Most home grooming goes wrong in the same place. The dog hears the clipper, decides it is a threat, and everything after that is negotiation. A quieter motor and a cordless body remove two of the reasons for that: no rising whine, and no cable dragging across the dog's back while you are trying to work. This kit is put together for the fiddly tidying jobs between salon visits rather than a full clip-out.

The battery is rechargeable with an LED display showing what is left, which matters more than it sounds. Running flat halfway through one side is how dogs end up lopsided for a fortnight. Six guide combs set the cutting length, so you can take a little off a fringe or neaten paw hair and get the same length on both sides. A styling comb, blade oil and a cleaning brush come in the box, and the oil is not optional if you want the blades to stay sharp.

• Cordless, rechargeable clipper with LED battery display
• Six guide combs for different cutting lengths
• Styling comb, blade oil and cleaning brush included
• Low-noise, low-vibration motor
• Detachable blade for brushing clean after use
• Suits dogs and cats

Two things worth knowing. Clippers cut through a matted coat badly and painfully, pulling at the skin underneath. Brush mats out first, or leave a badly matted dog to a professional groomer. And a first session should be short and mostly about letting your pet get used to the noise, not about finishing the haircut that day.

Who it's for: Owners doing paw, face and sanitary tidying at home between professional appointments.