Buying guide for best tweezers
When it comes to buying tweezers, the question is not whether you need them, but rather what you need them for and how many pairs you should buy.
Though tweezers are most commonly used as an eyebrow or facial hair grooming tool to pluck stray hairs, they have many uses beyond that. For example, a pair of sharp tweezers should be in your first aid kit or medicine cabinet for splinter removal.
Applying false eyelashes can be difficult, but using a pair of tweezers to hold the falsies allows you to get as close to the lash line as necessary to apply them precisely. Nail art (or even general crafts) can benefit from having tweezers in your tool kit — they help grip and install tiny embellishments such as rhinestones or sequins.
Tweezers with a pointed slant tip are your best bet if you plan to use them for a variety of tasks because the wide tip is easier to grip with. Pointed tips, on the other hand, are best for removing fine hairs, ingrown hairs and splinters. You may also want to consider a colorful pair of tweezers so they stand out in your drawer or makeup bag.
Our favorite multiuse tweezers are the slanted tweezers by Tweezerman; they come in a pretty rose gold and offer a sharp slant for greater precision.
Best tweezers
Trusted brand Tweezerman is practically synonymous with tweezers and for good reason. These slanted, stainless steel precision tweezers have hand-filed tips crafted at a 25-degree angle to perfectly oppose the brow bone and make plucking stray eyebrow hairs directly from the root as easy and painless as possible. The luxurious rose gold look doesn’t hurt, either. The tweezers can be cleaned with an alcohol wipe, and with good care, can last you for years.
This pick stands out for its budget-friendly price tag, which is even more impressive when measured against its high-quality construction. Not only do the Revlon tweezers come in a variety of chic designs, they earn top marks for their slanted tips, which are precisely angled to grasp tough hairs. The shaft is a bit wider in the middle, making gripping them easier. They’re made from durable stainless steel.
Anastasia Beverly Hills is a high-end brand with a strong reputation for creating top-quality eyebrow products of all kinds, from pencils to these precision, slant-tipped tweezers. They’re calibrated to grab even the smallest, finest hairs, including stubborn chin hairs. They never need to be sharpened, and they come with a protective rubber cap that keeps them safe when you stow them in your makeup bag.
If you’re looking for a pair of sharp-tipped tweezers to fill out your first aid kit and help remove splinters or ticks, consider this pair by Tweezerman. They’re best suited for precision plucking, especially in the case of a tricky splinter. They can also be used for grabbing tiny hairs or for doing delicate crafts involving very small, difficult-to-pick-up objects like rhinestones. The sharp point is useful but requires care to prevent accidental injury.
This convenient set includes two different miniature tweezers made for different scenarios. The slanted-tip tweezers are great for plucking eyebrow hairs or other stray hairs, while the pointed-tip pair is designed for removing splinters or ticks or doing crafts. They’re both made from stainless steel for durability and long-lasting performance. They come in a nifty carrying sleeve, making the three-piece set compact enough for travel.
The standout feature of these slanted-tip tweezers is the comfortable non-slip grip, which makes holding these tweezers easy for large or small hands. The medical-grade stainless steel tweezers are made to be rustproof, durable, easy to clean and long-lasting. They’re hand-filed and aligned to a precise plucking angle to effortlessly pluck hair from the roots with accuracy.
If you find traditional tweezers tough to grip, these scissor-style tweezers might make handling easier. The comfortable scissor-like handle is designed especially for those with weak hands or painful joints to have better control, and it can be used by right- or left-handed people. The precision-crafted slant tip works from any angle, further contributing to the overall simplicity of use.
Nearly any type of tweezers can be used to apply false lashes, but it can be risky to put something with a sharp edge so close to your eye. This pair of tweezers is specifically designed for false eyelash application. The dual-ended lash applicator includes a flat lash tweezer on one end and an eyelash comb on the other. It provides a strong yet delicate grip on your lashes and allows for much easier and less messy application than using your fingers.
Yes, these tweezers are tipped with genuine diamonds. If you’re looking for the sharpest tweezer tip possible with the most precision for splinters or ingrown hairs, these tweezers will certainly do the trick. They're rustproof and made from surgical stainless steel and will never need sharpening. They come with a tip guard so the tip stays in perfect alignment — and so you don’t risk poking yourself while rummaging through your makeup bag.
Types of tweezers
When it comes to choosing the best type of tweezers for your vanity or medicine cabinet, consider the tasks you’re most likely to use them for.
Slant tip
The most common type of tweezers features a slant tip with a slight point. They're designed for grooming the brows, precise hair removal and applying false eyelashes.
Point tip
Point tip tweezers come to a precise point. They're adept at plucking the smallest hairs, creating nail art and extracting splinters or ingrown hairs.
Pointed slant tip
Pointed slant tip tweezers are a combination of slant tip and point tip styles. They're a versatile tweezer option that can be used for plucking your brows, creating nail art, putting on false lashes and extracting splinters.
Round tip
Round tip tweezers are a good choice if you don’t have a particularly steady hand — there’s less risk of accidentally poking yourself with the sharp end. However, they aren't as effective for straight-on tweezing because they tend to grab several hairs at once. Their rounded tips work best for tweezing hairs at an angle.
Flat tip
Flat tip tweezers have a blunt edge, meaning they aren’t very effective at plucking hairs or removing ingrown hairs, though they do work well for applying false lashes.
Arched claw
Arched claw tweezers don’t feature a tapered tip like most other types of tweezers, giving you a little more leverage when you tweeze since you can more easily see the hairs you've caught between the arms. These tweezers work especially well for pale or short hairs.
Tweezer features to consider
Material
Many inexpensive tweezers are made of plastic, which is a lightweight, easy-to-use option. However, plastic tweezers aren’t particularly durable and don’t offer the same precision as metal options. They can also irritate sensitive skin.
Most higher-quality tweezers are made of metal. Stainless steel is a common option: it isn't likely to irritate the skin, isn’t prone to rust and carries an affordable price tag. Hardened steel can also be an effective option since it’s stronger than stainless steel.
Titanium is often a better option than steel if you’re willing to pay a little more. It has all the same benefits of stainless steel but is very lightweight and holds its shape better. It also cuts down on friction, so the tweezers glide over the skin easily, providing more precision and helping the tool last longer.
Size
Most tweezers are roughly the same size, though you can find options that are slightly larger or smaller. For the best performance, tweezers should fit comfortably in your hand so you can easily pinch them closed. There are some styles with longer handles. These are helpful for people who need to access hard-to-reach spots.
Alignment
In order for a pair of tweezers to effectively grip small items like stray hairs or a splinter, the tips must be properly aligned. If the tips don’t line up properly, you won’t be able to grab anything because there will be a gap between the edges. Low-quality tweezers are sometimes misaligned, which renders them almost useless.
Grip
Many tweezers feature a grip to make it easier to hold and control them. The area is usually textured to give you a better hold. If you have difficulty handling tweezers, opt for a pair with this type of grip.
How to care for your tweezers
- Clean your tweezers after each use by wiping them down with a cotton pad dampened with rubbing alcohol.
- Tweezers with a pointed tip must be kept sharp. Some high-end manufacturers offer free sharpening for the lifetime of the tweezers. For this reason, it may be worth investing in a more expensive pair.
- Store your tweezers inside a cup or other container with the tips facing upward to keep them from getting dull.
FAQ
Q. How much should I pay for tweezers?
A. Tweezers range in price based on material and construction, but you can usually expect to pay between $1 and $36 for a pair. Tweezers made of plastic or lower-quality metals like nickel typically cost between $1 and $6. The alignment of budget-priced tweezers may not be as precise as that of more expensive models. Precisely aligned tweezers made of stainless steel typically cost between $6 and $15, and if they’re also made of surgical-grade stainless steel or titanium, they'll cost between $15 and $36.
Q. Can you bring tweezers on a plane?
A. According to TSA, you may bring tweezers both in your checked bag and in your carry-on. As with any sharp objects in your bag, tweezers should be sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors.
Q. What should I look for in a pair of tweezers if I have fine or light hair?
A. Plucking fine or pale-colored hair can be a challenge, so choosing the right tweezers is key. An arched claw style is handy for grabbing hard-to-get hairs, making it very effective for short, fine and light hair. It also helps to choose tweezers in a dark color (like black) — pale hairs will stand out more starkly against a dark shade.
