The 9 Best Dog Clippers
Updated by · How we research
Nine dog clippers compared on coat type, noise, power and blade options. The quiet, low-cost oneisall P2 kit is the best pick for most home groomers. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Most clipper burns come from heat, not a sharp edge: a steel blade warms up within minutes, and the thin skin on a dog's belly, groin and armpits marks first. Cheap cordless kits handle short and medium coats at home. Double coats, curls and tangles call for a stronger clipper with blades that swap out when they get hot.
Editor's Notes
October 26, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
A small cordless kit, the oneisall P2, is the new first choice here. It costs a fraction of the old top picks, and a lab that bought and measured clippers found it among the quietest with the cleanest cut. Eight of the ten earlier picks had to go. The Andis ProClip, Wahl Professional Motion, Bousnic Cordless and Wahl Arco have disappeared from sale, the Oster Clipmaster page now shows a different model with no stock, and the Dream Reach, Pet Union and Enjoy shavers have no current listings.
The Wahl Bravura Lithium stays for faces and paws. Wahl now also sells a Bravura 2, and we'll weigh it once it has a longer record. New picks cover the jobs readers ask about: the Andis UltraEdge 2-Speed and Wahl KMC+ for thick and matted coats, two cordless home kits from Wahl, and the Highdas Cordless Kit for small budgets.
The evidence here was measured noise and cutting results from one independent lab, groomers' guides to blade sizes and clipper burns, Wahl's and Andis' published specs, and recall records for every brand.
July 09, 2020:
While I stand by many of the same sentiments I provided last year, I will add that I've always considered grooming an art form. If you've ever observed a dog washer bathe and cut your pet's hair on a grooming table or have seen those grooming competitions on television, you know how much work is involved. Some breeds have coats that lend themselves well to sculpting. For that reason, having a good pair of clippers is necessary for efficiency.
Newly added this year is the Oneisall Shaver Set, which includes both a fixed steel blade and moving ceramic blade, six guide combs in various sizes, and a pair of scissors for making precise cuts in all those hard-to-reach places. Like the Dream Reach Pet Shaver, its quiet operation makes it a good option for pups who tend to get nervous on the grooming table. At least one of my dogs has a "sixth sense" on the days he's scheduled to go in for a trim, meaning he tends to act up. The weird thing is that although he gets super nervous right before he goes, he has a great time at the salon once he arrives, so I'm thinking the cause of his anxiety is attributed more to the anticipation of being separated from his family for a couple of hours and not because he's afraid of the grooming implements.
Great for long-haired breeds, we've added the Pet Union Professional. This one provides a lifetime replacement guarantee and it also comes with a nail trimmer.
Finally, the drop-in rechargeable battery packs and soft storage case accompanying the Wahl Arco make it a convenient option for mobile grooming businesses with a clientele of small to medium-sized breeds.
April 25, 2019:
Blades, versatility, and power are all things you need to keep in mind when investing in a sturdy pair of dog clippers. At the same time, it's also important to realize that pets have individual personalities that respond differently to certain pieces of salon equipment. Additionally, coat types vary depending on the type and size of the breed. This is why having an array of different designs, sizes, and functions are important for these devices.
For example, I added both the Wahl Bravura and Motion models due to their 5-in-1 blade design, constant speed control, and long runtimes, making both of them ideal for extended grooming sessions and gliding easily through coats of varying thicknesses. Also included the Andis ProClip Excel due to its high-torque magnetic rotary motor, which provides enough strength and power to handle canines suffering from extremely matted fur. Now, I don't personally have dogs who shed, but I can tell you that even dogs with hair instead of fur can mat just as easily (e.g. the standard poodle). Poodles are also really prone to knotting close to the base of the coat, so a pair of clippers like the Andis can help to take those out. While the speed of the Oster Volt might (at first) seem like a negative, it really isn't, when you consider that slow precision matters when perfecting a dog's coat for the show ring. Granted, show coats have a greater focus on visual appeal and artistic creativity of the groomer than on simply keeping them clean, but a slower speed will come in handy when working on a pup for a long time so that its blade doesn't overheat. Unlike many of the other items on the list, the Dream Reach Pet Shaver is equipped with a pear wood handle, which is useful for helping to alleviate the stress related to rough vibrations and loud noises. The design also makes it quite elegant looking. Maintained the Furzone 614 for its multi-vented design and ability to run cool during long grooming sessions. The Wahl Motion has a removable scissor grip handle and a handy LED battery level indicator. Also added the Andis UltraEdge for its convenient 14-foot power cord and locking switch that prevents accidental shutoff. I also added the Wahl Arco for its portable design for use by mobile groomers. Finally, added the Enjoy Pet Shaver, as this device is gentle on a dog's skin, while its internal battery can deliver several hours of continuous use.
Special Honors
National Dog Groomers Association of America Founded in 1969 and now run with the American Kennel Club, the NDGAA tests and certifies professional groomers through written exams and practical evaluations. Its National Certified Master Groomer title is worth asking about when a dog's coat is badly matted or needs a breed-standard cut that home clippers can't manage. nationaldoggroomers.com
Match The Clipper To The Coat
Double coats, curly coats and long coats are a different job.
Coat type decides more than price. Short, smooth and medium coats are fine with a light cordless kit, the trimmer-style clippers with a fixed blade and plastic guide combs. Double coats, curly coats and long coats are a different job. They need a stronger motor and a detachable blade, the kind groomers use, because a weak motor stalls and pulls hair.
Corded clippers give steady power for a full haircut, and cordless ones are easier around a squirming dog. Check run time and whether the clipper can keep working on its cord when the battery dies. Noise matters too: TechGearLab measured its picks with a decibel meter and suggests staying under about 65 decibels for nervous dogs. Let a dog hear and feel the clipper switched on before the first cut.
Human hair clippers aren't built for dense fur. They clog and heat up fast. For people's haircuts, see our list of the best hair clippers.
Blade Numbers, Guard Combs And Spare Blades
Detachable blade numbers run backwards: a higher number leaves shorter hair. A #10 leaves about 1.5 millimeters and is the usual blade for sanitary areas and paw pads, a #7F leaves about 3 millimeters for a short body clip, and the larger #4F and #3F leave longer coats. The F means finish, with closely spaced teeth for a smooth look (Groomboard).
Skip-tooth blades have widely spaced teeth that push through thick hair, but they can catch loose skin on a moving dog, so home groomers do better with finish blades. Plastic or metal guard combs set longer lengths, and they go over a #10 or #30 blade. Brush the coat out first, or the comb rides up and the cut turns patchy.
The A5 blade style is a shared standard. Andis UltraEdge blades fit A5-style machines from Andis, Wahl and Oster, so one spare blade of each size you use is easy to find. Fixed-blade home kits need the maker's own replacement head.
Avoiding Clipper Burns And Mats
Heat causes most clipper burns, not sharpness. The thin skin on the belly, groin and armpits is where they show up. Touch the blade to your wrist every couple of minutes, keep a second blade of the same size to swap in, oil the blade often, and use a coolant spray on the blade, not the dog (Groomboard). A dull blade that pulls hair also irritates skin, so have blades sharpened or replaced.
Mats are trickier. A tight mat pulls the skin up into it, so a clipper or scissors can nick skin that sits much closer than it looks. Bathe and brush the coat first, work loose mats out with a comb, and clip under the mat with a short blade only when you can see skin. Badly matted dogs are a job for a professional groomer; the National Dog Groomers Association of America runs a master groomer certification.
After each session, brush hair out of the blade, oil it, and store the clipper dry. Before washing any clipper, read its manual, since some heads aren't meant to come off or get wet.
How we researched this
We compared 20 dog clippers, from budget cordless kits to groomer machines, and read the makers' specs and kit contents for the 9 finalists. We used TechGearLab's measured noise and cutting results for four of them and a related Andis model, groomer guides on blade sizes and clipper burns, and patterns in owner feedback, and checked every brand against U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall records.
Frequently asked questions
What brand of clippers do most dog groomers use?
Andis, Wahl and Oster are the standard brands in grooming shops. Their detachable A5-style blades fit each other's machines, so groomers can mix clippers and blades.
Can I use human hair clippers on my dog?
It's not a good idea. Human clippers aren't made for dense fur, so they clog, pull hair and heat up quickly. A pet clipper with the right blade cuts cleaner and runs cooler.
What do dog clipper blade numbers mean?
Higher numbers cut shorter. A #10 leaves about 1.5 millimeters, a #7F about 3 millimeters, and a #4F or #3F leaves a longer coat. The F stands for finish, a blade with closely spaced teeth.
How often should I oil dog clipper blades?
Every few minutes of cutting is a good rhythm on long grooms, and always at the end. Check the blade's heat on your wrist at the same time, and swap to a cool blade if it feels warm.
What clippers work for a matted dog?
A strong detachable-blade clipper with a short blade, such as a #10, gets under mats best. Brush out what you can first, go slowly, and leave tight or widespread mats to a groomer, since the skin is pulled up inside them.
Do I need grooming scissors too?
Usually. Scissors tidy faces, feet and the edges a clipper leaves, and many home kits include a pair. Blunt-tip shears are the safer choice around eyes and paws.
