How to Choose the Best Electric Shaver
Women like well-groomed men. And vice versa.
When it comes to getting a clean shaver fast, electric shavers perform better in many ways. First of all, they don’t require you to apply any shaving gel or foam, nor do you need to wash it off after wards. Because they come with shaving heads of various lengths, you can actually decide how much hair you want to shave off.
An electric shaver is also incredibly fast and hassle-free. Shaving with a normal shaver can take up to 10 to 15 minutes if you want to make sure you can a clean shave. And quite often you may cut or nick yourself accidentally. An electric shaver will never hurt your skin and they can give you a clean shave incredibly fast.
There are many electric shaver reviews out there on the internet but not many tell you how to choose the best electric shavers out there for your needs. Here are some tips on picking the perfect electric shaver.
- Type of shaver: There are a few main categories for electric shavers. Shavers with rotary or foil heads and wet shavers or dry shavers. Put simply, a wet/dry shaver is waterproof can be used in the shower while you are bathing while a dry shaver can only be used after or before your bath. Rotary electric shavers had round rotating heads while foil electric shavers have a flat rectangular surface.
- Shaver Technology. There are a lot of fancy shavers out there and Braun and Panasonic shavers have some of the best technology available. Some of them provide up to 10,000 micro vibrations every minute to remove hair and some and have incredible flexing heads which bend easily to fit the curve of your face or neck. And then there are electric shavers with built-in self cleaning capabilities for maximum hygiene.
- Cordless or corded. For maximum flexibility you want to choose an electric shaver that is cordless because that allows you to move around and not just shave where there is a power socket. However, cordless electric shavers run on battery power which brings us to the next point..
- Battery charge. The best electric shaver charges very quickly and holds a charge for very long. The length of the charge is important when you travel a lot and don’t want to worry about charging your batteries or shaver every so far.
- Maintenance. Some electric shavers come with a self-cleaning mode and vacuum which makes maintenance virtually necessary. For instance, they can pump clean fluids automatically to the shaver head and the shaver itself is heated so grease and other dirt is removed. After self-cleaning, the shaver is dried through a heating system. All you need to do is to empty the cartridge when it gets full.
- Price. Most electric shavers fall between the $20 to $100 price range although some really good shavers go for over $200. Now this is often a major deciding factor for people choosing electric shavers. Coming from personal experience, I highly recommend that you ignore the price factor because a very cheap electric shaver will not satisfy you most of the time.An expensive electric shaver usually has a better build-quality and can last for years without breaking down, unlike cheaper variations. The technology for more pricey electric shavers is far superior as well, so please do yourself a favor and ignore the price as much as you can.
All in all, the popular and best brands for electric shavers are Braun, Panasonic, Philips and Remington. I’ve tried shavers from all four brands and they have worked magnificently well for my needs. They have a great reputation for producing reliable and high quality electric shavers with the latest technology.
Where Should You Buy Your Electric Shavers?
Electric shavers are sold in a wide variety of places and you can find them in large departmental stores such as Sears, Walmart or Target. They’re usually found in the Electronics and Home Appliances section. However, I wouldn’t really recommend them as the best places to buy electric shavers. Why? Because there is a much greater selection of shavers online and they are much cheaper too.
Yes, that’s true. Because of my grooming gadget fetish, I’ve looked all over for deals on electric shavers and compared retail store prices to online prices over the years. The prices on Amazon.com are often lower than the retail price, not to mention that free shipping is included in most of the shavers they sell. That means you’ll actually save more money.
Now to be honest, the amount of money you’ll save will vary depending on the particular retail outlet near you but I think online prices will often be equal or much lower than your local store. This is particularly so during the hot holiday shopping season from October to December. Prices in November and December are slashed down even more on Amazon and just about any major online marketplace (Ebay and other online specialty stores are worth checking out as well).
For your convenience, I’ve decided to include direct links to Amazon within all the various reviews. I think this will be very useful because you’ll get to check out the specific shaver, see its current price/discounts and read some of the other customers reviews as well. Even if you don’t decide to buy your electric shaver online, this should help you to really make an informed decision.
In any case, I would definitely recommend buying from Amazon.com. Apart from their competitive pricing, they are a very reliable seller with excellent exchange or refund policies. So if a shaver doesn’t work out for you, just return it and get your money back. No hassles, no worries. I’m personally guilty of buying and returning several electric razors myself over the years. All in the name of finding the perfect shaver. ![]()
The Best Electric Shavers on the Market – My Recommendations
Choosing the perfect electric shaver can be real challenge, simply because there are so many different types of shavers out there and most of them look the same! That’s where I can help. If you’re short of time and don’t want to read all the electric shaver reviews I’ve written, here’s a quick summary of my favorite electric shavers and top recommendations. In my opinion, these are the best electric shavers on the market right now and you won’t go wrong with buying any of the excellent shavers listed below. I’ve used all of them personally for at least several months so I know how well they work.
Best Electric Shaver for Men – Overall Winner and Most Value-for-Money
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Panasonic ES8243A Arc IV Nano Men’s Wet/Dry Rechargeable Shaver. This is my top choice if you can only buy one electric shaver. Why? It works brilliantly. The four blade system in this shaver vibrates at 13,000 rpm and when combined with a thin arc foil, gives you an extremely close shave like no other shaver. I love the design as well. It has a fantastic rubberized grip which makes it comfortable and easy to hold. And since its a wet/dry shaver, I really liked the freedom to mix it up and shave while bathing or sometimes in the toilet right before I have to go out for a social event. The cool thing is that this is really a high quality shaver at a mid-range price ($112). It’s not as costly as other shavers but performs just as well. Highly recommended. Buy it. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
Click here to see my full review of the Panasonic ES8243A Arc IV Shaver or if you want to get it right now, buy it from Amazon at a massive 44% discount with free shipping as well.
Best Electric Shaver for 2011 – The Fastest Foil Shaver in the World
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Panasonic ES-LA93-K Vortex Men’s Shaver. This is without a doubt, the best electric shaver of 2011. The ES-LA93-K Vortex is a marvelous piece of machinery that is reputedly the world’s fastest shaver (14,000 micro-vibrations per minute). So what do I really like about it? The awesome flexible heads that press comfortably against the contours of my face, its sleek black design with cool blue led light, the ultra-thin vibrating foil with four excellent nanotech blades and the fact that its a true wet/dry shaver that performs well in or out of the shower.
I’ve had incredibly close shaves with this beast and I’m still having so much fun playing around with it (just bought it a few months ago). The only reason why I didn’t make this the top overall recommendation was because of its price ($200+) but in terms of performance, it may just be better than the Panasonic ES8243A because of its superior technology and design. If you have the money and can afford it, I would highly recommend this wonderful shaver instead. It even comes with a self-cleaning/self drying rechargeable dock and an additional trimmer head so its a genuine complete shaving system. I know I’m gushing like a teenager but seriously, this electric shaver rocks. Highly recommended as a top quality gift for a discerning man.
Click here to read my full review of the Panasonic ES-LA93-K Vortex Shaver or you can simply buy it at a generous 43% discount from Amazon.com and get free shipping too!
Best Rotary Electric Shaver on the Market – Shaving is Serious Business
Philips Norelco 1250cc/42 SensoTouch 3d Electric Shaver. If you’re the kinda guy who prefers rotary shavers to foil shavers, you’re going to love the Philips Norelco 1250cc/42 SensoTouch. This is the newest electric rotary shaver to be released in 2010 by Philips and it’s by far the best rotary shaver I’ve ever tried. The technology behind it is pretty advanced stuff and the shaver head is fascinating to me. It has 3 different special tracks: a slot for normal hair, a channel for long/flat hair and little holes for the shortest stubble. That means crazy close shaves like nothing else.
It also has a much-talked about revolutionary GyroFlex 3D system, which in plain English, just means that the rotary shaver heads will flex and bend when you push it against your skin, thereby working alongside the contours of your face. It’s powered by a long lasting Lithium Ion battery and comes with a cool Jet Clean stand that cleans, lubricates and charges the shaver once you’re done with it. Zero maintenance required on your part.
This shiny new gadget is not for everyone because it’s not cheap but if you really want to spoil yourself or a loved one, this is an awesome electric rotary shaver to own. No doubt about it. It’s slick. It’s new. It’s the best rotary shaver on the market. And I’m guilty of loving it. That really says a lot because I’m very much a foil shaver kinda guy.
Click to read my review of the Philips Norelco 1250cc/42 Electric Shaver or you can buy it now from Amazon.com and get free shipping.
Best Electric Shaver for Sensitive Skin
Philips Norelco HS8420 Nivea for Men Razor. Most electric shavers are designed to avoid hurting or pulling your skin but some just seem to feel your skin feel better after you’ve used it. The Philips Norelco HS8420 Nivea for Men Shaver is one of them. This particular shaver dispenses Nivea conditioner directly onto your skin while you shave and it makes your skin extremely soft and comfortable. The smoothness of the conditioner makes the cutting head literally glide over your face. It makes shaving a wonderful experience and I’ve never, ever had a nick/cut/red spot after using this shaver. The Panasonic ES8243A Arc IV (see above) does just as well for sensitive skin but this Philips Norelco shaver has a slight edge for sensitive skin because of how it integrates and works perfectly with the Nivea conditioner (which has MICROtec to prevent skin irritation). Just talking about it now makes me feel like shaving again. I’m not joking.
By the way, I only recommend this for men or women with very sensitive skin. If you have normal skin or never had any problems with electric shavers, you should probably go with some of the other shavers mentioned above because they have better technology and features behind them. But all in all, this is a lovely shaver that provides a luxurious experience. Even though it’s supposed to be ‘for men’, my wife loves to use this electric shaver because of the wonderful Nivea gel conditioner.
Click here to read my review of the Philips Norelco Nivea for Men shaver or you can simply buy it at a 15% discount from Amazon.com now.
Best Electric Shaver for the Head
Philips Norelco Speed 8240XL Electric Shaver. When it comes to shaving the hair on my head, I do prefer using a rotary shaver instead of a foil shaver because the triangular contours of a rotary shaver just seem to work better with the shape of the head. The Philips Norelco 8240 is excellent for this purpose and since rotary shavers are great for longer hair, it works even if you let your hair grow out a little more. This electric shaver is ergonomically designed and you don’t have to mess around with adjusting the blades. It’s designed only for a clean shave and nothing else, which makes it perfect for fast, hassle-free shaving. Excellent electric shaver for the head.
Click here to see my review of the Philips Norelco Speed 8240XL or you can just buy it now from Amazon at a 18% discount.
Thanks a lot for stopping by and feel free to send a friend over if he/she is looking for the best electric shavers. By the way, if you’re interested in beard trimmers, you may want to check out these beard trimmer reviews as well.
Philips Norelco 1250cc/42 SensoTouch 3d Electric Shaver Review
Panasonic ES-LA93-K Vortex Men’s Shaver Review – An Amazing Shaving Experience
Braun Series 7- 790cc Pulsonic Shaver Review – Highly Recommended!
Panasonic ES8249K Arc IV Nano Vortex Wet/Dry Shaving System Review
Panasonic ES8243A Arc IV Nano Men’s Wet/Dry Rechargeable Shaver Review