Panasonic are one of the most famous and prolific manufacturers of electronic equipment around the world, be it grooming related or otherwise. The ER224S, one of the best selling beard trimmers (and indeed the best selling hair clippers) on the market, is a great example of their moves into this market, and is designed to try and be a versatile, affordable grooming product with everything you need for both face and head. So does it achieve what it set out to?
Panasonic ER224S Features
The first thing that you notice about this is its slick silver design, it looks like it would be at home in a professional salon, which is always a good first impression to make, and while we don’t like to judge a book by its cover (or a beard trimmer by its packaging) the design goes further than just looks. The wheel which is used to determine which of the 14 length settings you are on is so easy to use and is perfect for those of us in a hurry. No messing around with attachments, just select your length setting and you’re away.
Those length settings in full are…
- 1mm or 1/32″
- 2mm or 5/64″
- 3.5mm or 5/32″
- 5mm or 3/16″
- 6.5mm or 9/32″
- 8mm or 5/16″
- 9.5mm or 3/8″
- 11mm or 13/32″
- 12.5mm or 1/2″
- 14mm or 17/32″
- 15.5mm or 5/8″
- 17mm or 21/32″
- 18.5mm or 23/32″
- 20mm or 25/32″
That is an impressive range, going all the way from a tiny, stubbly 1 mm to a fuller, more ‘beardy’ 20 mm.
The blades on this product, which are of course the business end of any beard trimmer, are stainless steel and high quality, as well as being hypo allergenic, they are designed with your health in mind so no irritation should take place when using one of these trimmers.
Panasonic were met with some criticism when it comes to the user manual, which, it has to be said, looks like a few scruffy drawings of Noel Edmunds shaving his beard http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/ER224-MULTI.PDF – but that is all a part of keeping costs down, and anyone who has used clippers or beard trimmers regularly before wont have any problems getting the hang of this. Who needs manuals, eh?
Precision Trimming
Another brilliant feature of the ER224S is the precision trimming, which isn’t necessarily blatantly obvious when you start to use it. By removing the attached guide comb (this can be put back on of course) you get yourself a handy outliner or precision trimmer, for shaving more intricate details into your beard or just getting rid of it all.
A glance at the product on Amazon will tell you that it offers 40 minutes of cordless usage, which is not bad, but could be better, some other products at a similar pricing point do offer more of a battery life. However, corded use is always an option and the actual functions of the trimmer are not to be sniffed at.
The way most trimmers are going now is towards the wet/dry side of the market, this means that you can use it in the shower or while washing, and also just means that it can be washed really easily, we know what a hassle cleaning up after an epic trim can be so making that easier is always welcome.
Amazon also tells us that the product can be used for hair, so if you’ve got children who need their hair clipped once in a while, this works a treat, and goes even further to making the price tag worth while.
Conclusion
So then, my summary, the ER224S by panasonic, is it the best beard trimmer? Well no, it doesn’t quite take that title, it could be better in certain areas such as battery life or even offer a couple more settings. Some have said that the design could be sturdier too, but that said, the product is available for between $20 and $30, and finding another beard trimmer, especially an all-in-one product with wet dry capabilities, is going to be a real struggle, which is why this definitely comes with my recommendation for a cheap but quality trimmer.
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