Men's Electric Shavers Reviews

Consumer Reports magazine has the most recent comparison review of electric shavers. In its latest roundup, editors enlist the help of 14 men to test five foil and six rotary electric shavers for one week. Female testers also evaluate four women's shavers, but editors say there's no reason women can't use shavers meant for men. In general, editors say that electric shavers don't give a close enough shave to convert blade users to give up their $8 Mach 3 or Schick Quattro manual razor. New models have begun to replace some of the shavers in this review.

We also found good comparison reviews of electric shavers in Australia's Choice magazine, Britain's Which? magazine and New Zealand's Consumer magazine. While well done and based on hands-on testing, not all of the tested electric shavers are available in the U.S., and these shaver reviews are now out of date. We also found some interesting reports from men who test individual shavers, sometimes in very detailed reviews. We found such reviews at Popular Mechanics, Gizmodo.com and other sites, along with a lengthy three-part video review posted in German on YouTube.

You may have seen ads for new electric shavers from Braun and Philips Norelco with high-tech features and premium prices. But with the advertising overkill, do these features really make a difference or are they just marketing hype? The big news in Braun's Pulsonic shavers is the motor that vibrates at over 10,000 revolutions per minute. Otherwise, the Braun Pulsonic 9595CC (*est. $250) is nearly identical to last year's top-rated (and now cheaper) Braun 360° Complete (*est. $160). While a vibrating electric shaver might appear gimmicky, owners posting comments to Amazon.com, the Electric Razor Rap forum and other online shaver venues say that the Pulsonic shaver really does give a slightly better, more comfortable shave. In his review for Popular Mechanics, Eric Sofge says that the Pulsonic is so successful that all future Braun shavers will probably vibrate.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

Braun foil shavers and Norelco rotary shavers receive the best reviews. If you want to use a shaver in the shower or with shave cream, Panasonic wet/dry foil shavers get good reviews. Keep in mind that model numbers vary within a series, with minor differences in features and price -- often, it's only a question of indicator lights and color. Many of the major manufacturers launched new electric shavers in the spring and summer of 2007, prompting one reviewer on Electric Razor Rap to suggest this is a “golden age” of electric shavers. As a result, many well-reviewed shavers have been discontinued, though they can still be found online. Some of the top ratings for these older shavers pre-date the release of the new Braun Pulsonic and Norelco arcitec lines, so the most useful reviews are those that compare the older electric shavers with the latest technology.