The best beard trimmers in 2024 based on rigorous testing

A composite image of the best beard trimmers on a gradient teal background.
A good beard trimmer tames your beard while making it look as close to barber quality as possible. Amazon/Business Insider

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Regardless of your preference, keeping your facial hair from looking unkempt is a must. No matter how you style your beard, a trimmer that offers consistency and safety will make it easy to maintain or change your style on a whim. The best beard trimmers offer variety, often sold with a set of adjustable guards for your desired length or waterproof features for easy use, wet or dry. One of our top picks is the Philips Norelco Multigroom 3000 for its rechargeable battery, high-quality blade, and affordable price.

After plenty of research and real-life usage, we have narrowed the list of our favorite beard trimmers that are easy to use, durable, and properly cut all of our hair after just a few passes.

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Our top picks for the best beard trimmers

Phillips Clippers
Philips Norelco Series 3000 Multigroom

The Philips Norelco Series 3000 Multigroom can handle a full face of hair, no matter its texture, and it comes with a series of blade guards and accessories that make it a great buy at a low price.

Bevel Pro All-In-One Trimmer and Clipper
Bevel Pro All-In-One Trimmer and Clipper

The Bevel Pro uses new auto-leveling technology to cut coarse hairs to your desired length in 0.1mm increments.

Panasonic Wet and Dry Trimmer
Panasonic Wet and Dry ER-GB42-K Trimmer

This grooming tool made our list of the best beard trimmers for it's 19 settings and it's ultra-water-resistance. You can save a full $20 by getting this much-loved tool during Black Friday.

Wahl trimmer showcase
Wahl Lithium Ion Plus

The Wahl Lithium Ion Plus is an affordable and reliable beard trimmer that comes with many attachments and is travel-friendly.

Philips Norelco showcase
Philips Norelco OneBlade Face & Body Hybrid

The Philips Norelco OneBlade Face & Body Hybrid is versatile for trimming all types of body hair.

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Philips Norelco Multigroom 3000

A man trimming his beard with a Philips Norelco Multigroom Series 3000.
Amazon

The Multigroom 3000 comes with three interchangeable trimmer heads: full size, precision, and nose and ear. To clean, just pop the head off the trimmer and rinse it. For the full-size trimmer head, there are seven guards with varying lengths, including three for trimming head hair. An included bag helps keep everything in one place.

Regardless of beard style, this trimmer does the job: It tackles a full face of hair and shaves down stubble. The precision head is handy for creating that professional look.

What I like about the Multigroom 3000 is the high-quality steel blades and contoured shape that allows for a comfortable hold. Be careful: The blades are sharp, so make sure you use a guard or exercise care. The rechargeable battery is rated for 60 minutes of continuous use, but as someone who only needs to trim his facial hair every other week, I find these trimmers to have enough standby power. If you trim on a regular basis, you may need to charge it once a week. — Les Shu

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Bevel Pro All-In-One Trimmer and Clipper

The Bevel Pro Trimmer on a white background.
Bevel

Designed to be an all-in-one trimmer and clipper, the Bevel Pro uses new technology to cut hairs to your desired length in 0.1mm increments. While barber's clippers have traditionally used a combination of guards and a lever to adjust the level, the Bevel Pro uses an automated level. It can adjust from 0mm to 2.5mm at the touch of a button. The precise gap adjustment paired with guards (#0, #1, #2, #3, and #4 guards are included) allows for an accurate cut every time.

The bright LED display makes it easy to read, ensuring you're at the exact length you want before you start cutting. Whether you like a close cut or some stubble or need to cut at various lengths to achieve a fade, the Bevel Pro can handle it. 

With up to four hours of battery life and a 180-day standby time, you'll get plenty of use out of it from one full charge. — Amir Ismael

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Panasonic Wet and Dry ER-GB42-K

Man shaving his beard using the Panasonic Cordless Men's Beard Trimmer.
Amazon

Designed to be fully immersible in water, the Wet and Dry trimmer can be used anywhere, whether you're doing a quick trim while on the go or a closer, more thorough cut in the shower. The waterproof design also makes cleaning a breeze. Just open up the drainage hole and run warm water through it to clean out hair built up on the blade.

Since convenience is a huge part of the trimmer's design, you can easily adjust the level of the blade by turning the 19-setting dial. Ranging from a 1mm length to a 10mm length, the quick adjustable blade will help you achieve a close trim, a clean but grown-in look, and everything in between.

The trimmer is rated at 50 minutes of battery power, which is 10 minutes less than other options on this list, like the Philips Norelco Multigroom 3000 and Philips Norelco One Blade. Despite having a slightly shorter battery life, it's still pretty good, considering a beard trim usually only takes a few minutes each time.

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Wahl Lithium Ion Plus

The Wahl Beard trimmer and three blade attachments.
Wahl

The Wahl Lithium Ion Plus has stood the test of time as one of the bestselling beard trimmers, thanks to its reliability and the trimmer's many attachments. 

The Lithium Ion Plus has one attachment to trim your beard and another for precise detailing. There are also attachments for trimming nose and ear hair. On top of that, it has 12 combs for different hair lengths. There is a power adapter for recharging the internal battery and tools to clean the heads. The size and weight also make it ideal for travel.

Wahl products are popular with professional barbers, but that doesn't mean they're indestructible. You'll want to be careful with how much water it's exposed to, as some users have noted a little rust after longer periods of time, and the running water can cause the blades to wear out quicker. Because of that, cleaning the device can take some time, as you'll have to use the included brush. Since the heads are removable, you can purchase new ones should you wear them out.

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Philips Norelco OneBlade Face & Body Hybrid

A person using the philips beard trimmer to shave their face.
Philips

For the hirsute among us who require a trimmer that handles both face and body, the Philips OneBlade Face & Body Hybrid is the tool to consider. 

Operational in both wet or dry, you can rinse it under water or shave in the shower — just don't submerge it in water. The OneBlade comes with two removable blades (each for the face and body), combs for different trim lengths, and a guard for trimming around delicate areas. The blade is designed for trimming, edging, and even shaving your face, although we recommend using a separate shaver instead since it doesn't shave as close — unless you want the stubble look. But it's comfortable to use as it doesn't pull hair out completely.

The rechargeable battery is rated for 60 minutes of continuous use, which is fine for quick, daily maintenance.

According to the company, each blade will last up to four months, depending on how often you use it. However, a two-pack blade replacement is not cheap, so it will cost more to maintain this product. — Les Shu

Things to consider

Here are a few features to consider when searching for the best beard trimmers:

  • Corded or cordless: Each beard trimmer you run into will fall into one of two categories: corded or cordless. There are advantages to both. Corded trimmers don't require you to charge up or replace batteries, while cordless ones don't require a power outlet and are more portable.
  • Attachments: Beard trimmers often come with a range of attachments; how you want to use your beard trimmer could dictate the attachments you need. You'll want to think about how long your beard is and whether you want to use the trimmer for hair elsewhere – like the hair on the top of your head or in your nostrils.
  • Waterproofing: Some people prefer to do their shaving in the shower for easier cleanup or to simply wash their trimmer under the tap after shaving. You'll want to ensure you're getting a waterproof device if that's you.

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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected].

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