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​I gotta start this post with a confession. 

For the past twenty-one years, I’ve been using a set of nail clippers that came in a manicure set I was given on my sixteenth birthday by my brother’s high school girlfriend. 

They got a little rusty and I kept using them. The edges of the clippers got a little blunt and I kept using them. They were decent quality clippers, but they were not made to move from my teens to my late thirties! 

And about a year ago, the lever separated from the body of the clipper and wouldn’t go back on. She gave up the ghost at last! 

​So I needed a new pair. I checked r/buyitforlife and selected a high quality brand of Japanese clippers. It felt like an ordinary purchase–like re-ordering your mouthwash. 

But you guys…I love these nail clippers. 

This post will review the best Japanese nail clippers (including my own personal favorite) and compare and contrast the different options. 

Why Japanese nail clippers? 

Japanese design prioritizes beautiful, comfortable, usable objects. They value making objects that are pleasurable to use. 

I know that a lot of people are going to say that pleasure is the last thing they think of when they’re clipping their nails. And I get that! I was not looking for a satisfying experience when I bought my clippers–I just wanted ones that were going to last. (And I did get that too!) But using these clippers is like driving a car with a great transmission — it just feels good. 

So, if you’re using a pair of nail clippers that leaves you with ragged edges or that you have to muscle closed — try something new. Good design prioritizes a great experience.

Best Japanese nail clipper options

Green Bell G-1014 nail clippers

Okay, stop me when I start to sound insane, but I LOVE these nail clippers. 

The sharp, stainless steel blades clip effortlessly through nails without requiring much force from you. The lever is comfortably shaped with a natural place for your thumb to land, and the stainless steel clippers will last a long time. 

This clipper comes with a removable nail catcher. I think a removable option is the best of both worlds. I typically use it to cut my toenails so I don’t lose any clippings. But since I cut my fingernails at my desk/nail space, I take the catcher off for those. It does add a bit of bulk and make it slightly less easy to use, so being able to remove it when it’s not serving you is a big plus. 

This model does not have a built-in file for nails, so if that’s a priority for you, you may want to look elsewhere. To me, it was not a priority. 

​For my fellow DIY nail enthusiasts: these clippers are strong enough to cut easily through nail tips​. Their sharpness makes it easy to use them to trim nail stickers to the correct length rather than filing them. I am currently experimenting with nail stickers for a future planned post, and these clippers made for a gorgeous finish (vs filing which ALWAYS leads to wrinkling). 

I had these clippers tucked away in my nail kit for some time, but eventually they landed in the bathroom and once my husband used them, he wanted his own set of these clippers. The correct blogger thing to do here would have been to let him have them and order a different set so that I could compare and contrast them. But…I love these clippers so much that I didn’t want another pair. I wanted these exact clippers. So now we have two identical pairs. 

Green Bell toenail clippers G-1015

These are kind of “sister clippers” to the ones above, though they look different : the Green Bell toenail version. (Before you click the link: yes, they look like a torture device. Go with me.)

If you deal with thick toenails that lead to ingrown nails, these are going to come in clutch for you. The angle of the blade helps you cut your nails the way that you’re supposed to to avoid ingrowns. The reviews suggest that these are a little less sharp, but overall people are very happy with them.

 

Muji nail clippers with file

If you want the same clean cuts in a smaller package, you should check out this Muji stainless steel nail clipper. 

These clippers are smaller, so they are more pocket-friendly, purse-friendly, and car-friendly, if you are an ultra-prepared type of person. 

I love the Muji brand (if you are a pen person or a bullet journal person, you already know their pens!) and I love to visit their stores when I go back to visit my parents in New York. Muji is defined by the elegant, simple, user-friendly Japanese design ethos. This is a very clean, classic clipper shape that you might see in nail salons, and it has a more curved cutting edge than the Green Bell clippers. Depending on your personal shape of nails, that might be better for you. You get the same super-sharp cutting edges either way.

Ultimately, I prefer the Green Bell because of the ergonomic handle. But if a smaller size or access to a built-in nail file is important to you, these Muji clippers might be your perfect match. 

(Something I love from the Amazon reviews: “Very satisfying kerchunk when you trim a nail with these.” Talk about pleasurable design!)

And if you’re lucky enough to live in New York, Boston, or Portland, you can go pick these up in-store!

Suwada Nail Clippers

And if money is no object (love that for you), you can always go for the pricey but indestructible Suwada nail nippers. 

Made of carbon steel, sharp as a razor, and shaped like a pair of pliers, these are the end-all-be-all. The company, Fendrihan USA Inc, is known for an incredibly high-quality product. 

​The reviews of the Suwada clippers are also full of people who prefer them for accessibility reasons — they are professional nail clipper quality but can be used by people who struggle with a classic home nail clipper shape. (Other reviews describe using them on cats, if you want to know the life of luxury that some people’s cats are living.)

No fewer than two reviews on Amazon describe these clippers as “a work of art”. Honestly, I would love to try these but don’t see myself spending this amount of money on them right now. Someday, I hope to review these for this blog! 

Did you click ‘add to cart’? Let me know what you ordered in the comments!