Pros and Cons Reviews About Best Cordless Hair Clippers
The inquiry
- Who this is for
- Why you should trust us
- How we picked
- How nosotros tested
- Our pick: Wahl Elite Pro Loftier Performance Pilus Clipper Kit
- Budget option: Wahl Colour Pro Plus Haircutting Kit
- Upgrade pick: Oster Fast Feed Adaptable Pivot Motor Clipper
- Also keen: Remington Most Indestructible Haircut and Beard Trimmer
- Care and maintenance
- What to look forward to
- The competition
- Sources
Who this is for
Cut your ain hair isn't terrifically hard, but it is easy to mess upwards. And one way to really mess up is to cut pilus without using the right tools. For the cost of an boilerplate haircut ($25 to $sixty or and then), three of our picks will hands handle the task for yous. Clippers tend to last an extremely long time, so for not much outlay, yous can have a useful device on hand for many, many years to come (one expert said he knows of barbers who have decades-old clippers in daily use at their shops). Since the pandemic hit in 2020, more and more people have been doing at-domicile pilus maintenance—for themselves and others. If you program to keep maintenance trims or shaves betwixt professional person cuts (or skip salons and barber shops entirely), it's worth investing in a tool that you similar to use and is easy to maintain.
Why you lot should trust us
For this guide, we initially consulted Benjamin Mohapi, owner of Benjamin Salon in Los Angeles and New York City, who has been a professional person hairstylist for 3 decades; Eric Aleman, owner of King of Kings Barber Shop in Brooklyn; and Ivan Zoot, a renowned barber and clipper proficient. For our 2021 update to this guide, we also consulted freelance hairstylist Topher Gross and, separately, Simon He of Techni Salon NY. At the kickoff of the pandemic, Gross—who has been cutting hair for decades—taught people how to cut their own hair, on Zoom and other online platforms (and occasionally outdoors). Separately, He and the staff at Techni Salon NY tried all the clippers nosotros considered in 2020 and 2021 to compare them with their favorite tools and provide technical feedback to help the states narrow downwardly options for our at-home testers.
Dissimilar with beard trimmers, with hair clippers there aren't a lot of good-quality traditional reviews available (though there is an unbelievable wealth of information, including reviews and clipper-technique tutorials, on YouTube). We as well relied on input from guides published by Buzzcut Guide and Balding Beards, and nosotros consulted thousands of detailed customer reviews.
Arabelle Sicardi is a beauty writer and editor currently working on a nonfiction volume, The House of Beauty, about the beauty industry. They've been on the beauty crush for over a decade and buzzed their ain and their partner'due south hair at home, both before the pandemic and during it. Since 2010, they've covered at-home hair intendance—from fizz cuts to hair coloring—at Rookie and for publications including Teen Vogue and Allure.
Jon Hunt, an editor on Wirecutter's smart-home team, has been a reporter and writer since the tardily '90s, covering a broad range of topics with a long-standing focus on consumer products and technology. He besides has a fair amount of experience cutting his ain hair, having practiced on and off for more than a decade.
How we picked
Compared with many of today's household devices, pilus clippers are decidedly low-tech. However, their components are worth evaluating individually.
Among the clippers we considered, the guide combs (the clip-on pieces that slot onto the lower bract and create distance betwixt the blade and the head, to create longer or shorter cuts) ended up being the biggest differentiators. Second to technique, they play a big part in deciding the result of a haircut, only they are ofttimes disruptive to non-professionals. Salon possessor Benjamin Mohapi cautioned in particular confronting models with flexible or too-few combs: "Sometimes you'll observe combs that won't properly spike parallel to the razor edge, or have extra $.25 that crusade the lines to be crooked—and so you'll never go make clean results, and may go nicks or gouges." We found information technology was very important to take a nice prepare of potent, well-labeled guide combs that attached securely.
There is no universal sizing for combs. They typically run from size 1 (which translates to ⅛ of an inch of pilus) in ⅛-inch increments up to size eight (which translates to 1 inch). Withal, some companies offer sub-increments in between and may even take clips that allow for pilus longer than an inch. (These lengths refer to the height of the pilus left behind, non how much is cutting off. Using a size-ane rummage, for example, leaves ⅛ inch of hair on your head.) Some companies simply label the combs in fractions of an inch, which is misreckoning and like shooting fish in a barrel to confuse in the moment. Annoyingly, each brand of clipper has its own proprietary physical shape (and sometimes more than one), so y'all generally can't apply combs from ane brand of clipper on some other clipper. (Some "universal" replacement sets are available, simply as many customer reviews relay, they aren't truly universal.)
Combs are made of different types of plastic, which in our tests turned out to exist a major factor in their usefulness. If they are as well rigid or sharp, they can scrap or interruption or may exist uncomfortable to scrape across a scalp. If they are too flexible, they can hands curve and flex equally they are pushed against the scalp, resulting in different hair lengths and leaving furrows (like you lot'd see in a farm field). Some comb designs allow besides much play: They can trap and pull hair, snap on crookedly, or even popular off in the middle of a haircut. Nosotros found combs made of rigid ABS plastic to be the best performers.
Among the clippers we tested, at that place was some variety in blade materials. But our experts agreed that for virtually home users, even a depression-end bract volition dutifully cutting hair for years or even decades. All clippers take a pair of stainless or carbon steel (or, at the high end, ceramic) blades with teeth; the lesser blade is fixed, and the top blade is connected directly to the motor and oscillates side to side to cut pilus. When oiled, carbon models self-sharpen, only they are susceptible to rust. Stainless steel is rust-resistant and may be self-sharpening. The hair length that a rummage-less bract leaves depends on the clipper, though it's oftentimes one-sixteenth of an inch; if the clipper has a taper lever (more on that in a minute), y'all can adjust that length.
A taper lever is an advanced feature—a little doodad institute on the side of a clipper that increases or decreases hair length more finely than yous can get by switching combs or shifting the bottom blade forrad or back. Ideally, when cut hair you lot tin adjust the lever with a finger, but it shouldn't be loose enough that information technology slips due to a bump or vibration (otherwise y'all could stop up with different hair lengths). Nosotros found that some taper levers were too easy to movement accidentally while cutting hair. Only among pros with the technical adequacy, a taper lever is an essential element for blending and fading between different lengths of pilus, especially on the side of the head. For a home-haircutting enthusiast, though, its value is extremely subjective.
A clipper'due south housing is almost always plastic, though high-cease models like the Andis Main may exist metal. Aside from material, a clipper's size is a major consideration: A larger model, such as the Wahl Color Pro Plus, is at the upper limit of acceptable size for an adult'south mitt; the smaller, palm-sized models, like the Remington Nearly Indestructible, tend to exist much more than comfortable to hold.
As clipper expert Ivan Zoot told us, virtually not-professional clippers take many of the same parts equally pro models, just the non-pro models have been stripped downwardly to trim their price. The power string is a common corner to cut: Pro models have thick, round, shielded ability cords that are eight feet or longer; not-pro models oft take thin, lamp-wire-way cords that tend to tangle, can fray, and may exist only 5 anxiety long or and then.
On the advice of our experts and owner reviews, nosotros primarily looked for corded models merely because they'll reliably power through the job without needing a recharge. A haircut can take a while, and the risk of getting left with a drained battery and one-half a haircut isn't worth the extra convenience. Nosotros did opt to try two cordless models, since they can be handy for outdoor use.
As is true of blades, when information technology comes to motors, about abode users wouldn't notice much difference between types—other than their loudness. Magnetic motors, which all our picks have, are the nigh common and make a signature whap racket when turned on. The other options are pin motors, which run slower and accept a pleasant hum. One of our experts suggested that advances in magnetic motors are making pin motors effectively obsolete.
The models we selected to test ranged in price and earned high reviews from publications, owners, or both. They all met our hardware criteria: a high-quality razor, a powerful motor, a range of included combs, a long and sturdy power string that doesn't tangle easily, user-friendly maintenance, and ergonomic considerations (weight, comfort, and noise).
How we tested
During our calm testing, nosotros were able to try out clippers on a wide range of hair types, from extra-fine to thick, from direct to kinky, and from thin (or thinning) to dumbo. The authors tested a range of clippers on themselves and members of their households. In 2016, we recruited an adept barber, Eric Aleman of the King of Kings Barber Shop in Brooklyn, to test several contenders on a client and to offer his opinions and insight. In 2021, before narrowing down the options, we recruited Simon He at Techni Salon NY to similarly test contenders.
In 2020 and 2021, we recruited a panel of 7 testers with assorted hair types and textures—also equally varying levels of haircutting feel—to endeavour out the clippers at home. And our panel included folks of different ages: One tester used clippers on their whole household, including on a immature kid who needed a cutting, while other testers were in quarantine lone and used mirrors to go the job done.
We asked participants to give their opinions of each of the clippers and accessories they tried out, without knowing the prices of whatever of the models. They noted whether the clippers slowed, chock-full, or pulled. They also noted how comfy the clippers were to concord due to size, weight, and vibration, besides as the ability-cord length. Participants noted the quality of guide combs and how easy they were to use, how easy clippers were to clean and maintain, and the quality of any boosted accessories, such every bit hair clips, capes (for covering clothes during a cut), and carrying cases. At the end, nosotros asked participants to choice the model they favored and would be most comfortable using themselves.
Our pick: Wahl Aristocracy Pro High Performance Hair Clipper Kit
Our pick
The Wahl Elite Pro High Performance Hair Clipper Kit met or exceeded the quality or operation of all the other models nosotros considered in nearly every fashion. It has the most reliable and like shooting fish in a barrel-to-use guide combs of any clipper nosotros've tried; in our tests, this turned out to exist a key differentiator between an okay hair clipper and a dandy one. The Wahl Elite Pro besides features sturdy housing and a pro-grade power cord, a powerful yet quiet-enough motor, and a useful and rugged hard-plastic carry instance.
Nosotros were drawn to the Wahl Elite Pro for its selection of 10 guide combs, including two one-half-sizes for extra-fine control of pilus length. These combs are fabricated of rigid ABS plastic and include stainless steel retaining clips that are riveted on securely. Comb quality is crucially important in distinguishing among clippers, since combs significantly affect the cutting experience and are expensive to upgrade or supersede. (One model nosotros tested had a bent "tooth," or fin, on 1 of its combs. And a few of the models came with guide combs that either attached unreliably or wouldn't seat perfectly, so the edge could be lifted or could even pop off.)
The Wahl Aristocracy Pro'south build quality is a noticeable footstep above that of most mid-tier models available in big-box stores. The upper part of the housing isn't hollow-feeling; it is fabricated of rigid plastic, with texture for a secure grip. The taper lever at the side, for blending pilus, allows you to make adjustments via a screw, but out of the box it functioned smoothly in our tests (though non as precisely as the levers on pro models like the Andis Master or the Oster Fast Feed). The circular string is plenty long (viii anxiety) and equally thick as those on pro models. And this is the only clipper nosotros considered with a Velcro wrap near the plug, to gather the cord and brand storage tidier. Past comparing, the Andis Headliner and Wahl Chrome Pro have lamp-wire-style cords.
Almost all clipper kits come with at least one questionable accessory—like inexpensive scissors or a garbage-bag-quality greatcoat—that seems great until yous take to constrict it in a drawer or root through a pile of them to detect what you lot desire. Our pick comes with a useful assortment of 10 combs that are clearly labeled and easier to sort than those of most competing models; nigh take combs with incommunicable-to-read, raised black-plastic numbers on black plastic. (We plant it even easier to grab the combs we wanted while using the Wahl Color Pro Plus kit, which has color-coded combs.) The Wahl Elite Pro'southward hard-plastic case is compact, and it has a quality clasp and rigid hinges that allow information technology to seal correctly.
In his 2016 test run with the Wahl Aristocracy Pro, barber Eric Aleman noted its heft and bulk merely likewise the taper lever's ease of use and the ability to cut precise fades. One of our 2021 at-home testers commented that this clipper had a "sharp design, adept grip, [and] very skillful accessories."
The Wahl Elite Pro is covered past a five-twelvemonth warranty.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The Wahl Aristocracy Pro lacks a T-blade attachment, or companion trimmer, which allows for close cut around the ear, in the dorsum, and around facial hair without accidentally nicking an ear or creating a bald patch. (Our budget option, some other Wahl, comes with an ear-trim guide comb.)
The Wahl Elite Pro is at the upper weight limit of what'south comfortable to agree (just under a pound, at fifteen⅞ ounces). But information technology's non overly heavy, and it doesn't vibrate uncomfortably. Compared with the Remington Virtually Indestructible (a smaller and quieter model we similar), the Elite Pro has a slightly louder magnetic motor, but it isn't obnoxiously loud.
Upkeep selection: Wahl Color Pro Plus Haircutting Kit
Budget choice
Wahl Color Pro Plus Haircutting Kit
Affordable and dependable
This clipper provides a similar experience to cutting with our pick, but the Color Pro Plus comes with less-rigid guide combs, which some testers found a bit flimsy. It does take an reward over the pricier Wahl Elite Pro: Color-coded combs make information technology easy to chop-chop grab the i you want.
The Wahl Colour Pro Plus Haircutting Kit offers a clipping experience very similar to that of our pick; the key difference is in the pattern of the attachments. Colour-coded, clearly labeled guards arrive easier to find the right ones, eliminating time spent on clipping overall. Compared with the Elite Pro'due south guide combs, nonetheless, the Colour Pro Plus's combs are a touch flimsier and do non have the metal reinforcements. However, nearly of our 2021 at-home testers preferred the Colour Pro Plus's combs. "The colour-coded guards were like … transcendent," ane tester said.
Many longtime owners consistently give the Color Pro Plus high ratings and agree that this clipper is a great value overall. Some reviewers note that they've repurchased this kit once the clipper blades dulled, though many say that they did non perform the suggested upkeep (oiling the blades, sharpening them, and cleaning them out) between uses. The Colour Pro Plus's storage box is a footling smaller than the Elite Pro'southward, and it'south not quite every bit sturdy. If space is a deciding gene for you, this kit will accept upwardly less space overall than our peak choice. And—more of a feature than a issues—several testers considered this clipper to be "toy-like" in design compared with the other options they tried. Although the Color Pro Plus's housing is slightly larger than the Elite Pro's, the Color Pro Plus weighs a touch less than our pick. And it has a 7-foot lamp-wire-style cord.
The Colour Pro Plus also comes in a cordless version, though it has a different motor and includes four fewer guards. It offers roughly sixty minutes of service. "It'due south wireless and powerful, [and] it'south piece of cake to employ," remarked Simon He.
Like the Elite Pro, the corded Colour Pro Plus is covered by Wahl'south five-year warranty.
Upgrade pick: Oster Fast Feed Adaptable Pivot Motor Clipper
Upgrade pick
The Oster Fast Feed Adjustable Pivot Motor Clipper is a staple of barbershops considering of its power, ruggedness, and reliability—it tin can work all day without fatiguing the stylist or causing its motor to overheat. This clipper has more muscle than about people need at home. Merely compared with other pro-level models we tested, the Oster is considerably easier to utilise and by and large less expensive. At fourteen⅝ ounces, it's as well lighter than both of our Wahl picks.
Our testing confirmed the Oster Fast Feed's reputation: It's comfortable to agree and maneuver, particularly its taper lever, which you lot can arrange with a pollex. The Fast Feed is smaller than both of the Wahls we recommend, it'southward easier to hold, and its electric hum is really pleasant to the ear. The included guide combs fit securely and are made of a rigid plastic, only there are simply four of them, versus our main pick's ten (y'all can buy additional guards separately to accommodate longer hair lengths). The Fast Feed'south cord is thick but supple, and at 8 feet it leaves plenty of slack for maneuvering around.
Oster'due south warranty, at simply ane year, is not as robust every bit the warranties for our Wahl and Remington picks.
Also bully: Remington Almost Indestructible Haircut and Beard Trimmer
Also great
If you're more often than not clipping your own hair, the smaller, lighter, and easier-to-maneuver Remington Nigh Indestructible Haircut and Beard Trimmer may be a better choice than our heavier picks. The Remington's lightweight (7½ ounces), palm-sized housing—coupled with rubberized grips—is the virtually comfortable of any nosotros tried. Our testers specially appreciated this clipper when they guided it forth the back of their heads while looking in a mirror—that's a tricky maneuver, specially when cutting along the hairline. This model is the best by far for smaller easily, and its mesh storage instance takes up a minimal amount of room.
The clipper'southward eight included guide combs are made of rigid ABS plastic, so they don't deform and exit rails marks or trap and pull out hair when pressed confronting your head. They attach and seat firmly, unlike on some other models nosotros tested, whose attachments had plenty play that they could proceed crooked or pop off altogether.
This Remington likewise has a thick but pliable viii-pes power cord that seems tough enough to concluding years just likewise wraps hands for storage. In addition, this model is extremely placidity, despite its magnetic motor. I of our at-home testers questioned its effectiveness solely for that reason: "It'south too quiet to actually be cutting hair, correct?" A long-term tester who uses the Near Indestructible with her children finds the low noise level to be a big plus. "My kids barely notice it above the sounds of whatever Wild Kratts episode they're watching while I cutting," she said.
For some other tester, though, the Virtually Indestructible trimmer roughshod brusk because it couldn't cutting quite as close as our other picks: "As someone who shaves, the baby-sit it provides doesn't run into my needs," they said. "The shortest information technology goes to is not [brusque] enough."
Though this model lacks a taper lever for finessing a fade or blend, well-nigh of our testers didn't miss it for at-dwelling house uses (none of our haircutting novices attempted to do their own fades).
Though nosotros call up the 8 included rigid guide combs are a step up from the typical flexible plastic ones found in many sets, they tin can experience a little likewise pointy and abrupt. If they're not angled properly when y'all're cutting, information technology'due south piece of cake to jab your scalp. (Full disclosure: It hurts.) The Virtually Indestructible besides comes with fewer combs than our option and budget pick exercise, and information technology doesn't include left- and right-ear tapered guide combs, as our recommended Wahls do. The Nigh Indestructible doesn't offering the closest shave, either, considering that the smallest guard is ⅛ inch. Our testers institute that wanting.
The Almost Indestructible is the only 1 of our picks covered by a lifetime warranty (blades excluded).
Care and maintenance
Every adept we spoke with repeated the same bones mantra: Oil your clipper's blade, and information technology will last years, even decades. (Or, every bit Ivan Zoot put it, "Accident dryers and clippers do not die: They are only murdered.") Oiling cuts down on friction then the blade doesn't snag your pilus or heat up and burn your skin. What's fifty-fifty more astounding is that, per client reviews and our ain feel, clipper blades regularly alive years, a decade, perhaps several—fifty-fifty without a single drop of oil. So if you are the sort to hold on to any device until it dies, your investment will likely exist with y'all for a long time—all the more than reason to pick a winner. (Arabelle's begetter has been faithfully using his love Philips Norelco clippers for decades. Ever loyal to his vintage clippers, he refused to exam these newcomers.)
If you desire tiptop functioning, a five-point oiling goes like this: Earlier each apply, place a drop on each side of the bract and ane in the middle while the blade is running; then place one on either side where the moving lower blade rubs against the fixed upper blade. Move the razor around a bit to let the oil travel—simply then tip it so the blades indicate downward, to permit backlog oil run out, abroad from the motor (which can get gummed up over fourth dimension). Turn off the clipper and gently dab the excess oil away with a tissue or towel, being sure not to snag fibers or paper.
Most manufacturers too recommend that, post-obit a haircut, you wipe away loose hairs with a strong bristle brush (almost e'er included forth with oil), followed by another oiling to prevent potential surface rust. When you run out of the tiny included bottle of oil, y'all tin use nutrient-grade mineral oil instead. Avoid three-In-One, WD-40, or other non-food-safe lubricants, which may crusade a skin reaction.
Many clippers with magnetic motors (as opposed to pivot or rotary motors) have a large adjustment screw located on the side. If your clipper begins to make an annoying and terrifying "chattering" sound, take a medium or big Phillips-head screwdriver and tighten or loosen that spiral until information technology stops; then continue in the same direction another half-plough.
Clippers (even lower-end ones) can take a substantial amount of corruption, but but a unmarried driblet on a hard surface, such as a tiled bathroom floor, can instantly kill a motor or damage the housing enough to make the clipper a lost cause. Barber Eric Aleman cautioned in particular that should you e'er drop a clipper, be sure to immediately inspect the blade for whatever aptitude or (peculiarly) broken teeth. A broken molar volition make instant mincemeat of skin. If the blade isn't replaceable, recycle or toss the clipper, and be sure to cut the ability cord to ensure that someone else who might detect information technology doesn't use it unknowingly.
What to look forward to
For an update to this guide, we programme to consider Wahl'southward Farthermost Grip Pro Hair Clipper, which is outfitted with a nonslip sleeve and comes with 12 guide combs, amongst other accessories.
The competition
The Andis Master is a gorgeous piece of industrial pattern, a dumbbell-heavy, polished aluminum dazzler with a powerful withal quiet magnetic motor. Information technology doesn't come with combs and is really purpose-built for precise, tight fades of the sort but a trained barber is capable of creating. "Information technology's like handling a katana—not merely anyone can utilize it," barber Eric Aleman told us. (All of our pro testers mentioned having information technology in their arsenals at one signal or another.)
The now-discontinued Andis Ceramic BGRC is a wonderful machine: lightweight, comfortable to concur, with a whisper-serenity rotary motor and a ceramic summit blade capable of blazing through thick pilus with ease. The Ceramic BGRC is the Lamborghini Veneno of hair clippers, all precision and perfection. But it's more than twice the price of our selection, so for not-pros it's likely an unjustifiable purchase. And it comes with no attachments. The Ceramic BGRC's suggested replacement, the BGRC Detachable Blade Clipper, is nearly identical to the version we tested.
Nosotros haven't tested the honey Andis T-Outliner, a specialty/companion tool that'due south best for outlining (such as around the ears), shaving, and precision fades.
We wanted to beloved the Andis Headliner Combo, a discontinued 27-piece kit that included a corded clipper as well as a corded trimmer, along with guide combs, scissors, brush, oil, and more than. Only we were put off by the low-quality guide combs, which nosotros found too flexible to exist trustworthy. A company representative confirmed that Andis'south Headstyler Adjustable Blade Clipper (currently unavailable)(which comes in a 20-piece kit) and lower-cost Like shooting fish in a barrel Cut Adaptable Blade Clipper (function of a 12-slice kit) come with the same clipper guide combs the Headliner Combo did.
Similarly, the Wahl Palatial Chrome Pro is a 25-piece kit that, like the Andis Headliner Combo, has flimsy guide combs that didn't seat reliably for usa. The included battery-operated trimmer is useful and is in fact a missing element from our top pick. However, that doesn't redeem the poor-quality combs.
The Wahl Professional person 5-Star Serial Magic Clip Cordless is a pro-level automobile, just the ninety-minute battery life isn't ideal. It comes with viii guide combs (double the number that come with our corded upgrade pick, the Oster Fast Feed). But our testers found the experience of using this clipper to be very similar to using the less-expensive Fast Feed and Wahl Elite Pro models nosotros recommend.
We oasis't tested the corded Wahl 5-Star Senior, which is often compared to the Andis Master and is therefore best for experienced haircutters. Information technology is specifically made for taper work and precision fades—which leads to excellent pro-level particular work. But for at-habitation haircuts, this model may crave unreasonable skill and artistry.
Although beard and body-pilus trimmers are generally not platonic for cut hair, many of them come with guide combs that in a compression can be useful for at-abode haircuts. The Philips Norelco MG7750, our acme-pick bristles trimmer, comes with 14 guide combs, including four meant for caput pilus. Our professional person testers were divided on this model: Information technology's beautifully designed, and the multiplicity of use is great for a varied household. Only this model is not as powerful as any of our hair-clipper picks, and switching its guards when using this model specifically for a haircut is somewhat of a pain.
We previously recommended the Remington HKVAC2000A every bit an choice for easier cleanup. But our 2021 testers consistently found it to be the nigh flimsy model overall, the hardest to agree, and very loud. The vacuum feature—this model sucks upwards loose hair so it doesn't country on y'all or the flooring—is the best and only thing this model has going for it. Only frankly that's not enough of a priority, specially considering that you become better precision with smaller clippers we tried.
Sources
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Eric Aleman, barber at King of Kings Barber Shop , in-person interview , November xxx, 2016
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Simon He, hairstylist at Techni Salon NY, phone and email interviews , March 26, 2021
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Topher Gross, freelance hairstylist , phone and in-person interviews, March 2021
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Benjamin Mohapi, hairstylist at Benjamin Salon, telephone interviews, November 2016
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Ivan Zoot, barber and consultant, phone interview , Nov 21, 2016
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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-hair-clippers-for-home-use/
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