Different beards. 8 best beard trimmers, The Independent

Facial hair is big business – you need only turn to the red carpet to see how many celebs are rocking a full face of fur. Top ten beard styles.

Whether it’s Jeff Bridges’ beard, David Beckham’s sculpt or (god forbid) Justin Bieber’s ‘stach, maintaining your mane can be a challenging and often confusing space.

While beard oil (a must) and even a good shampoo are both helpful, nothing is as important as the tools you use.

Over the last month, our team have tested the trimmers that can touch-up, tame and tidy all shapes and styles of facial hair, providing you with the lowdown on specs, looks and whether it’s right for your lifestyle. Trim away.

You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.

Babyliss 7896U i-Stubble 3 trimmer: £49.99, John Lewis & Partners

The smart-flexing head on this makes it the easiest of trims, literally guiding your hand along the contours of your face without any accidents. It has a slightly shorter length range than the others, focusing on stubble and short beards, so pass on this if you are rocking a full-on Jason Mamoa. The pop-up trimmer and travel lock are also a welcomed touch, making this multitasker a great choice for everyday use.

Philips BT5502 beard trimmer: £54.99, John Lewis & Partners

Easy to use and very well made, Philips’ classic trimmer has up to 40 settings controlled by an adjustable, lock-in wheel. It utilises a unique ‘Life & Trim’ system, where the blades actually lift up the beard so every hair is evenly cut no matter the angle. Not only that, but the blades are actually self-sharpening, so no replacement or oiling is ever needed - heaven.

Best shaving style for man

Braun BT7040 beard trimmer: £74.99, Amazon

With 39 settings controlled on a precision wheel that offers a trim between 1mm-20mm, this is a great option for the beards that bypass stubble. The auto-sensing motor (which keeps the speed constant even in thicker areas) will keep the density even all over and there is a handy little detail trimmer if you want to touch up your edges.

Attachments? 2 combs and 2 precision trimmers

Remington beard boss beard trimmer: £17.99, Remington

For the price, you know you are not going to get all the bells and whistles that a more expensive trimmer might offer, but if you know what you like and keep your facial hair in one style then this is a great buy. It is plastic and battery operated, making it a useful trimmer to have in your travel bag.

Panasonic i-Shaper ERGD60 3-in-1 beard trimmer: £69, Boots

It looks very sleek but rather tricky, which couldn’t be further from the truth. It was a surprisingly easy and gentle trim – perhaps because the edges of the fixed blade are round, so it doesn’t knick the skin. The L-shape design is also comfortable to hold, fitting right in your hand and allowing you to get into those harder parts to reach (i.e. under the jaw). The 3-in-1 comes from it’s ability to trim, detail and shave, allowing you to really shape up your shadow with ease.

Attachments? 1 comb and 1 detail trimmer

Waterproof? No - just the blades need rinsing

Small beard on chin

Philips BT7500 vacuum beard trimmer: £80, Philips

Featuring integrated vacuum tech that can capture up to 94 per cent of cut hairs, this is a one-stop-shop for a mess-free trim. It’s got a great range of lengths to cater to the 20 settings it offers and a solid battery life, so it might just win the travel award too. Otherwise it’s

perfect for when you are in a rush and can’t be bothered cleaning up or in-office touch-up’s before an evening out. I’m keeping one in my desk at all times.

Attachments? 1 comb and 1 precision trimmer

Waterproof? No – just the blades need rinsing

Wahl Blitz 3-in-1 beard trimmer: £94.99, Wahl

With the best length range, most attachments and longest running hour, the Blitz is a worthy investment; it literally does it all. If you are one of those men who have a little fun with their facial hair, fluctuating from stubble to fully bearded and back again, this is the trimmer for you.

Gillette all purpose styler and sensitive shaving gel gift set: £20.99, Amazon

This is a relatively well-known classic – a young mans first introduction to the world of beard maintenance, allowing you to trim evenly, shave closely and edge precisely. It’s small circumference is very useful to get into difficult places (like below the belt) and the fact it's waterproof makes it a total shower staple.

Trendy hair and beard styles

The verdict: Beard trimmers

Sometimes too much tech can be too much trouble, which is why keeping it simple is sometimes just smarter – especially when it comes to blades near your face. The flexibility and function of the Babyliss 7896U i-Stubble 3 trimmer​ is too good to ignore and the sleek design makes it an insta-worth drop.

That being said, If you are a trimming conneseuir, the Wahl Blitz 3-in-1 beard trimmer is gadget goals. With 12 combs, 3 heads and more than enough battery life (240 minutes) to play with all of those attachments, it might just be worth the whopping £94.99.

IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing.