Best Dog Hair Grooming Clippers In 2019/20: Complete Guide

When it comes to choosing the best dog hair grooming clippers, there are many options to consider.

Not only do you have to pick a clipper, but you have to make sure to get the right blades or guide combs for cutting, and consider your dog’s coat in the process.

What we’ve aimed to do in this guide is list a few of our top rated options, and provide you with some easy to read guides, reviews and comparisons that might make your choice a little easier.

Let’s jump into it!

(NOTE: this is a general information guide only, and is not professional advice, or a substitute for professional advice. A qualified vet or animal expert is the only person qualified to give you expert advice in regards to your pet/s)

Best Dog Hair Grooming Clippers In 2019/20: Complete Guide

Our top picks for the best dog hair grooming clippers across the different types of clippers are:

Andis AGC2 UltraEdge Super 2-Speed Pet Clipper (on Amazon) – 2 speed (3400, and 4400 strokes per minute) corded animal clipper. Designed for all coat types – including thin/fine as well as thick/matted coats. Works with detachable blades

Wahl Deluxe U-Clip Pet Clippers (on Amazon) – affordable one speed corded clipper that runs at 7200 SPM. For fine to medium hair. More of an at-home clipper. Uses an adjustable blade

Andis Super AGR+ Cordless Rechargeable Clipper (on Amazon) – cordless pet clipper with one speed of 3800 strokes per minute. Good for amateurs and professionals. Has an estimated 1 hour run time, and a 1 hour recharge time

Wahl Professional Animal Bravura Lithium Clipper (on Amazon) – a cordless clipper that can also run directly from the charger cord. Great for light to medium thickness hair and touch ups. Has a lithium ion battery with a 90 minute cordless runtime with 60 minute full charge time

Wahl Professional Animal Motion Lithium Ion Clipper (on Amazon) – a cordless clipper that can also run directly from the charger cord. Great for light to medium thickness hair and touch ups. Has a lithium ion battery with a 90 minute cordless runtime with 45 minute full charge time

Wahl Professional Animal KM10 Brushless Motor Clipper (on Amazon) – a corded brushless motor clipper. Has two speeds of 3000, and 3700 strokes per minute. Has Constant Speed Control for consistent torque and power

Oster Golden A5 1-Speed Animal Clippers (on Amazon) – the one speed model is a heavy duty clipper for matted or thick hair. Runs at 2100 SPM. Designed with power and torque specifically for matted coats

Best Dog Hair Grooming Clippers: Reviews & Other Clipper Guides

Clipper Guides

Clippers For Different Dog Breeds

Clipper Reviews

Clipper Comparisons

Clipper Blades & Guide Combs

Best Dog Hair Grooming Clippers: Buyer’s Guide

Which Dog Clipper Blades To Get For Cutting Your Dog?

The clipper choice is important, but so is the clipper blade or comb choice.

Some blade manufacturers may tell you what blades or combs to use on different breeds in the product description, blade charts or individual breed grooming guides.

Two examples are:

Andis have a blade chart where they suggest blades for different breeds and for all breeds in general:

Sanitary Prep – 10
Pads – 15 to 5 /8″ Wide
Body, Slightly Matted – 5, 5FC
Body, Very Matted – 7, 7FC
Body, Very Heavy Coats – 7
Legs – 3¾FC, 5 /8″HT, ¾”HT, Combs or Scissor
Feet (Except Poodle), Beards, Mustaches, Furnishings – Combs or Scissor

Oster also have a blade chart where they suggest blades for different breeds.

Wahl vs Oster vs Andis Dog Hair Clipper Blades & Combs

You can read more about the different Wahl, Oster and Andis blades and clipper combs here:

Best Pet Clipper Blades and Combs

How To Cut & Groom Your Dog?

One thing to do to learn how to cut a specific breed of dog is to type into Google ‘[Dog Breed Name] Clipping Guide’.

Another good search might be ‘How To Cut A [Dog Breed Name] With Clippers’.

You can read different guides and watch videos.

Note that different different dogs can have different cuts for different styles or looks. You might do a general cut, or a show cut for example. But, there are many other cut styles as well depending on the breed.

If you don’t know what you’re doing when it comes to cutting, it’s best to go to a professional groomer.

Definitely stay away from doing anything like completely shaving off your dog’s fur unless medically advised to do so (especially if they have a double coat as it can permanently ruin the coat), or anything else which can negatively impact the dog’s health or well being.

It’s also important to watch out for matting and knots in the fur (using a de-matting comb before clipping can be helpful or using a high power/high torque clipper too get through the knots), and things like skin tags that might get caught in the clipper blades.

Clipper combs, and grooming scissors are often used to cut and finish off cuts when grooming as well.

How To Find Out What Each Dog Clipper Blade and Clipper Comb Does?

Good dog clipper brands should have a ‘blade chart’ that tells you what length each blade cuts to, what parts of the dog’s body to use them on, what type of fur to use them on, and which breeds to use them on.

For example, you might search for the ‘Andis blade chart’ to see what each Andis detachable blade or comb is capable of doing.

You can also refer to the individual blade or comb product description to see what the blade or comb is used for.

Compatibility Of Dog Clipper Blades & Combs

Different clippers are going to be compatible with different blades. Read the clipper product description for the types of blades that come with, and work with that clipper.

For example, right now the Andis AGC2 is compatible with Andis detachable blades like the CeramicEdge and UltraEdge, but also the Oster A5 blades.

Most detachable blade clippers are compatible with universal clipper comb sets like the ones offered by Wahl.

This might change from model to model though – so confirm compatibility at your time of purchase.

Cutting Dog Hair On Different Parts Of The Body

You usually use a finer clipper blade on the face, ears, paws, sanitary areas and tail – these are considered touch up or lighter cutting areas. For example, you might use an Andis #10 blade on the face and ears
You usually use a broader teeth blade on the body and legs. For example, you might use a 7 or 7FC blade on the body

Refer to the blade chart for blades and combs to use on different parts of the body.

For example, for all breeds and mixed breeds where Andis haven’t identified that breed elsewhere in their blade chart, they suggest considering the following blades for the following body parts and coat types:

Sanitary Prep – 10
Pads – 15 to 5 /8″ Wide
Body, Slightly Matted – 5, 5FC
Body, Very Matted – 7, 7FC
Body, Very Heavy Coats – 7
Legs – 3¾FC, 5 /8″HT, ¾”HT, Combs or Scissor
Feet (Except Poodle), Beards, Mustaches, Furnishings – Combs or Scissor

Cutting Different Types Of Dog Hair

Dog hair can come in all types, lengths and thicknesses.

It can be fine, short, thin, curly, straight, coarse, matted, thick and even double coat (vs a single coat).

Refer to the blade chart for blades and combs to use on different parts of the body.

Two examples are

Andis’ 7 & 7FC detachable blades might work well on very matted hair
Oster’s Size 3 Skiptooth and Size 5 Skiptooth blades might work well on curly hair

Light vs Heavy Duty Dog Hair Cutting

You can already see that clipper blade choice is important for light and heavy duty dog hair clipping.

But, the clipper is important too.

The clipper product description should mention what sort of clipping it is good for.

For example:

Light Dog Hair Clipping – cheap electric clippers like the Wahl Deluxe U-Clip might suit light clipping, and also cordless clippers like the Wahl Cordless Clippers (Motion, Bravura, Figura etc.)
Heavy Duty Dog Hair Clipping – clippers with strong motors, drives, power and torque are better for heavy duty clipping. Examples are the Oster Golden 1 Speed, Wahl KM, Wahl KM10, Wahl Power Grip, Andis AGC2

Light dog clippers are quite common, but you can read more about Heavy Duty Dog Hair Clippers in this guide.

Cutting Different Dog Breeds, & Cutting For Different Looks/Styles

As mentioned above, blade charts, product descriptions or individual breed grooming guides published by the blade and comb manufacturers usually tell you which blades to use on which dog breeds.

The breed specific grooming guides also tell you how to achieve different looks and styles using different blades.

Cutting Two Or Several Dogs With Different Types Of Fur At Once

Say you have one dog with soft and fine fur, and the other with coarse and thick or matted hair.

In this instance, it helps to have a versatile multi speed clipper for all coat types, and have that clipper also be compatible with detachable blades.

This way you can adjust the speed and blades for the different fur types.

Blade Care, & Clipper/Blade Overheating

It’s good practice to get blade oil for your blades to maintain them.

In addition, clipper and blade overheating can be an issue for some people. To combat this, you might:

Buy a backup detachable blade and alternate so you give one a chance to cool down while you use the other
Use the clippers in intervals instead of continuously for an extended period
Use blade oil/coolant on the blades
Use blade combs so the warm blade doesn’t touch your dog’s skin
Keep the clipper speed down for thick and matted coats so the clipper and blades don’t get too hot. Make sure you have a higher power and higher torque clipper though in this instance
If your clipper body heats up, check with the manufacturer it’s not defective, and use gloves for some added protection if you need to

Picking A Dog Hair Clipper For Your Dog

Apart from the blades or combs on the clipper, the clipper choice itself is important.

If you put all the individual features aside for a second, you want to make sure of these key things:

the clipper is compatible with the types of blades and combs you need to cut your dogs fur (refer the clipper product description for blade compatibility, and the blade charts for each clipper brand to see what each blade does)
the clipper has enough speed, power and torque to cut your dog’s hair (for thick, long and matted fur dogs especially). Being able to change the speed is good for different coat types, but you also want the base power and torque to get through matted or thick coats.

What Other Features & Things Should You Look Out For In Dog Hair Clippers?

You may like to look out for the following considerations and questions about a clipper you buy:

What thickness of fur is the clipper for? Thin, medium or thick hair?
What types of coats and dog breeds can the clipper be used on? Poodles, terriers, spaniels, all breeds?
How many speeds the clipper has (SPM/strokes per minute)
What the maximum and minimum speeds of the clipper is
How much does the clipper weigh
How long is the clipper
What shape is the clipper when you grip it – circular, or squarer?
How long is the clipper cord
How long is the warranty that comes with the clipper? What is the duration, and what are the conditions of the warranty and return policy?
What sort of motor does the clipper have – rotary, electromagnetic, brushless?
What sort of blade drive system does the clipper have?
Does the clipper have any technology that keeps the power and torque of the drive motor consistent through the cuts?
What comes in the clipper kit – does it come with a blade, blade oil, storage case etc.?
What extra blades might you need to buy with the clipper
What blades the clipper is compatible with
What guide combs the clipper is compatible with
Does the clipper come with any extra features like an ON locking switch?
Is the clipper a 2 in 1 corded and cordless clipper?

Additionally for cordless clippers, you might ask:

What type of battery does it have – rechargeable lithium ion, rechargeable NiMH, or replaceable AA?
How long does the battery last for on full charge?
How long does the battery take to charge?
Does the battery charge on a charge stand or directly through a charger cord?
Is the battery in built into the clipper, or is it removable?

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Best Dog Hair Grooming Clippers In 2019/20: Complete Guide

Best Dog Hair Grooming Clippers In 2019/20: Complete Guide

Best Dog Hair Grooming Clippers: Reviews & Other Clipper Guides

Best Dog Hair Grooming Clippers: Buyer’s Guide

Which Dog Clipper Blades To Get For Cutting Your Dog?