Luckily, if you take it with you on vacation, a fully charged battery will be more than enough. However, I constantly get around 80 minutes — that’s double the official number. Apart from the 2mm guard (SkinGuard), the ER-GK60-S comes with two 3 and 6 mm guards. The groomer itself is pretty slim and lightweight compared to a Philips Bodygroom and this further improves the positive experience. The replacement head for the XT5 (called the XT10) should be pretty easy to source in most countries and according to Braun, it should be replaced every 6 months.
Compare this with the MG7750, which runs for about five hours, or the Lithium Ion+, which was still going strong after its promised four-hour battery life. Still, the Aqua Blade should go at least a couple of weeks between charges, even when trimming a heavy beard daily. It also includes a charging LED to let you know when it needs a charge and when the charge is complete. I originally decided to write this guide after reading quite a few of these lists of the best body hair trimmers.
If you have a rotary shaver, you can use a back-and-forth path or circular motions—your call. The Philips Multigroom 3100 and Multigroom 5100 (currently unavailable) didn’t impress us as much as other Philips models, and each has a battery life of just one hour. Chances are, you won’t need it—several Wirecutter staffers and many online reviewers have used the Peanut for years with no problems. If you break any of the accessories or require a new blade, replacement parts are readily available. The only consistent complaint about the Peanut is that it’s corded.
After years of testing and living with this trimmer, we can also say with confidence that it’s among the most durable we’ve ever found. The main reason it isn’t our pick is because most people prefer cordless beard trimmers. It is preferred by barbers for close-cutting and fine detail work. This beard trimmer also tends to eyebrows, mustaches, nose hairs, and even your head hair—but it shapes up beards best of all.
The Philips Norelco MG7750 has almost everything we could ask for in a beard trimmer. Its motor offers just the right amount of power—enough to make quick work of thick hair, but not so much that a slight slip will remove a large section of a beard or mustache. Its design feels great in the hand, and it saves space because it can stand upright on a countertop or in a medicine cabinet. The MG7750 is an all-purpose beard, hair, and body trimmer; it includes 14 guide combs, trimmer heads in three widths, a small foil shaver head, and a nose hair trimmer. The steel blades are designed to be self-sharpening, no oiling needed. The sole downside is that its stainless steel body makes it relatively heavy and thus less portable than the Philips Norelco MG3750, our budget pick.
At around $220, the Walker & Company Bevel Trimmer is one of the most powerful cordless trimmers we’ve tested, with exceptionally sharp blades. But the design feels odd, and it doesn’t come with an option to attach a guide comb, which is essential for many people. If you want a trimmer with an adjustable guide comb, the Braun BT5265 is a solid choice. It actually has two combs, each of which can be set for 20 different lengths using a top-mounted knob that’s easily flicked with the thumb.
My main gripe with the Bodygroom 7000 is that the push-style trimmer end isn’t quite as effective at cutting the hair on the rest of the body compared to the Bodygroom 5000. philips body groomer Having good battery life is really important with cordless-only body trimmers like this one. Decent battery life is another hallmark of a quality body hair trimmer.
But, if you’re looking for a cheaper option, I’d suggest the Remington Barba above. You can also attach a shaving setting for a proper, old-fashioned wet shave. I find that Gillette’s razors tend to offer some of the closest philips shaver shaves around, and this is no different. I’ve had this Remington option for a while now and, while it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of some pricier models, for its price, there’s nothing better out there.