10 Best Wahl Clippers [2021 Buying Guide]

2. Wahl Magic Clip Cordless – A Beast To Be Honed for Professionals

Wahl basically has two lines of clippers, one is for personal use and the other for professional use. This next clipper on our list is another masterpiece for professional use. With a rotary motor working at 5500 RPM, this is a beast to be honed.

The biggest pro of this machine is that you can use it either corded or cordless. If you have ever used a cordless clipper, it is hard to go back on a corded one, ain’t it?. It is just the freedom of movement that makes working with cordless a better experience overall.

However, if you are a professional with a queue of customers waiting, you can’t go cordless all day, and for this, you can go corded. You get a cord length of 2.4 meters, which is a good length to work with.

If you hold this clipper in hand, the first thing you are going to notice is that it is lightweight. At 290 g or 10 ounces, it is something you probably won’t get tired of working with all day long. However, if you are shifting from a heavy clipper, this may take some getting used to.

When we talk about its construction, it is made up of plastic, which is not cheap by any means. It is sturdy and well-built which can endure a few insults or accidental drops from your chair height.

Although it fits well into your hands with good ergonomics overall, the grip is a bit slippery, especially if you have sweaty palms. Rubber inserts on the sides would have been handy in this regard.

When we talk about its blade, it features Wahl’s 2161 stagger-tooth blade. Wahl says it is made for blends and is sharper and smoother and we couldn’t agree more. With the thumb-adjustable lever on the side, which closed is 0 mm and open 0.5 mm, you get customizable cuts.

Like most Wahl clippers these days, Wahl Magic Clip 8148 has a lithium-ion battery. This gives it a runtime of 90 times with 120 min charge time and this essentially is good enough to last you 5-6 cuts even if you are not charging between cuts.

One big relief is that it comes with all the necessary accessories you need for professional work. The package includes eight attachment combs. These include your 1½ mm, 3 mm, 4½ mm, 6 mm, 10 mm,13 mm, 19 mm, 25 mm which are enough to cover most of your needs.

In addition, it includes lubricating oil, a cleaning brush, an instruction manual, a red blade guard, and a charging cord. The blade guard is a handy thing to have. You simply have put it on your blade and it will protect it against any accidental damage when not in use.

3. Wahl Clipper Elite Pro – A Pro At What It Does

The next entry on our list for best Wahl clippers is one for personal use. This basically is a top-of-the-line home haircutting kit. It includes most of the things that you are going to need for a home haircutting adventure. These include but are not limited to a pair of scissors, a comb and a cape, cool isn’t it?

When this clipper arrives, the first thing you are going to note is the sturdy carrying case. This kind of tool kit you have in your garage. The good thing is that it has a handle and has a snap closure which keeps it tightly closed. Most of the clippers come in a hard paper box which isn’t much of a use. But, when Wahl says haircutting kit, they mean it and believe they have covered most bases.

When you have this clipper in hand, the first impression you are going to get is that it is heavier than most clippers nowadays. It weighs 2.5 lbs and this gives it a sturdy feel. This would have been a big no-no if this clipper was designed for professional use. However, as it is personal use, the heavyweight of the clipper is not going to tire you down with a cut or two.

If you are wondering about the construction, this clipper has a plastic casing overall. However, if we pay close attention and screw apart the clipper in two portions, the lower part which holds the motor has much sturdier plastic than the upper part. This may be a piece of good information to have as to what to expect if your clipper has an accidental fall. This means it has a better chance of surviving a fall if it lands on its lower half.

Moving on, Wahl says Elite Pro incorporates a motor that is 15% more powerful than Wahl’s Powerdrive premium motor. Believe me, we have no way to validate this fact. As has been the case with most Wahl clippers, there is no mention if it is a v5000 or V9000 motor. However, if we contact Wahl customer service, they strictly say it is not a V9000 motor because that is for professional use. However, they still do not confirm the exact motor this clipper has.

The blade this clipper incorporates has a width of 1.8 inches. These are Wahl’s self-sharpening precision blades. They are basically made up of carbon steel which is good for durability. However, they are more prone to rusting than stainless steel blades. Wahl says it cuts 40% faster than its standard blades. If you need to replace this blade, the part number for this blade is 01045 and is easily available.

Another noteworthy feature is that this is a mains-powered clipper meaning you can’t use it cordless. However, it has an 8-foot long industrial-grade cord which is good enough length to work easily. I believe you will like the fact that it comes with a cord wrap which when wrapped around the cord protects it against any accidental cuts or tears.

When we talk about the guide combs, this clipper has some of the best you are going to find. It comes with 10 of these and Wahl calls them Secure Fit because they have stainless steel attachment clips. I have to say that these combs fit snugly and don’t rattle. You get sizes from 1/2 to 8 with different sizes between them. The 1/2 size corresponds to 1/16 inches or 1.5 mm and the size 8 equals 1-inch or 25 mm.

In addition, you get the taper lever on the side which helps you with further customization of your cuts. However, I have to say this lever is prone to breakage and does lose often, and moves with the vibration of the clipper. However, you can get rid of this movement by tightening up its screw, but this is a frequent problem.

4. Wahl 8180 Barber Combo – A Combo To Cater All Your Needs

The next entry on our list of best Wahl clippers is unique in the sense that it comes in a combo form and contains 5-Star Legend Clipper and Hero T-Blade Trimmer. Both of them belong to Wahl’s professional line of tools. Let’s break down what they have to offer.

If we talk about the Hero Trimmer, it features a T-blade that is smaller than average blades. This makes it good for reaching tight spots like the goatee, behind the ear, and the mustache. It is also good for facial detailing and styling including hair tattooing.

Right out of the box, the first thing you are going to notice is its compact size. At just 4.25″, it may qualify as the world’s tiniest professional trimmer. This along with its weight of merely 4.6 oz makes it highly maneuverable and easy to use for your long styling expeditions without tiring you up.

With its compact construction, you are able to get your whole hand around it which makes it less prone to falls. However, as it has an all-plastic casing, it may not have the best impact resistance and can get damaged with the occasional falls.

The best thing Wahl has done with this “miniature” trimmer is to fit it with a powerful motor. It features the same electromagnetic motor as some of the other Wahl clippers. However, the Hero trimmer stays comparatively cool even after long use.

Moving on, this is a corded cutting tool and as it is intended for the US market only, it operates only at 120 volts/60 hertz. Therefore, if you intend to use it outside the US, you may have to use a converter. As said it is corded, however, you would like the fact that it comes with an 8-foot industrial-grade cord that is chemical resistant. 8 feet is a long length for a trimmer/clipper to work with.

If you are wondering about the accessories, the Hero Trimmer comes with three guide combs including the sizes 1/2, 1, and 1 1/2. These are frankly not the best combs Wahl has at its disposal. They do not fit as securely as some of the other combs Wahl has. In addition, with the guards on, this trimmer becomes louder which I believe is due to the extra pressure motor feels it has to deal with or it may just be the plastic combs that amplify the sound.

5-Star Legend Clipper

The second product in this combo of Wahl #8180 is a 5-Star Legend clipper. As you can tell, it is part of Wahl’s premium 5-star series. The best thing about this clipper is its v9000 electromagnetic motor which makes it a beast at handling multicultural clients.

It weighs 1 pound which falls, sort of, in the mid-range for clippers. For reference, It is heavier than Wahl’s Magic Clip and lighter than Wahl Senior.

They say it is the Wahl Senior for beginners and weight certainly is a contributing factor. A heavyweight clipper does take its toll on your hands and you suffer from hand fatigue and cramps as the day wears on.

This clipper is best for seamless blending and bulk removal. This is made possible by Wahl’s wedge blade #2228. It provides a smooth blunt cut with its deeper teeth and a large blade lever. In addition, it is a two-hole blade that fits securely and does not rattle. its thumb-adjustable lever is unique in the sense that it works at three levels as opposed to two of most Wahl clippers, these levels are 0, 1, and 1A.

5-Star Legend comes in an all-plastic casing and this isn’t cheap plastic in any way. This hard plastic does not heat up on you. Moreover, the clipper is top-heavy which increases its aptness at doing fades as it is easier to rock your arm out.

When we talk about accessories, 5-Star Legend comes with eight plastic combs ranging from size 1 to 8 which are not the best Wahl combs, to say the least. They are flimsy and can bend easily which isn’t something you want as a professional.

In addition, it comes with lubricating oil, blade guards, and instruction manuals for both.

Overall, 5-Star Legend in itself comes at a great price for the features it has to brag about. With its v9000 motor and efficient blade, it finds itself compared to big kahunas like Andis Master or Wahl Senior. Although it does not pack as much punch, it still is a good tool for beginners to have. It comes at a good price, is lighter, and does not heat much which are good positives to have.

5. Wahl Stainless Steel Lithium Trimmer – Your Ultimate Grooming Buddy

The next entry on our list is what Wahl calls the Complete Grooming System. This is because it comes with enough attachments and guides combs to deliver an all-around performance. Be it your bushy nose or the elusive crisp clean lines, this trimmer has the arsenal to win you every battle.

When it comes to trimmers, mostly, either you are looking at some cheap plastic with a weak battery or the professional grades which would cost you in excess of $100. Wahl Clipper 9818 lies just in the mid-range price-wise and gives you the much-needed reliability and quality. With its stainless steel body, you are looking at a solid build that has the potential to last you years.

One of the best features of this trimmer is its battery. It essentially is a lithium-ion battery which when fully charged gives you four hours of runtime, yes, you read that right. If you are using it for personal use as it is intended to be, you are looking at at least a fortnight’s workload with that battery timing.

However, if you are in a hurry and get caught out on the battery, its quick charge feature gives you the ability to charge it for one minute and that gives you three minutes of runtime. This feature is especially useful as we consider the fact that this trimmer only works cordless. This means it will not work when it is being charged.

Right out of the box, you will feel the heftiness of the steel. This trimmer weighs 0.8 pounds or around 13 ounces. This essentially is a significant shift if you have used plastic personal trimmers before which usually weigh around 2-3 ounces.

Design-wise, it has a sleek gleaming almost cylindrical design that fits perfectly into the hand. However, the all-steel body can be slippery especially if you have sweaty palms. Other than that, it has a simple interface with a rubber power button towards the head of the trimmer. This rubber button has a background blue LED indicator that gleams when the trimmer is working or is being charged.

Moreover, it has a smooth back surface with a charging port on the underside of the trimmer. Interestingly, this charging port can be plugged with a piece of plastic that comes with the trimmer and this would work as a travel lock.

As long as the piece of plastic is in the charging port, your trimmer can’t be switched on. This essentially is not the best of solutions because the red plastic can get lost when not in use rendering the travel lock useless. However, it is still a handy feature to have.

If you are wondering about the blade, Wahl Clipper 9818 incorporates Wahl’s precision T-blade. This essentially is a stainless steel blade that is self-sharpening. This makes it rust-resistant and long-lasting. Its stainless steel blade with high torque ensures that it cuts through even the thickest of stubbles effortlessly. The teeth of the blade are detailed and refined.

In addition, it includes eight haircutting guide combs and these include 1/8 inches (3 mm), 1/4 inches (6 mm), 3/8 inches (9.5 mm), 1/2 inches (13 mm), 5/8 inches (16 mm), 3/4 inches (19 mm), 7/8 inches (22 mm) and 1 inch (25 mm). These are enough to take care of all of your home haircutting adventures including for your kids.

All of these guide combs are of good quality and fit securely on the T-blade. You just simply have to snap it over the head. Although they are of good quality, you still need to handle them carefully because they can get wide-toothed and this can render them useful.

Moving on, one of the main selling points for this Wahl Stainless Steel Lithium Trimmer is its trimmer heads. Apart from the main T-blade, you get a detail head trimmer, a detail shaver head, and an ear, nose, and brow trimmer.

Among these, the detail head trimmer is essentially a smaller blade that you can use to style and tidy up your mustaches and goatees. It essentially is much more precise than the main trimmer. The detail shaver head, on the other hand, which essentially is a foil shaver, works to provide a close-to-skin cut. This shaver is good for hard-to-reach spots.

Moreover, the ear, nose, and brow trimmer, as you can guess, work to trim the hair from the ear, nose, and brow. For attaching these heads, you need to remove the main blade just by pushing it up and placing one of these into the head, and pressing it down until it snaps.

6. Wahl Chrome Pro Barber Kit – Your One-Stop Haircutting Station

If you are thinking about giving the man in your life a gift this Christmas or any other occasion, go no further than Wahl’s 30-piece home barber kit. Its price and the quality and convenience it has to offer are no less than a steal. Just think about any hair-cutting accessories and chances are that this kit is not going to disappoint you. These range from an exceptional touch-up trimmer to a pair of scissors and even a mirror, cool isn’t it?

The main clipper in this kit is Wahl’s famous Chrome Pro. Let me clear a thing, this clipper comes in quite a few configurations, however, we include the 79524-3001 one which we believe carries the best value. You might also go for 79524-2501 which comes at a slightly lesser price but lacks the personal trimmer and the touch-up trimmer. Moreover, you can also get the same clipper in 79524-5201 and 79524-1001 configurations. We will go through the main clipper in a bit more detail to give you a better idea.

The Chrome Pro takes its name from its silvery/chrome looks. However, be mindful of the fact that the trimmer itself is made up of plastic. Nonetheless, it weighs in at around 1 pound and at 7.5 inches and feels nicely built. Don’t quote me on this, but I believe it can take a few accidental chair-level falls.

Right out of the box, you will love its ergonomic design. It fits nicely into the hand with a nicely positioned thumb rest groove giving you a secure grip. On the top side of the clipper, there is a rubber insert which further reduces the chances of slips.

The blade this clipper carries is Wahl’s self-sharpening precision blade which is a carbon steel blade. This is the blade Wahl uses in most of its personal-use clippers. The blade is durable, however, it is prone to rust, thus frequently lubricate it. Other than that, it stays sharp longer and has the punch to deal with every type of hair.

Moving on, this corded clipper incorporates Wahl’s Powerdrive motor which they say is 35 percent more powerful than their standard motor. We have no tool to measure this, but the clipper itself works seamlessly. We have had no snagging or clipper struggling with thicker hair growths in our six months of use so far. However, it is a bit noisier than my liking.

When it comes to guiding combs, you get Wahl’s no. 1 to no. 8 guides. In addition, you get left and right taper combs and eyebrow and ear trim guides, which are well-thought-out. The guides have solid construction but have pointy ends and some of them do not fit properly. To further customize your cuttings, it has a thumb-adjustable taper lever on the side which is a handy feature for fades and blends.

In addition, this kit contains a detail trimmer and a personal trimmer. These two are battery-powered and work with two and one AA-size batteries respectively. The detail trimmer is essentially for tidying up your beard, neckline, and behind the ear.

The personal trimmer, on the other hand, has two interchangeable heads and is good for detailing and taking care of nose and ear hair. These trimmers work just fine but are delicately built. In addition, it would have been great had they been rechargeable.

7. Wahl Clipper Self-Cut – Leave Your Hair-Cutting Woes to This

The next entry on our list is another of Wahl’s US-made quality home hair-cutting kits. Wahl has essentially two lines of clippers. One made in the US and the other in China. Usually, the USA-made clippers are Wahl’s top-of-the-line quality tools at a relatively higher price. This self-cut model 79467 is one of such clippers and ensures quality and reliability.

If you have an eye for aesthetics, you will love its sporty design. It has a compact design that is 25% smaller than the standard Wahl clipper. In addition, there are soft-touch grips that further enhance your sense of control when you are using this clipper.

As opposed to our earlier entries, this clipper incorporates a pivot motor. Pivot motors are essentially twice as powerful as magnetic motors and are extremely quiet. However, they deliver low blade speed. This makes them ideal for thick and heavy hair. They remain surprisingly cool and are long-lasting. Take my words for it, you will love how quiet this clipper is.

When we talk about the blade, model 79467 has Wahl’s high-precision self-sharpening blades. One of the key attributes of most of Wahl’s blades is that they are grounded not stamped. What this means for you is that they are finer blades and feel sharp to touch. A stamped blade, on the other hand, will have round edges and will feel blunt to touch.

It comes with 12 attachment guards. Out of these, 10 are your standard guide combs ranging from size 1/2 to size 8. I like the fact that the size and the length a comb cuts to are clearly mentioned. In addition, they fit securely with their snap closure. Two are your right and left ear tapering combs. The overall quality of guide combs is good and they stay true for a good period of time.

Among other accessories, you get a pair of scissors, one cutting, and one styling comb, lubricating oil, and a cleaning brush. You also get a blade guard that prevents the blade from any accidental damage.

8. Wahl Clipper Lithium-Ion Cordless – Know What Convenience Really Means

Earlier, we reviewed Wahl’s Lithium Ion+. One of the problems it had was that it could not be used while plugged in. Although it had the quick charge feature, still the inability to be used plugged in was a setback. This attribute is especially handy when you are caught up on the battery.

The next entry on our best Wahl clippers is cordless like the Lithium Ion+ or the Lithium-Ion 2.0+, nonetheless, you can use it while it is plugged in. I think you would agree with me that this is quite convenient.

One of quite a few things that you are going to like about this clipper is your grip on it. It fits nicely into the hand and this is because of its slimmer part where your hand rests. There is nothing fancy about the design. It is a simple design with a black and silver color combination to give an understated look.

There is a myth about cordless clippers that they are not as powerful. This is true to some extent, but Wahl says this clipper has a powerful motor and this delivers 50% more power than a standard Wahl motor. This combined with a high-precision 1.8-inch ground blade provides a snag-free cutting experience. These blades, in essence, are self-sharpening and stay sharp for long. We believe these are some of the more powerful cordless clippers available.

If we talk about the battery, it is a lithium-ion battery that has a continuous runtime of two hours. This is after a charge of three to five hours. Nothing incredible, right? but you would be amazed by the amount of charge this battery retains. When not in use, the battery has an extremely low self-discharge and can retain charge for up to an hour. Other than that, it gives you the ability to quick charge which gives you enough battery even for a buzz cut.

I like Wahl for the fact that in their home haircutting kits, they provide you with almost every accessory possible. The same is true for this clipper too. To begin with, it comes with a detail trimmer that has a 1-inch width and takes care of your neckline, around the ears, and sideburns. This, however, is battery-powered and is not rechargeable, which is a shame. It works with two AA-size batteries.

When it comes to guiding combs, it comes with as many as 14 guide combs. These include Wahl’s size 1/2 and 1½ combs, these half sizes come in green and red colors respectively. Other than these, the full sizes ranging from size 1 to 8 come in the usual black color. Moreover, there are right and left ear taper guides. This is along with brow trim guide and ear trim guides which take care of the hair on the eyebrows and ears respectively. I do not have any gripes about the quality of these guides, but some of them do not fit securely and I am at a loss to explain why.

9. Wahl Color Pro Cordless – Best Wahl Clipper for Money

Wahl’s Color Pro Cordless with its corded brother is the best-selling of all clippers on Amazon. One of the major reasons behind their success is their mind-bogglingly low price for the value they offer. This also is one of Wahl’s home hair-cutting kits. Obviously, the one fact Wahl proudly presents in this clipper is its cordless ability. It works on a Ni-MH battery and delivers 60 minutes of runtime with a single charge.

It has an all-plastic casing with a weight of half a pound. I would like to irritate one fact that the clipper itself is different from that of corded Color Pro. It weighs in at 0.5 lbs versus 1.1 lbs of the Color Pro. Moreover, it is more compact than the Color Pro. It has more of a uniform length as opposed to the bigger head of the Color Pro.

It works on a rotary motor that delivers 110 to 240 RPM which is a good speed for a personal use trimmer. The blades it uses are self-sharpening precision blades but it is detachable one meaning you can detach it from the clipper. You can detach it for cleaning and The blade itself is good, but the part which attaches it to the clipper is of plastic and over time it becomes easily detached. Therefore, you have to take it on and off carefully right from the start.

One of its main marketing points is the color-coded guide combs. These are eight guide combs which include Wahl’s size 1 to size 8 and each of them has a unique color. This helps in easy identification and saves you time and effort in choosing the right guide. In addition, there are right and left ear tapering combs, a brow trim guide, and an ear trim guide. These four guides come in solid black and are purposefully built to cater to specific needs. I like these combs for the fact that they fit securely and do not rattle.

In addition, you get two hair combs, scissors, a cleaning brush, lubricating oil, and a soft storage case with a handle.

10. Wahl Balding Clipper 8110 – Get the Surgical Precision Without Cuts

If you run a barbershop, you need all kinds of tools. In addition, you need quality and reliability. This is what Wahl has been providing for a hundred years now. The next entry on our best Wahl clippers list is again one of its best-selling tools, Wahl Balding Clipper. You have chosen to be bald for whatever reason, this clipper is going to be your next balding buddy.

Starting with the blade, this tool incorporates Wahl’s #2105 blade which is their surgical-grade stainless steel blade. This essentially is a 6 x 0 blade which is the closest blade Wahl has in its ranks. To give you a better idea, it cuts down to 0.2 mm leaving you a very fine stubble. Believe me, this is as close to what you are going to get without using a razor. As it is this sharp, you can get nicks and cuts if you are not careful. I would advise you to not put more-than-needed pressure and if you can zero-gap them that would get rid of the problem.

Right out of the box, this clipper has that “Wahl” clipper look to it. Essentially, it uses the same color combination as we see in some of the other clippers of the 5-star series. It has a black backside and a burgundy topside. It weighs in at 1 pound and at 6.25” long it has a weighty feel to it. The casing is all plastic, but not cheap plastic by any means. Just one feel of this clipper and you will know that this has the potential to serve you some time.

It corporates a V5000 electromagnetic motor. These motors usually have a high blade speed and work like a beast for good fine and short hair. However, surprisingly, this clipper has a relatively quiet function. It is no more than just a buzz.

Just like any powerful clipper, this balding clipper works only corded. However, you would like to know that it comes with an 8-foot chemical-resistant industrial grade cord. As it is made for the US only, it works only on 120V, so it isn’t meant to be a globetrotter.

It comes with two guide combs of 1/16 inches (2mm) and 3/16 inches (4 mm). In addition, you get lubricating oil and it is recommended to oil your clipper before or after each use. You also get a brush and a red blade guard which prevents this nasty little fellow from accidental damages.