The Best Baby Nail Clippers to Safely Trim Those Tiny Talons

The Frida brand is known for innovation, and the NailFrida is no exception. The curved, overlapping blades mimic scissors for a faster, quieter, more precise cut (no “snap” that tends to happen with most clippers), and the “spy hole” directly above the clippers is designed to help you see where the blades are clipping since the criss-cross blades can sometimes make it difficult to see exactly what you are doing otherwise.

I have these nail clippers and they gently slice through my baby’s nails and the criss-cross blades allow me to get a close trim without cutting her skin. I can even clip her nails while she is awake (something I can’t do with standard nail clippers) because they don’t have a snap sound and are so gentle while being super efficient. One Babylist parent agrees, saying, “I was so afraid to use clippers on my baby so I started with the file at first. Once I had the courage to use the clippers I saw how easy they were to use. I feel so comfortable trimming his nails now.”

Pros:

• Able to get a close trim
• Quiet

Cons

• Criss-cross blade makes it hard to see the nail
• Better for cutting across versus straight on

These clippers have all the extra add-ons: a built-in magnifying glass that lets parents zoom in on baby fingernails for utmost precision, an LED light that keeps everything visible (especially if you’re trimming baby’s nails in dim lighting while they’re asleep) and the ergonomic handle allows for a tighter grip and better control.

Pros

• Includes magnifying glass and light
• Ergonomic handle

Cons

• Bulky for some

Newborns have softer, thinner nails than older babies so you can use a pair of nail scissors and cut them straight across like you would a piece of paper. With these scissors, there aren’t any sharp edges to file down and no scary clicking noise to worry about. Classic nail scissors, like these from Simba Baby, are designed with evenly sized finger loops so they work great for both lefties and righties.

And don’t worry about accidentally poking your baby or yourself with these scissors; the tips are rounded to prevent injury.

Pros

• Perfect size for newborn nails
• Roomy finger loops for gripping

Cons

• Blades may dull over time

Not looking for any fancy add-ons? These simple clippers get the job done for a great budget-friendly price. And since they come in a pack of two, you can toss one in your diaper bag for any emergency nail trimming on the go. I’ve also used these, and once I gained some nail-clipping confidence, they worked wonderfully. The size of these clippers will work for tiny, thin newborn nails as well as thicker toddler nails because they’re like standard nail clippers, just mini size.

Pros

• Budget-friendly
• Right size for babies and toddlers

Cons

• Bulb handle takes getting used to

While nail scissors typically provide the most secure hold, the finger holes may not be one-size-fits-all. Instead of finger holes, the Easy Grip Nail Scissors from Frida use your whole hand to move the blades, so the grip is more comfortable, fits a wider range of hand sizes and since the blades are slightly longer than the scissors, you can make even more precise cuts.

Pros

• Fits most hand sizes
• Slightly longer blades for precise cutting

Cons

• Difficult to use for clipping toe nails

You can skip clipping your baby’s nails with this electric emery board. The gentle, battery-operated trimmer uses a spinning technique file to smooth down nails, but with less manual labor, and if we’re honest, less stress on your part. It comes with four pad attachments (color-coded by age for 0-12 months), two attachments for adult nails and two-speed settings.

The little LED light illuminates your baby’s nails just enough for you to see what you’re doing and, to make sure you don’t press too firmly, the file head has a pressure-activated stop mechanism. A storage case is included to keep the pieces together, but you’ll need to provide the double-A batteries.

Pros

• No clipping required
• Customizable

Cons

• Takes practice to use
• Requires batteries

Balancing a squirmy baby and a set of nail clippers or an electric file is one task too many some days. This wearable nail file only uses your thumb to operate—just place the plastic base around your thumb (there are openings at the back and top to fit any thumb and nail size) with the file pad facing away and move your thumb across baby’s nails in short, smooth strokes to file sharp edges down.

With two types of files (“soft” for zero to six months and “medium” for six months and up), no harsh snipping and no batteries required, this is a great alternative to other baby nail care options. One thing to note is that the file pad adheres to the base with a sticker so the stickiness may wear down over time.

Pros

• Compact
• Virtually noise-free

Cons

• Emery board can slip off of thumb holder