Wahl Chrome Pro

Bottom line

Reviewers say the Wahl Chrome Pro is a great option for novice at-home hair cutters. Most reviewers say it clips cleanly and well, although we found a number of complaints about durability. The Chrome Pro comes in kits of varying size, with everything you need for a home cut including a cape -- but some of the accessories draw pans for their low quality.

Performance

Safe for beginners. Despite its name, the Wahl Chrome Pro's motor isn't as powerful as a professional clipper's. That's not necessarily a bad thing; novices don't have to worry about it getting away from them. The Chrome Pro's adjustable blade pivots up or down for tapering and fade work.

"The carbon steel blades provided a smooth cut and the clippers ran cool and quiet," writes Dave Alexander, About.com's guide to men's hair. Others, however, feel the heat, like an Amazon.com user who writes that "within 10 minutes the body of the machine started getting extremely hot." There are also complaints that the clipper is loud when used with the long comb guards.

Ease of use

More isn't always better. The Chrome Pro's attachments aren't the best quality. The Chrome Pro comes with nine guide combs (Nos. 1/2 to 8, or 1/16 to 1 inch), trim guides for your ears and eyebrows, styling combs, scissors, hair clips and a cape, plus the requisite oil, grease and brush for maintenance, and a storage case to hold it all together.

Although Alexander has some good things to say about the clippers themselves, he says the guide combs are "among the cheapest and flimsiest" he's encountered. Quite a few owners say the clippers are easy to use -- but some also warn that they're large and heavy. We also found a noteworthy number of concerns that the motor burns out quickly.