Mens Electric Shaver Review

Sizing up reviewer opinion on the best shave

Although there are lots of places where you can read reviews of men's electric shavers, consumer-oriented sites and publications such as ConsumerReports.org rate highly because of the comprehensive and comparative coverage they provide. For example, in its most recent roundup, ConsumerReports.org editors ask a panel of subjects to try out eight foil and nine rotary shavers for a week each, judging them on closeness and comfort of shave, ease of cleaning, features and noise level. New Zealand's Consumer magazine, which is similar to ConsumerReports.org in the U.S., also tests foil and rotary shavers. Not all of the tested razors are available in the U.S., though many have close equivalents. Choice, an Australian consumer magazine that's also similar to ConsumerReports.org, tests shavers in a similar fashion, and the same pluses and minuses apply. Excellent reporting is also found in the U.K.'s Sunday Times. User reviews at websites like Amazon.com and on enthusiast sites such as Electric Razor Rap are helpful as well.

You may have seen ads for high-priced, high-tech electric shavers from Braun and Philips Norelco. But do these features really make a difference in a men's electric shaver? The big feature of Braun's Series 7 shavers is the motor, which vibrates at more than 10,000 revolutions per minute. Although a vibrating electric shaver might seem gimmicky, owners posting comments to Amazon.com, the Electric Razor Rap forum and other online shaving venues say the Series 7 really does give a slightly better, more comfortable shave.

The Philips Norelco arcitec is also being heavily promoted. Reviewers say this razor looks more like a daisy or a computer joystick than a traditional rotary shaver, with the shaver head poised on a pivot above the shaver body and each rotary blade pivoting separately.

Owners at Amazon.com are generally pleased with Philips Norelco arcitec razors, especially praising their snazzy design (apparently a serious consideration for some consumers) and advanced features. The British consumer magazine Which? gives the arcitec a Best Buy designation, saying it's "comfortable to shave with," even if it does have "Darth Vader" styling. (One small quibble is that the arcitec shaver evaluated by Which? editors provides 55 minutes of shaving on a full charge, while Philips Norelco says it offers 65 minutes.)

Writing for The Sunday Times, David Phelan ranks the arcitec right behind the Braun Series 7 electric shaver (which the review calls the Pulsonic): "The blades worked particularly well on the tricky neck areas, and this Philips gave the second best shave overall," he writes. However, Phelan also says, "It was uncomfortable at some angles, though, and initially caused a slight rash." The additional features offered on the arcitec and Series 7 electric shavers appear to make a difference.

ConsumerSearch covers manual razors and women's shavers in separate reports.