You can get hair clippers for as little as £20 so you might be wondering what you get if you buy a set a full £100 more expensive. Well, the BaByliss Super-X Metal Series are such an option in the hair clipper market, and we’ve tested them out to see if they’re worthwhile.
The idea here is to provide you with a professional-grade cordless clipper at home so let’s see if that’s the case.
Design & Build
It’s immediately clear after getting the clippers out of the box that there’s a difference in quality compared to cheaper models. The Super-X Metal is weighty in the hand and has a modern stylish and sleek design – it wouldn’t look out of place in a Bond movie if James were to find himself in some remote location where there are no barbers.
The box with a magnetic catch even oozes quality although you’ll likely keep the Super-X Metal clipper in the provided charging stand or carry pouch. That stand is compact and of a basic plastic build so it’s not all metal here. It also uses an old Micro-USB port, but this doesn’t matter as much compared to a smartphone.
BaByliss has instead focused the premium materials on the clipper itself which is, in part, made from precision engineered Japanese steel. This has been used for the blades to ensure smooth cutting; the comb guides are, of course, plastic.
Elsewhere a fancy display consisting of blue lights to indicate both charging progress and battery level when in use.
While the weight gives the Super-X Metal Hair Clipper a premium feel, it could also be a downside for haircuts that take longer to complete. You’ll need strong wrists, especially if you’re cutting your own hair due to the angles you’ll be holding it at.
Features & Performance
BaByliss supplies 10 comb guides for grades 0.5-8 which are all clearly labeled so you can see what is what at a quick glance. Included in the set of combs are also left and right ear taper guides as you would expect and all the attachments are easy to clip on and off.
They are not what make the Super-X Metal so good though, it’s a combination of things the clipper itself has starting with a high torque motor. Switch the clippers on and you can really feel the power it’s got compared to a cheaper model.
Then there’s also a taper control with no less than five settings you can adjust the blades to precision – 0.0, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.6mm. This slides up and down with a satisfying click of an action.
All this tech, high-quality build and features results in excellent performance. The Super-X Metal breezes through even thick hair and means you’ll get a haircut done quicker due to fewer passes compared to a cheap set of clippers.
In the right hands, you will get a barber-level finish but at home.
With three hours of battery life, you’ll likely get a good few haircuts out of the BaByliss before needing to charge it, although keeping it on the provided stand will keep it topped up regardless. If you find the clippers dead, a 20-minute charge will get you the same amount of minutes of use.
Another thing I noticed compared to cheaper clippers is the way the Super-X Metal doesn’t slow down and therefore become hard to use when the battery gets low. Also, if you do happen to take the clippers with you somewhere and leave the charging stand at home, the base of the device has a Micro-USB port for charging so you’re not at a loss.
Price
The Super-X Metal Series clippers have an RRP of £120 making them quite expensive for most people. However, you can find them from plenty of places for a lot less – around £75-80 at the time of writing making them a better value purchase.
You can find them on the official BaByliss store as well as Amazon, Boots and Very.
Verdict
Much cheaper clippers are available but if you want a decent haircut at home, it’s worth spending a little more on a great set – after all, you’ll make the money back by saving on a hairdresser.
The BaByliss Super-X Metal Series Hair Clippers is an excellent choice giving you what you need to achieve stylish results at home thanks to a high-power motor, excellent build, precision features and long battery life.
There’s very little to dislike, especially when you can find the Super-X for a lot less than the RRP.
Specs
BaByliss Super-X Metal Series Hair Clipper: Specs
Precision engineered Japanese Steel blades
Lithium-ion battery
3 hour charge for 3 hours of cordless use or a quick charge of 20 minutes for 20 minutes use
Taper control (0.0-0.6mm)
Battery/charging display
8 comb guides for grades 0.5-8 (0.8mm – 25mm)
Left and right ear taper guides
USB charging stand
Storage pouch
3 year guarantee
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