We Tested 21 Dog Clippers and Found The Best For Your Dog (2024)

Whether your dog gets a full trim every 6-8 weeks or just needs touch ups around the feet, dog hair clippers are likely to come in handy at home. You might be tempted to grab the same trimmers used in your household for beards or personal grooming, but that’s not a great idea. “Dogs generally have more hair compared to the hair on our heads, so a human clipper is not designed to handle that,” veterinarian Dr. Amy Fox, DVM, shared with The Spruce Pets. “Human clippers could just glide over the fur and not actually cut the hair or the tool will get clogged too quickly to be effective.”

We tested 21 dog hair clippers on real dogs with a variety of grooming needs. All human participants are dedicated pet parents, but not professionally trained in dog grooming, so they relied on the instructions supplied by the manufacturer of the product they tested along with our testing methodology.

There’s so much to like about these clippers. The Wahl Professional Animal ARCO Cordless Pet Clippers are lightweight, easy to grip, and battery powered. The clippers have five lengths for trimming—#9, #10, #15, #30, and #40, if you know what you’re looking for—along with four plastic guide combs. As with all clippers, the larger number will cut a shorter length. It allows for precision and careful grooming of ears, faces, and paws on dogs of all sizes with all kinds of coats.

The Arco is 6.75-inches long and easy to maneuver, making it easy for beginners to ease into the process of trimming their pet at home. The sharp blade, made of carbon steel, provides an even and smooth cut through medium coats and did not heat up during our testing, as other clippers often do.

No clippers are truly quiet and these make some noise. One of our testers said their dog is very dramatic and will often shriek around uncomfortable sounds, but the pup didn’t protest with these. They don’t vibrate much, which makes them easier to use and maneuver.

The device is cordless so you can trim your dog from the location of your choice. It's powered by a rechargeable battery which requires 75 minutes for a full charge and runs for 80 minutes. Two NiMH batteries are included along with a storage case, charger, cleaning brush, blade oil, and instruction book. It is slightly more expensive than other clippers, but it's well made, easy to clean, and offers versatility that we feel justifies the price point.

5-in-1 blade has four included guide combs

The Oneisall Rechargeable Cordless Dog Clippers set comes with everything you need to get started with at-home canine trims. The six guide combs—which are made of sturdy plastic and easy to snap on and off—will help you trim your dog's coat to the desired length.

The base is lightweight and comfortable to hold, and the absence of a cord on the clippers removed the possibility of our dog chewing on the cord—a concern that comes with any dog that loves to chew. It also makes it easy to maneuver when you don’t have to worry about the cord getting in the way or slapping against your pet.

Our biggest issue during testing was the battery life. We had to stop halfway through trimming the dog to recharge the clippers, but that was with a large 65-pound goldendoodle who had a lot of fur that needed trimming. The battery is sufficient for most touch-ups without the need to recharge. We also think the blade could be slightly sharper because it would occasionally get stuck in thick fur sections.

Overall, the clippers are sturdy and well-made, and we were impressed with how quiet they operate when compared to other clippers on our list. In addition to the charger and guide combs, the clippers include scissors, a cleaning brush, and blade oil.

Cordless and very quiet

How We Picked

Testing: We purchased 21 dog clippers and trimmers for use on real dogs with their own parent, not professional groomers. The canine participants had a variety of needs, coats (curly, thin, double, long), and areas of interest—including paws, ears, behinds, and full body trims. We considered how easy and efficient each product was to use, to clean, to charge or power, to maneuver along with how loud it was and what the finished results looked like

More We Recommend

Best Corded: The Andis 24675 UltraEdge 2-Speed Clipper has a two-speed motor and a detachable blade that can be removed easily, which makes it easy to clean.

If you’re not used to using corded clippers, learning to maneuver around your dog can be a bit challenging. There’s a sturdy spot where the cord connects to the clipper body. While that reinforced connection makes the clippers more durable, it makes them less agile to use, particularly when working around the belly and feet.

The clippers aren’t the quietest and did get a little warm while in use, but nothing extreme or too different from other dog clippers we tested. Our main gripe with this choice is that the clippers don’t come with any guard combs, which would allow you to move more confidently, knowing you won’t get too close to the skin. They can be purchased separately but, at this price point, it would be nicer if they were included.

Easy to clean after use

Best Upgrade: After testing several sets of clippers, our tester found the Wahl KM Inspire to be superior to many. It feels substantial and well-made and creates a smooth, well-blended coat. The clippers come with four guards which are made of metal, not plastic. They don’t catch on a dog’s coat or pop off easily like plastic ones can. The guards are also labeled with the sizes so it’s easy to choose the one you want.

The clippers were warm and made some noise, but no more so than any other clippers. Because they were heavy, they might be difficult to maneuver for people with very small hands. They’re powerful and sturdy and feel like they’d last a long time. Because professional grooming sessions can be $100 or more, these might be worth the investment if you want to do touch ups in between or want to try grooming at home.

The clipper has two speeds, a hanging loop for storage, and comes in mint green. There’s a substantial 14-foot power cord, which gives you plenty of room to maneuver, but can be a hassle if you’re used to working with cordless clippers.

Blade guards are metal and marked with sizes

Best For Paw Trims: When you have to maneuver around small, delicate areas like the face and the fur between paw pads, Ruri’s Cordless Low-Noise Electric Pet Trimmer is the best choice. It has a slender, narrow head designed specifically for precision trimming in small areas. Two blades and one guide comb are included.

Our testers found them very comfortable to hold and the clippers did not heat up with use. They are very quiet compared to many other clippers, but they do vibrate slightly. They are cordless, so they are particularly easy to get up close. They require one AA battery which isn’t included in the package. The clippers are available in two colors: black and silver or white and gold.

Comfortable and easy to use

Other Dog Clippers We Tested

In addition to our winners and recommended dog clippers, we also tested:

Hansprou Clippers: These are a decent budget pick if you’d rather have corded clippers so you don’t have to worry about constantly recharging batteries. There’s an adjustable wheel on the trimmer, which comes in handy, and it comes with six guides. It’s a good trimmer, but just not our favorite.

Oneisall Rechargeable Cordless Dog Clippers: Another pick for delicate areas like paws and the face, these clippers are reasonably priced and come with two blades, a cleaning brush, and a charging cord. They are relatively quiet and have a charge that lasts about two hours.

Holdog Dog Clippers: These clippers come with an adjustable blade cutter head and six guide combs. The battery has 3-4 hours of run time, but the clippers are louder than most of the other ones we tested.

Wahl Bravura Lithium Ion Clippers: Like our top pick, also from Wahl, these have a five-in-one blade. You can use it with or without the cord, as long as you keep the battery charged. Price varies depending on color.

Why Trust The Spruce Pets?

This roundup was updated with our latest testing data by Mary Jo Dilonardo, a contributor for The Spruce Pets who has fostered over 80 dogs and puppies, and Anna Mejorada, an editor for The Spruce Pets, who shares her home with a lovely pomeranian named Gidget and uses Ruri's Cordless Low-Noise Electric Pet Trimmer to keep Gidget’s paws trimmed.

For this article, we consulted with three veterinarians, Dr. Amy Fox, DVM, Dr. Claudine Sievert, DVM, and Dr. Sara Ochoa, DVM.