The 15 Best Hair Clippers for DIY Buzz Cuts, Bald Men, and Shape-Ups

I’m not the only one who likes that trophy-esque plating, either: “Its sleek gold finish adds a touch of luxury to my toolkit, providing me both quality and style,” says Noriega. “All of my clients comment on how they want to get cut with my gold clippers.”

The Best Zero-Gap Clippers: Bevel Pro Clippers

Why we love it: As much as we love the best Wahl hair trimmers, they don’t have much cool factor. On the other hand, the Bevel Pro clippers definitely pass the vibes test. (They nabbed a GQ Grooming Award in 2022.) These famous clippers have a sculptural, geometric body, an LED smart display, a sharp zero-gap blade, and an extra-powerful motor that’s strong enough for the barbershop. I’d even go so far as to call these clippers sexy. While they’re made specifically for textured hair, the zero-gap blade is also suitable for bald, coily, and short-haired guys. You can use it to trim your beard, too. Yes, it’s pricey, but there’s nothing else like it in the grooming world.

Normally, when you want to adjust a zero-gap clipper, you have to pop off the blade and manually adjust it with a tiny dial. Not so here—when you press one of the two buttons on the Bevel Pro, a second internal motor automatically opens/closes the graphite-coated stainless steel blade in 0.1mm increments. It’s so subtle you’ll have to look closely to see the difference, but every millimeter matters if you want clean lines and fades. With the included comb guards, you can trim hair from 0.0mm to 10mm. Not only are the guards sturdier than most, but they also pop on magnetically with a satisfying click. The Pro even comes with an extra-slim blade for touchups.

Best Hair Trimmer + Beard Trimmer: Philips Norelco Multigroom 9000 Series

Why we love it: So, you want a trimmer and hair clipper, but you don’t want to drop $250 on a salon-quality tool. Enter the Philips Norelco Multigroom 9000, which has been our pick for the best beard trimmer for three years running. This waterproof grooming tool has incredible muscle and endurance—more than enough to mow through thick patches of head hair. Its self-sharpening blades eliminate the need for blade oil. The Multigroom 9000 is one of the only multitasking beard trimmer and hair clipper devices I’ll recommend, and it’s the right choice if you only occasionally need to touch up your hair at home. The same goes for guys who trim their beard more often than their dome.

The Best Mid-Range Hair Trimmer: Wahl 5 Star Magic Clip

Why we love it: You’ll notice this guide to the best hair trimmers for men is dominated by a single brand: Wahl. Hair trimming is very much Wahl’s turf, and they make the best hair clippers for barbers and home touch-ups alike. And according to Wahl, this is the best-selling professional hair clipper in the world (and we believe them). The Magic Clip is part of Wahl’s 5 Star professional line of products for barbers, and I love the retro-tech vibes. I also love the powerful pro-level motor, which provides even trimming so you don’t have to do multiple passes on every patch of hair.

The ubiquitous Wahl Color Pro trimmer I praised earlier is a smart choice for your first clipper (it was mine). But when you’re ready for something a bit more powerful, skip right past Wahl’s $50-$100 trimmers and pick up this tool instead. I’ve tried most of Wahl’s clippers made for home use, but the Color Pro is the only one I can really recommend. Sure, the Magic Clip is moderately pricey, but with an under-$200 price tag, it’s more affordable than other pro options from brands like Bevel. The Magic Clip comes with sturdy titanium-coated high-carbon steel blades, plus all the standard comb guards you’d find at your local barbershop.

Best Hair Clipper + Head Shaver: Panasonic Multishape

Why we love it: Back in 2021, GQ called this versatile device a God-tier groomer, and it’s only gotten better since then. The MultiShape comes with a cordless handle and swappable wet/dry heads and accessories, and you can use it as a beard trimmer, electric shaver, body groomer, hair clipper, electric toothbrush, nose hair trimmer, and facial brush. You can buy some limited sets at Amazon, but I recommend going to Panasonic and customizing your MultiShape to get all the attachments you need.

The motor isn’t as powerful as professional trimmers from Wahl, BaByBlissPRO, or Bevel, but nothing comes close to matching the versatility. (There’s a reason it’s landed in our guides to the best beard trimmers, electric razors, and now hair clippers.) Plus, while most trimmers max out at 0.8” to 1” cutting lengths, the MultiShape goes all the way up to about 1.2”, making it the best hair clipper for long hair. Still, I think short-haired guys will love it, too.

This multitasking device can mow down everything to a stubble (if you so please), and then allows you to swap on that wide-set foil shaver, to take things down to a smooth finish. One device for buzz cuts, long hair, and bald guys—perfection.

Best Men’s Hair Trimmer for Lineups: Andis Slimline Pro Trimmer

Andis

Slimline Pro Trimmer

Why we love it: This is technically a trimmer, not a clipper, but it belongs on this roundup because of its superb ability to draw clean lines everywhere. It’s a barber favorite for those line ups, neckline cleanups, and its natural ability to trim at zero-gap length with minimal skin risk compared to other zero-gapping devices. If you regularly line yourself up at home, or if you want to draw clean cheek lines, necklines, sideburns, and beyond—then absolutely invest in the Andis’ Slimline Pro.

Best Men’s Hair Clippers for Traveling: Wahl Peanut

Why we love it: While I’m the proud owner of a regular corded Wahl Peanut, I need to also call out the newly updated cordless option, the Peanut Li. Normally, a product loses motor power when it goes cordless, but the new version actually has a stronger 7,000rpm motor. Either of these devices are perfect for traveling, given how petite the Peanut is (just 4 inches!). And I’d argue that the corded option (mine pictured here) is even better for the guy who forgets to charge up his devices since it’ll always have power. As much as I love going cordless, the regular Peanut has earned a cult following as a pro-level clipper for home use, it’s pretty cute too.

Best for Bald Cuts + Fades: Wahl 5 Star Vapor Clipper

Why we love it: Wahls been on a tear lately, releasing the cordless Peanut Li and the 5 Star Vapor. If you’re looking for a true zero-gap trimmer with the most powerful-possible motor, then this is the device you want. It’s so powerful my partner complained about the racket it made, and the 8,000rpm motor slices through even the thickest hair. Wahl calls this the first “adjustable balding blade,” and it was made for barbers working on bald cuts and fades. It has extra-sharp blades, a comfy ergonomic feel in your hand, and makes it easy to blend bald fades (at least, for professionals—YMMV). The blade looks razor sharp, and for bald cuts, it includes dozens of fine ball-pointed teeth to reduce nicks and snags as it moves across your skin. In short, it’s another true barber-quality clipper from Wahl you can also use at home.

More Hair Clippers We Love

What to Look for in Hair Clippers

What you need from men’s hair clippers at home is much different from what barbers need in professional hair clippers. So I think the best place to start is to differentiate between the qualities that are important for the DIY hair cutter, as opposed to the barber clippers. For that advice, I got an assist from barber and STMNT Grooming Goods ambassador Jovan Figueroa. Here is his very excellent two cents on the most important qualities in a DIY hair cutter.