This BabylissPro beard trimmer, codesigned with barber tool company Tomb45, arrived this year with a lot of industry fanfare. One of the biggest sells was this trimmer's ability to charge wirelessly on a charging mat (which will run you $50 extra). For barbers who use trimmers all day long, this charging mat is maybe a killer app.
But this thing's lithium-ion battery keeps buzzing for more than three hours by my testing, meaning most home users won't need to charge it more than once every month or two. What I love is the sharp and tight-toothed blade, which is nearly but not quite zero-gapped for clean lines and a close shave. I care about the powerful motor that revs up to 7,500 rpm on “turbo” mode, and I care about the unusually ergonomic rubber grip, which somehow manages to feel stylish while molding comfortably to my hand. And I like the visible battery life indicator.
But especially, I like the innovative upside-down blade, oriented upward so you can see exactly how you're lining up the blade on your neckline, your sideburns, or your cheek line. It's a handy feature for detail work, one that leads to even better visibility than our previous lineup pick, the elegantly designed Wahl Pro Skeleton. I hung onto this Babyliss for months to test durability before adding it among the top picks here.
This is a fade and line-up tool marketed at pros, but it is compatible with standard Wahl trimmer guards if you're not a free-hander. A nice set of guards is $40 from Wahl, assuming you don't have Wahl guards floating around your bathroom cabinet already. (Honestly, I've gotten oddly good at free-handing my beard without trimmer guards, and I get more precise results this way than with guards … but this requires faith, attentiveness, and a steady hand.)
Value pick: Andis T-Outliner for $70. This corded outliner is the device old-school barbers have been trusting for edge work since the phrase was invented. The T-Outiner offers a durable edge on its carbon-steel blades. There are few extra features—just an on/off switch. But this Andis lasts like the dickens, according to testimony from barbers. And it gives good edge. A newer cordless version Andis Slimline Pro exists for basically the same price, though you'll have a hard time matching the long-term reliability on this one.