The Best Nail Clippers
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Nail clippers are certainly a standard grooming tool for all non-barbarian men, yet they don’t get nearly the same careful attention as, say, the selection of moisturizing creams, face washes, or clippers for your hair.
Which is a shame. Because the exact nail clippers you use, and how you use them, matter for your basic nail and skin health. While cheap, generic clippers picked up at any drugstore work in a pinch, the wrong clippers, or the right ones used in the wrong way, can wreak all kinds of havoc over time: hangnails, ingrown nails, the spread of fungus, and other nasty surprises.
We talked to grooming experts, including an esthetician and a manicurist, to select the best clippers for any man or budget. A great nail clipper is sharp, easy to grip, and perhaps most importantly, extremely affordable and available. Which is what makes our winners, Tweezerman’s Precision Grip Fingernail Clipper and Toenail Clipper, stand out. And no matter how thick and cumbersome your nails may have become, we have the tool for you.
How to Shop for (and Safely Use) Nail Clippers
When choosing a pair of clippers, first off, you want sharp blades that can easily cut through the nail with precision to avoid any mistaken nips. The blades should last, ideally over several years without dulling, so you don’t have to regularly replace them the way you do other grooming products.
Just as critical is an ergonomic, no-slip (or as close to no-slip as possible) design. A thin piece of stainless steel for the grip won’t cut it; you need to feel safe and secure in your handling of any clippers. Thicker and textured grips offer crucial assistance here.
And curves in the blades, while they may look sleek, are your enemy. You want a straight edge, according to Natasha Ray, owner of Noir Men’s Grooming Lounge in Beverly Hills, California. Or at most a very light curve contoured to the natural nail shape. Sharp angles are an invitation to getting ingrown nails, where the nail grows into your skin. These are not only unsightly but also painful and can even lead to infection. “That will send you to the podiatrist,” Ray says.
Similarly, don’t go crazy with salon-style techniques if you’re not a professional. “I don’t really like my clients cutting their cuticles,” Ray adds, which can open you up to infections, or if you go too far, break the skin and draw blood. (If you’re going to mess with your cuticles at all, you should only be pushing them back with a cuticle pusher.)
Finally, good nail clippers are affordable enough that every man should own two clippers, one dedicated to your hands and the other to your feet. While you’d be wise to clean your clippers after each use with alcohol or peroxide, Ray doesn’t expect every man to do that. Keeping the blades separate can, at least, prevent the spread of fungus from one area to another.
The Best Nail Clippers of 2023 The Best Overall Fingernail Clipper: Tweezerman Precision Grip Fingernail Clipper 
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The nail clipper brand most widely recommended by pros is Tweezerman, which thankfully, also happens to be highly accessible. It’s been Ray’s go-to since she graduated cosmetic school in the ‘90s. She mentions its products to all the men she sees because “I know they can find them anywhere and I also know that they’re high-quality, they work well,” she says.
The Tweezerman standalone fingernail clipper’s stainless steel blades are sharp, easy to clean, and stand up to years of use. They also follow the natural shape of the nail, and the textured grip helps you avoid slips (and any injuries that come with them).
[$12; amazon.com]
The Best Overall Toenail Clipper: Tweezerman Precision Grip Toenail Clipper 
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As explained above, a standalone toenail clipper is a must. Like its fingernail clipper counterpart, Tweezerman’s chunkier toenail tool is sharp enough to confidently cut through all but the thickest of nails (for that special purpose, see our upgrade pick below), and the textured grip aids careful snips. The blades run straight, with no angle, so you avoid the formation of ingrown nails.
[$13; amazon.com]
The Best Combo Nail Clipper Set: Tweezerman Stainless Steel Nail Combo Set with Fingernail and Toenail Clippers 
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Willing to unleash only the tiniest budget for your nail clipping purposes? No sweat. Tweezerman offers a barebones but still sturdy two-clipper combo for your hands and feet. At less than 10 bucks total, there’s no excuse for gross nails.
[$9; amazon.com]
The Best Upgraded Nail Clippers: Seki Edge Craftsman 2-Piece Luxury Grooming Kit 
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Fighting through intensely thick, gnarly nails you’ve maybe left untended for far too long? Or do you simply want to add a luxe feel to your DIY nail clipping process? Here’s your solution: The Seki Edge, another industry favorite from Japan, provides significantly more powerful cutting ability than competitors—think of it as a chef’s knife for slicing through the hard crusts of your nails. The Seki Edge two-piece luxury grooming kit comes with a handsome little leather zip case for both clippers to remind you just how important your clipping regimen is.
[$55; fendrihan.com]
