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Most barbers and home groomers end up buying the same handful of tools: a clipper such as the Wahl 5 Star Cordless Senior, a detail trimmer, something for beard and body, and the small supplies that get used every day. This guide walks through what each one does and what to check before you buy, so you can build a barber kit in a sensible order.
Facts about the specific models below come from the makers’ own product pages, read on October 13, 2026. Models and listings change, so check the details on the page before you order.
In this guide
- Start With a Clipper
- Add a Detail Trimmer
- A Trimmer for Beard, Hair and Body
- Home Haircut Kits
- The Small Stuff You Use Every Day
- Shears, Combs and a Spray Bottle
- Capes and Neck Strips
- Cleaning and Disinfecting
- Blade Care: Oil and a Brush
- A Starter Kit at Three Budgets
- How to Choose What to Buy First
- FAQ
- Where to Start
Start With a Clipper
The clipper does most of the work, so get it right first. If you cut fades and tapers every day, a professional cordless like the Wahl 5 Star Cordless Senior is the usual benchmark. Wahl Pro describes it as built for bulk removal, tapering and fading, with a rotary motor, a zero-gap adjustable blade, a weighted body and an 80 minute lithium-ion runtime.
For home use you do not need that much clipper. A basic cord/cordless model with a set of guards is plenty, and our guide to Wahl clippers for home use covers three that suit beginners.
Quick take
A professional cordless for daily fades and tapers, or a basic cord/cordless model with guards for home use.
Add a Detail Trimmer
A trimmer handles outlines, necklines and edges that a clipper is too big for. The Andis Slimline Pro Li is a common choice. Andis lists a carbon-steel T-blade, a 4 ounce body, up to 2 hours of runtime, and a corded option for nonstop work.
Check Andis Slimline Pro Li Price
Good to know
A trimmer handles the outlines, necklines and edges that a clipper is too big for.
A Trimmer for Beard, Hair and Body
If you want one tool for beard and body as well as hair, look at all-in-one groomers. The Panasonic ER-GB80 lists 39 length settings from 0.5 to 20 mm, up to 50 minutes of cordless use and stainless steel blades, according to Panasonic. You can also plug it in and use it corded for longer sessions.
For kits with several heads and combs, Remington and Philips Norelco are worth a look; Philips’s current kit is the Philips Norelco All-in-One 9000, sold as a 23-in-1 trimmer for face, hair and body. If you or your clients have sensitive skin, read our guide to trimmers for sensitive skin first.
Check Philips Norelco All-in-One 9000 Price
Home Haircut Kits
If you are just starting out, a kit that bundles a clipper, guide combs, scissors and oil saves you from piecing it together. Wahl USA lists its cord/cordless clipper kit (model 79470) with 12 guards covering 1/16 to 1 inch, scissors, a comb, blade oil and a storage case in the box.
On Amazon, that Wahl kit is listed as the Wahl Lithium Ion Pro cordless clipper kit (79470), usually in the under-$70 range. Conair also sells home haircut kits if you want to compare.
Check Wahl Lithium Ion Pro (79470) Price
Pick this if…
You are just starting out and want a clipper, guide combs, scissors and oil in one box.
The Small Stuff You Use Every Day
Neck dusters, cape covers and disinfectants are not exciting, but you will reach for them on every cut. Pick up a Diane Neck Duster Brush to clear hair off the neck, cape covers that fit your chair, and a spray made for clippers and tools such as the Clippercide 5-in-1 Spray (3-Pack). Our Barbicide guide covers the mix and timing for soaking tools.
Shears, combs and a spray bottle
Clippers do not do everything. Longer tops, blending the top into the sides and cleaning up stray hairs all go faster with a pair of shears and a comb. A budget pair such as the Equinox Professional Razor Edge Barber Scissors (6.5 inch) is a sensible first pair while you learn.
A fine mist keeps hair damp and easier to section while you cut with shears. A continuous-spray bottle such as the BeautifyBeauties Continuous Spray Bottle (10.1 oz) gives an even mist instead of a squirt. Add a couple of barber combs, one with fine and wide teeth, and you have the shear-work basics covered.
Check Equinox Razor Edge Barber Scissors Price
Capes and neck strips
A cape keeps hair off the client’s clothes, and a neck strip under it keeps hair off the collar and the cape off the skin. For a home kit, one good cape is enough. The Barber Strong The Barber Cape is sold as a hair-repelling, static-reducing, water-resistant cape, which matters more than it sounds: clippings slide off instead of clinging.
Shops go through neck strips quickly, so buy them by the box. The Sanek Neck Strips (12 packs of 60) are a standard shop size. Home users can skip strips and use a towel around the neck instead.
Check Barber Strong The Barber Cape Price
Cleaning and disinfecting: what the label says
If you cut other people’s hair, disinfecting tools between clients is part of the job, and your state barber board sets the rules for licensed shops. Barbicide is the classic jar disinfectant. Its EPA-registered label says to mix 2 ounces of Barbicide Disinfectant Concentrate into 32 ounces of water, clean tools first, and fully immerse them for 10 minutes, or longer if local rules require. The label also says to rinse and dry tools after immersion and to mix fresh solution daily, or sooner if it becomes diluted or soiled.
A jar makes that routine easier. The Barbicide Disinfectant Jar and Concentrate Starter Set pairs the large jar with a pint of concentrate. For clipper blades you cannot easily remove, a 5-in-1 spray cleans and cools the blade in place.
Check Barbicide Jar and Concentrate Starter Set Price
Blade care: oil and a brush
The cheapest items in the kit are the ones that keep the expensive ones working. Wahl suggests oiling your blades before you use the clipper or after every use: brush out the hair, put a drop at the corners of the blade and at its foot, run the clipper so the oil spreads, and wipe off the excess. A 4 oz bottle such as Wahl Premium Blade Oil lasts a long time at a few drops per cut.
A slim brush like the Andis 12415 Blade Cleaning Brush clears the teeth faster than the small brush that comes in most clipper boxes. If the blade gets hot on long cuts, Andis’s Cool Care Plus spray cools it, but Andis says it does not replace blade oil. Our guide to how often to oil hair clippers covers the full routine.
Check Wahl Premium Blade Oil Price
A starter kit at three budgets
Amazon prices move, so treat these as rough bands from late October 2026.
Good, roughly $100–125 all in: the Wahl Lithium Ion Pro clipper kit (79470) for the haircut, a neck duster, a bottle of oil and a cape. This covers home haircuts for one household.
Better, roughly $200–220 all in: add the Andis Slimline Pro Li trimmer (about $65 on Amazon) for necklines and outlines, plus a spray bottle and a starter pair of shears.
Best for a working barber, roughly $300–350 to start: a professional cordless such as the Wahl 5 Star Cordless Senior (about $185 on Amazon), the Slimline Pro Li, a Barbicide jar and concentrate, neck strips by the box and a good cape.
How to Choose What to Buy First
- Start with the job you do most. Fades and tapers need a good clipper, and edges and outlines need a trimmer.
- Corded gives steady power and cordless gives freedom. Some clippers now do both.
- Check what is in the box: guards, oil, a brush, a charger.
- Look at runtime and warranty on the maker’s own page, not only the listing.
- Read the listing and the maker’s page together before you order, and compare model numbers so you know you are looking at the same tool.
Heads up
Compare model numbers on the listing and the maker’s page so you know you are looking at the same tool.
FAQ
What should you buy first for a barber kit? Buy the clipper first, then a detail trimmer, and add supplies as you run out. Start with the job you do most: fades and tapers need a good clipper, and edges and outlines need a trimmer.
Do you need a professional clipper for cutting hair at home? No. A professional cordless like the Wahl 5 Star Cordless Senior is the usual benchmark for daily fades and tapers, but for home use a basic cord/cordless model with a set of guards is plenty.
What is the difference between a clipper and a trimmer? A clipper does most of the cutting. A trimmer handles the outlines, necklines and edges a clipper is too big for.
Is a home haircut kit worth buying? It makes sense if you are just starting out, because a kit bundles a clipper, guide combs, scissors and oil. Wahl USA lists its model 79470 kit with 12 guards, scissors, a comb, blade oil and a storage case.
Is corded or cordless better for a barber kit? Corded gives steady power and cordless gives freedom, and some clippers now do both. Check runtime and warranty on the maker’s own page, not only the listing.
Do you need Barbicide for a home kit? Not usually. A disinfectant jar matters most when you cut other people’s hair, and licensed shops follow their state barber board’s rules. At home, brushing, cleaning and oiling the blades after each cut covers most needs.
How often should you oil a new clipper? Wahl suggests oiling before you use the clipper or after every use, a few drops at a time, then running it briefly and wiping off the excess.
What small supplies do barbers buy most often? The consumables: neck strips, disinfectant, blade oil and coolant spray. Buying neck strips and disinfectant concentrate in bulk is cheaper per cut.
Where to Start
Buy the clipper and a detail trimmer first, such as the Wahl 5 Star Cordless Senior and the Andis Slimline Pro Li, then add supplies as you run out of them. A small, well-chosen kit beats a big pile of gear you rarely use. If you want a broader look at supplies, see our barber supplies buying guide.
