When you’re browsing for a beard trimmer, there are a few questions to bear in mind. Although they’re a relatively straightforward device, there are design features and functionality that can make a huge difference to how well they’ll work for you.
First off, can you get a good grip on it? A reliable trimmer should be of a good weight, comfortable to hold and easy to manoeuvre.
Does it have a decent range of guard lengths? And perhaps a second, precision trimmer for edges?
What’s the battery life like? And how does it charge? Many beard trimmers will charge with a three-pin plug. Some will charge via a shaving socket. A few rare beasts may charge via USB, which is handy for regular travellers.
Is it waterproof? If you’re involved in advanced beard shaping, chances are you’d prefer to be in front of a mirror with a clear view of your face, rather than chancing it in a steamy shower. Most dedicated beard trimmers will be for dry use only but we’ll make sure you know before you buy.
These are the kinds of things that are taken into consideration in our reviews. All of the following products were taken home and tried out by one of our writers and are the best of the beard trimmers we’ve tested.
1. Philips OneBlade – Best Trimmer
The Philips OneBlade is as close to perfect as it gets. Slap a Micro-USB port on and cut the charge time down and I’d call it flawless, but as is I can’t see any good reason not to recommend this razor to basically everyone.
With three stubble combs by default and the option for a dedicated body blade, this one razor can cover clean shaving, stylish stubble, or body grooming, all in an unbelievably portable form factor. It’s lightweight, powerful, and gives a great shave even on tricky areas like the jawline.
All that and it’s also one of the most affordable electric razors on the market – though you will have to swap blades once every few months, at almost £10/$10 a pop, though that still leaves it cheaper than most shaving solutions.
Read our full Philips OneBlade review
2. Remington 4 Graphite – Most Versatile
If you’re looking for a trimmer that can do just about anything but don’t have a large budget then the Remington G4 Graphite fits the bill perfectly.
Design and build is solid and the interchangable head system works excellently allowing you to swap between different attachments in seconds. The G4 comes with a wide range of different options including a mini foil shaver and detail trimmer. Combine them all and you can achieve just about any style.
Performance is excellent and battery life is good too, although we would like a power lead that plugs into a shaver point rather than a three pin plug.
Read our full Remington G4 Graphite review
3. Philips Series 7000 Beard and Stubble Vacuum Trimmer – With Vacuum Chamber
The Philips Series 7000 is an attractive, high-quality trimmer with twenty length settings, from 0.5 to 10mm. Its battery life is strong, with up to 60 minutes from a single charge.
What gives it a bit of an edge is the vacuum chamber, which catches the worst of the hair before it colonises your bathroom sink. It won’t quite get everything but it makes clean-up much easier.
It’s not the cheapest trimmer out there, but it’s a great mid-price option.
Read our full Philips Series 7000 Beard and Stubble Vacuum Trimmer review
4. Braun Beard Trimmer BT3022 – Best Budget
Braun’s BT3022 is an effective and affordable shaver. It’s lightweight and feels good in the hand, with a lightly textured matt grip, and has a pleasing, simple look.
A control dial moves the detachable comb/guard back and forth to suit the stubble length you want to achieve. There are 20 depth settings, enabling you to easily taper between multiple beard lengths, and the blades showed little inclination to clog up.
We worry a little about the battery performance – the maker claims 40 minutes of use between charges, but our sample died after just under 20 – but as long as you’re able to leave it plugged in overnight every few sessions you should be okay.
Read our full Braun Beard Trimmer BT3022 review
5. Remington Barba MB320C beard trimmer – Most Ergonomic
The Remington Barba MB320C is a good budget option. It trims and sculpts well. It’s nicely designed, with a great grip and controls you can access during use. Its battery will also give you – at the very least – the promised 40 minutes of trimming time per charge. But there’s little in the way of extra features and the additional, pop-up, precision trimmer is disappointing.
Read our full Remington Barba MB320C beard trimmer review
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