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Best Beard Trimmer for Outlining and Edge Work
BabylissPro x Tomb45 Wireless-Charging Hair Trimmer
A Beard Trimmer is a blessedly straightforward device. But it's also as personal as your beard. The best beard trimmer for your face depends on several factors, such as your skin sensitivity and the coarseness and density of your beard. And high quality matters. Cheap electric shavers don't save money if they die young.
Our top pick, the Braun Series 9 beard trimmer ($150), has endured years of continual testing by multiple WIRED reviewers, while the Wahl Peanut is a die-hard classic for a reason. The last thing anybody needs in the morning is a dull or underpowered trimmer pushing your hair around instead of cutting it—or even worse, pulling your hair.
The shopping-aisle rainbow of gadgets advertising “professional precision” and “lifetime blades” without corresponding warranties can be daunting to sort through. We consulted barbers and hair pros, then WIRED's testers used these blades on their own faces to find the best beard trimmers for all beard types. Whether you're aiming for rugged stubble, tight-detailed geometry, or the well-tended thatch of an elegant lumberjack, we have a pick for you.
For more grooming guides, check out the Best Hair Dryers, Best Curling Irons, and Best Hair Straighteners. For gift ideas for dudes, check out our Gifts for Manly Men and the Best Gifts for Dads.
Updated January 2026: We've tested and added the Wahl 5-Star Magic Clip Black as our top trimmer and clipper combo, and retested the Manscaped Beard Hedger, which has moved to our honorable mentions. We've also added additional context about proprietary beard trimmer chargers, removed discontinued models, and updated pricing and descriptions.
Best Beard Trimmer Overall
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
The beard-trimming world is eternally locked in war between those who favor adjustable razor guards and those who cannot abide a click. The Braun All-in-One Series 9, in all its variations, goes places removable guards cannot: Its spinning adjustment wheel, which locks in place to soothe the paranoid trimmer, adjusts in 40 increments of half a millimeter to accommodate many lengths of beard. Unlike many trimmers shipped overseas for manufacture, Braun makes its highest-end trimmers in its own German facilities.
The Series 9 is also a bit of a tank. It lasts three hours per charge. And like most of the best men's beard trimmers among WIRED's picks, it's waterproof for those who shave in the shower to avoid the onerous task of cleaning trimmings. There's also a detail trimmer for narrower details and a larger head for lineups. But especially, the Braun offers sharp blades that avoid dreaded hair tugging—blades that it swears are “lifetime” sharp. WIRED tester Andrew Williams, an avid fan of Braun Series 9, devoted years to testing that claim. Since last year, I've been doing the same.
But where this Braun succeeds most of all is in its ease and ability to operate as a true all-in-one beard trimmer and shaver while maintaining relatively few parts. This said, the lower-priced Philips Norelco 7000 or 9000 series offer a longer run time and a slightly closer shave on the neckline.
Specs Total attachments 13, including precision shaver, T-blade, nose trimmer, longer beard guard Cutting lengths 40 length settings (0.5 mm to 20 mm) Battery runtime 3 hours Other features Travel case, charging stand, beard stencil Waterproof? Yes Warranty 2 years WIRED
- Minutely and reliably adjustable on a 20-setting dial
- Compact, easily swapped feature set
- Waterproof and durable, with long warranty
TIRED
- 3-hour battery life is long, but others are longer
- Guardless shave less close than some
Best Value Beard Trimmer
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Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Philips
Norelco Multigroom 7000, MG7790
At an admirably low cost, the Philips Norelco Multigroom finds a lot of ways to be useful while trimming a beard—and a lot of ways to be impressive. The baseline trimmer is buzzily high-rpm but still relatively quiet compared to most comparable trimmers, and it doesn't nick or pull when used without a guard. Attachments fit securely but are easily swapped. The metal body has good heft but not too much weight.
Guardless, the basic blade on this Philips cuts admirably close. But the detail foil shaver gets even closer, with nary a pinch or a razor bump. Other guards promise utility for body shaving, haircutting, nose clipping, eyebrows, and sideburns—not all of which we've tested. For less money, it achieves much the same performance as the newer Multigroom 9000 ($90). And unlike the 9000, you can use this model while plugged in or unplugged.
That said, you’ll rarely need to plug it in: I let this run significantly longer than 5 hours before it started to lose juice. Over the past year, that battery life has not lessened. The downside to all this versatility is that the many guards are hard to keep sorted and are marked in small type, which creates a bit of a learning curve. Once you find your go-to guards: keep them separate, keep them safe.
Specs Total attachments 23, including T-trimmer, precision shaving foil, eyebrow and sideburn guards, hair guards, nose trimmer, and body grooming guards, and adjustable guides Cutting lengths 40+, including fractional millimeter beard trimming adjustments from 1 mm to 7 mm, and hair trimmer guards up to 16 mm Battery runtime 5-plus hours Other features Travel pouch, “self-sharpening blades” with no beard oil needed Waterproof? Yes Warranty 5 years WIRED
- Best-in-class battery life
- Very fine guard length adjustments
- Beautifully close foil shaver
TIRED
- So many attachments to keep track of
Best Buy-It-for-Life Beard Trimmer (Corded)
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Wahl
Black Peanut Clipper/Trimmer
“Get a Wahl Peanut. They last forever.” This advice first came from a trusted neighborhood haircutter in South Philadelphia, a place where barbers are still repositories of important information. The next barber I consulted told me the same thing.
Why do barbers like it? The wee Peanut may look funny, but it doesn’t mess around. There are no doo-dads or eyebrow attachments: just four trimmer guards, from an eighth inch to a half inch. And the classic Peanut’s most revered and durable option still gets its juice through a wall socket.
But this pint-sized trimmer is fast, deft, and light. The rotary motor packs surprising punch, and it’ll trim, outline, and even detail like a champ. If you oil it at least twice a year, you'll likely have it for a long time. It’s a tiny corded tank with consistent power, best on shorter beards that won’t bog it down with bulk. If you use it to shave your neck without a guard, note that the Peanut doesn’t bite or nick but might pull on wispy wild hairs. While it’s an admirably close shave for a trimmer, foil shavers and blades are notably closer.
Without a cord, tho': Peanut Li for $100: Note, however, that if you know and love the Wahl Peanut but want a cordless version, the sky-clue cordless Peanut Li improves heartily on the previous-generation cordless Peanut. This still means mostly the same blades and guards beloved by generations of barbers, but with a whole lot more juice. The Li can rev up to a heady 7,000 rpms, making it nearly impossible to bog down even in a beard as thick as a horsehair broom. I know this, because I tested using a horsehair broom.
Specs Total attachments 4 guards Cutting lengths 1/8-inch to 1/2-inch Battery runtime Corded Other features Oil and brush, blade guard Waterproof? No Warranty 1 year WIRED
- Reliable, comfortable shave
- Lasts for years
TIRED
- Only four guard lengths
- Must be plugged in
Best Beard Trimmer for Outlining and Edge Work
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
BabylissPro
x Tomb45 Wireless-Charging Hair Trimmer
This BabylissPro beard trimmer, codesigned with barber tool company Tomb45, arrived this year with a lot of industry fanfare. One of the biggest sells was this trimmer's ability to charge wirelessly on a charging mat (which will run you $50 extra). For barbers who use trimmers all day long, this charging mat is maybe a killer app.
But this thing's lithium-ion battery keeps buzzing for more than three hours by my testing, meaning most home users won't need to charge it more than once every month or two. What I love is the sharp and tight-toothed blade, which is nearly but not quite zero-gapped for clean lines and a close shave. I care about the powerful motor that revs up to 7,500 rpm on “turbo” mode, and I care about the unusually ergonomic rubber grip, which somehow manages to feel stylish while molding comfortably to my hand. I also like the visible battery life indicator, expressed in percentage.
But especially, I like the innovative upside-down blade, oriented upward so you can see exactly how you're lining up the blade on your neckline, your sideburns, or your cheek line. It's a handy feature for detail work, one that leads to even better visibility than our previous lineup pick, the elegantly designed Wahl Pro Skeleton. I hung onto this Babyliss for months to test durability before adding it among the top picks here.
This is a fade and line-up tool marketed at pros, but it is compatible with standard Wahl trimmer guards if you're not a free-hander. A nice set of guards is $40 (or less) from Wahl, assuming you don't have Wahl guards floating around your bathroom cabinet already. (Honestly, I've begun to enjoy free-handing my beard without trimmer guards, and can get more precise results this way than with guards. But this requires faith, attentiveness, and a steady hand.)
Value pick: Andis T-Outliner for $65. This no-nonsense corded outliner is the device old-school barbers have been trusting for edge work since the phrase was invented. The T-Outiner offers a durable edge on its carbon-steel blades. There are few extra features—just an on/off switch. But this Andis lasts like the dickens, according to testimony from barbers. And it gives good edge. A newer cordless version called the Andis Slimline Pro ($75) exists for basically the same price, though you'll have a hard time matching the long-term reliability on this one.
Specs Total attachments None Cutting lengths Just the blade edge; compatible with Wahl blade guards Battery runtime 3 hours Other features Optional wireless charge pad, USB-C and proprietary charge port, blade oil reservoir, battery charge indicator, two-speed motor Waterproof? Yes Warranty 2 years WIRED
- Tight line-ups with a reverse-oriented blade
- Hefty, ergonomic, and easy to maneuver
- Beautifully close shaves
TIRED
- Wireless charging pad comes separately
- Guards also come separately
Best Trimmer for Stubble
A Philips Norelco OneBlade is like the Swiffer of the beard world, an agile little T-shaped detailer that's probably the lightest stubble trimmer I ever expected to like, weighing in at less than 4 ounces. It has only one guard to keep track of, it's as compact as a safety razor, and it fits handily into any toiletry bag. At 63 decibels, it's also quiet, registering at a sound level my phone demarcates as “chat with friends.” That's a sweet sentiment rarely applied to beard trimmers, but this OneBlade is indeed a friendly little thing.
I tend to recommend beard trimmers with USB-C chargers for travel (see below), and the OneBlade's proprietary charger is perhaps the only caveat in recommending it as a travel item. But frankly, it's still the one I'm most likely to pack. It sports an admirable 120 minutes of life, long enough for a month-long backpacking trip.
But note it's not a versatile versatile: The guard's 12 settings top out at 9 millimeters, shorter than 3/8 of an inch. This device is made for speed, and for short-stubbled beards. And unlike many trimmers, the OneBlade's actual blades do need to be replaced a couple times a year. A two-pack year's supply is $25 a pop.
Specs Total attachments 1 adjustable trim guard Cutting lengths 12 settings, from 0.4 mm to 9 mm (3/8 inches) Battery runtime 2 hours Other features Travel pouch, “self-sharpening blades” with no beard oil needed Waterproof? Yes Warranty 2 years WIRED
- Deft, lightweight, and easy to use
- Good for travel
- Decent battery life
TIRED
- Limited beard lengths
- Shave is middlingly close
Best Head and Beard Trimmer Combo
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Wahl
Professional Magic Clip 5 Star Trimmer
You've seen the Wahl Pro Magic Clip in the hands of a lot of old-school barbers. This is true for good reason. This is a versatile trimmer, good for both heads and chins. It's sturdy yet lightweight, and the newest Black model sports a powerful 6,500-rpm motor that nonetheless doesn't vibrate your hand into numbness. Unlike smaller grips, its bulk rests comfortably in the soft part of your palm. The infinitely adjusting taper lever is useful for fades, and the self-sharpening blades last for a long time and don't pull or tug.
And especially, it's versatile. It can edge well without irritation and power through both coarse- and curly-haired beards. It's broad enough to be functional for a head trim as well, making this a great kit for the guy who wants to be able to attack a full, thick beard but also achieve a gentle fade down to head stubble. Barbers prize its titanium and diamond-like carbon-coated blade for staying honed a long time even through heavy use—which also makes this quite useful for home customers who don't want to have to worry about sharpening anything.
This said, it's not a small trimmer. It also doesn't include the shaving foils or detail-trimmer attachments common to home multi-groomers, such as some of WIRED's top picks. So, this Magic Clip won't always be your choice for tight corners and detail work. And you'll certainly want to pair it with a safety razor to get a baby-smooth neck. There are a few models of Magic Clip: Specifically look for the Magic Clip Black with the gold-colored blade for the most powerful motor, though there's a small price break if you opt for the lower-rpm previous generation. Don't bother with the more expensive Gold unless you just like the color gold.
Specs Total attachments 8 cutting guides Cutting lengths 1/16 inch to 1 inch, with a taper lever from 0.5 mm to 1.2 mm Battery runtime 100 minutes Other features Styling comb, comes with oil, cleaning brush, blade guard Waterproof? No Warranty 1 year WIRED
- Great for all beard textures and hair trimming
- Adjustable lever for fades
- 100-minute battery life
TIRED
- A bit bulky for detail work
Compare the Top 6 Beard Trimmers
Frequently Asked Questions
How We Test and Evaluate Beard Trimmers
A beard grows about a millimeter every two or three days—an eighth of an inch a week, on average. So testing beard trimmers can take a long time.
In general, we test each beard trimmer once a beard has grown out enough for a good trim—using at least two cutting lengths. Weight and balance matters, and so does the blade's ability to get to the awkward areas around the neck. We check the trimmer's ability to function as a shaver, whether for balding or on the neck.
Our testers check how well-made and easy to use any attachments are, and we verify manufacturer claims about battery life and power. We also check in with professional haircutters, especially to verify claims of durability and reliability among brands and models.
Tester Matthew Korfhage has coarse and angry hairs, with a seeming mind of their own. Tester Andrew Williams has a relatively full beard, with straight-growing stubble. We've tried to reflect any possible issues—struggling with thick bristles, for instance—in our reviews, so you can be sure of the best possible trim with the least amount of effort. And we might also run a blade into a horsehair broom, to test a motor's power and its likelihood of bogging down when faced with a thick, full beard.
How Does WIRED Acquire and Select Beard Trimmers to Test?
To select beard trimmers worth testing on the most recent rounds of testing, I consulted a number of barbers in Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon, as well as recommendations from staff at hair supply stores. I consulted a number of guides by other reviewers, including industry publications for barbers as well as other specialized sites devoted to beards and trimmers. And quite simply, some names have earned their good reputation. A new model from Wahl, Philips Norelco, Panasonic, or Andis will almost always merit testing.
Some beard trimmers were sent by manufacturers as review models; others I bought and expensed. Our reviewers keep top-pick beard trimmer models for durability and comparison testing, often over the course of years, and re-test battery life and performance over that time.
What Types of Beard Trimmer Tech Should I Look For?
Here's some help on choosing the right features for your facial fuzz.
- Ceramic versus steel blades: Ceramic blades can hold their sharpness better than steel, but the smaller teeth of premium beard trimmer blades tend to be made of stainless steel.
- Barrel control: Some beard trimmers have on-device twist controls. For an easier life, pick one with minimal attachments. But there can be a trade-off in accuracy and added unwieldiness. Such dials also add a failure point to the trimmer guard.
- Ni-MH versus Li-ion: Avoid trimmers with excessively long charge times and those that use old nickel-metal-hydride batteries. They don't hold their charge as long as lithium-ion.
- Waterproof? Beard trimming in the shower isn’t as precise a process as wet shaving, but a water-resistant design does let you wash your trimmer under the faucet with confidence.
- USB charging: It took far too long, but USB charging cables for beard trimmers have now become fairly standard, often in addition to proprietary charging ports. A major bonus for travel.
- Small versus larger teeth: Larger blade teeth can cut thick, dense hair, but smaller teeth allow for a closer, more precise cut. The latter is exemplified by the Philips OneBlade family.
- Wide versus narrow blade: Hair trimmers have wider blade surfaces than beard trimmers. The narrower style of beard trimmer provides greater control, with minimal time loss for those with shorter facial hair.
- Do blades need to be replaced? Use blade oil (often included) to avoid rusting, and blades should last for years. Trimmer-shaver hybrid Philips OneBlade will need more regular replacements, though.
- Vacuum? Some beard trimmers have a vacuum feature, to avoid getting hair trimmings everywhere. It's often a gimmick, but it's a gimmick with a reason: Beard trimmings are the worst. We'll be adding coverage of beard hair vacuums in future coverage.
Why Don't Beard Trimmer Chargers Use USB-C?
OK, you've seen it. You've lived it. Every beard trimmer's charger is some different shape, incompatible with all other chargers. Speaking as a reviewer of trimmers, it is maddening—requiring me to keep straight and separate an endless variety of chargers when testing trimmers against each other. Lose a charger, and you've got to secure a replacement (or declare it inconvenient to do so, and replace the trimmer.) Corporate conspiracy! Grift!
Well, yes and no. Proprietary charging cables are of course one of the classic ways that manufacturers have used to increase profits and lower convenience, whether by selling multiple cords to the same person or by increasing the likelihood customers will buy a new device. This was the impetus behind a much-ballyhooed European law that forced small electronics manufacturers (including Apple) to standardize charging cables and reduce waste.
But at least in the case of beard trimmers, the manufacturers actually do have good reason to shy away from USB-C. The USB-C format does not like water very much, and small amounts of moisture can cause shorts. While you can mitigate risk with silicone flaps and the like, USB-C ports are still not ideal for things you take into the shower; hence the profusion of two-pin beard trimmer connectors whose ports are carefully insulated from each other.
Could these waterproof connectors also be standardized through European parliamentary action, as laptop and iPhone chargers have been? Sure! Perhaps! But this hasn't happened. So for the time being, get used to a bunch of funny cord shapes until and unless wireless charging becomes standard. For now, USB-C charging is more often a hallmark of budget trimmers with a short warranty.
We Also Recommend
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Panasonic Multishape for $84: We'd previously had this one among our best-rated beard trimmers, and its toothbrush and nose hair trimmer attachment are oddly terrific. Its versatility means it remains excellent as a travel kit. But the whole kit is also bulky, and so even in the travel bag it's unclear you're saving space for travel by bringing this big ol’ thing along.
Manscaped Beard Hedger for $100: WIRED used to recommend the Manscaped Beard Hedger as a travel pick. In part, that's due to its single adjustable guard but also because, unlike most other beard trimmers, it uses a USB-C charger you don't have to worry about losing. This is still a worthwhile consideration. But USB-C chargers aren't fond of water, meaning you'll test the Hedger's water resistance at your own risk: The warranty is just 90 days, and at $100, it's not cheap. Its guard is also a bit bulky for under-nose trimming, and its one-hour run time doesn't keep pace with our other top-pick trimmers that can hold a charge for two to five hours. It has some merits, and tester Andrew Williams liked the pliability of the guard, because it amounted to a pressure-activated taper. But it's no longer among our top picks.
Wahl Pro Skeleton for $150: The Wahl Pro Skeleton's biggest sell for outlining and line-ups is the exposed ball-and-socket head design that lets you see more of your face (and less trimmer) in the mirror. It's a beautiful design and a beautiful trimmer, with a casing mixing grippy rubber and handsome semi-gloss metal—and the small-toothed blade is likewise thoughtful. That said, it's a bit of an elegant steampunk situation, with a screw-and-unscrew system to replace and adjust blade heads.
Philips Norelco 9000 Series 9810 for $120: The Philips BT 9810 is a self-consciously styled luxury beard trimmer with a hefty brushed metal grip, a broad base that lets it stand up vertically, and an adjustable steel blade system for close trims up to 5 mm (about 3/16"), minutely adjustable for fades. Plastic guards serve beyond this length. That said, tester Andrew Williams found this metal blade system a bit hard on his skin for tight or stubbly shaves.
Wahl Stainless Steel Lithium 2.0 for $66: We tested and liked the previous generation of this Wahl trimmer for its deco design and its lithium battery lasting more than two hours. We have not yet tested the newer version, but reports have been good.
Also Tested
Photograph: Philips
Braun Series 7 Manscaping Clippers for $120: This Braun is a fast-charging all-over body trimmer with a quiet motor and an “AutoSense” tech to modulate motor power to adapt to thicker/coarser hair. There's a wealth of attachments for hair, as well as a Gillette razor for shaves. But the Series 7's ratcheted beard-adjustment system doesn't offer great control, noted tester Andrew Williams, and going very short requires attachments. Battery life is also not overly impressive.
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