The Best Dog Nail Clippers & Grooming Tools in 2025
If you’ve ever taken your dog to the groomer, you know that professional grooming costs can add up quickly. And while the cost of clipping or grinding your dog’s nails isn’t horrible on its own, being able to do itself saves you time and money, and it also saves your dog the stress of having to go to the vet’s office.
But especially if you haven’t shopped for them before, knowing what type of nail trimmer or grooming tool to get can quickly become nerve-wracking. After all, a poorly-made trimmer may result in ugly, uneven cuts, as well as in pain for your dog. In order to help streamline this process as much as possible, we’ve chosen our top six picks of nail clippers and grooming tools this year.
Our Top 6 List
Last update on 2025-02-06 at 05:11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
1. Dremel 7300-PT
If you’ve seen a groomer trim a dog’s nails, you likely noticed that they didn’t use nail clippers. Most professionals use a Dremel, which is a rotating device that effectively sands down the nail. Dreemels reduce your risk of causing the nail to bleed, and in many cases, they also are much less stressful for your dog. This Dremel is designed to give you the professional results you’re seeking, all without requiring you to leave your home.
Takeaways
- This tool is cordless, making it much easier to use around animals.
- Its speed is adjustable, making it possible to grind down nails as quickly or as slowly as you’d like.
- It includes several sanding drums so you can choose the right coarseness for a given nail trim.
- The included battery charges completely in three hours and is backed by a two-year warranty.
2. Boshel Nail Clippers
The dremel isn’t for everyone, and many pet owners still prefer a simplified design when trimming their animals’ nails. This set of clippers may look like just another handheld pair of mail cutters, but they include several innovations designed for home use. In particular, a built-in safety guard reduces your chances of cutting into the quick, and the cutters themselves are designed to be used one-handed while also holding your dog still.
Takeaways
- Stainless-steel blades are very sharp, and their durable deisgn means they’re likely to stay sharp for years.
- A safety stop blade acts as a barrier–in case your dog moves suddenly or your hand slips, it reduces your risk of accidentally cutting off too much nail and injuring your dog.
- Ergonomic design is meant to be very comfortable on your hands.
- A bonus nail file is tucked.
3. Epica #1 Best Professional Clipper
Sometimes, especially if your dog is well behaved or if you have experience in trimming nails already, you just want a basic, straightforward set of nail clippers. That’s exactly what this affordably-priced set is. However, it’s called a professional set for a reason. The very sharp blades are designed in such a way that you only need a very quick squeeze to clip a nail. Plus, if you keep your clippers in a drawer or are worried about children gaining access to them, they have a very important safety feature–you can lock them in the “closed” position.
Takeaways
- Rubber-cushioned grips are comfortable as well as very secure.
- Extra-sharp blades mean you get a clean, smooth cut with just a small squeeze.
- Even though it’s affordable, this nail clipper comes with 100% lifetime warranty.
- Comes in two sizes, so you’ll be able to choose the one that best suits your dog’s size.
4. Safari Professional Clipper
This set of clippers is somewhat like the Epica nail clipper, although it’s less expensive and has no warranty. If you want a very basic, functional nail trimmer, this is a good choice. While it doesn’t have an option to lock shut, it does feature stainless steel blades designed to stay sharp for an extended period of time. It also has rubber-cushioned grips for comfort and security.
Takeaways
- Comes in an attractive, muted green color.
- Stainless steel blades are designed for lasting sharpness.
- Very affordable price puts it within reach of most dog owners.
- Manufacturer notes that it’s ideal for small or medium dogs, so it may lack the power needed to trim larger dogs’ nails.
5. Hertzko Electric Grinder
The descriptor of “nail grinder” may seem a little vague, but this grinder is effectively a covered dremel. It’s designed so those without professional nail trimming experience can still cleanly trim their pet’s nails without creating sharp edges or risking injury. It’s easily rechargeable with a USB cable, making it highly portable. One of the most useful features is a cover with two ports. The ports help you properly trim the nails of small and medium pets. For larger pets, the entire cover can be removed to properly trim larger nails.
Takeaways
- USB-charging capability makes it easy to charge and take almost anywhere.
- Extra-quiet motor makes it less stressful for animals.
- Inclusion of multiple ports makes it easy for even those who haven’t used a dremel before.
- Grinder portion is made of diamond bit for maximum hardness and durability.
6. UrPower Pet Nail Grinder
This grinder is similar to the one listed above, except it has a third port in the cap for even greater versatility when it comes to nail trimming. The cap can still be removed for cleaning or trimming very large nails. And unlike the Hertzko model (which is bright purple), this one comes in an understated white that may integrate better into a professional environment.
Takeaways
- Can be charged with a USB cable for maximum portability.
- Diamond bit cutting blade lasts for a long time and trims neails evenly and easily.
- Dremel design is safer to use than a traditional nail clipper.
- Cap has three ports to help you safely trim a variety of nail sizes.
Depending on your needs and the needs of the dog whose nails you’ll be trimming, any of the clippers or trimmers listed above could be a good choice. But of our top six choices, our number one pick is the Dremel 7300-PT. For one, this trimmer has thousands of positive reviews, and it’s also very affordable. But where it really stands out is in the details–unlike other dremel choices that simply include ports for different nail sizes, this one comes with completely different dremel bits to better suit your pet’s nails. And since it’s a dremel, it’s almost impossible to cut too deep or otherwise injure your pet. For a long-lasting, portable, and rechargeable trimmer that won’t break the bank, this one is an excellent choice.
Buying Guide
While we outlined our top choices above, it’s still wise for each dog owner to make an informed decision on which type of clipper or nail grinder is best. In this guide, we’ve included some important questions to ask yourself before making your purchase.
Do You Need a Clipper or Dremel?
As you’ve seen in our top six suggestions, you have plenty of choices when it comes to both clippers and dremels. Depending on your experience level and your dog’s temperament, one may be better than the other.
Clippers
Traditional nail clippers have the advantages of being cheaper, non-electronic, and simple to operate. However, if your dog has thick nails, cutting evenly with clippers can be a challenge. And some dogs have severe clipper anxiety, making trimming their nails difficult for even an experienced individual. If you accidentally cut off too much nail with a set of clippers, you may hit the quick and cause bleeding. If your dog has very dark nails making the quick hard to see, a set of clippers may be risky to use.
Dremels
As you’ve seen, a dremel consists of a rotating, drum-like cutter or sander that gradually trims your dog’s nails. Dremels take longer to use, but they also almost never will cause injury or reach the quick of a nail. However, they are not without disadvantages. For one, dogs who are very sensitive to noise may become anxious around them–this is why choosing a dremel with a quieter motor is important. Dremels also cause a bit of a dust buildup, as they essentially sand away a part of the dog’s nail. You may need to clean up dust after using one. And lastly, while they do have many advantages, dremels are usually more expensive than clippers.
Does the Size of a Dog’s Nails Matter?
You’ve likely noticed that many of the options listed above have size options–some clippers come in sizes for small or medium dogs as well as large dogs, and most dremels have a way to scale cutting based on your dog’s size.
When you’re choosing a cutting option, it’s important to choose one that suits your dog. If you try to use a set of clippers made for smaller dogs on a larger animal, the clippers may not have the strength to cut through the nail. And if they do cut through, the cut is less likely to be clean and even. If you use a set of clippers meant for large dogs on a smaller dog, you may end up cutting too much because of the thickness of the blades.
Dremels are a little easier to scale, since each option on the list either has a cap with different-sized nail ports, or it includes dremel attachments in different sizes. If you aren’t sure which round bit attachment to use for a given nail size, be sure to check the manufacturer’s information included with the machine.
Do Ergonomics Matter?
If you choose to purchase clippers instead of a dremel, you’ll notice that most options have a rubber-coated, ergonomic grip. But is this really important?
While you probably don’t spend hours per day trimming animals’ nails, an ergonomic grip is important because it helps prevent your hand from slipping. Since a slipping hand can mean a too-deep cut, this is vital. Additionally, an ergonomic clipper handle makes it easier to handle your dog with one hand while maneuvering the clipper with the other.
Final Thoughts
Some dog owners may see buying a set of nail clippers or a dremel as an unnecessary expenditure. But unless your dog already goes to the vet very frequently and has his nails trimmed that way, trimming your dog’s nails at home from time to time is important for his general health. But as you’ve seen, there’s a lot that goes into making a purchase–you need to consider your dog’s needs as well as your own. As you shop, think of these devices as an investment–instead of routinely paying a groomer or veterinarian to trim nails, you can use your one-time purchase as needed to keep your dog’s nails neatly trimmed.
We are the Pet Dog Pals, a group of avid pet owners, bloggers, product testers, and writers for all your canine needs! We own a collective 16 dogs and 21 cats to help us test and review pet products. Our top lists and tips come from experience to help you be the best dog owner you can be!