Some dogs need to be groomed more often than others. During tough times like these, some people may want to groom their dogs on their own either between professional grooming or instead of them. Even if money is tight, finding affordable grooming shears doesn’t have to be difficult.
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Related: Left Handed Grooming Shears For Your Pup’s Cut
What Are The Best Shears For Dog Grooming?
There are different types of shears groomers use to cut and shape dogs’ hair. There are straight edge scissors, curved scissors, and thinning shears. Let’s go over each one so you can determine what is best for your needs.
Straight Scissors
Straight scissors are normally used to cut body hair. These are good all around scissors that can get everything done to groom your dog. Straight scissors in a small length can help to trim sensitive areas of your dog, like over the eyes and by the ears.
Curved Shears
A curved shear can provide shaping to your dog’s hair by giving a rounded cut. These can be used on the legs, tail, and head.
Thinning Scissors
Thinning shears are used to thin out a heavy coat by removing excess hair. One blade of the scissor is straight while the other is a comb.
Blending Shears
Blending shears help blend different cuts together for a more seamless look.
Chunker Scissors
These are good for dogs with thick, curly hair and cut a lot of hair at once.
What Size Shears Do Dog Groomers Use?
The size of the scissors you get depends on the size of the dog you will be grooming, what type of grooming you will be doing, as well as, what feels good in your hand while using it.
A large sized shear will cut a large amount of hair in a short amount of time. Thus, larger scissors are better suited for larger dogs.
A small sized shear will help you give more precision when cutting. This can help you groom more sensitive areas, like the face, eyes, ears, and legs.
Can I Use Human Shears On My Dog?
If you are trying to save some money and you have a good pair of human hair cutting scissors, they can be used on your dog.
The haircut your dog ends up with may not be exactly what you are looking for, in that you may not end up with a cut that blends very well.
Dog grooming shears can be specialized, as noted above, to perform certain functions to give your dog a more professional groomed look.
While it may be tempting to use human scissors on your dog to try to save money, it is not a good idea to do so.
Dog hair is thicker than human hair and, depending on the breed, coarser as well.
Is It Possible To Find “Good” Affordable Grooming Shears?
Yes. It is possible to find affordable grooming shears to cut your dog’s hair well.
That said, you get what you pay for. More expensive grooming scissors will be made of a higher quality stainless steel that will not dull as quickly.
Cheaper grooming shears may need to be sharpened more often, but they do get the job done if you are looking to save some money.
What Should I Look For When Choosing Grooming Shears?
Some things to look for when choosing your grooming shears include:
Blade Type
As mentioned above, there are several types of grooming blades to choose from. Select one that best suits your needs and the type of dog you will be grooming.
Round Tip
Having a rounded tip is a safety feature to prevent cutting your dog while grooming them. This is especially important to have if you will be grooming any sensitive areas of your dog to avoid any accidents while grooming them.
Ergonomic Design
A finger rest can help you be able to groom for a longer time without fatigue.
Stainless Steel Blade
A stainless steel blade will provide you with the sharpness to cut through thick dog hair. 440C Japanese stainless steel is considered one of the top types of stainless steel for dog grooming shears, as they are sharp, lightweight, and last a long time before needing to be sharpened. If you opt for a lesser type of stainless steel, you may have to sharpen your blades more often.
Adjustable Tension
Being able to adjust the tension of your dog grooming shears will help you use your scissors more effectively. If the tension is too tight, the blades of the scissors may rub up against each other and be difficult to maneuver. This will result in you having to work harder to use them and the blades will dull quicker from the friction. If the tension is too loose, they will not be able to cut the hair properly.
Finger Holes
Shears with removable, rubber rings can help to adjust the size of the finger homes to better fit your fingers in addition to providing comfort when holding them.
Best Affordable Grooming Shears
What is considered affordable grooming shears? The answer to that question will be different for everyone. For our purposes, we are defining “affordable “ as under $40.00 USD.
We have selected our top 2 choices in each price category. The product information is according to the manufacturer.
Affordable Dog Grooming Shears Under $40 USD
Laazar Pro Shear Straight Dog Grooming Scissors
- Available in 4 sizes: 6,7,8, or 9 inches.
- Removable comfort rings.
- Stainless steel.
- Built in finger rest.
- Adjustable screw.
Pros/Cons:
- Easy to use.
- Sharp.
- Difficult to use on fine hair.
Fenice Professional Pet Grooming Thinning Scissors
- Available as 7 or 7.5 inches.
- Stainless steel.
- Ergonomic design with finger rest.
- Adjustable tightness.
- 24 teeth on the 7.5 inch scissors, with 5 small teeth on each big tooth.
- 18 teeth on the 7 inch scissors, with 5 small teeth on each big tooth.
Pros/Cons:
- Sharp.
- Comfortable to use.
Affordable Dog Grooming Shears Under $30 USD
Hashimoto Curved Scissors For Dog Grooming
- Available in 2 sizes: 6.5 and 7.5 inches.
- Curved blade.
- Stainless steel.
- Symmetrical handle.
- Adjustable tension.
Pros/Cons:
- Sharp.
- Easy to work with.
- Need a tool to adjust the tension.
- Did not work well for some users, as it tended to fold over the hair for them.
Purple Dragon Dog Thinning/ Blending Shears
- Stainless steel.
- 6.5 inches.
- 46 teeth.
- Ergonomically curved.
Pros/Cons:
- Sharp.
- Cuts well.
Affordable Grooming Shears Under $20 USD
Pet Magasin Grooming Scissors With Round Safety Tip
- Includes 2 scissors: 6.5 inch long grooming scissors and 6 inch serrated scissors.
- Rounded tip.
- Stainless steel.
- Has an extra finger rest for added comfort.
- Longer scissors are for cutting the body.
- Smaller scissors are for delicate areas like the face and between the paws.
Pros/Cons:
- Easy to work with.
- Cuts well.
- Sharp.
Maxshop Professional Dog Grooming Scissors
- Includes 3 scissors: 7 inch curved and straight shears and 6.5 inch thinning scissors.
- Also includes a stainless steel grooming comb.
- Stainless steel.
- Rounded tips.
- Ergonomic design with finger rest.
- Rubber rings on the handles.
- Adjustable tightness.
Pros/Cons:
- Work well.
- Easy to use.
Affordable Grooming Shears Under $15 USD
Four Paws Magic Coat Ear & Eye Dog Grooming Scissors
- Designed to trim hair by the eyes, ears, and between the paws.
- Rounded tip.
Pros/Cons:
- Easy to use.
- Cuts well.
- Finger holes are a little small.
Conair PROPET Dog Rounded Tip Shears
- Available in 3 sizes to suit your needs.
- Coated blades.
- Stainless steel.
- Soft grip finger holes.
- Added finger rest.
- Rounded tip.
Pros/Cons:
- Sharp.
- Easy to use.
- Finger holes can be too small for some.
Just because something is “affordable” does not mean it doesn’t work or get the job done. Affordable grooming shears can perform just as well as more expensive grooming scissors and can enable you to give your dog that “just groomed” look whenever you need.
Please check out our other posts on Health, Indoor, Outdoor, and Travel accessories for your dog, as well as Reviews of various products and travel destinations.