As a professional barber, you’re always on the lookout for the best and most efficient products you can get your hands on, and your average hair trimmer just might not cut it for you these days (pun somewhat intended).
Nowadays, cordless trimmers are very versatile and have the power to get the job done on any head of hair that comes your way.
Whether you own your own barbershop or are someone just looking for a professional grade trimmer, below are my top picks for the best cordless trimmers for barbers.
If you’re in a hurry, check out my favorite cordless trimmer on Amazon.
Key Features to Look for:
Battery Life
If you are going to be using your hair trimmers for outlining hair or grooming beards all day, then you want one with a battery that’s going to last and can be charged as quickly as possible.
A trimmer on the lower end of the spectrum will last around 20 – 30 minutes and 180 minutes or more on the higher end.
Typically you will find that most come with a wall charger with a charging cord, but some come with their own charging stand which adds some convenience if you want a quick charge between cuts. Also, keep in mind the quick charge feature that some models may have. This will give you a burst of battery life with just a 10 or 15 minute charge.
The Brand & Blade
Brand – Wherever you purchase your trimmers, make sure you invest in a good brand that has a reputation in the industry.
It’s easy to buy a cheap trimmer that looks decent, but the reality is that it will fail on you sooner rather than later. A good brand uses quality parts in their products and makes trimmers that are durable and meant to last through professional use.
Blade – The blade in your trimmer should be able to cut extremely close. Having the ability to be able to zero-gap it is a plus as well although not necessary.
This means that at any time you can reduce the gap between the blade and the built in guard to achieve the closest cut humanly possible.
3 Cordless Trimmers Every Barber Should Have
Andis Cordless T-Outliner Lithium-Ion Trimmer
Andis is a well known name in the hair clipper/trimmer industry. In fact, they’ve been in the business for almost 100 years, so they know what they’re doing. This trimmer is the cordless version of the well sought after corded T-Outliner.
Blade
It has a close-cutting carbon-steel T-blade that can be zero-gapped.
Battery Life
The T-Outliner has a lithium ion battery that has a non-stop run time of over 100 minutes and be fully charged in just 1 hour. It can also be used while plugged in and has an LED light that indicates the battery power level.
Motor
High speed rotary motor that produces blade speeds of over 7200 strokes per minute.
What’s in the Package?
- trimmer
- charging stand
- blade oil
- 4 attachment combs (1/16″, 1/8″, 1/4″, 3/8″)
Customer Impressions
Compared to the popular corded T-Outliner, people who used the cordless version said that after a few blade adjustments it worked just as well if not even better.
It works great for edging, it’s powerful and feels well built but light in your hands. A must have for any barber.
Click here to see more Amazon customer reviews.
What I like about it
The T-Outliner has a high-speed motor with blade speeds of over 7,200 strokes per minute and a unique feature that Andis calls constant speed technology, which promises to never stall when cutting through heavy and thick hair. It’s also great for outlining your hairline.
Andis is also known for the corded version of the T-Outliner. For more on that check out our post Andis Outliner 2 vs T-Outliner.
If you can get past the higher price point, this clipper is a beast.
Wahl Sterling Mag Trimmer
Wahl is another big name when it comes to men’s grooming. In fact, they invented the first electric hair clipper back in 1919!
They make a line of professional products like the sterling mag that are specifically designed for barbers and stylists alike and built to last.
Blade
Features a 2111 snap-on carbon-steel blade made for professional use.
Battery Life
It has a lithium ion battery that has a solid 2 hour run time which should be able to last you most of the day with intermittent use. It comes with a stand and transformer for charging so you can use it while plugged in if you need to.
Motor
The rotary motor is quiet which is great to have when cutting hair on children.
What’s in the package?
- trimmer
- charging stand
- storage compartment that can be attached to either side of the stand
- charging transformer for use while plugged in
- 4 attachment combs (1/8″ – 1/2″)
- cleaning brush
- oil
- red blade guard
Customer Impressions
It’s no question that this is a great trimmer. After 2 years of use, people still say it’s the best trimmer they’ve ever used and it’s still going strong.
It doesn’t nick your skin when shaving stubble and doesn’t get caught in any beard hair which in turn has helped reduce any irritation that some were previously getting after using other trimmers.
They’re extremely quiet and many barbers have customers that love the close-to-skin feel it gives them after getting a fade.
Click here to see more Amazon customer reviews.
What I like about it
This trimmer comes with a ton of stuff which is great. The storage compartment that attaches to the charging stand is a nice add-on for being able to conveniently hold all of your accessories.
It does and has everything you need in a professional trimmer.
Wahl Professional Peanut Cordless Clipper/Trimmer
Some of the best cordless trimmers come in small packages. Introducing the Peanut – a super popular commercial grade cordless trimmer that’s perfect for barbers and mimics the shape of, you guessed it, a peanut.
Blade
Carbon-steel 2068-300 snap-on blade is great for precision cuts
Battery Life
The Peanut comes with rechargeable “AA” batteries and can also be used with regular batteries. It requires one battery to use so one can always be charging while the other is being used. You can expect to get about 10 uses per battery depending on the usage.
Motor
It comes with a rotary motor.
What’s in the package?
- trimmer
- 4 attachment combs (1/8”, 1/4”, 3/8”, and 1/2”)
- 2 rechargeable betteries
- cleaning brush
- oil
- red blade guard
- recharging stand for batteries
Customer Impressions
Of course the size is always a big hit with the peanut for anyone that uses it. It’s the perfect trimmer for trimming beard and facial hair and the size makes it really easy to use in tight spaces.
Some people recommend using heavy duty alkaline batteries instead of the rechargeable ones that come with it as it seems to increase it’s power.
They are used as both a clipper and trimmer and are a great alternative that many people prefer over the bigger options on the market.
Click here to see more Amazon customer reviews.
What I like about it
The peanut might be the most popular clipper/trimmer used by barbers and even people at home and that has a lot to do with it’s size. It’s one of it not the smallest you can buy that performs at a professional level, and that’s pretty awesome.
Keep in mind that this is the cordless version and while it’s still a great product, the corded version is known to have more power and perform a bit better.
If you’re interested in the corded version you can check it out on Amazon here.
Wrapping it Up
If you have the right set of trimmers when running your own salon or barbershop, it can mean the difference between a professional cut or an amateur one. Each of the trimmers in this list are among the best when it comes to quality and overall rating, and they each have their differences when it comes to looks, power, size and accessories. But, what they do have in common is they are all top picks from barbers across the globe, thus making them definite options you should consider.
