My current beard trimmer is going belly-up, and I need recommendations for a good replacement. Quality is the top factor. Cost is second. Needs to have a 1/4 and 1/2 inch guard at least.
What’s the best one?
In a previous thread, I have sung the praises of my Philips MG 7790. Don’t know if this specific model still currently available or if it’s been superceded by something newer, but I love this thing!
My previous trimmer was a PITA to trim anything of any length, requiring many many passes. This thing just cuts like a hot knife through butter. Also, I’ve charged it once since I bought it several years ago and it’s still running on that one charge! It’s also capable of operating while charging, which is a plus, though I’ve never had to use it that way. And this particular package came with about a zillion attachments, of which I mainly just use two.
I have an ancestor of this model.
https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-8138337/philips-norelco-13-in-1-all-in-one-trimmer.jsp
It’s been working well since 2022, unlike a couple of previous trimmers that crapped out early.
I’ve been using a Brio Beardscape for a few years and I highly recommend it. It holds its charge better than any rechargeable product I have used.
I have the Brio Beardscape. It’s pretty pricey but it’s nine years old. The only problem is the charging stand stopped working about a year ago but the cable can be plugged into the trimmer.
I use it twice a week, twice for beard, once for head.
My Philips BT7215 has started the annoying tendency to have the cutting blade work itself loose while cutting, which pulls on my whiskers, so I’m in the market for a replacement, either of the blade assembly itself, or a new trimmer entirely. Philips no longer supports that model, and there are several sellers on eBay and other sites that claim to sell the part I need, but none of them look like mine in their photos, so I’m likely to spring for a new unit. I’m a little frustrated, though, because my current trimmer has a vacuum feature that really keeps the trimmings under control, and there just aren’t that many vacuum trimmers on the market. Even more frustrating, though, is that Philips’ current lineup all seem to require a USB charger, yet don’t include one in the package!
May well be true, but my MG7790 definitely came with a charger, and it isn’t USB. The part that plugs into the wall is permanently affixed to the cable, and the other end looks like a typical shaver connection, not USB.
I suppose this may be emblematic of the general enshittification of everything, but I still say that this is a really awesome beard trimmer – a real quality product – and if you can find the equivalent, I’d go for it.
I’m still amazed that it’s still running on that one charge from when I first got it. Also, the beard guides snap on and off quite easily, and when I first got it, I was confused by how to remove the shaving head since it seemed to be attached quite solidly. Ha! You just pry it off from the opposite end for cleaning or switching to a different shaving head, and snap it back on. Good overall design engineering!
I’ll probably see what model Costco has and buy that. If I don’t like it, I’m out nothing, owing to Costco’s generous return policy.
Same ancestor unit for me. Fully adequate quality. Feels solid, not cheap. Isn’t made of stupid metal just for an Olde Tyme heft. Battery life seems to be about 30 full trimmings.
Mine has the older wall wart that is permanently connected to a wire and concentric barrel connector. I see the current model takes USB-C and provides a male USB-A to male USB-C cable but no wall wart. Given the proliferation of 110V wall outlets with included USB-A receptacles, and the shoebox full full of USB-A wallwarts I already own, I don’t see this as enshittification … much.
I never liked having a drawer full of dedicated chargers and having to try to read the embossed black on black letters to figure out which one goes with which device. Just because the connectors fit is no guarantee they’re electrically compatible. USB-C as the universal standard* is progress IMO, not enshittification.
I see the current version of this product claims to have a 13-16mm combs for hair, so that ought to cover the OP’s need for 1/2". Mine does not have those longer / larger ones so I can’t speak to how well they work. My beard is not stubble, but it’s not long either. About like the guy on that page doing his nose. But a very different color. Sigh.
* See xkcd: Standards for more. And don’t skip the hover-over.
Costco currently sells the current version (MG9526/40) of the Norelco that I endorse in the other thread. At $40+ it’s a baragin. I suspect it’s also the descendant of the one Wolfpup likes so much.
I have a Panasonic ER-GP80 professional hair clipper. It was recommended to me by my barber, who uses one himself. I’m very happy with it.
I used to buy whatever trimmer caught my fancy at WalMart or Target, but they would wear out after a few years. When I asked my barber, he told me to go to the local barber supply store in Wichita and let the salesman show me what they had in stock. I did that and ended up purchasing the Andis Model D-8.
That was 10 years ago. I keep the blade well lubricated and charge the trimmer about twice a year. It still works great. It cost about $70 then; it’s quite a bit higher now.