The Best Electric Shaver for Men, According to Experts

Our tester was surprised by how well this shaver worked, even if the whine of the rotary blades takes some getting used to. Each circular blade contains 18 self-sharpening blades, and they pivot and bend to glide along every curve of your face. It takes a few more passes for a perfectly clean shave, but the end result is the same as with the other razors in this guide.

If you like to create clean, defined lines, this shaver will actually work better than bulkier five-blade designs from Braun or Panasonic. Thanks to the slim, compact design, you can easily see where you’re shaving. For guys with goatees or hard edges along their beard line or sideburns, it makes it easy to maintain your look. It can also cut more than just stubble, so be careful.

More Electric Shavers We Love

What to Look for in an Electric Shaver

If you’re ready to put down the shaving cream and make the switch from classic wet shaving to an electric shaver, there are a few things to keep in mind. Fist, rotary vs foil: Foil shavers have a long nickel-plated crossbar, with a bunch of little holes that receive the whiskers and which protect skin from the actual razors. They will usually provide a closer shave between the two types of electric shaver options, making foil more optimal for the average user. (Though our top spot this year goes to a rotary shaver that defies the norm.)

Rotary shavers, however, will satisfy more users. Or rather, they will polarize fewer people, notes Gutweniger. “Rotary shavers cut in different directions and are especially good for targeting coarse and curly hair, because their circular panels cut in a broader range of directions.” While rotary shavers won’t usually cut as close as foil razors, the difference might be a half day’s growth for most guys, at most.

In the end, it’s usually a matter of preference. However, if you do have coarse, thick, or curly whiskers—or if you have a nickel allergy—then rotary shavers tend to be a better bet. Still, most professionals will use foil shavers for good reason, including the two barbers interviewed for this article: “Yes, there are many directions the rotary shavers cover, but they can pull at hairs from every-which-way,” Grinstead-Mayle says. “Foils allow for each individual hair to slide into the perforated head with a blade underneath to cut them. Both the foil cover and the moving blade have a ‘give’ to them allowing you to follow the contour of the jawline, chin, or head.”