Wahl Elite Pro Electric Clipper Set

Wahl Elite Pro Electric Clipper Set

I estimate that I have saved almost $2,000 to date by cutting my son’s hair at home instead of taking him to the barbershop based on a haircut every three weeks. Honestly, the time I’ve spent in front of the mirror talking with him about life and the things he’s interested in has been worth a whole lot more than that.

A lot of guys would love to save the time and expense of going to the barbershop anymore than they need to, but they worry about finding the right equipment.

Wahl is one of the most trusted names in the barber community. Almost every set of clippers in the hands of a professional barber is either a Wahl or Oster. This trimmer set I’ve reviewed here will get the job done without breaking the bank. You can certainly spend a lot more than this on some of the higher-end Wahl clippers, but I don’t think you need to if you’re just cutting hair once or twice a month at home.

This set comes with everything you need to do a wide range of men’s haircuts. There are 10 guards in varying lengths, but you’ll find that you only end up using the same few every time. The adjustable taper lever on the clippers gives you even more control within the range of length of each individual guard. You also get a pair of scissors, comb, cleaning brush, blade oil, blade guard, handled storage case, drawstring bag for the guards, and a cape (which I’ve never bothered with).

The clippers themselves are heavy and actually have a little bit of recoil when you turn them on. There is more than enough power to cut without pulling. I’ve never had an issue with the guards coming loose on the trimmer head thanks to the design of the stainless steel clips. The only piece in this set that Wahl could have improved on is the quality of the drawstring bag for the guards, but this isn’t that big of a deal for me.

Replacement blades are less than $20 on Amazon and take less than a minute to change with a screwdriver. I’m still on the original blades that came with my clippers that I’ve been using for approximately the past seven years. They’re just now getting to the point where they’re not cutting with as much ease as they used to.

Some guys are worried that they won’t be able to cut or trim their particular hair style at home — and they may be right. To be sure, some haircut styles are easier to do than others. Our son, Cole, likes to keep it short on the sides (#1) with a high fade and longer on the top (#4 or #5). It’s a timeless haircut that is cool in the summer but not too short overall and looks good on just about anyone.

I learned how to cut a decent fade while I was deployed to Iraq. We lived in an old Soviet-built dam that had no barbershop, so it was up to us to keep our hair within Marine Corps regulations. Our haircuts weren’t perfect and they certainly didn’t need to be. I got a lot better as our deployment progressed just as I have continued to improve my efficiency and overall results cutting my son’s hair these days.

I get a haircut about every three to four weeks at a great local men’s barbershop. I keep a traditional faded haircut with a hard part. I’m able to touch up my hard part line and trim the sides to get a “just left the barbershop” look and extend my last professional haircut for at least a week. You would be surprised at what you can do with a mirror and a little bit of practice and watching some YouTube videos.

I was grateful that I already had my own set of clippers at home during the stay-at-home orders for COVID-19. Not only were all the barbershops in the state shut down, but every store was sold out of clippers as well.