Mens Electric Shavers Reviews

With its June 2008 roundup of electric shavers, Consumer Reports takes the top spot in our All Reviews chart for the most recent (and most comprehensive) comparative review. In its latest roundup, editors ask a panel to try out eight foil and six rotary shavers for a week apiece, judging each for closeness and comfort of shave, ease of cleaning, features and noise level. As thorough as its methodology is, though, Consumer Reports can't claim any superiority over the British Consumer magazine Which?, which had an even larger panel test 15 rotary and foil shavers in its October 2007 roundup. We found a third excellent review in the Sunday Times of London, whose shaving expert goes into great depth about the pluses and minuses of six high-profile electric shavers. (Unfortunately, shavers tend to bear different model names and numbers in the UK, which can make it difficult to establish a precise consensus.)

We also found good comparison reviews of electric shavers by Australia's Choice magazine and New Zealand's Consumer magazine. While these are well done and based on hands-on testing, not all of the tested electric shavers are available in the U.S., and the shaver reviews are now out of date. After that, the bulk of shaver reviews are by bloggers and shaving enthusiasts (there's no shortage of discussions about foil vs. rotary shavers, or Norelco vs. Braun), as well as the numerous users who have posted comments to Amazon.com and Epinions.

You may have seen ads for new, high-priced, high-tech electric shavers from Braun and Philips Norelco. But do these features really make a difference, or are they just marketing hype? The big feature of 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 its predecessor, the top-rated (and now cheaper) Braun 360° Complete (*est. $120 to $160). While a vibrating electric shaver might seem gimmicky, owners posting comments to Amazon.com, the Electric Razor Rap forum and other online shaving venues say the Pulsonic really does give a slightly better, more comfortable shave. In his review for Popular Mechanics, Eric Sofge predicts that all future Braun shavers will probably vibrate, based on the Pulsonic's success.

Owners at Amazon.com are generally pleased with the arcitec, especially praising its snazzy design (apparently not a small consideration for shaving enthusiasts) and advanced features. The British consumer magazine Which? rates the arcitec a Best Buy, saying it's "comfortable to shave with," even if it does have a "Darth Vader" look about it. (One small quibble is that the arcitec shaver model tested provided 55 minutes of shaving on a full charge, compared to Norelco's claimed 65 minutes.) And writing for the Sunday Times, Alex Pell ranks the arcitec right behind the Braun Pulsonic electric shaver: "The blades worked particularly well on the tricky neck areas, and this Philips gave the second best shave overall. It was uncomfortable at some angles, though, and initially caused a slight rash." So while more expensive doesn't always mean better when it comes to shavers, the hype surrounding the arcitec and Pulsonic electric shavers appears to be warranted.

ConsumerSearch covers manual razors and women's shavers in separate reports.  ... Continued

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 predate 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.