Wahl Magic Clip Review: My Honest Opinion After One Year of Testing

I FIRST STARTED cutting my own hair in college for the same reason I hopped the turnstile or lived off of rice and beans in New York City—to save money. But whenever I told people that I cut my own hair, they always said the same thing: I can tell. Those early days saw a series of botched buzzes and uneven fades, which only began to reconcile after much practice and, somewhat ironically, investing in a better set of hair clippers. But no tool has helped me hone this craft better, with more ease, than the Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip.

To be clear, you don’t need to be a professional barber to benefit from having solid hair clippers. You can use this tool for simple touch-ups to extend the time between haircuts, saving money by cutting back on trips to the barber. Guys with larger or more coarse facial hair can use these hair clippers as beard trimmers, given their horsepower. Not to mention, if you’re unsatisfied with a professional cut, you’ll know you can roll out the pair to improve the fading or start over with a full buzzcut reset.

The issue with many clippers, however, is that they’re either too advanced for those untrained in professional haircutting or too weak to properly handle a full buzz. The Wahl Magic Clip shatters this pattern. Its motor can plow through the thickest of hair with ease, but the design is intuitive so that any beginner can handle it—as long as they don’t rush, of course. The Wahl Magic Clip is versatile, powerful, and comfortable to use, functional for any cut. There are two iterations, Black and Burgundy, both are effective, however, the former is a slightly elevated experience, so we’ll be focusing on that one for this review.

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The Magic Clip isn’t trying to reinvent the haircutting wheel, but rather streamline it. The clippers come packed with all the essentials for a quality at-home cut. There are eight attachments ranging from 1/16 of an inch for barely a step above bald, to one inch for managing longer hair (think the sides of a medium-length hairdo). It’s a basic set for clippers, but more than enough options to execute any length buzz or fade. In addition to a blade guard, it also includes the always welcome blade oil to help maintain your trimmer (use after every use), and small brushes to clean off lingering hair. There is a comb as well, but I found the teeth to be far too spacious to effectively grab and hold my hair while styling or cutting.

The biggest addition to this Magic Clip’s design in comparison to older models is that it can be used either plugged in (with the included charger) or cordless. The plug-in is unique to this device and other Wahl products, which is slightly annoying. I prefer a trimmer with a more common, universal plug-in like USB-C to minimize the amount of power cords I have to keep around. It’s not debilitating, but certainly a minor nuisance. That being said, the Magic Clip’s 100-minute runtime from one full 60-minute charge is impressive compared to other professional-level clippers, like the Andis Master, which runs for 90 minutes, while costing nearly $100 less.

On the specs front, the Magic Clip packs a powerful motor, cutting hair at 6,500 rpm (rotations per minute). For those familiar with the Andis Master’s 7,200 spm (slices per minute), this might seem underwhelming, but there are a few misleading things at play here. For one, it’s technically two different metrics. Having used both, I’d estimate that they’re both around 6,500 rpm, as they have nearly identical motor speed. However, it is slightly less than the fellow Professional Five Star series hair clipper, Wahl Senior’s 7,000 rpm.

Still, this is hardly a deal breaker, only vaguely noticeable when performing a drastic cut, like going from shoulder-length hair to a buzz cut. You’d still be able to achieve this transition, to be clear, but you may have to go over a couple of areas twice when dropping that kind of length. Finally, there is the unmatched Wahl adjustable taper lever, which allows you to seamlessly alter how close of a cut you’re giving, ideal for precise fades.

Never have I used clippers that immediately felt more comfortable to hold. Sure, the Magic Clip has a bit of weight to it, but not in a way that it’s too much to grasp. It’s hefty enough to ensure your strokes are intentional and aimed, because you can’t toss it around without thought (unless your wrists are yoked). The power switch is conveniently placed on the side, so you can quickly turn the device on and off to save battery while styling or parting hair.

It’s not at all sensitive either, so you’ll never accidentally switch it off mid-job. Roughly two inches above this is the taper lever, which is equally easy to use without being overly sensitive to the tooth. It’s a simple feature, but invaluable when fading between lengths. The customizable, in-between cut lengths allow for a clean blend when fading that avoids any stark length contrast common with at-home or untrained haircuts.

Of course, the motor is one of the real highlights of the Magic Clip. The 6,500 rpm is more than anything to plow through thick hair. Following a couple of lazy months, I recently gave myself a cut, going from two months of length to a #2 buzz (roughly ¼ inches) on the sides. Not once did the blades get clogged or struggle to take down hair. In fact, I rarely need to go over the same area more than once with these clippers. And when I do, it’s usually due to user error, like not angling the blades properly.

Now, given the power of this motor and the sharpness of the blades, beginners should take any cuts slowly. That’s not to say that I think newbies should steer clear of the Magic Clip—quite the opposite. But if the untrained were to rush through a haircut, there would certainly be a risk of slicing skin, or giving yourself an uneven trim. Still, the comfort and ability to only go over areas once make the Magic Clip a great option for beginners—just take it slow.

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Similarly, when hair clippers can be used both cordless and plugged in, they’re rarely at the top speed and power unplugged as they are when connected directly to a power source. However, this isn’t the case with the Magic Clip. The blades cut just as fast when running off a charge as when plugged into an outlet. And that power doesn’t start to diminish until the final minutes (under five) of the charge.

I’ve been using my current black Magic Clip for well over a year, and it still holds a full 100-minute charge. Plus, the blades and motor haven’t diminished a bit. As mentioned, the stainless steel blades here are sharp. This allows for targeted and precise touch-ups when you’re working without an attachment. Plus, beard wearers will find it useful for detailing facial hair, as well.

At $160, the Magic Clip is mid-tier when it comes to professional-grade clippers, but it performs with higher-end options, like Andis Master, that are roughly $100 more expensive. You can also save $20 by getting the burgundy version rather than the black. The attachments are slightly less uniform, but the device is mostly the same. The only major difference is that the burgundy’s motor slices at 5,500 rpm versus the black version’s 6,500 rpm. It’s a split that’s not as noticeable as the 1,000 rpm difference would imply. Unless you’re cutting a drastically different length (like shoulder-length hair to buzz cut), you won’t notice it.

While these clippers are not waterproof, they still clean fairly quickly. After a cut, take the small included brush and wipe off any lingering strands. It also helps to rub your thumb across to clean the slate prior to. Then, drizzle a couple of drops of the trimmer oil that came in the pack and turn on the blades for a few seconds so that it is sufficiently disturbed throughout. I’ve given myself at least 15 haircuts with my Magic Clip, and after following this post-cut routine every time, it works as well as it did out of the box.

Wahl is the name when it comes to hair clippers, quite literally—the brand’s founder, Leo J. Wahl, is credited with inventing the first electric clippers. The Magic Clip follows this tradition, pairing a powerful motor and ultra-sharp stainless steel blades with a comfortable, easy-to-use design.

Whether you’re a long-time DIY haircutter or a beginner starting with simple touch-ups, the Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip will provide an effective experience. While $160 might be a lot to invest in something meant to shave you money (by substituting barbershop haircuts), you won’t find a better device for cheaper. In fact, you’ll need to drop at least $200 to get something that performs at a similar level. Not to mention, if you regularly spend $40 or more on haircuts, the Magic Clip will start paying for itself after four cuts.

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