Press the small button located right below the shaving unit to pop it open. But overall, even if the performance was just mediocre, I would rather have this trimmer than not get one at all. Precisely, I had to make sure that the direction of the stroke was always against the direction of hair growth and it did get a bit fiddly Remington Shaver and time-consuming. As mentioned previously, I would highly recommend using it with a good pre-shave lotion like Tabac or Speick. Most users should notice an improvement in the comfort of the shave. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case with the Philips Norelco 2300 and the comfort was more than adequate for most of the time.
The other two variations available in the USA are the Philips Norelco Shaver 2500 (S1311/82) (1-hour charging time) and the Philips Norelco Shaver 2100 (S1111/81) . Cheaper and extremely similar performance-wise to the new Series 3000, it looks like a very appealing option for the budget-conscious buyer. Unlike our picks, the lightweight Andis ProFoil Lithium Titanium Foil Shaver is not waterproof, and it is warrantied for only one year . The pop-up trimmer is similar to Braun’s design, and it works just as well for mild sideburn grooming. Remington’s center bar design isn’t as sophisticated as Braun’s, but our testers found the shaver to work almost as well. James has been using the Series 7 to shave a portion of his face since first testing for this guide in 2020.
The coating also serves as a notice for when you need to replace it. The brand says every four months, but the coating also wears away when it’s time to switch. I independently buy and test electric shavers and I’ve been sharing my findings on this site for almost 10 years, hopefully helping others choose a suitable shaver.
In or out of the shower, the F6 Style Series Aqua is a great rechargeable shaver, with the feel and features of more premium shavers at a thoroughly affordable price. Its two independent flexing foils and intercept trimmer give you a close shave for the money, with the head pivoting to follow the contours of your face and tackle difficult spots around the chin. Build quality is solid, bar a slightly flimsy pop-up trimmer, and the non-slip grip is great if you’re using it wet. If you’re someone who’s constantly fighting those pesky neck hairs, then this powerful new shaver brings AI into your bathroom and harnesses it to deliver an epic close shave.
Especially given that the trend is to shave less nowadays, I now recommend the Braun Series 9 foil shaver over Philips’ almost equally impressive efforts. If you’re a two to three shaves per week guy you will probably prefer this too, as it is slightly better on longer stubble patches. That’s thanks to the titanium tipped blades that give it its ‘gold-painted’ appearance.
Combined, the two provide lubrication without a greasy feeling, so claims that they help an electric razor to glide are probably credible. This razor was decently comfortable and provided a pretty close shave, just not as good as the SkinGuard. We did enjoy its precision blade, but we still wouldn’t recommend it over our winner. If you maintain a 30-degree angle and let the weight of the blade do its thing, shaving with a safety razor is a breeze. The Bevel has a long, straight handle that was quite comfortable to hold, which eased our nerves when running it across our face.
As for negatives, my only real issue was in the form of some post-shave itching/rash on the neck. The battery level indicator is really rudimentary and consists of a simple LED light that surrounds the power button. It would have been nice to get a cleaning brush or a basic travel pouch. Overall, the build quality and ergonomics are really good for this price point and the only real negative is the absence of a travel lock. The power button is pretty clicky and large enough, but unfortunately it doesn’t work as a travel lock as well . Luckily the shaver is very lightweight and you probably won’t have any serious issues during use.
Among electric razors under $50, the Remington F outperformed lower-end Braun and Panasonic models in our testing. Foil-based systems use one or more cutting blocks mounted beneath the thin metal head. The foil’s perforations guide the whiskers into the block, where a pair of opposing blades slice them off. The action is more like what you’d get from a pair of scissors than from a knife. Rotary shavers use similar perforated surfaces to guide whiskers toward their cutters, but instead of snipping, hundreds of tiny blades slice hairs with a circular motion.
These are designed for occasional use only and using them often could cost you a fortune in batteries. The battery takes an hour to charge for over an hour’s shaving, though there is a five-minute rush charge if you need it, and you can use it wet or dry and rinse it under the tap when you’re done. Philips also sells this model with an optional cleaning pod, which does a fantastic job of cleaning and lubricating the head. You simply insert the supplied blue goo cartridge, stick your shaver in upside down and turn it on.
Their prices go up and down like rollercoasters, and you will frequently find that the most high-end razors somehow cost less than the more bog-standard ones. For instance, normally I would say the Series 9000 Prestige – the absolute crème de la crème of male shaving – is overpriced. But in today’s deals, it might suddenly be the same price as a Braun Series 9, or even less. It’s tempting to think that the Braun Series 5 Series 9000 Prestige is all about the gimmicks. Philips’ most expensive high-end shaver ships with a fancy, glowing, wireless QI charger, a carry case and a clever click-in trimmer which does a great job of sorting out your sideburns. It sports a futuristic design, complete with a digital battery indicator, and takes around three hours to charge wirelessly, after which it will shave for around 60 minutes.