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Best Baby Nail Clippers
January 30, 2023

Best Baby Nail Clippers

By Babylist Team
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Clipping your baby's nails can be stressful, but it doesn't have to be. Best Baby Nail Clippers

We get it, your baby’s tiny fingers and toes are irresistable. But sharp little talons? Nope.

No one wants to get sliced by a baby’s fingernails (which can be surprisingly sharp!), but cutting your baby’s nails can be stressful. Babies are wiggly, and their tiny nails require precise trimming that bulky clippers can make difficult.

To top it all off, baby nails grow fast, sometimes requiring their first trim before you and baby have even left the hospital. Choosing the right baby nail clippers can help make sure you do a good job every time and stay on top of it.

Unlike one-size-fits-all adult nail clippers, baby nail clippers come in three varieties.

  • Standard nail clippers: Like yours, but in a much smaller size. Best for longer nails.
  • Baby-sized nail scissors: Give you the best grip and control, so they’re good for precise trimming. Also great for soft nails that bend with clippers and electric files.
  • Electric nail files: More like emery boards than clippers. Great for smoothing sharp edges.

Additional features include LED lights and magnifying glasses to help you hone in on the nails, curved edges to prevent you from cutting something you shouldn’t and spy holes to allow you to see what you’re aiming for before you start snipping.

With such a large variety of baby nail trimmers on the market, there is something for every parent and baby’s comfort level. Here are some Babylist family favorites.

How we chose our best picks

We asked thousands of real Babylist families about the baby products they love the most. We took the top products they shared with us and added our own research and insight to tell you about the best baby nail clippers.

Best Clippers with Extra Features

These clippers have all the add-ons. The built-in magnifying glass lets parent zoom in on baby fingernails for utmost precision, the LED light keeps everything visible (especially if you’re trimming baby’s nails in dim lighting while they’re asleep) and the ergonomic handle allows for a tighter grip and better control.

Scissor-Like Clipper

The Frida brand is known for innovation, and the NailFrida is no exception. The curved, overlapping blades mimic scissors for a faster, quieter, more precise cut (no “snap” that tends to happen with most clippers), and the “spy hole” directly above the clippers allows you to see what exactly is going between the blades.

Best Classic Nail Scissors

Nail scissors are a great option for newborns. Their nails are super soft, and it’s easy to cut across them like you’re cutting paper. With scissors, there are no sharp edges to file down and no scary clicking noise to worry about. Classic nail scissors, like these from Simba Baby, are designed with evenly sized finger loops so they work great for both lefties and righties.

And don’t worry about accidentally poking your baby or yourself with these scissors; the tips are rounded to prevent injury.

Best Basic Clippers

Not looking for any fancy add-ons? These simple clippers get the job done for a great budget-friendly price. And since they come in a pack of two, you can toss one in your diaper bag for any emergency nail trimming on the go.

Best Grip

While nail scissors typically provide the most secure hold, the finger holes may not be one-size-fits-all. Instead of finger holes, the Easy Grip Nail Scissors from Frida use your whole hand to move the blades, so the grip is more comfortable, fits a wider range of hand sizes and makes even more precise cuts.

Best Electric Baby Nail Trimmer

Meet the Energizer Bunny’s emery board. Using a gentle, battery-operated spinning technique, this electric nail filer works the same as a regular nail file to smooth down nails, but with less manual labor on your part. It comes with four pad attachments (color coded by age for 0-12 months), two attachments for adult nails and two speed settings. A storage case is included, but you’ll need to provide your own batteries (two AA).

Best Hands-Free Nail File

Sometimes you can’t devote an entire hand to holding clippers, scissors or an electric file, especially if your baby is squirming. This wearable nail file only uses your thumb to operate—just place the plastic base around your thumb (there are openings at the back and top to fit any thumb and nail size) with the file pad facing away from your thumb nail and move your thumb across baby’s nails in short, smooth strokes to file sharp edges down. With two types of files (“soft” for zero to six months and “medium” for six months and up), no harsh snipping and no batteries required, this is a great alternative to other baby nail care options.

This information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. We do not accept any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, from any information or advice contained here. Babylist may earn compensation from affiliate links in this content. Learn more about how we write Babylist content and review products, as well as the Babylist Health Advisory Board.