Whether you're a grooming enthusiast or a professional barber, achieving that perfect fade is an art form worth mastering – but one that requires a very specific set of tools.
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Guess what? After searching far and wide for the ideal clippers to master the art of fading, in this blog post, I’ll walk you through the absolute best clippers for fades I could find online.
Let’s dive in.
A Brief Introduction to the Fade Haircut
The fade haircut is characterized by a gradual transition from longer to shorter hair, which is achieved by blending the hair at the sides and back of the head.
All barbers, professional and amateur, rely on clippers for fades due to their precision and versatility, allowing them to control the hair length with ease. Clippers offer clean, sharp lines, making them the go-to tool for achieving the impeccable finish synonymous with the fade.
What Fading Clipper Guard Should I Use for a Fade?
When crafting a fade by yourself, you should always begin with a higher fade clippers guard, like #4 or #3, at the top to maintain length.
As you progress down the sides, gradually switch to a lower fading clippers guard, such as #2, #1, and finally, no guard, to achieve that seamless, tapered effect.
What’s Better: Taper Blade vs. Fade Blade?
When it comes to choosing between a taper blade and a fade blade for your clippers, it's essential to consider your fade preferences and their respective nuances.
For instance, taper blades are excellent for more gradual transitions, making them the perfect choice for classic tapers.
On the other hand, fade blades provide a more aggressive cut, ideal for achieving sharp, defined fades.
Now that we’ve got these considerations out of the way, here’s my curated list of the best clippers for a fade that your money can buy.
Our Favorite Fading Clippers
Best Overall
The Complete Haircutting Kit from WAHL is fitted with a potent corded clipper, 14 color-coded clipping guards, and numerous other grooming accessories. It comfortably blows most haircutting sets out of the water.
When it comes to considering price, extra features, and overall value, this became an obvious choice for the best clippers for fades.
| PROS | CONS |
| You can rest assured that you’re getting the absolute best bang for your buck | Probably better suited for grooming amateurs |
- Hair Types: All
- Battery Life: N/A
- Cordless: No
- Price Range: $
Best for Thick Hair
Speaking from experience, wrangling and dealing with thick hair can become quite a challenge sometimes, which ends up calling for a particular kind of clipper to do the job.
Featuring a neat fade adjustment lever, a lithium-ion battery that allows for 100 minutes of cutting time, and a powerful V9000 motor, Wahl’s 5-Star Series Legend Clipper will cut through thick strands of hair like nothing thanks to its wedge blade design.
| PROS | CONS |
| The most powerful motor on this list | Can get a little hot |
- Hair Types: Thick
- Battery Life: 100 minutes
- Cordless: Yes
- Price Range: $$$
Best Complete Fade Clippers Set
If you’re a guy like me, nothing can beat finding a one-stop shop for all of your haircutting and trimming needs. That is exactly what I’ve found here with Limural’s Hair Clippers and Trimmer Combo, providing you with the best of both worlds and a number of handy extras as well.
From its 13 guard combs and blade lubricating oil to a blade cleaning brush and a whole barber apron, as well as a 5-hour battery life, you can’t get much more in one sitting than this.
| PROS | CONS |
| The most complete haircutting set on this list | Trimmer is reliable, but lacks sharpness for hard cuts |
- Hair Types: All
- Battery Life: 5 hours
- Cordless: Yes
- Price Range: $$
Best Clippers for Barbers
I don’t think it’s possible to find a single barber that won’t demand premium quality when it comes to the best clippers for barbers.
Novah’s Professional Hair Clippers won’t let any professional barber down. Some may balk at the price point, but it’s not unwarranted: both the clippers and trimmer that come in this set come with the finest blade I’ve ever laid my hands on.
| PROS | CONS |
| Recharges within minutes | Price is certainly on the high side |
- Hair Types: All
- Battery Life: All-Day
- Cordless: Yes
- Price Range: $$$$
Best Budget Pick
Let’s face the facts: most of the best clippers for men are a little expensive.
However, for those of you who don’t want to shell out on a fade clippers set, GLAKER’s Home Clippers for Men set is a fantastic choice for the price point – especially considering that it’s a rather comprehensive 13-guard set.
| PROS | CONS |
| A fantastic budget-conscious choice | Don’t expect it to last a lifetime |
- Hair Types: All
- Battery Life: N/A
- Cordless: No
- Price Range: $-$$
Best Cordless Fading Clippers
Coming in a remarkably attractive golden color and a neat LED display, FADEKING’s Professional Hair Clippers for Men are fade clippers of the highest quality.
What’s more, I’ve rarely ever seen clippers show that your blade’s oil needs changing or that it needs to charge. This fact makes these a true unicorn when it comes to cordless clippers.
| PROS | CONS |
| Super quiet in comparison to other devices | Blades are lackluster when it comes to sharpness |
- Hair Types: All
- Battery Life: 5 hours
- Cordless: Yes
- Price Range: $$
Best Water-Proof Fading Clippers
There’s nothing more convenient than being able to cleanse yourself and take care of your grooming needs at the same time – but not all fading clippers allow you to do this.
Fear no more, as Hatteker’s Professional Water-Proof Clippers (coming with an adjustable taper rod and fierce, stainless steel blade) have come to save the day.
| PROS | CONS |
| Comes with ten color-coded combs | Clipper can slow down as battery drops |
- Hair Types: All
- Battery Life: 5 hours
- Cordless: Yes
- Price Range: $
Best Clippers for a Gift
Whether you’re looking for a birthday or Valentine’s Day gift, there probably aren't any more stylish fading clippers on this list than UFree’s Hair Trimmer & Electric Razor Combo.
Possessing sharp blades and a 7500 RPM motor, these clippers are best suited for men with thick hair in particular.
| PROS | CONS |
| Beautiful exterior design | Can be a little loud |
- Hair Types: Thick
- Battery Life: 2.5 hours
- Cordless: Yes
- Price Range: $$
Best Clippers Set for a Bald Fade
While it’s a look that comes a bit out of the left field, a bald fade can be pulled off to marvelous effect only with a very specific kind of fade clippers set – without this, one slight error, and your scalp is done for.
Fortunately, albeit rather expensive, Andi’s Professional Cordless Fade Combo comes with a Trimmer containing a sharp T-blade to get those close cuts done without error.
| PROS | CONS |
| A 2-in-1 clipper and trimmer combination | Blade can become rusty if not careful |
- Hair Types: All
- Battery Life: 2 hours
- Cordless: Yes
- Price Range: $$$$
Final Thoughts
Selecting the best clippers for fades can make all the difference in achieving a flawless haircut.
Through this exploration of various top-notch models, I hope you’ve come away with a good understanding of what to look for in fading clippers, from auto-fade clippers to classic, manual models. Looking for more?
Check out our hair product guide to find an equally fantastic product to pair your fresh fade with.
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Born and raised in Austin, David is a dedicated writer and avid fragrance lover. When he's not trying out perfumes, he enjoys traveling and exploring new restaurants.