BaBylissPRO FX3 Review: Better than Wahl Magic Clip?

Let me introduce you with one of the most premium-tier trimming devices that not only seems futuristic, but also holds up when it comes to the performance.

BaBylissPRO FX3 - a bold hair clipper featuring a titanium carbon-nitride blade for fading, a high-power motor built with Ferrari, and a housing embedded with carbon-fiber.

When you consider these three core aspects along with everything else it has to offer, the price point is certainly going to make sense.

It’s not your everyday clipping device, and if you go through my entire review, you’ll learn exactly which of you should consider buying this!

BaBylissPRO FX3: Specs

Let me quickly go over the technical specifications for the BaBylissPRO FX3 device so that you can have a glance at its basics.

• Dimensions: 17.0 × 4.5 × 4.0 cm
• Weight: 9.8 oz
• Colors: 1 (Charcoal Black)
• Blade Type: Ultra-Thin Fade Blade (FX903B)
• Blade Material: Titanium Carbon-Nitride Coating
• Blade Width: 45 mm
• Guards: 8
• Motor Type: High-Torque Ferrari-Sponsored Brushless Engine
• Motor Power: 2 modes: 6,000 & 7,000 RPM
• Cutting Range: 0.8 to 2.0 mm via 5-step slider
• Battery Runtime: 5 Hours
• Battery Indicator: 4-Bar LED
• Charging: Standard BaByliss
• Use Modes: Corded/Cordless

Pros & Cons

In this section, I will quickly tell you what I like about the FX3 and what I think could be better. This portion could definitely inform your purchase decision.

What I Like

• Carbon-fiber accented housing offers durability and grip
• Blade is extremely sharp, corrosion free and ideal for fading
• Dual-speed powerful motor chops through everything
• 5-hour battery life with corded use option
• 8 premium guards allow different fades, buzz cuts, gradient cuts
• Minimal vibration, housing heat up

Areas for Improvement

• Slightly heavy-headed design for fading precision
• Price may feel high for home groomers

Verdict

BaBylissPRO FX3 is a specialized tool that’ll only cater to niche groomers, particularly professional barbers. It’s designed for suave fading and blending styles, crafted with top-notch features and the real-life performance indicates money can indeed by premium experiences.

Unboxing the BaBylissPRO FX3

BaBylissPRO FX3 is packaged inside a solid paper box with a transparent front, somewhat different from the metal box of BaBylissPRO FXONE.

There is a slide-out inner tray that houses the FX3. The lower compartment is storing all the accessories that come with it.

In the accessories that you’ll receive, there are 8 durable guide combs, charging adapter, screwdriver, hanging strap and so on.

All of these don’t feel like something for common personal use. Rather, the quality of the accessories imply these are to be harnessed by professionals or advanced users. 

What’s Inside the Box: BaBylissPRO FX3 Clipper, 8 Guide Combs, 1 Cleaning Brush, 1 Blade Oil, 1 Screwdriver, 1 Charger, 1 Hanging Strap, User Manual.

BaBylissPRO FX3: Which Features Stand Out?

Let me describe the features that render the BaBylissPRO FX3 a superior hair clipper in the industry in this section!

Feature Highlights

• 45 mm Ultra-Thin Fade Blade (FX903B) with titanium carbon-nitride coating
• Ferrari-powered high-torque brushless motor torquing at 6,000/7,000 RPM
• 5-step blade gap slider altering between 0.8 to 2.0 mm
• 4-bar battery level indicator tracks 5 hour battery life
• Corded/cordless functionality
• 8 premium guards offer cutting lengths between 1.5 mm to 19 mm

Matte Black Aesthetics

The housing design for the FX3 went in the direction of a matte finish. Its core color tone is black and that encompasses even the blade teeth.

You can divide the handle into two parts: the top half hosts the blade gap adjustment slider while the bottom half contains the power switch (including motor speed control) and the LED indicator.

Down the middle, the BaBylissPRO logo is printed down and at the top, right beneath the blade, a large FX3 announces the model name. Carbon-fiber Grip 

One of the reasons why the FX3 remains glued to your fingers is the layer of carbon fiber over the premium plastic material.

Notice the diagonal stripes on either side as well as along the back? These are the carbon fiber elements that not only serve as durability enhancers, but also as traction points.

Its long, slightly wider toward the top shape plays a vital role during wraparound gripping. Also, the handle is narrow enough for delicate, precision strokes.

Decade-long Lasting Quality

Everything from the housing material to the inner components of the FX3 scream solid! That’s why the FX3 is deemed as one of the top hair clippers in the industry!

The blade unit doesn’t rust due to the material, and also retains sharpness for a long time. At the same time, the housing itself is damage-resistant even upon dropping on hard surfaces.

Additionally, the motor and battery units have seen no compromise in quality. Even after years of use, the degradation is minimal and barely noticeable.

Only 10 Ounces of Weight

All such greatness comes packed only inside a 9.8 ounce shell - think how crazy that sounds! A lot of weight-loss is ensured by the choice of carbon-fiber instead of metallic shells like Andis.

This weight class enables your freestyle gliding, longer grooming sessions and stroking at unorthodox angles without tiring your finger muscles.

In terms of balance, the FX3 is slightly heavier toward the head, and it’s done so intentionally to give more precision to your fading or blending strokes.

Sharp, Ultra-Thin Fade Blades (FX903B)

BaBylissPRO FX3 utilizes an Ultra-thin Fade Blade which only aims at performing the industry standard, crispy and fine transition work.

The blade itself is not zero-gapped, nor is it meant for bulk trimming. It’s a specialized blade made using titanium with a carbon-nitride coating.

This 45 mm wide fading blade can get as close to 0.8 mm of your skin and offers smooth glides even on the most sensitive scalps!

2-Speed, Powerful Ferrari Motor

One outstanding aspect for the FX3 is its two-speed motor that’s been endorsed by Ferrari. This deal has been going on for a while and I’m not certain whether this is only a marketing gimmick or if Ferrari actually has some engineering behind it.

Regardless, the motor performs smoothly yet powerfully. This brushless engine’s speeds are 6,000 RPM and 7,000 RPM, altered by the same power slider.

There’s no residual heat, the vibration and noise remain minimal and cuts through anything you want without resisting for a microsecond.

5-Step Blade Gap Slider

Where traditional hair clippers rely on adjustment levers, BaBylissPRO has introduced a modern take on blade gap adjustment using a built-in slider.

It locks at 5 taper positions of 0.8, 1.1, 1.4, 1.7 and 2.0 mm. Such a wide cutting range is optimal for wider blends, but it doesn’t get quite close enough for line up work.

I won’t say it miraculously enhances your grooming experience, but it certainly gives us something to think about. You might need to get used to it if you’ve been an avid abuser of a traditional taper lever.

8 Guide Combs for Professional Use

Inside the package, you’ll find 8 barber-grade guide combs at the sizes between 1.5, 3, 4.8, 6, 10, 13, 16 and 19 mm.

The longest guard of 19 mm suggests that the hair clipper only caters to shorter hair bodies for precision work, to generate haircuts like buzz, crew or anything that’s quite short.

In case you’re working with longer hair, the trimdown might not be as efficient due to the blade’s finesse. However, the guards snap on perfectly and don’t wobble, on top of being durable.

5-Hour Battery Life with LED Indicator

The 5-hour battery life blows my mind! How is it possible that a powerful motor is relentlessly delivering without stalling or snagging, yet the battery life is exponentially superior to other cordless tools?

Somehow, BaBylissPRO has achieved that, and you can keep a track of your remaining battery life using the LED battery level indicator lights with 4 bars.

In case you run out of battery mid-trim (which is highly unlikely), FX3 gives you the option of plugging it into the charger and experiencing a corded grooming session.

How was My Experience of Using the BaBylissPRO FX3?

This is where things get real as I describe my personal grooming experience of using the FX3 in diverse hair conditions!

Experience Highlights

• Cuts are not true 0 mm, but can cater to balding hair, shadow fades or tight tapers
• Flat blade unit glides comfortably over scalp, without irritating sensitive skin
• Two speed modes cover both fine to textured, dense hair with ease
• Can take care of different blending, short to medium haircuts and even beard trims
• Very easy to maintain
• Performs great in pressure scenarios like barbershops

Closeness of Cuts

Well, the cuts aren’t exclusively true zero since the closest setting with this Ultra-thin Fade Blade is around 0.8 mm.

With finer hair, the cuts can get down to 0.7 mm and thicker hair might give you closest trims of around 0.9 mm.

You may outline your hair or apply balding cuts for maintenance, but a crispy outline would do better with a T-Blade add-on or using a separate outlining trimmer.

Scalp & Skin Comfort

It’s mesmerizing that a hair clipper capable of torquing at around six or seven thousand RPM with such a fine blade remains so kind on skin!

Even on sensitive scalps, the cutting actions have been forgiving. If you know the right angles and techniques, you might even squeeze out slightly closer results without causing any discomfort on the recipient.

Without any tugs, pulls or snags, as well as a threat of accidental cuts, it gives barbers liberty of doing precision grooming backed by added confidence!

How Efficient is the BaBylissPRO FX3?

With the lower speed setting, you may work smoothly on fine or average hair, minimal passes are required to get the desired results.

Hair that’s coarse, curly or higher in density, just switch to the higher RPM setting and it works like a charm! Each setting causes lower vibration and heat production.

On damp hair even, the motor doesn’t stall and it chops through like you’re carving a knife through butter. Grooming durations are exponentially lowered on the FX3 in the right hands.

Versatility of Outcomes

Well, from short to medium length hair, you may apply bulk trims. There’s no discomfort, just a couple extra passes required. Longer hair might struggle in efficiency, not in comfort.

Other than this, the FX3 excels at blending, fading, tapering, gradient cuts of a wider range, extending the courtesy to even experimental beard cuts!

Regular balding hair maintenance can also be performed if you’re okay with a stubble outcome. While there’s such versatile aspects to it, you must remember that the FX3 is basically a specialized tool for gradient results.

Cleaning & Maintenance

BaBylissPRO FX3 has been very easy to clean and maintain. It’s quite shocking that a professional-level hair clipper is least demanding!

All you need is your cleaning brush to scrape off the stray hair and debris. The frequency depends on your haircut repetition and the sort of work you’re doing.

In general, you’d want to clean everything out after completing a haircut and apply blade oil to keep the wide blade lubricated and smooth for the following session.

How I Tested the BaBylissPRO FX3?

Let me tell you how the testing was done for the BaBylissPRO FX3 review today. Firstly, I inspected the physical elements of the device, like the blades, handle, switches, material, grip, balance etc.

Then, I proceed to apply the FX3 in varied hair scenarios like fine, coarse, curly, damp hairs for different sorts of haircut operations.

I also lent it out to my barber friend for a 2-day barbershop condition test. Additionally, I tried out self-trimming to craft out fades and style my beard.

Lastly, I drew from community reviewers and real-user feedback from different platforms. All of these are the information foundation for this review.

Who Should Consider Buying the BaBylissPRO FX3?

Directly speaking, the BaBylissPRO FX3 is meant for barbers who prefer precise fading and tapering all day long with a gigantic battery life and robust handle.

Advanced home groomers may purchase it as a long-lasting luxury tool, since this investment pays you back in the long run. You should be able to have prior skill of handling a hair clipper since it’s an advanced tool.

Casual groomers may not find the cost worthwhile, because let’s admit it - the FX3 is not a cheap device to purchase.

Long story short - if you want a quiet yet powerful motor, fine blade for blending looks that’s easy to adjust, durable handle, longer runtime and professional outcomes, FX3 is going to be ‘the clipper’ for you.

BaBylissPRO FX3 vs Wahl Magic Clip: Industry-best Clippers Contested

Let’s put the industry’s top tier grooming tools for barbers side by side in the form of a debate: Wahl Magic Clip vs BaBylissPRO FX3 is like witnessing two giants taking on one another!

From this point onward, I’ll sketch out the similar aspects between Magic Clip and FX3 while the section afterward will focus on their differences.

Similarities

• Meant for professional grooming
• Both are capable of fading and blending of different sorts
• Support corded and cordless functionalities
• Blade gap can be adjusted
• Includes guide combs inside package
• Durable housing build with firm grip

The first similarity between the FX3 and Magic Clip is that they’re both barber-grade tools crafted with the vision of professional use.

These are industry-leading instruments for various fading and blending operations and the blade gaps can be adjusted in the middle of grooming. 

Being cordless hair clippers, they offer corded functionality in case you run out of battery. Also, their packages offer 8 premium guide combs (Magic Clip: 1/16"-1"; FX3: 0.6”-0.75”), ready for barbershops.

 Lastly, the build qualities are highly durable to withstand rough grooming work, despite being built upon separate design principles.

Differences

• Motor types, power, noise, aggression and speed modes are very different
• FX3 blade is safer and 5 mm wider, coated to prevent corrosion, also finer in girth
• Magic Clip uses lever system for a 0.7 mm gap, FX3’s slider covers 1.2 mm gap
• Magic Clip trims closer than FX3
• FX3 battery life is better with a helpful indicator system
• FX3 weighs less, more robust with carbon-fiber
• Magic Clip feels more traditional, FX3 experience is modern and unique

Magic Clip from Wahl utilizes a powerful rotary V5000 motor, fastest from the brand that torques at 5,700 RPM. It’s more aggressive, louder and the vibration is higher compared to FX3.

FX3’s motor is backed by Ferrari engineering as they claim, and it has two motor speeds of 6,000 and 7,000 RPM maintaining lower noise, vibration with less aggressive yet precise strokes. 

FX3’s Ultra-thin blade is 45 mm wide, much safer on skin due to the titanium material coated with carbon-nitride. Magic Clip’s Stagger Tooth blade is 40 mm wide, more robust and slightly more aggressive with the stainless steel element. Also, it’s prone to corrosion.

 With the new slider, FX3 lets you adjust the gap between 0.8 mm to 2.0 mm, whereas Magic Clip utilizes a classic lever, gapping between 0.5 mm to 1.2 mm.

One thing that kicks Magic Clip out of the competition is FX3’s 5 hour battery life with the LED 4-bar indicator. Magic Clip, lacking the indicator, also comes short with only 80 minute runtime.

Both are durable housings, but FX3 is more lasting with its lighter yet carbon-fiber induced build. Magic Clip solely relies on premium plastic, thus the extra weight. 

Magic Clip excels at textured blends and traditional fading cuts. FX3 is more modern and covers a wide array of fades, blends, tapers or even beard trims since the blade is that much safer to operate up close against the skin.

Cost is also a factor since the FX3 is priced much higher than Magic Clip, marking it one of the costliest hair clippers in the industry. Magic Clip isn’t cheap, but certainly more affordable. 

Key Takeaway: If cost is not a factor for you, then you can decide based on this - BaBylissPRO FX3 is a smart, modern tool that lets you apply different fades and blades, much smoother and refined.

Also, the housing is more durable and causes less fatigue, lasting longer in terms of battery life and generates a more sophisticated torque, even though it chops through all sorts of hair texture.

Wahl Magic Clip is a traditional barber tool. Despite its aggressive performance, the cutting actions are surprisingly forgiving. It can do bulk trims, apply textured fades but not as safe close to the skin due to the stainless steel blade.

FAQ

It’s not the end yet! See me answer some essential questions concerning the BaBylissPRO FX3 and these will definitely come in handy for you!

Q: How long does the FX903B blade last?

Ans: It depends on how frequently you use the FX3. If this is your daily, go-to instrument at a barbershop, the lifespan is going to be around 2-3 months. If the FX3 is your co-primary tool along with one or more clippers, the blade lasts between 6-8 months. And if this is your secondary tool that you pull out from time to time, the blade might even cross the 1 year mark. Regular maintenance helps prolong the blade life.

Q: Can beginners use the BaBylissPRO FX3?

Ans: Not really. BaBylissPRO FX3 is an advanced, specialized tool that needs to be harnessed only by experts. That said, if you don’t mind the higher price, FX3 can indeed be the tool to teach you different grooming techniques. There’s a learning curve to it and the forgiving cutting actions do help out beginners carve their way into the world of advanced grooming!

Q: Which BaBylissPRO series does the FX3 clipper belong to?

Ans: BaBylissPRO FX3 belongs to the brand’s ‘FX3’ series - a set of hair clipper, trimmer and foil shaver - all under the same name. It’s meant to be sold as a complete package deal for barbers who frequently require tools for precision haircuts, refining the look and cleaning up after. For instance, the clipper applies a fading cut, the trimming enhances the edges and the foil shaver cleans up the neck or any other excess parts.

Concluding Remarks

BaBylissPRO FX3 has everything needed in a professional-grade hair clipper. Yes, there are more affordable options but they don’t contain the modern features like the FX3.

From its titanium blade coated with carbon-nitride, or the slider for gap adjustment instead of a lever, to the Ferrari-powered motor and carbon-fiber handle - these elements are not present even in the highly revered tools.

That said, you truly have to be an enthusiast to consider the FX3 because of its niche grooming area.

Consider it before you invest a hefty amount, expecting a tool that can do it all. No, the FX3 has its limitations, but the strengths are certainly unmatched by any hair clipper in the current industry!