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Even the best electric shaver is often underestimated and underused by the general shaving public. But anyone who does rely on them knows that they deliver a nearly-perfect shave, minus any irritation. That’s because they buzz you as close to the skin as possible, without breaking the surface (and thus without inviting ingrown hairs, razor bumps, and razor burn). This is ideal for guys with sensitive skin who want to do a clean shave frequently, but would rather not risk irritation and redness.
Many of the best electric razors can be used for wet shaving or dry shaving—that is, with shaving cream or oil, in the shower. Others are lightweight and hold a long charge, making them easy for on-the-go shaves for a weekend away or post-gym freshening. They have foil heads for an antimicrobial clean, or a cleaning station that helps flush out debris and preserve the quality of the device. There are even electric shavers designated for long beards and bald heads.
But the main thing they do is clean up your face in a hurry. The best electric shaver will get the hair so close to the skin that, to the naked eye, you have a noon-o’clock shadow, if anything at all. It’s far superior to the stubble that you’ll get from a guard-free beard trimmer, and the same can be said for bald-headed guys needing an electric shaver over the buzz-inclined hair clippers.
So, after lots of shaving and testing, here’s our list of all the top-shelf, high-end, all-around best electric shavers for men.
The Best Electric Shaver For Men
Don’t worry, this list isn’t a roundup of $400 shavers. But we couldn’t not call out his big launch from Panasonic: The beloved Arc5 leveled up with this 6-head foil shaver. Panasonic’s wet-dry Arc6 electric foil shaver is our top pick for several reasons, but the biggest is its incredible 84,000 crosscuts per minute. Next is the flexible head, shimmying in 22 different directions as it navigates your contours. Its motor speed adjusts with the thickness and density of your facial hair, so that it knows precisely how forceful and fast to cut stubble. Despite all its muscle, the Arc6 shaver maintains a 50-minute runtime after just one hour of charging, and gives you enough juice for a quick shave after just three minutes plugged-in. (Oh, and if you want an Arc6 with the cleaning/charging dock, they’ve got one!)
The Best Rotary Shaver
Philips Norelco’s wet-dry rotary shaver glides over your neck, chin, and face without getting caught on odd angles or errant moles. Hell, try it on your shoulders, upper back, and even your dome. It promises to cut hairs up to 30 percent closer than the competition with its three rotary heads that rotate eight ways each. You can adjust the speed of the shaver if you want to take it slower, or if your skin is too sensitive for its rapid-fire removal. The device is easy to clean since it’s a wet-and-dry shaver, but it also comes with a cleansing stand for quick, effective disinfecting. This cordless shaver lasts three hours with each charge, and a digital display tells you how much charge remains.
The Long-Standing Favorite Foil Shaver
Braun has evolved past the Series 7 (Series 9 is its top offer now), but consider all the must-have benefits of this beloved foil ‘7’ shaver, and you’ll see why it may be the perfect device as is: It’s got both a cleansing base that also serves as a charger; it’s a wet/dry shaver for whichever method you prefer; you can adjust its speed (with 5 options); it lifts hairs away from the skin for an even, close shave; and it lasts just shy of an hour on a full charge. Plus, it comes with a pop-up trimmer to get a clean line on your sideburns.
The Best Bald-Head Shaver
If you’re sporting a beautiful cueball dome—maybe you’re auditioning for the next Fast and Furious—then you’ll want an easy-to-use, ergonomic rotary shaver. (That is, if you don’t want to actually shave your head with a razor.) The key term, though, is ergonomic: While Kibiy’s palm-held device boasts attachments for clean beard outlines, facial cleansing and exfoliating, and nose-hair trimming, it is a palm-held head shaver above all. Just grip it and zoom every which way around your head—it even works in the shower if you prefer a wet shave, and it holds an hour-long charge.
The Best Body Shaver For Men
We know that many of you are actually here to find the best manscaping device. “Where can I get a device to trim all of this man?” you wonder. Look no further than the aptly named Mangroomer. The brand’s double-headed wet-dry device gives you a trim or a shave (with 8 different length settings on the trimmer, so that you can trim or shave to your liking on chest or junk). Its foil shaving head glides smoothly over the contours of your, uh, curves, snipping everything down without nicking the skin anywhere—particularly not in your most sensitive areas.
The Best Shaver for Sparse Stubble
If you want a shaver but aren’t working with a lot of scruff, then stick with a low-investment travel shaver like Braun’s. It’s got a single foil head, is easily rinsed clean, and holds a two-hour charge on a pair of AAs. Honestly, there isn’t much more to add, and that’s probably music to the ears of certain sparse-stubbled heads out there.
The Barbershop Favorite
This gold-titanium foil shaver from Andis is both a barbershop standby and one of the simplest tools on the roster. It gives you a bump-free shave, and is also great for cleaning up the base of fresh fades. Its lithium ion battery holds an 80-minute charge, which will get you through a long weekend away or stay active months into your periodic clean-ups.
The Best Trimmer-Shaver Combo
It’s one of our favorite beard trimmers, and one of our favorite shavers. The newly launched Multishape allows customers to opt in for whichever device heads they need. You can also choose whether you want the hair clippers, the nose trimmer, and the toothbrush heads—all of which are good, but we love the wide-head electric foil shaver and the half-millimeter-incremental beard trimmer best. Just be sure to buy the Lithium Ion battery (of the two options available), since it’ll last longer and charge faster. (The price here reflects a kit built with the trimmer and shaver heads, and li-ion base.)
The Best Travel Shaver
BaBylissPRO—surprisingly not a South Florida Soundcloud rapper—makes its signature razor with only one foil, a functional design detail that offers more control in-hand (not to mention a sleek silver finish). If aesthetics alone were enough to warrant inclusion here this shaver would land near the top of the list, but thankfully it delivers on the practical front too—if you dig the added control, especially when it comes to shape ups, this is the device for you. Note that it is battery-powered, but still delivers 5 hours of mileage on a pair of AAs.
The Best Entry-Level Electric Razor
This cartridge-esque electric shaver is a terrific entry point for hesitant or first time shavers. On top of that, it’s great for multitaskers: It is safe for both body and facial hair, plus works like a great T-blade for clean edges on your mustache, neckline, sideburns, etc. It has three guards for tiered trimming and detailing options, and comes with a 45-minute battery life. Don’t forget to buy additional “razor” heads, too, which will ensure that you practice good razor hygiene. Lastly, this one shaves wet or dry, so bring it in the shower if you fancy a quick multitasking once-over.