The trimmer is the part that makes this a kit worth having rather than a clipper with extras. Faces, ears and paws are where home grooming goes wrong — they are fiddly, they are exactly where a dog is least tolerant, and a full-sized clipper is too big and too loud for any of them. A small quiet trimmer changes that job entirely.

The clipper is mains operated with an adjustable taper arm and attachment combs covering 3mm to 25mm, on precision-ground high carbon steel blades which Wahl say cut without snagging or leaving clipper tracks. There are 10 attachments in total, grades 1 to 8. The mini trimmer is lightweight, quiet and battery powered, and Wahl aim it specifically at noise-sensitive dogs around the face, ears and paws. The kit is designed for wiry, smooth, long, silky and short coats, and comes with scissors, oil, a cleaning brush, a blade guard, instructions, a battery and a storage case.

• Mains clipper plus a battery mini trimmer
• Attachment combs from 3mm to 25mm; 10 attachments, grades 1–8
• Adjustable taper arm
• Precision-ground high carbon steel blades
• Scissors, oil, cleaning brush, blade guard and storage case included
• Rubberised grip for continuous handling

Clipping is a skill, and some coats should not be clipped at all. Work on a clean, dry, brushed-out coat — clipping through dirt or matting damages blades and drags the skin — go with the lie of the coat, and keep the blade oiled and cool, because a hot blade burns. A double-coated breed does not grow back the way it was and loses the insulation the undercoat provides, so check what kind of coat you have before you start rather than after. Mains operation also means you are working around a cable, which matters with a nervous dog.

Who it's for: owners doing their own grooming between salon visits, and anyone with a dog who finds the groomer's clippers too loud around the face.