Barbershop Starter Kit: Everything You Need to Open a Barbershop in Australia

Opening a barbershop in Australia means kitting out each chair with cutting tools, a proper station, a stock of consumables, a hygiene setup that passes a council inspection, and enough finishing product to send every client out the door looking sharp. This checklist covers all of it, category by category, with the products we would put on a first order and the ones you can safely leave until the shop is trading. Print the table at the end and tick it off as the boxes arrive.

How to use this checklist

Work through it per chair, not per shop. A two chair shop needs two full station kits plus one set of shared hygiene gear and one retail shelf. Buy the tools you touch every hour at professional quality from day one, because a clipper that overheats or shears that fold hair cost more in redo haircuts than you saved. Everything else can start at the budget end. If you are opening with staff, apply for a trade account (details at the end) before the first order, because it changes the maths on everything you reorder monthly.

1. Cutting tools

This is where the money should go first. Per chair you want one main clipper, one T-blade trimmer, one foil shaver, one pair of cutting shears, one pair of thinners and one shavette for line ups and neck shaves.

Clippers

For a shop that will do fades all day, a cord/cordless clipper with a brushless motor and an adjustable fade blade is the baseline. The BaBylissPRO FX3 clipper runs a two speed brushless motor (6,000 and 7,000 rpm), a titanium carbon-nitride fade blade and around 5 hours of cordless runtime, which is a full shift without reaching for the cord. For back to back bookings, the BaBylissPRO SnapFX clipper uses two swappable batteries so a flat clipper never stops a cut. The clippers collection has Wahl, Andis and more, and our best professional hair clippers in Australia guide compares them.

Trimmers

Your trimmer draws the lines clients photograph, so do not skimp. The BaBylissPRO LoPROFX trimmer has a 6,800 rpm brushless motor, a deep tooth 2.0mm T-blade with 360 degree exposure and up to 4 hours of runtime. The Wahl Peanut is the palm sized rotary motor workhorse that makes a sensible second trimmer. See the trimmers collection for the rest, and our clipper vs trimmer vs shaver guide if you are unsure which machine does what.

Shavers

A foil shaver finishes bald fades and necklines without a blade. The Gamma+ Xcell Vector shaver runs an 11,500 rpm motor, a gold titanium foil and 120 minutes of runtime. One per chair is enough.

Shears and thinning shears

Barbers mostly reach for a 6 to 6.5 inch cutting shear and a single sided thinner. The Kiepe Super Coiffeur 6 inch scissors are made in Italy with convex blades and a detachable finger rest. For blending, the Wahl Italian Series single sided thinner in AISI 420 stainless is a solid match. More sizes are in the shears collection.

Shavette, safety razor and blades

Most Australian shops use a clip type straight razor (a shavette) with disposable blades rather than a traditional straight razor that needs honing. The Parker SRP clip type straight barber razor locks a blade securely for line ups and neck shaves. Keep a box of Derby Professional single edge blades at every station and change the blade for every client. If you plan to offer hot towel shaves, add a Merkur 34C HD safety razor and read our double edge razor blades compared guide.

Budget first: one quality clipper, one quality trimmer, one pair of shears, one shavette and blades per chair. Later: second clipper for a different blade setup, thinners, foil shaver, safety razor for shave services.

2. Station setup

The station is what clients see and sit in for forty minutes, so it carries your brand even though it does not cut hair.

Barber chairs

Buy heavy duty hydraulic chairs with a reclining back and a headrest, because you cannot do a proper shave or neck clean up in a salon chair. The Elite Heavy Duty Barber Chair in black and chrome is built around a reinforced hydraulic pump for busy shops. Compare the barber chairs collection before you commit, and order chairs first because they have the longest lead time of anything on this list.

Station mats and clipper holders

A magnetic mat keeps clippers from rolling off the bench and protects blades when you put them down. The JRL Magnetic Station Mat holds clippers, trimmers and metal tools in place and wipes clean between clients. Pair it with a Wahl clipper holder fixed to the bench for your main machine. The station mat collection has smaller sizes.

Mirrors and barber poles

Each chair needs a handheld mirror for showing the back. The ergonomic foam padded hairdressing mirror is light and survives drops. A rotating barber pole for the shopfront still pulls walk ins better than any sign, but it is a later purchase, so check the barber equipment collection when the fit out is done.

Budget first: chairs, one magnetic mat and one mirror per chair. Later: barber pole, towel warmer, backwash unit if you add wash services.

3. Consumables

These are the items you will reorder every month, so they are where a trade account pays for itself. Stock four to six weeks of each at opening.

• Capes: two per chair so one can be in the wash. The BaBylissPRO Professional Cutting Cape is the workhorse, and the cutting capes collection has colours to match the shop.
• Neck strips: one per client, every client. Start with L3VEL3 neck strips 500 count and a Sanek neck strip dispenser per station. More in the neck strips and dispensers collection.
• Towels: a dozen per chair. The Salon Smart microfibre towels in black (40cm x 73cm, 10 pack) dry fast and hide stains better than white cotton.
• Nitrile gloves: for shaves, colour and clean downs. JRL black nitrile gloves 100 pack is the standard choice; the nitrile gloves collection has colours and sizes.
• Spray bottles: one continuous mist bottle per chair, such as the Black Red continuous mist spray bottle 300ml. The spray bottles collection has trigger and aluminium options.
• Neck dusters: the Scalpmaster wide neck duster is soft enough for kids. Buy two per chair so one can be sanitised while the other is in use.

Budget first: capes, neck strips, towels, one spray bottle and one duster per chair. Later: branded capes, disposable towels for shaves, extra colours.

4. Hygiene

Councils inspect hair and beauty premises, and the first things they look for are a disinfectant jar on each station, a labelled disinfectant with the dilution followed, and a clean down routine between clients. Set this up before opening day.

• Disinfectant jars: one per station for combs and clips. The Iceman acrylic sterilising jar 1200ml is unbreakable and fits a full set of combs. See the sanitising jars collection for glass options.
• Disinfectant concentrate: Barbicide Concentrate 473ml is the blue liquid every inspector recognises. Dilute as per the label, change it daily and keep the bottle visible.
• Clipper spray: Clippercide Disinfectant Spray 425g disinfects, blows hair out of the teeth and leaves a thin film of lubricant so the blade runs cooler. It is the fastest between client clean.
• Clipper oil: a few drops on the blade every two or three cuts. Wahl Clipper Oil 120ml, one bottle per station.

The full range is in the disinfectant and lubricant collection. Our how to disinfect barber tools guide gives the step by step routine, and the clipper cleaning and maintenance guide covers oiling, blade alignment and what to do when a clipper starts pulling.

Budget first: all of it. Hygiene is not a later purchase.

5. Styling and finishing

You need backbar product in every texture clients ask for, plus aftershave and a finishing spray. Buy large sizes for the backbar and keep retail sizes on the shelf.

• Pomade: Reuzel Fiber Pomade gives a matte, pliable hold that suits most textured crops and is water soluble so it washes out of capes and hands.
• Wax: Black Red Aqua Hair Styling Wax Gold Chic 150ml is a Turkish barber staple with a glossy finish for slick backs and side parts.
• Powder: Gabri Professional Sea Salt Styling Powder S7 Ultra Strong adds volume and a matte finish in seconds and is the fastest way to finish a messy quiff.
• Aftershave: a splash of Black Red After Shave Cologne Red Spider 400ml after every line up is the small ritual clients remember.
• Hair spray: L3VEL3 Hair Spray for locking in slick styles and photo ready fades.

Our pomade vs wax vs clay vs powder guide breaks the textures down so you can explain them to clients in one sentence.

Budget first: one pomade, one powder, one aftershave. Later: the full texture range, sea salt sprays, beard oils.

6. Retail products to sell at the counter

Retail is the easiest margin in the shop because the client has just watched you use the product on their own head. Keep the shelf to six to ten lines you actually use, within reach of the counter.

• Reuzel Clay Matte Pomade 113g, the retail size of the matte hold most clients ask for.
• Black Red Hair Styling Stack Wax 150ml trade box, a 48 piece carton with 5 free, the kind of pack that only makes sense once you are selling off the shelf.
• Gabri Professional styling powder (above), a low ticket impulse buy next to the till.
• A small range of beard oil and balm if you do beard trims. Our beard care routine guide is a good one to print and hand out with the product.

Budget first: two or three lines you use on every client. Later: trade boxes, gift sets, seasonal lines.

Printable barbershop starter checklist

Quantities are per chair unless marked shared. Tick the Have column as stock arrives.

FAQ

How many clippers does a barber need per chair?

One good cord/cordless clipper is enough to open. Most barbers add a second within a few months so a flat battery or a dropped machine never stops a cut. A trimmer and a foil shaver complete the set.

Do I need a traditional straight razor or is a shavette enough?

A shavette with disposable blades is the standard in Australian shops because you change the blade for every client and never need to hone or strop. A traditional straight razor is a specialty item for shave focused shops. If you want to offer full shaves, a double edge safety razor is the practical middle ground.

What hygiene setup do councils expect in a barbershop?

Expect to show a disinfectant jar at each station, the concentrate with its dilution instructions, a routine for cleaning clippers between clients, fresh neck strips and clean capes, and hand washing facilities. Requirements vary by state and council, so check your local guidelines before the inspection.

Should I buy budget clippers to start and upgrade later?

No. The clipper and trimmer are the two tools where a cheap purchase costs you twice. Low torque motors stall in thick hair, blades heat up and fades take longer. Save on the mirror and the retail shelf instead.

How much retail stock should a new barbershop carry?

Start with two or three products you use on every client and add lines as clients ask for them. Trade boxes make sense once you know a product sells. Over ordering retail at opening ties up cash you will want for rent and wages in month two.

Can a barbershop get trade pricing on consumables?

Yes. Registered barbershops and salons can apply for a trade account, which is designed for shops reordering capes, neck strips, blades, gloves and disinfectant month after month. Apply before your opening order so the whole fit out goes through at trade terms.

Shop the guide

• Clippers, Trimmers and Shears
• Barber Chairs, Station Mats and Barber Equipment
• Cutting Capes, Neck Strips and Dispensers, Nitrile Gloves and Spray Bottles
• Disinfectant and Lubricant and Sanitising Jars
• Barber Essentials for everything else on the checklist

Opening a shop or adding chairs? Barbershops and salons can apply for a trade account and place the whole fit out order at trade terms.