Clippers frighten people as much as pets, because they ask for a single irreversible decision in a fraction of a second. A grinder removes that pressure entirely: the head takes the nail down gradually, you can stop at any point you like, and there is no sudden crunch, which is often what made a dog dread the whole business in the first place. What you end up with is a smoothed edge rather than a sharp cut face.

Low noise and low vibration decide whether an anxious animal will tolerate this at all, and both are addressed here. It charges over USB and runs cordless, so there is no cable to manage while you are already managing a paw and a wriggling dog, and three port sizes let you present small, medium or large nails to the grinding surface at a sensible angle. An LED sits beside the head to light the nail as you work. Blue or white.

• Rotating head files nails down gradually
• Low-noise, low-vibration operation
• USB rechargeable and cordless
• Three ports for small, medium and large nails
• Built-in LED light at the working end
• Available in blue or white

One claim we would correct. The manufacturer says the light reveals the quick. On pale nails you can indeed see it, but on black nails a small LED will not show it and neither will any other torch. On dark nails, take a little off at a time and stop when the cut face turns from chalky to a darker, moist-looking centre. Work in short bursts, since grinding warms the nail.

Who it's for: Dogs and cats who panic at clippers, owners nervous of catching the quick, and anyone tired of paying for a nail trim.