Everyone loves the aesthetic upgrade that thick beards bring, but few understand the stress of the grooming journey. From picking the right beard treatment to trimmers, grooming a coarse beard can be more hassle than handsome.
To save you the stress of trial and error, we’ve curated a comprehensive list putting all the best beard trimmers for coarse and thick beards head-to-head. There’s something for everyone, including the best price, best overall, and best cheap product.
However, before we address that, let’s examine the different types of beards to determine if your beard falls into the thick and coarse category.
Different Beard Types
Genetics is the primary determinant for beard growth from density to length, texture, and natural pattern. Thick and coarse mean different things to many men based on ethnicity, which falls into three broad categories – Afro, Asian, and Caucasian.
In general, ”the Hair of African, Hispanic and Asian individuals is commonly held to be darker and thicker than that of Caucasians” according to Wiley Online Library.
These broad groups fall into curl subtypes based on coarseness density – Numbers for curl type and letters for density. Generally, Afro hair falls between types 3 – 4, Asian hair types 1 – 2, and Caucasian hair types 1 – 3. Every hair can be either A, B, or C.
See the table below for a demonstration.
Table 1: Hair types based on thickness and coarseness
| Width/Type | 1: Straight | 2: Wavy | 3: Curly | 4: Coiled |
| A: Wide | Asian, Caucasian | Asian, Caucasian | Afro, Caucasian | Afro |
| B: Medium | Asian, Caucasian | Asian, Caucasian | Afro, Caucasian | Afro |
| C: Thick | Asian, Caucasian | Asian, Caucasian | Afro, Caucasian | Afro |
What Should an Ideal Trimmer Have?
You’re looking for something with a regulating motor that can cut through much hair without taking off chunks. It must be easy to hold, so it feels like an extended hand during use. Say yes, to guards and guides to ensure precise cuts and trims in all crevices without drawing blood.
Cordless trimmers are the best for on-the-go use as you don’t have to worry about power sockets.
However, on thick and coarse beards we advise you to use corded trimmers because, as you can easily understand, a battery is not as effective as if the trimmer is plugged in. If you use a corded trimmer, you want a long pliable wire (5 ft minimum) that allows you to move your hand in any direction.
Let’s break it down, shall we;
Power
Thick and coarse beards need high-powered trimmers that can shave much hair at a go. You don’t want something that’ll stress your hands, tangle your hair, and inevitably waste your time.
Blade and Accessories
Get a trimmer with an assortment of blades that can cater to your unique needs – a wide blade for cutting through large space thick and coarse hair, guards to keep you in line, and detail trimmers for styling.
Having a variety of different guards allows you to trim your beard and style it the way you want. Some men create ducktail beards, others prefer stubble, others only fade their sideburns into their bald head or faded haircut. There is a ton to it.
Grab a trimmer that can trim precisely and in a variety of facial hair lengths.
Speed
You’d need a regulatory speed trimmer to control how fast the blades work. Since the high-powered trimmer would work well for your thick and coarse beards, you’ll need less speed once the length is down.
Dry/Wet Technology
Although we advise men with thick and coarse beards to dry-trim, wet-trimming isn’t bad for long straight hair. It would be best if you had a versatile trimmer that doesn’t restrict your grooming so that you can conveniently shave your beards anywhere.
Cordless Vs. Corded
Even though corded trimmers are high-powered devices, the main beef with corded trimmers is their inconvenience. It would help if you moved your hands without stress while grooming thick and coarse beards, and a cord wouldn’t allow that.
Whether your trimmer is corded or cordless, the important thing to keep in mind is it has to be powerful. Otherwise, it will either pull hair or not cut adequately.
With these criteria in mind, we pit the bad boys against each other in a royal rumble, and here’s a list of those who passed the test.
Top 7 Beard Trimmers for Coarse And Thick Beards
Best Overall
Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000
Any way you spin it, the Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 is the king of beard trimmers for thick and coarse hair. This sleek dual-cut technology beard trimmer comes with 23 accessories, including guards and guides, to deliver a precise cut through the thick and coarse beard.
This cordless stainless steel razor runs for 50 minutes on each charge and spots an easy-grip frame for convenient and portable usage.
The only downside (based on preference) is that the trimmer creates a bit of mess as any other beard trimmer without a vacuum does. But, this one is powerful so the mess is kinda worse!
For me, not a big deal, though. I know I will have to clean up after trimming my beard.
This is a very popular trimmer so we have created a whole article about it. Check it out here.
Runner Up
Panasonic Cordless Men’s Beard Trimmer with Precision Dial
The Panasonic Cordless Men’s Beard Trimmer with Precision Dial is travel-friendly for men working on the go and lasts 50 minutes on a full charge. It has self-sharpening hypoallergenic blades that cut through coarse and thick beards without tangling or irritating the skin.
This trimmer is water-resistant, making it easy to clean, and you can switch from wet to dry use – a feature especially suited for type 4 hair due to its tendency for shrinkage.
It’s best you dry-shave your 4C beards to ensure you’re working on the actual length. The precision dial makes it the best for amateurs since there aren’t many accessories to confuse you.
Also Great
Hattekar Men’s Beard Trimmer
The Hattekar Men’s Beard Trimmer has a precision dial for regulating speed as you cut through dense hair. The blades are also self-sharpening and come with six adjustable guards, meaning you don’t have to worry about ripping beard chunks off or ruining your beard outline.
The trimmer has a 120 minute run time on a full charge, a great consolation as it doesn’t work while charging.
Many users vouch for its sturdiness and efficiency, especially for 4C hair because it delivers a precise cut. The waterproof feature makes maintenance easy since you can clean it in running water.
Best Cheap
Philips Norelco Multigroom 3000
The Philips Norelco Multigroom 3000 is the most affordable premium trimmer you would ever buy. Its rubber grip fits like a glove in your hands and comes with high-performance water-resistant attachments.
With the Philip Norelco Multigroom 3000, you get more for less as it has more attachments than most low-budget trimmers. Unlike the Multigroom 7000, which has a stainless steel body, this trimmer has a plastic build making it a lighter weight option.
It’s one of the best budget buys and even sits on Amazon’s choice list. We have to warn you, though, the blade’s metal (tempered steel), so you have to oil it occasionally.
If you are interested in this trimmer, we have created a detailed review that you can check here!
Others Option You May Like
Wahl Aqua Blade Deluxe Wet and Dry 9899-100
The Wahl Aqua Blade’s secure grip is one of its biggest selling points. You can hold it firmly as you work for your hands around your face giving you a detailed and precise beard outline. Its rechargeable battery lasts for 2½ hours, and you can use it in the shower.
You’ll need to oil the blades twice – thrice monthly, which may be a hassle, but its effective cut makes up for that. The Wahl Aqua Blade also includes 12 guards to prevent nicking your skin, amongst other useful accessories for specific cuts.
Wahl Peanut 8685 and 8655
If you’re big on affordability and wire navigation doesn’t bother you, the Wahl Peanut is an ideal choice. This small beard trimmer is lightweight, but it packs a punch with high-quality blades. With this classic design, you would get more hair off in less time than most.
Each guard comes with a progressive length – 3mm to 6mm, 10mm, and 13mm – you can alternate based on your end goal. However, with the Wahl Peanut, slow and steady does it else you risk pulling hairs.
Remington PG625 Battery-Powered Beard Grooming Kit
This Remington PG625 Battery-Powered Beard Grooming Kit is another budget-friendly, high-quality choice. Its multiple attachments allow you to groom your beards based on specific needs, and after, you can wash them easily in water without fear of rust.
With the self-sharpening blades, you can cut through your thick and coarse beards bump, rash, and itch-free. The battery runs for 70 minutes on a full charge, so you’re assured more than an hour. Unfortunately, the trimmer warms up within 10 to 15 minutes of use, so you may want to wear a glove or regulate usage.
Read Also: Best Beard Trimmers Under $30
Table 2: A Review of the Best Trimmers for Thick and Coarse beards
| Trimmer Brand | Power (10) | Grip (10) | Weight (10) | Maintenance | Type (10) | Function/Motor (10) |
| Philips Norelco 7000 | Cordless | No-slip, E-Z grip | Medium Stainless Steel | Device is water-resistant | All-Purpose | High-powered, dual-cut technology with more accessories. |
| Panasonic Cordless Men’s Beard Trimmer with Precision Dial | Cordless | Ergonomic | Travel-friendly portable | Water-resistant easy clean | All-purpose | Precision Dial for controlled power |
| Hatteker Men’s Beard Trimmer | Cordless | Firm grip | Medium | Water agreeable | All-purpose | Self-sharpening ceramic blade delivers precise cut |
| Wahl Aqua Blade 9899-100 | Cordless | Easy-grip | Medium weight | Waterproof | All-purpose | Requires Oiling twice to thrice monthly |
| Remington PG625 Battery-Powered Beard Grooming Kit | Dual | Ergonomic | Medium weight plastic | Water-resistant accessories | All-purpose | Warms up within 10 to 15 minutes of use |
| Philips Norelco Multigroom 3000 | Cordless | Rubberized grip | Lightweight | Only blades and accessories are water-friendly, and the blade needs periodic oiling. | All-purpose | Precise cuts |
| Wahl Peanut | Corded (7 ft) rotary motor | Easy-grip at 4” long and 1.5” wide | Lightweight plastic | Pliable wires for easy storage. | Beard and head | Slow and steady movement |
The Pricing Of The Trimmers
- Norelco 7000: Medium to high
- Panasonic Cordless Men’s Beard Trimmer with Precision Dial: Medium
- Hatteker Men’s Beard Trimmer Medium
- Wahl Aqua Blade 9899-100: High
- Remington PG625 Battery-Powered Beard Grooming Kit: Low
- Philips Norelco Multigroom 3000: Low
- Wahl Peanut: Relatively high
I can not tell you the exact prices because firstly different stores have different prices for the same trimmers, secondly, Amazon does not allow us to tell you the prices because they can change whenever the company wants and we may have wrong prices here.
What do I mean by medium, high or low?
Medium prices are about $40, low prices are below $30, high is everything over $50 for this specific example just so you have an idea. But they can still change the prices.
Table 3: Review Score
| Trimmer Brand | Power (10) | Grip (10) | Weight (10) | Maintenance (10) | Type (10) | Function (10) | Total (60) |
| 1) Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 58 |
| 2) Panasonic Cordless Men’s Beard Trimmer with Precision Dial | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 57 |
| 3) Hatteker Men’s Beard Trimmer Philips Norelco Multigroom 3000 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 57 |
| 4) Philips Norelco Multigroom 3000 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 7,5 | 10 | 7.5 | 53 |
| 5) Wahl Aqua Blade 9899-100 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7.5 | 9 | 8 | 54.5 |
| 6) Remington PG625 Battery-Powered Beard Grooming Kit | 9 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 7.5 | 52.5 |
| 7) Wahl Peanut | 8 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 51 |
Norelco 3000 is up there because it is good and cheap. It is not the best trimmer on the list but it is the best if you don’t wanna invest in a high-quality trimmer.
If you didn’t have a thick beard I would definitely recommend you check out Norelco 3000 before spending more money but for a thick and coarse beard, I would spend a few more bucks.
Let’s be honest, trimmers are not that expensive. Paying 40-50$ is not a big deal. A high-quality trimmer can last 10-20 years!
But that’s just my take. You can have a different opinion!
I wanted to update this one and add one more decent trimmer. It is very affordable and does the job. It defitely has its drawbacks but for those of you that do not wanna spend much money it is fine.
Here I have its full review!
Conclusion
Although there’s no perfect beard trimmer for coarse and thick beards, the brands on this list are as close to perfection as you can get.
The Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 is your go-to trimmer if your budget is flexible. It has everything you need for a token of $40 – $50, and if you decide to go solo, here’s what to look out for in a great trimmer for thick and coarse beards;
- Controllable motor
- Firm Grip
- Multipurpose accessories
- Dry shave (for Type 4 hair)
But every option in the list is a good option. For coarse and thick beards, we highly recommend a high-quality product.
Read Also: 7 Best Beard Trimmers For Black Men
And that’s it for today’s article!
We hope this is helpful. Please leave a comment on your experience when you try any of the products.
We would love to hear your take!
Until next time,
Stay safe and happy grooming gentlemen,
Tasos
Tasos Moulios is the founder of Beardlong. He loves trying different beard and hair styles and blogs about them. The tips he shares come from his own experience and love for what he does.