For a thorough and clean cut of beard and hairstyle the right cutting machine is essential. In professional hairdressing, two different devices are used for this: hair clippers and beard trimmers. Laymen can hardly distinguish between the two devices and hesitate when buying which one is really suitable for them.
In the following we will show you the differences between beard trimmer and hair trimmer. In the assortment of hairstyletools you will find both hair clippers in separate categories. Access the right tool to perfect the styling of your hair and beard. If you have any questions about trimmers and hair cutters, our support will be happy to help you personally.
Understanding differences in your hair growth
The fact that you should not use the same cutter for head hair and beard has to do with the thickness of your hair. You can feel this with your bare hand when you go through your head hair and then through your beard. The hair on your head is thinner and weaker, while your beard hair is more dense and stable.
This is exactly why you should adjust the blades of your cutting machines to the density and strength of your hair. Cutting your head hair with a beard shaver would be too rough on the sensitive hair and produce too radical results. Conversely, shaving with a head trimmer will not give you good results because it is not designed for the strength of the beard hair.
The most important features of real hair trimmers
A hair clipper from Andis, Moser or Wahl is characterized by a large blade width and few gradations in the enclosed attachments. The larger width of the blade takes into account that when you are cutting hair on your head, you want to cut a large area to the same length with just one movement of the hair clipper. This differs from the filigree work in a confined space when you are planning a beard cut.
The gradations of the attachments include a few standard lengths. These go far beyond the lengths of a beard trimmer. Most sets of renowned brands such as Wahl or Ermila include attachments of up to 24 or 30 mm in length for the haircut. A beard trimmer is no longer equipped in these dimensions.
The different attachments allow the implementation of a step cut. With this it depends less on the millimetre-exact work. Instead, for many hairstyles you only need one or two steps with a larger millimetre distance to each other. This can be easily achieved with the individual attachments of a hair clipper.
The most important features of beard trimmers
Beard trimmers are characterized by a stronger blade with a smaller width. The reduced width helps you to make finer movements when shaving and to take into account the shape of the chin, cheeks, nose, etc. Depending on the styling, a few millimetres are important for the perfect aesthetic effect, which can be achieved with a very narrow blade alone.
All renowned brands such as Valera, Wahl or Moser add a larger number of attachments with a very fine gradation to their beard trimming sets. With these you can create extraordinary beard styles that require a very fine cut in different lengths. Even trimming to a few millimetres is easily possible with the enclosed attachments and ensures a precise cut result.
Whether beginner or professional, users often get along better with a beard trimmer due to its compact shape. Many manufacturers assume that the beard trimmer is used by hairdressers or hairdressers and is used for their customers. Of course you can also cut your own hair with a hair clipper, but this requires a little more practice compared to the beard trimmer.
A brief look at the commonalities
Optically, both devices are very similar, which makes the purchase even more difficult for laymen. Moreover, different manufacturers market their devices with approximately the same width of the cutting comb, which makes the distinction even more difficult. As a rough guideline value, the cutting comb of a hair trimmer is most often between 30 and 46 mm wide, whereas the value of a beard trimmer is usually between 16 and 30 mm.
Both models are also comparable in terms of power supply. Almost all brand manufacturers like Ermila, Andis, Valera or Moser offer you models with a powerful battery. This is a little bit higher quality, but guarantees you an absolutely free handling during haircut. Alternatives are the hair machine with a power connection as well as models that are classically battery operated. These are mainly marketed as travel hair clippers.
Supplied accessories for extended functions
Whether beard machine or hair trimmer, in any case you get a wide range of accessories when buying a new device. Besides the attachments in different lengths and small brushes and combs, these are often special attachments. With these you can realize special cuts and stylings, for example:
- Fine contour attachments
- Attachments for the eyebrow cut
- special aids for nose and ear hair
- variably adjustable attachments
For real finishing touches and perfect styling, such extras are included, especially beard trimmers. This does not exclude the possibility that individual manufacturers market their hair clippers as a universal solution and include comprehensive accessories for both purposes. In this case you should make sure that the cutting comb can be easily replaced. This way the width of the cutting comb would be variable and you can have your hair and beard trimmer driven by the same powerful device.
The right hair clipper for your purposes
It does not always have to be professional hairdressing equipment with a variety of attachments when you are looking for a new cutting tool. While some high-quality hair clippers will convince hairdressers and barbershops, a smaller device may be sufficient for use in your private bathroom.
Here it depends above all on your preferred stylings. Maybe you have already found your look and only need a few attachments to cut beard and hair to the desired length. Even cutting tools in the low price range with a manageable number of accessories are in many cases sufficient to achieve great styling like a professional.
Find the right hair trimmer online now
If you are looking for the right hair machine for head hair or beard, you are right at Hairstyletools. We are your experienced online shop for perfect styling and offer in separate categories selected equipment for your haircut and stylish shaving at a fair price. Use our search mask to find out more about individual appliances with their comprehensive accessories and technical features!