Clipper? Trimmer? Shaver? These words would come across the same to a common man. I’m 

here to help you differentiate and be woke to such terms.

Hair Clipper: If you have ever been to a barbershop (if you haven’t, please do), this is what your barber would normally start the process with. It’s a device with a motor and blade to help cut all sorts of hair length and type. Back in the day, this device is normally huge, bulky, and corded. Now with the advancement and technology, we’ve seen the birth of slimmer and cordless hair clipper.

Hair Trimmer: Similar to the hair clipper, this device too is built with a motor and blade. Unlike the clipper, a pair of trimmer has a smaller,and a thinner blade attached to it. The width of the blade is relatively small to a clipper. The trimmer is designed specifically for edging hairlines, light shaping and outlining on smaller and hard to reach areas such as around the ears, back of the neck and around the sideburns. In a nutshell, a trimmer is meant to cut shorter hairs. Don’t go trying running a trimmer across a head full of hair, you might just end up hurting yourself.

You would probably hear some of the names around hair clippers. The giants of the industry are still WAHL and ANDIS. These 2 names have been around since the beginning of time. If it matters to you, Wahl started in 1919 while Andis started in 1922. Both of these American companies are the leading brand in hair clippers and trimmer alike.

In recent years, another company is slowly creeping its way into the industry. BaByliss has been around for at least 50 years with hairstyling equipment as its focus. In this past 5 years or so, they have been trying to enter the market for barbers. Being edgy and current, the company has “barber influencers” to help them boost their reputation and sales.

Whether it’s an ancient or a new brand, these 3 names are the brand to look out for when it comes to hair clipper or trimmer.

With the advancement of technology, we get to enjoy a huge range of cordless clipper and trimmer. Keep in mind that the cordless ones are slightly expensive than the corded ones. I  believe that if you don’t use the hair clipper that often, you should just get the corded one as it is cost-effective and save you the trouble of charging your device.

WAHL SUPER TAPER (Clipper)

An icon in the industry, whether you are starting or a veteran, this clipper is essential in your kit. With an adjustable lever, it allows you to cut at different lengths making it easy for blending. Equipped with a taper blade, the angle of the blade has been crafted to support the “scooping” action of your strokes.

The WAHL SUPER TAPER is also available in cordless.

ANDIS SLIMLINE PRO (Trimmer)

If you are looking for something to shape your facial hair, you might want to consider a cordless trimmer.I’ve had my share of trimmer ever since I started my journey as a barber and nothing compares to this pair of sleek and ergonomically designed trimmer. Being lightweight makes it easy for me to maneuver around the ears and the lips of my clients. With a rotary motor built-in, it takes on coarse hair with a breeze.

FOIL FX01 (Foil Shaver)

New to the barbering game, BaByliss did step up in manufacturing great tools. One of the tools that would benefit both consumers and professionals alike would be the FOIL FX01. While WAHL and ANDIS only have a double foil shaver in the catalogue, BaByliss came up with a single foil shaver. While most barbers might not find the use of this, I think it was smart of BaByliss to give us options to whatever is already out on the market. Even though it’s a single foil shaver, it still packs a punch and delivers skin-tight cuts. Just think of it as a substitute for your straight razors!

It is also available in double foil named, FOIL FX02.