Panasonic ER-GB42 Beard Trimmer Review – The Pocket Rocket
Panasonic ER-GB42 Beard Trimmer
A delightful beard trimmer that is quiet and compact, Panasonic delivers a pocket-sized shaver perfect for traveling with (Panasonic ER-GB42). The only real downside is the size of the cutting edge, which makes trimming take longer.
Pros
Ergonomically great, it fits in the hand perfectly
Rubberized grip to keep a good hold on it
Intuitive and Informative battery charging light
Whisper quiet motor
Easy to use and read dial for setting length
The charging station plugs right into the socket, there is no problem with tangled cords
Easy to see and use the power button
The small size makes it better for sculpting shorter, thinner beards
Cons
Small cutting edge means you need to take more strokes
No easy way to remove the length guard
The cutting edge can get clogged easily because it is small
Requires regular blade oiling
Not best suited for longer beards
Sometimes, reviewing men’s grooming products is drudgery, with so many different products with only mildly different aspects. Innovation is sometimes very hard to find.
Then again, there are times like today when I am pleasantly surprised.
The Panasonic ER-GB42 Beard Hair Trimmer is a light and compact that fits really well in the hand.
It’s almost like someone just said “What if we made an electric trimmer that actually fits in the hand rather than just being a metal and plastic tube?”
But do the good points end with just the ergonomics and aesthetics? Thankfully not!
— Related: 6 Best Beard Trimmers in 2024 – 11 Tested and Reviewed
Description and Features
- 50 minutes of power on a full charge
- 20 to 30 hours to fully charge the battery from 0 to 100 percent
- Cordless recharging stand to reduce clutter and make it easier to use
- Waterproof so you can trim while in the shower
- Good for both face and body hair
- Limited 2-year warranty on parts and labor
- 19 possible length settings (0.05mm to 10mm on 0.05mm increments)
- Rubberized grip for ease of comfort
- Extra sharp blades are set at a 45-degree angle to make sure to cut through even dense beards
- The trimming Comb is designed to lift and cut beards with flattened or curly hairs
- Its small size and limited inventory of attachments make it perfect for traveling
- Easy to clean by just holding the blades under the water
- Needs to be re-oiled at least once a week
- Comes with: Trimmer, Length Comb attachment, Charging Stand, Cleaning brush, and Blade Oil
The Panasonic ER-GB42 is small compared to most electric trimmers. It has a very tight design that makes me think of a sports car or racing motorcycle. No space is wasted or left unused.
The grip is rubberized and textured all around the base of the unit. The only part that isn’t is the upper 3rd of the trimmer, which is just hard plastic and where all the moving parts are.
The middle of the unit has a dial that allows you to select the length you desire to trim your beard. This dial extends the detachable comb like 99 percent of all other beard trimmers. Hey, if it ain’t broke, right?
The power button is right in the middle of the grip area itself, which makes you think it would be too easy to turn it off accidentally. However, the button is small enough to avoid as you move your fingers around the unit.
The unit plugs directly into the charging base rather than a charging cord. The base plugs directly into the wall rather, which I love. No more cord clutter.
The charging base has a single red light showing you if the unit is charging.
A Note about Model Numbers
For this review, the model I used was the Panasonic ER-GB42-K, but it is also known in some regions as the ER-GB52-K. They are functionally the same, but the number can vary depending on the location you are and where you are attempting to buy your trimmer.
Quality and Design
As I noted above, the unit is small and built to be small. It has a compact and aerodynamic design. It has a design that looks like a submarine, with gentle curves and a few sharp edges.
Where are my Seaquest fans?
The rubberized grip makes the trimmer easy to hold onto when you have damp hands. This is good because this trimmer is designed so you can also use it in the shower rather than at the sink.
The dial at the center of the unit is large and takes some force to move. This is a great thing, as it means you can’t accidentally move the comb while you are trimming.
Also, the numbers on the dial are easily read from a distance, so you can see them. Showering without contacts or glasses or getting soap in your eyes won’t stop you from being able to see how long your beard is.
Of final note here is the noise this unit puts out in use. Most guys are aware of how loud most trimmers are, but the ER-GB42 is half that noise level. Relative to most other trimmers, it is whisper quiet. If you are in close quarters, you aren’t going to wake anyone up, and you can keep your ears on your music or the news if you have that going while you shower or get cleaned up.
Cutting Power
For such a small unit, the trimmer has some serious power. Provided you go slow enough, you are going to be able to get through your beard with only one pass.
Multiple times when I was trimming with this unit, I saw beard hair flying out of the beard rather than just dropping away.
The only downside here is the small size of the cutting edge. You will need to take more passes to go over your beard, simply because of the size.
Also, the size will get in the way if you have a larger beard. You will find the comb getting clogged with your beard hair as you go.
I recommend this only for shorter beards rather than long ones.
Ease of Use
Setting this up and using it is as easy as a button press. Nothing tremendously complicated was involved with using the trimmer.
The only tedious aspect is the size of the cutting-edge yourself, but that is only an issue if you are like me and have a fat face.
Setting the dial is easy to see and do, but you will need to do some calibrating for yourself. While they all have standard measurements, every trimmer has its quirks when it comes to actual cutting size. It will probably take you about a week to calibrate it to exactly how you want it.
Battery and Charging
The fine print on the instructions and the website says the unit has enough of a charge to last 50 minutes when the battery is fully charged.
I don’t know of someone who needs to keep their trimmer running for almost an hour, but that seems to be a pretty good charge for such a small unit.
When you first charge the unit, the manufacturer recommends 30 hours’ worth of charging to get a full charge, but I left it plugged in for about 18 hours, and it worked fine. After the first charge, Panasonic advises charging the unit for 8 hours for a full charge, but you can also charge for less time, providing less runtime (you can do a quick charge to get a fast trim).
My only complaint is the charge light. It glows red as the unit is charging, AND when the unit is charged. It is hard to tell if you are overcharging the unit.
If I were to offer any advice on improving the unit, it would be to change the light to show when the item is fully charged.
Cleaning and Maintenance
For all the good aspects of this trimmer, it does kind of fall short when it comes to maintenance.
It’s not hard to clean, but you are going to be cleaning this one more often than many other trimmers.
The small size means the comb is going to get clogged, and you will need to brush it out often. Sometimes, right in the middle of a trim if you have a particularly thick beard. I also clean the blade under the tap when needed, but brushing the debris out is enough sometimes.
You will also need to make sure to keep the blades oiled after every few trims. Most likely, once a week, to make sure the blade stays sharp, especially if you have used the trimmer wet or washed it after use.
The blade is easy to remove for cleaning purposes.
How well does the Panasonic ER-GB42-K Beard Trimmer Perform?
I spent a little over a week with the product for this review. I trimmed with it every other day, ensuring enough growth to justify a trim.
Obviously, before each trim, I made sure that my face was nice and clean. I also took time to make sure to brush out my beard. Even a short stubble beard needs a few strokes with a boar hair brush to make sure the hair is all lined up and ready for trimming.
Overall Trimming Experience
I may have tipped my hand earlier in the introduction of this review, but I enjoyed my time with the GB42.
It left me with a nice even trim and didn’t require much going back over. I’ve always had issues with having to go over the beard again after a trim because most of the trimmers I use can’t get an even cut.
I didn’t feel that uneven cut at all with this unit.
The trimming experience wasn’t flawless, though.
Value for Money
As of the time of writing this review, the Panasonic ER-GB42 Beard Trimmer is currently on sale on Amazon for 33 USD, which is 40 percent down from its normal price of 54 USD.
For this small trimmer, that is an absolute steal. For that price, I would recommend this trimmer in a heartbeat. Especially if you are traveling often and need to keep your face well-trimmed. This small trimmer is perfect for traveling around and ensuring you travel light.
If you are only able to get this for full price, then I might wave off for a bit and recommend waiting for it to go on sale again.
Common Consumer Complaints, Issues, and Positive Reviews
Reviews for this product are more mixed than many of my other beard and shaving products. Considering that most beard oils and beard balms are more niche, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that a larger-name product that more people use would get more reviews overall.
Positive Reviews
Many consumers enjoy this product to the fullest.
Most of them commented on the precision of the trimmer, noting that it got the right length every time they used it. That is a big point for many trimmers who have noticed you must recalibrate slightly after every trim.
Another consumer noted something that I also really like: that there is only one attachment to worry about. Most trimmers have about 3 or 4 different attachments you have to keep track of just in case. This one has only one, and you can keep that in the trimmer except when cleaning it.
Finally, a major positive that many reviews bring up is the battery life. 50 minutes is a long runtime, and many consumers are big fans of how long this trimmer lasts. As I said, I don’t know of anyone who needs to trim for an hour, but having almost an hour of battery life is great if you want to trim more than just your beard or the obvious, which is to use it multiple times before recharging.
Complaints and Issues
The first complaint I see most people bring up is that it doesn’t have a 0.5mm option. The 0.5mm option is just the trimmer without the comb itself. Unfortunately, without the comb, that option seems to lack precision and is very hit-or-miss.
Other consumers seem to have the same problem I have with the comb guard, in that it seems to get clogged easily when trimming. Thick hair seems to clog it faster, and therefore you have to take extra time to make sure it is cleaned out during your trim. I didn’t have to stop when I was trimming, but if you have hair longer than mine, I could see that being a severe issue.
Finally, maintenance seems to be a very big issue. I’ve seen multiple people give bad reviews because of how often you need to oil the blades. Most trimmers require you to oil once a month or maybe once a week. According to the instructions, you must re-oil this trimmer after every use. I think that is excessive, and most consumers seem to agree with me.
Final Thoughts – Who is the Panasonic ER-GB42-K Beard Trimmer Really For?
Do you need a Travel Trimmer? Then get this trimmer.
Do you need a new trimmer in general? Get this trimmer.
This is a great trimmer, and everyone should capitalize on the current Amazon sale.
However, if you already have a trimmer and the ER-GB42 is full price, then maybe hold off for a sale.
Finally, I would not recommend this trimmer to guys with longer or thicker beards. You are going to clog this trimmer up every time you use it. However, Guys who have thinner and/or shorter beard hair should give this trimmer a shot.
