Hair clippers have definitely become a standard part of every home, especially in today’s economy. You might ask what the economy has got to do with hair clippers?

Well, owning a hair clipper set is a smart economical choice because instead of visiting your barber or hairdresser salon every month for getting a haircut, you can cut your hair from the comfort of your home.

In order to do that properly, you’ll need to know that the hair clipper guard sizes are and how do hair clipper sizes work to start with!

It requires a little research, especially when it comes to popular brands, models, and accessories and attachments included.

Having multiple guide combs and blades is one criteria when it comes to choosing the right hair clipper that’ll suit your hairstyle. So, it’s advisable for you to understand the numbers in hair clippers sizes and their equivalent length because these numbers are very important for getting different length variations of your hair.

Hair clippers have adjustable length settings and removable length guards so that you can cut your hair in a uniform length easily and quickly. These guards are all numbered and each number correlates to a specific length. Although the guards are standardized, you might find a slight variation from one model to another.

If you still haven’t got a clipper though, do not fret! Head over to our selection of the best hair clippers here.

Among all hair clippers, there are three big brands we’re all familiar with – Oster, Wahl, and Andis. Each clipper from these major brands uses either guide combs or detachable blades, and furthermore, different brands have different clipper blade or guard numbers. Here’s our updated research on hair clipper lengths.

Oster Hair Clipper Blade Sizes

BladeSize (inches)Size (mm)Image
000001/1250.2oster blade 00000
00001/1000.25oster blade 0000
0001/500.5oster blade 000
Modified 0A1/500.5modified 0a oster
0A3/641.2oster modified 0a
Size 13/322.4oster 1
Size 1A1/83.2oster 1a
Size 1 ½5/324oster 1 1/2
Size 21/46.3oster clipper blade size 2
Size 3 ½3/89.5oster blades size 3 1/2
Size 3 ¾1/212.7oster size 3 3/4
18 Skiptooth1/83.2oster skiptooth 18 blade
Texturing1/83.2oster texturing replacement blade
Flattop T1/500.5oster flattop t hair clippers blade

Source: official reference guide to Oster blades

Please note that the Oster blades fit Classic 76, Model One, Octane, Outlaw Clippers and Model 10.

Wahl Hair Clipper Sizes

Wahl hair clippers feature a unique lever that lets you adjust the size on the go. One set of the blades is included with the clippers — however, if you need a replacement, they are also available.

Wahl also produces Competition series which fit some of the Oster and Andis clippers and have the same sizes as those. You can browse these cheaper blades here.

BladeSize (inches)Size (mm)Image
10051/32—1/81—3wahl clipper blade
10061/32—1/81—3wahl blade size
2191*1/500.5wahl blade size 0
5-in-1wahl blade size 5-in-1
2105wahl blade size
2161wahl blade size
2228wahl blade size
1045-100wahl blade size
All-in-onewahl blade size

Source: official Wahl website, Amazon customer Q&A’s. We reached out to Wahl to help us with the missing data.

*The size listed is minimum size as the blades are adjustable.

Andis Hair Clipper Sizes

If you own the adjustable Andis hair clipper rather than the one with detachable blades, we recommend you also have a look at the official hair clipper chart.

BladeSize (inches)Size (mm)Image
000001/1250.17andis hair clipper blade
00001/1000.25andis hair clipper blade
0001/500.5andis hair clipper blade
0A3/641.2andis hair clipper blade
Size 13/322.4andis hair clipper blade
Size 1¼7/642.8andis hair clipper blade
Size 1A1/83.2andis hair clipper blade
Size 1½5/324andis hair clipper blade
Size 21/46.3andis hair clipper blade
Size 2¾5/167.9andis hair clipper blade
Size 3½3/89.5andis hair clipper blade
5/8 HT5/816andis hair clipper blade

Source: official Andis’ Attachment Comb/Blade Length Comparison Chart

Please note that the Andis Hair Clippers Combs fit MBG, BGCL, BGRC, BGR+, BGC, and BG.

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Hair Clipper Guard Sizes

If the clipper sizes listed above are still way too short for you, then you’ll have to go with a hair clipper attachment to get the style that you want.

Every company produces its own guards, and there are also guards available on the market that will fit virtually any clipper. Let’s have a quick look at these products before we move on to haircut examples.

hair clipper attachments

Oster Comb Guide Attachment Set

This cheap set of plastic guides will allow you to cut sizes ranging from 1/16″ (1.6mm) to 1¼” (31.75mm). Click here to see how much it costs >

wahl 8-piece guide sethair clipper guard sizes wahl

Wahl Guide 8-Piece Set for Fades

These allow you sizes from 1/8″ (3mm) to 1″ (25mm). Here you can give them a closer look >

Hair Clipper Sizes Examples (Haircuts)

Let’s have a look at how these different clipper sizes look on your head.

The Bald Look

white bald man

Excellent for those who have started balding but would like to hold on to that young look for a little longer. You’ll need to use one of the smallest blades for this (#00000) or even a razor. Remember to wear sunscreen!

The Standard Buzzcut

buzzcut black man

This simple uniform-length haircut is super easy to maintain and probably the cheapest possible way to look neat and fashionable. Use one of the larger bladesizes, and you won’t need a hair clipper guide.

The Layered Style

hipster man with short hair tattoos and a black dog

This style will require at least one clipper guide size. Try going for the largest you have available, and then use a slightly smaller one for the sides and the back. This should fairly safely give you a nice crew cut.

Well, it mostly depends on the look and style you’re going for. Whatever blade or hair clipper guard you will choose, make sure it corresponds with the style you want to have. If you’re going for haircut buzzed close to the scalp, choose a small size clip with a small number on it. Going for a longer hair? Opt for a big clipper size.

Hair clippers are easy and safe to use for all people, and you just can’t mess up your hairstyle while using them. But if you’re that clumsy, don’t worry; everything is fixable!

You can even experiment with your hair a bit, but whatever you do, you must learn how to use the right hair clipper size for the style you want. As you can see, the sizes range greatly, and thus it’s advisable to know ahead of time what can you expect.

Remember: always go for a clipper size that is slightly longer than you’ll need because you can go shorter anytime you want. You know the saying: measure twice, but cut once.

Oh, and in case you didn’t know, super-short men’s buzz cuts are so ‘IN’ right now. Not only will you look great, but you will also be able to come out of a shower and be immediately ‘styled’. If you’re not 100% sure about a buzzcut, however, why not check out our fine run-down of best hair-cutting scissors available?

If you’re looking for a different type of change of your hair, why not bleach? Here is a list of the top bleaches we recommend.