Philips Beard Trimmer Series 5000 BT5502/13 review

About the Philips BT5502/13

The BT5502/13 is a Series 5000 beard trimmer with a dial that sets the length. It has 40 settings from 0.4mm to 10mm in 0.2mm steps, so the gaps between lengths are small. Philips calls its comb design Lift & Trim PRO: it lifts hairs towards the blades so one pass cuts them to an even length.

The blades are metal and self-sharpening. Philips says they need no oil and no replacement. It runs cordlessly for about 61 minutes after a one-hour charge.

The built-in range stops at 10mm. For a longer beard Philips sells an adjustable beard comb separately, covering 10.4mm to 20mm. Philips also lists click-on combs, a 2D contour shaver head and a back reach attachment with the trimmer, and says it can cut head hair up to 20mm, though a dedicated hair clipper does a better job.

What owners report about the Philips BT5502/13

Owner feedback for this exact model is limited, so what follows is a small sample rather than a firm verdict. Those who wrote about the BT5502/13 on Philips' UK site liked the metal blades: one bought it for a son whose old trimmer left rashes, and was happy with the change. Another said a charge lasts for weeks.

Owners of the closely related BT5502 versions say much the same. They like the even cut from the lifting comb and the long gaps between charges, and they find it sturdy and a good size in the hand. The most common complaint is noise, which one owner called a bit loud.

Some owners say the comb sits further from the blades than on an older trimmer, which makes the area around the nose harder to trim. One owner found the stated 0.4mm setting is not the same everywhere, because the direction the hair grows in changes the result. We found no pattern of failures after months of use.

Who the Philips BT5502/13 suits

It suits stubble and short to medium beards where you want a particular length and like to change it in small steps. The self-sharpening blades mean no oiling, and the battery is enough for weeks of weekly trims according to owners.

Look elsewhere for a long beard: the built-in maximum is 10mm, and the longer comb costs extra. The Wahl Aqua Blade Wet/Dry Stubble & Beard Trimmer 9899-800 goes up to 25mm. For longer runtime, the Braun Beard Trimmer Series 5 BT5525 gives two hours cordless. If you want nose, ear and body attachments in the box, the Remington G4 Graphite Series Multi Grooming Kit PG4000 comes with more.

Questions about the Philips BT5502/13