Terrence Kennedy
In recent times, we have seen the rebirth of the bearded man, he has crawled out from the caves and desert islands he once inhabited and has climbed to the lofty heights of sex appeal and icon of coolness.
The age of the bearded man is here and it seems like it is here to stay. With celebrities like Leonardo Di Caprio, Ben Affleck, Joe Manganiello leading the way, it seems that it is time to look after the face fuzz properly.
"The age of the bearded man is here and it seems like it is here to stay."
While the beard is nothing new, it is only lately we as men, have been encouraged to tame the wild locks on our face. Gone are the times where the unruly beard was king. Instead, the tailored, well-shaped look has taken centre stage in the grooming world.
If you wish to become one of the male elite, joining the ranks of well-groomed, facial hair endowed males across the world, you will need the right tools; beard oil, a razor, shampoo and most importantly the beard trimmer.
Those of you who question the need for a beard trimmer either like the Castaway look or haven’t let your face reach much more than a stubble. If you are of the untamed, more hairy crowd I caution you to purchase a beard trimmer and concede defeat at the hands of good grooming.
“I’ll put it simply; a beard trimmer will make your face look better, your beard looks cleaner and will make women want you and men want to be you”.
Using a beard trimmer will allow you to control even the most unruly hairs, allowing you to go from Sasquatch to a piece of testosterone fuelled, man-god.
Trimmers shape, fade, control and generally keep you looking fresh but masculine. If you are at the stubble stage, do not fear the beard. Let it grow, let it grow free and strong, using your trimmer to shape it as you please.
The Best Beard Trimmers in the Market Today
When choosing a beard trimmer there are a few things to consider:
GOALS
Firstly, what are your goals? While most good beard trimmers have multiple functions and abilities, you still need to keep your end goal in mind. For example, if you want to boast a well-groomed Merlin-esk beard then you will need a larger trimmer with sharper and stronger blades.
PRICE
The second consideration is price. Beard trimmers can be somehow expensive and you need to think about what sort of investment you are willing to put into one. There are budget-friendly and high-end trimmers here to choose from.
Prices tend to vary; you can get some shavers for under $20 although their longevity and functions will be lacking, but you can also get some high-priced electric trimmers for well over a $100.
SIZE
Lastly, size. The size of the trimmer falls directly in line with your goals and beard size. Precision trimming will require a narrower head, with more control and less power. Big-beard maintenance will require a larger trimmer, with a big guard and some real power behind it to cut through all those hairs.
Now let's look at the options:
A Trimmer For Man on a Budget: Gillette Fusion Proglide Styler ($19)
Gillette may tout to being the best a man can get, and in this case, they are right. The interchangeable heads mean that you can perfectly style your fluff into something spectacular. The smaller heads are ideal for carving out clean lines for a sharp looking beard.
If you are going for a more controlled look, or simply want to define your moustache a little better, this little trimmer will be ideal for you. However, if you have a beard like Zeus, the Gillette Fuzion Proglide will not cut it, literally.
Its small body and even smaller head are designed for the less defensive beard. It simply hasn’t got the size or power to fight a big beast.
What’s interesting about this precision trimmer is that it is designed with Braun –engineered technology, meaning that Gillette has combined their best products (their razors) with Braun’s best products (their shavers/trimmers).
You get the best of both worlds with this nifty little device, and for the price of a week’s coffee budget you can get your hands on it, not bad at all. The only issue with this product is the battery life. Given the size of the product the batteries are only small and as such don’t last very long.
It is not a rechargeable trimmer and as such you simply replace the battery. This is not the end of the world but can get annoying and gives the trimmer a short life.
For the Man Who Likes To Change His Style: Braun CruZer 6 Face ($56)
Braun is undoubtedly one of the best shaver and trimmer brands out there, with years of incredible craftsmanship and impressive technology. The CruZer 6 is no exception, it combines both a shaver and a trimmer, just in case you need to go to a wedding or an interview and want to be clean shaven.
You can trim your beard to four different lengths with the adjustable comb (1.2 mm - 6 mm), a good range for any beard aficionado. What makes this shaver a good choice is the sheer variation. You can beard a lumberjack one day, a suave bond-esk gentleman the next and a baby faced employee when an occasion calls for it.
For The Pro Trimmer: Philips Beard Trimmer 9000 With Laser Guide ($140)
This is a wonder of beard technology. The Philips 9000 with laser sight (like a freakin’ sniper rifle) is perfect for anyone who wants absolute precision with their beard care. Not only does it project a laser for more focused trimming but it also has a led interface to display the length you’re cutting at.
This piece of kit is ideal for a man who is serious about his beard game and wants to step it up a notch. The laser trimmer is waterproof meaning you can run it under the tap to clean it, rather than spending ages trying to brush the hairs out.
One of the more impressive aspects of Philips’ ingenuity is that the blades sharpen themselves. Yep, you heard that right. The steel blades gently brush against each other, sharpening each other as they move.
This technology allows the trimmer to last longer than most others and ensures your beard is always cut smoothly and not hacked at.
If you like the idea of being clinical about your grooming routine, then this is the trimmer for you. However, the price tag will put a lot of you off, and it should. Goes for over $100 dollars, which you could secure more than five of the some of the others.
My advice would be; don’t get drawn in because it has a laser and an awesome look, make sure that you need it before you fork out all that money.
For The Travelling Man: Wahl Lithium Ion Grooming Station Li+ ($50)
This is the frequent flier’s god-send. The Wahl product boast a multitude of options, from the combs to the trimming options. While there is nothing groundbreaking about the accessories, all of them being standard trimmer accessories, what is great about this trimer is the battery life.
With 150 minutes of power from a full charge, you don’t have to worry about getting to your hotel room and having to wait half an hour for your trimmer to charge before you can be made presentable. All of this long lasting juice is down to the lithium ion battery which extends the life past that of a normal battery.
The battery does more than just give you a long life, it also gives you the peace of mind that you are only a minute away from being able to trim your face. Wahl have produced a battery which can give you enough battery life for a trim off just one minutes charge. The actual trimmer is nothing special, but the functionality of the battery means that it is the perfect travel companion.
This grooming station isn’t really for home use, given the fact that for the price you could get a much better trimmer, but if you are high-flying businessman who is constantly on the go, this product is certainly worth a try.
For The Precise Man: Remington Touch Control ($56)
Remington has just gone all Tony Stark on us and has made the first touch screen beard trimmer in the world. You may ask; why do I need a touch screen beard trimmer? Because it’s awesome!
If you are techy and like the more advanced things in life, this one is certainly for you. A simple touch allows you to control the speed and trimming length to take you into the new age of beard trimming.
However, there are some down side to the technological marvel. It isn’t waterproof like many of its beard-trimming brothers, so you can’t clean it as easily as you might have hoped. However, given the fact that you can charge it with a USB almost makes up that.
The biggest downside is the battery life. Anecdotes from Amazon reviews have suggested that frequent use reduces the battery’s capability to keep charge and ends up working for less time than you would like.
If you can get past this oversight from Remington, then you can enjoy the wonder of the modern trimmer.
CONCLUSION
There we have it, the top 5 beard trimmers of 2016, ranging from the uber expensive to the scarily affordable. It is undoubtedly a tough and important decision. You have to weigh up whether you want longevity or the coolness of a touchscreen. If you want to grow a big thick beard but still maintain shape go for the Braun Cruzer, yet if you want to shape your beard more accurately choose between the Remington Touch Control and the Philips Laser Guide.