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What makes this trimmer stand out for us, though, is the floating, flexible head, which allows the trimmer to follow the contours of your face, a bit like how electric shaver heads generally do. This didn’t necessarily speed up the trim by much, but it did make it feel a little more comfortable. And you can call us shallow if you want, but the rose gold detailing really looks the biz too. The worst beard trimmers take several passes to cut beards evenly, struggle to trim tougher, denser hair and can irritate the skin. Battery life Having said that, all of the models featured here let you remove the comb to gain access to the blade itself for a close trim (usually closer than the listed minimum trimming length). However, not all models are waterproof so with these, you will likely need to remove the comb and then use the supplied brush to clean the trimmer. Most, but not all trimmers require you to oil their blades from time to time. If this is the case, the trimmer will come with the appropriate oil in the box. How about battery life? Sometimes there are multiple sets in the same series of beard trimmer. The trimmer will be the same across these sets – you're just getting different accessories. If you don't need them, you may be able to shave a little off your budget by going for a cheaper set that has fewer accessories. The main unit comes with two hair cutting guards – 1-10mm for short hair and 11-20mm for longer hair – and the cutting length can then be adjusted in tiny increments by using the built-in dial. This is a fantastically useful multi-functional tool that powered through beard hair without any problem and was an absolute dream to hold. We loved the sleek design and the matt finish, and it really feels like it’s been built to last. So if how a gadget looks and feels is as important to you as how well it performs, this is the grooming tool for you.Most beard trimmers come with instructions and tips on the best way to trim your beard with that trimmer. We trim them to short, medium and long lengths, measuring a sample of the cut bristles to get a detailed picture of how accurate and precise each trimmer cuts. We recruit a diverse panel of testers so each trimmer is put through its paces by people with different hair types and lengths of beard. We buy every beard trimmer we test. Quality of trim

We also use a Cambridge Simulation glove, which allows the wearer to empathise with those who have hand mobility issues such as arthritis, to assess each trimmer. The best beard trimmers are smooth across all parts of the face, getting an even trim after just one pass.

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While they essentially do the same job, a hair clipper is designed for cutting long hair and full beards, whereas a trimmer is designed for cutting and styling shorter hair. There's nothing worse than needing to freshen up to find your trimmer is out of juice. We charge each trimmer, from empty, for five minutes and time how long it runs for. We also test every trimmer for splash resistance, and put any that claim to be completely waterproof in the shower. All the trimmers we've tested so far have passed our splash and waterproof tests, and they work after the drop test. Ease of use Our testers rate each trimmer for how it trims their facial hair, how smooth and easy to manoeuvre each trimmer is on the moustache, side of their face and on the chin, and if they irritate the skin.