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Womens Shavers: Ratings of Sources
Total of 12 Sources
1. ConsumerReports.org
Not Dated
Women's Hair-Removal Products
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
Our Assessment

This report on women's shavers offers solid advice on hair-removal options and the best products for getting the job done. Four electric shavers and four epilators are included in the test, but most of the top-rated choices have been discontinued, and this report no longer bears a date, so we can't tell when it was last updated. ConsumerReports.org uses a thorough testing methodology and breaks down its ratings into five performance categories including shaving ability, cleaning ease and noise.

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2. Choice magazine
July 2007
Test: Home Hair Removal
by Editors of Choice magazine
Our Assessment

This report offers a wealth of information, with in-depth testing of a variety of hair-removal products for women. There's good info here on epilators, but we also find excellent advice on waxes and depilatories. The report concludes that epilators are the way to go for legs, provided the user can withstand some pain. Three epilators -- two available as virtually identical models in the U.S. -- tie for the top rating. A whopping 141 women participate in Choice's tests, and relay their experiences in terms of effectiveness and ease of use. Shavers, however, are not included in the test.

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3. Which? magazine
Not Dated
Women's Razors
by Editors of Which? magazine
Our Assessment

This British website has a reputation for objectivity that rivals ConsumerReports.org, and its tests are just as in-depth. The downside is that products tested aren't always available in the United States. For this report, nine manual razors designed specifically for women, including five disposables, are tested by 24 women who shaved with them at least twice a week for three months. Testers rate the razors for durability, closeness and comfort of shave as well as cost, safety, ease of control, sharpness and comfort of grip. The clear winner is the Gillette Venus Divine. Although we're told the women testers were also asked to try men's razors and 67 percent rate a men's razor better than or equal to a women's, the report does not break down the specific results or name a top pick. Disposable razors rate lower overall than nondisposables. Editors rate electric shavers and epilators separately.

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4. Which? magazine
April 2009
Men's Razors
by Editors of Which? magazine
Our Assessment

For the men's razors report, 48 men underwent more than 700 total shaves with 12 manual razors. Men rate the razors for the same factors as in the women's report: user comfort, safety, durability, cost, closeness of shave and sharpness. The report also includes 2007 results and says laboratory testing was performed but those results are not included in the report. The Gillette Fusion Power and Mach 3 Turbo are deemed best.

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5. ConsumerReports.org
July 2006
The Power of Fusion?
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
Our Assessment In this is a brief but helpful report that explores the marketing claims of battery-powered vibrating razor heads, 26 male testers compare the performance of five-bladed Fusion razors with three-bladed razors. This review isn't a comprehensive evaluation, but it's revealing to see this comparison; in the end, only eight men said they would switch to five blades.
6. ConsumerReports.org
Jan. 2005
A Razor With Good Vibes?
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
Our Assessment In a review very similar to the comparison above, testers set out to discover whether Gillette's M3 Power razor with a battery-powered vibrating head is better than the simple Mach3 Turbo. Both shavers have three blades.
7. Redbook
Not Dated
Smooth Skin All Over
by Editors of Redbook
Our Assessment Magazine staffers -- no indication of how many is given -- are handed three razors to take home for testing on four body areas: legs, underarm, bikini line and a random area of their choosing. With no disclosure of methodology, the article leaves one wondering whether the endorsements don't boil down to a few personal opinions. None of the razors is particularly recommended over others.
8. Amazon.com
As of Sept. . 2009
Shaving and Hair Removal
by Contributors to Amazon.com
Our Assessment

Amazon.com is an excellent source for those who have boiled down their search to one or two models. Most women's electric shavers and epilators get at least a few comments from users. Customer favorites include the Panasonic Close Curves ES 2206AC, and the Braun Silk-epil Xelle 5270 epilator. Manual razors and their cartridges are also reviewed, but you have to search by specific brand to find the reviews.

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9. Drugstore.com
As of Sept. 2009
Hair Removal
by Contributors to Drugstore.com
Our Assessment

Drugstore.com offers some helpful reviews of a few models of electric shavers. Among the most useful are negative write-ups of several models of electric shavers by Conair -- the Infiniti and the Lady Pro. Users say the shavers pinch skin, are cheaply made and do not provide a close shave, and the battery loses its charge quickly. Reviews of epilators are harder to find here than they are at Amazon.com because you must search by the specific model, but reviews of manual razors are more plentiful.

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10. Viewpoints.com
As of Sept. 2009
Shaving
by Contributors to Viewpoints.com
Our Assessment This site has some helpful reviews for razors and electric shavers, including a detailed user-written buyer's guide. We find some insightful comments here about the popular Venus razor by Gillette and its Fusion model. Many users go into great detail and attach personal photos to their reviews. But overall, there aren't as many reviews here as at Drugstore.com and Amazon.com.
11. ExpoTV.com
As of Sept. 2009
Shavers
by Contributors to ExpoTV.com
Our Assessment Although the shaving products have only a few reviews each, the helpfulness comes from the ability to see and hear the products being used. Unlike Amazon.com and Drugstore.com, this site has some favorable reviews of Conair electric shavers for women, and very few reviews of other electric shavers.
12. TheBeautyBrains.com
Aug. 2006
Are Women's Razors Different Than Men's?
by "Right Brain"
Our Assessment This brief but helpful post by one of the team of cosmetic scientists at TheBeautyBrains.com explains the differences between men's and women's shaving needs and offers some useful referrals to articles and other blogs. Editors say that the only real differences are color, style and feel of the grip, and men's and women's razors cut hair the same.

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