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While some dogs have short and less dense coats, others have long and dense coats. The hair on their coats grows just like human’s hair which means that you would need to trim your dog’s hair once it gets too long. Long hair can cause discomfort to your dog especially if it is one that likes to play and jump around, the hair can slow him down, make it difficult for him to move around and make him unattractive, the excess hair can even start to harbor fleas and make daily or weekly grooming next to impossible. You must trim your dog’s hair frequently, depending on how fast they grow. You can either take your dog to a professional dog groomer regularly or take care of business by yourself at home. If you plan to take care of business by yourself at home, you will need a dog clipper and a good one at that to make your job easier and faster.
What Is A Dog Clipper?
Dog clippers are grooming tools that are used to trim or shed off excess hair from a dog’s coat, it makes the dog’s coat smoother and it keeps your dog comfortable without excessive hair getting in their way.
Important features to consider before buying a dog clipper.
You have to be extremely careful when buying a dog clipper because you want to get a dog clipper that your dog can stand, you don’t want to get a clipper that is too noisy as that can scare your dog. You also want to get a clipper that you are comfortable with handling and can get the job done, so some features to consider before purchasing a dog clipper are:
• Design: Dog clippers come in different designs; some may come in kits while others may come in sets. Kits are like the incomplete set, they include just the clipper, few length attachments, charger and maybe a brush.
The sets are more complete, they contain other accessories like nail trimmers, tweezers, nail file, grooming scissors, brush, and length attachments in addition to the clipper and charger.
You should know what type of clipper you want before attempting to purchase one, you may have all the other additional equipment at home and just need the kit or you may not and need the entire set.
• Grade: Another important thing to consider is the grade of the clipper, you might be interested in a professional grade clipper because it will get the job done easier but you have to consider this option carefully especially if you are a beginner because it might be a little tricky to use, other than that it is perfectly fine for home use.
• Blade: Of all the types of clipper blades, the best two are ceramic and stainless-steel blades but you should consider the ceramic blade over the stainless steel blade because it reduces vibration and prevents overheating.
• Sound: It is important that you purchase a noise-less or quiet clipper if your pet is sensitive to loud noises, it will be stressful to handle your dog during clipping as it will not stay still.
Clipping your dog’s hair is a long process that could last for up to twenty minutes, now ask yourself if you want to be stuck with an incessant vibrating or motor sound for that long. I guess not then you have to consider purchasing noise-free or quiet clippers.
• Speed: Clippers come in single speed levels which are very good for beginners and do not overheat as much as multi-speed clippers and also variable or multiple speed levels which are very good for experienced groomers who can handle it’s versatility. It is easier and faster to groom your dog with a multi-speed clipper.
• Accessories: Make sure you check out all the accessories and attachments that comes with a particular clipper before you purchase it, depending on what you want you may need a set or a kit.
Clippers also come in corded and cordless, another accessory you should consider, if your dog is docile and obedient or if you like to groom your dog inside the you may go for a corded clipper but if you intend to groom your dog outside or if you might need to chase your dog around during clipping then you might need to get a cordless clipper.
The corded or cordless clipper depends solely on your comfort, if you like to be free with your hands to move around then cordless is for you and if otherwise then corded is still a good option.
• Spare parts: Since a dog clipper is still a machine then wear and tear is inevitable, you may like to purchase a clipper that gives you option to replace spear parts when they start to wear out otherwise you might have to replace the entire clipper once it wears off.
Best dog clippers
The best dog clippers according to efficiency, ease of use and features are:
- Andis excel 5-Speed clippers
Andis excel 5-speed clipper is a heavy-duty clipper with multiple speed levels, it is made with extremely light materials making it the lightest heavy-duty clipper. It is about 6.5 inches in height but easy to use because of its light weight.
It has a comfortable shape that supports holding for extended periods of time and also a wrap-around anti-slip rubber gripper to prevent it from slipping from the hands.
Key features
• 5 speed levels
• Corded
• Lightweight clipper with 4500 strokes per minute
• Number 10 ceramic blade - Oster clipmaster range
Oster clipmaster range is a range of different clippers and each clipper is suitable for different groomer profiles i.e. beginners or experienced groomers. Examples of clippers in the Oster clipmaster range are:
• Clipmaster clipping which is a large animal clipper
• Heavy duty clipmaster clippers
• Wired clipmaster trimmers
• Cordless groomer clippers
• Wired shearmaster
• Wired grooming clippers with antimicrobial blade
• Slim wired clippers
Key features
• Single speed clipper
• Corded and cordless
• Heavy duty clipper for all animals - Andis Ultraedge Super 2-Speed
This clipper is for experienced groomers, they will enjoy using it with its multi-speed levels. It is a quiet, precise, and powerful clipper that gives a smooth and nice finish to your dog’s hair.
It operates at an impressive 3,400 to 4,400 strokes per minute and it features attractive accessories.
Key features
• 2 speed levels
• Corded
• Heavy duty and veterinary grade
• UltraEdge and CeramicEdge blades - Wahl Bravura Lithium Professional
These clippers have the most advanced battery, lithium batteries provide a lot more power to the clipper.
It has a beautiful design; it also comes with a hard case and other attachments. This clipper is a lightweight tool with an intelligent motor that prevents excessive noise and vibrations.
Key features
• Single speed
• Cordless
• Advanced battery and intelligent motor
• 5-in-1 adjustable snap on blade - Wahl Motion Lithium-Ion
This tool is an impressive device with 5,500 strokes per minute, lightweight case, and slim design. It is also impressively quiet and has low vibrations despite the fact that it is heavy duty, it also features the famous 5-in-1 adjustable blade in different sizes and a removable handle with good grip.
Key features
• Single speed
• Cordless
• Quiet and low vibration, best design - Oster A5 2-Speed Professional Clipper
It is a great dog clipper for occasional grooming, it features an impressive 3000 strokes per minute on the lower speed and 4000 strokes per minute on high speed. It is quite a durable clipper but will not perform well when used frequently but it is suitable for occasional grooming.
Key features
• 2 speed levels
• Corded
• Good for occasional groomers - Wahl Km5 Animal Clipper
This clipper is great for students or beginner groomers because it is easy to use. It has high power and features two speed levels; it is also a relatively quiet tool with low vibration, and you do not need to worry about overheating when you use it.
Key features
• 2 speed levels
• Corded
• Great for grooming students - Wahl Professional Animal Arco Cordless Clipper Kit
Just like all the other Wahl clipper variants, this clipper features the famous 5 in 1 adjustable snap on blade. It is a lightweight tool and is quite easy to use, it features impressive attachments and it is a small sized clipper that is good for use on small to medium sized dog’s or to trim sensitive or delicate areas.
Key features
• 2 speed levels
• Cordless
• 5-in-1 blades, great battery life, lightweight - Wahl U-Clip Pro Home Pet Grooming Kit
It is one of the bestselling clippers due to its cheap price and top quality, it may have its problems like being too noisy and heavy weight but it is great for beginner groomers and it features an impressive 7,200 strokes per minute.
The kit even offers an instructional DVD and a grooming apron.
Key features
• Single speed
• Corded
• Cheap, noisy vibrations, heavy weight - Oneisall Quiet Dog Clippers
This dog clipper is cheap and quiet which is a nice combo, it has a powerful motor that trims dog’s hair without problems except if the hair is matted then the clipper might jam.
The clipper is quite easy to use and a favorite among beginners and experience groomers, it is shockingly a quality product despite its cheap price, the major hiccup in this product is its poor battery life.
Key features
• Single speed
• Cordless
• Cheap but good for very rare grooming
FAQs About Dog Clippers
What is the difference between human clippers and dog clippers?
The major difference between human clippers and dog clippers is the materials used to make each of them, dog clippers contain stronger materials, they have blades that are heavier and thicker than that of human clippers. Since humans have thinner hair than dogs do, their blades are closely fitted together.
If you use a dog clipper on your hair, there is a possibility that you would get an uneven haircut because the blade of dog clippers are too heavy and thick to be used on human thin hair, while if you use a human clipper on a dog there is a possibility that it will get jammed since it’s blade do not have enough power to cut through such thick hair.
Should you trim your dog’s hair wet or dry?
Depending on your dog’s hair, It may not be a good idea to trim or even brush wet hair because water can make knots and mats tighter so when you try to trim wet hair you are putting additional strain on your dog’s skin and you might unknowingly be causing discomfort or pain to your dog.
You should instead trim a dry dog’s hair and you should be considerate of the amount of hair you trim off because some dog breeds need some hair to keep them warm and their body temperature regulated.
How to maintain your dog clippers?
You should make sure to always brush off your clippers after every use to rid them of hair and dirt, you should keep them in a proper position to avoid falling as multiple falls can damage the clipper.
Make sure you use the blade wash often to maintain the clipper’s blade and be sure to always clean out or vacuum the air vents once a week depending on how often the clipper is been used.
Do not forget to grease and oil the clipper blades every two months. The best way to maintain your clipper is to pay attention to it, do not hesitate to replace spare parts once they start to wear off.