Remington Barba Beard Trimmer Review
Remington are amongst the best known grooming brands on today’s market, having been in business seemingly forever. Their electric shavers are famous and sought after by many. However, their offerings go far beyond simple shavers. Their beard trimmers are just as good, benefitting from the pedigree that sets Remington’s products apart.
The Remington Barba Beard Trimmer is a case in point. It is one of the best sellers amongst its peers, coming in at a little over twenty pounds and frequently garnering 5 star reviews – in fact, it is consistently one of Remington’s best rated beard trimmers, and consistently outsells competitors online.
There is nothing too fancy about the Barba Beard Trimmer. In fact, it’s quite a simple unit. It will give you what you want from a trimmer whilst costing very little. It is a cordless model with 9 lock in settings from 1.5 – 18mm, so that you can take full control over your trim and make sure that you keep things consistent. It takes quite a while to charge (16 hours) without giving you too much usage time, but it also works perfectly well with the cord attached.
Let’s take a closer look in our full Remington Barba Beard Trimmer review…
Remington Barba Beard Trimmer Specs
Despite costing only twenty-odd quid, and despite being a simple enough design, Remington’s Barba Beard Trimmer actually offers quite a lot. It at least offers you more than enough to get as much utility from it as you would ever need.
It offers nine different cutting lengths between 1.5mm and 18mm, making it perfect for trimming anything from longish stubble to a mid-length beard. It won’t get you down to a five o’clock shadow, nor will it work on a full on Gandalf beard, but it will do for most. You can select these different grades using a mechanical wheel, with no need to constantly switch heads.
The Barba also has a s
econd, pop-up blade that is useful for detail or precision trimming.
I mentioned the charge above. This is a bit of a let-down. A single charge gives you around 40 minutes, which is pretty poor considering most of its immediate competitors last for an hour or more. However, again as above, it’s perfectly easy to use when plugged in, so this needn’t be too much of an issue.
The Barba uses ceramic, self-oiling blades, which require minimum input to maintain whilst consistently giving you a good-quality shave.
The trimmer handle itself has an ergonomic design, meaning that it is precise, gentle to use and easy to handle whilst still delivering the cutting power you need. It is modern looking and refined, perfect for the modern gentleman looking to sharpen up his beard.
Many similar products might come with additional heads (though these are somewhat unnecessary), toiletry bags, combs, hairdressing sheets, beard oils or soaps, or any number of other goodies. Not so with the Barba. When you buy the Barba Beard Trimmer, you get a box with the trimmer itself, a charger and adapter, and a cleaning brush.
However, this paired back approach has allowed Remington to do what they need to do – create a good-quality trimmer that works perfectly at what it does, without costing the Earth. It’s back to basics so, as long as the basics stack up, it should be a winner.
But, we have to ask, do these basics indeed stack up?
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Using The Remington Barba Beard Trimmer
If you want to pull off a beard, then you likely need a beard trimmer. Unless you’re going super long, in which case scissors are likely a good option, or you’re shaving entirely and letting the stubble come out from time to time, it is a must. It will keep your beard shaped and styled how you want it, neat and tidy and in good condition.
Any decent beard trimmer should allow you to do all of this with little effort, to a high standard.
Luckily, the Remington Barba Beard Trimmer is a decent one. Though it has no bells or whistles, no combs or sheets, no oils or attachments, at its heart, it allows you to keep your beard looking how you want it with minimal fuss. It is easy to use when sculpting and trimming and will give you the look you want, no matter your experience level.
This is enough, in my view, to recommend the Barba to any beardy aficionado. It will save you hundreds on a top range model, coming in at a little over twenty quid and doing a good job regardless. There are no equivalent beard trimmers, to my knowledge – there are better ones, there are cheaper ones, but there are none that give you quite so much for so little.
This mix of quality and fantastic affordability is a big draw. The Barba is consistently one of the best-selling beard trimmers on the market. Nearly 90% of consumers award it a four or five star rating, which is incredibly impressive. After using the Barba, though, it is unsurprising.
The main blades, ceramic and self-oiling, are indeed very easy to live with. With no input, they are always ready t
o go when you are. They work well, too. They give a clean finish, with very little drag, so that every stroke and pass can be smooth. I didn’t really like the little, pop-up blade. It was overly fiddly and didn’t give anything like the same kind of quality trim as its bigger brother. However, the main blades were just as good for detailing as it was at larger patches, especially with the comb removed, so this was no issue at all. I simply used them for everything and got good results.
The Barba also has a reputation for longevity. I’ve known older models last for years. I suspect this will be the case with its latest incarnation. Its ergonomic design looks sleek and slender. It is actually reassuringly weighty, incredibly robust feeling, and clearly well-made. I think it would take a lot to break it. I think it would take many years to wear it down.
The battery life sucks. There is no getting around it. Forty minutes is, of course, long enough to get a few shaves in (depending on how fiddly you go!). However, you will find yourself having to charge it a lot. I didn’t mind too much, as it is still easy and pleasant to use plugged in, but it is a fly in the otherwise crystal clear ointment.
It also doesn’t trim too closely. 1.5mm isn’t very short at all for facial hair – many trimmers will go all the way down to 0.2mm, which is much better for designer stubble. Don’t let this be a deal breaker if you wear a beard. If you wear stubble, consider trying a different trimmer.
These shortcomings don’t come anywhere near close to undercutting the value you get with the Barba Beard Trimmer, however. I would expect far greater flaws for the money. I would not expect such a high-quality design and build, basic as it is, nor would I expect such a good shaving experience. Remington really have achieved something fantastic here.
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Verdict
If you want a good-quality beard trimmer that doesn’t break the bank, don’t want to cut too close to the skin, and don’t mind having to charge it a little too often, this is the one for you. It is a fantastic machine.
It is amongst the best – probably the best – budget beard trimmer that I have ever tried. It does this by doing what all great budget products should do – it doesn’t feel budget. It feels weighty and firm. Its ergonomic design and self-oiling blades make it feel both effortless and stolid, both in the best possible ways. It is low-fuss, low-money, high-quality craftsmanship at its best.
You can pay a tenner more and get something with a longer battery life. A tenner might not sound too much, but it’s a nearly fifty percent price rise. You can get something that feels as high-quality, as weighty and long-lasting, as elegant and smooth as the Barba, but you’ll have to at least double the price.
Nothing balances value and quality quite like the Remington Barba Beard Trimmer.
