Whether at a barbershop, salon, or even at our home, we can all agree on something:
Hair clippers can go from a nice buzzing to a loud clattering sound real quick, which can be overbearing at times.
One of my neighbor’s child is autistic, so I understand how huge of an issue this can be for some people, especially for individuals with sensory sensitivity.
Fortunately, manufacturers have upped their game and there are a bunch of quiet hair trimmers you can choose from these days. Not all silent hair clippers are created equal, though.
That’s why I spent a considerable amount of time finding the best one for me.
Are you ready to find the best silent hair clippers for you? Let’s dive straight into it!
Note: While we’re on the topic of hair care, I quickly wanted to give you a heads-up that I also have a guide about helping you choose a silent hair dyer for a peaceful blow-dry.
1. Andis Professional Ceramic Hair Clipper
Are you looking for a hair clipper with a powerful rotary blade and a heavy-duty construction? This model from Andis might be just what you’re looking for.
At maximum, it generates only about 57 decibels of noise. It is about 20% quieter compared to the Wahl Professional 5-Star Series.
The blades are detachable and hence easy to clean. High-carbon steel has been used in its fabrication which makes them long-lasting and capable of performing heavy-duty work.
These powerful clippers come in both cordless and corded forms and hence you can choose between the two.
Besides this, it also offers several options for speed. The clippers are available in single-speed, two speed, and five-speed options.
If you are using it for adults, then the higher speeds will serve best and if you wish to use it on the kids, then the lower speeds should suffice.
There are a few downsides to it as well.
While it is pretty powerful, it inherently poses a downside too. You should handle it with extreme care to avoid minor injuries. Also, the cord seems to be of mediocre quality and could use some improvement.
Nonetheless, its powerful blades and heavy-duty construction make it a great pick to help you get the perfect cut every time.
Pros:
- Powerful detachable blades
- Heavy-duty construction
- Easy to clean
- Provides different speed options
Cons:
- Mediocre cord quality
2. Wahl Professional 5-Star Series
Looking for a hair clipper for professionals to get the perfect finish every time? Well, this model from Wahl might be promising.
It has a powerful V9000 electromagnetic motor.
The electromagnetic motor produces a noise rating of 75 decibels. It’s not the quietest on my list—but certainly acceptable. If you are looking for something quieter, then you may try Andis Professional which is about 20% quieter.
The clippers are excellent for traditional precision fading, scalp tapering, and over comb work. The blades can also be adjusted without overlap capabilities.
The aluminum bottom housing prevents damage due to rough use in busy salons and makes it very durable. It is compact and lightweight but tough enough to be used regularly without getting damaged by rough handling.
It comes with many accessories like a taper lever, 3 cutting guides (1/16 inch to 3/16 inch ), styling comb, oil, cleaning brush, operating instructions, and red blade guard—all of which are very essential for all professional barbers and salons.
It tends to overheat at time, though—so it might require some rest to cool down before it can be used again. Also, the guards on the clippers might make some users feel uncomfortable—but you can always use it without the guard, too.
Pros:
- Powerful motor
- Includes essential accessories
- Compact and lightweight
- Durable
- Adjustable Blades
Cons:
- Tend to overheat at times
- The guards on the clippers might feel a bit uncomfortable
3. OSTER Fast Feed
Are you hunting for a quiet yet powerful pivot motor containing hair clippers? This model from OSTER is aimed towards beginners.
It has an excellent noise rating of 69 dB only.
It is ideal for those who have thick hair. The steel blade adjusts between sizes 0 and 1, so you can cut through the hair effortlessly, both in dry and wet conditions.
The ergonomic design and material of the product make it handy and durable to use. You get a perfect grip as a result of the textured housing that lets you perform your task comfortably.
With regard to accessories, the package includes blade guard, lubricating oil, and cleaning brush. Cleaning brush makes it easy to clean the hair clippers. It also comes with an eight-foot power cord.
It has its fair share of downsides, too.
The attachable comb provided has teeth that are not in perfect alignment with those of the blade which may cause slight inconvenience. Also, zero-gap implies that the blade comb and the teeth will not wear out at the same pace.
Pros:
- Powerful pivot motor
- User-friendly
- Ergonomic design
- Durable
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- Mismatch in alignment between the teeth of attachable comb and blade
- Zero-gap causes uneven wearing of blade comb and teeth
4. Baby Hair Clippers by Elebebe
Searching for the perfect hair clippers for the toddlers? This product from Elebebe might just be what you need.
The prime reason why I believe this is the best no-noise hair clipper that you can buy for your little one is its safety features. I too am a mother and from my own experience, I can assure you that it provides the best styling with no harm to the skin.
It is equipped with 3 cutting heads and 3 guided combs. The cutting heads kit includes one haircutter head, one kid’s carving head, and one bald head razor guide combs of various sizes (0mm, 3-6mm, and 9-12mm).
This is one of the quietest models which produce a meager amount of 50 dB of noise at maximum. This is due to Noise Reduction Technology. Thus, these hair clippers can also be used when the kid is asleep.
It features a widened R-shaped round corner design of the clipper head and the ceramic blade that prevents scratches and hair-pulling.
To add to its durability the whole body of this baby hair trimmer is waterproof.
It uses eco-friendly lithium batteries and can keep going with the same batteries for a long duration of time. It can be charged by plugging it into an AC adapter, power bank or any other USB enabled charger.
It’s not all fairy-tales, though.
The comb attachment could have been a little longer, in my opinion. But that’s just me.
Also, the plastic handle isn’t that sturdy so you should handle it with care.
Pros:
- Great safety features
- Waterproof
- Ultra-quiet
- Easy to clean
- Easy and quick charging
Cons:
- Short comb attachment
- The plastic handle is not that sturdy
5. Philips Kids Hair Clipper HC1091/70
Looking for a budget-friendly hair clipper that gives a professional trim for kids? Philips Kids Hair Clipper might be worth a look.
Besides the trimmer, there are three trimming combs in varying lengths. It also comes with a carrying case while makes it easy to store all the components.
This generates only about 50dB of noise. In comparison to other hair clippers such as the Wahl Professional 5-Star Series and OSTER Fast Feed, it is about 25% quieter.
It’s also cordless—which provides an element of safety when it comes to trimming kids’ hairs.
It has a shorter ceramic cutter with rounded tips that enables you to trim your child’s hair perfectly even if the hair is extremely uneven. It’s a perfect clipper if you’re looking to trim hairs anywhere from 1 mm to 18 mm. The shaver will remain completely safe irrespective of using it on wet or dry hair.
It is also waterproof—which is a nice bonus.
The trimmer is made from grey and white plastic and has got a sleek and attractive look. The sloping and smooth shape makes it easy to get a perfect grip in order to get the perfect hair cut.
Cutting through thick hairs might be a bit tricky, though. The battery performance could use some improvement.
It also vibrates a bit which might not be an issue for regular children—but might cause uneasiness amongst autistic kids. In that case, you should consider having a look at the Clamping Clipper hair kit.
Pros:
- Ultra-quiet
- Inexpensive
- Powerful ceramic cutter
- Waterproof
- Can be used wet or dry
- Comes with a carrying case
Cons:
- Requires extra effort to cut through thick hair
- Vibrations may disturb the autistic kids
6. Calming Clipper Haircutting Kit
Looking for a hair clipper for an autistic child? I’d recommend you go for something non-electric because, in my experience, they work the best when dealing with hypersensitive kids.
Autistic kids are highly sensitive to their surroundings. Slightest of touch, certain sounds, or cut caused by the electric clippers can be very painful to them.
Hence, I recommend you go for something like the Calming Clipper Haircutting Kit. It is one of the best alternatives to the electric hair clippers. The scissors are ball-tipped that let you trim safely around sensitive areas like ears and neck. They tend to produce no noise at all and hence, it a great choice for the ones who are sensitive to sound.
The professional-grade stainless steel barber scissors come with seven guide combs to give the users the length they want. It features a micro-serrated blade to hold the hair better while cutting.
In order to customize your snugness level, two sizes of gel finger inserts are included. A storage bag is also included in the package to help you keep all the accessories in one place. The addition of a barber cape is a nice bonus too.
While it can cut through thin hair effortlessly, things might get a bit tricky when it comes to cutting thick hair. It’s certainly possible with a few more snips though.
Pros:
- Great for autistic kids
- Ultra-quiet
- Comes with seven guide combs to give perfect length
- Snugness level can be customized
- Comes with many accessories
Cons:
- Thicker hair might require more snips
The Buying Guide: Factors to Consider Before Buying
1. Safety
Hair clippers, if bought without checking the level of safety they can provide, can cause minor damages or cuts. This becomes even more crucial when it comes to purchasing hair clippers for the little ones.
To prevent hair pulling and to ensure that the hair clippers cause no injuries to the skin in the process of styling the hair, a clipper with serrated ceramic blades is preferred. In this regard, Baby Hair Clippers by Elebebe are worth mentioning.
Also, the entangling of wires can cause someone to trip over. Hence, to prevent any kind of mishap due to this, it is better to go for cordless ones. It will allow more freedom of movement with no chance of tripping over the cords.
In this regard, you may want to check out Andis Professional Ceramic Hair Clipper.
2. Easy to Clean
Cleaning and taking necessary steps to maintain the sharpness of blades and the overall efficiency of the parts of the clippers is crucial. Hence, it is also advised to go for clippers which facilitate easy cleaning.
Not all products are equipped with a cleaning brush. If you wish to get a cleaning brush to further lessen the time of cleaning the blades, you can go for OSTER Fast Feed.
Andis Professional Ceramic Hair Clipper is also worth mentioning in this regard. The blades in it are detachable which makes it easy to clean and keep the product in perfect order for long durations of time.
3. Motor
With respect to motors in a hair clipper, you get three options – magnetic, pivot, and rotary. In order to help you select your perfect clippers, here is a description of all the different types of clipper motors.
Magnetic
If you wish to enjoy a high-speed motor in your hair clipper, then this is a great choice. It is also known as a universal motor.
It works on the principle of electromagnetism that it helps it attain high speed. It can work perfectly in both AC and DC power supply.
But it does have a few drawbacks. It is comparatively noisier than the other types of motors. It also requires some extra maintenance to prevent wear and tear.
If you choose to go for these types of motors then the Wahl Professional 5-Star Series is a good choice.
Rotary
Most of the hair clippers available in the market are furnished with this type of motor. It is ideal for the ones who are looking for a hair clipper that can manage the speed and power of the blades very well.
These are a boon to the professionals since it delivers versatile trimming. It facilitates heavy-duty cutting and can be used on both wet and dry hair. These can help give the perfect hairstyle to thick as well as thin hair.
It requires very little maintenance. In case you opt to go for these types of motors, then you may like Andis Professional Ceramic Hair Clipper.
Pivot
These motors are very similar to magnetic ones. The only difference is that it makes use of two electromagnets instead of one as in the case of magnetic motors. It is also devoid of springs.
In comparison to magnetic motors, it generates twice the cutting power. Though the blade speed is actually reduced. This increased power facilitates the easy styling of wet hair. Hence, they are extensively used by expert stylists.
This is great for shaping thick hair and doesn’t require much maintenance. One of the best products on my list which uses pivot motor for its functioning is OSTER Fast Feed.
4. Noise Rating
All the hair clippers tend to produce some noise during their use. Generally, the ones emitting about 50 to 75 decibels of sound are considered to be quiet. This is a tolerable range and does not cause much disturbance to the others in the vicinity.
Hence, going for hair clippers with noise rating lying in this range is preferable.
5. Blades
In order to enjoy the perfect hair cut, a well-designed blade made of high-quality material is of utmost importance. The most common materials used in making the blades of hair clippers are carbon, stainless steel, titanium, and ceramic.
Blades are also expected to remain sharp for long durations of time with minimum maintenance. Carbon blades seem to fulfill these requirements very effectively. One such product that is equipped with carbon blades is the well-reputed Andis Professional Ceramic Hair Clipper.
Steel blades are known for their tensile strength which makes them durable. OSTER Fast Feed makes uses of high-quality steel blades.
Ceramic blades, on the other hand, do not heat-up easily. Though they are not that sturdy as compared to steel blades.
6. Accessories
Besides the clippers, most products also come with a wide variety of accessories to facilitate better hairstyling. Some of them are taper lever, cutting guides, styling comb, oil, cleaning brush, operating instructions, and blade guard.
These help you in styling, teasing, lifting, detangling, cutting, or just combing your hair. Instruction guides provide you with the methods to use the device most effectively. The cleaning brush helps make the clippers long-lasting by helping the user clean it effortlessly.
One such product that comes with all these accessories is the Wahl Professional 5-Star Series.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why Do Hair Clippers Make a Loud Noise?
Here are some reasons your hair clippers could be noisy:
- clippers move back and forth either across a magnetic field or an eccentric gear. The moment it switches direction it hits a stop or the gears mesh within the eccentric gear configuration which creates the noise
- friction due to less oiling of the blades
- power screw might need some adjustment
- vibrations produced while using them
2. Corded vs Cordless Clippers: Which is Better?
I would suggest you go for cordless clippers. Here’s why:
- cordless clippers facilitate movement whereas with the corded ones, the user is forced to work in a confined region due to the limited length of the cord
- the cord can get all tangled up which may cause unnecessary wastage in the time of the users in untangling it
- cordless clippers are travel-friendly
But a major downside of cordless clippers is that the power of the battery may die which may cause inconvenience. Corded clippers, on the other hand, will obviously not run out of power.
3. How to Maintain and Clean the Hair Clippers?
Here are a few tips to keep your clippers clean:
- brush off the hair from the blades
- use honing stones to sharpen blades
- align the blades correctly
- apply oil to the blades
- use clipper spray to keep the blades cool
The Bottom Line
After careful evaluation, I believe Andis Professional Ceramic Hair Clipper is the best soundless hair clipper for most people. It comes with a rotary motor and comes in both cordless and corded forms. It’s also great for heavy-duty operation.
OSTER Fast Feed is a great pick with its ergonomic design, easy cleaning features, and ultra-quiet operation. It has got a rugged construction which makes it long-lasting.
Calming Clipper Haircutting Kit is good for people who are suffering from autism or hypersensitivity. being a non-electric kit, it makes no noise at all.