But, the best way to make sure the coat is evenly cut is with combs.įor the novice or the DIY dog groomer, then these are your best bet. You can use a clipper over comb technique so you don’t have to worry about balding your pup by accident. What do you do if you want to leave the fur 1.5 inches? You can either shop around until you find a guard that goes to that length or you have to freehand. If your combs only go up to an inch, for example, then that is the longest you can leave the coat. The major downside to using these combs is that you are boxed in by the longest length. That would be #30 or #40 blades, leaving hair at 1/50″ or 1/100″ respectively. First, using them over blades that leave hair shorter is your best option.

There are some limitations to clipper combs for dogs. I like Andis clipper guards as I feel they have a very sturdy construction. When time is of the essence as your dog only has so much patience before he starts to get antsy, then you want to make sure your tools help you work quickly and efficiently. Then you’re forced to keep going over the same spot. If the combs are prone to bending when faced with a lot of thick fur, then you’re going to end up with an uneven cut. The main thing to look for is a sturdy construction. Especially if you are faced with thick or matted fur. They won’t fit right and will likely pop off during the cut. The only caveat is that you can’t use them with the #40 blade of any model. They can be used across all brands so even if you don’t have Wahl clippers you can still use these combs. Andis recommend using snap on combs on their #10 size blade, while Wahl recommends using their #30 size blade for optimum results. So for example, Wahl’s set can be used over Andis’ pet clipper blades. Keep in mind that combs can be used across clipper brands! You can run the clipper with combs attached to get the hair down to a specific length, usually around an inch long or so and not even touch your scissors until you need to do some detail work. They are a huge time saver also for the fact that you won’t need to use your scissors as often. This means you won’t have to keep running over the same spot multiple times.

The stainless steel blades are thinner than the plastic ones so they separate the hair much more evenly. They attach more securely to the blade which means they won’t slip/move while you’re grooming your dog. This allows for more comfortable, more precise grooming sessions. Honestly, if you have the opportunity, I recommend always picking the steel clipper combs for dogs.

Clipper size guide