Clippers, Blades & Shears

Best Dog Clipper Blades

The clipper is the motor. The blade is the haircut. Most people buy a second clipper when they needed a second blade.

By Brijon M.Published October 6, 2026

The shortlist

Quick picks

Tap any row to jump to that pick’s full write-up. The price column goes straight to Amazon.

#	Product	Best for	Score	Price
1	Andis UltraEdge detachable blades The standard A5 blade family, interchangeable across Andis, Oster and Wahl KM bodies.	Best blade range to build on	8.9	Check price on Amazon
2	Andis UltraEdge guide comb set One short blade plus a comb set covers more lengths than four blades, for less money.	Best way to get long lengths cheaply	8.8	Check price on Amazon
3	Andis UltraEdge AGC Super 2-Speed If you are buying A5 blades, this is the body most people should be hanging them off.	Best clipper to put these blades on	8.5	Check price on Amazon
4	Mars Coat King undercoat rake On a terrier jacket a bladed rake does what a clipper blade should not.	Best alternative to a blade on a wire coat	7.4	Check price on Amazon

Scores are our own editorial assessment, not a product rating from reviews or testing. We do not print prices — every button goes to the current one on Amazon. #ad

The three blades to buy first

The short answer

A #10 for sanitary areas, belly and pads. A #7F or #5F for the body, depending on how short you keep the dog. And a spare of whichever body blade you use most, so one cools while the other works. That is the whole starter set for most dogs.

Every blade number, and what it cuts

Blade	Cut length	Use
#3/4HT	3/4 in	Longest clipped length; needs a very clean coat
#5/8HT	5/8 in	Long fluffy finish
#3-3/4F	1/2 in	Long doodle / teddy-bear length
#4F	3/8 in	Standard tidy doodle length
#5F	1/4 in	Short, practical, 6-8 weeks of wear
#7F	1/8 in	Summer clip; takes bulk fast
#10	1/16 in	Sanitary, belly, pads, under ears
#15	3/64 in	Very short; surgical prep territory
#30	1/50 in	Base blade for guide combs
#40	1/100 in	Base blade for guide combs; too short to use bare

Cut lengths as published in the Andis UltraEdge / CeramicEdge blade chart (sources below).

Why the numbers run backwards

The number is derived from how the blade was originally graded for the hair it leaves, not from the length itself — so a higher number means a shorter cut. #10 is shorter than #5. The full explanation and a printable version of the table above is on the blade size chart.

F, FC, HT and skip-tooth, decoded

Suffix	Means	Matters because
F or FC	Finish cut — evenly spaced teeth	Smoother finish, safe near skin and faces
No suffix	Skip tooth — alternating long and short teeth	Takes bulk fast; NOT safe near skin
HT	Hair trimmer style, longer cut	Longest clipped lengths
Ceramic	Ceramic cutter on a steel comb	Runs cooler; useful on long sessions

Skip-tooth blades stay on the body

The wide gap that makes a skip-tooth fast also admits skin. Never use one on feet, faces, ears, armpits or sanitary areas, and never on a dog with loose or wrinkled skin anywhere.

Keeping a blade alive

Oil before every use and every ten minutes of running. Brush the hair out of the teeth, do not rinse a blade under a tap and leave it wet, and store blades dry with a light film of oil. A blade that is pulling rather than cutting is dull — it will not improve, and it will burn the dog before it improves. See clippers overheating.

Blades or guide combs?

Blades give a cleaner finish and work on a less-than-perfect coat. Combs give more lengths for less money and demand a perfectly brushed coat. Most home groomers should own both: combs for the body, bare blades for the detail work. Full comparison: blades vs guard combs.

The picks in full

Every pick, in order

Best blade range to build on

Andis UltraEdge detachable blades

The standard A5 blade family, interchangeable across Andis, Oster and Wahl KM bodies.

Detachable A5 blades

#10: 1/16 in
#7FC: 1/8 in
#5FC: 1/4 in
#4FC: 3/8 in
#3-3/4FC: 1/2 in
#5/8HT: 5/8 in
#3/4HT: 3/4 in

Specs: Andis UltraEdge / CeramicEdge clipper blade chart

UltraEdge is the reference A5 blade line, and the practical argument for it is interchangeability: the same blade fits an Andis AGC, an Oster A5 and a Wahl KM, so your blade investment survives a change of clipper. The numbering is counter-intuitive — higher number, shorter cut — but the published chart is unambiguous, and once you know the three numbers you need, the rest is just shopping.

Length options10.0

Cross-brand fit10.0

Edge life8.5

Cost per blade6.5

Value over five years9.0

Overall8.9 / 10

What it gets right

The blade range is the whole reason to own a detachable-blade clipper — any length, bought one at a time
Fits Andis, Oster A5 and Wahl KM bodies interchangeably
Finish-cut (FC) and skip-tooth variants of the same number let you choose bite versus smoothness

What it gets wrong

Each blade is a separate purchase and they add up fast
Blades dull and need sharpening or replacing — a running cost, not a one-off
Blade numbers are counter-intuitive: the bigger the number, the shorter the cut

Who should skip itSkip these if your clipper takes a 5-in-1 adjustable blade — they will not fit it.

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Best way to get long lengths cheaply

Andis UltraEdge guide comb set

One short blade plus a comb set covers more lengths than four blades, for less money.

Clipper attachment combs

Fits: A #30 or #40 blade on an A5 clipper
Range: A graded set of cut lengths from one blade
Material: Stainless steel or molded plastic sets available

This is the answer most home groomers should hear first. Fit a #30 or #40 to the clipper, drop a guide comb over it, and you have a graded range of longer cuts for a fraction of the cost of buying those lengths as individual blades. The catch is real and worth stating: combs skip and clog on any coat that is not fully brushed out, and you still need a bare blade for faces and sanitary work.

Length options8.5

Cross-brand fit7.5

Edge life9.0

Cost per blade10.0

Value over five years9.5

Overall8.8 / 10

What it gets right

A cheap way to get many lengths from one blade, which is how most owners should start
Easier to get an even finish on a fluffy coat than a bare short blade
Steel sets stay on the blade instead of pinging off mid-stroke

What it gets wrong

They clog and skip on any coat that is not fully brushed out first
Plastic sets snap and lose their grip over time
You cannot get close work — faces and feet still need a bare blade or shears

Who should skip itSkip them if your dog mats between grooms — combs ride over felted coat instead of cutting it.

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Best clipper to put these blades on

Andis UltraEdge AGC Super 2-Speed

If you are buying A5 blades, this is the body most people should be hanging them off.

A detachable-blade animal clipper resting on a work surface

Corded detachable-blade clipper

Speeds: 3,400 / 4,400 SPM
Motor: Rotary, corded
Blade system: Detachable A5 (UltraEdge / CeramicEdge / ShowEdge)
Cord: 14 ft heavy-duty
Weight: 17.6 oz
Housing: Vent-free, no cooling fan to clog

Specs: Andis — UltraEdge AGC Super 2-Speed product listing

Blades are only useful on a clipper that drives them. The AGC Super 2-Speed accepts the whole UltraEdge, CeramicEdge and ShowEdge range, runs 3,400 or 4,400 SPM, and has a vent-free housing that will not ingest the fine hair your blade work produces. Buying the blade family without a body that uses it properly is a common and expensive mistake.

Length options10.0

Cross-brand fit10.0

Edge life8.0

Cost per blade6.0

Value over five years8.5

Overall8.5 / 10

What it gets right

Two usable speeds rather than one compromise speed — 3,400 SPM for bulk removal, 4,400 for finish work
Takes the whole A5 detachable blade range, so one clipper covers every coat length you will ever need
The vent-free housing is the reason it survives doodle coats: there is no fan intake for undercoat to pack into
14 ft cord means you are not fighting an extension lead around a grooming table

What it gets wrong

Corded, so you work around a cable with a dog that may not stand still
Ships with one blade; a doodle or double coat needs at least two more, which is a real added cost
Heavier in the hand than a cordless unit over a long session

Who should skip itSkip it if you own one short-coated small dog — this is more clipper than that coat will ever need.

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Read the full Andis UltraEdge AGC Super 2-Speed review

Best alternative to a blade on a wire coat

Mars Coat King undercoat rake

On a terrier jacket a bladed rake does what a clipper blade should not.

An undercoat rake pulling loose undercoat from a dense coat

Bladed undercoat rake

Blade counts: Coarse (fewer blades) to fine (more blades)
Matching rule: Coarser coat takes fewer blades
Made in: Solingen, Germany

A clipper blade on a wire coat cuts the harsh guard hairs and leaves you with a soft, pale coat that no longer does its job. A bladed rake matched to the coat's coarseness strips dead undercoat and keeps the jacket intact. Choosing the blade count correctly matters — too fine on a coarse coat does nothing, too coarse on a soft coat thins it permanently.

Length options6.0

Cross-brand fit5.0

Edge life9.5

Cost per blade8.0

Value over five years8.5

Overall7.4 / 10

What it gets right

Strips dead undercoat faster than any brush, including on a wire coat where a slicker is useless
Blade-count range means you can match the tool to the actual coat rather than hoping
Replaceable, sharpenable blades

What it gets wrong

It cuts. Used on a soft coat or with too much pressure it will thin the guard coat permanently
Choosing the wrong blade count makes it either useless or destructive
Not a finishing tool — you still need a brush and comb afterwards

Who should skip itSkip it on a doodle or any soft, curly coat — it damages what it is supposed to tidy.

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FAQ

Questions people actually ask

What size clipper blade for dogs?

For a tidy body length on most coated dogs, a #5F (1/4 inch) or #4F (3/8 inch). For sanitary areas and pads, a #10. Those two cover almost everything a home groomer does.

What do dog clipper blade numbers mean?

The number encodes the cut length, running inversely: the higher the number, the shorter the cut. A #10 leaves 1/16 inch; a #4F leaves 3/8 inch. A suffix of F or FC means finish cut; no suffix means skip tooth.

Will Andis blades fit a Wahl clipper?

Yes, if the Wahl is an A5-mount clipper such as the KM series. They will not fit a clipper that uses a proprietary adjustable 5-in-1 blade. Check the mount, not the brand.

How many blades do I need?

Three: a body blade, a #10, and a spare of the body blade for rotation. Beyond that you are buying lengths you will rarely use — guide combs cover those more cheaply.

Are ceramic blades worth it?

On long sessions and dense coat, yes — a ceramic cutter runs cooler than steel on steel, which directly reduces the main risk in home clipping. On a ten-minute tidy on a short coat, it makes no practical difference.

How this page was put together

We define the coat problem the tool has to solve, shortlist products currently sold, compare the manufacturers’ documented specifications against what that coat actually needs, and cross-check against published findings from named sources. We do not test these tools on our own dogs under controlled conditions, and we will not say we do. Where a figure comes from a manufacturer, we name them; where it comes from someone else’s testing, we cite them. We print no prices — a stale number is worse than none. Read the full method.

Sources