Beard trimmers all look much the same and behave very differently, and the difference comes down to four things: how finely you can set the length, what the blades are made of, how long the battery lasts, and whether you can rinse the thing under a tap. Get those right for the beard you actually have and the rest is detail.
A word on where this comes from. This guide is built on a published specification and feature comparison, not on a hands-on trial. The figures below — runtimes, charge times, cutting lengths, waterproofing — are the manufacturers' own stated values, and they are described as such throughout. Nobody here has shaved with these machines.
The Picks
The expandable one — Panasonic MultiShape
The starter kit is built around a handpiece that takes 39 length settings in 0.5 mm intervals, set with a wheel on the handle itself. With the two supplied comb attachments it covers 1 to 20 mm.
Panasonic describes the blades as using a Japanese blade technology: stainless steel with a 45-degree nano edge and angled blade edges, which the manufacturer says lift hair that is curly or lying flat against the skin so the contours come out cleanly defined.
The handpiece and the trimmer head are waterproof, so it can be used dry, with foam, or in the shower. The lithium-ion cell is rated by the manufacturer at up to 90 minutes per charge, with a full recharge taking an hour and a quick-charge function that Panasonic says puts in enough power in three minutes for five minutes of trimming.
What sets it apart is the expansion. Panasonic calls it a modular body-care system: the handpiece in the starter kit accepts a range of separately sold attachments, and not only cutting, trimming and shaving heads — there is also an attachment that turns the same handle into a sonic toothbrush.
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The digital one — Remington MB4700
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Far more length settings than most: 175 of them, from 0.4 to 18 mm in 0.1 mm steps, set through a touchscreen on the trimmer. Because scrolling through 175 options every morning would be tedious, there is a memory function that stores the last four lengths used and lets you pick one again.
Remington's GroomMotion technology is described as detecting that you are about to use it, waking the LED display with information such as battery status, and restoring the last length you used. A second feature, SenseSpeed, is said to adjust blade speed during use to how dense the facial hair is.
The manufacturer rates it at up to 50 minutes cordless, charging over micro-USB in 120 minutes according to the data sheet. Unusually for this category, it also runs from the mains, which is a genuine convenience when the battery turns out to be flat. It is washable for cleaning, though the manufacturer does not explicitly describe it as waterproof — a distinction worth noticing before you take it into the shower.
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The one that keeps going — BaByliss Super-X MT996E
More in the box than almost anything else in the comparison. There are four cutting heads, including two trimmers with Japanese stainless steel blades and a minimum length of 0.2 mm, a detail foil shaver for cleaning up edges, and a nose and ear hair trimmer with an angled blade. The heads attach magnetically, so swapping them needs no tools. Eleven comb attachments cover beard, body and eyebrows across 0.2 to 16 mm.
BaByliss describes the metal handle as robust and the machine as 100 per cent waterproof for wet and dry use. The headline figure is the battery: the data sheet claims up to five hours of use per charge, with a three-hour recharge on the USB dock, plus a quick charge that the manufacturer says adds enough in 20 minutes for 40 minutes of use. There is no mains operation.
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The budget pick — Braun BodyGroomer 5 BG5350
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An entry-level machine that the manufacturer positions for whole-body grooming rather than the beard alone. Without a comb fitted, the stainless steel blades take hair down to 0.5 mm; with the two supplied attachments you get 3 to 11 mm. There is no forty-step millimetre precision here, which is exactly the difference between this and the expensive machines above — worth knowing rather than worth agonising over, if you wear one beard length.
Braun states it is 100 per cent waterproof and rust-free, so it cleans easily and works in the shower, with a non-slip grip. The lithium-ion cell in the handle is rated at up to 100 minutes cordless, and an integrated LED glows red as the charge runs down. A full recharge takes an hour according to the manufacturer. A storage pouch is included.
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Also Worth Considering
Braun Series 9 BT9440. Forty length settings from 0.5 to 20 mm, set with a precision wheel in exact 0.5 mm steps, plus a lock so the setting cannot be knocked out of place mid-trim. It is waterproof, and Braun rates the lithium-ion battery at 180 minutes. The box includes a charging stand, a beard template, a cleaning brush and a travel case.
Philips Beardtrimmer series 5000 BT5515/15. The interesting feature is self-sharpening stainless steel blades, which Philips describes as maintenance-free and needing no regular oiling — one of the small recurring chores this removes entirely. Forty settings adjust in 0.2 mm increments on a wheel on the handle, and with the two combs it spans 0.4 to 20 mm. A clip-on precision trimmer handles detail and awkward spots. The battery is rated at 90 minutes with a one-hour recharge, and a quick charge that the manufacturer says gives enough in five minutes for a full session.
Panasonic ER-GB96. The widest range here: 58 cutting levels and four comb attachments spanning 0.5 to 30 mm, set precisely with a wheel on the handle. It is waterproof and washable. It runs on battery only, rated at up to 50 minutes, recharging in 60 minutes, with an LED for charge status.
Philips OneBlade QP4631/30. A different idea. Philips describes it as usable much like a wet razor for precise edges and a smooth result directly on the skin, while still trimming beard and body hair. Two attachments are supplied: a comb that takes hair down to 3 mm, and a 5-in-1 trim attachment adjustable to the millimetre across 1 to 5 mm. The blade is a consumable — Philips puts its life at around four months before replacement, with spares sold as accessories. The battery is rated at 60 minutes, fully recharged over USB in an hour.
