The electric shaver has gained popularity in recent years, with numerous options to choose from, each with its own special features and functions. This can make it challenging to determine the best choice.
In the same way, each of us is also different from the other, in the type of beard, skin, and shaving habits and it, therefore, becomes essential to choose a razor that is suitable for our needs and characteristics.
In this guide, we show you which are the best electric razors, how to choose the one that best suits your needs, and which elements to consider when choosing.
Electric Razor Buying Guide
Why Use an Electric Razor: Advantages and Disadvantages
Each shaving method has its advantages and disadvantages, now let’s see which ones are typical of electric razors.
Advantages:
- Faster: for most people, it takes only 5 minutes of use, compared to the 10/15 minutes needed with the disposable blade due to the preparation times – think about the application of soap or foam
- Cheaper: it is true that to have a good quality electric razor you need to spend at least a hundred euros, but on balance it is still more advantageous than buying razor blades or recharges for a whole year
- There is no need to use the foam: although the latest models can be used in both Wet and Dry – that is with and without foam – unless you have skin that tends to become irritated there is no need to use these products, saving in this case too time and money.
- Fewer cuts: since the blade is never in direct contact with the skin, irritations, and cuts are virtually absent.
- They can finish: electric razors are often equipped with small precision trimmers that can help you draw better lines on the contours, on the mustache and also on the sideburns.
- They are more ecological: compared to disposable razors that contribute to the problem of pollution.
Disadvantages:
- They do not shave close to the skin: as said before, the blade never goes close to the surface as much as a more traditional razor, even if in the top of the range better results are achieved, thanks to the years of research behind their production.
- Initial expenditure: significantly higher even if it is quickly amortized over time, as we have seen above
- Transition time: the skin must get used to it as well as the way we shave to have satisfactory results. This can be a little daunting at first and make us believe we have not purchased the right product.
Types of An Electric Razors
There are mainly two types of electric razors, each of which is more or less suitable for the person depending on the type of skin and beard and also affects other factors such as the shape of the product itself and the way it is used. Let’s see what the differences are.
Electric Shaver with Rotating Heads
They generally consist of 3 or 4 rotating elements containing circular blades. They are particularly suitable for those with a thick beard that grows quickly and in different directions since the heads are articulated and able to follow the contours more easily. However, they are more aggressive than foil ones and can create irritation on sensitive skin.
Electric Foil Razor
They contain oscillating blades inside them, and because of the perforated foil which serves to lift the hair and which acts as a shield between the blade and the skin, they are generally more delicate and at the same time able to shave closer to the bulb.
Given their construction nature, they adapt less to the shape of the face and can be uncomfortable to use on the contours. They are used with straight movements, such as from top to bottom or from left to right. Braun is very famous for this type of razor.
Other Types
Slowly other types of electric razors are also emerging, as demonstrated by the OneBlade model, which could be defined as a hybrid.
How to Choose the Most Suitable Electric Razor for Us?
Before seeing the various technical characteristics and functions we may be facing, let’s quickly see what to consider to choose the best electric razor according to our needs.
- Type of Beard: with a particularly hard beard, a razor with rotating heads could be more suitable, as well as if it grows in non-uniform directions. However, you could also rely on a foil model, but in this case, you should opt for a high-performance model with multiple shaving elements.
- Skin: at the same time if you have delicate skin, a foil razor may be more suitable. The combination of hard beard and delicate skin could make a choice difficult, but it is better always to give priority to avoid irritations.
Characteristics of An Electric Razor
Now let’s see what the characteristics and the differences that we can find to understand which electric razor to choose according to personal needs are.
- Power Supply – There are two types, those that only work connected to the mains and those with a battery instead. The latter usually use lithium batteries that do not suffer from the memory effect and therefore are not subject to drops in autonomy over time. Very often, however, they cannot be used while they are being charged: this is a safety measure that serves to avoid overheating and use in the presence of water.
- Wet & Dry Shaving – This now very popular term means that the razor can be used both dry and in conjunction with products such as creams, foams, or shaving soaps.
- Blade – In addition to the type, which as we have seen can be with heads or foils, the quality and number of blades of an electric razor also affect its cutting ability. The higher-end ones such as the Braun 9 series have titanium coated steel blades, which are wear-resistant and maintain their sharpness for years.
- Display – in the basic models, there is no real display, but generally, there are a series of LEDs that serve to indicate the residual charge level. On the more expensive models, it is instead possible to find a real miniature screen that displays information such as the status of the battery, the shaving setting, and other additional maintenance information, such as the need to replace the heads or clean the razor.
- Precision Trimmer – Its presence is very useful for finishing contours and more uncomfortable points such as sideburns or whiskers. Sometimes it is integrated on the electric razor itself, while at other times it is made up of an accessory that must be mounted if necessary.
- Construction Materials – They are very important and define the durability of the product. Generally, high-quality plastics and resins are used for the bodies, while metals are preferred for the blades and mechanical parts.
- Accessories – As we have introduced before, there are multiple versions of the same razor on the market that differ from each other in the number of accessories that are supplied. It, therefore, becomes very important to choose according to your needs as it is possible to add – or give up – to things like the charging and sanitizing base, travel cases and cleaning kits.
- Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance – High-end electric razors have automated cleaning bases that extend the life of the razor. If you choose an inexpensive electric razor, it will be good to pay more attention and periodically clean and oil with care to preserve the cutting capacity over time. We will see in detail how to do it below.
These are the main features that you will have to pay attention to during the purchase. Therefore, carefully read the technical data sheets and what is included and not in the package.
Maintenance of The Razor
I think there is no need to say that the more you take care of the electric razor, the longer it will last and will continue to cut optimally. Maintenance should not last for hours, but we should not underestimate the importance of taking care of it for a few minutes once a week, which can make a difference.
Cleaning
First of all, it is essential to clean the razor on the fly after each use. If the model at your disposal is waterproof, rinse the head under the sink, otherwise just shake it firmly on the hand to let out the hair that settles in the head after cutting, and then resort to the help of a brush or an old toothbrush.
About once a week, however, you need to take time to disassemble the head of the razor and clean it thoroughly from all the remains of beard and dead skin that will relentlessly settle on its bottom and risk slowing down and ruining the blades.
You must not be afraid to break it, as in most of the models on the market these parts are specially built to be disassembled and reassembled easily. Another useful trick is to charge the razor only when necessary and to complete charging and discharging cycles to extend battery life.
Lubricate the Electric Razor
The blades and other internal elements of a razor are assembled in such a way as to be very close to each other, and during use, they tend to touch each other slightly. This expedient is used to ensure a shave as close and precise as possible to the skin and also works as a self-sharpening system.
At the same time, however, this causes slight friction and causes the elements to heat up: with the accumulation of dead skin and hair residues, these problems are amplified and could lead to the razor breaking. For this reason, cleaning and lubrication are fundamental operations that serve to extend the life of this accessory.
In general, however, to lubricate, it is sufficient to pour a drop or two of oil into each blade or head. Then just put the blades into operation for a few seconds to distribute it evenly.
Also, make sure to use a special razor oil or a mineral oil like the one you use for children. This should be done once a week if you shave every day. If you have an automatic cleaning base such as those sold by Braun or Philips, these operations can be avoided as they are done automatically by the base itself.
Replacing the Blades
Depending on the model purchased, the blades must also be replaced periodically, generally annually or even every 18 months depending on the use you make of them.
A particular case is that of the very thick and hard beard: in this case, it may be necessary to replace the blades much more frequently. A good method of realizing that they need to be changed is to look at the shaving times.
If you notice that it takes longer to shave and that more passes are needed on the same point, then the time has come to replace them. Spare parts are generally supplied at affordable prices and also include new heads or foils as over time they also tend to wear out.
To Conclude
On the market, there are many other valid models in addition to those mentioned here, and the choice as already mentioned above has a strong personal component.
If you are also used to using a specific type, changing in favour of another takes time, both to get used to the skin and our style – I refer to the type of movement that is done with the electric razor since it differs between the models foil and those with rotating heads – and this should also be considered.
