Brio Beardscape V2 Trimmer Review – Next Generation of Trimmers
Brio Beardscape V2 Beard and Body Trimmer
Brio brings us a high-quality beard trimmer with tons of bells and whistles attached. Despite some rough corners, it is the next step forward in what all trimmers should feature. It is a costly buy, though, so you will need to save your pennies.
Pros
Huge selection of beard lengths
Fits well in the hand
Variable cutting speeds
Easy to swap out guards
Sharp and Precise blades
Good battery runtime
Cons
The combs have sharp teeth, which might irritate sensitive skin
Not waterproof or Resistant
Expensive for a Trimmer
At first, I didn’t think much of the Brio Beardscape V2. It looked like just some new hot brand that thought they knew better than all the other brands.
Damn, was I wrong!
Brio has created a tight and well-designed trimmer that is perfect for a guy who wants to up his game to make his beard look like dynamite. My own beard felt like I had just come back from a professional barber after my first trim with this trimmer.
It did so well that it joined the Best Beard Trimmers Roundup of the Year – quite easily!
What about this trimmer makes it so great? Let’s take a look!
Description and Features
The Brio Beardscape V2 is not only a beard trimmer; it is also designed for use all over the body. It has the ability to adapt to different styles well, and a variety of blades are sold that can be used with it. I will go into more about the baldes when I get to the trimmer’s specifics.
The V2 I’m using for this review is a direct version update from the V1. The V1 has many of the same features as the V2, but the important updates come in what I would consider seamless upgrades. The trimmer now has side grips to make it easier to hold, the digital display has been updated to be more informative, and the new travel lock makes it so much easier to travel with.
The standard (non-bundle) version of this trimmer comes with the regular ceramic blade, the charging cable and stand, a cleaning brush, and four reversible guides for the trimming edge.
Adjustable RPMs
One of the main features of the Brio Beardscape design I want to mention is the ability to adjust the RPMs of your trimmer.
There are five different settings from 5000 to 7000 RPMs, which we change via the button below the power button, as shown in the next clip.
What does that do, I can hear you asking?
Efficiency! The faster your RPMs, the more efficient and faster your trimming can go. Thick hair is easier to manage, you will snag your beard less, and the cuts will be much cleaner.
However, you sacrifice some of the control of your cut. If you are attempting to do something like a fade, you are going to find the cut very choppy and uneven. When doing delicate work, most barbers prefer lower RPMs so they can work slower and more intricately. This would be twice as true when you are using the trimmer as a body trimmer as well as a beard trimmer.
Build Quality and Design
The first word to come to mind when holding the Brio Beardscape V2 is solid.
Build & Design Ratings
For having so many bells and whistles on it, there is no wasted space. It is a powerful variable motor packed into a tight housing. No space makes me feel like I could crush the plastic if I gripped it too hard.
The motor itself is very quiet compared to most other trimmers. Almost whisper-quiet.
My only complaint here is that the blade slide settings button at the top of the trimmer has a lock to keep it from moving while you trim, but the lock is perhaps too good at its job. It takes two hands to change it, one to hold down the button and another to move the dial up or down. Even then, you really have to hold it down to get it to shift (the next video clip demonstrates this).
Ergonomics and Grip
You’d think that just because it has very little contouring, the Brio Beardscape V2 would be awful to hold.
In fact, it is the exact opposite. I love holding this trimmer. It fits in my hand without any complaints.
Ergomomics & Grip Ratings
The sides of the trimmer have rubberized and textured grips that make holding on to it easy, even with wet or oily fingers. The underside also has a textured bit that helps support the thumb when doing some close-in work.
The V2 fits in my hand like a dream, and it isn’t so heavy that it fatigues my wrist while I am trimming.
The dials and power button are far enough away from my finger tips that I won’t accidentally turn anything off or change speeds accidentally.
Blades
The blade that comes with the V2 is a ceramic blade designed to reduce friction and make a better cut through the beard. I definitely noticed a difference, except where it would catch small knots in my beard hair and start to tug.
Blades Ratings
The standard ceramic blade is also best for body hair when trimming elsewhere. It produces fewer nicks and cuts, plus it reduces heat, which is great when I am working in more sensitive places.
The blade was tricky to attach at times, but it is very easy to remove. Attaching just requires using the right slotting it inside method (as shown in the next clip).
My version of the Brio Beardscape V2 is the three-blade bundle. This was the blade bundle I received from Brio. The two additional blades are the Snap System with extra comb guides for the blade and a Zero-Point blade.
The snap on blade cuts more like a traditional trimmer blade, but what makes it work with this trimmer is that the guards are fixed with magnets. This means they are going to hold fast and not move around at all.
The zero-point blade is specifically a smaller blade designed for cutting your beard down to a 5 o’clock shadow. It is also very useful for cleaning up the edges of your beard and making sure to keep things nice and collected. This blade is also incredibly useful when getting into the body trimming aspect.
Length Settings & Guards
At first, I was confused by the reversible nature of the nine-blade guards, but I was quickly able to figure out that each guard has a different size on each side. This means they can double up on the length settings.
They are easy enough to slip on and off, as shown in the next clip about the guards.
Length Settings and Combs Ratings
In total, the trimmer comes with 25 possible length settings, with the guard making large adjustments and then small adjustments on the trimmer itself. The size can range from 1 mm to 20 mm in length.
The double up on guards was a problem at first before I realized that it was only a me problem. You are not going to want to have all these guards, but I needed them for the review.
I have one real complaint, though.
The teeth on the guards are rather sharp. If you have sensitive skin, they are going to irritate you. I felt like I had dug a comb into my face after one pass.
Cleaning and Maintenance
A major point to bring up with the Brio Beardscape V2 is that the unit is in no way waterproof or water-resistant. No bringing this into the shower or rinsing it off in your sink. This can be an issue if you are like me. When I do body grooming, I like to do it in the shower, but it just means I need to be extra careful.
Cleaning & Maintenance Ratings
If there is hair on the blade or guards, then the best way to get it clean is to brush it away. Thankfully, they provided a heavy-duty brush for cleaning. The brush itself looks like something used to polish shoes, so you are fully covered.
The brush is very easy to use, and in the few weeks I have had this trimmer, I haven’t needed anything other than the brush. It works in all the nooks and crannies to get out any stray hairs that are left over from trimming. No complaints here.
Secondly, they provided a bottle of oil so you can keep your blade oiled. Typically, you want to re-oil it at regular intervals. I usually add more oil once a week or every other week. If you are using this every day, then you might want to oil it slightly more.
Overall, the instructions are simple. Just keep it away from water.
Charging, Battery, and LEDs
This aspect is probably the most impressive feature of the trimmer.
Charging, Battery, and LEDs Ratings
On the front of the trimmer is an actual LED screen that shows you battery power, the length of life left in the battery, as well as the RPMs the trimmer is set on.
We also get a useful travel lock, which is activated when holding the button for a few seconds and then holding it again to reactivate the lock.
When plugged in to charge, it shows the actual percentage of the battery that is charged.
All of this is very illustrative and easy to read in the instructions, making it so much more advanced than any other trimmer I have ever used. I honestly love it.
My only complaint is that the full charging time from 0 to 100 percent is not fast. It takes 3 hours to get a full charge. However, when running on the lowest setting, that means you have 4 hours of trimming time. At the highest setting, you have 2 hours’ worth of battery life. That is a ratio I can get behind.
The good news is that you can use the trimmer while it is still plugged in
Trimming Experiences
For this review, I have been trimming my beard for a few weeks. I have been experimenting with different length settings and trying out all three of the blades.
Trimming Performance Ratings
Overall, my feeling is that this really is the next generation of trimming. The ceramic blades are smooth against the beard, cutting with a level of precision I have never seen out of a trimmer.
Here’s a quick clip of me trimming at 3mm.
The blades and guards are incredibly easy to switch out on the fly for when you need to change lengths for any reason. The only thing in the way is the small dial on the front of the trimmer, which needs work to actually manipulate.
The guides were really easy to snap on and snap off. I was able to easily experiment with multiple length settings on the fly. It was just like changing or shifting gears in a car.
The Brio Beardscape V2 is the Mercedes-Benz of trimmers. Luxurious and high-class.
Value for Money
Finally, we hit the major stumbling block that is going to make most of you guys do a double-take.
While I was able to get the Brio Beardscape V2 for free because of my position here at ShavingAdvisor, most other guys are not going to have that luxury.
As of the time of writing, the Standard Brio Beardscape bundle is about 130 USD.
That is so much money for a trimmer. On our pizza scale, that is about 13 pizzas! That’s a bunch of dinners to miss just for the ability to have a professional-level trim. This is not for everyone, and I know for a fact that most people are really watching where their money is going right now.
Final Thoughts – Verdict (Who’s It For?)
Nice, but expensive, it is hard to really recommend this beard trimmer to anyone who doesn’t have the money for it. If you are rolling pennies right now, I would not recommend you drop almost 130 USD on just a beard and body trimmer.
However, if you have the clams to spend and you are a beard enthusiast, you DESERVE this trimmer. The way it cuts and the way it feels are amazing. Your face needs to feel like this, and you deserve the best you can get. The Brio Beardscape V2 is the best money can buy.
That isn’t even adding in the fact that it works as a body trimmer just as well as a beard trimmer. This is a full multipurpose tool that will last you a good long time. I think it could be your one-stop shop for all your trimming needs.
To me, this trimmer feels like a premium combination of the Wahl Stainless Steel Beard Trimmer and the Panasonic ER GB42. It is built to give you all the options like the Wahl while having a precise cut and engine power of the ER GB42. Honestly, this has become my everyday trim now, and I love having it.
