Whether you’re maintaining your fade between barbershop visits or fully embracing the DIY haircut lifestyle, investing in the best hair clippers can make all the difference. With a growing number of men choosing to cut their own hair at home, the demand for high-quality, user-friendly clippers has never been higher. But with so many options on the market, it can be tough to know where to start.
If you’re new to cutting hair at home, the product market can be a minefield. Classic corded clippers are a good choice if you’re going to be doing a lot of cutting and are looking for longevity, while cordless clippers are best if convenience and manoeuvrability are key – look for lithium-ion batteries, which tend to be longer-lasting. If you want a sleek, graduated fade, opt for clippers with taper levers or digital adjusters that allow you to change cutting lengths in minute increments.
You’ll find an abundance of YouTube tutorials that will help you hone your trimming skills, but celebrity hairdresser Luke Benson recommends just a few things to master the basics. First of all, you should cut your hair when it’s dry, making sure to brush out any tangles and starting on a longer length setting, working your way down, to reduce the risk of mistakes.
However you want to cut your hair, I’ve found good options for every at-home barber. My favourite clippers are the Wahl colour pro lithium ion, but there are plenty of other tested hair tools to consider.
How I tested
When trimming my hair, I looked at many different key factors to really get a handle on how well each set of clippers performed. I tested each hair clipper by trimming my own hair over the course of six months, so I became really well aquatinted with how each set held up.
- Ease of use: I assessed each model for how easy it was to use, both for first-timers and experienced at-home barbers.
- Battery life: It would be incredibly annoying to be mid-way through a hair cutting session and for your clippers to run flat, so I kept an eye out for any models that had particularly impressive battery life in them, and didn’t require charging all the time.
- Design: Although there’s not too much that hair clippers can do in terms of design, some look better on your bathroom shelf than others. So, any models that had an attractive design, had an ergonomic appeal, or came with accessories included scored extra points.
- Performance: I paid close attention to each model for blade sharpness, motor power, noise level, ease of cleaning and build quality, making sure that each model that made its way into my round-up had top-tier functionality and would ensure a sleek cut every time.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Lee Kynaston is an award-winning style and grooming journalist. He has been writing for IndyBest since 2021, with product reviews covering everything from skincare and haircare to men’s fragrances. Lee casts a no-nonsense critical eye over the very best in men’s grooming, gadgetry, and fragrance, always in search of products that under-promise but over-deliver.
The best hair clippers for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Wahl colour pro lithium ion: £79.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Braun HC5010 hair clipper: £45.13, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for fades – Remington power-X X5 hair clipper, £70, Amazon.co.uk
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