Balding Clipper is Wahl’s way of giving you the option to go bald in style!
Wahl’s classic burgundy-and-black clipper body hosts a V5000 electromagnetic motor for blindingly fast blades, and the whole thing weighs a pound. Normally we’d take issue with an electromagnetic motor for something of this quality, but there’s enough power backing the V5000 that it hardly ever slows down, and makes for very quiet and cool operation. Plus the blade is plenty sharp enough to make up for any lack of power in the motor.
The blade itself is a wonder. Without any combs, the #2105 blade cuts hair down to about 0.1mm or 0.2mm, and the only possible way to beat that is to take a manual razor to your hair. Since the Balding Clipper doesn’t have a taper lever, the only adjustment you can get with hair length is by the included combs. If you prefer stubble to shaved smooth, there’s two combs: 1/16 and 3/16. Be very careful and don’t press too hard if you’re using it guardless, as it’s possible to nick your scalp with the blade.
Beyond the blade and motor, the other included stuff is typical of any other clipper. It comes with blade oil, a cleaning brush, a blade guard, and it runs off the standard eight-foot cord.
Overall, the Balding Clipper’s main downside is that it’s a specialist tool. When the look you want is any type of short buzzcut, it’ll work perfectly, if not you might want to look elsewhere. When you just want to get rid of it all, when you want to feel clean and smooth, the Wahl Balding Clipper can’t be beaten.
Wahl Professional Peanut Clipper/Trimmer #8655-200
Wahl products are usually large and chunky things, but they offer a lot of capability in all that size. The Peanut gives up some of the size, but still maintains a good bit of power. The Peanut 8655 is the successor of the 8685, and it carries the same hallmarks.
The two clippers are pretty similar; the main difference is the outer shell. Where the Peanut 8685 was a straight cylinder, the Peanut 8655 has a bulge to its tail that makes it easier to grip. Everything else is pretty similar: a rotary motor that won’t slow down for anything, and a #2068-300 blade that can cut as close as you like.
Compared to the 8685, the attachments are the same: four combs, from 1/8″ to 1/2″. It’s powered by the same 7-foot cord, so you may get a little less range if you’re too far from a power outlet, but nothing too bad. The other accessories are also the same: oil, blade guard, cleaning brush.
Some of the downsides of the 8685 are still there too. The tendency to ‘chew’, for instance, is still present and may slow down your cutting. Although it’s easier to palm the Peanut 8655, thanks to the bulge on the tail, and thus it’s less fiddly while still maintaining the excellent maneuverability.
Just like its predecessor, the Peanut 8655 shines in three particular roles: as a compact travel clipper; as a clipper that can reach any part of your body, and as a children’s hair clipper. It’s hard to find such high quality in so small a package, and the Peanut 8655 delivers.
Oster Fast Feed Adjustable Pivot Motor Clipper 76023-510
When you think hair clippers, one name that often comes to mind is Oster. You’ll see Oster products a lot in barbershops, and we can’t let this guide go any further without an Oster clipper on its list. The Oster Fast Feed makes for an excellent product when you want to go beyond just simple home cutting, but don’t want to deal with the weight and noise that come with pro clippers.
The classic burgundy cylinder will be familiar to anyone who knows their Oster, though it’s a more modern silhouette than the Classic 76. It weighs just a pound: enough to give it a sense of heft, but not so much to tire you out that badly. The sides of the casing are ribbed for better grip. It’s powered by Oster’s Whisper Quiet pivot motor, lending it not only power and speed, but also keeping noise and heat down to a minimum.
To get the desired length, it comes with four combs: 1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″, and a blending comb. Finer adjustments can be made with the taper lever on the left side of the clipper, which lets you switch between #000 and #1 blade sizes.
It’s corded-only, powered by the standard eight-foot cord. Other included accessories are standard: blade guard, lubricating oil, and cleaning brush.
The main downside is the flimsiness of the combs. They’ll hold for a while, but you might be better served by looking around for another set of combs to attach. Also, the warranty is rather disappointing, lasting only a year.
In all, the Oster Fast Feed makes for an excellent ‘semi-professional’ hair clipper. It’s just the thing for the home barber who wants to expand his capabilities, and will also do nicely for a professional barber who needs a secondary clipper. Whatever niche you ask it to fill, the Oster Fast Feed is certainly among the best hair clippers for men.
A Buyer’s Guide To Hair Clippers
A hair clipper might not have all that many parts, but there’s still a lot of variation between good and bad. And what works for one person might not work for another. Below, we’ve listed a few factors that should affect your choice, and why they’re important.
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Wiring Concerns: Corded Or Cordless
Most clippers on the market are going to be corded models, the standard length being eight feet. However, with batteries getting better and cheaper all the time, quite a few of the newer clipper models are cordless. Cordless clippers are better if you’re traveling, and even if you aren’t, you still get a lot more maneuverability and less of the annoyance that comes with a cord. However, you also risk running out of battery in the middle of a cut. Generally, professional barbers prefer corded models, but some are beginning to use cordless clippers. If you want a cordless clipper, we recommend one that can also run corded so you have the best of both worlds.
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The Motor At The Heart Of The Clipper
You have three options here: electromagnetic, pivot, or rotary.
Electromagnetic motors use a magnet and spring to push the blade back and forth. They cut very smoothly with blinding-fast blade speeds, plus they’re cheap, and they require practically no maintenance. However, they don’t have as much power as the other two, and they tend to run hot from blade friction.
Pivot motors run with two magnets, pushing and pulling the blade between each other. They give up some of the speed for power, while still maintaining the other advantages of an electromagnetic motor. The lower speed also means they don’t run as hot as electromagnetic motors.
Rotary motors use an actual moving motor instead of magnets, and they offer more consistent power. Any heavy-duty cutter worth its salt uses a rotary motor, the downside is mainly the price, but they’re well worth the cost if you’re a professional barber.
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How Heavy Should It Be?
More weight may give a clipper a feeling of solidity, but that’s not always a good thing. You’ll be holding that clipper in your hand for anywhere between five minutes to an hour. Even just holding your hand up for that long is enough to get it aching. Some weight is unavoidable, especially with the more powerful clippers, but if you can get a lighter clipper with similar or identical performance, go for it! Your arms will thank you.
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Blades Of Steel And Ceramics
The combination of blade and motor is what determines how good your cutting performance is. In this list, most of the blades are stainless steel. Some manufacturers like Oster include switchable blades on some of their models, so that you can have options.
You can buy ceramic blades if you wish, but they’re generally a lot more expensive than steel blades. Their main advantage is that they overheat less, making for a more comfortable cut. However, they’re also more brittle. Generally speaking, you can get by with steel blades.
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Combs, Care Extras, And Accessories
A clipper alone is a pretty good tool, but you can expand your capabilities with a bunch of accessories. Most hair clippers will ship with basic care extras: a blade guard, blade oil, and cleaning brush. Some kits will include nice extras.
And there are combs. Combs let you control how long you cut, with a lot more consistency than the clipper-on-comb method or just hovering the clipper at the right place. They also make blending and fading much easier; some of the shorter combs are specifically marked as blending combs. More combs means more options, so if you like experimenting, make sure you’ve got a good variety on hand.
Thankfully, you don’t need to use just the combs that come with your clipper. Unless it’s a radically different model, you can mix and match so long as their from the same manufacturer.
A Step-By-Step Guide On Haircuts Using Hair Clippers
It can be a daunting prospect to start on a haircut; do it wrong and you or your friend might end up looking very unkempt. Here’s a handy guide on how to do it.
Step 1: Set Up Your Station
Your haircut spot needs to be somewhere that’s easy to clean up. It needs enough space to fit your chair and your mirror rig. It needs good lighting so you can see how your cut is going. And if you’re using a corded clipper, it needs to be within reach of an electrical outlet.
Step 2: Prepare The Hair
Pre-treatment will make your hair easier to cut. Give your hair a wash, or at least a good wetting, before you start. Damp hair is easier to comb out. Don’t skip the combing, either, because tangled hair gets you an uneven cut. Getting rid of the knots and tangles will make for a much neater haircut. Also, dry hair has a habit of flying when cut; damp hair will simply fall on the cape.
Step 3: Ready All Your Tools And Accessories
That’s your clipper, all relevant accessories, and your mirror rig. If you’re cutting your own hair you’ll need a minimum of two mirrors: one in front to see how you’re doing, and one behind, to let you see the back of your head. Make sure to use large mirrors on both ends for a better field of view.
Step 4: Visualize Your Hair In Sections
It’s easier to cut if you visualize your head as having four sections. These are the neckline, the part under the rim of the head, the rim or side of the head, and the top of the head.
Step 5: Start On The Sides
Start with both sides. Pro barbers usually start from one side, do the back, then the other side; at home, it’s better to cut both sides first before going elsewhere. Then trim from the bottom to the top, and tilt the blade a little to create an even fade. Cut against the grain to get a cleaner cut.
Step 6: Continue With The Back
If you’re cutting your own hair, this is where your rear mirror comes in. Make sure you’ve got a good line of sight to the back of your head, then get started. Same procedure as with the sides: cut from bottom to top, tilt the blade for an even fade.
Step 7: Change Your Combs When Needed
If you’re going for a uniform buzzcut, or if you’re just shaving your head, ignore this step. If you’re not, remember to switch out combs to get the length you need. If in doubt, it’s better to stick with a longer guard and switch in shorter ones if necessary. Remember, you can always cut more if you need to, but you can’t un-cut hair.
Step 8: Trim The Top
When you’re cutting atop your head, it’s generally better to use styling scissors instead of a clipper. Scissors are more precise and you’ll get a more textured look. Note that the hair on top of your head is more noticeable than the sides or back, so better to be cautious and conservative with your cuts.
Step 9: Trim The Bangs
If you’re doing bangs, scissors again are a better option over a clipper. Scissors are easier to control, which is important when trimming bangs.
Step 10: Clipper Care, Clean And Oil
Never neglect your equipment! It pays to develop a cleanup and maintenance routine for your clipper, because a well-kept clipper can last you a lifetime, or even longer. Use a brush to remove excess hair, then apply blade oil to your clipper. Further details on this step can be seen in our maintenance guide below.
Step 11: Wash And Style The Hair
There’s always going to be a few stray strands around, so after you’ve done cutting, give your hair a good wash with shampoo to get all the strays out. If you’re cutting someone else’s hair, give it a good brush and blow it with a hairdryer. Then give it a little styling with gel or some other product.
A Quick Guide To Hair Clipper Maintenance
A clipper may last you a long time, but to remain effective, you have to take care of it. This is our guide to keeping your clippers in good working condition.
Step 1: Assemble Your Tools
Assemble your clipper, screwdriver, blade oil, and other cleaning tools in easy reach. Nothing is more annoying than having to get up and grab something from another room because you forgot.
Step 2: Remove The Blades
You can clean the blades still attached, and we recommend that you give them a good brush after every use, but when you’re running your full maintenance routine, it’s best to be thorough. Take your screwdriver and unscrew the blades, making sure not to lose the screws, of course.
Step 3: Brush Out Your Clipper And Blade
Take the cleaning brush to your clipper blade to clean everything out. Then do the rest of the clipper, and also brush out the cavity exposed by removing the blade; sometimes hair gets in there too, and we want to be thorough.
Step 4: Wash Your Combs
Don’t forget your combs, because they also accumulate grime from repeated use. Wash them thoroughly: immerse in hot, soapy water to start, then after a good long soak, scrub them with a cloth. Once done, let them dry on a towel.
Step 5: Sharpen The Blade
Here you’ll need a particular specialist tool: a honing stone, and ideally several, of different grit scales. You’ll want to start at rough then work your way down to a finer grit. Drop a bit of water onto the stone, then place your blade on it. The flat parts of the blade should be parallel with the surface of the stone. Swipe the clipper blade across the stone, with very light pressure, and do that about ten times. Rinse off both stone and blade, then move to the finer stone.
Step 6: Oil Your Blades
This should be done after you put the blade back on. All clippers work by rubbing two blades against each other, so lubrication is important to keep them running smoothly. How frequently you should oil depends on how heavy your usage is. Typical users can get by with once a week; if you’re a professional barber every second use works better.
The process won’t eat up much oil, so even a tiny bottle will last you a while. Hold the clipper with the blades in a horizontal position, and set it running. Put two or three drops of oil across the top blade, and move the clipper around a little to make sure the oil travels. Turn the clipper to face the blade downwards and let excess oil drip, and wipe it away. Make sure not to let the oil get into the clipper motor!
Home Clippers Vs Professional Clippers: The Differences
The clipper was originally the province of the professional barber, and engineered to those requirements. But in recent years, more and more people are using clippers at home. Home users have different needs compared to professionals, so we’re going to look at what separates the best home hair clippers from pro clippers.
Generally speaking, a home clipper does not have as much range of features as a pro clipper, especially in the areas of blending or fading. Without the extra features, it’s harder to get a truly custom look with a home clipper. Pro clippers don’t have that disadvantage, and with the greater range of things you can do with a pro clipper, you can go for an extremely stylish look.
On the other hand, those extra features demand a lot more proficiency out of the user if they’re to be employed effectively. That’s not to say that you can’t buy a pro clipper for home use, but if you don’t have the right skills, your pro clipper is going to end up under-utilized and you’ve overpaid for features you aren’t going to use.
A Guide To Hair Clipper Brands
Not all clippers are made equal. There are a few brand names that stand out and have been used by barbers for a long time because of their proven quality. Below is a short guide on the most notable clipper brands.
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Wahl
You’ll have noticed that seven of the ten clippers we recommended earlier are all from Wahl. When it comes to clippers, the Top Three are Oster, Andis, and Wahl. Wahl is generally your best bet for semi-professional clippers, as a lot of their clipper models are also fit for non-professional use. They tend to come with a nice spread of accessories to help you tailor your cut exactly how you want it.
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Andis
The second name in the top three, Andis tends to be the more premium brand, offering a lot of expensive options like multiple motor speeds or ceramic blades. Their clippers tend to run to the expensive side, but if you plan to become a professional barber, they’re well worth the cost.
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Oster
Step into any forum that deals in haircuts, and you’ll hear praise of Oster and their Classic 76 model. Most professional barbers swear by it. Oster largely uses rotary motors in its professional models, which make for unmatched power. Their best claim to fame is their blades; they make them tough and put them through extreme temperatures to ensure that they can withstand anything. This combination ensures that nothing stops an Oster clipper from cutting, nothing!
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Panasonic
Of course, the Top Three are not our only options. Panasonic applies their supreme knowledge of electronics to personal care, making a good deal of shaving and trimming products, including hair clippers.
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Remington
Remington has been around almost as long as the Top Three, but they’ve focused more on personal care in general: shavers for men and women, hair curlers, trimmers, and of course clippers. You’ve seen the Shortcut Pro above, but they also sell a range of other clippers: several vacuum clippers and the ‘Virtually Indestructible’ clipper, which does live up to its name. Remington is fairly average as far as hair clippers go, but they do regularly make top lists in hair clipper articles, and even better, their corded Virtually Indestructible barber kits go for a very cheap price.
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Hatteker
Unlike the trio of Wahl, Andis, and Oster, Hatteker is a new name in the industry. They mainly offer cordless and waterproof products: not just clippers, but also beard trimmers and rotary shavers. Waterproof means that they’re much easier to clean; just run them under a tap and you’re fine. Plus they’ll also work with shaving cream, for when you want a good close shave on your beard. They may be new, but their products are rated highly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cutting your own hair may seem like a daunting task, so we’ve collected some frequently asked questions to help you get a better handle on the topic:
Wrapping It All Up
It’ll take some practice to get used to cutting your own hair, but you can certainly do it for yourself at home. With the best hair clippers on hand and a little bit of knowledge, you can keep yourself groomed to your preference. You can even use your newfound knowledge to help friends and relatives with their own hair!
The guides above should come in handy once you’ve got your clippers in hand. Remember to always look after them and keep the blades oiled and free of hair. A well-maintained set of clippers can last for a lifetime.
You now have all the tools you need to cut your hair exactly how you want it. So, go out there and rock your own hairstyle!
Further Reading:
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