We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
The Best Beard Trimmers and Groomers for 2024, Tested By 150 Men
Craftsmen need the right tools, and these are the best on the market right now
Sign up to the Esquire Shops newsletter. Each week, we'll be directing you towards some of the best menswear deals happening right now, alongside style advice, trend reports, grooming tips and product recommendations from the most tasteful people we know.
Growing a beard may well be one of the most flattering grooming moves a man can make, unless it's the kind of thatchy mess you get when you just let hair grow out of your face unchecked.
If you're going long, then you need a proper washing, brushing, oiling routine (our pick of the best beard oils will help you there). But even if you stick to a light fuzz, you'll want a quality beard trimmer. Not sure where to start? Lucky you, because we've tested them all to find the best beard trimmers you can buy right now.
How To Find the Best Beard Trimmer for You
All beard trimmers are not born equal, but cost doesn't necessarily equate to quality. What you need depends on the kind of beard you want to grow and how much attention you're going to lavish on it. These are the key things to consider.
Trimmer Length
Just like hair clippers, many beard trimmers are adjustable to different hair lengths using an onboard lever or dial, taking you from 0.2mm for stubble up to around 2.5cm for keeping bushier bits in check.
Attachments, Combs and Precision Heads
As well as the integrated length settings, most beard trimmers come with clip-on guards that extend the cutting length, or lift your hair to make it easier to cut. Pro trimmers also include extra heads for precision areas, including your jawline and around your nose and mouth.
Battery Life
You don't want a beard trimmer that only works when plugged in, obviously. How much juice you need depends on how fiddly your beard is. If you're just trimming it all back to stubble every few days, battery life isn't that important. If you travel a lot, or spend more than 20 minutes at a time sculpting your facial hair, then look for something that offers a least an hour of runtime. Otherwise, at some point, you will end up stuck with half-shaved face.
Do I Need a Dedicated Beard Trimmer?
If you've got a set of hair clippers, or an electric razor, then adding a beard trimmer may be overkill, especially if you're just shaving it all to one length.
However, if you've got more ambitious ideas, those devices won't provide the precision you need for things like tapering or fading the hair under your chin to give you a nice, defined jaw shape. If you're growing your beard to more than a couple of inches, a good trimmer is essential.
How To Use a Beard Trimmer
As with hair clippers, keeping on top of your facial hair is about more than just running something sharp through it. According to the experts at award-winning barbershop, Ruffians, little and often is the best approach – trimming every three days will keep edges neat and ensure that you don't have to hack the thing back into shape every time you start shaving.
You should also start with the edges and work in (pro tip: move the cutting blade away from your beard when you're shaping, so if your hand slips, you won't gouge a chunk out of the hair you want to keep.)
How We Tested the Best Beard Trimmers of 2023
150 men with varied beard lengths and styles tried a range of beard trimmers over a two- to three-week period. They assessed each one on how effectively it cut hair, battery life, noise level, how easy it was to clean and store, and overall performance.
Here's what they thought.
Maria is our Beauty and Grooming Testing Manager, and since joining in mid-2022, she has managed the testing for mutiple categories including scalp scrubs, collagen supplements and retinol serums. In addition to her master's degree in chemical engineering and a diploma in cosmetic science, she recently received her MBA from the London College of Fashion, focusing on case studies within the beauty industry. Prior to joining the company, she worked within the global technical team at the Estee Lauder Companies for over six years, collaborating with the chemists and engineers to launch luxury beauty products at scale and to quality. She has also worked as a formulation scientist within the pharmaceutical industry and takes this evidence based approach into all her product testing.
Watch Next
The Best Electric Razors a Man Can Buy
10 Best Nose Trimmers To Buy In 2023
The Best Beard Oils and How to Use Them
How to (Properly) Grow a Beard