Mangroomer Essential Nose and Ear Hair Trimmer

Bottom line

Reviewers say the Mangroomer Essential Nose and Ear Hair Trimmer is an incredible value -- when it works. Aside from numerous durability complaints, most users say this no-frills nose hair trimmer works well and painlessly. It often requires multiple passes to get the job done, though, and we found a few complaints about irritation.

Performance

Gets the job done -- usually. At about $12, the Mangroomer Essential Nose and Ear Hair Trimmer is a predictable hit for its value. We found a few complaints that it causes some irritation and leaves scattered stray hairs, but more users say it's comfortable and don't mind making a few passes for a clean cut.

"Works well with no drama. Hasn't yanked any hairs... It is possible to irritate the lining of your nose by trimming too close, but that was operator error," writes one reviewer at Drugstore.com. The Mangroomer is a little loud and heats up a bit when in use, but most owners don't seem to mind.

Ease of use

Not built to last. Durability is this basic trimmer's biggest problem, drawing user complaints like, "This is a joke. The switch broke after only one use." from a user at Drugstore.com. Reports about durability are so sharply divided that we -- and quite a few users -- wonder if Mangroomer has a quality control problem.

As long as it lasts, the basic Mangroomer is easy to use. Users particularly like its wet/dry operation. They say it's easy to rinse clean and that it runs for a long time on a single AA battery. A protective cap for the cutting blades makes it easily portable. On the downside, the blades tend to dull after about six months.