What’s the Best Electric Shaver?
You’re a man on the go. You care about your style. You always look well-groomed, but all that shaving cream, hot-towel nonsense just doesn't work with your schedule. You want to flip a switch and subdue your stubble, grab your brief case and get out the door. Obviously, for the jet-setting man, electric is the way to go. However, finding the best electric shaver can be tough, so we've put together this resource – a one-stop-shop, all-inclusive guide to help you find the electric razor that fits your face. (P.S. This guide is for electric shavers, not trimmers). dollar shave club
Ultimate Electric Shaver Guide
Picture Name of Shaver
Types of Electric Razors
Electric razors come in two varieties: foil and rotary. We’re not going to get into the debate about which is better; they both clearly work, and it really boils down to personal preference. This is an example of a foil razor. It has 2-3 long, straight foils that cover cutting blades. When the razor is on, hair enters through holes in the foil, and the blades move back and forth to cut the hair.
This is an example of a rotary razor. This type of razor usually has 3-4 floating, round heads. Remember when you were a kid, and your mom told you not to stick your finger in the fan? Well, the same principle is at work here. Under each head, a blade spins around in a circle, cutting the hair. This is pretty much like shaving your face with three miniature lawnmowers.
Advantages of Using an Electric Shaver
- You’re busy. There’s no two ways about it: electric shavers are just a lot faster than traditional wet shaving. Wet shaving, of course, gives you a much closer shave, but if you don’t mind having a baby-butt smooth mug, and you don’t want to spend a lot of time shaving, electric can definitely save you a few minutes.
- You’re lazy. It’s also easier. You just grab it, turn it on, rub it around on your face, and bam – you’re done. If shaving feels more like a chore to you than an art, you might be a good candidate for the electric shaving team. Quick pro tip for the super lazy: you should also think about investing in a good nose hair trimmer.
- But you still care about quality. Investing in a quality electric razor will give you good, consistent shaves. It gets the job done, and can give you the look you’re going for without sacrificing much quality. Really, the only differences between an electric shave and a straight or safety razor is closeness and the experience. If these things aren’t the highest on your priority list, then electric is the way to go.
- You don’t like a lot of maintenance. If, for example, you choose to shave with a straight razor, you’ll probably have to replace the blade every three or four shaves. You’ll still have to perform a little bit of maintenance with an electric shaver – just not nearly as much. Most manufacturers recommend you replace the blades every 12 months. So, you can get a lot of shaves under your belt before having to put new blades in.
Reviews of the 5 Best Electric Shavers
The Braun Series 7 is one of the best shavers on the market. Most forums agree. We personally think it’s the best, all things considered. Most importantly, this razor gives you an excellent shave. Braun likes to brag about its patented “pulsonic” technology, which basically means the bladesvibrate really, really fast – up to 10,000 strokes a minute, in fact. This translates to a super smooth shave with very little (if any) tugging and pulling. I mean, think about it: if you’re swinging a sword, the faster you can whip it around, the easier it’s going to cut through stuff. Same concept.
Additionally, it’s 100% waterproof and has a nifty LCD display. That doesn’t affect the performance, of course, but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t make you feel a little like a fighter jet pilot – or Tom Cruise in Minority Report. It’s just one of the cool bells and whistles on this thing. It also comes with a really great cleaning system, which accounts for a lot of the cost. At around $200, the price isn’t anything to sneeze at, but this is a very well-engineered razor, and it should last you a long time.
The Philips Norelco 1280X 3D is one of the best rotary razors out there. It’s another expensive one, but again, it’s very well-engineered and would be a great investment for anyone who doesn’t want to buy a $40 razor every year or two (believe me, I’ve been there).
So what’s so special about this bad boy? First of all, like many high-end razors, you’ll get a charging base and cleaning station. Unlike other razors, the cleaning station is one of the better features of this razor. It’s a super efficient combination cleaning-charging station that really gets the job done and significantly cuts down on maintenance.
The design of this razor is great as well. Ergonomically speaking, it’s really well-conceived. It basically feels like a joystick. Or a throttle. Or a phaser. Nice. The defining feature of this razor, however, is the “GyroFlex” 3D head. Not only does the whole head pivot, but each rotary blade pivots as well, so it conforms to your face super well, which makes for a very close, very comfortable shave.
The Panasonic ES-LF51 is a 4-blade foil razor that shaves wet or dry. The four different blades don’t make a ton of difference, but we did notice they yielded a bit closer of a shave on the first pass than some other razors. The head is adjustable as well, which is great for shaving your neck and jaw line. The razors oscillate at 14,000 strokes per minute – even faster than the Braun Series 7, so you can expect a smooth shave. Unlike some of the other razors on this list, you get a travel pouch and AC adapter, so it’s easy to take with you.
You may be asking yourself what this razor is doing on the list. It’s clearly outclassed by most of the other top 5. So why did we list it? Price. It can be surprisingly difficult to find a decent razor that won’t totally break the bank. The Philips Norelco PT730gets the job done for around $50. It’s one of the best razors at this price point, and it’s a good entry-level razor if you want to test the waters before upgrading to something a little more sophisticated.
The SensoTouch 2D is a slightly less expensive, slightly less sophisticated version of the 3D. This razor is a bit bulkier and a lot less sleek. You don’t get the same futuristic feel from the 2D’s design.
So what’s makes this 2D? Basically, the head flexes in two directions. The neck pivots 360 degrees, and the three rotary blades all flex toward the center, a bit like a catcher’s mit. The blades on the 3D, of course, can all flex outwards as well as inwards. The only other real difference between the two razors is that the 3D is a bit better at shaving long, flat-lying hairs. However, they are both great a shaving stubble, and the 2D is about $100 less.
