JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Over the past year or so, some people have grown what’s known as a quarantine beard. No need to shave if you’re not leaving your house, right?
But as we inch back to normal, looking like an untamed beast may not work anymore. A solution (and possibly a great Father’s Day gift) could be a beard trimmer. And, with so many choices out there, Consumer Reports put them to the test.
“The most important part of a beard trimmer is the blades. So, look for a model with strong, sharp blades made of stainless steel or titanium, which you should be able to find on the packaging,” explained Consumer Reports’ Laura Murphy.
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Consumer Reports recently gave a couple of dozen people donning some scruffy facial hair a beard trimmer to use and share some very honest feedback about their experiences.
“Participants tended to not like trimmers with lots of small, flimsy parts, that were a pain to clean, or had short battery life,” said Murphy.
Beard trimmers the participants tended to like were fully washable, had a travel lock, and felt sturdy and durable.
Two stand-out favorites:
- Remington Smart Beard Trimmer (MB4700) for about $68 Amazon.com: Remington MB4700 Smart Beard Trimmer with Memory Settings and Digital Touch Screen, Rechargeable for Cordless Use: Beauty
- Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 for about $55 Amazon.com: Philips Norelco Multigroom Series 7000 23 Piece Men’s Grooming Kit, Trimmer for Beard, Head, Body, and Face MG7750/49: Beauty
Consumer Reports says both trimmers scored high marks in operation, basic features, and usability. (Find out what the test participants thought of other beard trimmers.)
One other thing to note: While YouTube beard trimming video tutorials can be useful, most of Consumer Reports’ volunteers said they preferred clear, easy-to-follow instructions provided by the manufacturer.