Electric Shavers

Electric shavers for women

Shaving dates all the way back to 30,000 B.C., when historians say cavemen took rocks and flint blades to their faces to tame their beards. Time and innovation have changed the tools, but experts say the hair-removal marketplace is full of products with gimmicky features that don't necessarily improve upon the basic function of giving a good close shave. They say electric razors don't shave as closely as a basic manual razor. But a close shave isn't the only factor important to women, and the newest crop of shavers offers other features that are appreciated in some tests.

Electric razors designed for women were first introduced in the 1940s. They operate with cutters on a floating head that vibrates behind a screen, chopping off hair at the skin level. Because the cutters don't touch skin, electric razors don't nick or cut the skin as easily as blade razors. This is especially important to women on blood-thinning medication or those with bleeding disorders, but it's also nice for women who are used to shaving daily and want a quick, pain-free shave. Women's electric razors can also be used wet or dry, and they work for touch-ups for spots missed while shaving in the shower.

Panasonic shavers came out on top in the best testing of women's shavers, including the Panasonic Close Curves ES 2206AC (*Est. $25). The Close Curves uses pivoting blades the company says are the sharpest available on women's electric shavers. It can be immersed in water for easy cleaning and has a trimmer for detail work. In one test, the Close Curves is a top pick based on its scores for easy clean-up, noise and features. Users on Amazon.com and other retail websites praise the Close Curves shaver for not irritating the skin or causing ingrown hairs. Overall, it scores four out of five stars on Amazon.com. Those who give it lower scores say it doesn't shave closely, but others counter that notion. One says she likes the fact that it can be plugged directly into the wall for recharging, saving counter space.

Keep in mind that there's no particular reason women can't consider a men's electric shaver, but most will want to choose a wet/dry shaver that can be used in the shower. See our report on men's electric shavers for info on those. One potential downside is that female buyers may end up paying for features they don't need on men's models, such as a pop-up beard trimmer.

The British version of the Remington R7130 Flex 360 (*Est. $80) -- officially a men's shaver -- is the top recommended electric shaver at Which? magazine. The consumer group says it gives the closest electric shave and is very comfortable to use. However, none of the testers is a woman. The same goes for the report on men's electric shavers at ConsumerReports.org..

Which? doesn't test any models of Remington's Smooth and Silky line of shavers for women. One of these shavers, the Smooth and Silky WDF-5500, scores well in another test and among user reviews at Amazon.com, and in our last report on women's shavers we include it as a top pick. But it has been discontinued, along with several other models in the Smooth and Silky line. The models still available, the battery-powered Remington Smooth & Silky WDF-1250 (*Est. $17), and Remington Smooth & Silky WDF-3600 (*Est. $50) have many of the same features as the old versions, but virtually no user reviews and no expert testing to back them up.

A few electric shavers are proving to be unpopular with users, based on online reviews at Drugstore.com and Amazon.com. The Wahl Delicate Definitions Shaver (*Est. $20) is criticized for poor performance and durability. Users warn that the head on the Revlon Smooth & Glamorous Ladies Rechargeable Shaver (*Est. $25) falls apart. Two models by Conair---the Infiniti (*Est. $35) and the Lady Pro Rechargeable Wet/Dry Foil Shaver (*Est. $30) -- get mostly poor reviews, with users saying they pinch the skin and are cheaply made.