The 4 Best Electric Razors of 2022 | Reviews by Wirecutter

Modern electric razors can deliver impressively close shaves, ... typical growth to be as much as a typical electric shaver can handle well. Weindependentlyrevieweverythingwerecommend.Whenyoubuythroughourlinks,wemayearnacommission.Learnmore›FYIWe’veaddedmoretipsforcleaningandmaintaininganelectricrazor.August26,2022Modernelectricrazorscandeliverimpressivelycloseshaves,buttheycan’tquitematchtheclosenessofmanualrazors.Overmorethansixyearsoftesting,13electricrazortestershavebuzzedandclippedapathtowardwhatwehopedwouldbesilken-jawednirvana—andwe’vefoundthatBraun’sSeries7shaversarethebestelectricrazorsforremovingfacialhair.TheSeries7razorsconsistentlyproduceclose,comfortableshavesandareeasytouseandmaintain.OurpickBraunSeries77071ccThebestelectricrazorformostfacesAllBraunSeries7modelsgiveconsistentlyclose,comfortableshaves.The7071cccomeswiththeaccessorieswethinkmostpeoplewantorneed,includingacleaningsystemandcarryingcase.BuyingOptions$135*fromWalmart$150fromAmazon*Atthetimeofpublishing,thepricewas$134.Braun’sSeries7razorshavebeenaroundinvariousformsformorethanadecade,andtheyhavebuiltareputationforproducingcloseshaves,beingdurable,andprovidingconvenienceandvalue.TheSeries7hasbeenourpicksince2015.It’sstillourfavoriterazor,andithasbecomeanevenbetterchoicebecauseit’ssignificantlylessexpensivethanitusedtobe.The7085ccandthe7020sprovidethesamehigh-qualityshaveasourpick,buttheyeachcomewithdifferentsetsofaccoutrements.Wethinkthenew7071cchasthefeaturesthatmostpeoplewantorneed,butpricestendtofluctuate,andifyoufindoneoftheothersforsignificantlylessyouwon’tbemissingalotbypickingthatmodelup.AdvertisementUpgradepickBraunSeries99370ccSuperiorperformanceforheavygrowthBraun’stop-of-the-lineelectricrazoroffersthebestshave—evenforheavybeards—atahigherprice.BuyingOptions$300fromAmazon$285fromWalmartBraunclaimsthattheSeries9cantacklethreedays’worthofheavybeardgrowth.(We’vegenerallyconsideredtwodays’worthoftypicalgrowthtobeasmuchasatypicalelectricshavercanhandlewell.)Wefoundthatthisrazorwasasgoodasitsmarketing,withanimportantasterisk:TheSeries9setastandardforperformanceandspeedthatmostofourtestersagreedexceededthatofeveryothershaverwetried,butmostpeoplewhoshavetheirfacialhair—whetherthey’refive-o’clock-shadow-by-noontypesorlight-and-wispy-bearded—don’tneedtheperformanceboost.Nearlyeveryonecangetashavethat’sjustasvelvetyfromtheSeries7.BudgetpickRemingtonF5-5800Adequateperformance,affordablepriceAsolidfoilshaver,theF5-5800isdurable,anditperformswellforitslowprice.BuyingOptions$45*fromWalmart$55fromAmazon*Atthetimeofpublishing,thepricewas$47.WebelievetheBraunSeries7isworthitshigherprice,buttheRemingtonF5-5800isasurprisinglycompetentbudgetalternative.Itprovidescrediblestubble-levelingresultsatanaffordableprice.NoneofourtestersthoughtitwasonthelevelofaBraun,andunliketheBraunSeries7and9models,thisRemingtondoesn’tcomewithacleaningsystem—butthenagain,it’susuallylessthanaquarterofthepriceofourtoppick.AlsogreatPhilipsNorelcoShaver9300ThebestrotaryoptionThetop-of-the-linePhilipsNorelcomodelisthebestrotaryshaverwe’veeverused.BuyingOptions$220fromWalmart$287fromAmazonBasedonourresearchandtesting,webelieveafoilshaverproducesabettershaveformostfacialhair.Butifyoupreferarotarystyle,considerPhilipsNorelco’sShaver9300(oranothermodelinthebrand’s9000line).Rotaryshaversoperatedifferentlythanfoilshavers,usingfloatingheadsthatgraspandremovehair,whichsomepeoplefindmorecomfortable.EverythingwerecommendOurpickBraunSeries77071ccThebestelectricrazorformostfacesAllBraunSeries7modelsgiveconsistentlyclose,comfortableshaves.The7071cccomeswiththeaccessorieswethinkmostpeoplewantorneed,includingacleaningsystemandcarryingcase.BuyingOptions$135*fromWalmart$150fromAmazon*Atthetimeofpublishing,thepricewas$134.UpgradepickBraunSeries99370ccSuperiorperformanceforheavygrowthBraun’stop-of-the-lineelectricrazoroffersthebestshave—evenforheavybeards—atahigherprice.BuyingOptions$300fromAmazon$285fromWalmartBudgetpickRemingtonF5-5800Adequateperformance,affordablepriceAsolidfoilshaver,theF5-5800isdurable,anditperformswellforitslowprice.BuyingOptions$45*fromWalmart$55fromAmazon*Atthetimeofpublishing,thepricewas$47.AlsogreatPhilipsNorelcoShaver9300ThebestrotaryoptionThetop-of-the-linePhilipsNorelcomodelisthebestrotaryshaverwe’veeverused.BuyingOptions$220fromWalmart$287fromAmazonWhyyoushouldtrustusWhothisisforHowwepickedandtestedOurpick:BraunSeries7Upgradepick:BraunSeries9Budgetpick:RemingtonF5-5800Alsogreat:PhilipsNorelcoShaver9300Use,care,andmaintenanceOthergoodelectricrazorsThecompetitionFootnotesWhyyoushouldtrustusDanKoeppelisarazorenthusiastandlovesplayingwithbothmanualandelectricrazors.InthetimehehasbeenwritingaboutrazorsforWirecutter—since2015—hehaspersonallytestedmorethan30models:thefulllinesfromBraun,Panasonic,andPhilipsNorelco,aswellasone-offbrandsandusedshavers(don’tdoit!)thathefoundinthedeepest,darkestcornersofeBay.Overtheyears,hehasmonitoredotherreviewsofelectricrazors—especiallytheextensiveadviceinTyler’sElectricShaverGuide—andcommentsonshavingforumssuchasBadger&Blade,Reddit’sr/shaving,andmultiplethreadsonAskMetaFilter.Healsovisitedoneofthelastsurvivingbrick-and-mortarelectricshavershopsinNorthAmerica:Canada’sCentreduRasoirchainstillhasmorethan30outlets,mostlyinQuebec.Inspring2019,hestoppedbytheMontrealbranchandviewedeverymodelofBraunandPhilipsshaveronoffer,sidebyside.StaffwriterJamesAustinhasreviewedeverythingfromboardgamestoumbrellasandhasparticipatedinanumberoftestpanelssincejoiningWirecutterin2015.WhothisisforTwoofthereasonsyoumaypreferusinganelectricrazoronyourfaceinsteadofamanualrazorareconvenience(beingabletoshaveanytime,anywherewithoutwater)andsafety(noriskofnicks).Ifyoufindmanualshavingtooroughonyourskin,tryelectric.Althoughneithermethodisspecificallymoregentle,peoplewhohaveproblemswithonekindofshavingorrazoroftendobetterwhentheyswitch.Thosewithespeciallycoarseorcurlyfacialhaircanbeparticularlypredisposedtoingrownhairsandrazorbumps,andtheless-closeshaveofanelectricrazor,orshaver,canhelp.1Thoughmostmanufacturersinsistthattheirelectricdevicescansmoothyourfaceaswellasatraditionalblade(andthismaybetrueforsomepeople),thephysicalmechanics—howelectricshaversactuallyremoveyourstubble—createaclosenesslimitthatsomeownerswillcertainlynotice.Ifacloseshaveisyourtoppriority,youmayfindthatanelectricrazorsimplycannotcomparetoamanualone.Electricshaversvs.manualrazorsManualrazors(whetheranold-fashioned,single-bladestraightedgeoranain’t-this-ridiculousseven-blademodernnon-marvel)alloperateunderasimpleprinciple:Asharpbladeglidesacrossyourfaceandslicesyourwhiskersclosetotheskin.Multiple-bladesystemsaddatheoreticalsecondaction(razormakerscallthis“hysteresis”)inwhichthefirstbladepullsyourwhiskeroutwardandsubsequentblades—asecond,third,fourth,onwardtoinfinity—cutthatpulledfollicleevencloser.Butnomatterhowmanybladesyourmanualrazorboasts,thefundamentalmechanics—aknife-likeslicing—remainthesame.Thefoilsandcircularheadsofelectricrazorskeepyourskinandthecuttingmechanismfromachievingcontact,makingitimpossibleforthemto“shaveascloseasablade.”Electricshaversworkonatotallydifferentprinciple.Foil-basedsystemsuseoneormorecuttingblocksmountedbeneaththethinmetalhead.Thefoil’sperforationsguidethewhiskersintotheblock,whereapairofopposingbladesslicethemoff.Theactionismorelikewhatyou’dgetfromapairofscissorsthanfromaknife.Rotaryshaversusesimilarperforatedsurfacestoguidewhiskerstowardtheircutters,butinsteadofsnipping,hundredsoftinybladesslicehairswithacircularmotion.Imaginethehorizontalspinningbladeonapowerlawnmower—butwithteeth—andyou’llgettheidea.Thefoilsandcircularheadsofelectricrazorskeepyourskinandthecuttingmechanismfromachievingcontact,makingitimpossibleforthemto“shaveascloseasablade.”Nomatterhowthinthosebarriersare,you’llnevergetthecuttingpartofanelectricshaverasclosetoyourfaceasastandardrazorblade.Onewayshavermakershavetriedtoimprovecloseness,tocompensateforthebarrierlayerbetweenshaveranduser,isbyemployingmechanismsthatlift,cut,andguidefacialhairintothecutter.Inadditiontoincludingmultipleheads,foilshavermakersaddjaggedguideblocksthataredesignedtocapturelonger,tougherhairs;thevariablepatternsareintendedtoactaswhisker-trappinglabyrinths.Rotaryshavermakersusebeardliftersthatarebuiltintothedozensoftiny,spinningblades;they’regenerallyscythe-like,sohairsare(intheory)scoopedupandpulledtautfrombeneaththeskinline,atwhichpointtheycanbecleanlycut.Bothrotaryandfoilshavermanufacturersaddpulsesandvibrationstotheirhigher-endmodels.Thesearedesignedtogetyourwhiskersstandingalittlestraighter,forbettercontactwiththeshaver’scutters.(Inpractice,we’vefoundthatshaverswithhigherpulseratesdotendtosmooththefacealittlemoreefficiently,andtheyreducetheamountofpressureneededtogetacleanshave.)HowwepickedandtestedPhoto:MichaelHessionOnethingthatmakeschoosinganelectricshaverconfusing:Nearlyallmanufacturersoffertheirrazorsinaccessory-andfeature-laden(ornot)“Series”salesschemes.Somecomewithcleaningsystems;somedon’t.Somecanworkintheshowerwithshavingcream;somecan’t.Somehavedigitalreadoutsshowinghowmuchbatteryisleftintheshaverorwhetheritneedstobecleaned;othersoffersimplerLEDdisplays.Here’sthething:Therazorswithinagivenlineallprovidethesameshave.AnyBraunSeries7,regardlessofaccessoriesandfeatures,willshaveyourfacejustascloselyasanyotherSeries7.ThesamegoesforanythinginPanasonic’svariousseriesdesignations,andforPhilipsNorelcoandRemingtonmodels.Butaddingorsubtractingafeatureortwocanshiftthepriceofashaverbyasmuchas$100.Forthatkindofmoney,it’simportanttodecidewhat’sworthittoyou—andwhatisn’t.WeexaminedcustomerreviewsatAmazonandotherretailerstofindthetop-rated,best-sellingelectricrazors.(Thiswasmoredifficultthanitsounds,sincethemultiplelayersofsame-shaver-with-different-accessoriesmodel-numberchaosmeansmultiplelistingsforwhatisessentiallythesamerazor.)Whilewelookedatavarietyoffeatures,wedecidedearlyonthatourjudgmentofthewinningshaverwouldbebasedalmostexclusivelyontheclosenessoftheshave.That’sbecauseultimatelyit’sthemostimportantthing—andbecausenearlyalloftheshavermakersofferversionsoftheirvariousdeviceswithandwithoutbellsandwhistles.Beyondtheclosenessoftheshave,weconsidered:Rinsability:Theeaseofrinsingashaverinthesink—especiallywhenyou’retraveling—isimportant.Alittlewarmwaterandagentlebrushingwillcleanyourrazoraswellasastandardcleaningsystem.Cleaningsystems:Thoughyoucancleanalmostanyshavermanually,acleaningandchargingdockautomatestheprocess.It’sespeciallyconvenienttobeabletoshaveandthenjustpopyourrazorintoadockingstationandhaveitchargedandreadytogothenextmorning.Note,though,thatautomaticcleanersaregenerallyloud(someroar,othersjustwhirr)andbulky,requiringcounterspace,whichmaybeatapremiuminasmallbathroomoranapartment.Althoughyoucanusuallypurchaseacleaningsystemseparately,ifyou’dlikethisfeature,buyingashaverthatcomeswithoneisalmostalwaysmoreeconomical.Ergonomics:Ashavershouldbecomfortabletoholdandshouldeasilymaneuveraroundthecontoursofyourface.Display:Welookedformodelsthatoffer,ataminimum,alightedbatteryindicator.Wefoundmoreelaboratedigitaldisplaysnicebutnotnecessary.Otherextras:Theoften-overlookedcarryingcaseisabigplus.Theheadsandfoilsonelectricshaversaredelicateandneedprotection.Mostshaverscomewithsomekindofcarryingorprotectivedevice.Lower-endshaverstendtocomewithplasticheadguardsthatsnaponfortransport;theywork,butwemanagedtolosealmosteveryoneofthemduringourtesting.Forthefirstiterationofthisguide,weenlistedapanelof12totestadozenelectricrazorseach.Ourphysicallyandethnicallydiversepanelincludedpeoplewithheavybeardswhoshaveddaily,peoplewithlightbeardswhoshavedaslittleasonceortwiceaweek,andpeoplewhohadtight,inward-curlingfacialhair,whichfrequentlyleadstorazorbumps.Weaskedtesterstoevaluateeachrazorforclosenessofshave,speed,andirritation.First,testersusedtherazorsatwhatevertheirstandard“Ineedashave”intervalwas.Wethenaskedforadouble-growthtest—skippingashave—and,asago-for-brokescenario,atriple-growthtest.Wehadthetesterskeepthetop-performingrazorsforextendedperiodstoallowforbreak-intime.Weaskedtesterstoshaveonesideoftheirfacewithonerazorandtheothersidewithanothersothattheycouldperformdirectclosenesscomparisons(compensating,ofcourse,forproblemareas;manypeoplefindthatonesideorportionoftheirfaceistoughertoshavethananother).Inaddition,weweighedeachmodelandmeasuredthenoise(decibellevel)ofeachrazorduringoperation.Wedidn’ttestbatterylife,specifically;allofthemodelswepickedwerecapableofrunningforaboutanhouronafullcharge. Foranupdatetothisguide,JamestestedtherevampedBraunSeries5,6,and7modelsforamonth.Followingthesameproceduresastheoriginalpaneloftesters,hecomparedeachnewBraun’sperformanceagainstthatoftheothersaswellasourbudgetpick.We’verecruitedpeoplewithdiversefacialhairtypesandshavingpreferencestotestourpickslongterm.Ourpick:BraunSeries7Photo:MichaelMurtaughOurpickBraunSeries77071ccThebestelectricrazorformostfacesAllBraunSeries7modelsgiveconsistentlyclose,comfortableshaves.The7071cccomeswiththeaccessorieswethinkmostpeoplewantorneed,includingacleaningsystemandcarryingcase.BuyingOptions$135*fromWalmart$150fromAmazon*Atthetimeofpublishing,thepricewas$134.Foraconsistentlycloseshave,plustheconvenienceofanincludedautomaticcleaningsystematareasonableprice,werecommendtheBraunSeries7.Buildingontheresearchandtestingwe’vedoneforsixyears,we’velookedintonewmodelsfromcompetingbrandsthathavebeenreleased,andwe’reconfidentthattheBraunlineoffoilshaversisthebestavailable.AndtheSeries7offersthebestmixofeffectiveness,features,andaffordabilityoftheline.IfyoulookatthelowerfourBraunseriesofferings—the3,5,6,and7—you’llnoticethattheyusefairlysimilardesignswhenitcomestothefoils.Eachisfundamentallyadouble-foilshaverwithatrimmermechanismlocatedbetweenthefoils.TheSeries9issimilarbuthasanadditionaltrimmerbetweenthefoils.Ifyouobservetherazorwhenyouturniton,you’llseethatthetrimmerhasopeningsthatvibratewhenactivated;theideaisthatthevibrationcapturesthetoughestpartsofabeardwithahigh-speedscissoringaction.2TheBraunSeries7’sfoilssurroundascissor-likecenterbarthatcaptureswhiskersandguidesthemtowardtheireventualdoom.Photo:MichaelMurtaughThemostobviousdifferencethatsetstheSeries7apartfromotherBraunmodelsistheflexibilityoftheshavingblockatthetop.TheSeries5remainsfixed,theSeries6pivotsupanddown,andtheSeries7pivotsupanddownandleftandright,keepingthecuttingblockincontactwithfacialcurvesmoreofthetime.Braun’sspring-loadedfoilsmakeiteasierfortheshavertofollowthecontoursofyourface.Video:MichaelMurtaughTheBraunSeries7’scleaningandchargingsystemistypicalofthoseavailableforourotherpicks.Alargedockingstationholdstheshaver,headdown.Insertingtheshaverandpressingthepowerbuttonstartsaprocessthatincludeschargingandevaluatinghowmuchcleaningtheshaverneeds.Oncethat’sdetermined,thedockingunitimmersestheshaverincleaningfluid—thiscomesinconsumablecartridges,eachofwhichlastsaboutthreemonths—andthencleanstheshaverandconditionstheblades.(Ifyouchoosetocleanmanually,you’llhavetoconditionthebladesyourselfwithapurpose-builtsolutionlikeRemington’sShaverSaver.)You’llneedtoreplacethefoilonyourshavermoreorlessannually,dependingonuse.Series7foilshavetraditionallyrunabout$40.AllBraunshaversincludeatwo-yearwarranty,whichcoverseverythingbutthefoilandcuttingblock.LongtermtestnotesJameshasbeenusingtheSeries7toshaveaportionofhisface(growingapandemicbeardafterinitialtestingdecreasedhisusesomewhat)sincefirsttestingforthisguidein2020.It’sheldupremarkablywelland,asidefromadipafteralittlemorethanayearofusewhichwasremediedbyreplacingthefoil,theshavequalityhasremainedconsistent.FlawsbutnotdealbreakersAlthoughweappreciatethattheSeries7comeswithatrimmerattachment—adevicemeantformaintainingsideburnsorothersmaller,moreprecisehair-cuttingtasks—it’snowaseparatepiecethatiseasytomisplaceandahassletousecomparedwiththebuilt-inattachmentsonourotherpicks.Upgradepick:BraunSeries9Photo:RozetteRagoUpgradepickBraunSeries99370ccSuperiorperformanceforheavygrowthBraun’stop-of-the-lineelectricrazoroffersthebestshave—evenforheavybeards—atahigherprice.BuyingOptions$300fromAmazon$285fromWalmartWhiletheSeries7ispowerfulenoughformostshavingsituations,Braun’sSeries9isthetop-performingshaverwe’vetriedthatwefindworththeadditionalexpense—atleastforcertainsituations.Ifyouhaveparticularlycurlyorcoarsehair,orifyouwishtoshavelessfrequentlybutachievethesamelevelofcloseness,thismaybetheshaverforyou.Atfirstglance,thebiggestdifferencebetweentheSeries9andtheSeries7issize.TheSeries9islonger,hasmoregirth,andismoretop-heavy,allduetoitsquadruple-headedshavingmechanism.Thatfour-wayheadstickstoBraun’straditionaltwo-foildesignbutaddsapairofcuttingmechanisms—a“direct&cut”trimmeranda“hyper-lift&cut”trimmer—thatbettersnagwiry,unrulywhiskers,thecompanyclaims.MostofourtestersagreedthattheSeries9isanamazingshaver.WhenDantrieditonhisthree-daybeard,hefoundthatitworkedbetterthananyelectricshaverhehadeverused—thoughitpaledincomparisontoastandardbladewhenconfrontedwithhisironcurtainofahalf-week’swhiskers.Thatextrapowerandperformancecomeatadollaranddesigncost.Series9razorsarenotablybulkierthanSeries7razors,andsometestersfoundtheSeries9razorstoughtomaneuverintightspots(liketheequallyginormousPanasonicArc5,whichthisBraunlinesomewhatmimics).Braun’sSeries9clean-and-chargebaseusesthesamecartridgesastheSeries7base(andthoseofallotherBraunshavers)andisfunctionallyidentical.Replacementcartridgeslastaboutthreemonthsandcostabout$25forafour-pack.ReplacementfoilsareconsiderablymoreexpensivefortheSeries9;theycurrentlyrunabout$50,comparedwithabout$30to$40fortheSeries7.Budgetpick:RemingtonF5-5800Photo:MichaelHessionBudgetpickRemingtonF5-5800Adequateperformance,affordablepriceAsolidfoilshaver,theF5-5800isdurable,anditperformswellforitslowprice.BuyingOptions$45*fromWalmart$55fromAmazon*Atthetimeofpublishing,thepricewas$47.Amongelectricrazorsunder$50,theRemingtonF5-5800outperformedlower-endBraunandPanasonicmodelsinourtesting.Eachofourtesterssaiditgaveasufficientlycloseshave.TheF5-5800hasthelookofaBrauncloneandusesaprovendual-foilsystemwithacenterlift-and-cuttrimmermatedtoapivotinghead.ButunliketheBraunSeries7foilblock,whichpivotsalongtwoaxes,thisless-expensiveshaverpivotsonlyupanddown.Althoughnocleaningsystemisavailable,youcaneasilyrinsetheshaverunderrunningwater.Thebatterylifeisabout60minutes,abitlessthanwhatBraun’smodeloffers,butthatshouldbemorethanenoughformostpeople,evenwhenyou’retraveling.Remington’scenterbardesignisn’tassophisticatedasBraun’s,butourtestersfoundtheshavertoworkalmostaswell.Photo:MichaelHessionThepop-uptrimmerissimilartoBraun’sdesign,anditworksjustaswellformildsideburngrooming.Photo:MichaelHessionLikeallofourpicks,theF5-5800includesabatteryindicator.Photo:MichaelHessionRemington’scenterbardesignisn’tassophisticatedasBraun’s,butourtestersfoundtheshavertoworkalmostaswell.Photo:MichaelHessionRemington’sreplacementfoilsarearoundhalfthepriceofBraun’sandPanasonic’s(thoughyoumayhavetoreplacethemmoreoften—notbecausethey’reanylessdurable,butbecausetheRemingtoncomesonlywithacheapplasticheadprotectorthat’seasilylost).TheRemingtonoffersgenerallygoodperformance,butyou’lllikelyfindtheshavingexperiencetobebuzzierandpotentiallymoreirritatingifyoudon’tmaintainaverylighttouch.Apivotingshaverheadisespeciallyusefulwhenyou’renavigatingtheangularpartsofyourface,suchasthejawline.Video:MichaelHessionAswiththemoreexpensiveBraunmodels,thisRemingtoncomeswithatwo-yearwarranty.Remingtonrecommendsannualreplacementoftheshaver’scuttingblockandfoil,whicharesoldasacombopackforabout$20.JamesusedtheRemingtonfortwoyears,anditheldupwellduringthatperiod.Ithandleddailyshaveswithoutcomplaintandpoweredthroughmoredaysofgrowthwithouttoomuchissue.Alsogreat:PhilipsNorelcoShaver9300Photo:MichaelHessionAlsogreatPhilipsNorelcoShaver9300ThebestrotaryoptionThetop-of-the-linePhilipsNorelcomodelisthebestrotaryshaverwe’veeverused.BuyingOptions$220fromWalmart$287fromAmazonFormostpeople,foil-styleelectricrazorstypicallyprovideaclosershave.Butifyoupreferarotary-styleshaver,werecommendthePhilipsNorelcoShaver9300,whichincludesacleaningsystem.LiketheBraunmodels,theseshaversaremarketedinseries.Ifyoucan’tfindthe9300,getwhichever9000-seriesmodelischeapest.In2019,wetestedtheS9000Prestige(pictured),whichincludesadigitalbatterymeter—anonessentialupgrade—butunlikethe9300doesn’tcomewithacleaningsystem.Itshavesthesameasthe9300does.Rotaryshavershaveatotallydifferentdesignphilosophythanfoilmodels:Theycaptureandcutyourfacialhairbyspinning,similartothewayacircularsanderworks.Photo:MichaelHessionTheS9000Prestige’sdigitalbatteryindicatorismoreprecisethanthetemperature-gauge-likebaronothermodelswe’veconsidered,butbotharefineinday-to-dayuse.Photo:MichaelHessionTheS9000Prestige’strimmer,mostoftensuitableforsideburns,isaseparateattachmentthat’seasytolose.Photo:MichaelHessionBecauseitstrimmerisseparate,thePhilipsNorelcoshaverisathree-pieceaffairratherthanasingleunitliketheBraunSeries9andRemingtonrazors.Photo:MichaelHessionFortravel,PhilipsNorelcooffersahardcasethat’sconsiderablybulkierthanthosethatcomewiththefoilrazorswetested.Photo:MichaelHessionRotaryshavershaveatotallydifferentdesignphilosophythanfoilmodels:Theycaptureandcutyourfacialhairbyspinning,similartothewayacircularsanderworks.Photo:MichaelHessionThe9300canbeunwieldy.Forstarters,thetrimmerisaseparateattachmentthatrequiresremovingthefloatinghead.Andbecausethetriple-headedshaverisn’tascompactasafoilshaver,itneedsalargercase,whichtakesupmorespaceinluggage.PhilipsNorelcodoesn’tintegratecleaningsystemsacrossitsmodellinelikeBraundoes,andthoughwethinkthebrand’scleaningbasesworkwell,they’realittleunwieldytousecomparedwithBraun’s,andcleaningcartridgereplacementsarehardertocomeby.Becauseoftheirshape,PhilipsNorelcorazorsneedtobeheldinthecleaningbasebyakindofstalk-likesupport,whichmeansanextrastepofinsertingtherazor.You’llhavetodecidewhethertheconvenienceisworthit;maintainingyourshavermanuallywiththeincludedcleaningbrushiscertainlyeasyenough.The9300requiresannualcutterreplacement.Theshaverincludesanindicatortoletyouknowwhenthetimecomes,andthecuttersareusuallyinthe$50to$60range.Rotaryshaverfanssaythatthreeindependentheadshugfacialcontoursbetterthanfoildesigns.Video:MichaelHessionAllPhilipsNorelcoshaverscomewithatwo-yearwarranty.Danhasbeenusingthisrazornear-dailysince2018,anditstillperformswell.Itsshavehasremainedcloseandcomfortableandisstillstrongenoughtomowthroughmultipledaysofgrowthwhenneeded.Use,care,andmaintenanceAnelectricrazorneedsbreak-intime—notfortherazor,butforyourface.Ifyou’reswitchingfromamanualtoanelectric,orevenfromoneelectricstyletoanother,generallyyou’llneedtogiveyourskintwoweekstoadjusttothenewtool.Wecouldn’tfigureoutexactlywhythisbreak-inperiodisnecessary.Isityourface?Yourshavingstyle?Therazoritself?Differentsourcesgivedifferentanswers,rangingfromnew-usererrortotheneedto“train”skinasitadjustsfromhealingthescrapescausedbyamanualrazortodealingwiththepullingandshearingmechanismsofelectrics.Wedidaliteraturesearchandfoundnoindependent,non-industry-supportedresearchonthetopic,thoughjudgingfromourexperience,thebreak-inperiodisreal.Yourfirstelectricshaveswillbepatchyandprobablypainful,andyoushouldn’ttouchthingsupwithamanualrazor(whichdefeatsthepurposeofthebreak-inperiod).Allmajorshavermakersoffera30-to60-daymoney-backguarantee,andwerecommendthatyougiveyournewshavertimetoreachpeakperformance—butifitdoesn’t,don’tbeshyaboutrequestingthatrefund.3Togetthesmoothest,mostcomfortableelectricshave,nomatterwhichshaveryouchoose,youneedtorememberthatelectricscan’teasilygetascloseasablade.Mostelectricshavermakersofferadviceonhowtogettheoptimalshave.Unfortunately,thatadvicesometimesconflicts.Braun,forexample,suggestsshavingfirstthinginthemorning.(“Werecommendthatyoushavebeforeyouwash,sincetheskintendstobeslightlyswollenafterwashing.”)PhilipsNorelcosaystowashbutnotshower(“…otherwiseyourskinwillbehot,puffy…”).Ourtestersuseddifferenttechniques.Danhasdabbledwithelectricrazorsmostofhisadultlife,andhistechniqueisbasedmostlyonsavingtime.Sincehehastwokids,he’salwaysinarushfirstthinginthemorning;whenusingamanualrazor,heshavesintheshower.Butwithanelectricshaver,hewaitstoshaveduringacalmermomentmidmorning.Nomatterwhenyoushave,besuretofollowsomebasic-techniquetips.Men’sHealthUKoffersafairlyextensivetutorial,butthetakeawayis:Golightly.Don’tpressthosecuttingbladesintoyourskin.Instead,gentlypulltheskintautwithonehandandlettherazorglideoveryourfaceinslow,steadystrokes;experimentwithcircularmotionsandstraightstrokes,andgoingwithoragainstthegrain(you’relookingfortheperfectbalanceofclosenessandpost-shavecomfort).Alloftherazorswerecommendhavepivotingheads,somaintainingaproperangleiseasy,butifyou’reusingashaverwithafixedhead(suchasaWahl),makesuretoholdtheheadatarightangletoyourskin.Nearlyeveryshavermanufacturer—inatacitadmissionthatthesedevicesdon’treallyshaveascloseasablade—recommendsthatyousnagyourlongest,toughestfacialhairsfirst,usingtheshaver’sbuilt-intrimmer.Severalofourtesterssaidtheyusedamanualrazortogetthosehairsattheendoftheshave,whichtousfeltkindoflikea“what’sthepoint?”proposition.Onequestionwe’vebeenaskedalotiswhethertouseapre-shave.ThebestknownoftheseisWilliamsLectricShave,analcohol-basedsolutionthathelps“theshaverglidewithlessirritation.”Itusedtoclaim—seethisadvertisementfroma1982issueofField&Stream—thatitmadea“beardstandup.”Howmuchthisactuallyhappensisn’teasytoestablish,andinourgroup,Danwastheonlytesterwhoactuallyusedandlikedapre-shave.Themagicingredientinmostpre-shavesisisopropylmyristate,asyntheticoilcreatedbycompoundingalcoholandafattyacid.Combined,thetwoprovidelubrication(thesubstanceisalsoakeyingredientinLiquidWrench)withoutagreasyfeeling,soclaimsthattheyhelpanelectricrazortoglideareprobablycredible.Ourwritersdon’tregularlyuseLectricShave—forDanitsmellstoomuchlikehisUncleLarry’sbathroom.Hispreferredpre-shave,KyokuforMenElectricPre-ShaveOptimizer,containsthatkeyingredient,whichhesaysdoesmakehisskinfeelsmootherandmoretautforshaving.Otherpre-shavesincludepowders,whichareeffectivebutmessyaccordingtoAmazoncustomerreviews,andthickercreams(suchasinMennen’sAfta),whichtendtogunkuptheshaver,makingittoughertoclean.Youcanuseshaversintheshower,butadryfaceisgenerallyrecommendedtogetthesmoothestelectricshave.Wefoundthatusingshavingcreammadeforafoil-clogging,extra-gooeyexperience.Usingshavingcreamislikelytoincreasetheamountoftimeyouspendshaving,ifyouwanttoreachtheclosenessyou’dgetgoingdry.Cleaninganelectricrazorisstraightforward—nofancyequipmentneeded.Mostshaversarerinsable,andyoucaneasilycleanthemunderwaterwithaquickbrushofthefoils.Some,liketheBraunSeries7and9modelswerecommend,comewithcleaningstations.Generally,replacementcleaningcartridgeslastaboutthreemonthsandcostalittleover$5eachifyoubuytheminsix-packs.Youshouldalsofollowthemanufacturer’sinstructionsforreplacingfoilsandcuttingblocks.Braunrecommendsreplacementevery18months(theblockandfoilcomeasasingleunit,runningabout$30fortheSeries7and$50fortheSeries9);PhilipsNorelcoandRemingtonrecommendannualreplacement.Onewarningforthoseonthego:Thefoilheadsfoundonmostelectricunitsarefragile,andifyoudentorbendone,you’llneedtoreplaceit.Mostshaverscomewithsomekindofcaseorshaving-headprotector.It’sagoodideatousethat.OthergoodelectricrazorsWefirsttestedthePanasonicArc5in2015,thentrieditagainagainstourtoppick,theBraunSeries7,in2021.Thistop-of-the-linePanasonicshaverincludesatotaloffiveblades—aquartetoffoilsandasingleoscillatinglift-and-cutcentertrimmer.WhiletheabundanceoffoilsdidacomparablejobtotheSeries7’swhenmowingthroughstubbleinouroriginaltestingandinourmorerecentcomparison,theymaketheArc5’scuttingblocknoticeablychunkierthanthatoftheSeries7,whichmakesworkingaroundsmallerfacialareas—likeunderthenoseoraroundanexistingbeard—moredifficult.TheArc5isquieterthantheSeries7,butthenoiseitdoesmakeismuchhigherpitched,whichsomemayfindannoying.IfyoufindthatBraunmodelsaren’tworkingforyou,theArc5mightbeabetteroptionforyourskinorhairtype.ThecompetitionTheseriesatthelowerendofBraun’sfoilshavinglinethatwetested—theSeries5andSeries6—eachperformedfineinourtesting,andwithabitmoreworkandtimealleventuallygavethesameshaveastheSeries7.Butneitheroutperformedourbudgetpick.BraunoffersaSeries8shaveratselectretailers,andthatversionsellsforlessthanaSeries7usuallydoes.It’sarebadgedSeries5withalargerbattery.WetriedPhilipsNorelco’slower-endrotarymodelsbutdeterminedthatthebrand’s9000seriesperformedbetter,anditwassocloselypricedthatitwasabetterbuyformostpeople.Inourexperience,the4000-seriesrazordidn’tshavecloselyenoughtobeworththeirbargainprices.However,onememberofourtestpanelhasbeenusinga4000-seriesmodelforyears,andtheystillloveit,evenaftertryingmuchmoreexpensivemodels.Ifthe9300isunavailableoryou’reshoppingforaneven-more-budgetrotary,werecommendoptingforanyPhilipsNorelcomodelratherthanoneofthemanyinexpensive—andface-mangling—three-orfour-headedknockoffspopularonAmazonandeBay.WeinitiallywantedtolookatthelegendaryWahl5Starshaver;themaroon-coloredmodelisbelovedbybarbers,whohavenicknamedit“TheBrick.”Butsinceit’sgenerallysoldviaprobarber-supplysources,weoptedforaclosecousin,thecompany’sCustomShave,whichisnolongeravailable.TheCustomShaveisaboutasgeneric-lookinganelectricshaverasyoucanfind—ataperedhunkofblackplasticwithanon-floatingheadandanon/offswitch.Itcomeswithatrioofinterchangeablefoils:oneforstandardcloseness,oneforsensitiveskin,andanotherfor“ultracloseness.”Thefoilsarevisiblydifferent—smallerholesmeanaless-aggressiveshave.Ownersshould“neverbeginwiththeultrahead,”WahlspokespersonStevenYdewarns.“Itwilleatyoualive.”AcoupleofourtestersreallylikedthebasiclookandfeeloftheWahlandfoundthattheshavercutpowerfullyandsmoothly.Thatsaid,youcan’tcleantheWahlshaversunderwater(youuseabrush),andtheydon’thaveaterriblygoodreputationforlongevity,accordingtoAmazoncustomerreviews.Unlikeourpicks,thelightweightAndis17150ProFoilLithiumTitaniumFoilShaverisnotwaterproof,anditiswarrantiedforonlyoneyear(whereasallofourpicksarecoveredfortwo).We’vealsotriedafewoddballelectricrazors.TheseincludeHitachi’swell-regarded-but-not-available-in-the-USS-BladeRM160,ashaverthatfeaturesauniquecuttingtechnologythat’sasortoffoil-rotaryhybrid:Arotatingbladesitsunderneathafoilhead;thecutterspinslikeanold-fashionedpushlawnmower,ratherthanlyingflat,asthecar-wax-buffer-likediscsonPhilipsrotariesdo.Wealsotestedthesub-$10AokaiT01andthesub-$10KemeiClassicalMultifunctionModel5600.Thesecheapiesshowedusthattechnologyandcraftsmanshipdomatterandthatthere’salimittohowlowinpriceashavershouldgo.Bothofthesemodelsdipsignificantlybeneaththatwaterline,thoughtheKemeigetsafewgoofballstylepointsbecauseit1)hasafake,stitched-leatherfinish;2)lookslikeanoversizecigarettelighter;and3)hasabuilt-inmirror.(Weespeciallylovedthebuilt-inmirror—whatagreatidea,wethought,except,ofcourse,thatyoucan’tactuallylookintoitwhileyou’reshaving.)Finally,simplyforstyle—they’regorgeous—weboughtacoupleofvintageshaversoneBay:anoriginalSchickfromthe1930s,aswellasRonsonandRemingtonmodelsfromthe1960s.Aslovelyasthesevintageshaversare,electricshaversrequireregularmaintenance,sobuyingausedoneisgenerallyadeadendbecausereplacementpartssimplyaren’tavailable.FootnotesAboutyourguidesDanKoeppelDanKoeppelisaseniorstaffwriteratWirecutter.Hespecializesindeepdivesontopicsrangingfromtreadmillstorazors.HisbooksincludeBanana:TheFateoftheFruitthatChangedtheWorld,andhereceivedaJamesBeardAwardforhiswritingonbananas.HeisalsoascreenwriterwhosecreditsincludeStarTrek:TheNextGeneration.JamesAustinJamesAustinisanassociatestaffwritercurrentlycoveringgamesandhobbies,buthe’salsoworkedonjustabouteverythingWirecuttercovers—fromboardgamestoumbrellas—andafterbeinghereforafewyearshehasgainedapproximateknowledgeofmanythings.Inhisfreetimeheenjoystakingphotos,runningD&D,andvolunteeringforayouthroboticscompetition.FurtherreadingHowtoCleanElectricRazors,Trimmers,andClippersbyJamesAustinAcoupledropsofoiloraquicksprayofcleanercankeepyourrazoringreatshapeandensureacomfortableshave.WeTriedtheGilletteHeatedRazor.It’sNotSoHot.byDanKoeppelAnew,high-endmanualrazorismeanttoduplicatetheoldschool,hot-towel-shaveexperience.TheBestMen’sRazors(forAnyFace)byDanKoeppelandJustinRedmanGillette’stried-and-trueMach3razorremainsourfavoriteforeverydayshaving,becauseitprovidestheperfectbalanceofcomfort,closeness,anddurability—andallatafairprice.TheBestElectricScooterbyNickGuyIfyou’relookingforwaystoavoidthebusorsubway,werecommendSegwayNinebot’sKickScooterMaxG30LP,whichisgreatforshortcommutesaswellaserrands.EditDismiss