Philips QC5170/00 Mains Rechargeable Hairclipper

This is my first ever go at cutting my own hair. I'd let it grow 4" long, then set to work with these clippers using the "large comb" attachment at setting 5, = 21mm cut length. My hair was a little greasy, and the cut to begin with was messy, but a good start. The clipper sounded like a bee buzzing around my head. I occasionally stopped to slide off the transparent comb to tip out collected cuttings. I washed my hair, and before it was completely dry continued, going slowly in every possible direction, rotating the cutting head on the clipper body whenever I needed to come at a different angle, listening to the rattling sound each time the teeth engaged with some hair and began cutting, and got a near perfect cut! Was curious about going shorter, so turned dial down to 4 which claims to cut to 19mm on the large comb, and began cutting my now dry hair. Immediately could hear the rattling cutting sound as I moved over each new area. Very neat cut again, just a little shorter. Turned down to 3 = 17mm, then 2=15mm and after a few minutes was satisfied with that length. Those length specifications looked fairly accurate to what I got. I have fine but dense straightish hair. I finished off over the ears with the small trimming blade. I'm very impressed with how easy this device is to use, and I've not even tried the 6 shorter length settings yet. Now that I've got my hair fairly short, it'll only take a few minutes each week kneeling on a towel in front of a mirror to keep my hair looking very neat. Money very well spent.

Times are tough so I thought I'd save on the £45/month I was spending on haircuts. Plus, the cuts I was getting were pretty poor so I thought, "What do I have to lose?" I've had other clippers in the past but this one is comfortable to use, it has enough power to cut through my tough hair without jamming and it's fool proof. After three cuts I've got my technique down. I typically have a short-back-and-sides and the secret is to make several passes, reducing the length of the blade ONE step at a time (i.e. setting 5, then 4, 3, 2 etc) - don't jump steps (i.e. 5 to 3) or you will get a dog-chewed finish. Yes, it's more time-consuming but the end result is a lot neater and the gradation is much smoother. (Spend lots of time on the crown as, for some reason, I tend to miss that a lot and the hair stays longer there, making me look like an onion). The swivel head is a bit gimmicky in my opinion, it never quite swivels to the correct angle for me (45 degrees each turn) but that might be down to my funny-shaped head. I tend to keep the blade in one position and that works fine. Battery life is quite good - about 1 hour cutting time. When that runs out, you just plug in the mains to carry on/recharge. All in all, a good clipper with good quality blades and a strong motor that can manage tough hair.

I've been shaving my head now for almost 12 years, for the first few years i shaved with a set of clippers. Once i got tired of using them i just used to shave to the bone using a gillette blade. Now i'm approaching 30 i was growing bored of constantly have to shave my head, dealing with ingrowing hairs and such and decided it was time for a new set of clippers. When i spotted these i was immediately drawn to 2 things: 1) They're cordless, 2) The blades were stainless steel and maintenance free. Admittedly once i received them from Amazon my heart sank a bit, the clippers didn't match my expectations, it felt light and plastic y'know kind of cheap. But once i used them i was blown away (no i wasn't holding them with wet hands whilst they were plugged into the mains). They performed admirably, i have very fine hair (very little on the top and the usual around the side and back). I did have these on the shortest setting, and i haven't tried them with any of the attachments, but my head feels smooth and it didn't miss any patches. The rotating head isn't a gimmick either, when i was shaving the back of my head, switching the shavers head 90 degrees (you can turn it in increments of 45 degrees) took the strain out holding the clippers awkwardly and helped me achieve what i think is a very good cut. Plus they also double as beard trimmers (again i haven't tried to shave my face with the attachments on). Basically what i'm saying is that these are top notch.

I've used a number of different clippers in the past few years and this is the easiest to use and maintain. The plastic extensions lift off and reattach simply and securely, and the grades 1,2,3 button is reassuringly sturdy; ie you won't slip into a new position mid-trim. The stainless steel blades are easy to maintain because you don't need to oil them like you do with ceramic ones, but I've noticed the difference in sharpness. One day I ended up with track lines, trying to push harder for a closer shave. I found the Wahl blades to be far superior in cutting fine hair. The only reason I moved away from Wahl was that they were fiddly to clean and I ended up with broken bits that slipped out of my hands. However, I will go back to them next time (and try to be more careful!). The major negative point against the Phiips is the size of the plastic attachment. The clippers are obviously not designed for beard trimming. If you want a grade 1-2 beard, it's impossible to trim the moustache without sticking the plastic attachment up your nose cutting it off (attachment or your nose!).