The Best Nail Clippers for Older Adults of 2025

Not all nail clippers are created equal, particularly when it comes to the quality of their blades and their capacity to cut nails cleanly and comfortably. To find clippers worthy of inclusion in this guide, we first incorporated the testing parameters we use when evaluating traditional nail clippers:

• Sharp, curved blades: Dull blades and straight cutting surfaces can make nail clipping more difficult and less comfortable.
• Controlled and precise clippers: The best models afford a clean cut that doesn’t send nail clippings all over the room.
• Optional nail file and nail catcher attachments: They’re nice to have (when they work) but not necessary.

We sifted through hundreds of nail grooming tools marketed as, for example, “adaptive,” “universal,” “ergonomic,” for people with “poor hand control,” or “senior-friendly.” These models included: nail scissors, nail nippers, automatic electric clippers, lever-style clippers with adaptive grips and cutting positions (like our picks from Harac and EZ Grip), lever-style clippers with super-long handles for toenail clipping, and electric nail files (like our pick, the Seamind Cordless Electric Nail File Kit). These types of nail-care tools typically have a unique feature, such as a wider handle, rotating blades, electronic components, or attachments to help navigate hard-to-reach angles.

We focused mostly on lever-style clippers and generally avoided nippers, as those tend to have more of a learning curve (and, in our experience, little return on investment when compared with our picks).

Even though electric nail files are not marketed as adaptive, we included them in our test panel on a hunch that they might be a safe and easy-to-use alternative to nail clippers; we were pleasantly surprised when they proved effective as an alternative for both fingernail and toenail trimming.

After narrowing the testing pool down to 10 models that offered various safety, security, accessibility, stability, and other universal design elements, we engaged 12 testers of different ages and abilities to test the adaptive clippers in their own lives over the course of several weeks. Our panelists ranged in age from their late twenties to an octogenarian, and many had limited dexterity in their hands due to conditions like arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, or lupus. A few of the testers also typically have caregivers trim their nails for them (in those cases, the caregivers also provided feedback). I also clipped my own nails with each of the options myself.