What is the best professional clippers for barbers?

Whether you’re giving yourself a DIY buzz cut or just a touch-up between barber visits, you need the best hair clippers for the task. And you’ve got plenty of great options, ranging from color-coded rookie clippers all the way up to jewelry-grade, barbershop-caliber devices.

Having a dedicated hair clipper is key, though, since beard trimmers are typically designed to handle the density of head hair. (Exceptions certainly exist.) You’ll find some corded picks, as well as some cordless rechargeable hair clippers; the latter is probably easier for DIY tasks, but sometimes the former offers more power in the moment (not to mention, consistently strong power rather than the risk of a fading battery). Lastly, if you’re a bald-headed guy, you might want to check out an electric shaver, given how nicely they’ll leave your head looking post-cut.

And on the topic of buzz cuts, why not check out some celebrity buzz cuts for inspiration and then committing the beard-to-ratio rules to memory. After that, double down on our at-home buzzcut guide before taking those clippers to your own hair (or your roommate’s, partner’s, kid’s…).

Best Overall Hair Clipper: Panasonic hair clipper

Panasonic hair clipper

$152

Amazon

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Panasonic's hair clipper is an investment, but well worth the spend. This is one of the sturdiest devices, outlasting any drops or checked-luggage abuse. It has some of the fastest blades in the game, at 10,000 rpm, and it's cordless, with a 50-minute run time. You can achieve dozens of different lengths with the adjustable clipper, and the carbon-fiber and titanium shell looks sleek in its upright charging stand.

Best Full Clipping Set: Wahl hair cutting kit

Wahl hair cutting kit

$35

Amazon

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The clipper set you remember owning in college—or from when your mom shaved your head in high school—is also the web's best-selling hair clipper. And now it's cordless! The steel blades on Wahl's professional model are as durable as any you'll find in the barbershop, but the guards are helpfully labeled for beginners. 

Best Vacuum Clipper: Remington vacuum hair clipper kit

Remington vacuum hair clipper kit

$46

Amazon

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You can't overstate the magic of a vacuum-ized hair clipper. Remington's sucks up some 90% of clippings, to make cleanup a breeze. It also comes with 8 different blade guards, including some for fading and tapering.

Best Professional Barber Clippers: BaBylisPRO GOLDFX hair clipper

BaBylisPRO GOLDFX hair clipper

$224

Amazon

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Is this is an objectively absurd amount of money to spend on a hair clipper? Sure. But BaByliss Pro's FX line deals in extremes—in this case, a grooming device designed by the same team of Italian engineers responsible for Ferrari's engines. If that sounds more like an endlessly-quotable Rick Ross flex ("My clipper a Ferrari/my whip a Bugatti"?!) and less like a product spec worth shilling out over $200 for. But make no mistake: that baroque silhouette masks some serious horsepower. If the high-torque motor isn't enough to convince you, the ultra-strong titanium-coated blades just might.

The Best Ergonomic Clipper Blade: Mangroomer palm-held hair clipper

Mangroomer palm-held hair clipper

$20

Amazon

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With nine guards, Mangroomer's palm-held clipper delivers a customizable clip as it glides beautifully over and around your dome. The ergonomic design makes it easy to buzz the back and sides, unlike the awkward fumbling that some clippers require. And, for what it's worth, cutting with this guy is actually lots of fun; it's the device to get if you plan on being bare-headed forever.

The Best Corded Clipper: OSTER Fast Feed hair clipper

Oster Fast Feed adjustable pivot motor clipper

$80

Amazon

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Oster is a perennial barbershop staple, so it's little surprise that its adjustable clipper gets the job done at home, too. Though it comes with just four guards, its razors are sharp and well-suited to buzzing it all off or tightening-up a once-crispy fade. Best yet, it's built for ridiculously long use so it won't sputter out on you middway through. It's a little pricier than some of its counterparts but well worth the investment, especially if you're chasing that telltale just-back-from-the-barber look but can't muster the energy to book an appointment.

The Best Travel-Friendly Clipper: Wahl Peanut hair clipper

Wahl Peanut hair clipper

$50

Amazon

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Pack the Wahl Peanut in your bag for touch-ups and styling on the go; at only 4 inches long and weighing just 4 ounces, it totes easily and doubles well as a cheek and neckline detailer, should your weekend beard need a dusting-off. The storage case is sold separately, but you can still pick up the whole rig for under $100.

The Best Bargain Clipper: Andis beSPOKE clipper

Andis beSPOKE clipper

$34

Walmart

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When you consider Andis' century-plus legacy in the hair-cutting game, this clipper is an absolute steal. It's got all the trappings for an at-home cleanup, powered by Andis' muscle and in a sleek new design (part of the brand's visual overhaul to keep up with the 21st-century competition).

Best Tool for Clean Edges and Detailing: Bevel

Bevel

$180

Amazon

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We've long loved Bevel's trimmer for all kinds of cleanups, but namely our facial hair. This device comes with a swappable T-blade head, though, which means it cuts clean, price lines along the perimeter of your hair, be it the top, sides, or back (did we cover all the bases?). You could even go all-in on their latest device, a terrific full-scale clipper and trimmer, but if all you need is a device for buzz cuts and cleanups, this one's two heads will check your boxes.

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