Beard Trimmer Guard Sizes And How To Choose + [Chart]

Choosing the right beard trimmer guard size can be a headache for most men that have recently started trimming their beards.

In fact, trimming your beard properly and creating awesome styles is not that easy if you don’t know how to choose the guards, where and how to trim, in what order, and so on.

For instance, when I was younger and trying to fade my beard, I always had a very distinct line. And I could not erase this line until I learned about the exact length of each guard of my trimmer and how to ”blend” them properly.

Hopefully, today we will talk about beard trimmer guards and sizes in detail and you will understand everything you need to know.

Without further ado, let’s get into it.

Beard Trimmer Guard Sizes (Inches and mm)

When it comes to trimmer guards and lengths, from the very start, we have to deal with a very specific problem.

Every brand has slightly different numbers that correspond to the length that a specific guard can cut.

What I mean by that is that if you had a Phillips trimmer and used to trim your beard with the #2 guard doesn’t mean that a Wahl’s #2 guard will trim your beard at the same length.

Probably, they do this on purpose and also because they think they know better than the other brand.

So, what can we do to know which guard to choose since every brand has different guard sizes?

Before we get into specific lengths, a good tip for you is to choose a brand you like and trust and stick to it long-term.

This will help you have a clear idea of what to expect from a specific guard and also most probably the trimmer will be very good because you already trust this brand and you have already got other trimmers from them in the past.

Moving on. I have gathered data from the most popular brands and I have created some tables that will give you a clear idea of what to expect. The fact that every trimmer and every brand is different does not necessarily mean that they differ a lot.

I have grouped the ones that are similar.

For example, Phillips, Babyliss, and Braun create extremely precise trimmers with guards that correspond to mm. (#1 guard to 1mm, #2 guard to 2mm, etc)

On the other hand, brands like Andis and Wahl have created their guards to correspond to inches. For instance, #1 guard to 1/8 inch, #2 guard to 2/8 inch, and goes on.

I have tried my best to make ONE table with the average length that trimmers can cut. But, after doing a ton of research I came to the conclusion that for example if you use a Phillips’ and then Andis’ beard trimmer with the same guard (let’s say the #2) you will get different results.

So here are the trimmer guard sizes if you prefer my favorite brand Phillips or Babyliss or Braun.

All numbers are rounded for obvious reasons.

Beard Trimmer Guard Sizes For Philips, Babyliss, and BraunIn InchesIn mm
#01/320,5
#13/641
#25/642
#31/83
#45/324
#53/165
#61/46
#79/327
#810/328
#93/89
#1215/3112
#1621/3216

And below are the guard sizes if you prefer Andis or Wahl or Remington trimmers.

Beard Trimmer Guard Sizes For Andis, Wahl, and Remington In InchesIn mm
#01/161,5
#11/83
#21/46
#33/89,5
#41/212,7
#55/816
#66/819
#77/822
#8125

How To Choose The Right One For You

Choosing the right trimmer depends 100% on your own preferences.

If you want a trimmer that has a variety of guards and can cut very precisely you should choose from those that focus on precision and have created a guard for each mm.

Not because I say so but because mm(s) are smaller than inches.

Therefore, you can focus easier on details.

On the other hand, if you just want to trim your beard a little bit here and there, cut its edges and shape it, trimmers from both categories will be perfectly fine for you.

The trimmer that we currently recommend on this website is Phillips Norelco Multigroom 7000 because it is made of high-quality materials, is all-around, precise, can trim hair as well, and is affordable.

And the price is very important to me. I don’t want you to waste money buying beard grooming products. There are many trimmers that are good but expensive.

If we are not choosing based on how many guards and how deep a trimmer can cut there are many factors that play a vital role. I have discussed those in other articles but I will just reference some of them briefly.

These are the factors that we take and you should also take into account when reviewing or buying a trimmer.

  • Precision
  • Styling Attachments
  • Corded or Cordless
  • Battery Life
  • Design
  • Weight
  • Grip
  • Pricing
  • Waterproof or not
  • Motor
  • Charging time
  • Vacuum or not
  • Maintenance

Are Beard and Clipper Guards The Same Thing?

Beard Trimmer Guard Sizes

Clippers and trimmer are definitely not the same thing but are close.

Hair clippers are created to be able to cut larger chunks of hair. They have a wider head to cover a larger area but on the other hand, this makes it difficult for them to trim smaller areas like mustaches.

Clippers are mostly used to cut longer hair whereas beard trimmers cut shorter hair and can be used for details.

Newer trimers have become more and more powerful over the past few years but hair clippers are traditionally way more powerful than trimmers to be able to cut thick and long hair with pulling hair.

As far as guard sizes are concerned, clippers’ guard sizes vary a lot but for the most part, a clipper will have longer/higher guards while trimmers will focus on smaller/lower guards such as #1, #2, etc.

This happens because normally beards are shorter than hair. (at least they used to!)

All in all, if you choose a high-quality beard trimmer you can cut your head hair, and if you choose a hair clipper with a variety of guards you will be able to trim your beard but it is not optimal.

Obviously, if your trimmer/clipper only has 3-4 non-adjustable guards you won’t have the opportunity to cut your hair and beard as good as you want.

Read Also: Can You Cut Your Beard With Hair Clippers?

Beard Trimmers With A Variety Of Guards

#1 The Best Overall

Phillips Norelco Multigroom 7000

This is our top recommendation and the reasons are multiple. First of all, this is the best-selling trimmer on the market.

It’s packed with features that make everyday life easier, more entertaining, and more productive.

It has 23 pieces that will help you get the style you desire. It also comes with dual-cut technology, which ensures maximum precision and includes 2x more self-sharpening blades (no need to oil them) that last up to 5 years.

This trimmer also delivers maximum torque and power with its full metal motor, reinforced drive train, and cutting guards made of ultra-strong fiberglass material. You can even recharge this trimmer on the go thanks to its lithium-ion battery, which provides up to 5 hours of run-time per full charge.

Of course, there are other good trimmers as well but they are way more expensive than this one. All things considered, this one is the be(a)st.

Finally, if you want to learn more about this product we have written a detailed review of everything this product can and cannot do that you can read here.

#2 Also Great

Braun Beard Detail Trimmer

This trimmer is one that can last for lots of years, possibly your whole life.

Its strongest characteristic is precision. With 39 length settings, its precision is unmatched. It has a precision dial that you will use to change settings without having to constantly change guards.

For some of you that trim your beards or hair in different lengths, this might be really time-saving and helpful.

Braun beard detailer trimmer is also washable and therefore easy to clean and has ultra sharp metal blades and a strong motor and it doesn’t pull hair even if your hair is thick, long, and coarse.

Its battery is ok but nothing special. It lasts about 80 minutes and needs 5 hours for a full charge. You can also use the 5-minute quick charge option that allows 1 trim.

Overall, I like this trimmer a lot and it is one of the best on the market.

#3 Excellent Alternative

Wahl Stainless Steel Lithium Ion 2.0+ Slate Beard Trimmer for Men

This trimmer is also great.

It has an amazing design and it is extremely high-quality. It is not my favorite because it is more expensive than the one we recommend on this website. We want our readers to get the best value for money products.

However, this does not mean that this trimmer isn’t good enough.

It just means that it is a bit pricey. But, that’s ok for many of you.

This awesome trimmer can trim your beard, your hair, your body and also allows touchups. Finally, you can trim nose and ear hair with this one.

I also like its battery that lasts about 6 hours.

On the other hand, its travel bag is not very well-made but it is not very important to us. It is a bit loud too. But again, this is unimportant to us, because it checks many of our boxes and high standards.

Remember all of these trimmers are very high-quality and very popular. We have also used and tested them. (You see we are not reviewing Lamborghinis, we review cheap products!) We make sure all products recommended on this website are the best for our readers according to our criteria.

To Sum Up

Beard trimmer guard sizes vary from brand to brand. However, there is a general rule. Some brands create guards with inches in mind and others with mm. Philips, Babyliss, and Braun are more precise and their guards correspond to mm while Andis’, Wahl’s and Remington’s guards correspond to inches.

Obviously, there are many more brands but these are some of the most popular ones.

It would be impossible for us to find out about every brand on the internet. I hope you can understand that. However, feel free to ask us about a brand you are interested in in the comment section below and we will do the research and reply to you as soon as possible.

We also discuss some differences between trimmers and clippers and how to choose the right trimmer for you and finally, I gave you some recommendations on some great trimmers that have a lot of guards in case you wanna check them out.

At this point, I think we have covered the topic and I don’t wanna tire you with more details.

Happy grooming, gentlemen!

Until next time,

Stay safe,

Tasos

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