When you need to trim or shave your Poodle, you likely want the best clippers that money can buy. It’s important that your dog has a relaxing grooming experience and that you’re able to use high-quality clippers that offer top performance, quality, and user-friendliness. According to consumer reports, Andis 22340, Wahl Arco, and Oster A5 beat out the competition as the 3 best dog clippers for Poodles.
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These brands offer professional trimmer blades and accessories that are perfect for giving your dog the perfect haircut. Even better, they’re some of the most durable and versatile brands on the market.
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If you’re looking for quality clippers to upgrade your pet grooming business or give your Poodle the trim he or she deserves, check out these 3 best dog clippers for Poodles today.
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What to Look for in a Dog Clipper
Before you start shopping, there are a few important things to look for in a dog clipper for Poodles. Keep in mind that you will want to adjust blade size depending on whether you’re grooming a Standard or a Toy Poodle size or if you intend to trim your dog or do a summer shave.
If your Poodle has extra curly or bushy hair that mats easily, it’s best to find a clipper with a sturdy steel blade that’s sharp and strong enough to cut through a thick coat.
Ease of Use
First off, you’ll want to ensure that the clippers you buy are easy to use. You don’t want to mess with clippers that are difficult to use, come with confusing or absent instructions, or are bulky and awkward to use on your dog.
Corded vs Cordless
The choice is up to you when it comes to a corded vs cordless clipper preference. Cordless has its benefits for travel situations or areas where you find yourself without access to an electrical hookup.
The top benefit of opting for a corded clipper is that corded clippers are less expensive than cordless ones.
Secondly, corded clippers don’t run out of battery life. Because you’re connected to a power source, your clipper has a steady flow of power to the clipper the entire time that you’re using it. This means that your clipper won’t run out of juice. You also won’t have to rush to complete the job due to limited battery life.
Stroke per Minute (SPM)
Another thing that you’ll want to consider when searching for the perfect Poodle clipper is how many strokes per minute the trimmer offers. Since Poodles have thick curly hair, not fur, you’ll want to choose clippers with speeds and strokes that will do either a close shave to the skin without nicking or cut through a tough, matted coat without any issue.
Sound, Vibration, and Heat Generation
For your own benefit and Poodle’s sake, it’s a good idea to choose a clipper that has a softer sound, low vibrations and doesn’t overheat quickly.
Motor and Material Durability
It’s not all about looks or blade types when it comes to choosing the right dog trimmer. Check for clippers that are sturdy, not flimsy. You’ll want to avoid brands that report these issues and find a good option that doesn’t break or stop working quickly.
Accessories and Blades
The best accessories and blades for Poodles depend on the grooming look that you’re trying to achieve. Size also matters as you’ll want to appropriately decrease blade size for smaller dogs like Toy or Teacup Poodles.
Currently, the most popular blades are size 10 for most Poodles. You can use a size 15 blade if you don’t have trimmers. For body length, sizes 3, 4, 5, and 7 are the most used blades. You can get longer or shorter blade options depending on how short or long you prefer your dog’s coat.
Many brands, including Andis, also come with a variety of detachable combs and blades to fit all your needs.
1. Andis 22340 – Best Clipper for Poodles Overall
Pros
Cons
As an industry leader in clippers for professional grooming, Andis 22340 is an investment that pays off both for the professional groomer and the casual pet owner.
This easy-to-use clipper is quiet, cool, and corded so you don’t have to waste time waiting for a battery to charge or risk running out of power when you’re half done. The clippers are designed to run smoothly over your dog’s coat and skin for a clean finish.
Due to its two speeds, this Andis clipper reduces dragging and snagging while trimming.
With a 14-foot-long, heavy-duty cord, you’re able to move easily around your dog during grooming without getting yanked back on a short cord. Even though the clipper is large, it’s also light and easy to operate with just one hand if needed.
Sound, Vibration, and Heat Generation
A lot of professional trimmers aren’t ideal for grooming your pet at home. For instance, a lot of them are so loud that they sound like an airplane taking off. This can rattle your Poodle’s nerves. It isn’t exactly enjoyable for owners or operators, either.
This Andis clipper has super low vibration which makes it a quiet choice for your Poodle grooming needs.
The motor also runs cool. This means that it won’t heat up like other types of clippers while using it. You can also buy a coolant spray and oil the blade well if you’re concerned about heating or if you plan to use it constantly all day.
Strokes per Minute
This Andis clipper has two-speed settings at 3000 to 3800 strokes per minute.
Motor and Material Durability
Many professional dog clippers can range from $130 to $500. Even some of the more expensive models don’t last longer than 6 months with regular use. This Andis clipper has a professional rotary motor that is built solidly to last a long time without experiencing decreased performance. The longevity motor is sealed, so you don’t need to worry about noise or oil leaking.
Accessories and Blades
Andis 22340 has blades that cut easily through Poodles’ coats that can get tangled and matted over time. The clipper doesn’t tend to drag, which makes that a bonus for getting a clean trim. In fact, the Andis clipper allows you to cut your Poodle’s hair at home with the same look as if you took him or her to a groomer.
The blades can feel a little heavy, but they are detachable which makes cleaning them a breeze.
While the clipper itself does stay cool, sometimes the blades can get warm if you’re using it constantly for an hour or more.
One way to solve this is to use an attachment like the Wahl Professional Animal Stainless Steel Attachment Guide Combs for Detachable Blade Clippers (#3390-100). They fit on the Andis clipper and prevent hot blades from touching your Poodle’s skin.
If you purchase the correct blades, typically size 10-15, then you usually won’t need to shell out extra money for grooming combs.
Honorable Mentions
2. Wahl Arco – Best Cordless Clipper for Poodles
Pros
Cons
When it comes to buying a clipper to trim your Poodle, going the budget route often isn’t the best option.
Wahl is a reputable brand that produces quality clippers to create salon-type grooming for your pet.
While we’ve discussed the pros of corded dog trimmers, cordless pet trimmers also have several benefits. Unlike the Andis 22340 model, the Wahl Arco features a cordless clipper.
A cordless clipper like Wahl Arco can make grooming easier, especially if you have a nervous dog who hates getting groomed. We’ve all been there. Your dog gets antsy, moving all around the table, and soon you and the dog are all tangled up in the cord and equipment as you try to trim him or her.
The Wahl Arco cuts out all this hassle. You don’t need to stay near a power source. You don’t risk tangling or plugging in extra extension cords to get more length to move freely. You also have the option to head outside where you don’t have to worry about getting a hairy mess all over your house or garage.
It’s lightweight and only weighs 7.9 ounces. This makes it easy to handle and reduces wrist fatigue which is a must for a grooming session. It’s also a good option to reach difficult areas around your Poodle’s paws.
Sound, Vibration, and Heat Generation
If you have an anxious pet or a younger Poodle, Wahl Arco is a great option since it has a quiet purr. You shouldn’t have to worry about a stressful grooming session since these are quiet and run at a low enough vibration to avoid startling your Poodle.
While it doesn’t usually overheat, the Wahl Arco clipper can get hot with extended use like many other brands except Andis.
Strokes per Minute
With constant speed control, the Wahl Arco clippers have a speed that reaches a max of 5,500 strokes per minute.
Motor and Material Durability
Although it’s reasonably durable, Wahl Arco isn’t quite as tough as the Andis clipper.
According to Wahl, the rechargeable lithium-ion battery allows you to get 80 minutes of use out of a single charge. It also takes about the same time to recharge (75-80 minutes) once the battery drains.
Even better, Wahl includes 2 NiMH battery packs in the package. All you need to do is swap a fresh one out while the other charges, so you won’t need to stop and wait for the battery to charge. If you don’t need it for longer than 80 minutes, you can always keep one charged as a backup.
Accessories and Blades
The blades run smoothly without snagging or jamming. The clipper also comes with four plastic attachment combs. As a bonus, you also get blade oil, a brush for cleaning, and an instruction booklet.
There are a lot of small features and thoughtful elements that Wahl designed to make the grooming experience as seamless and easy as possible.
Honorable Mentions
3. Oster A5 – Best Clipper For Long Hair
Pros
Cons
When many people think of industry-standard clippers, they think of Oster. Since the 1970s, Oster has produced made-in-America A5 clippers in McMinnville, Tennessee, a quiet town that lies to the southwest of Nashville. They’ve made the same clipper in the same town for almost 50 years.
It’s a basic clipper that has stood the test of time. Weighing in at 1.97 pounds, its plastic body is heavier to handle than either the Andis or the Wahl Arco clippers. It’s also less ergonomic, which means that your arm has to do most of the work due to the long-tube design.
With a 12-foot cord, the Oster A5 enables you to maneuver around your pet during grooming time. The Oster A5 cordless clipper is a more lightweight option if you need it.
Sound, Vibration, and Heat Generation
At the lowest speed, the sound and vibration is super quiet, which is great if you have a sensitive Poodle. Keep in mind that if you’re using it for more than 20 minutes or so, the blade can get hot with extended use. Since the clippers use cryogenic blade technology, this helps the blade stay cooler longer.
Strokes per Minute
The Oster A5 has two-speed settings that run either 3000 or 4000 strokes per minute.
Motor and Material Durability
The Oster A5 clippers are encased in a solid, heavy-duty plastic shell that resists impact. This is great if you have a nervous Poodle that turns quickly and knocks the clippers out of your hand.
If you’re cutting through extra thick or matter Poodle hair, the Oster’s 120 V motor can seem less powerful as the other brands of clippers listed here. But it can cut through tough, tangled hair like a hot knife through butter. There’s also a turbo option that lets you amp up the power and strokes per minute when you need some extra power.
Accessories and Blades
With a cryogenic-X blade, which keeps blades sharper longer than the brand’s competitors, cleaning brush, clipper blade oil, and clipper grease, you have everything you need to keep your clipper running smoothly for a clean cut. The good news is that while you need to maintain the blade, you don’t need to grease it as often as other brands to keep it humming.
Overall, the Oster A5 clipper is a practical choice that gets the job done for both pet owners and professional groomers.
My Final Decision
After several grooming sessions with each of the three clippers – Andis 22340, Wahl Arco, and Oster A5, I’ve observed distinct differences in their performance.
The Andis 22340 consistently provided a smooth cut through thick Poodle hair, even on areas that were heavily matted. Its two-speed settings were particularly useful for managing different fur textures.
During my testing, the Wahl Arco stood out for its ease of handling, especially around sensitive areas like paws and ears, thanks to its cordless design. However, I noticed it required more frequent blade cooling compared to the Andis.
The Oster A5, while heavier, excelled in cutting through long hair without snagging, a common issue with Poodle coats. Its durability was evident as it remained consistent in performance even after multiple grooming sessions.
Marko is the founder and author at PoodleHQ, where he blends profound expertise with formal training in Animal Behavior and Canine Genetics. With multiple generations of poodles under his care, he’s a breed connoisseur, honored with the Canine Care Excellence Award and lauded by the International Pet Enthusiasts Association.
