I Tried James Harden’s Beard Trimmer (and Now I Can Slam Dunk)

There’s a beloved product out there right now that’s endorsed by an NBA legend. It’s a fly piece of equipment that is known far and wide as an essential style staple. Teens need it, adults revere it, and it’s created waves across fashion for years. There are an increasing number of people who cannot leave home without it. No, I’m not talking about a pair of Air Jordan sneakers (eh, I sort of was); I’m referring to The Beard Club's PT45 trimmer, aka James Harden’s beard trimmer. Rarely is a sports figure so associated with a physical feature, but in case you’re not a basketball obsessive, fans also know Harden as “The Beard.” (It’s because he has a huge beard.)

I don’t presume to have a beard anywhere as good as Harden’s, but I do have some rather unruly fuzz that needed to be trimmed for a wedding last week; I also shave or buzz my head regularly, so it’s nice to have something that can handle that as well. So, I decided to try out the PT45 trimmer, because you never know when you’re going to need to dunk on someone (read: be in photos).

My previous favorite beard and hair trimmer was a cheap Wahl that I used for well over a decade. It was really durable and dependable, only needing to be replaced one time, but it was very bare bones. I still recommend that one, for the record—it’s simply a classic—but the PT45 is just more… well, modern in a lot of ways. For one, it’s cordless, which was a pretty amazing upgrade for me, as not having to maneuver around a cord hanging precariously above the bathroom sink is (surprise) preferable. The PT45 is sleek and slim, but sufficiently weighty; its clean, smooth metal feels good (but still grippable) in your hand, meaning it’s easy to be precise and get proper angles, which can be difficult with a larger, corded, clunkier trimmer.

I pretty much do everything on the shortest trim setting possible so I can have (the illusion of) control, but between the five integrated length settings and a bunch of different removable heads, there are 45 trim settings, meaning it should be pretty damn easy to find the perfect setting and jam your preferred beard trim out in mere minutes. Its 7,000 RPM motor means it’ll keep plugging away through thick and thin (pun intended, thank you), and its long battery life (three hours) means you don’t have to worry about it dying in the middle of a cut.

The trimmer’s width is a little thinner than I’m used to, but once I got acclimated to the PT, it was pretty enjoyable to use. It really only took a couple trims and head buzzes before it became second nature and I started feeling pretty solid about the results I was getting (and the effort it was taking to get them). Overall, I was really impressed with it.

I had an old friend over the other night—I’m talkin’ a dude I’ve known for decades who has seen every hairstyle I’ve ever attempted, successful or not. “Your beard looks great,” he said, unprompted. “The angles are really nice.” I hadn’t been aware of any angles, but he’s slightly taller than me, so he probably has a perspective on my hair that I can’t experience. In any case, it got people talking.

There’s a PT45 gift kit as well, which includes the trimmer and also comes with a very good boar bristle brush and a birchwood comb. There’s also a shaping beard balm involved, which I haven’t tried, because I’m not one of those guys (a mixologist). A shampoo rounds out the mix.

TL;DR: James Harden’s beard is the real deal and his signature trimmer performs like a champ. Coming in at under $90, it’s a tool that any beard-having person will love (cough *Father’s Day gift* cough). That’s coming from me, a guy who has painstakingly tried to wrangle a wild beard for decades.

Speaking of basketball heroes and incredible style, I am going to see Ben Affleck’s new Nike film, Air, tonight, and while I’ll probably wear some sick shoes to the movie—because why not?—what people will really be talking about (in my mind) is how clean my beard is looking. Now, if I only had Chris Pine’s clothes, Derek Jeter’s money, and Action Bronson’s friends, my life would be complete. Go Bulls… uh, I mean 76ers!

Pick up the PT45 on Amazon.

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