Choosing a device with a powerful motor will ensure that you get a perfect trim since most of the complaints about the cordless hair and beard trimmers come from people who used models with weaker motors which are more energy efficient and designed for a longer battery life.
With the recent advances in the battery technology, your device doesn’t need a low power motor to work efficiently.
Make sure to read users opinions too to get a good sense of their experience with the model you are interested in.
Since the cordless models perform identical as the corded ones, you will surely enjoy the added portability of your new grooming device.
FEATURES
The first thing that we noticed is the shiny metallic finish combined with blue colour accents all around the body of the device. When it comes to ergonomics, Panasonic thought about everything that will make this trimmer feel good in the hand. The wide body around the steel cutting blades narrows down to a slimmer rubber lower part that makes for great grip and perfect handling during usage. One of the recognisable features of Panasonic hair trimmers is also present here. The 45-degree stainless steel trimming blades are there to provide a precise and optimal edge for a perfect cut or trim.
The standout feature certainly is the quick adjustment dial located just above the handle. It offers easy adjustments to the trimming lengths with a whopping 19 settings that are available. With them, you can set the trimming to a minimum length of 1 mm and up to 10 mm of maximum length. This will ensure precise and near skin clean grooming.
The total waterproofing enables this model to be used in both dry and wet conditions. We’ve used it under the shower and even sprayed jets of warm water on the unit while it was working and there were no signs of malfunction at all. Panasonic claims it is completely water submersible so we just had to check on that too. The great thing about its water drain feature is that it allows easy maintenance with a simple wash after you’re done trimming your facial hear.
It is very quiet during operation. The battery life is great and it offered up to 50 minutes of continues use which is more than anyone will realistically need in real-world conditions. When your battery gets low simply pop the trimmer into the charging dock and let it replenish its battery.
DOWNSIDES
The unit performed average during our trimming and styling sessions. What we disliked is the fact that the motor seems to struggle with areas of skin where hair concentration is dense. We needed multiple passes to get a perfect trim so this left us a bit disappointed with the performance of the unit. This also explains the low noise coming from it.
We didn’t like that either as we never knew when the battery was completely full. There is only one red LED light which always glows red and that’s it. What we later discovered was that charging times are shockingly long. It can take more than 15 and up to 20 plus hours to get the unit fully recharged. So far plenty of downsides on this otherwise great for wet and dry wash beard trimmer.
CONCLUSION
This is a unique cordless trimmer from Panasonic that incorporates some cool features with some not so great functions. We liked the waterproofing and integrated trimmer adjustment dial. We would have liked a stronger performing motor even if it would mean a bit noisier operation. The battery charging times are pretty terrible too. In the end, we find it really difficult to recommend this product at around 50 US dollar asking price.
- Design 99%
- Quality 85%
- Price 84%
PROS
- Great build quality and ergonomics
- Extremely sharp blades angled at 45 degrees
- Simple and effective 19-position trimming adjustment
- Completely waterproof
- Good battery endurance
- Quiet during use
- Easy maintenance
CONS
-
Low power motorExtremely long recharging timesWorks only on 110 V power outlets
PROS AND CONS OF CORDED BEARD TRIMMERS
It all comes down to your habits when choosing whether you require portability of a cordless or the practicality of the corded beard trimmers. Say you need a quick trim while you’re out or perhaps you like to carry your grooming kit with you at all times when out of the house. Then the cordless beard trimmers are the best choice for you. They allow almost identical power spec as their corded counterparts and give more freedom of movement when you need precise detailing work done on your facial hair.
Most of the cordless models come with plenty of battery endurance and they will easily last you for a decent number of shaving or trimming sessions. That is if your average grooming time is somewhere around 15 minutes. Even then, they require small amounts of time to get fully recharged so it all depends on your lifestyle and you daily routine.
The not so good side of owning a cordless beard trimmer is that you have to monitor the battery charge level if you tend not to leave it on the charging dock or cradle. It can be very frustrating to find out that the battery is empty exactly when you’re in a hurry to get a quick trim. Many models offer the possibility to be attached to the charging cord to recharge the battery and be used at the same time. Some models will not provide enough power for such use and if your cordless trimmer comes with a charging dock or a cradle then you will need to leave it there constantly after you finish using it.
When it comes to the strength of the motors they are virtually the same spec as their corded counterparts. We feel that the increased freedom of movement and the added portability at the same price makes cordless beard trimmers an excellent choice.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING CORDLESS TRIMMER
Before deciding to buy your new cordless facial hair grooming device there are certain things that you should avoid. This guide will save you the headaches from making the wrong choice.
Choose the models with good battery endurance and reasonable charging times. That’s right. You do not want to buy trimmers that do not last long without power and at the same time need more than 10 hours to recharge the battery back to 100 percent. Choose models which can be recharged and used at the same time. They will save you from frustration each time you might forget to recharge it after use. Avoid models that lose power in the combined recharge/use mode.
Because you will be using it most of the time of the cord, make sure that the model you’ve chosen has enough power.
Choosing a device with a powerful motor will ensure that you get a perfect trim since most of the complaints about the cordless hair and beard trimmers come from people who used models with weaker motors which are more energy efficient and designed for a longer battery life.
With the recent advances in the battery technology, your device doesn’t need a low power motor to work efficiently.
Make sure to read users opinions too to get a good sense of their experience with the model you are interested in.
Since the cordless models perform identical as the corded ones, you will surely enjoy the added portability of your new grooming device.
OUR VERDICT: WHICH ONE WE LIKED THE MOST?
Our choice of the best cordless beard trimmer comes down to the Philips Norelco Multigroom Series 3100 model. During our testing, we found it to offer great quality and a tough to beat feature set at the current asking price. In our opinion, this model performed so well and completed every trimming session effortlessly that we were confused about how can such a great all-rounder product come at an affordable price.
The most surprising fact was that we underestimated Philips seeing how some of the more well-known manufacturers were among the other competing models that we tested. Their products have great features too, however, they are more expensive than the Philips model and some of them do not offer the same generous level of included equipment.
The Philips 3100 model proved to be the most popular choice among plenty of users and seeing how much overwhelmingly positive feedback they give about it – it is well deserved. The endurance and longevity scores are rated with high marks too. The self-sharpening blades are a rare feature found in such a low-price product and we commend Philips for including it as standard. This model comes highly recommended for being the best performance for the money cordless trimmer currently available.