The Wahl 5-Star Vapor Switch Cord/Cordless Clipper is the clipper from Wahl Professional with two speeds on one switch: its HyperShift™ 2-speed brushless motor runs at 7000 or 9000 RPM. It pairs the F32 DRIFT™ BLADE, zero-gap adjustable, with the RAPID SWITCH TAPER LEVER and runs up to 3.5 hours at 7000 RPM on its Li-ion battery.

In the box

• The clipper
• 7 premium cutting guides: 1.5 mm · 3.0 mm · 4.5 mm · 6.0 mm · 10.0 mm · 13.0 mm · 16.0 mm. In inches: 1/16 · 1/8 · 3/16 · 1/4 · 3/8 · 1/2 · 5/8.
• Flat top comb
• Single Power Station (charging stand)
• Transformer
• USB-C cable (no USB power adapter included)
• Blade oil
• Cleaning brush
• Instruction booklet
• Blade guard

Why the Vapor Switch

A cut in the chair runs in a fixed order: clipper, trimmer, foil shaver. The Vapor Switch is the clipper in that order, for the fade: WAHL designed it for seamless balding and fading and for close fading techniques. What it adds is a second speed.

Key features

• Two speeds, each with its own light: blue at 7000 RPM, purple at 9000 RPM.
• RAPID SWITCH TAPER LEVER: five click positions or free-flow. Lift and switch, no tools needed.
• F32 DRIFT™ BLADE with black PVD chrome and DLC coatings and oil grooves. WAHL says the grooves help reduce friction for cooler operation and smoother cuts.
• Adaptive Speed Control™: WAHL says the motor adjusts to different hair types.
• 100-240 V~50/60 Hz input

What to expect in the hand

It weighs 288 g / 10.1 oz, almost the same as the Wahl Vapor (280 g). We found it balanced in the hand, with low noise and little vibration. The light on the housing shows which speed is on. When the battery runs low, keep cutting on the cable. Between clients it sits on its Single Power Station, and the USB-C cable in the box is a second way to charge it.

Who it is for

• Barbers cutting bald and skin fades who want two speeds on one clipper.
• Barbers who set their own blade to zero-gap and open it with the taper lever through the fade.
• Shops that charge on a stand between clients and want a USB-C cable as a backup.

Who it is not for

• Outlines, line-ups and beard detail - that is a trimmer's job: the Wahl Hi-Viz Trimmer
• A skin-smooth head shave - that is a foil shaver's job: the Wahl Vanish Shaver

Professional tip

Choose the speed for the job rather than running flat out; the light tells you at a glance which of the two is on. Set the bald band with the blade closed down, then open it in small steps with the taper lever as you work up, flicking out at the end of each stroke. Opening it in one big jump instead of small steps is what leaves a hard line in the fade.

How to use

1. Before the first client, brush the blade clean and oil it. If you set the blade to zero-gap, do it with the clipper off.
2. Still with it off, check that the moving blade sits behind the edge of the fixed blade before it touches skin.
3. Take the length down with one of the seven guides.
4. Switch off, brush the hair out of the blade and stand the clipper back on its Single Power Station.

Care and maintenance

After each client, switch off, brush the hair out of the blade with a soft, dry brush and wipe the housing with a dry cloth. At the end of the day, and whenever the blade starts to drag, put a few drops of clipper oil across the teeth. Run the clipper for a few seconds and wipe off the excess. The Wahl Special Blade Oil 200ml is the bottle for the station; the Wahl Oil Tube 10ml is the tube for your case.

Manufacturer: Wahl Clipper (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., Zhongxing East Road #28-30, Xikou Town, Fenghua, Zhejiang Province, China.

EU responsible person: Wahl GmbH, Villinger Straße 4, 78112 St. Georgen, Germany, +49 7725 49400, info@wahlgmbh.com.

Frequently asked questions