Best beard trimmer for thick coarse hair – 5 insider picks…

If you have thick coarse hair finding the right trimmer will be paramount in making sure that you can keep the edges sharp. You’ll need to find a trimmer that has a sturdy build, sharp blades and a strong motor. Here we will take a look at your options for buying the best beard trimmer for thick coarse hair!

Be warned though – your glorious thick beard will need a premium product!

Finding the perfect trimmer for thick coarse hair is tough. My pick for thick coarse hair is the OSTER Fast Feed Adjustable Pivot Motor Clipper. You need a trimmer that has enough power to get through your beard and produce a clean edge! That’s why I only recommend corded trimmers.

Well done you on looking for a beard trimmer that matches the thickness and qualities of your hair!

You see, there’s a massive range of human hair thickness – from 17 to 180 µm (thats 0.00067 to 0.0071 in), a ratio of more than ten to one!

It also varies enormously in its growth pattern and density, not only from person to person but also in different areas of the same person’s face.

This helps us understand why there’s such a huge variation in people’s shaving and trimming experience. You can’t rely on your friend’s recommendation unless they have the same ethnicity, age, and hair density as you!

It’s our genetic make-up that decides whether we have thick or thin hair:

  • Europeans consider hair with a diameter of 0.04 to 0.06 mm as thin, a diameter of between 0.06 and 0.08 mm as normal, and hair with a diameter between 0.08 and 0.1 mm as thick.
  • Asian hair is significantly thicker. The average diameter of Asian hair is 0.08 to 0.12 mm.
  • European hair has a flatter shape, while Asian hair has a rounded cross-section.

In a hurry? Here’s my pick!

OSTER Fast Feed Adjustable Pivot Motor Clipper 

4.3 out of 5 Stars

  • Powerful, Whisper Quiet Pivot Motor, Steel Blade Adjusts Between Size 000 and 1
  • Cuts Through All Types of Hair (Wet or Dry)
  • Ergonomic Design For All Day Cutting, Textured Housing Provides Easy Grip
  • 4 Guide Combs: Blending, 1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″, 8 Ft Power Cord
  • Includes Blade Guard, Lubricating Oil & Cleaning Brush

Pros

+ Quiet operation

+ Long cord

+ Powerful for thick, curly hair.

Cons

~ Can get a little warm

~ No storage case

Recommended products:

Product nameLink to product
Wahl T-Styler Pro Link
Wahl Professional Peanut ClipperLink
Panasonic Multigroom Beard TrimmerLink
OSTER Fast Feed Adjustable Pivot Motor Clipper Link
Andis 23475 PivotPro T-Blade Link

Product reviews

Wahl T-Styler Pro

4.2 out of 5 Stars

This stylish trimmer comes with all of the accessories that you need to get your beard lines looking sharp. This is the first in our T-blade recommendations. The -blade overhang allows you to get nice sharp edges to your beard and also allow you to get the cutting edge really close to your lines.

  • Edging – Get crisp clean lines & sharp edges with Wahl’s zero overlap blades; Blades are 0.2 mm and leave a crisp ash line for excellent line definition with the power of a full-size clipper in a easy to hold compact trimmer unit
  • Bump-Free Dry Trimming – Edge Pro’s zero overlap precision ground T-blade provides a super close, clean shave without causing razor bumps; High-torque rotary motor & precision machines drive components allow for professional quality shaving at home
  • 12 Individual Blade Guards – Edge Pro allows for 12 cutting lengths with included guide combs. Featuring 12 guide combs for haircuts and trims; Included attachment combs range from short (1/8”) to long (1”)
  • Durable Wahl Blades – Our high carbon precision ground blades are durable and stay sharp longer than other blades. The high-quality trimmer, clipper, & detailer blades provide smooth hair clipping, beard trimming, beard & neckline detailing, and total body grooming
  • The Brand Used by Professionals – Wahl clippers and trimmers have been used by professionals in the salon & barber industry since 1919. With self-sharpening precision blades Wahl clippers, shavers & trimmers deliver a smooth shave

Pros

+ Low skin irritation

+ Sharp lines

+ Long cord

Cons

~ A little bit buzzy

~ No switch to adjust blade cutting height like the pro


Wahl Professional Peanut Clipper

4.5 out of 5 Stars

This quirky little trimmer is a fantastic addition to your beard trimming tools. It is used by professionals because it has the power that is required for cutting through thick hair.

This little trimmer packs a punch with users saying that it cuts through their really thick beard hair!

  • It delivers the sharp performance that experts demand.
  • It is specifically designed for smooth, precise, and ultra-close trimming on thick, textured, and multicultural hair types.
  • It allows you to create any design with ease due to its size.

Pros

+ 7 foot cord

+ Easy to maneuver due to it’s small size

+ Plenty of power

Cons

~ guards need clear markings

~ limited guard selection supplied


Panasonic Multigroom Beard Trimmer

4.3 out of 5 Stars

This trimmer comes corded and no corded so if you want the power of a corded clipper but the convenience of a battery-powered clipper when using on other areas of your beard or body – this may be the perfect set of clippers for you!

  • 2015 Men’s Health Grooming Award
  • Multigroom Beard Trimmer: The all in 1 trimmer uses durable, super sharp 45 degree angle stainless steel, hypoallergenic blades to cut quickly and cleanly for efficient beard, head, body, and face hair grooming
  • Adjustable Beard Trimmer Dial: The quick adjust trimmer dial and three comb attachments provide 39 precision settings for personalized sculpting, trimming, cutting and detailing
  • Slide Up Trimmer: Slide up 45 degree trimmer built into the men’s electric razor adds the perfect trimming and detail to beards, mustaches and sideburns
  • Ergonomic, Rubberized Grip: The ergonomic beard and hair trimmer design with rubberized grip provides for total comfort and control; Clean the trimmer in seconds under warm running water
  • Cordless/corded Operation: Use the trimmer cordless anytime, anywhere for up to 50 minutes with rechargeable battery power or plug in for longer use; Includes three comb attachments, a cleaning brush, ac adapter/charger and universal voltage for international travel (ac 100 240v) charging time 1 hour
  • Max Power Consumption: 2 W

Pros

+ Easy to clean (washable)

+ Corded and Cordless function

+ Easy length adjustment

Cons

~ hard to get close to the nose when trimming

~ Hard to read battery charge indicator


OSTER Fast Feed Adjustable Pivot Motor Clipper 

4.3 out of 5 Stars

This trimmer may not win any design awards but it is trusted by many as a powerful and reliable trimmer. The trimmer blades are able to be removed and cleaned – which is perfect for replacing and maintaing the blades for many years of service.

If you want something that is trust worthy you many want to look at these trimmers!

  • Powerful, Whisper Quiet Pivot Motor, Steel Blade Adjusts Between Size 000 and 1
  • Cuts Through All Types of Hair (Wet or Dry)
  • Ergonomic Design For All Day Cutting, Textured Housing Provides Easy Grip
  • 4 Guide Combs: Blending, 1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″, 8 Ft Power Cord
  • Includes Blade Guard, Lubricating Oil & Cleaning Brush

Pros

+ Quiet operation

+ Long cord

+ Powerful for thick, curly hair.

Cons

~ Can get a little warm

~ No storage case


Andis 23475 PivotPro T-Blade 

3.7 out of 5 Stars

These are another T-blade recommendation for getting those beard lines crisp! This trimmer is perfect for beards and easy to clean.

The T-shaped blades help you see where you are cutting and to get into the tricky bits in the nose and mustache.

  • Powerful pivot motor for professional trimming and light-duty clipping
  • 4-times the power of comparable magnetic motor trimmers
  • T-blade is ideal for trimming necks, beards, moustaches and edging around ears
  • Fine cutting teeth for extremely close trimming
  • High-quality, stainless-steel blades for long cutting life

Pros

+ Great for beards

+ Precision cutting

+ Light and agile

Cons

~ Only four guides

~ Some reports of under-powered cutting


Buyers guide for best beard trimmer for thick coarse hair

When you are looking for the best beard trimmer for thick coarse hair you need POWER and lots of it! Here’s what I think you should look for in a trimmer if you need the best beard trimmer for thick coarse hair!

Get corded not battery

Battery-powered trimmers will struggle to cut really thick coarse hair consistently. So make sure that you can plug it into the wall so you can be sure to get those lines that your beard needs to look sharp!

There’s nothing more frustrating than the whining sound of a trimmer’s battery dying! If you’ve got thick coarse beard hair – you’ll be all too familiar with that sound. Plus, corded trimmers tend to be much more reparable than battery-powered trimmers. They are also more environmentally friendly – if that is your thing – no toxins released into the environment upon disposal!

So, do yourself a favor and get a corded trimmer and reap the rewards of power and repair-ability!

Don’t buy cheap – you’ll regret it

Yes, we have all been there!

When we start looking for products and we stop looking at the features and quality of a product and we end up comparing on price!

“…this one has all of the features I want BUT THIS ONE is half the price…”

Trimmers that are half the price are half the price for a reason. Most of the time that reason is that they have been made to break. Planned obsolescence is a real concern when you are looking for quality products.

Do your self a favor and re-frame that thought process. Sure it’s more expensive but you’ll only have to buy once every 20 years…not every couple of years like with the cheaper products.

This will cause you a lot of hassle in the long run – especially if you have a thick beard!

Get replaceable blades!

The most important part of a trimmer is the cutting surface and blades.

It you have thick hair – it makes sense that they will dull quicker than someone with lighter or thinner hair.

If you are looking for a great beard trimmer for thick coarse hair I’d encourage you to only get trimers with replaceable blades. Also, because you can take them off you can clean the hair from underneath the blades and oil it up well – something I do once every couple of months!

Replace them about once a year and you’ll be sure of a proper cut every time!

Patents for beard trimmers for thick

This topic has also gained a lot of traction from innovators!

Here are a couple of patent applications that adjust the trimming power based on how thick the trimmer senses the beard to be…

Electric shaver in which motor rotational speed is controlled according to beard thickness

Electric shaver

Is that something you’d be interested in?

The Author


Andy Stapleton

Andy is a writer and YouTuber with a PhD in science. He has written and/or produced videos for Science Alert, COSMOS magazine, and Australia's Science Channel among others. He is an avid beard grower and after many years of growing and trialling different beard styles, he started this blog to share the tips, tricks, and science that he has learned along the way!