Clipper guard sizes: how many mm is a number 1, 2 and 3? (full chart)
⏰ Short on time? Here's the summary
On most clippers, each number stands for about 3 mm. Guard 1 = 3 mm, 2 = 6 mm, 3 = 10 mm, 4 = 13 mm and the longest, 8 = 25 mm. In between are the half sizes: ½ = 1.5 mm and 1½ = 4.5 mm. Without a guard you cut to about 0.5 mm.
Not sure? Always go one size longer than you think. You can always go shorter, never longer.
Every size from 1.5 to 25 mm in one box? They all come with the Revahs Clipper One Pro.
All guards at a glance
½
1.5 mm
1
3 mm
1½
4.5 mm
2
6 mm
3
10 mm
4
13 mm
5
16 mm
6
19 mm
7
22 mm
8
25 mm
Guard number with the hair length it leaves. The bars show the lengths to scale.
Clipper guard chart: every number in mm and inches
A guard, or guide comb, is the plastic attachment you click onto your clippers. It keeps the blades at a fixed distance from your scalp, so the hair stays the same length everywhere. The higher the number, the longer the hair.
The numbering comes from the United States and is built on inches: each step is an eighth of an inch, or 3.175 mm. That's why the millimetres are rounded and sometimes look a little random. This is the chart you can use for almost any barber clipper:
| Guard | Length | Inch | What you see |
|---|---|---|---|
| None (0) | approx. 0.5 mm | n/a | Almost bald, scalp fully visible |
| ½ | 1.5 mm | 1/16" | Very short, scalp clearly visible. The bottom of a fade |
| 1 | 3 mm | 1/8" | The classic buzz cut. Scalp still shows through |
| 1½ | 4.5 mm | 3/16" | Short but dense. The ideal in-between step in a transition |
| 2 | 6 mm | 1/4" | Short hair where you no longer see the scalp. The most popular size for the sides |
| 3 | 10 mm | 3/8" | Short on top or a neat, soft side |
| 4 | 13 mm | 1/2" | The hair starts to lie down and take a direction |
| 5 | 16 mm | 5/8" | Short haircut with visible texture on top |
| 6 | 19 mm | 3/4" | Enough length to style |
| 7 | 22 mm | 7/8" | Medium length, soft and full look |
| 8 | 25 mm | 1" | The longest guard, about 2.5 cm. Want it longer? Reach for the scissors |
💡 Handy to remember
Up to guard 2, the number times 3 is the length in mm. Above that it climbs a little faster, because the rounding from inches gets bigger. When in doubt, always look at the millimetres on the guard itself: they count, not the number.
How many mm is setting 1, 2 or 3?
This is the question that's most often answered wrongly, because "setting 1" can mean three different things. First check which of the three applies to your clippers:
Situation 1
Separate guard with a number
You have separate guards with a 1, 2 or 3 on them. Then the chart above applies: 1 = 3 mm, 2 = 6 mm, 3 = 10 mm.
Situation 2
Adjustable guard with settings
One guard you slide to setting 1, 2, 3 and so on. Setting 1 is then simply the shortest setting of that guard, and the length differs per brand. Check the guard or the manual.
Situation 3
The taper lever
The little lever on the side of the clippers. It adjusts the blades themselves, without a guard, and works in half millimetres. More on that below.
In short: if you have separate guards with a number, setting 1 is three millimetres, setting 2 six millimetres and setting 3 ten millimetres. In every other case, the millimetres on your guard or in your manual tell the truth.
How the taper lever works (and going below 0.5 mm)
Almost every barber clipper has a lever on the side. It moves the bottom blade slightly forwards or backwards, so you can cut different lengths without a guard. Ideal for the bottom of a fade, your neckline and your stubble.
On the Revahs Clipper One and Clipper One Pro, the lever has four settings:
The Clipper Two and Clipper Two Pro have one extra, at 1 mm. That gives you a bit more control in the shortest part of a fade.
Combining a guard and the lever
If a guard is on your clippers, the guard decides. The length on the guard is the length that remains, whatever position the lever is in. So you don't need to think about the combination: you only use the lever when you cut without a guard.
Shorter than 0.5 mm?
That's not possible with clippers, and it isn't meant to be. Clippers always leave a tiny bit of hair, so you don't get skin irritation. If you want truly smooth, you need a shaver for your head, such as the Revahs Head Shaver Pro. How to go about it is explained in how to shave your head bald.
Which guard for which haircut?
Now you know what each number means. But which number do you need for the haircut you have in mind? These are the five most popular cuts, with the guards that go with them:
Buzz cut
One length all over
All over: guard 1 (3 mm)
Softer: 1½ or 2 (4.5 to 6 mm)
Fade
Smooth transition from short to long
Bottom: no guard up to ½
Middle: 1 and 1½
Top of the transition: 2
On top: 3 or longer
Crew cut
Short, sporty, a bit longer on top
Sides: 1 to 2 (3 to 6 mm)
Top: 3 to 4 (10 to 13 mm)
Classic short
Short on the sides, length on top
Sides: 2 to 3 (6 to 10 mm)
Top: 4 to 8 (13 to 25 mm) or scissors
Bald
As short as it gets
Almost bald: no guard, lever at 0.5 mm
Completely smooth: then a head shaver
The fade ladder: which guard goes where
For a fade you use several guards in a row, from bottom to top. This is what it looks like for a mid fade:
For a low fade you start the same ladder lower, for a high fade higher. The full step-by-step plan is in how to cut a fade in 9 steps, and which fade suits you is in fade haircut: all types. Going for one length? Then cut a buzz cut yourself will help you further.
Fade guard set: 1.5, 3 and 4.5 mm
Exactly the three short sizes from the fade ladder above: ½, 1 and 1½. The perfect addition if your clippers only came with the longer guards.
View the fade setWhich guard for your beard?
The same numbers apply to your beard, you just look at length differently. A few millimetres of difference shows much faster in a beard than on your head.
| Beard style | Length | Which setting or guard |
|---|---|---|
| Stubble | 0.5 to 1.5 mm | No guard, lever at 0.5 or 1.5 mm |
| Heavy stubble | 2.5 to 4.5 mm | Lever at 2.5 or 3.5 mm, or guard 1 to 1½ |
| Short beard | 6 to 10 mm | Guard 2 to 3 |
| Medium beard | 13 to 19 mm | Guard 4 to 6 |
| Long beard | from 25 mm | Guard 8 for bulk, shape with scissors and comb |
The barber's trick: cut your cheeks and neck one size shorter than your chin. That makes your face look narrower and your jawline sharper. And always start with the longest guard you're considering. A beard that's too short takes weeks to grow back.
Not sure whether you can do your beard with your clippers, or whether you need a separate trimmer? Read the differences between hair clippers and beard trimmers.
Barber talk translated: "a number 2"
At the barber you often only hear numbers. This is what they mean:
"A zero on the neck"
No guard, approx. 0.5 mm
"Taper it with a half"
Guard ½, 1.5 mm
"A number 1 all over"
Buzz cut at 3 mm
"A 2 on the sides"
Sides at 6 mm
"A 4 on top"
Top at 13 mm
"Just a tidy-up"
Same guards as last time
Tip: after your next haircut, ask which guards were used and note them on your phone. Then you can maintain the cut at home exactly, and you know for sure you're cutting the same length.
How to cut with a guard in 6 steps
- Cut dry hair. Wet hair lies flat and springs back after drying, so you end up shorter than you wanted. Why that happens is explained in using clippers on wet hair.
- Click the guard on and check it. Give it a tug. A guard that comes loose halfway is the most common mistake and costs you a bald patch in one stroke.
- Start with the longest guard. Only then go shorter, step by step. From 6 to 3 mm is one action, the other way round is three weeks of waiting.
- Work against the direction of growth. Put the guard flat on your head and move slowly upwards. The teeth lift the hair so it's cut evenly.
- Overlap your strokes and go over it crosswise. Let each stroke overlap the previous one by a third. At the end, go over it once more at right angles to catch missed tufts.
- Finish the edges without a guard. Neck, ears and sideburns you do with the bare cutting head and the lever at the shortest setting.
Hair too long for your longest guard?
Take the bulk off first with guard 8 or scissors. If clippers with a short guard go straight into long hair, the guard clogs up and starts pulling.
Revahs Clipper One Pro
8 guards from 1.5 to 25 mm plus a taper lever with 4 settings: 12 lengths in total, so every haircut and beard in this article. With self-sharpening ceramic blades, 7200 RPM and a charging stand.
View the Clipper One ProGuard falls off or cuts unevenly?
If something goes wrong, it's almost always one of these five things:
The guard slides or falls off
It isn't fully attached or the fitting has stretched. Press it on until you feel it click. Magnetic guards, such as the Revahs 1.5 and 3 mm, don't have this problem.
You see lines or steps
You're tilting the clippers or moving too fast. Keep the guard flat against your head and move slowly, so the teeth can lift the hair properly.
Tufts are left behind
You're working with the growth, or the hair is too long for the guard. Work against the growth and go over it crosswise.
The clippers pull your hair
Almost never the guard's fault, but dirty or dry blades. All the causes are in clippers pulling your hair.
The guard doesn't fit your clippers
Guards aren't universal: every brand has its own fitting and blade width. So buy guards that belong with your clippers. Revahs' separate guards fit all Revahs clippers.
Which guards come with Revahs clippers?
Want to know which lengths you'll be able to cut yourself? This is in the box as standard:
| Clippers | Lever without guard | Guards | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clipper One | 0.5 / 1.5 / 2.5 / 3.5 mm | 4.5 / 6 / 10 / 13 mm | Fades, crew cut, short beard |
| Clipper Two | 0.5 / 1 / 1.5 / 2.5 / 3.5 mm | 4.5 / 6 / 10 / 13 mm | Fades with an extra fine bottom, short beard |
| Clipper One Pro | 0.5 / 1.5 / 2.5 / 3.5 mm | 1.5 / 3 / 4.5 / 6 / 10 / 13 / 19 / 25 mm | Every haircut and beard length in this article |
| Clipper Two Pro | 0.5 / 1 / 1.5 / 2.5 / 3.5 mm | 1.5 / 3 / 4.5 / 6 / 10 / 13 / 19 / 25 mm | Every haircut and beard length in this article |
Have a Clipper One or Clipper Two and want more length on top, or a buzz cut with a guard? Then top up your set with separate guards. The new guards of the Clipper One Pro show the number and the length in mm and inches right on them, so you never have to guess which guard to grab.
3 mm guard (number 1)
The length of the classic buzz cut and the middle of every fade. Magnetic fitting, so it doesn't shift a millimetre while you cut. Also available separately in 1.5 mm, 4.5 mm and 6 mm.
View the 3 mm guardCleaning and replacing guards
Guards last a long time, but only if you look after them a bit. Three habits are enough:
🧹
After every haircut
Tap the guard out and brush the hairs from between the teeth with the cleaning brush.
🫧
Now and then
Wash the guards in lukewarm water with a little soap and let them dry completely. Only the guards, never the clippers themselves.
🔁
Replace
Missing a tooth, bent, or no longer clicking on? Then it cuts unevenly. Time for a new one.
And don't forget your blades: apply two to three drops of oil after every 3 to 4 haircuts, and at least once a month. How to do that step by step is in clipper maintenance: step by step.
Guard set: 4.5 / 6 / 10 / 13 mm
Lost or worn a guard? These four lengths are the basis of almost every short haircut and fit all Revahs clippers.
View the guard setFrequently asked questions
How many mm is a number 1 guard?
A number 1 guard leaves 3 mm of hair. That's the length of a classic buzz cut, where the scalp just shows through.
How many mm is a number 2 guard?
A number 2 is 6 mm. It's the most popular size for the sides of a short haircut, because you no longer see the scalp.
How many mm is a number 3 guard?
A number 3 is 10 mm. It's often used for a short top or a soft, neat side.
How many mm is a ½ or 0.5 guard?
A ½ guard is 1.5 mm. It's widely used for the bottom of a fade and for heavy stubble.
How short do you cut without a guard?
Without a guard you cut to about 0.5 mm, depending on your clippers and the lever setting. On Revahs clippers the shortest lever setting is 0.5 mm.
Is there a 0.5 or 1 mm guard?
A 0.5 mm guard hardly exists: the base of the guard is already so thick that there's barely any room left. You sometimes see 1 mm guards on trimmers, but those are brand-specific. On barber clippers you go below 1.5 mm with the taper lever. On Revahs it goes down to 0.5 mm, and on the Clipper Two and Clipper Two Pro also to 1 mm.
What is the longest guard?
Guard 8, which leaves 25 mm of hair. If you want longer hair, you cut with scissors.
Which guards do you use for a fade?
Usually a combination: no guard or guard ½ at the bottom, 1 and 1½ in the middle and 2 at the top of the transition. On top you use 3 or longer, or scissors.
Do guards fit every pair of clippers?
No. Every brand has its own fitting and blade width. So buy guards that belong with your clippers. Revahs' separate guards fit all Revahs clippers.
What is the difference between a guard and the taper lever?
A guard keeps the blades at a distance from your scalp and so sets the length from about 1.5 mm. The taper lever adjusts the blades themselves and works without a guard in small steps between about 0.5 and 3.5 mm.
What does the barber mean by "a 2 on the sides"?
That the sides are cut with guard 2, so at 6 mm.
