There are tons of consumers out there like myself who are looking for a budget option to regularly take care of their beard in a convenient manner.
While there are certain products in the market that are deemed to be the finest, these tend to cost a lot of money, going up to three figures and onward.
But for self-trimming of your beard at home, you don’t necessarily have to climb that high because there are alternate solutions to pursue.
My best cheap beard trimmer article uncovers such 5 products that have the capability of grooming a diverse range of beard – but the cost remains at very minimal!
Contents
Best Cheap Beard Trimmers to Obtain This Year!
The 5 of my selections stand as the top budget-level beard trimmers this year and even beginners will find them easy to use! Let’s check each of them out very briefly.
- Philips Norelco Multigroom 5000 – Best Overall
- Philips Norelco Multigroom 3000 – Cheapest Beard Trimmer
- Wahl Edge Pro Ideal for Precision – Trimming
- Wahl Groomsman Pro All in One – Perfect for Stubble Maintenance
- SHPAVVER Vacuum Beard Trimmer – Great for Mess-Free Beard Grooming
Philips Norelco Multigroom 5000, MG5970/49
It’s a little tricky to determine the best cheap beard trimmer because the word ‘cheap’ is subject to interpretation.
That said, I truly believe that the Philips Multigroom 5000 is one of the finest affordable beard trimmers you could ever find in the current market!
Simply, this beard trimmer offers you features and performance that hugely outweigh the price tag, giving you greater value for money than your expectations.
This device is a complete package and most certainly belongs to the top-class of the Philips Norelco trimmer series, especially because of its resemblances with the succeeding models.
The blade in the Multigroom 5000 is almost identical with the Multigroom 7000 and Multigroom 9000 – only difference being its titanium blade teeth.
A blade made with the combination of stainless steel and titanium gives you more skin-comfort while trimming your beard without any guard on.
Also, neck trimming feels highly comfortable with no tugs or pulls, the only downside is that it lacks that ultra-sharpness required for edge-lining a beard area.
Another reason being the lack of zero-overlap in the blade, so those needing some outlining will not have their requirements met by the Multigroom 5000.
The blade remains sharp and durable for a long time. It’s easy to remove and the nose hair trimmer takes only a second to attach.
As per the housing goes, it’s highly ergonomic with reinforced textured rubber preventing slippage in any given condition – wet or dry.
The Multigroom 5000 handle is IPX7 rated waterproof, making it effortless to clean or to trim over wet beard without jeopardizing the integrity.
Now comes the important part – this device offers you a total 11 guide combs of different purposes like hair, body or beard trimming.
Its adjustable guard is actually impressive for those who prefer to maintain a stubble and style it in more delicate ways.
In addition, the ear hair trimmer can function as a detailer around the goatee region, so make the most out of it!
Philips Multigroom 5000 is easy to use, convenient to maneuver due to the lighter weight and the li-ion battery lasts for over 2 hours with a full charge.
The LED light indicator gives you a status update about the battery situation and it cannot be used while connected to the power cord.
In short, the Multigroom 5000 is a jack of all trades – be that long or stubble trimming, mustache maintenance, detailing to some extent and additionally, performing the basic grooming duties all across your body.
And the price? There’s none that can match the comfort and neat outcome at such an affordable range and it’s definitely my top choice in this category.
What I Like
- Shares the premium trimming blade with the newer models
- Ideal for stubble trimming
- Comes with quality added accessories
What Could be Better
- Limited mostly to beard grooming
Philips Norelco Multigroom 3000, MG3740/40
The Multigroom 3000 is the least expensive beard trimmer in this list with its average build yet something that’ll last you for the upcoming years.
Starting with the design, it’s minimalistic yet checks all of the boxes for easy maneuverability with ergonomic prowess.
It’s very light in weight, therefore traveling with the device feels convincing as it doesn’t weigh down your backpack. Furthermore, the storage pouch makes things easier to pack and carry.
There is a prominent ergonomic texture at the top part of the handle which allows you to have a full grip during your beard trimming operation.
The sharp dent for the ergonomic spots also function as grip points, so you can understand it’s not going to betray once you’ve held on to it firmly.
My version, the MG3740/40 comes with a sliding power button and the exposed orange color underneath suggests it’s turned off.
As per the blade goes, it’s a tempered stainless steel unit – not as premium as the newer models of the Multigroom series.
An upside to such a blade design is its uncompromised sharpness through every beard texture, almost down to the skin.
This allows the Multigroom 3000 to guarantee a precise trim – be that outlining your beard body or crafting out details of your choice.
As per the motor goes, it’s reinforced with metal and therefore a robust unit made to endure the perils of time and exhausting usage.
The vibration when you turn the device on says it all! It’s more powerful than I had initially expected, something I definitely enjoyed on a budget grade beard trimmer.
That said, this tool can be very sharp if not used carefully, therefore you must be cautious while going against the skin without any guards.
You’ll get a total of 7 guide combs that allows you even trims even though the build material for these guards is not that high in quality.
Despite the li-ion battery, it has a battery life of around one hour and a full recharge takes about 8 hours to complete.
For your convenience, a five-minute quick charge will give you a swift trimming session, although it’s not ideal for dense beard grooming. There’s no battery level indicator on the housing, so that’s a shame.
Philips Multigroom 3000 is not a waterproof device. Cleaning should be kept dry but the removed blade is washable, thus giving you ease of maintenance to a certain extent.
If it means anything, you’ll be able to trim your nose hair with the nose trimmer head, which takes about 30 seconds for both of the noses.
As per body grooming goes, Multigroom 3000 is not the most ideal tool for the purpose and I’d leave it to more advanced manscaping trimmers.
Yet, this remains a top-notch device for certain facial grooming purposes and undoubtedly one of the best affordable beard trimmers of all time!
What I Like
- Perfect at precision beard trimming
- Great value for money
- Ideal for beginners
What Could be Better
- Blade can be too sharp
Wahl Edge Pro, 9686-300 Corded Beard Trimmer
Let’s now divert our attention toward a cheap beard trimmer with a T-Blade, it’s the Wahl Edge Pro – a compact and affordable beard trimmer to boost your grooming outcomes.
The handle is very slim and it complements the type of beard grooming you’d be able to receive on a regular basis.
With a housing made with plastic, it covers the frontal portion with subtle ergonomic textures extending the range from top to the bottom.
This is reflected also at the back but it’s only limited to the shape. With the lighter weight and these ergonomic prowess, moving the Edge Pro across your beard feels highly pleasant!
Now comes the blade part – it’s a stainless steel T-Blade that’s zero-overlapped and it delivers crisp results at the point of your grooming.
While the blade type does come with certain limitations in terms of versatility, the Edge Pro can still perform basic bulk trims over stubble, outline the beard, clean out the neck and maintain a mustache as well as goatee.
Realistically, you’d get around 0.2 mm of trimming closeness if you groom without any guide combs covering up the blade.
Direct trim against skin can cause irritation if you’re not careful enough as the blade fringes are very, very sharp.
Therefore, I’d advise you to take things slow and apply the line up jobs with as much delicate pressure as possible.
Although Wahl claims that the Edge Pro is able to apply faded beard, it’s not entirely true. A fixed blade as such will offer very limited functionality without an adjustment lever.
As it’s a highly desirable corded beard trimmer, there’s no risk of running out of power at any given time of trimming.
Note that it’s a corded trimmer and the cord is long enough to give you enough flexibility to move around while trimming and the length is somewhere around 9 feet or 2.5 meters.
To turn the Wahl Edge Pro on, you’ll have to press the highly tactile power button on the side. Such a placement makes gripping it convenient without any risk of accidental presses.
For better short beard grooming, the package includes 8 individual guide combs between the lengths of 1/16” to 1/2″.
Mind you, these guards are not premium and expecting even trims would be too much to ask out of such an affordable device.
There are separate purchase options for guide combs, one of them is an adjustable one and an extremely-close T-Blade – but you can still do just fine without them.
Cleaning should only be done with a brush and a cloth rag, washing is not an option. Make sure to oil the blades regularly to keep it in mint condition. Since it’s not waterproof, you’ll have to trim only in dry conditions.
Overall, the Wahl Edge Pro remains true to its word as its T-Blade performs the sharpest tasks without faltering. This affordable beard trimmer can not only satisfy home groomers, but also professionals at work!
What I Like
- T-Blade is zero-overlapped
- Corded design for relentless power
- Looks good & ergonomically sound
What Could be Better
- Struggles with bulk beard removal
Wahl Groomsman Rechargeable Beard Trimmer
Wahl Groomsman is one premium looking beard trimmer which vows not to chunk out your wallet if you make the purchase.
It’s the second cheapest beard trimmer in my list and Wahl has done a brilliant job in cost-cutting to ensure everyone gets a run at this handy device.
Don’t be deceived by its look – Groomsman is not made with metal, rather the entire housing is constructed with somewhat average plastic.
The top half of the frontal area is a shiny, mirror-like area that reflects everything in a distorting manner. Its bottom half is plasticky without any rubber reinforcement for better grip.
At the back, you’ll find it comfortable to wrap your fingers around the handle because of the well-planned crevice for a perfect grab.
Groomsman by Wahl is not as light as you’d think but it does belong to the portable gradient of trimming products.
Such weight tells you that the internal parts are robust and not some cheap elements stashed inside for a boost in sales profit.
You’ll receive a Precision Ground Blade that’s made with a mixture of high-carbon and stainless steel to grant you the best of both worlds.
By both worlds, I’m implying it’s very sharp due to having no gap between the blade teeth, the stainless steel portion keeps it sharp and the high-carbon makes it sensible on the skin.
Yet, I still don’t trust it around my neck without any guard on as cheap beard trimmers can pose a threat of accidental cuts at the sensitive spots.
Other than that, this particular blade in the Wahl Groomsman is great for stubble maintenance, neck shaving and beard outlining.
Its motor is a generic one – nothing exceptional. Therefore it’s not ideal for heavy-duty trimming, instead delicate touch-ups and fine tuning a beard body are more its forte.
Also, the sleek shape along with fancy look render it a fan-favorite from the word go, even enabling it to earn a spot at a barbershop, although only for precision trimming purposes.
You’ll receive 14 different guide combs between the lengths of 1/16” to 1/2″ but I failed to put my faith in their quality to maintain an even trim.
These guides can get the job done but it’s going to take you some finesse to nail the perfect look. Otherwise, with direct trims using the raw blade – things look crispy and neat!
You’ll be turning on the Groomsman using the power slider at the left hand side. It has a lock-release button over the power slider which allows you to turn the device on.
In my opinion, that lock-release feels a little fidgety, so I’d be cautious around it. Groomsman offers a 50 minute battery life but the recharging process is very long due to the NiCad battery.
A tiny light down the middle informs you about charging status with no way to learn how much juice you’ve got left.
Additionally, there’s a separate nose hair trimmer matching the aesthetics of the trimmer body, but it needs to be powered using a triple A battery.
Only the nose hair trimmer is washable, the original trimmer body is not. Therefore, cleaning must be approached in dry condition.
Well, for the price I had to pay for the Wahl Groomsman, I’d have to admit it has given me more than it’s worth and certainly a bargain for home beard groomers preferring an alluring trimmer!
What I Like
- Ecstatic housing design
- Not waterproof
- Perfect for beard touch-ups and outlining
What Could be Better
- Limited battery capacity
- Fragile power button lever
SHPAVVER Vacuum Beard Trimmer for Men
If you want to get the best value for your money without creating a hairy mess on yourself, you should try the SHPAVVER trimmer, a fine device in the world of vacuum beard trimmers!
What this particular device does is, it uses a vacuum system to suck in all the trimmed hair chunks inside a chamber so that they don’t spread all over you and around you.
The SHPAVVER trimmer is basically a product made in China and it’s reflected in the housing design based on the colors and the quality of external material.
You’ll find a green, plastic area at the top which is transparent and collects every bit of stray hair particles together inside.
It’s surprising that the vacuum system efficiently works on both long and short beards. The built-in system for the adjustable guide comb certainly helps out in that cause!
You’ll be able to switch between 20 different settings using the zoom wheel placed permanently at the back of the handle. Know that the settings are distributed among two individual guide combs that are easy to swap out.
Rotating it is quite smooth and remains at the designated length of your choice. I’d say the evenness is satisfactory, although you can’t expect the results to match those that cost way more than this.
The stainless steel blade in this device is not zero-overlapped but nearly there. It feels comfortable using this vacuum trimmer with skin to blade animation.
With any of the guide combs on, I sensed no snag or pull during the trimming action on my beard or even my neck area.
But the SHPAVVER trimmer grabs flat lying hair more effectively without the guard, so that’s something you should consider.
It’s a two-speed motor running this cheap beard trimmer. Pressing the power button each time lets you toggle between these three modes: standard, boost and off.
The standard and boost is applicable for the vacuum motor, not the trimmer motor. It does the work in the same manner in both settings.
As the advertisement suggests, the SHPAVVER trimmer is actually 95% efficient at keeping things clean – it’s surprising to be very honest!
In terms of battery life, the standard mode can last you around 90 minutes while the boost mode drains it out within the hour mark.
It takes a little over for a full recharge. The barely visible LED display shows your charge level in numeric values along with other notifications.
Despite the compact size and easy to maneuver weight class, the SHPAVVER device is capable of holding all of the stray hair should you have a short to medium beard.
Also, it has a travel lock mechanism which makes traveling convenient. To further add to it, the USB Type-C port allows for charging using your phone’s power cord and a power bank.
To clean it out, you may rinse it under the running water for easy cleaning. It’s IPX6 waterproof rated, I didn’t experience any sort of leakage.
For an affordable beard trimmer, the SHPAVVER excels at many departments, including long to short beard trimming, mustache maintenance and so on.
I’ll strongly recommend this device to the consumers who prefer a clean result while also keeping themselves clean during a beard trimming session!
What I Like
- Collects 95% stray hair using vacuum motor
- Sharp blades perform versatile beard grooming
- Easy to charge & carry
What Could be Better
- Build material is quite average
Why Trust My Verdict?
When I started growing out my beard for the first time during my student days, I kept looking for budget beard trimmers due to my tight monetary situation.
From that point onward, I knew what it meant to own such gadgets and the importance of getting the most out of that trimming device.
That said, I currently possess vast knowledge about beard trimmers since I’ve had the luxury to explore, use and evaluate versatile tools at different price ranges.
Therefore, when I compiled my current list for the best affordable beard trimmers, I took every possible factor into consideration and hoped nothing but good for the potential consumers of these devices.
Test Results for the Best Cheap Beard Trimmer
Here, we’ll be looking at the side by side comparisons of the budget beard trimmers in my list based on the essential qualities such cheap devices must contain!
Blade Sharpness
The sharpness of the blade can be measured in two ways: one, how sharp it is against diverse beard hair texture and density, and two, how crisp the beard trims are.
In both categories, I’d give credit to the Multigroom 5000 to be a standout with Wahl Edge Pro as its closest competitor.
The SHPAVVER vacuum trimmer is also sharp and can work on versatile beard types. Among all three, the Groomsman generates the crispiest results around the beard fringes.
It’s a tie between the Multigroom 3000 and Wahl Groomsman in the blade sharpness department despite one being a regular trimming blade and the other a T-Blade.
Degree of Skin Comfort
Those who trim their beard directly without using any guide combs, the level of comfort is important and knowing your skin-safe friends becomes of utmost essence.
Again, the Multigroom 5000 has offered the most comfort on my skin for direct beard trims, even around my neck area, and it’s matched by the SHPAVVER vacuum trimmer.
I have mixed feelings about the Wahl Groomsman and Wahl Edge Pro, since both contain zero-gapped, sharp T-Blades and it requires some precision to avoid irritation.
Lastly, the Multigroom 3000 has felt the most threatening against your skin and I wouldn’t recommend using this tool without any guards if you have sensitive skin.
Motor Power
Since none of the cheap beard trimmers in my list has given out any numeric value for their motor power, therefore my assessment takes place based on personal experience.
From my tests, it seems that the Multigroom 5000 and Wahl Edge Pro contain two of the most powerful units that don’t cause tugs, pulls or snags.
SHPAVVER is close by but a huge portion of its power is drained by the vacuum motor, however, the trimming motor is still strong enough to maintain a comfortable trim.
Both the Multigroom 3000 and Wahl Groomsman seem to generate slightly lower torque of power – that’s why Multigroom 3000 is better equipped for stubbles and Edge Pro excels at precision trimming.
Beard Versatility
We all want to gain the most out of our beard trimmers and therefore versatile operations are still expected even out of the affordable devices.
That said, it’s difficult to rank the trimmers based on this criteria. For instance, Multigroom 5000 and SHPAVVER vacuum trimmer are greats for maintaining both long and short beards.
Same is applicable for the Multigroom 3000 but there’s a certain lack in quality from the two top runners I’ve just mentioned.
On the other hand, Wahl Groomsman and Wahl Edge Pro are masters of stubble trimming along with fine tuning a beard body, which is something the rest struggle to match.
Ease of Maintenance
In my definition, the easiest beard trimmer maintenance is the ability to wash the entire thing without having to worry about leakage-induced consequences.
That way, the Multigroom 5000 is the most convenient as it’s IPX7 rated waterproof, only to be followed by the IPX6 rated SHPAVVER vacuum beard trimmer.
None of the devices in the list are water-resistant and must be cleaned with a brush, which can be strenuous at times.
But the Multigroom 3000 still keeps itself afloat as its blade can be rinsed separately under the tap, which is still more efficient than dry cleaning.
Battery Life
Let me give you a list that’ll explicitly show you how much battery life each of the budget beard trimmers can afford you.
| Beard Trimmer | Battery Life | Charging Time |
|---|---|---|
| Multigroom 5000 | 2 hours | 1 hours |
| SHPAVVER Trimmer | 1 hour 30 minutes | 2 hours |
| Multigroom 3000 | 1 hour | 8 hours |
| Wahl Groomsman | 50 minutes | 8 hours |
| Wahl Edge Pro | Corded | - |
From this chart, it’s clear that the Multigroom 5000 offers the best battery performance from the lot, not so far back is the SHPAVVER vacuum trimmer.
Since the Wahl Edge Pro is corded, this comes with certain limitations as well as liberating factors like relentless operation.
Multigroom 3000 and Wahl Groomsman – both offer generous battery lives but the charging time is too long for a modern beard trimmer – but it’s something you have to concede considering the price.
Buyer’s Guide for the Best Budget Beard Trimmer
To make things easier, let me give you a guideline on picking your most affordable beard trimmer based on your requirement.
I’d have to say, Multigroom 5000 is the overall best and men who tend to switch between long to short beard at times, this device will cater to all of that perfectly!
Then comes men who prefer a neat grooming experience without the mess and groom the beard across versatile lengths – you got it, SHPAVVER vacuum trimmer is the answer.
Those on a very tight budget can pick the Multigroom 3000 for stubble to longer beard trimming, on the other hand the Wahl Groomsman caters to stubble and looks exquisite!
On the same note, Wahl Edge Pro is an outlining master, capable of trimming stubbles, neck area along with fine outlining of the beard – something even the barbers can use from time to time!
FAQ
Let’s learn a little bit more about these cheap beard trimmers by addressing some frequently asked questions by the netizens.
Q: Are cheap beard trimmers durable?
Ans: It depends on your choice of beard trimmer. Basically, devices from top brands like Wahl or Philips tend to be more durable than those unknown brands. That said, the ones I’ve included in my list are tough enough to last you for a long time if you don’t accidentally drop them every now and then.
Q: Do budget trimmers work well on thick beards?
Ans: Again, it’s a subjective question because not all beard trimmers are capable of functioning on thick beards, regardless of the price range. From my list, the ones with higher motor power tend to perform better on thick beards, for example, the Multigroom 5000 and 3000, along with the SHPAVVER vacuum trimmer.
Q: How often should I replace the blades in an affordable beard trimmer?
Ans: How often you trim your beard, the density or texture along with the overall durability of an affordable beard trimmer – all contribute to the frequency of your blade replacement. In general, you might have to replace the blade every 6 months to 2 years.
Concluding Remarks
So, you’ve learned all you needed to buy the best cheap beard trimmer from this year’s market! While the devices I’ve enlisted are affordable, it doesn’t reflect their performance whatsoever.
My personal favorite among all is the Multigroom 5000 by Philips Norelco. This beard trimmer shares many features with its successors and that places it in a very lucrative spot.
Otherwise, the SHPAVVER vacuum trimmer is my other favorite because of its versatility using the zoom wheel and of course, the messless grooming experience.
For lining up, I tend to go for the Wahl Groomsman solely because it’s. However, if I ever need to perform precision trimming across my dense beard, then I seek refuge in the corded Wahl Edge Pro device!