Wahl Sterling Mag vs Beret review: The same?

Wahl’s #8779 Mag trimmer has always been a classic.

The trimmer features a stylish and compact model designed for professional use. It doesn’t only look elegant – it delivers surprising power and accuracy. All of this is wrapped in a lightweight, quiet operation (kids and anxious customers will love it).

The black part and the ergonomic shape allow you to have a good grip on the trimmer. This means that you can easily maneuver your client’s head to achieve precision.

It’s a winner, for sure.

True, like its #8841 Beret brother, it doesn’t hit those lineups as skin-close as the Wahl Detailers I’ve been using recently:

However, it’s long-lasting cordless operation and cool-running motor make up for it. In fact, for 95% of your lineup or edging, as well as beard trimming needs – the mighty Mag would be a perfect solution.

I’ll be honest with you. It’s easier to work with than both the cordless Detailer and Andis’ famous Slimline Pro Li trimmer.

It comes with a 2111 Snap-On blade set that allows you to achieve clean and neat cuts without getting too close to the skin. This means you can give your client clean cuts without pressing on their sensitive skin. 

The pain point of the Sterling Mag?

It was, and still is a bit expensive (check latest prices) if you compare it to most other barber trimmers. And in the world of a barber who has to buy so much tools, this matters. A lot.

Enter the improved Wahl #8841 Beret. Priced extremely attractively, it looks just like the Mag trimmer – only in different colors.

Is there any non-cosmetic difference between them, then?

I know, it sounds weird, but there is absolutely nothing else that makes those two Wahl trimmers different than the color pattern. Given the fact that the Beret is a few bucks cheaper, I’d recommend to grab it over the Mag.

That is, if you’re not a collector of the Wahl Sterling with its duo of chrome-looks plastic and stylish black.

Some people don’t seem to believe these are the same, so let’s hop into a full-on comparison between the #8779 Sterling Mag vs #8841 Beret trimmer.

Body specifications:
Ergonomic & stylish

There are many cordless trimmers, and some of them are quite heavy. Working with them in a busy barbershop can prove to be a literal pain. You risk getting some nasty carpal tunnel syndrome if you’re not carfeul.

The Mag/Beret duo spares you such worries. At a modest 5.5″ and only 4oz, this elegant trimmer scores A+ in terms of ergonomics.

Easy to maneuver, lightweight, designed with a shape that will mold into any stylist’s palm like a glove. You can thank the middle part of the trimmer (black in Mag, brown with the Beret) for that.

Both models share the same blade – this is Wahl’s #2111 snap on blade. While not as close as the Detailers, it shaves any hair to 1/64″.

I’d like to highlight the snap on part. This is a next level detachable blade compared to, say, what Oster uses for their detachables. The #2111 is significantly easier to pop off, which saves you a lot of time. It also minimizes the risk of messing up the springs that pop the blade.

In addition, the detachable blade makes the trimmers easy to clean. In cases where hair strands stick in the blade, you can easily remove them by detaching the blade. 

Detachable replacement blades for #2111 blade exist in cases where you need to replace your worn-out blade. This saves you the cost of having to purchase a whole new trimmer.

This little guy is one versatile blade, I’ll tell you that. You can safely use it for:

• Necklines

• Edging and crisp lineups

• Light beard grooming (not that great with bulk cutting there)

• Trimmer over comb action

All in all, it cuts quite close. Not the closest, but that near the ultra skin fade/bald fade action you can get with professional Wahl trimmers.

Power & operation:
The battery and motor

A 2-hour charge!

Praise the Lithium-Ion batteries, and praise Wahl for bumping the battery life to 2 whole hours. With some of their other clippers or trimmers, it’s 90 minutes (which is still great anyway).

Since you use a trimmer for a short period in a cut, the two-hour battery life can go up to 8 hours without requiring any charge. This saves you the effort of having to charge the trimmer repeatedly between cuts.

Both the Sterling Mag and the Beret have the same runtime. Additionally, both of them can be used corded should you find yourself in an emergency situation.

The option of cordless operation adds to the ergonometric of the machines. Unlike other cordless trimmers that are heavy, Mag and Beret are lightweight. This makes it easy for you to move around, thus allowing you to achieve high accuracy.

What’s even more outstanding is that all this beautiful trimmer action runs on one of the quietest rotary motors out there. In a world of rattling hair trimmers that vibrate like hell, the Mag and Beret come to deliver peace and serenity.

Not to mention that they run cool – any barber trimmer that doesn’t heat up after a few cuts is a worthy sidekick to have in your tool arsenal.

Note that these run on 120V/60hz, which spells trouble for international use.

I mentioned this before, but the Sterling Mag/Beret are both great choices as hair trimmers for kids. The difference between these and an Andis T Outliner when there’s an anxious child in your barber chair is like night and day. Seriously.

Do not worry if you do not have time to trim your hair or beard before going on vacation. These trimmers are compact and lightweight which allows you to pack them and carry them along with you. 

Performance: Gentle and Precise

Both Mag/Beret are products from Wahl Professional’s commercial grade line designed to achieve the sharp precision professional barbers require. They both feature the #2111 Snap-On blade, a precision-centered blade. The blade has high accuracy allowing you to do clean cuts and lines. This saves you the hassle of going through a spot repeatedly to get clean cuts. 

In addition, the blade trims with precision without getting too close to the skin. It can achieve clean trims up to 1/64″ in length. As a barber, you do not have to press on the skin to get clean trims. This makes the blade suitable for sensitive skin.

The gentleness on the skin, in combination with quiet operation, makes Mag/Beret friendly for children. If you are a barber serving children, you should get one of these trimmers. 

The sharp performance associated with the blade allows you to work faster. These trimmers are a great asset if you work in a busy barbershop. They are fast, lightweight, and cool off by themselves.

Wahl Sterling Mag vs Beret review:
Same accessories too?

You probably guessed already, but – yes, you do.

In both cases, aside from the cordless hair trimmer itself, you’ll get:

• 4 combs (1/8″ to 1/2″)

• An extra styling comb

• Cleaning brush & oil

• The automatic recharge stand that unlocks their cordless potential

• Red blade guard

Especially in the case of the Beret – which is cheaper, this is a crazy amount of stuff to receive. A lot of barber trimmers don’t even come with a single guard in the package!

The recharge stand forms one of the great features. Apart from recharging the trimmer, the stand provides a convenient place for storing your trimmer. In addition, the recharge stand has a compartment that you can use to store other accessories such as combs. This recharge stand is a great asset in a barbershop where an organization is important.

The comb reveals the #8779 Wahl Mag trimmer and the #8841 Beret’s weaknesses, however. You can only go up to 1/2″ with these, as there’s no length support beyond the largest of the 4 combs.

Is this an ultra-important factor?

I wouldn’t say so, as generally, you want to use these for extra close trimming, lineups, and proper edging. You don’t need to go to, say, 1″ or something.

Conclusion:
Any downsides?

As I mentioned, with the Sterling Mag that would be the price. I’m still surprised by how it costs a few bucks more than the Beret, which is literally the same hair trimming tool.

That said, I can’t argue that the chrome-black pattern of the Mags is ultra stylish. There’s a reason the Sterling line makes a common appearance in many barbers’ arsenal of hair tools…and why Wahl also has added a Sterling Senior to the brand’s most popular clipper.

The Beret is as much of a flawless bargain as you can get, seriously. The previous Beret was awful – heavy, noisy, an all-around disaster in my opinion. Wahl did a very nice overhaul that shoots it into a must-have for any stylist. The new Beret trimmer blade is lightweight, user-friendly, precise, easy to clean, and has good battery life. Still, if you need something extra close, I’ve written about a few other T-blade trimmers from Wahl you can pick from.

The only drawback associated with the Beret trimmer blade is that it overheats so fast .it is therefore not ideal if you are trimming continuously for a long period. You would want to take small breaks to allow it to cool off for some time before continuing with the trimming. 

It is, however, important to note that Wahl professional products are under continuous improvement, and by the time you purchase the Beret trimmer, they might have dealt with the overheating.

Their accuracy, ergonomic shape, and quiet operation make the trimmers dream assets for any professional barber. With their good battery life, these lightweight and cordless trimmers have features that any barber desires to improve their skills and business.

From beginners to experienced barbers, any barbershop will only benefit from having one of these neat trimmers around.