Caring for your dog’s nails is essential to your pup’s overall health and wellness. While some dogs will file their nails down naturally through outdoor activity and regular walks, most dogs still need a nail trim occasionally. When a dog’s nails are too long, they will start to curl under and potentially grow into their paw pads, which is extremely painful and uncomfortable for your pup. That’s when you need a pair of the best dog nail clippers to help you safely and effectively groom your dog, ensuring your fur baby is living their fullest, healthiest life.
So, which nail trimmers are considered the best on the pet market? StudyFinds consulted nine pet and household consumer review sites in an effort to bring you a consensus list of the best dog nail clippers. Our list comprises the seven most frequently listed pairs of clippers across these sites. Do you have a pair of reliable clippers or some helpful tips for trimming your dog’s nails? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
The List: Best Dog Nail Clippers, According to Reviews
1. Safari Stainless Steel Nail Trimmer
The top spot on the list of the best dog nail clippers belongs to the Safari Stainless Steel Nail Trimmer. The Safari nail clippers are known for their durability and effectiveness. The handles are designed to be used by both left and right-handed people while the sharp dual blades make for an easy, smooth cut, notes The Spruce Pets.
The design of the Safari clippers makes them easy to use as you can reach your dog’s nails from any angle, furthers U.S. News and World Report. These plier-style clippers are available in two different sizes – medium and large. Both work well, but if you have a large breed of dog, then you’ll want to opt for the large set.
Vetstreet agrees that the Safari Stainless Steel Nail Trimmers are some of the top clippers for cutting your dog’s nails. These dog nail clippers are extremely comfortable and easy to use. The cushioned grip makes them easy to handle while the safety guard prevents you from cutting your dog’s nails too short. The strong, sharp blade helps you get the job done without having to recut over and over.
2. Epica Professional Dog Nail Clipper
Next up on the list of the top dog nail clippers is the Epica Professional Dog Nail Clipper. These plier-style clippers come highly recommended by grooming professionals and are strong enough to tackle even the toughest nails, explains USA Today. These Epica nail clippers are designed with semi-circular blades that are very sharp and surround your dog’s nails so you can see exactly where you’re cutting.
The Spruce Pets highly recommends the Epica Professional Dog Nail Clipper for large breeds. The Epica clippers feature a spring-loaded cutting mechanism and rubber-coated grips that make it easy to handle and maneuver. Epica also designed these nail clippers with a handy open-and-close device that helps keep your blades protected when not in use.
Vetstreet agrees that the Epica Professional clippers are a great choice for anyone with big dogs. The blades were built with high-quality stainless steel and Epica offers a lifetime warranty on its products, giving you peace of mind with your purchase. These clippers will last a long time and help you get the job done quickly and efficiently throughout your pup’s life.
3. Millers Forge Nail Clipper
Next up on the list of the top dog nail clippers is the Millers Forge Nail Clipper. Millers Forge offers several types of pet nail clippers, so you’ll want to choose the size that best suits your dog. As Business Insider explains, these clippers stand out for their simple design and affordability. Millers Forge designed these clippers with sharp, stainless-steel blades and user-friendly handles.
These clippers are durable and easy to use, especially on medium and large dogs, notes The Spruce Pets. The Millers Forge Nail Clippers also feature a safety lock mechanism that keeps the blades closed when not in use. This helps save the life of your clippers while keeping the blades sharp.
The spring-loaded blades are designed to help you make the perfect cut the first time, adds NBC News. True, these are an affordable pair of nail clippers, but they work great for quick touch-ups on your dog’s nails at home and last a really long time.
4. Boshel Dog Nail Clippers
The fourth spot on the list of the best dog nail clippers belongs to Boshel Dog Nail Clippers. If you’re looking for one of the safest pairs of nail trimmers, then you must check out the Boshel Dog Nail Clippers, explains U.S. News and World Report. The built-in safety stop slides into place and stays put when you insert your dog’s nail into the opening of the blades, making for a safe and easy cut.
These scissor-style nail clippers are extremely comfortable and easy to grip and use, furthers USA Today. The ergonomically designed handle helps you get a good grip to make cuts. The handle isn’t too wide and comes with a cushion grip. Since you need to make pressure cuts with these clippers, the handle design is even more important to the safety of your furry friend.
As NBC News says, the Boshel Dog Nail Clippers also comes with a handy nail file that stores away in the handle of the clippers. The file is wide enough to cover the surface of your dog’s nails but small enough to fit easily in the small slot on the clippers.
5. Zen Clippers
The fifth spot on the list of the top dog nail clippers belongs to Zen Clippers. This is a truly safe set of clippers that have a unique design for preventing you from cutting into your dog’s skin, notes Vetstreet. The conical-shaped blade is perfect for making safe, easy cuts without hurting your pooch.
As The Spruce Pets explains, these clippers have a slightly curved handle that makes them easy to grip and hold onto. The blades are very sharp and make for clean cuts. However, the adjustable opening makes these great for a variety of dogs and even cats. These all-purpose nail clippers are designed for use on all sorts of pets.
NBC News agrees that Zen Clippers are great for multi-pet households or anyone with different-sized dogs looking for an all-in-one solution to clipping nails. The adjustable opening makes it nearly impossible to cut too short while the safety lock helps you store and maintain these clippers for years to come.
6. RESCO Deluxe Guillotine
RESCO makes several types of dog nail clippers, but the company invented this style of nail clippers in 1937, explains Daily Paws. Guillotine clippers work by sliding your dog’s nail into the hole and squeezing the handle once to make a clean cut. These clippers work great for small and medium-sized dogs with nails small enough to comfortably fit into the opening.
The Spruce Pets warns, however, that if you aren’t comfortable with guillotine clippers or you’re new to using clippers in general, then you might be a little intimidated by these RESCO Guillotine Clippers. There is not a safety stop, so you’re in danger of cutting your dog’s nails too short, which no one wants. But these are a great choice for experienced pet owners who are comfortable with the style.
RESCO is a veteran in the nail grooming space, furthers Vetstreet. These clippers are made right here in the U.S. with a strong commitment to quality. RESCO even sells replacement blade kits for these clippers should your blades ever become too dull to effectively cut your dog’s nails. You can’t beat that level of dedication and craftsmanship.
7. Dremel Pet Nail Grinding Kit
Rounding out the list of the best dog nail clippers is a nail grinding kit, the Dremel Pet Nail Grinding Kit. One of the best ways to trim your dog’s nails is to not trim them at all, grind them down comfortably with a Dremel grinding kit. As Petzyo explains, Dremel knows what it’s doing with these grinding kits. These Dremel tools are relatively quiet compared to similar products and feature three speeds for better control and accuracy in the nail grooming process.
These tools can be a little intimidating for your pup, so you’ll want to introduce them to the Dremel gradually, notes Bone Voyage Dog Rescue. However, if your dog is deathly afraid of nail clippers, then you should definitely consider trying one of these tools. Dremel makes this with an LED light that helps you see your dog’s nails, guards that block the spinning parts, and features designed to give you even better control and accuracy over the grooming process.
As Business Insider explains, you’ll want to follow the setup instructions very carefully and keep in mind that you will need to occasionally replace the grinder heads. You’ll also need to fully charge the tool before using it on your dog. However, these tools are extremely useful and quiet, making it a somewhat pleasant experience for your fur babies. You should have no problem using this on both larger dogs with thicker nails and smaller dogs with thin nails.
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Sources:
- The Spruce Pets
- Business Insider
- U.S. News and World Report
- Bone Voyage Dog Rescue
- USA Today
- NBC News
- Petzyo
- Vetstreet
- Daily Paws
Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This article may contain affiliate links in which we receive a commission if you make a purchase.
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog should be on this list.