Wahl Senior Review: Which Senior Variant is Right for You?

In the 5-Star Series, Wahl Senior is by far the most professional-friendly hair clipper I have ever encountered for tons of different reasons.

I’m not saying it cannot be endorsed by home groomers, but based on its quality, performance and of course, price point, I reckon barbers will take a greater liking to it.

My most favorite thing about this hair clipper is its blade, followed by a high-performing motor that’s ready to trim any type of hair.

I’ll be going over all of this in a bit, including the different models and variants of Wahl Senior that are available on the market to help you find the ideal fit!

Specs: Wahl Senior

Here, you’re going to find the technical elements of Wahl Senior, including its proportions, weight and every other aspect!

• Dimensions: 19.5 x 4.5 x 4 cm
• Weight: 13.1 oz
• Colors: 1 (Black)
• Guide Combs: 3 (1/16” to 3/16”)
• Blade Type: Adjustable 0000 Blade (#2191)
• Motor Power: 7,200 RPM
• Motor Type: V9000 Rotary
• Battery Indicator: LED Light
• Charging Cord Length: 2.4 Meters
• Battery Runtime: 80 Minutes

Pros & Cons

We’ll quickly scroll through the positive and negative sides of Wahl Senior in this section. Mind you, it’s mostly my personal opinion, your perception can easily be different than mine.

What I Like

• One of the closest cut blade units in professional grooming tools
• Super powerful motor which I personally like
• Only 3 guards included, but each are barber-graded
• Premium handle & metal base that’s durable and grippy
• Adjustment lever is super useful
• Great battery life for convenience

Areas for Improvement

• Pricey, of course
• Can feel noisy to some consumers
• Up close trimming might require some practice for home groomers

Verdict

Wahl Senior sets a unique standard in the world of grooming tools with its unique 0000 blade, V9000 motor and suave ergonomics. It’s a must-have tool for barbers, and a luxury yet long-term item for self-trimming consumers.

Unboxing the Wahl Senior

Time for us to unbox the Wahl Senior and find out what to expect inside the package. As usual, the 5-Star slide out packaging is both convenient and robust.

The box arrived in one piece at my doorstep from Amazon. There’s a paper shell with photos and details on the outside.

If you slide out the main box, you’ll locate the Senior resting on one side over its plastic crevice. Underneath is its comb and user-manual.

On the other side, lifting up the lid, you should uncover the guide combs inside a plastic pack, a cleaning brush, charging adapter and lubricant for the blades. 

What’s Inside the Box: Wahl Senior Clipper, 3 Guide Combs, 1 Blade Guard, 1 Charging Adapter, 1 Cleaning Brush, 1 Lubricant, 1 Hair Comb, User Manual.

Wahl Senior: Which Features Stand Out?

In this section, you’ll learn about the standout features for Wahl Senior and realize what makes it a grand hair clipper in the current market!

Feature Highlights

• 0000 blades trim at 0.25 mm, leaving almost non-tangible hair
• V9000 rotary motor can torque at 7,200 RPM
• Premium plastic with precise crevices ensure ergonomic superiority
• 80 minutes battery life offered by li-ion battery
• Can be used in both corded and cordless ways
• Adjustment lever allows the range of 0000 to 000 (0.25 mm to 1.2 mm)

Ergonomics, Design & Build

First and foremost, Wahl Senior is an ecstatic-looking hair clipper, draped in a dark, black color and captures the attention of every groomer with good taste.

Apart from the colorization, you may also notice the ergonomic curves it contains across the handle - perfect for gripping at different angles.

As per build quality goes, it’s refined with long-lasting materials with a metal base. Dropping it on either side doesn’t cause any dent, but a blade-side drop can lead to losing a few teeth.

Overall, the housing, design and build department is a solid 5 out of 5 for the Senior and I couldn’t have asked for anything better to be honest!

Firm Grip

Referring to my previous comment, there’s ergonomic crevices on the handle which lets you place your fingers exactly where they’re supposed to be.

 Such a design principle is ideal for groomers in a number of ways - you’ll get the best possible grip, you’ll be able to stroke the device at many different angles and the level of fatigue on fingers is way less.

Since it’s a tool relying more on precision, such degree of gripping finesse is definitely useful to have and sets a new standard for clippers of this generation.

Acceptable Weight

13 ounces does not imply the lightest of weights, but it still gets the job done. The reason I like Wahl Senior’s slightly higher weight is the accuracy of trims. 

For a hair clipper that excels at precision trimming using its ultra-close blades, you want a certain amount of weight to enable you to perform precise strokes.

Had this been a very lightweight tool, your strokes or edge up works might have proved to be difficult and the weight of it counterbalances your movement to keep things anchored.

But on the downside, longer grooming sessions can cause fatigue to your arms, but some of the finest Andis clippers will stress you out even more, so I shouldn’t be complaining.

Perfect 0000 Blade

Now comes the grand reveal - the #2191 adjustable blade tagged with 0000. It means the shortest cutting length is 0.25 mm or almost 0 inches.

This grants you the liberty of applying bald or skin fades, tapering down to the skin around your hair space and maintaining a balding head with ease.

The blade unit is very sharp yet the base contains some degree of thickness - that’s one of the reasons why the Senior is capable of trimming off curly or textured hair effortlessly.

However, don’t expect it to be a tool for bulk removal. Over a shorter hair body, bulk removal can be done without issues, but a voluminous hair body would demand something like a Magic Clip or Legend.

Motor & Cutting Performance

Wahl has installed their most powerful cordless motor into the Senior - the V9000 which is able to run at 7,200 RPM.

It’s one of the reasons why Wahl Senior feels louder to some consumers, but the higher torque ensures that none of the strokes you make go in vain.

With minimal passes, the hair heads are chopped off without leaving behind uneven heights and the outcomes can be as good as you could ever imagine!

0 to 1.2 mm Adjustment Lever Capacity

The biggest advantage for the Wahl Senior is its adjustment lever. With the shortest setting, you’re going to get a skin-level trim.

At its maxima, the cutting range can increase up to 1.2 mm. This range in particular is necessary for different lengths of fades and tapers, mostly toward the shorter gradient.

So take advantage of the handy lever as much as you can. Every particular setting on the lever gives you even outcomes, so that’s something to take into consideration before you skip buying it.

80 Minute Battery Life

With such a powerful motor, an 80 minute battery life is really impressive! Wahl’s lithium-ion battery department can indeed work wonders!

Furthermore, should you run out of power mid-trimming, the 2.4 meter charging cable can be plugged in for corded usage.

It’s worth mentioning to the barbers that this variant of Wahl Senior is compatible with the Wahl Power Station. If you have one, you can easily dock it for convenient charging!

3 Premium Guide Combs

There’s not a lot of accessories to talk about when it comes to Wahl Senior. You’ll only get three guide combs - premium and professional-level, of course.

These are sized toward shorter length haircuts for obvious reasons - the Senior’s zero-gapped blade unit.

Attaching and detaching these guards is fairly straightforward. Since these guards use a metal hook for attachment, they remain firmly in place and deliver fully even cuts with your glides.

My Time Spent with Wahl Senior

I’ve had my fair share of experience using Wahl Senior and my insights can provide you with a realistic idea about this legendary grooming tool.

Experience Highlights

• Feels great to hold and maneuver, even for self-trimming
• Blades can go very close to the skin without guards
• Surprisingly comfortable on scalp while direct trimming
• Versatile since it can be used for beard grooming as well

Cutting Closeness

The 0000 blade cuts supremely close to the skin, and this capacity on a cordless device alone poses Senior to be one of the finest Wahl clippers of all time!

Without the guards, 0.25 mm is definitely the length I’m able to land even without pressing the clipper too hard against my skin.

That's good news indeed for balding hair maintenance and individuals who prefer to taper down their hair fringes to the skin.

Comfort on Scalp

So you can understand that to achieve the neat, zero look, you’ll have to endure direct skin to blade contact with the Wahl Senior. 

And surprisingly so, the sensation is not intrusive on the scalp. There’s little to no risk of accidental cuts, unless of course, you press down hard vertically.

You may line up your hair fringes with delicate strokes and remove the need for separate outlining trimmers entirely.

Trimming Results

You can easily expect Wahl Senior to deliver barber-like results because of the sharp blade and effortless hair removal using minimum strokes.

The hair ends are sharp and neat, generating looks that are popular these days and up to the mark.

Home groomers with some finesse on using hair clippers can save themselves around $50-$100 bucks on haircuts every month!

Versatility

The expected hairdos for Wahl Senior are like this - precision trimming, outlining, short to skin fading, tapering, comb over trims and so on.

For added versatility, you may even use your Senior for beard maintenance, but that’s mostly restricted to bulk trimming with caution.

This altogether is indeed great value for money if you’re into both hair and beard grooming. Very few hair clippers out there are going to offer you such a degree of versatility.

Noise, Heat & Comfort in Use

I’m going to address the elephant in the room now. Yes, Wahl Senior can seem louder to some groomers because of the powerful motor.

But in my opinion, the noise pitch isn’t unnerving and you can certainly get used to it real fast. The housing can heat up if you let it run relentlessly.

The solution is to let the hair clipper breathe every now and then. Turn on, trim, turn off - repeat this pattern to avoid heating issues.

Cleaning & Maintenance

Like every other Wahl clipper, Senior is straightforward when it comes to maintenance. All you’ll need is a cleaning brush and a cloth rag or paper towel to achieve this.

Scrub the brush over the blades to clean out thoroughly. Use the cloth to mop up the blade afterward, extend that to the handle if needs be.

Before storage, apply a few drops of lubricants on the blades and spread them out evenly. It’ll keep your Senior in good health and ready to serve for the following operation!

Value & Cost

Wahl Senior is indeed an expensive device and it’s one of the many reasons I recommend this tool to the professionals, because it can be an overkill for home use.

Based on its unique cutting elements and perfect outcomes every time, the money spent on it is going to be absolutely worth it!

Not to mention, the robust housing will protect everything inside and the electronic components are capable of lasting 5-8 years. You’ll only need to replace the blades depending on your usage frequency.

Wahl Senior Alternatives

Those who are looking for alternative devices than Senior that can perform up to the same level but somewhat carry slightly different focal points, I got you covered.

You can consider Wahl Magic Clip for bulk trimming, fading and every other general hair grooming job. It’s powerful, cordless and premium - a great alternative to Wahl Senior.

For short hair maintenance at a much lower cost, you may also check out Wahl Balding Clipper. It’s corded functionality and a lack of adjustment lever lowers the price, but it’s one of the most remarkable bulk trimming tools in the industry!

User Feedback on Wahl Senior

Peluquero on Amazon writes: “I felt the strength difference from magic/designer clippers. I’m happy with them. I’ve been a barber for over a decade. Classic clipper. Satisfied.”

And a few barbers I personally know have all told me similar things about Wahl Senior. My cousin bought a Senior during COVID lockdown, and he’s still convinced it’s the greatest clipper purchase he’s ever made. 

You can check out different first-hand reviews yourself on Amazon or various forums, you’ll only find confirmations of what I’ve shared throughout this article.

Wahl Senior: How Did I Test It?

As always, my testing is from a scrutinous perspective and I keep looking for flaws to magnify, shortcomings to highlight.

Surprisingly enough, from close inspection to testing on subjects (my brother and a neighbor), it failed to show any signs of weakness.

Everything has been exactly as the advertisement told me, which is quite rare in experience. I even performed a drop test for blunt hit assessment, Senior seems to have surpassed all expectations.

Who Should Buy Wahl Senior?

I have to admit that no matter how you try to think, Wahl Senior is a hair clipper for barbers and professionals.

Having such a robust, sharp, niche device at your barbershop is going to make life tons more easier for you and in turn, keep bringing you recurrent customers.

And if you want the Senior for personal use, you can go for this as a luxury purchase, not a necessary one of course, considering the price.

But let me tell you one thing - Wahl Senior is going to be a one-time purchase for short hair, fade, buzz or similar grooming enthusiast. You might never have to buy another tool until the next decade!

Wahl 5-Star Senior vs Wahl Senior vs Wahl Reflections Senior:

Wahl Senior has quite a few variant options and models with the same name. As it’s been confusing a lot of netizen groomers, I’ll make sure to clarify every doubt here.

You might find a few other blog sites who are trying to milk out your precious time elaborating on the same gibberish like - “oh there are so many differences between Senior models” but they have nothing substantial to say.

That’s because the differences are truly very limited. Firstly, Wahl 5-Star Senior is the only cordless tool out of the three, the rest are permanently corded at 2.4 meters length.

They share the same motor and the 5-Star and Reflections even went on to share blades too. The older 8500 Senior has a different zero blade (#1005) with 3 holes, whereas the others have 2.

Being corded, Senior 8500 and Reflections Senior are much heavier, slightly louder and come with the issue of getting heated up pretty easily.

Reflections Senior comes with a total of 8 guide combs. But if that’s your priority, just grab the 5-Star and order a Wahl guard set separately.

If you want to cut down on your cost, instead of checking out the 8500 or Reflections, buy the corded Wahl 5-Star Senior. It’s essentially the same as the cordless variant, only corded and more affordable.

Key Takeaway: My key takeaway here is this: Wahl Senior cordless is by far the superior tool among every other Senior variant. Period. For a cheaper deal, just buy the 5-Star Senior corded.

FAQ

This section answers 3 frequently asked questions regarding Wahl Senior, 2 of which are concerned with some common issues addressed by groomers.

Q: How hot does Wahl Senior get under continuous use?

Ans: I haven’t measured the temperature but the housing gets pretty hot if you let it run for over 15-20 minutes at a stretch. A big reason behind it is the metal base underneath, and not to mention the powerful V9000 motor. The trick is to let it rest in between your strokes, otherwise it could permanently damage your motor unit.

Q: Does Wahl Senior excessively vibrate while running?

Ans: If you use it right, Wahl Senior’s vibration remains close to nothing. To use it in the right way, I'm frequently brushing off hair in the middle of grooming, letting the clipper rest, charging properly, lubricating the blades regularly and so on. If you hold it firmly and check all the other mentioned boxes, you won’t feel that excessive vibration.

Q: Can I use Wahl Senior internationally (travel, overseas)?

Ans: Yes! Wahl Senior comes with universal voltage, therefore can be used while you travel or situated overseas. That said, it’s only applicable for the cordless variant. For a corded Senior, however, you’re going to get 120V / 60Hz (USA standard), meaning, you’ll require an adapter to get that working.

Final Thoughts

I’ve dragged on this Wahl Senior review for quite a while, and I feel obligated to draw my conclusion right here and now.

You have so far read discussion on the Senior’s elements and real-life performance, learned about the minor differences and a couple of alternative clipper choices, in case you don’t like the Senior.

I personally am a big fan of the cordless Wahl Senior - it has delivered me some of the tidiest haircuts that I’m still very fond of.

But I understand that the price point can be an issue and professional barbers would be more likely to consider buying the Senior as opposed to home groomers.