An obvious – but important – place to start is considering your grooming needs. Before looking at different features, Benjamin Wilson, grooming expert and director of scientific communications at P&G, recommends asking yourself what look you’re actually maintaining. “Are you trimming short stubble, tidying the edges of a beard, or keeping something fuller and more sculpted? Those routines need slightly different tools,” he explains. “Once that’s clear, it’s pretty simple. A trimmer has to do four things well. It needs to lift the hair off the skin, guide it between the teeth, hold it for a moment and then cut it cleanly. If any of those steps fails, you get pulling, patchy spots, or you have to go over the same area too many times.” 

Also, don’t let yourself be swayed by unnecessarily elaborate features. For instance, adjustable length settings are key, but, according to Benjamin, more isn’t automatically better. “Most men actually use just a few settings in their routine – one main length for the beard, perhaps a slightly shorter one for the moustache or sides, and a clean line around the neckline,” he says. “What really matters is repeatability. You want to be able to select a length almost by feel and know you’ll get the same result every time. That means clear markings, a stable adjustment mechanism and a comb that stays firmly against the skin.” 

“In our Braun and King C. Gillette work we use sensor-controlled motors (auto sense technology) that can step up when they detect a denser beard, so the blades keep moving side to side at a consistent speed. The idea is not to impress with raw power, but to keep the cutting action stable so more hairs are cut cleanly in one pass, whether your beard is fine or thicker, like cable. If you feel tugging or hear the device slow dramatically in your beard, it is usually a sign it is under-powered for your hair type, whatever the specs may say.”