Hair clippers
Every clipper here cuts. What separates them is the step between lengths — the specification that decides whether you can blend — and whether the box contains the cape and the brush that decide where the hair ends up.
Not the motor. Two clippers with identical motors are different machines if one steps three millimeters at a time and the other half a millimeter, because the step is what lets you blend one length into the next.
The Remington HC5811 is first for a first haircut: ten guards from 3 to 40 mm (1.57 in), a 0.8–2 mm (0.03 to 0.08 in) lever on the head for the neckline, and — the part that matters more than any specification — an aluminum case containing scissors, a comb, a neck brush and a cutting cape. That is the difference between a haircut and an afternoon of cleaning.
The Philips HC5630 is second, and first if you already own a cape. Its zoom wheel sets 28 lengths from 0.5 to 28 mm (0.02 to 1.10 in) without changing anything on the head, so you move from one length to the next without stopping. Philips also states the whole clipper is washable.
The Philips HC7650 has the same wheel and adds a two-sided DualCut blade and the Trim-n-Flow comb, which clears cut hair rather than packing it against the blade. Both address one failure: a clipper that stalls or leaves an uneven line in thick hair. On fine hair they change nothing, and the HC5630 is the better buy.
We would not buy a clipper on its motor figure without reading the guard list. It is the one specification that decides the result.
The commonest use: one length, every few weeks, over the whole head. It is what these tools are built for.
Demands guards in small steps and a blade that can be adjusted. Without both, the transitions show.
Noise and vibration matter as much as the cut, because a loud clipper ends the session before it starts.
A separate, narrower trimmer usually does this better than the clipper that did the bulk.
| What you want | What it needs | What it will not do |
|---|---|---|
| One even length | A basic clipper and guards | Blend between lengths |
| A fade | Small guard steps, adjustable blade | Happen without practice |
| Cutting your own hair | Balance and a mirror setup | Show you the back |
| Thick hair | A motor that holds speed | Cut a wet head well |
A clipper is kept alive by oil and by removing the hair that packs behind the blade. Both take seconds, and neglecting either turns a clipper that cuts into one that pulls, which is usually blamed on the blade being blunt.
The risks are minor but real: nicks, heat, and electricity near water.
Ceramic blades · 10 guards, 3–40 mm (0.12 to 1.57 in) · 50 min · case, cape, scissors
The clipper with the longest accessory list of this group: ten guards covering 3 to 40 mm (0.12 to 1.57 in), an aluminum case, scissors, a comb, a neck brush and a cutting cape, around self-sharpening ceramic blades and a stated 50 minutes of cordless runtime.
Best for: A first clipper for cutting at home, where the cape and the case matter as much as the motor.
28 lengths, 0.5–28 mm (0.02 to 1.10 in) · zoom wheel · 90 min · fully washable
A zoom wheel that sets 28 lengths between 0.5 and 28 mm (1.10 in) without changing anything on the head, a comb designed so cut hair does not clog it, and a body Philips describes as completely washable.
Best for: Home haircuts where the length changes as you go, rather than one length all over.
Trim-n-Flow Pro · DualCut blade · 28 lengths · 90 min
The Series 7000 adds a two-sided DualCut blade that Philips says cuts twice as fast as a single-sided one, and the Trim-n-Flow comb that clears cut hair as it goes. One hour to charge, 90 minutes of use.
Best for: Thick or fast-growing hair, where a clipper that stalls mid-pass is the actual complaint.
≈ $90
A clipper whose lengths step finely enough to blend, and something to catch the clippings. Those two together matter more than motor power, which is why the first pick here is the one with ten guards and a cape rather than the most expensive machine.
Only for a very short neckline. Both Philips machines here start at 0.5 mm (0.02 in) on the wheel; the Remington reaches 0.8 mm (0.03 in) with the combs off. All three cover the ordinary range of a home cut.
Not with a standard clipper: it is designed for dry hair, and wet hair clumps and cuts shorter than it looks. Some models are stated as usable wet; those are the exception.
Follow the maker's instruction, which usually means regularly and after cleaning. A dry blade heats and pulls, and that is mistaken for bluntness.
Usually hair packed behind the blade, a dry blade, or a chipped tooth. Cleaning and oiling solve most cases before a new blade is needed.
With a second mirror and short, overlapping passes. It is the part where a longer guard and patience prevent an irreversible mistake.
For necklines and edges, a narrower trimmer gives a cleaner result than a full-size clipper. It is not essential, but it is the usual second purchase.
Only if the model states it. Water on a blade not designed for it causes corrosion, and a corroded blade pulls.
Good on: A first clipper for cutting at home, where the cape and the case matter as much as the motor.
Strongest suit: Ten guards from 3 to 40 mm (0.12 to 1.57 in) is the widest range in this group, and the separate 0.8–2 mm (0.03 to 0.08 in) setting covers the lengths a guard cannot
Weakest suit: Remington does not publish an IP rating for this model, so nothing here says whether the head can be rinsed
Good on: Home haircuts where the length changes as you go, rather than one length all over.
Strongest suit: A zoom wheel changes length without swapping a guard, so you move from one length to the next without stopping
Weakest suit: Only three comb attachments, where the Remington HC5811 ships with ten
Good on: Thick or fast-growing hair, where a clipper that stalls mid-pass is the actual complaint.
Strongest suit: One hour to a full charge against 90 minutes of runtime is the best ratio of the four clippers here
Weakest suit: Philips publishes the DualCut speed claim as a comparison with single-sided blades, without stating the test conditions
Blades, combs and oil from the same aisle, at the price we recorded. Check they fit the clipper you pick before ordering: it depends on the blade mount and the part number, which the listing states.
Comparisons already published between two clippers from this guide or this aisle.
The clippers and shavers here come from the catalog of this site. Specifications are the published ones, from the maker and from the Amazon page; prices are the Keepa figure for the date below, and both change. Ranking rests on declared specifications, on stated strengths against stated limits, and on price. Nothing here has been used on hair by us, and the page does not suggest otherwise.
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Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.
Air stylers and cordless clippers swing widely across the year, and the biggest "discounts" often land at prices the same model sold for six weeks earlier. UniverTrack tracks the real price history across retailers, spots fake reductions, and alerts you when it is genuinely the moment to buy.
