Emjoi OptiMax

Bottom line

The Emjoi OptiMax is a relatively gentle introduction to the world of epilators, but reviewers say it still hurts. The trade-off for that relative gentleness is a slower epilating experience, requiring multiple passes. On the upside the OptiMax gets good expert scores for ease of use. Pop-off tweezing heads make it easy to clean.

Performance

Pain for beauty. No two ways about it: Epilators are painful, and the Emjoi OptiMax is no exception. Still, some experienced epilator users say it's less painful than other epilators and hurts even less once you get used to it. "Pain is middling, not too bad," writes one reviewer at Amazon.com.

The trade-off for that relative comfort is a slower, less-powerful experience. Reviewer after reviewer warns that even after making multiple passes over the same area, you still won't feel quite as smooth as a fresh shave. This epilator's results do, however, last longer than those of a razor shave -- and it ties for best effectiveness rating in a trial of five epilator models conducted by Australia's Choice magazine. We did find a few complaints about razor bumps and ingrown hairs, though they're rare.

Ease of use

Easy cleaning, but bad battery. The OptiMax's heads pop off entirely for easy cleaning -- a definite advantage over other epilator models that require you to brush them out. The battery's a low point for some reviewers, however; you're supposed to recharge it for eight to 16 hours between uses, and one Amazon.com user says the battery "wouldn't stay charged for more than a day." Another points out that her epilator ran faster when plugged in.

Most women only replace an epilator's tweezer heads (Est. $15) when they notice hairs growing back more quickly -- a sign the tweezer heads may not be as sharp as they once were.