If you haven’t seen my face in a while, there’s a reason for that. It’s unkempt, unshaven, and approaching Cousin Itt levels of inconspicuousness. For those still living the #QuarantineLife, staving off close-up human interaction as much as possible, you’re probably in the same boat. And after months of waiting for a safe opening to get a haircut at a salon or barbershop, maybe it’s time to acquiesce in the reality that no one is safe until either a vaccine is widely available or Americans swallow their pride and last four months in lockdown without traveling or going to restaurants. But who am I kidding, right?
On that note, at the top of the week, I asked a simple question—one for which you surprisingly had simple answers: What are the best hair clippers for cutting your hair at home? Turns out, there’s only like two or three reputable brands in the hair clipper biz, with roughly a thousand variations of each. And even for a novice, I found all of your recommendations compelling, but I’m including the top five for the sake of brevity. So while the Flowbee is notably absent from the mix, it’s also sold out at all major retailers. Plus, as Gizmodo’s Tom McKay found out the hard way a few months back, the results aren’t great! Spare yourself the embarrassment and shop around for the best hair clippers for cutting your hair at home, as suggested by our trusted(?) readers.
Wahl Hair Clipper Kit | $71 | Amazon
I bought a Wahl clipper set from Amazon years ago. Has pretty much everything you need. - t604
I’m a shaved-head guy who maintains a short beard, and I’ve had the older version of this set for a little over 10 years.
Years 1-2 of use in college, I used them to clean up between haircuts, and my roommates used them for self-haircuts.
Years 3-7 I used them to maintain a no. 1 or no. 5 as I was starting to thin on top, and also used them to keep the beard and downstairs area trimmed.
The past few years, since I “Bic” my head now, they’ve mostly just been for the beard, downstairs area, and occasionally my wife shaves my back with them.
Aside from oiling every now and then (still using the tiny oil bottle that came with it) and taking the head apart once or twice to clean them, they’ve just worked, without issue. I can’t think of another electro-mechanical product I’ve had that has worked this well, this long, with that little care. - dave1827
100%, just oil the blades every now and then before replacing the blades annually and you’re set. - DamnYouRickySpanish
This. End of Thread. - Stark Industries
Oster Professional TEQie Clipper | $44 | Amazon
Big enough to do the job, and small enough to be nimble where it counts. This is an Oster branded workhorse. Affordable, but not crap. Tip to tail, never fails. Do yourself a solid and buy a 2 oz. bottle of the oil to keep it quiet, and spend your time and money on more exciting stuff. - Pscdouglas
Remington HC4250 Shortcut Pro Self-Haircut Kit | $58 | Amazon
Cordless, waterproof, wide/curved blade, easy to hold, blades haven’t rusted yet. - rbronco21
I’ve owned mine for about five years now and love it. Would buy again at twice the price. - Sktroop
ConairMAN HC1100N Home Haircut Kit | $61 | Amazon
I’ve been cutting my own hair for just over 20 years now. Most people around me are either surprised by this, or very polite.
As such, I’ve used MANY clippers. I can say that the palm sized haircut kits are garbage. Units that have built in combs are garbage. Most of the Philips Bodygroom line is garbage. Most of the cordless units will lose battery power within a year of use. I need to cut my hair about every three weeks, so the blade needs to stay sharp, and I really like the convenience of cordless. BUT, the cordless unit needs to also function corded.
My recommendation would be the Conair for Men Titanium cordless hair and beard trimmer. It comes with all the combs anyone would need, has a great build quality, great lithium-ion battery (but still works corded), and is not far off a pro unit really. Unfortunately, it’s also discontinued.
This unit has all the same specs as the unit that I have now (and looks exactly the same). If my current clippers die (going on 4 years without issue), I’ll replace them with this one.
Oster Classic 76 Universal Motor Clipper | $149 | Amazon
Oster Classic 76. Been using them on my kids for a decade. Probably saved a couple thousand in haircuts. - yaksplat
I second the 76s. My barber friend had his for 25 years and still uses it to this day. Got one for myself to replace the beat up ones I had and I could see why he uses it. Very powerful and sturdy, and easy to service, too. - Tahimek