Whether you shave, have a beard, or are switching between different looks, your style requires a lot of maintenance. For maintenance, you require a lot of tools, and among such tools come shavers and trimmers.
The million-dollar question of trimmer vs shaver comes to the mind of every man with facial hair. Should I go with a shaver or whether a trimmer is enough for maintaining my style are the types of questions we get frequently.
To settle this matter once and for all, I am going to explain the basics of these tools, how they work and what you can expect to get from each of them.
In short, shavers are devices that give a clean and closer shave. In general, these are a safer and reliable way to get a close yet smooth shave. They also take edge when it comes to creating different beard/mustache styles.
Trimmers, on the other hand, are more like style maintenance tools. Essentially, when you have a particular beard and mustache look, it needs regular trimming to maintain it and trimmers are the tool of choice for such. Contrary to shavers, trimmers help to cut the hair to a particular length and give uniformity to the whole hair growth.
Table of Contents
Table: Breaking Down Trimmer Vs Shaver Battle
| Attributes | Trimmer | Shaver |
|---|---|---|
| Major Benefit | Maintaining a style | Clean and close shave |
| Average Battery time | 2 hours | 45 minutes |
| Efficiency | Less Aggressive | More Aggressive |
| Price | $$ | $$$ |
| Alternative | Scissors and comb | Razors |
Beard Trimmer – Best at Maintaining a Style
For centuries, using scissors and a comb was the preferred method for beard/mustache trimming. However, over time and especially over the last couple of decades beard trimmers have taken the lead.
Men prefer them because they are less risky, are easy to use, and are more precise than conventional scissors and a comb. What else makes them better is the fact that they are less tiresome and less tedious.
Top 5 Beard Trimmers – Convenience Meets Affordability
In the market right now, there are a lot of options when it comes to affordable and efficient beard trimmers. In terms of price, you can get your hands on one far as low as $30. However, a good beard trimmer costs around $50-60$.
Considering the great help they have been to manhood, the price is next to nothing. Following are our picks for best beard trimmers with a couple of their basic attributes.
| Name | Battery | Combs | Waterproof | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wahl Beard Trimmer | 4 hours | 12 | No | Check Price |
| Philips Norelco 5100 | 70 minutes | 3 | Yes | Check Price |
| Brio Beardscape | 4 hours | 3 | No | Check Price |
| Philips Multigroom 7000 | 5 hours | 14 | Yes | Check Price |
| Remington MB4045B | 2 hours | 3 | Yes | Check Price |
Different Parts of Beard Trimmer – Know Your Trimmer Better
Modern trimmers are versatile and serve a lot of different purposes. With each purpose that a trimmer serves, it has some alteration to its basic design. However, the fundamental components in any trimmer remain the same. Here are the basic parts/components of a general beard trimmer.
- Comb
- Cutters
- Motor
- Battery and charger
- Power cord
- Docking station
Mechanism of Action – How a Beard Trimmer Works
In simple words, the working mechanism of a trimmer is the same as used in a conventional method that involves scissors and a comb. You basically lift the hair to a particular length with a comb and then using the scissors hairs are cut off. A trimmer uses the mechanism but being a better machine it is more precise and accurate.
Trimmers essentially feature a motor that runs directly on electricity or on chargeable batteries. You charge these batteries by simply inserting the trimmer in a docking station or by attaching the cables directly. The motor then oscillates the cutters which cut the hair at their disposal.
The basic and important component of any trimmer is the comb. These combs can either be adjustable or fixed. Fixed combs trim the hair to a specific length, however, adjustable combs offer a range of lengths. Some trimmers come with a number of combs and you can adjust them according to your preference.
Comb only allows those hairs to get in contact with the cutters that are bigger than the comb. When exposed to cutters, these are cut off from the top and only the required length remains. Since this comb is fixed and held firmly in place, it provides a precise and accurate trimming of hair. This working mechanism gives uniformity to the whole hair growth.
- An easier and more reliable way of trimming the hair
- Provide accurate and precise trimming
- Easy to use and less time consuming
- Safer than the traditional comb and scissor method
- Travel-friendly
- Does not require any additional grooming product
- Less tiresome
- Beginner-friendly
- Inexpensive
- Batteries expire after several years and so does the motor, not so durable
- Requires delicate handling
Electric Shavers – Best Tool for a Smooth and Close shave
As trimmers are an alternative for conventional comb and scissors, shavers are alternatives for conventional razors. Apart from being electric, these devices work exactly like razors. These devices are used for a clean shave or when entire hair has to be removed from a specific area.
In addition, shavers play an important role in shaping the beard or edges of sideburns. However, their role is slightly different from the trimmer in this regard. I’ll get into that later.
Top 5 Electric Shavers – Efficiency Meets High-Tech
Electric shavers are highly efficient and over some time now have gone through a lot of innovation and invention. With the active presence of some of the leading global brands, they are becoming electric masterpieces to admire.
When comparing to trimmers, they have a relatively broader price range. Their cost can range from around $30 to as high as $400. Following are picks for the best electric shavers in the market right now with a couple of their attributes.
| Name | Running Time | Type | Waterproof | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braun Series 9 | 50 minutes | Foil Shaver | Yes | Check Price |
| Panasonic Arc5 | 40 minutes | Foil Shaver | Yes | Check Price |
| Braun Series 7 | 50 minutes | Foil Shaver | Yes | Check Price |
| Philips Norelco 9000 | 50 minutes | Rotary Shaver | Yes | Check Price |
| Remington F5-5800 | 60 minutes | Foil Shaver | Yes | Check Price |
Different Parts of Electric Shaver – Basic and Advanced
Nowadays, you will find many features and parts in a shaver because of the evolution of technology. Following are some of the usual parts you can see in an electric shaver.
- Foil head/rotary head
- Foil screen
- Cutters
- Motors
- Battery and charger
- Power cord
- Docking station
Mechanism of Action – How Electric Shavers Work
Electric shavers can be broadly classified into two types:
- Rotary Shavers
- Foil Shavers
Rotary Shavers – Best for Long and Fast-Growing Hair
As the name indicates, these shavers have rotating heads at the top. Although most rotary shavers have three heads, the number of heads can vary in different models. There are small openings in all of these heads and these heads positioned are triangularly most often.
Hairs are lifted from the face to enter in small openings of the head to be cut. In addition, this design traces the contours of the face and head as you move the shaver in a circular pattern.
Behind these heads, there are cutters that are held firmly in place. As the heads rotate hair slip into the small openings and are cut off entirely. These cutters need periodic replacement because worn-off cutters can render the shaver useless.
Foil Shavers – Better Choice for Soft Skin
Electric shavers that have an ultra-thin layer of metal covering the surface of blades are often referred to as foil shavers. Just like rotary shavers, there are tiny holes in this foil that trap the hair inside them.
These trapped hairs are then exposed to the sharp blades that are oscillating rapidly which cut the hair. The extremely rapid oscillation also helps in lifting the hair which provides a smooth and close shave.
Both of these shavers come with motors for different purposes. The motor rotates in the heads of rotary shavers while oscillates the blades in foil shavers. They come with batteries which you can charge with chargers or a docking station.
The main aim of both of these shavers is to cut hair from its base and provide a clean and smooth shave. They achieve this by pulling the hair from the skin via different mechanisms and cut them via their cutters. You can get more on the foil vs rotary shaver better here.
- Provide close and precise shave
- More convenient and speedy than traditional razors
- Easy and safe to use than razors
- Less likely to cause skin bumps and ingrown hairs
- Can be used for wet shaving
- One-time investment
- Do not require extra items like gels, soap, etc.
- Not as efficient as traditional razors.
- Skin takes some time to adapt
- The initial cost can be expensive
Conclusion
Trimmer vs shaver may be a never-ending debate for some, but if you look closely you will know that they are two different items built to serve different purposes.
I have tried to outline how each works and some of the basic differences when they serve a specific user base. However, in the end, it comes down to you and the needs you want your tool to meet.
In short, shavers are excellent alternatives to traditional razors. Razors although efficient are riskier and not the best choice for every skin type. However, electric shavers are by far more convenient to use and offer maximum safety.
In comparison, trimmers have reduced the use of conventional scissors and combs for trimming. They offer precision and accuracy in trimming and make your beard/ mustache even more charming. These are a reliable source of maintaining a specific style and cut down the time you need to spend at barbers.
We hope this article answered some of the questions that you might have. If you still have something to ask, not, leave a comment below and we would love to respond.
