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We take a look at some of the best hair clippers for home use on the UK market in 2018. In our opinion, the Oster Silver Whisper can lay claim to the title of top hair clipper.
Jump straight to the reviews.
Contents
Regular trips to the barbers can be very expensive, especially if you have boys in the family too. So if you’re not looking for a fancy haircut but more just a simple trim and tidy up, you can save a lot of money by cutting your own hair at home. Even the very best hair clippers are remarkably inexpensive and will soon pay for themselves when you think of all the money you’re no longer giving to the barber.
So with that in mind, we’re going to review some of what we consider to be the best hair clippers available in the UK today. First though, here’s a quick buyer’s guide as to what to look for when buying a set of hair clippers…
What To Look For When Buying Hair Clippers
Not all hair clippers are made equal. In general, the higher the cost the more features and extras you get. But do you really need them or can you save money by going for a cheaper option? Here’s a quick guide to what to look for when choosing hair clippers:
Powerful Motor
This is especially important if you have thicker hair. You want the clippers to have enough power to easily and reliably cut through your hair.
Quiet Operation
As you’re going to be cutting your hair around your ears, you don’t want a noisy set of clippers especially if you have sensitive hearing and/or will be cutting young children’s hair. So look for clippers that run quietly.
Long Battery Life
The battery life is important for cordless clippers. You don’t want the charge to run out part way through cutting your hair or you could be left looking very silly while you wait for the battery to recharge.
Length Options
This isn’t so important if you only want to shave your head bald, but then you’d be better choosing one of the best head shavers anyway. Otherwise, you’ll either want the blades to be adjustable or the clippers to have enough guide combs to give you all the different looks you’re going to want.
Quality Sharp Blades
The most important parts of any hair clippers are the blades. You want sharp blades capable of cutting the thickest/longest hair. The blades should also stay sharp despite repeated use (the higher quality clippers will likely have self-sharpening blades), and they definitely shouldn’t rust over time.
The best clippers have rounded blades so you only cut your hair not your skin.
Quality Guide Combs
The guide combs that come with the clippers should be of sufficient quality. They’re nearly always plastic whatever price you pay, but they need to be durable and shouldn’t vibrate noisily when attached to the clippers. This is an area where the more expensive clippers usually outperform the budget models.
Ease Of Use
The clippers should be easy to use. This means not only should they be light enough to be held comfortably for long periods and glide smoothly over your head, but it should be easy to adjust the blade length and attach and detach any attachments. They should also be easy to clean.
Other Features
The clippers should come with maintenance and cleaning materials, for example blade oil and cleaning brushes.
Many clippers will also come with extras such as nose and ear trimmers and storage cases.
So now we’ve covered what to look for in a set of clippers, now let’s move on to reviews of what we consider to be the best hair clippers…
Reviews Of The Best Hair Clippers
Oster 616-70 Silver Whisper
Oster have been in the business of supplying barbers and stylists with quality clippers and other tools for other 100 years. They have a deserved reputation for excellence, something that the 616-70 Silver Whisper clippers will only reinforce. Here’s why, starting with the product features:
Product Features
- Powerful motor.
- Cuts both wet and dry hair.
- Small and comfortable to grip.
- Detachable blades.
- Corrosion resistant titanium coated blades.
- Includes lubricating oil and blade guard.
- One year manufacturer’s warranty.
What Are They Like To Use?
In use the Oster Silver Whisper clippers are extremely quiet. We’d say they’re the quietest clippers we’ve ever used, in fact.
Despite the quietness though, the motor is one of the most powerful making cutting even the thickest of hair an easy and pleasant task. There’s no snagging or struggling to cut through.
The small size of these clippers combined with their lightness means they’re easy to hold while clipping your hair, with no worries about hand or wrist pains or strains.
Pros
Here are what we consider to be the main pros of the Oster Silver Whisper clippers:
- Excellent performance – you won’t get a smoother, more effortless cut than with these clippers.
- Quiet – as we said earlier, these are the quietest clippers we’ve come across so if noise is an issue for you then these clippers are your perfect choice.
- High quality blades – the blades are titanium coated and fully corrosion resistant, so there’s no need to worry about rusting even when used to cut wet hair.
Cons
- Clippers are corded – only a con if you’re looking for cordless clippers, of course.
- Lack of included blade lengths – these are fixed blade clippers, so to get different blade lengths you need to change the blade. Two blades are included in the package: 3mm and 0.1mm. That said, four other blade lengths are available to buy separately.
- Guide combs aren’t included – as mentioned above, no guide combs are included with the Oster Silver Whisper; they need to be purchased separately adding to the overall cost.
Verdict
If you want the quietest, best performing clippers and don’t need adjustable blades or cordless operation then the Oster 616-70 Silver Whisper clippers are the best out there. Highly recommended and our choice as the best home hair clipper.
Wahl Chrome Pro
Wahl have been making grooming products for almost a hundred years, and indeed can lay claim to being the first company to produce cordless hair clippers. The Wahl Chrome Pro Hair Clipper is another in the long line of quality Wahl grooming products.
Features
- Adjustable taper lever.
- Quiet and powerful motor.
- High carbon steel blades.
- Instruction DVD.
- Lots of accessories included.
What Are They Like To Use?
The Wahl Chrome Pro is a pretty hefty beast, weighing more than many other clippers. This does give it a satisfyingly chunky and solid feel though. And despite the weight, it’s comfortable to grip without any real effort.
When it comes to the cutting, it does a great job, moving smoothly and effortlessly through the hair. The cut is even and smooth with no clumping.
In use, the motor is pretty quiet despite its power.
Pros
- Adjustable taper lever – gives you the ability to get different length cuts without having to fiddle around switching combs.
- Great looking and quality build – these are fantastic clippers for the price. The blades are high quality and will last a long time.
- Nice smooth and even cut – there’s no need to worry about the end result as you’re guaranteed a good-looking cut.
- Lots of attachments included – considering the low cost of these clippers, you get an amazing amount of extras including no less than 8 guide combs, scissors, barber’s cape, neck duster, lubricating oil, an instructional DVD and a carry case.
Cons
When we first held these clippers we thought the weight would prove to be a downside. But in reality, that’s not the case. It’s true they’re quite heavy but they’re still easy to hold and guide around. The only real negative points about these clippers are:
- Vibration if not calibrated – you need to calibrate the clippers properly (which only takes a few seconds) or they vibrate pretty loudly which can be a bit off-putting. Once you’ve calibrated them though, they’re nice and quiet during use.
- Harsh nylon brush – the supplied neck brush is a little harsh on the skin, so you may want to buy a softer one.
Verdict
The Wahl Chrome Pro clippers are the best budget hair clippers we’ve tried. They have a lovely professional, solid feel and give a great cut. Recommended for those on a low budget.
Philips Series 5000 Hair Clipper HC5450/83
Philips are a Dutch consumer electronics company formed in 1891. Their grooming products are always popular and well-received and the Philip Series 5000 clippers are no exception. Indeed, at the time of writing they’re the best selling hair clippers on Amazon UK.
Product Features
- DualCut technology.
- Self-sharpening titanium blades.
- Both corded and cordless operation supported.
- Easy to clean.
- Never needs oiling.
What Are They Like To Use?
The so-called Philips DualCut technology used in these clippers is claimed to have “a double-sharpened cutting element with low-friction engineering”. We’re not sure exactly what that means but in use these clippers really are excellent. They give a super-smooth and even cut and it’s done in no time at all, so they make a great choice if you like to get your hair cuts done and dusted as quickly as possible while still looking good.
Both the blade tips and the guide combs have rounded edges which means they slide smoothly and comfortably over your skin with no snags, nicks or cuts. And they’re quiet too, with very little vibration or noise from the motor.
One downside is that the wheel to adjust the cutting length doesn’t lock and it’s quite easy to accidently knock it during cutting. So you need to take a little extra care not to do so.
Pros
Super quick and easy cut – if you’re looking for the fastest haircut that’s still smooth and even, then these clippers are a great choice.
High quality blades – the titanium cuttings blades perform excellently and are also self-sharpening so retain their cutting ability.
Corded or cordless use – the option of using corded or cordless gives additional flexibility. The battery charge lasts around 90 minutes and recharges very quickly, taking only about an hour.
Lots of attachments – these clippers include plenty of extras, including 3 beard combs.
Easy to clean – the head is detachable making it easy to maintain and clean the blades.
Cons
The length adjustment wheel is too easy to accidentally adjust.
Instruction manual is very poor quality.
Verdict
If you’re looking for low-cost yet quality and reliable clippers then the Philips Series 5000 clippers are certainly well worth considering. They offer excellent value for money and great results. Just make sure you take care not to adjust the length mid-cut! Our choice as the best cordless hair clippers for home use.
Summary
Each of these products is certainly worth its place among any list of the best hair clippers you can find on the UK market. If we had to choose just one, we’d opt for the Oster Silver Whisper but they do have a fairly hefty price tag. For the more budget-conscious either of the other two clippers offer excellent value.
See Also:
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