Are you looking for consistent stubble that looks good on you every day? For that, you can’t just shave every few days. You need to get the best stubble trimmer on the market and use it daily to keep your scruff at the precise length that looks good on you. If this level of care seems like a hassle, it doesn’t have to be.
With the right trimmer, you can look great by spending only a couple minutes each day trimming. That’s less time than it takes to shave — and you’ll look a lot better, because let’s face it: most guys look better with some stubble. Whether you’re growing your scruff for yourself or to attract and keep someone special, it make sense to do a good job of it.
Choosing the best stubble trimmer starts with understanding what to look for.
Things To Look For In A Stubble Trimmer
There are plenty of stubble trimmer reviews online, but some of them don’t seem to focus on the right characteristics. The best stubble trimmer must:
Have adjustable settings. There’s no way to know what length your scruff looks best until you experiment a little. And you may decide after having it for a few months that you want to switch things up a bit by making it longer or shorter. Besides, that special person in your life or who will come into your life in the future may have a thing or two to say about your stubble length.
Be just for scruff. There are some great beard trimmers on the market, and you may want to have a beard sometimes. But grooming a beard is different from grooming stubble and requires a different kind of trimmer if you want anything that’s very long. For the best stubble, you need a dedicated scruff trimmer with very tightly-space tines that can give you the greatest possible precision. A beard often has some hairs that are longer than others, and that’s okay. But stubble needs to be cut as precisely as possible.
Be from a brand name. You don’t want a no-name trimmer. You need one with a brand name so that you get a warranty that will be honored if anything ever goes wrong. And you want to make sure that the grooming device you get is manufactured to exacting standards so that you get an even cut without any pulls, pain or sharp edges that can scrape your skin.
But which model on the market meets these criteria?
The Best Stubble Trimmer On The Market
This best stubble trimmer features a floating head that’s unlike the fixed heads on most trimmers. When you see it from the side, you can see that it’s something entirely different from everything else on the market. Because stubble is short, it needs to be consistent. But your face has unevenness, and a regular beard trimmer can’t cope with that when dealing with very short lengths.
The Conair i-Stubble can be adjusted from 0.4 millimeters to 5 millimeters using a motorized control, not a manual control that can vary if you don’t do things just right. That means you can get the look of a five o-clock shadow, three-or-four-day scruff or even a short beard if you want. An LED indicator tells you how you have it set so there’s never any confusion that can destroy your scruff.
With other scruff trimmers I’ve tried, the biggest problem is that they don’t really cut very well. Hairs just pass through them and somehow avoid getting cut. This device is sharp, and if you groom every day you can keep things in check fairly easily. And I’ve never had a problem with any pain or irritating bumps when I use this trimmer.
Another important consideration is power. The motor in this unit is unexpectedly powerful and also stays charged long enough to get the job done for several days. But just to be on the safe side, I try to charge it every day. If I forget for a few days, however, it’s no big deal.
For a short beard, the results with this unit are also very good. If want a longer beard, you’ll have to try something else.
Just as nice as the way the Conair i-Stubble cuts is the way it feels in your hand. The size is right for a guy’s hands, and that makes it much easier to hold onto than some other models so you can maintain precise control and get just the cut you want.
If you have very fine facial hair or very thick coverage, you may have some trouble maintaining stubble that’s to your liking and that looks right. While I can’t guarantee that this unit will do a great job for you in those cases, it’s the best available. If you can’t maintain great stubble with this unit, it just isn’t possible for you. Your facial hair coverage always determines how scruff looks on you.
In fact, I’ve seen a few bad reviews of this model, and they mostly seem to come from people who just can’t grow good facial hair. No trimmer can help with that.
When Having Scruff Isn’t Such A Great Idea
For some guys, having scruff isn’t really a good idea. Here are three kinds of guys that might want to reconsider having scruff:
Guys with patchy growth. If your coverage is uneven, trimming up your scruff still won’t make it look right — although it might help. Stubble looks best on guys whose beard and mustache connect and who have full coverage on the cheeks and neck. If you don’t, try having a moustache, goatee, long sideburns or whatever you can manage well. If you’re young, your growth patterns will change as you get older.
Guys with round faces. When your face is round, stubble doesn’t look as good. A carefully contoured beard can help you define the shape of your face better. Stubble can make your face look wider and enhance the look of a double chin. A beard can cover it. If you’re significantly overweight, stubble can even make you look unkempt or dirty, and you don’t want that.
Guys with uneven facial hair coloring. Stubble looks best when your facial hair is all one color, especially if it’s dark. You may not like the look of stubble on your face if you have facial hair that’s lighter or redder than the hair on your head. And you’ll have to decide for yourself what you think about any grey hairs that may be appearing.
In addition, you may want to avoid scruff if you have scars on you face that make your hair coverage look uneven. Just a couple years ago, I would have recommended avoiding stubble if you work in an office environment, but it’s now acceptable in almost all workplaces.
Tips For Growing Great Stubble
If you want to have stubble that enhances your looks instead of detracting from your appearance, consider the following advice:
Experiment when no one’s looking. Start growing your stubble over a weekend when you’ll be at home most of the time or when you’re away from home on vacation. Then, you’ll have time to see for yourself how it looks before you show it off to others.
Take note of how your stubble changes from day to day. When you see that it’s at its best, start using a trimmer to try to keep it at that length. It may require a few days experimenting to get the exact length you want with a trimmer, but you’ll find a setting that’s perfect for you.
Be very careful when trimming. Even if you have the best stubble trimmer money can buy, you can still mess up by accidentally setting it too short or gouging into your skin in some areas while barely passing over others. Try to set the trimmer so that smooth, even passes over the entire face will give you the results you want.
Trim to different lengths on different parts of the face if necessary. This is particularly true for the moustache area. If your upper lip coverage is very sparse, you may want to let that part of your facial hair grow a bit longer. You may find that you need a longer length overall to make things look right, but experimenting is key to getting results you can live with.
Use moisturizer. Whether it’s a lotion, an oil or whatever, you can overcome any beard itch with a good moisturizer. And you’ll find that the itch goes away after you get used to having hair on your face all the time.
Keep your stubble clean. Don’t allow stubble that’s been trimmed off to stay on your face, and don’t forget to use a scrub to exfoliate. Bumps are caused by things like bacteria and dead skin and hair held onto your face with sweat and dirt. Cleanse these things away for a healthier, happier face.
Think about the cheeks and neckline. Ideally, you don’t want to shave your neckline or cheeks if you have stubble, but if your cheek line is very high or your facial hair grows into your chest hair, it’s okay to shave it. Just don’t shave if you don’t need to. It will look funny. You can trim a few stray hairs near your eyes or between your neck hair and chest hair if necessary, however.
Final Thoughts On Stubble Trimming
The key to having great scruff on your face are using the best stubble trimmer you can find or a high quality beard trimmer that’s good at stubble — and using it consistently. If you want the very best stubble that looks the same every day and helps you portray a positive image, you’ll want to experiment a bit and then stick with what works. That way, you’ll develop a consistent look that people will recognize as part of your plan and personality.
A great scruff trimmer is one that’s adjustable so you can have whatever you want and that has the power you need day after day. In this article, I’ve offered you two intelligent choices, and you can’t go wrong with either one.
But for the best possible stubble trimming experience without a lot of hassles, choose the Conair i-Stubble. It’s a device you can depend on for years. And since consistency matters so much, you’ll want a device that won’t let you down.
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