Gillette Fusion ProGlide

Bottom line

If you're willing to endure high ownership costs, reviewers say the four-bladed Gillette Fusion ProGlide offers a close, bump-free shave. Though technically a men's shaver, it's quite popular with women as well. It's not built to withstand a lot of drops, but the textured handle is easy to grip when wet.

Performance

Men and women love it. The Gillette Fusion ProGlide is nominally a men's shaver, but it's popular with women as well. Both genders agree that it gives a close, smooth shave with very little in the way of irritation or bumps. Some women are adamant that it performs better than any women's razor can. "Fantastic smooth shave, not one nick, no irritation. Smooth and fabulous," writes a woman posting to Walmart.com.

The biggest complaint we found about the ProGlide is that the blades dull quickly -- sometimes after just a few uses. The moisturizing strip runs out quickly as well, which makes for a more uncomfortable shave.

Ease of use

On the brittle side. Although we're focused on what women think about this razor, it's worth noting some durability concerns brought up by men. "I seem to keep getting very short life with the actual razor handle. The rubber grip material comes unglued and stretches out," writes one man posting to Walmart.com via Gillette.com. Another notes that the razor tends to break, requiring a replacement blade, after even a low drop. Still, most say the razor's textured handle is easy to hold on to, even when wet, and they like that it has a bit of heft to it.

The Gillette Fusion ProGlide is also available in a battery-powered, vibrating version (the ProGlide Power), which sells for about $11 and requires a single AAA battery. Reviewers, however, don't seem terribly impressed -- the manual version usually ranks higher.

If you replace the razor blades every two weeks, expect to pay about $8 per month or $96 per year. Some users, however, recommend changing blades at least once a week. That would balloon your ownership costs to $192 per year.