Do you actually need clippers?
Clippers make sense if you own a breed that gets regular body clips — poodles, doodles, Shih Tzus, or any dog on a 4–6 week groom cycle. For double-coated or smooth-coated breeds, you typically need brushes and deshedding tools instead. Attempting to clip a double coat causes long-term coat damage.
What to look for
- Two-speed motor — low for sensitive areas, high for dense body coat.
- Detachable blade system — #10 for sanitary areas, #4–#7 for body length.
- Cool-running head — cheap clippers overheat and burn skin.
- Corded vs cordless — corded delivers consistent power for full grooms; cordless is fine for touch-ups.
Our picks
These are the clippers in our product database that meet the bar for home or prosumer use. The Andis UltraEdge is the workhorse most home groomers graduate to after outgrowing entry-level kits.
