Brio is creating quite a buzz with its latest BeardScape V2, and the reason is hard to miss: ceramic blades. While most beard trimmers still rely on traditional stainless-steel blades, Brio claims its ceramic blades are 4× tougher and deliver a smoother, more efficient trimming experience.
But do those claims actually hold up in real-world use?
I’ve put this Brio Trimmer through my own hands-on testing to find out whether its ceramic blade really makes a noticeable difference or whether it’s simply another premium feature that sounds better on paper. Beyond the blade, Brio has packed this trimmer with several other advanced features that deserve a closer look. In this review, I’ll share my personal experience with the Brio BeardScape V2, break down its performance and features, and cover the pros and cons to help you decide whether this premium trimmer is genuinely worth the price.
Pros
- Ceramic blade system
- Robust build quality
- Very comfortable trimming performance
- Powerful motor with adjustable speeds
- Surprisingly quiet operation
- Fully washable
- Reliable, long-lasting battery
- Informative LED display
- Convenient travel lock
- USB-C charging plus charging stand
- Premium cleaning brush
Cons
- Relatively expensive
- Additional accessories cost extra
- Wide blade isn’t ideal for precision trimming
- Charging stand feels lightweight and less premium
- No travel bag
Insights
Blade Technology: The ceramic blades are the main highlight of the Brio BeardScape V2. Unlike the stainless-steel blades commonly found on most trimmers, Brio uses ceramic blades designed to stay sharper for longer, generate less heat, and maintain consistent cutting performance during extended use. According to Brio, this ceramic construction is also significantly more durable than conventional stainless-steel blades, that makes it one of the key features that sets the BeardScape trimmer apart. I’ll share how these claims held up in my own testing later in the Personal Experience section.
Blade Adjustment System: The Brio BeardScape V2 features a built-in sliding blade adjustment system, that allows you to fine-tune the cutting length without changing the blade. The standard blade offers four adjustment steps from 1mm to 1.9mm, giving you more control over short stubble and close trimming. For an even shorter result, Brio also offers a separate zero blade, which can cut down to around 0.2mm for an ultra-short stubble finish.
Power Adjustment: The Brio trimmer is equipped with a powerful motor, but what makes it more interesting is the ability to adjust the motor speed to match your trimming needs. Two dedicated “+” and “–” buttons let you increase or decrease the power on the fly.
For thick or dense beards, you can turn the power up for faster, more decisive cutting. When working around thin areas, edges, or precision spots, lowering the power gives you better control and a gentler trimming experience. This level of adjustment is particularly useful when you don’t always need the trimmer running at full power.
Battery: One of the strong points of the cordless Brio BeardScape V2 is its lithium-ion battery. Brio claims up to 4 hours of continuous runtime from a 3-hour full charge, although the actual runtime varies depending on the motor power setting you use.
It also supports 5-minute quick charging, which is handy when you’re in a rush and need enough power for a quick trim without waiting for a full charge.
Travel Lock: The BeardScape V2 also features a travel lock that prevents the power button from being accidentally pressed. It’s a small but practical addition, especially when the trimmer is packed inside a luggage bag or stored with other grooming accessories. It helps prevent unwanted activation and keeps the battery from draining while you’re on the move.
LED Display:
The Brio Trimmer features a detailed LED display that gives you a clear view of the trimmer’s status at a glance. It shows the remaining battery in minutes and segments, the motor speed in RPM with segment indicators, the blade settings from 1mm-1.9mm, and the travel-lock status with padlock icons. It also displays the charging progress as a percentage, so you can easily see how much charge is left before the trimmer is ready to use.
What’s in the Box?
The Brio Trimmer itself and its standard trimming blade are the main attractions in the box, but Brio also includes several useful accessories to round out the package:
- 5 Dual Sided Combs
- A Charging Stand
- Charging Adapter with Type-A Cord
- A Cleaning Brush
- A bottle of Lubricating Oil
- Detailed User Manuals
The included accessories aren’t particularly impressive, especially considering the premium price of the trimmer. Some useful additions; such as a travel pouch, zero blade, body blade, and USB-C charging cable aren’t included and have to be purchased separately. While the USB-C cable may not be a major concern since you can use a compatible cable you already own with your mobile, the additional blades and travel pouch can add noticeably to the overall cost. So, although you’re paying a premium upfront for the BeardScape V2, you may still need to spend more to get some of the accessories that would make the package feel more complete.
Personal Experience
The Brio BeardScape V2 is available in black and gray. I went with the black version for my testing, while the gray option is there if you prefer a lighter look.
At first glance, the BeardScape V2 has a sleek, modern design that immediately caught my attention. It’s built mostly from premium plastic, but that doesn’t make it feel cheap. In hand, the trimmer feels solid and well-built, while the ergonomic rubber grip on the rear provides a secure and comfortable hold. Even with sweaty or slightly wet hands, I didn’t feel like it was going to slip easily. Some of the design elements around the handle also give it a more distinctive look than a typical beard trimmer.
How Good Are the Ceramic Blades?
Brio claims its ceramic blades are four times tougher than stainless-steel blades, and after using the trimmer extensively, I have little reason to question the blade’s performance. The sharpness was impressive, and more importantly, I noticed that the blade remained remarkably cool even during prolonged trimming sessions. That’s a noticeable advantage over some stainless-steel trimmers, whose blades can become noticeably warm during heavy use.
At the shortest 1mm setting, the Brio trimmer cuts through my beard smoothly without any noticeable pulling or tugging. The longer settings performed just as well, and I also had no issues using the included combs.
One thing I didn’t particularly like was the blade-adjustment slider. It feels quite tight when moving it up and down, which may feel slightly awkward for a first-time user. Once you get used to it, though, it’s not a major issue.
For me, the strongest point of this trimmer is its cutting performance. If your priority is powerful, clean, and consistent trimming, the BeardScape V2 delivers impressively well.
However, its wide blade isn’t designed for detailed work. When shaping tight beard edges or trimming difficult areas such as inner nose hair, I found myself wanting a dedicated precision trimmer. You’ll either need another grooming device or a pair of scissors for those jobs.
Power and Motor Performance
The BeardScape V2 offers five speed settings ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 RPM, and I found the adjustment genuinely useful rather than just another specification on the box.
Interestingly, even the lowest 5,000 RPM setting was powerful enough for my regular trimming needs. For longer or denser beards, however, increasing the power made the cutting action feel faster and more decisive.
What impressed me most was the quiet operation. Despite packing a powerful motor, the BeardScape V2 remained surprisingly quiet during use. Even at the highest 7,000 RPM setting, the noise never became irritating.
Battery Life and Charging
The battery is another area where the Brio trimmer gave me plenty of confidence. Its lithium-ion battery can provide up to 4 hours of runtime at 5,000 RPM, which is more than enough for weeks of regular trimming without constantly thinking about recharging.
The runtime drops by around 15 minutes with each increase in speed, meaning you can expect roughly 3 hours of runtime at 7,000 RPM if you consistently use the highest setting.
Brio claims fast charging, but my experience was different. It took around 3 hours to reach a full 100% charge, which is considerably longer than I expected.
There are two ways to charge the trimmer. The first is through the charging stand, which connects to power using the included USB-A cable. The second is through the USB-C port directly on the trimmer, although you’ll need to provide your own USB-C cable.
The charging stand itself is a different story. While the trimmer feels solid and premium, the stand feels lightweight and somewhat cheap, especially when supporting such a substantial device. In my opinion, Brio could have done a much better job here.
LED Display
The LED display is one of my favorite features of the Brio BeardScape V2. It provides a surprisingly detailed amount of information in a clear, almost smartphone-like way.
Instead of simply showing a few battery bars, the display gives you useful information such as remaining runtime, battery percentage, motor speed, charging progress, and travel-lock status. It makes the trimmer feel more sophisticated and, more importantly, gives you information that’s actually useful during everyday grooming.
Travel Lock
The travel lock is another thoughtful addition, particularly if you frequently carry your trimmer around. It prevents accidental activation when the device is packed with other belongings.
To activate the lock, I had to press and hold the power button for around 5–6 seconds, after which three padlock icons appeared on the display. Deactivating it requires the same long press.
The feature works well, but I really wished Brio had included a travel pouch. A travel lock makes much more sense when you also have a proper way to protect and carry the trimmer.
Cleaning and Water Resistance
Brio doesn’t recommend rinsing the trimmer for thorough cleaning and instead includes a premium cleaning brush for removing hair and residue.
During my testing, I did rinse the attachments with water and even rinsed the blade while it was attached to the trimmer, and I didn’t experience any problems afterward. However, since the manufacturer doesn’t recommend rinsing the blade, I wouldn’t advise others to do the same.
The included cleaning brush, on the other hand, works quite well. It removed the accumulated hair and residue effectively without leaving much debris behind.
My Overall Experience
After spending considerable time with the Brio Trimmer, I came away with a strong overall impression. The ceramic blades, powerful yet quiet motor, excellent cutting performance, long battery life, and informative display make it a genuinely capable premium trimmer.
That said, it isn’t perfect. The lack of a travel pouch and additional blades, relatively cheap-feeling charging stand, longer-than-expected charging time, and limited precision capability are worth considering before buying.
For me, the BeardScape V2 gets the fundamentals right and gets them very well. But at this price, you should also be aware of what you’re not getting in the box and where the trimmer falls short.
Comparison with Alternatives
Panasonic ER-GB96-K: The Panasonic ER-GB96-K is one of the closest premium alternatives to the Brio BeardScape V2, but the two take noticeably different approaches to beard trimming.
Panasonic uses a zoom-wheel adjustment system, while Brio relies on its sliding blade adjustment. With four included combs and 58 trimming-length options, the ER-GB96-K offers more flexibility for different beard and hair lengths than the Brio’s 36 settings. However, Brio has an important advantage in blade technology, using ceramic blades instead of Panasonic’s conventional stainless-steel blades.
In terms of raw trimming performance, both are powerful enough to handle different beard types without much compromise. They also operate relatively quietly, although I found the Brio BeardScape V2 to be noticeably quieter during use.
Battery life is another area where they are closely matched. Both can deliver more than 3 hours of runtime and offer a 5-minute quick-charge feature, making either one suitable for regular use without frequent recharging. However, Brio has a clear advantage when it comes to monitoring the battery. Its informative digital display shows useful information at a glance, while the Panasonic doesn’t provide the same level of detail.
The Panasonic fights back with something Brio doesn’t have: a built-in pop-up precision trimmer. I found this particularly useful for detailing and working around tighter areas. Since the Brio has a relatively wide main blade and lacks a dedicated built-in precision trimmer, the Panasonic is the better choice if precision detailing is important to you.
Brio also offers more flexibility when it comes to charging. It has two charging options; a charging connection through the stand/USB-A setup and a USB-C port directly on the trimmer. Panasonic, meanwhile, relies on its conventional charging system.
Where Panasonic clearly takes the lead is wet use and cleaning. The ER-GB96-K can be used for wet trimming and rinsed under water, making cleanup much easier. The Brio is designed primarily for dry use and dry cleaning, so it requires more care when cleaning.
There isn’t a clear winner here the better choice depends on what matters most to you.
Choose the Brio trimmer if you want: ceramic blades, quieter operation, a detailed digital display, USB-C charging, and a long-lasting battery.
Choose the Panasonic ER-GB96-K if you want: more trimming-length options, a built-in precision trimmer, wet trimming, and easy washable cleaning.
For me, the Brio feels more advanced and refined in several areas, while the Panasonic is more practical and versatile for everyday grooming.
Verdict
The Brio BeardScape V2 is a robust, ergonomically designed trimmer that delivers a genuinely premium trimming experience. Its advanced features, powerful performance, and ceramic blades will appeal to anyone who prioritizes smooth, precise, and effortless trimming. It’s not without drawbacks, but most can be worked around if you’re willing to spend a little extra on accessories. If you want a premium trimmer for regular grooming and don’t mind the additional cost, the BeardScape V2 is a strong choice.