8 september 2026
Best Dog Clippers by Coat Type: Which One Suits Which Breed?
Short answer: The best dog clippers depend on the coat type. Curly coats and thick double coats require a strong motor with cooling and an A5 Blade; silky and short-haired coats can manage with less power. You don't shave a double coat bare: you de-shed it, using a de-shedding comb and a longer attachment comb.
Clippers that glide through a Labrador coat can get stuck in the curl of a Doodle. Not because the machine is bad, but because the coat type places different demands on torque, cooling, and cutting length. Below, you'll find what you need for each coat type, plus two comparison tables and a breed overview.
In brief
Four coat types require a specific approach: curly coat, double coat, wiry (harsh-haired) coat, and silky or long coat. Short, smooth hair is the fifth and easiest.
Curly coats and thick double coats demand the most torque. A light home trimmer will snag and pull at the skin.
You do not shave a double coat bare. You remove the dead undercoat with a de-shedding comb or a force dryer.
The Blade determines the cutting length; the attachment comb makes it longer. For home use, a #10 Blade plus attachment combs from 3 to 25 mm is a good choice.
Grooming frequency ranges from every 6 weeks (curly coat) to twice a year (wiry coat stripping).
Last updated: August 19, 2026. Author: Team Clipr, the product team behind Clipr.nl that daily advises dog owners and grooming salons on clippers, Blades, and coat care. This advice is written for the Dutch situation: our climate, our breed distribution, and the coats you see in grooming salons here.
Why does coat type determine which clippers you need?
The coat type determines how much resistance the blade encounters and how quickly it heats up. Dense, curly, or woolly coats get caught between the teeth of the Blade and slow down the motor. The result: the clippers pull instead of cut, the Blade gets hot, and the finish becomes streaky.
Three characteristics are therefore paramount:
Torque (pulling power under load). More important than the number of strokes per minute. A machine that is fast on paper but bogs down under resistance will not get through a matted coat.
Cooling. With thick coats, the motor runs longer under load, and the temperature rises fastest on the Blade side.
The correct Blade. An A5 Blade is a universal, interchangeable Blade that fits almost all professional dog clippers. You change it per coat type or per body part.
If you want the complete picture first, read the complete guide to shaving and grooming your dog yourself. Which blade gives which millimeter length is explained in the article about attachment combs versus Blades and cutting lengths.
Which clippers are suitable for a curly coat (Poodle, Doodle, Bichon)?
How to recognize it? Curly coats grow continuously and shed very little. The hair curls or waves, feels woolly, and mats from the skin if not brushed for a few weeks.
What does it do to the blade? Curly hair wraps around the teeth of the Blade. It quickly heats up and dulls, and dead hairs act like sandpaper on the steel. Mats are the biggest enemy: clippers don't cut through a mat, they pull at it.
Power and cooling: along with the double coat, this is the heaviest category. You want high torque and two speeds, so you can work calmly through the body on the low setting and finish on the high setting.
Blade or attachment comb: a #10 Blade (approximately 1.5 mm) as a base, with an attachment comb for the desired length. For a Doodle, 13 to 19 mm on the body is usually good, for a Poodle in a show clip, shorter on the body and longer on the legs.
Grooming frequency: full groom every 6 to 8 weeks, brush 2 to 3 times a week down to the skin in between.
The pitfall: grooming over mats. If the coat is matted, the only humane route is to go underneath with a shorter length, or carefully cut them out first. For Doodles, the procedure is described in the article about grooming a Doodle.
Which clippers are suitable for a double coat (Husky, Shepherd, Bernese Mountain Dog, Pomeranian)?
How to recognize it? Two layers: a stiff, water-repellent topcoat and a soft, dense woolly undercoat beneath it. Blow into the coat: if the hair opens up like a dimple with visible white undercoat, it's a double coat. These breeds shed heavily twice a year.
What does it do to the blade? The undercoat is the problem, not the guard hairs. Loose wool packs between the Blade teeth and blocks the passage. If you don't de-shed first, your clippers will be hot and sluggish within five minutes.
Power and cooling: high torque helps, but the real answer is pre-treatment. Remove the dead undercoat with a de-shedding comb or a force dryer; after that, you'll have a fraction of the resistance.
Honest advice: do not shave a double coat bare. The undercoat insulates against cold and heat, and the topcoat protects against sunburn and insect bites. After shaving bare, the coat of some dogs grows back unevenly (post-clipping alopecia): the wool returns faster than the guard hairs, leaving you with a dull coat that insulates less effectively. What is allowed: hygienic trimming around the anus, paw pads, and belly, and thinning the coat. The same rule applies in summer, see shaving your dog in summer.
Grooming frequency: de-shedding every 4 to 8 weeks, more intensively during the two shedding periods.
The pitfall: thinking that shaving bare provides cooling. That is the most common misconception about double coats in the Netherlands.
Which clippers are suitable for a wiry or harsh-haired coat (Terriers, Wire-haired Dachshund)?
How to recognize it? Stiff, hard, and straight hair that feels rough, often with a beard and eyebrows. Mature hair comes loose with a slight tug without the dog noticing.
What does it do to the blade? Wiry hair is hard and dulls your Blade faster than soft hair. It's not dense, so motor load is moderate. Average torque is sufficient.
Power and cooling: less critical than for curly and double coats. What does matter is a sharp Blade, because a dull Blade pulls wiry hair instead of cutting it.
Blade or attachment comb: a #10 with an attachment comb of 6 to 13 mm gives a neat result. If you want to maintain the hard texture and color, hand stripping with a stripping knife is the correct technique, not shaving.
Grooming frequency: stripping 2 to 3 times a year, or shaving every 8 to 12 weeks.
The pitfall: shaving a wiry coat and then being surprised that it grows back soft and pale. Shaving removes the hard top layer, which only grows back softer. Not harmful, but irreversible as long as you continue to shave.
Which clippers are suitable for a silky or long coat (Yorkshire, Shih Tzu, Setter)?
How to recognize it? Long, smooth, shiny hair that falls downwards and has little volume, with little to no undercoat. These coats mat quickly behind the ears, in the armpits, and around the groin.
What does it do to the blade? Silky hair is fine and smooth. It slides away from the Blade instead of feeding into it, which quickly leads to streaks. Motor load is low.
Power and cooling: you don't need heavy-duty equipment here. More important are a fine-toothed Blade and a calm, controlled speed. A small, quiet trimmer like the Clipr MiniTrim from the clippers category is exactly what you want for the face, ears, and paws.
Blade or attachment comb: first comb the coat taut, then work with the direction of the hair. Attachment combs from 10 to 25 mm maintain a long style; a #7F (approximately 3.2 mm) gives a short summer cut.
Grooming frequency: every 6 to 10 weeks, with daily brushing for show length.
The pitfall: shaving against the direction of the hair. With silky hair, every irregularity is immediately visible because the hair lies flat against the skin.
What about short, smooth coats (Labrador, Beagle)?
Short, smooth hair is the easiest category. The hair lies close to the body and does not require styling. These dogs generally never need to be shaved: brushing with a rubber brush or a de-shedding comb during shedding season is enough.
Clippers are only used locally here, around a wound or for a hygienic correction. A light machine with a #10 Blade is sufficient. Note: many short-haired breeds (Labrador, Beagle, Pug) do have a light undercoat and shed considerably. Even there, de-shedding works better than shaving.
Comparison table: what do you need per coat type?
Coat type Example breeds Recommended Blade / attachment comb Required power Grooming frequency Curly coat Poodle, Labradoodle, Goldendoodle, Bichon Frise, Lagotto #10 (1.5 mm) + attachment comb 13–19 mm on body, 6–10 mm on head High torque, 2 speeds, good cooling Every 6–8 weeks Double coat Husky, German Shepherd, Bernese Mountain Dog, Pomeranian, Australian Shepherd Do not shave bare. De-shedding comb or force dryer; hygienic #10 locally High torque for local work; de-shedding does the real work De-shedding every 4–8 weeks, intensively during shedding season Wiry / harsh-haired coat Wire-haired Dachshund, Border Terrier, Jack Russell (wiry), Schnauzer Stripping with stripping knife, or #10 + attachment comb 6–13 mm Medium torque, but a sharp Blade Stripping 2–3x per year or shaving every 8–12 weeks Silky / long coat Yorkshire Terrier, Shih Tzu, Maltese, Irish Setter, Cocker Spaniel #7F (3.2 mm) short, or attachment comb 10–25 mm for style Low to medium; precision over power Every 6–10 weeks Short, smooth coat Labrador, Beagle, French Bulldog, Boxer, Chihuahua (short-haired) #10 only locally; otherwise brush or de-shedding comb Low Only as indicated; brushing 1x per week
The Blades from this table can be found in the Blades category; the attachment combs are under accessories.
What coat type does your breed have?
Breed Coat type Advice in brief Labrador Retriever Short-haired with light undercoat Do not shave; de-shed weekly during shedding season Golden Retriever Medium-long with double coat Do not shave bare; trim ears, paws, and britches German Shepherd Double coat De-shed, never shave bare Border Collie Double coat (medium-long) De-shed; tidy up paws and britches Australian Shepherd Double coat De-shed; hygienic trimming with #10 Bernese Mountain Dog Double coat (long) De-shed; trim britches and paw pads Siberian Husky Double coat Only de-shed; shaving not recommended Pomeranian Double coat (plush) De-shed; no "teddy bear cut" with clippers Poodle (all sizes) Curly coat Full groom every 6–8 weeks, #10 with attachment comb Labradoodle / Goldendoodle Curly or wavy coat High torque needed; 13–19 mm on body Bichon Frise Curly coat Style trim; daily brushing to prevent mats Maltese Silky long Keep short at 6–13 mm or show length with daily brushing Shih Tzu Silky long Puppy cut with attachment comb 10–16 mm works best Yorkshire Terrier Silky long Fine Blade, small trimmer for head and ears Cocker Spaniel Silky with light undercoat Trim ears and paws; thin body Wire-haired Dachshund Wiry coat Stripping preferred over shaving Border Terrier Wiry coat Strip 2–3x per year Schnauzer (all sizes) Wiry coat Beard and eyebrows with scissors, body with #10 + attachment comb Beagle Short, smooth coat Do not shave; brush French Bulldog Short, smooth coat Do not shave; keep skin folds clean Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Silky medium-long Trim ears, paws, and paw pads
Still unsure after these tables? The selection guide asks you four questions about breed, coat thickness, and grooming frequency, then provides specific advice.
Which mistakes are made most often?
Buying clippers that are too light for a heavy coat. The machine gets stuck, you push harder, the dog feels the pulling and resists next time.
Starting on a dirty or damp coat. Wash and fully dry the dog first. Sand dulls your Blade within a few uses.
Continuing to work with a hot Blade. Feel the steel every few minutes. Too hot means pausing, cleaning and oiling, or changing the Blade.
Shaving a double coat bare "for the summer." See the section above.
Shaving out mats with a long attachment comb. You can only get under a mat with a short length, or you carefully cut it out first.
When do you go to the grooming salon? If the coat is so matted that you can't get a comb through it, if the dog reacts panicky, if skin problems or thick spots are visible, or if you want a breed-specific style and have never done it before. Have it demonstrated once and then do the maintenance yourself.
One clipper for multiple coat types: is that possible?
Yes, provided that machine can handle the heaviest coat type in your household. If you buy clippers for a Doodle and a Labrador, choose based on the Doodle. A strong machine effortlessly handles light work; a light machine never does heavy work well.
The Clipr Ultimate is therefore the logical choice for most households: a cordless clipper with two speeds, so you can work calmly through a dense coat on the low setting and finish on the high setting, and with two batteries, so you don't have to wait for one to charge halfway through. It works with interchangeable A5 Blades, so you adapt it per coat type instead of buying a second machine. For small, sensitive areas (muzzle, ears, paws), the Clipr MiniTrim complements it. Both are listed under dog clippers. If you are still undecided between cordless and corded models, first read cordless clippers or corded clippers.
Still unsure between models or cutting lengths? Go through the selection guide and you'll have advice tailored to your dog's coat type within a minute.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best dog clippers for thick hair?
For thick hair, choose clippers with high torque, two speeds, and interchangeable A5 Blades. The number of strokes per minute is less indicative than the pulling power under load. Work with a #10 Blade plus an attachment comb of 13 to 19 mm and de-shed the coat first, then you halve the resistance on the blade.
Which clippers do you use for a Poodle or Doodle?
For Poodles and Doodles, you need powerful clippers that don't bog down in dense curly coats, with a #10 Blade of approximately 1.5 mm and attachment combs. On the body, you usually work at 13 to 19 mm, shorter on the head. Groom every 6 to 8 weeks and brush through it two to three times a week in between.
Can you shave a dog with a double coat?
No, you do not shave a double coat bare. The undercoat insulates against cold and heat, and the topcoat protects against sun and insects. After shaving bare, the coat can grow back unevenly. De-shed the dead wool with a de-shedding comb or force dryer and only trim hygienic areas such as paw pads and britches.
How often should you groom a dog?
That depends on the coat type. Curly coats every 6 to 8 weeks, silky long coats every 6 to 10 weeks, wiry coats stripped 2 to 3 times a year or shaved every 8 to 12 weeks, and a double coat de-shed every 4 to 8 weeks. Short-haired dogs usually only need to be brushed.
