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- If you don’t mind spending a little extra, an electric razor can give you a close shave, while also helping you perfectly groom your facial hair and more.
- The Braun Series 7 is our top pick because it is powerful, versatile, and effective at removing facial and other body hair.
A few generations ago, when you wanted a really close shave, you’d head to the barber shop, where you’d put your life in the barber’s hands. The barber would hold a straight razor inches from your jugular, and then tell you to relax.
Fat chance.
Fortunately, today you can achieve a close shave at home using electric razors, which remove the possibility of slicing your skin open or worse. Electric razors can’t quite match the closeness of the shave you’d receive from a talented barber, but they’re far more convenient and safe than the straight razor.
An electric razor uses spinning blades or blades that oscillate back and forth to cut the coarse hairs on the face tightly to the skin.
Guards surround the blades on the razor to protect your skin from the moving blades. Most guards also contain slots or holes that catch the hairs and lift them upward, so the blades can clip them more effectively.
The heads on the electric shavers will flex singularly from each other, allowing the razor to match the contours of your face, which helps you achieve a closer shave.
One of the best features of modern electric razors is the ability to use them in wet or dry environments, as well as with shaving gel or foam.
Foil vs. rotary electric razors
The primary choice you’ll have with electric razors is the design you want. Some people prefer a foil-style shaver, while others like a rotary-style shaver.
- Foil: The foil electric shaver contains oscillating blades that move back and forth at high speeds. These blades are covered with guards that lift hair for cutting and that protect the skin. A foil razor will often have a few separate cutting blades that flex independently to match the contours of your face. However, because a foil head has a rectangular shape, it might not match your face as well as a rotary razor.
- Rotary: The rotary razor has round blades that spin. You’ll receive protection from the spinning rotary blades with a slotted guard that sits atop the blades and helps to lift the hairs so they’re easier to cut. The heads flex in multiple directions, giving you a close shave by hugging the contours of your face. However, rotary heads are more difficult to clean after shaving versus the foil shaver.
Here are the best electric razors you can buy:
Updated on 02/12/2019 by Malarie Gokey: Added related shaving gear buying guides and updated prices.
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.
The best electric razor overall
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Why you'll love it: The Braun Series 7 is able to “read” your beard, automatically adjusting its power to give you the closest shave ever.
The Braun Series 7 may just be the most useful item in a man’s bathroom. This electric razor is capable of determining how thick your facial hair is in order to automatically adjust its power, so you’ll be able to get a clean and even shave in just one pass.
This magical power is brought to you courtesy of Braun’s Sonic and AutoSense technology, and when coupled with its eight-directional flexible shaving head, the shaver moves with the contours of your face and neck for a careful, close shave.
Thanks to MicroMotion technology, you’ll be able to move each element of the shaving system independently across delicate or difficult to shave areas like your neck or Adam’s apple. MacroMotion, on the other hand, lets the head of the razor pivot up to 40 degrees, so you can turn your razor any which way as you make your way across your face.
Taken together, these two features mean that you can make quick work of your morning shave, confident that you haven’t missed a spot or left any stubble.
The Braun Series 7 comes with a Clean and Charge Station with cleaning solution, a cleaning brush, and a travel case, which makes maintaining the razor as easy as maintaining your own hygiene.
The Series 7 is also entirely waterproof, so you can even bring it in the shower with you or rinse it off in the sink when you’re done. — Lulu Chang
Pros: Quality construction, waterproof, provides a great, close shave in just one pass
Cons: Some customers have reported a slower shave
The best high-end electric razor
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Why you'll love it: The Braun Series 9290CC offers all of the latest design features found in an electric razor to make it more comfortable to use, while also yielding a close shave.
The Braun Series 9290CC electric foil shaver is an upgrade to both Series 7 and older Series 9 Braun shavers with the latest design features. Although you’ll pay extra for these features, the 9290CC is well worth the extra money.
The cutting head consists of four separate areas. The outer areas cut close to the skin, while the two inner areas lift and cut hairs. That way, you catch hairs that are lying flat and those that are growing in an odd direction.
If you haven’t liked the feel of pivoting heads in electric razors in the past because they didn’t fit the contours of your face well, don't worry about that issue with the 9290CC. Braun included a 10-direction pivoting head that provides all of the flexibility you’ll need.
As one final advantage over its predecessors, the 9290CC has one of the largest heads found on an electric shaver, allowing you to finish shaving a bit more quickly than with other electric razors. This Braun razor will work in wet or dry conditions, and you can use it with shaving foam or gel.
Expert reviewers like this razor, too. Techlicious says the Braun 9290CC is the best electric shaver currently on the market, while Man Tripping likes using the Braun 9290CC as a travel razor, because it ships with many extras, including a case that keeps stray trimmings from flying loosely in your suitcase.
Amazon shoppers give the 9290CC razor great reviews, too. One buyer named JS says the Braun 9290CC is especially good at trimming stubborn and extra-coarse white and gray hairs in your beard, and it also excels at personal grooming in other places. — Kyle Schurman
Pros: Flexible 10-direction pivoting head, offers four different cutting areas for close shaves, excels at trimming stubborn hairs on the face, has a large shaving head to complete the job faster
Cons: Plastic design in the razor body that feels flimsy, carries an extremely high price point
The best rotary electric razor
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Why you'll love it: The Philips Norelco 9700 boasts eight-directional ContourDetect technology and V-Track Precision Blades for a smooth, comfortable shave.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one razor, look no further than the Philips Norelco 9700. Thanks to the ability to add attachments like trimmers and facial brushes, this is one razor that takes care of everything for you, making your morning grooming routine a breeze.
Key to the 9700’s effectiveness is its ContourDectect technology and V-Track Precision Blades, which are able to cut each individual facial hair, while the three-head shaver tracks closely to your face, getting rid of any and all excess hair.
This razor is able to achieve a remarkably clean cut on each individual hair, but won’t leave you with cuts or scrapes. That’s because the three-headed shaver design allows each head to move in eight directions, contouring to your face and catching more hairs in a single pass than other razors on the market.
Moreover, the Philips Norelco 9700’s V-Track Precision Blades carefully cut hairs from two directions, so you’re actually trimming and not pulling hair from your face.
This razor also comes with a SmartClickc precision trimmer so that you can finish off your grooming by never skimping on the details. You’ll have complete control over the blade, and the ability to easily replace it once it wears dull.
There’s also a large digital display that shows the battery level, cleaning indicator, replacement head indicator, and more at a glance. It’s also remarkably ergonomic in your hand, so shaving is actually comfortable on all counts. — Lulu Chang
Pros: Superior shaving experience; easy-to-read display; extremely close and comfortable shave
Cons: Pricey storage case does not store attachments
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