Electric Shavers for a Close, Smooth Shave
Shaving the old-fashioned way, whether with a straight razor or with replaceable razor blades, is both time-consuming and labor-intensive. You have to lather up, wait for the lather to soften up your whiskers, and only then can you start shaving. Even if you’re adept at it, you run the risk of irritating your skin, as well as all sorts of nicks and cuts. An electric shaver can achieve comparable results and save you both in terms of time and effort.
We’ll examine some features of today’s electric shavers, both the foil type and the rotary type. Many nowadays are battery-powered, letting you shave anywhere that it’s convenient. And they can also be water-resistant, allowing you to shave while in the shower, or to rinse out the shaving heads when you’re finished. You’ll enjoy a quick but close shave, with near-professional results!
(This article will treat electric shavers for men. If you’re interested in electric shavers for women, there’s a Best Reviews Guide page for that as well!)
FAQ
What kinds of electric shavers are there?
There are many different types of electric shavers on the market. Some of the most popular include rotary shavers and foil shavers.
Types of Electric Shavers
We can classify electric shavers into two main categories:
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Foil shavers: These have a series of blades that oscillate underneath a shaver foil mesh. The hairs of your beard enter into the holes in this mesh, and the oscillating blades cut the hair. These shavers are ideal for shaving in straight lines, on relatively flat surfaces. An example is the Remington Foil Shaver (Model No. F5-5800).
Remington Foil Shaver (Model No. F5-5800)
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Rotary shavers: A drawback of a foil shaver is that it shaves only in one direction. But there are rotary shavers that overcome that. These have several circular shaving heads, each inclined at an angle. This design allows for a closer shave on the parts of your body that are curved. For this reason, rotary shavers are popular among people who shave their heads. An example is the Philips Norelco Shaver 9000 Prestige. The three shaving heads on the device have a protective coating, so as not to irritate your skin.
Philips Norelco Shaver 9000 Prestige
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Flexible head shaver: Some manufacturers have designed their foil shavers so as to recreate the maneuverability of a rotary shaver. The Braun Series 7 360-Flex Head Electric Razor has a shaving head that is separate from the shaver’s main body. This allows the head to tilt in different directions, to adjust to the contours of your face for a more close shave.
Braun Series 7 360-Flex Head Electric Razor
What reviewers say
Here are some of the impressions of customers regarding their choice of electric shaver:
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Autosense technology: The Braun electric shavers advertise having “AutoSense” technology, which allows the head to adjust its power to the thickness of the hair that you’re trying to cut.
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Look at the number of cutting cycles: One customer who compared a Panasonic electric shaver versus a Braun model noticed that the Panasonic’s motor oscillated at a rate of 14,000 cycles per minute, as opposed to the Braun’s 10,000 cycles per minute. There was a direct correlation between the faster speed and getting a closer shave out of the Panasonic. So this is another spec to look at.
Important Features
Here are some tips and features of electric shavers that may help you make a decision when shopping:
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Trimmer: You’ll probably want an electric shaver that also has a trimmer attachment. That will let you trim your mustache or sideburns, to cut them to a specific length. Also, if your facial hair is too long to use the main shaving heads, the trimmer will allow you to shorten it before shaving close to your skin.
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Wet and Dry Shaver: Shaving cream is designed to soften and lubricate your hair, as well as protect your skin. So, it’s both to avoid skin irritation from shaving, as well as achieving a better shave. Although shaving cream is practically a must when using a manual razor, some electric shavers will allow you to apply shaving cream before using the shaver. An example is the Braun Waterproof Foil Shaver. Not only can you use shaving cream or gel. You can rinse the shaver in water. And it can even be submerged in up to 5 meters of water!
Braun Waterproof Foil Shaver
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Type of foil on the shaving head: There are foil meshes on some shavers that are intended to cause less skin irritation. The foil on the Andis Pro Foil Shaver uses a gold-titanium foil which is hypoallergenic, so as not to irritate your skin.
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Rechargeable: Most of the electric shavers that we reviewed in the Best Reviews Guide list use a rechargeable battery. Once you charge them up, you can get as much as 50 minutes of use out of them. That’s the longevity of the Braun Series 7 Electric Razor that we studied above. It can charge up sufficiently in 5 minutes for a complete shave. It also has an LED display to indicate when it needs to be charged up again. There also are electric shavers that can use a detachable power cord as well as a rechargeable battery. That gives you both advantages: Attach the plug to the unit to recharge it, or if you see that the battery power is low. Once it’s recharged, you can use it as a cordless shaver. That’s the good thing about the Panasonic Arc5 Electric Razor. It also displays the battery power, both in terms of percent as well as with a visual indicator.
Panasonic Arc5 Electric Razor
Final Verdict
We studied some of the features of the best electric shavers on the market. Whether it’s for shaving your beard, or trimming your sideburns or mustache, the Best Reviews Guide list should have a model that suits both your needs and the desired price range.
