Best beard trimmers

The best beard trimmers give you a sharp, barber-style finish and tame even the wildest facial hair.

But which beard trimmer is the best? Is relative newcomer brand Manscaped actually good? Our experts tested men's beard trimmers from top brands, including Braun, Philips, Wahl and more. 

Almost all got the job done, but we found it's worth paying a little more to get one that's easier to use, comfier to hold and that works for a decent length of time after a quick five-minute charge. 

Four impressed us to get our Best Buy recommendation. Discover the best beard trimmers in our expert reviews below.

The best beard trimmers

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The beard trimmers we tested

All the beard trimmers we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.

Only logged-in Which? members can view the best beard trimmers from our tests.

Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.

BaByliss Super Stubble XTP Beard Trimmer

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Range of trim 0.4 to 5mm, in 0.2mm steps

Claimed battery life 70 minutes

Accessories Charging station, oil for trimmer, cleaning brush

Need to know Not suitable for head or body hair; waterproof; built-in display shows running time remaining, selected cutting length; travel lock by holding power down for five seconds; two-pin plug included; one-year guarantee

Braun Series 3 BT3221

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Range of trim 0.5 to 10mm, in 0.5mm steps

Claimed battery life 50 minutes

Accessories 1 x adjustable beard comb (0.5 to 10mm), cleaning brush

Need to know Suitable for head hair; not waterproof; two-pin plug included; two-year warranty

Braun Series 5 BT5440

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Range of trim 0.5 to 20mm, in 0.5mm steps

Claimed battery life 100 minutes

Accessories 2 x adjustable beard combs (0.5 to 10mm and 10.5 to 20mm), detail trimmer head, mini foil shaver head, cleaning brush, travel case

Need to know Not suitable for head or body hair; waterproof; two-pin plug included; two-year warranty

Braun Series 9 BT9420

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Range of trim 0.5 to 20mm, in 0.5mm steps

Claimed battery life 180 minutes

Accessories 1 x adjustable beard comb (0.5 to 10mm), 1 x adjustable hair comb (10.5 to 20mm), 2 x fading combs (1 to 5mm), detail pro head, contouring head, Gillette ProGlide razor and cartridge, beard stencil, charging station, cleaning brush, hard shell travel case

Need to know Suitable for head hair; waterproof; lock for wheel that adjusts cutting length, travel lock by long pressing the power button; two-pin plug included; two-year warranty

King C Gillette Beard Trimmer

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Range of trim 0.5 to 21mm, in 2mm steps

Claimed battery life 50 minutes

Accessories 1 x beard comb (1mm), 2 x adjustable beard combs (3 to 11mm and 13 to 21mm), cleaning brush

Need to know Not suitable for head or body hair; not waterproof; two-pin plug included; 28-day money-back guarantee

Manscaped: The Beard Hedger

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Range of trim 0.5 to 10mm, in 0.5mm steps

Claimed battery life 60 minutes

Accessories 1 x adjustable beard comb (0.5 to 10mm), USB-A to USB-C charging cable, hard shell travel case

Need to know Not suitable for head or body hair; waterproof; no plug included; 90-day warranty

Panasonic Beard, Hair & Body Trimmer ER-GB80-H511

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Range of trim 0.5 to 20mm, in 0.5mm steps

Claimed battery life 50 minutes

Accessories 1 x adjustable beard comb (1 to 10mm), 1 x adjustable hair comb (11 to 20mm), 1 x body comb (1.5mm), pop-up detail trimmer, oil for trimmer, cleaning brush, travel case

Need to know Suitable for head and body hair; not waterproof; three-pin plug included; one-year warranty

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Philips Series 3000 7in1 MG3720/33

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Range of trim 0.5 to 9mm, in variable steps

Claimed battery life 60 minutes

Accessories 4 x beard combs (1, 2, 3, 5mm), 1 x hair comb (9mm), nose and ear trimmer, cleaning brush, travel case

Need to know Suitable for head hair; not waterproof; three-pin plug included; two-year warranty

Philips Series 5000 11in1 Beard Trimmer MG5730/33

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Range of trim 1 to 16mm, in variable steps

Claimed battery life 80 minutes

Accessories 2 x beard combs (1, 2mm), 1 x adjustable beard comb (3 to 7mm), 3 x hair combs (9, 12, 16mm), 1 x body comb (3mm), detail trimmer, foil precision trimmer, nose and ear trimmer, cleaning brush, travel case

Need to know Suitable for head and body hair; waterproof; three-pin plug included; four-year guarantee

Philips Series 9000 Prestige Beard Trimmer BT9810/13

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Range of trim 0.4 to 10mm, in 0.2mm steps

Claimed battery life 120 minutes

Accessories 1 x integrated metal beard comb (0.4 to 5mm), 1 x adjustable beard comb (5.4 to 10mm), oil for trimmer, cleaning brush, hard shell travel case

Need to know Not suitable for head or body hair; waterproof; travel lock by long pressing the power button; three-pin plug included; two-year guarantee

Remington Barba Beard Trimmer MB320C

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Range of trim 1.5 to 18mm, in 1.5mm steps

Claimed battery life 40 minutes

Accessories 1 x adjustable beard comb (1.5 to 18mm), pop-up detail trimmer, oil for trimmer, cleaning brush

Need to know Not suitable for head or body hair; not waterproof; three-pin plug included; three-year guarantee

Wahl Aqua Blade Stubble and Beard Trimmer

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Range of trim 0.2 to 25mm, in variable steps

Claimed battery life 180 minutes

Accessories 8 x beard combs (1.5, 3.0, 5.0, 6.5, 8.0, 9.5, 11.0, 13.0mm), 8 x hair combs (3, 6, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25mm), oil for trimmer, cleaning brush, beard comb, travel case

Need to know Suitable for head hair; waterproof; travel lock by long pressing power button; three-pin plug included; five-year warranty plus lifetime blade warranty

Wahl Extreme Grip Stubble and Beard Trimmer

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Range of trim 0.5 to 11mm, in variable steps

Claimed battery life 120 minutes

Accessories 1 x adjustable beard comb (2 to 11mm), 12 x beard combs (0.75, 1.5, 2.25, 3, 3.75, 4.5, 5.25, 6, 6.75, 7.5, 8.25, 9.5mm), oil for trimmer, cleaning brush, beard comb, travel case

Need to know Suitable for head hair; waterproof; travel lock by long pressing power button; three-pin plug included; five-year warranty plus lifetime blade warranty

How we test beard trimmers

We recruit a diverse panel of testers so each trimmer is put through its paces by people with different hair types and lengths of beard. We buy every beard trimmer we test.

Quality of trim

• Our testers rate each trimmer for how it trims their facial hair, how smooth and easy to manoeuvre each trimmer is on the moustache, side of their face and on the chin, and if they irritate the skin.
• We also test the strength and cutting capabilities of each trimmer by cutting dense brush bristles (both soft and tough ones). 
• We trim them to short, medium and long lengths, measuring a sample of the cut bristles to get a detailed picture of how accurate and precise each trimmer cuts.

The best beard trimmers are smooth across all parts of the face, getting an even trim after just one pass.

They are also strong, able to cut hair consistently and very close to the stated cutting length.

The worst beard trimmers take several passes to cut beards evenly, struggle to trim tougher, denser hair and can irritate the skin. 

Battery life

There's nothing worse than needing to freshen up to find your trimmer is out of juice. We charge each trimmer, from empty, for five minutes and time how long it runs for.

The best beard trimmers give you more than 10 minutes of use after this quick charge, more than enough time to quickly tidy up your beard.

The worst give you a matter of seconds before needing to be charged again.

Durability

• We drop test every trimmer multiple times to see how robust they are.
• We also test every trimmer for splash resistance, and put any that claim to be completely waterproof in the shower.

All the trimmers we've tested so far have passed our splash and waterproof tests, and they work after the drop test.

Ease of use

Our testers rate every trimmer for how comfortable it is to hold, how easy it is to adjust and read the cutting length, and how easy it is to change the trimmer's combs and heads.

We also use a Cambridge Simulation glove, which allows the wearer to empathise with those who have hand mobility issues such as arthritis, to assess each trimmer.

The best beard trimmers are simple and easy to use, and they're comfortable for all users to handle. The worst are fiddly and not comfortable to hold, especially with limited hand strength. 

How to use a beard trimmer

Most beard trimmers come with instructions and tips on the best way to trim your beard with that trimmer. 

However, here are some general tips to consider to get a top finish with any a beard trimmer:

• Comb a thick beard against the direction it grows before cutting. This gets all the hair facing in the same direction, making it easier to get an even trim.
• Cutting against the direction your hair grows will remove more hair. Going with the direction of hair growth cuts less.
• Cut with the direction of hair growth for longer beards. It removes hair more slowly and helps avoid a patchy look. For shorter beards, you can go with or against the direction of hair growth.
• Use your free hand to make your skin tauter. Place it below the area you're trimming and gently pull your skin away from the trimmer. This provides a steady support and makes it easier to trim looser areas, such as under your jaw and your cheeks.
• Use the trimmer without a comb to style your beard edges and remove stray hairs. Some trimmers come with a detail trimmer attachment, which is designed to make this part of the task easier.

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Key beard trimmer attachments

• Detail or edge trimmer A smaller trimmer head to make finishing touches. You can use it to neaten up beard lines, trim sideburns, a goatee or your moustache.
• Foil shaver Use if you want a particularly close shave. It uses oscillating blades that sit under a mesh cover.
• Nose and ear hair trimmer A cylindrical attachment that can more easily fit in your nostrils and ears to trim this hair. Slowly insert the trimmer – you don't need to force the head into your nose. The grinding noise you hear will tell you the trimmer is removing hairs.
• Hair/body hair combs Combs that usually cut to a longer length, designed for clipping the hair on your head or other parts of the body. 

How to clean a beard trimmer

Cleaning and lubricating your beard trimmer from time to time will help to prevent the blades rusting, and keep it working at its best for longer.

Almost all beard trimmers come with a cleaning brush. Use this after trimming to remove hair from the blades and attachments.

For easier cleaning you can get a waterproof beard trimmer that you can rinse out under the tap.

Most beard trimmers come with oil for the trimmer, although it can also be bought separately. 

1. Apply a few drops of oil around the teeth of the blades.
2. Turn on the trimmer to spread the oil evenly.
3. Wipe away any excess oil with a dry cloth.

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How to buy the best beard trimmer

Sometimes there are multiple sets in the same series of beard trimmer. The trimmer will be the same across these sets – you're just getting different accessories. If you don't need them, you may be able to shave a little off your budget by going for a cheaper set that has fewer accessories.

Adjustable combs are easier to use than fixed-length ones. If you like to trim your moustache to a different length to the sides, then getting a set with adjustable combs may make the process quicker and easier. Our volunteers found fixed-length attachments more fiddly to use.

Charging stations are a 'nice to have' feature but not essential. Our testing finds that a more useful feature to have is a travel lock. This stops it accidentally turning on in your luggage while you're on the road.

Contoured trimmer bodies, with rubber grips, are the comfiest to hold. If this isn't essential for you, we at least found that most beard trimmers we've tested are comfy to hold for a short length of time.

Skin irritation depends on the person, but our volunteers found almost all of the trimmers didn't irritate their skin. They were split on some beard trimmers, which we highlight in our reviews. So if you have particularly sensitive skin, read our expert reviews to find the right beard trimmer for you.

Most beard trimmers are accurate, but consistency varies. On average, most cut within 0.5mm of the chosen setting. The best beard trimmers cut almost all the bristles in our 'quality of trim' test to the same length, while the worst ones there were a mix between under and overcut bristles.

Some trimmers have stronger blades. These could glide through soft and hard bristles in our 'quality of trim' test. Others couldn't cut the hard, dense bristles.

Battery life after a five-minute charge varies dramatically. From 10 seconds all the way to over 20 minutes. If you travel a lot, getting one with a great battery will make your routine easier and less stressful.

All trimmers are noisy, but some are noticeably louder. We find higher-pitched trimmers more irritating to listen to while using them. Some are noisy enough that you cannot hear whether your hair is, or isn't, being cut. Being able to hear this is useful because you can tell if you’ve got all the hair.

What's the difference between a hair clipper and a trimmer?

While they essentially do the same job, a hair clipper is designed for cutting long hair and full beards, whereas a trimmer is designed for cutting and styling shorter hair.

Hair clippers have bigger blades, and trimmers smaller ones to allow them to cut closer to the skin.

Some beard trimmers can also be used for head hair and/or body hair. But if you have long hair that you want to regularly maintain between trips to the barber, a hair clipper may be better for you.