Guide to the Best Clippers for Doodles (+ Best Blades and Clipper Combs)

If you haven’t owned a Doodle before, you probably don’t know much about grooming them. You may be worried about how to keep your pup in a comfortable and presentable condition. The fact is that Doodles look and feel best when groomed every 7-10 weeks. This means that either your wallet will feel it, or your back will. But since you’re here, you’re probably interested in grooming your Doodle yourself. And to that we say, “Never fear! The best clippers for Doodles are here!”

Table of Contents

• Best Clippers for Doodles
• Best Clipper Blades for Doodles
• Best Clipper Guards for Doodles
• Blade Cooling Methods

Best Clippers for Doodles

Among other necessary at-home grooming tools, it is important that you invest in some high-quality, high-rated clippers and blades.

Despite how most Doodle owners want to keep their pups perpetually fluffy, hand-scissoring your Doodle’s coat is a lot more work than it’s worth.

Electric clippers, on the other hand, are a must for giving your Doodle a nice, easy, controlled, and consistent trim. (That, or completely shaving off their hair, which they’ll love during the summer.)

Now, there are lots of pet and animal clippers available on the market and you may be tempted to opt for an economical set. However, just like with any other purchase, if you invest in a high-quality set of clippers and blades in the beginning, they will outperform and outlast the bargain brands and save you a lot of money in the long run.

Detachable Blade Clippers

The first thing to mention is that detachable blade clippers are going to be the most common kind of clippers you will find. Coincidentally, these are the best kind to get.

Any detachable blade-style clipper is going to have a blade drive mechanism that moves back and forth, called a blade drive assembly. These clippers will also have a blade hinge, which is how the blades secure onto them.

Clippers With Two or More Speeds

The best clippers for Doodles are going to have at least two speeds. A one-speed clipper won’t cut it. This is because Doodles often have thick, curly, and sometimes matted hair that needs extra power to plow through. As such, when looking for a clipper, make sure it has two or more speeds.

Motor Specs

Now, just because a clipper has multiple speeds, doesn’t mean its maximum speed will be sufficient. Let’s make sure you get something powerful enough to cut through that thick Doodle hair.

• Recommended Minimum Strokes per Minute: 3400-4400 spm or more

Corded vs Cordless Clippers

Hands down, a cordless clipper is going to be a lot more convenient to use. However, cordless really isn’t necessary if you’re not grooming multiple dogs a day. For the purposes of grooming your Doodle at home on occasion, a corded clipper should suffice. For such infrequent use, you will save some money on a corded clipper versus a cordless one.

Cord Length

If you decide on a corded clipper, make sure the cord is long, durable, and heavy-duty.

What I Use – Andis AGC Super 2-Speed Clipper

One of the best clippers for Doodles that meet all the above requirements is the Andis AGC Super 2-Speed Professional Animal Clipper. It is a consumer-grade animal clipper, but it’s one of the best. Don’t just take my word for it – plenty of Doodle owners and professional groomers highly recommend them, as well.

I personally use the Andis AGC Super 2-Speed clipper on my F1 Goldendoodle Chloe.

(Well, technically, I use the Andis AG2, which is the discontinued version of the newer AGC Super 2-Speed model but with the same motor specs. Mine is pictured below.)

The Andis AGC Super 2-Speed clipper is extremely user-friendly and is relatively quiet, which will help your pupper remain calm during grooming. It comes with a locking switch that prevents the clippers from accidentally turning on. It is corded with a 14-foot heavy-duty cord.

It’s powerful, too – especially that #2 speed, which operates at 4400 strokes per minute. I like to say that it cuts through Chloe’s hair like butter, and can handle matted hair like it’s nothing.

I bought mine in 2016 and after clipping Chloe multiple times a year with zero issues, it is still running strong and in very good shape. Check out my very in-depth review on these electric clippers if you want to know more.

Comparable Best Clippers for Doodles

If you want more options to ensure you’re getting the best clipper for your needs, here is a comparison chart that have the same or better motor specs as the Andis AGC Super 2-Speed clipper.

Note: Andis is the only brand listed in the table below because after researching Oster and Wahl clippers, none of their products met the above requirements.

	Andis Excel 5-Speed Clipper	Andis ProClip AGC Super 2-Speed
Speeds	5	2
Strokes per Minute	Up to 4,500 SPM	3400, 4400 SPM
Corded?	Yes	Yes
Price Range	$$$	$$
	Buy Now	Buy Now

Here’s what one pro groomer had to say on best clippers for home groomers:

“I have an Andis Excel clipper, but I don’t think most home groomers need something with that much power. Any of the professional Andis clippers – the two speeds, the AGC2 speeds, the Ultra Edge clippers – any of those are great and will work just fine for home grooming purposes.”

A Professional Groomer

Best Clipper Blades for Doodles

Compatible blades for detachable blade-style clippers are going to look like this:

They all have a blade bracket, a cutter blade that moves back and forth, and a socket where the clipper’s blade drive will hook into.

Clippers usually come with one stock blade. With Andis clipper sets, that blade is usually a #10 blade that cuts hair down to 1/16-inch. (With the exception of the Andis ProClip, which comes with an extra wide UltraEdge size T-84 blade.)

However, that stock blade won’t necessarily be the only blade you need (or want) for grooming your Doodle. You will typically need different blades for different parts of the dog’s body.

For example, the #10 is a great blade – I use it all the time for Chloe’s belly, paws, and bum for a clean, close shave. But, I don’t use it on her body – for her body my favorite is the #5FC (1/4-inch), which also gives a close, but not too close shave. If you don’t want close shaves, you can use clipper guards.

We’ll cover clipper guards more in the next section.

Andis UltraEdge Blades vs CeramicEdge Blades

As far as Andis blades go, two of the best clipper blades for Doodles include the Andis Pet UltraEdge and Andis CeramicEdge Carbon-Infused Steel Pet Clipper Blade. 

According to Andis, the difference between the two are as follows:

Andis UltraEdge Blades

• Made of excellent quality steel, hand lapped, polished, and finished for superior cutting and specially hardened for long life. The Chrome finish resists rust and helps keep blades at optimum performance.
• 24 different blade sizes run from #50SS (1/125-inch) to #3/4HT (3/4-inch).
• Fits on Andis models AG, AGC, AGP, AGRC, AGCL, AGR+, AGRV, DBLC, MBG, and SMC, Oster A5, and Wahl KM Series clippers.

Andis CeramicEdge Blades

• CeramicEdge blades are a high-tech zirconium oxide ceramic cutting blade, which means they run cooler than steel and stay sharper longer.
• 16 different blade sizes run from #50SS (1/125-inch) to #3/4HT (3/4-inch).
• Fits on Andis models AG, AGP, AGR+, AGCL, AGRC and MBG, Oster A, Wahl, and Conair style clippers.

Both models of blades are incredibly durable, sharp, and will provide the smoothest and most even cut on your Doodle.

However, if you’re not using clipper combs, CeramicEdge blades are best because they stay cooler longer than the UltraEdge blades.

Best Blades to Use Under Clipper Guards

Apparently Andis blades aren’t the best to use under clipper guards. If you are going to be using clipper guards (which we’ll cover next), consider having Wahl or Artero brand clipper blades on hand.

The black Wahl Professional Animal Ultimate Competition Series Detachable Blades are highly recommended by pro groomers for use with or without clipper guards. They can be used with Oster and Andis clippers.

Artero #30 clipper blades are also highly recommended for use under clipper guards. They fit on most snap-on clippers, including Andis clippers.

Best Clipper Guards for Doodles

As mentioned above, the longest blades leave hair 3/4-inch. If you don’t want such close shaves on your Doodle, clipper guards are going to be your best friend.

Clipper guards – also called clipper guide combs, comb guides, or clipper combs – are attachments for your clipper blade. Their purpose is to control the amount of hair that will be cut by the clipper. They are great for people who want to keep their Doodle’s hair longer than a blade by itself can guarantee.

They are also supposed to glide effortlessly through pet hair to leave a smooth finish when clipping and trimming your Doodle’s coat.

Now, most clipper guard sets will come with a range of comb lengths. For instance, the Wahl Professional Animal Stainless Steel Attachment Guide Comb Set comes with 8 combs: 1/8-inch, 1/4-inch, 3/8-inch, 1/2-inch, 5/8-inch, 3/4-inch, 7/8-inch, and 1-inch.

Andis also has a clipper comb set. I’ve never used them personally, but you can check them out here to see all the reviews.

Also, most brands of clippers, blades, and clipper guards are interchangeable. For example, I personally use the aforementioned Wahl guide combs with my Andis AGC Super 2-Speed clipper. They do fit, however they are a little hard to get on and off the #10 blade. They do fit much better on the #30 blade.

The clipper combs do the job well for keeping the coat long (up to 1-inch), but after years of just using a blade by itself, my personal preference is to not use clipper combs.

Finally, some people prefer to use clipper guards for extra protection from blade-related injuries. You may also use clipper guards if you don’t want to take breaks to wait for your blades to cool down. More on that next.

Blade Cooling Methods

If you’re not using clipper guards, you’ll find that while clipping your Doodle’s coat, your clipper blade will become quite hot. In my experience, at the beginning of the groom, the blade can go a few minutes until it’s noticeably hot. As the groom progresses, it takes less time to become hot.

Set the Blade on Tile

The least obtrusive of the blade cooling methods: simply set the hot blade face down on a piece of tile or other stone surface. Leave it there for a few minutes until the blade is room temperature. You can then start clipping again.

Set the Blade on an Ice Pack

Similar to tile, setting the hot blade on an ice pack will cool it down…only much faster. Be sure to use an ice pack that is not wet or leaking. Placing a paper towel in between the blade and ice pack might be good for preventing condensation.

Clipper Cooling Spray

Andis Cool Care Plus is a disinfectant, cleaner, rust prevention, and a lubricant all-in-one. The reduced friction between the blade’s claws improves the average lifespan of your clipper’s blades and extends the amount of time you can cut before needing to cool them down.

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There you have it – the best clippers for Doodles, as well as best clipper blades and clipper guards, required for DIY home grooming.

If you plan on grooming your Doodle, you will be rewarded with the additional bonding time, as well as all of the money you save over the course of several haircuts. Your Doodle will feel fresh and happy, and you can always give them the exact look you’ve always wanted.