The good news is that no matter what your budget, skin or hair type, or grooming acumen, there’s an electric razor that will suit your lifestyle. This list of the 15 top electric razors for men is the best place to start. The 2300 does have some good features like being washable and having a rechargeable battery, but as you may have guessed, I don’t recommend this shaver. It’s really just not as good as a standard electric shaver like the OneBlade or OneBlade Pro. After using the Philips Norelco 2300 twice, I’m not at all convinced that it’s worth trying to use again. You can’t use it to trim your beard to different lengths, and it doesn’t do a good job of clean shaving.
I looked for raves and common complaints, particularly about battery life and stubble-y results (both major pain points). Then I reached out to Katie Sobelman, an aesthetician and skincare educator, to tell me more about why someone might want to use an electric razor, what they’re best for and how to select and use the right one for you. 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.
For most people, foil-style electric razors typically provide a closer shave. But if you prefer a rotary-style shaver, we recommend the Philips Norelco Shaver 9300, which includes a cleaning system. Whether you’re shaving your head, your face, or touching up your fade between haircuts, this straightforward yet powerful shaver is one of the most common razors barbers turn to. With 80 minutes of run time in a single charge, this little bullet is just what you need to make sure there is no stubble in sight—ever. For as close as this razor can shave (5-blades close!) you’d think that it could make sensitive skin angry, but somehow it doesn’t. The ultra-sharp blades trim hair as close as any razor/cream combo we’ve tried and the pivoting head ensures you don’t miss a spot – even around hard-to-reach areas like your jawline and neck.
We couldn’t figure out exactly why this break-in period is necessary. The Remington offers generally good performance, but you’ll likely find the shaving experience to be buzzier and potentially more irritating if you don’t maintain a very light touch. Ideally, you want to clean your electric razor after every use to keep the blazes sharp.
Its foiled shaving heads (“Flex Foils”) offer a nicely cushioned shave that navigates the face comfortably and effectively. Cleaning an electric razor is straightforward—no fancy equipment needed. Most shavers are rinsable, and you can easily clean them under water with a quick brush of the foils. Some, like the Braun Series 7 and 9 models we recommend, come with cleaning stations. Generally, replacement cleaning cartridges last about three months and cost a little over $5 each if you buy them in six-packs. You should also follow the manufacturer’s instructions for replacing foils and cutting blocks.
The Braun Series 8 features four synchronized shaving elements that can cut in one stroke what other razors do in two. You get most of the features in the Series 8 as you do the Braun Series 9. The main difference being you receive an extra cutter on the Series 9, making it easier to cut down longer wiry hairs, which would push the Series 9 to better tackling stubble that’s grown out for a couple days. However, with my thick and overly curly beard, I found it very challenging to get a clean shave without multiple passes over the same area. That said, when tested on thin, straight beard hair, it did a very good job, delivering a close shave with much less effort. During testing, the Pro-Foil had no trouble removing hair of any hair type.
The latter made shaving with the Arc3 much more comfortable for me. Electric shavers have been a go-to alternative for removing facial hair for years. They shave faster than a manual razor, offer nick-free performance, and can be used almost anywhere. It’s actually important to do that with these because some can be used wet and dry, and some only dry; some with soap or cream, and some only without. I also took down philips razor the battery life and charge times (to compare them with my experience), cleaning and maintenance instructions, return policy and warranty so that I could see which ones of the bunch were optimal. I’ve been a lifestyle reporter and editor for more than a decade, covering beauty topics like grooming for a number of magazines and websites including Elle, O, The Oprah Magazine, Martha Stewart Living and Allure.
There’s no getting around the fact that this shaver comes with a lot of bells and whistles, chief among them the Philips Norelco GroomTribe app (available for iOS and Android Devices). However, I was surprised to find that its tight integration with the 9500 offered a number of useful features. Philips made and marketed a line of Norelco professional video cameras in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. CBS was a notable customer, using models PC-60, PC-70, PC-72, PCP-90, the LDH series, and later the LDK series. Later marketed using the BTS—Broadcast Television Systems Inc.—brand name in a joint venture with Bosch, the division was subsequently sold to Thomson’s Grass Valley, then to Belden. Easily turn your shaver into a beard styler or a precision trimmer.
I found the LED light on the Finishing Touch Flawless razor to be very convenient and wish this one had one. A USB charger, like the one that comes with the Finishing Touch Flawless razor, is more convenient philips razor because you can just use the block that comes with your iPhone. I found the design of the Panasonic charger—a base that plugs directly into the wall with no cord—to be very user-friendly too.
The 9500 comes with a Quick Clean Pod that makes post-shave cleanup a breeze. Simply place the shaver into the pod and the cleaning solution inside will clean and lubricate the 9500’s blades, ensuring that it’s ready for the next time you need a shave. The Pod’s cleaning solution needs to be replaced on a regular basis, but the 9500’s shaving heads can also be rinsed off under a running faucet. When you shave, you want a close, smooth shave in as little time as possible. Buying a quality electric shaver that’s right for your shaving needs accomplishes this task.