Customer Reviews Remington Lithium Power Series Rotary Shaver
The enquiry
- Why you should trust u.s.
- Who this is for
- How we picked and tested
- Our pick: Braun Series 7
- Upgrade pick: Braun Series 9
- Budget pick: Remington F5-5800
- Also neat: Philips Norelco Shaver 9300
- Utilise, care, and maintenance
- Other expert electric razors
- The competition
- Footnotes
Why yous should trust the states
Dan Koeppel is a razor enthusiast and loves playing with both transmission and electrical razors. In the fourth dimension he has been writing almost razors for Wirecutter—since 2015—he has personally tested more than than 30 models: the total lines from Braun, Panasonic, and Philips Norelco, likewise as ane-off brands and used shavers (don't do it!) that he constitute in the deepest, darkest corners of eBay.
Over the years, he has monitored other reviews of electric razors—particularly the extensive communication in Tyler'due south Electrical Shaver Guide—and comments on shaving forums such as Badger & Blade, Reddit's r/shaving, and multiple threads on Ask MetaFilter. He besides visited ane of the last surviving brick-and-mortar electric shaver shops in Northward America: Canada's Centre du Rasoir concatenation all the same has more than thirty outlets, generally in Quebec. In spring 2019, he stopped past the Montreal branch and viewed every model of Braun and Philips shaver on offer, side by side.
James Austin used our upkeep pick for ii years, through 2020, and many other razors—both electric and manual—before that. He has reviewed everything from board games to umbrellas and has participated in a number of test panels since joining Wirecutter in 2015.
Who this is for
Two of the reasons y'all may prefer using an electrical razor on your face instead of a manual razor are convenience (being able to shave someday, anywhere without water) and safety (no take a chance of nicks).
If you find transmission shaving as well rough on your pare, try electric. Although neither method is specifically more gentle, people who have problems with i kind of shaving or razor often do ameliorate when they switch. Those with peculiarly coarse or curly facial pilus tin be particularly predisposed to ingrown hairs and razor bumps, and the less-close shave of an electric razor, or shaver, tin help.1
Though virtually manufacturers insist that their electrical devices tin can smooth your face as well as a traditional blade (and this may be true for some people), the physical mechanics—how electric shavers really remove your stubble—create a closeness limit that some owners will certainly notice. If a close shave is your superlative priority, you may find that an electric razor simply cannot compare to a manual i.
Electric shavers vs. manual razors
Manual razors (whether an old-fashioned, single-blade straight border or an ain't-this-ridiculous seven-bract modernistic non-marvel) all operate nether a simple principle: A sharp bract glides across your face and slices your whiskers close to the skin. Multiple-blade systems add a theoretical 2d action (razor makers call this "hysteresis") in which the first blade pulls your whisker outward and subsequent blades—a second, 3rd, quaternary, onward to infinity—cutting that pulled follicle even closer. But no matter how many blades your manual razor boasts, the fundamental mechanics—a knife-like slicing—remain the same.
Electric shavers piece of work on a totally different principle. Foil-based systems apply one or more cutting blocks mounted beneath the thin metal head. The foil'south perforations guide the whiskers into the block, where a pair of opposing blades slice them off. The activeness is more like what you'd become from a pair of scissors than from a knife. Rotary shavers utilise similar perforated surfaces to guide whiskers toward their cutters, but instead of snipping, hundreds of tiny blades slice hairs with a circular motility. Imagine the horizontal spinning blade on a power lawn mower—but with teeth—and you'll get the thought.
The foils and circular heads of electrical razors keep your skin and the cutting machinery from achieving contact, making it impossible for them to "shave as shut as a blade." No matter how thin those barriers are, y'all'll never go the cutting office of an electric shaver as shut to your face every bit a standard razor blade.
Ane style shaver makers accept tried to ameliorate closeness, to compensate for the barrier layer between shaver and user, is past employing mechanisms that elevator, cut, and guide facial hair into the cutter. In add-on to including multiple heads, foil shaver makers add jagged guide blocks that are designed to capture longer, tougher hairs; the variable patterns are intended to act every bit whisker-trapping labyrinths. Rotary shaver makers apply beard lifters that are congenital into the dozens of tiny, spinning blades; they're generally scythe-like, so hairs are (in theory) scooped upwardly and pulled taut from beneath the pare line, at which point they can be cleanly cut. Both rotary and foil shaver manufacturers add pulses and vibrations to their higher-end models. These are designed to get your whiskers continuing a footling straighter, for better contact with the shaver's cutters. (In practice, we've plant that shavers with higher pulse rates do tend to smooth the face a little more efficiently, and they reduce the amount of force per unit area needed to get a clean shave.)
How nosotros picked and tested
One matter that makes choosing an electric shaver confusing: Nearly all manufacturers offering their razors in accompaniment- and feature-laden (or not) "Series" sales schemes. Some come with cleaning systems; some don't. Some can work in the shower with shaving foam; some can't. Some have digital readouts showing how much battery is left in the shaver or whether it needs to exist cleaned; others offer simpler LED displays.
Hither's the thing: The razors within a given line all provide the same shave. Any Braun Serial 7, regardless of accessories and features, will shave your confront only every bit closely equally whatsoever other Series 7. The aforementioned goes for annihilation in Panasonic'southward diverse serial designations, and for Philips Norelco and Remington models. But calculation or subtracting a feature or two can shift the cost of a shaver by every bit much as $100. For that kind of coin, it's important to decide what'south worth information technology to you—and what isn't.
We examined customer reviews at Amazon and other retailers to find the meridian-rated, all-time-selling electrical razors. (This was more hard than information technology sounds, since the multiple layers of same-shaver-with-different-accessories model-number anarchy means multiple listings for what is essentially the same razor.) While we looked at a variety of features, we decided early on that our judgment of the winning shaver would exist based almost exclusively on the closeness of the shave. That's considering ultimately it'south the nearly of import thing—and because nearly all of the shaver makers offer versions of their various devices with and without bells and whistles.
Beyond the closeness of the shave, we considered:
- Rinsability: The ease of rinsing a shaver in the sink—especially when you lot're traveling—is important. A piffling warm water and a gentle brushing will clean your razor likewise equally a standard cleaning organization.
- Cleaning systems: Though you lot can clean almost any shaver manually, a cleaning and charging dock automates the procedure. Information technology'due south especially user-friendly to be able to shave and and so just pop your razor into a docking station and have it charged and ready to get the next morning. Note, though, that automatic cleaners are by and large loud (some roar, others just whirr) and bulky, requiring counter infinite, which may be at a premium in a small bathroom or an apartment. Although you lot can usually purchase a cleaning system separately, if you'd like this feature, buying a shaver that comes with one is almost always more economical.
- Ergonomics: A shaver should be comfortable to concord and should easily maneuver around the contours of your confront.
- Display: We looked for models that offer, at a minimum, a lighted bombardment indicator. We found more elaborate digital displays overnice but not necessary.
- Other extras: The oft-overlooked carrying case is a large plus. The heads and foils on electrical shavers are delicate and demand protection. Almost shavers come up with some kind of conveying or protective device. Lower-stop shavers tend to come with plastic head guards that snap on for transport; they piece of work, only we managed to lose most every one of them during our testing.
For the first iteration of this guide, we enlisted a panel of 12 to test a dozen electric razors each. Our physically and ethnically diverse panel included people with heavy beards who shaved daily, people with light beards who shaved as little as once or twice a calendar week, and people who had tight, inwards-curling facial hair, which oftentimes leads to razor bumps.
We asked testers to evaluate each razor for closeness of shave, speed, and irritation. Beginning, testers used the razors at whatever their standard "I demand a shave" interval was. Nosotros then asked for a double-growth test—skipping a shave—and, every bit a go-for-bankrupt scenario, a triple-growth test.
We had the testers keep the top-performing razors for extended periods to let for break-in time. We asked testers to shave 1 side of their face with one razor and the other side with some other then that they could perform direct closeness comparisons (compensating, of course, for problem areas; many people find that one side or portion of their confront is tougher to shave than another).
In addition, we weighed each model and measured the dissonance (decibel level) of each razor during functioning. We didn't test battery life, specifically; all of the models we picked were capable of running for virtually an hour on a full charge.
For an update to this guide in early on 2020, James tested the revamped Braun Series 5, 6, and 7 models for a month. Following the same procedures every bit the original panel of testers, he compared each new Braun'southward performance confronting that of the others equally well every bit our upkeep pick.
We've recruited people with diverse facial hair types and shaving preferences to exam our picks long term.
Our pick: Braun Series 7
Our selection
For a consistently shut shave, plus the convenience of an included automated cleaning organisation at a reasonable cost, we recommend the Braun Serial seven.
Edifice on the research and testing we've done for five years, we've looked into new models from competing brands that have been released, and we're confident that the Braun line of foil shavers is the all-time available. And the Serial vii offers the all-time mix of effectiveness, features, and affordability of the line.
If you look at the lower four Braun series offerings—the iii, 5, 6, and 7—you'll notice that they use fairly similar designs when it comes to the foils. Each is fundamentally a double-foil shaver with a trimmer mechanism located between the foils. The Series ix is like but has an additional trimmer between the foils. If you detect the razor when you turn information technology on, yous'll run into that the trimmer has openings that vibrate when activated; the idea is that the vibration captures the toughest parts of a bristles with a high-speed scissoring activeness.2
The most obvious departure that sets the Series 7 autonomously from other Braun models is the flexibility of the shaving block at the top. The Serial 5 remains stock-still, the Series half dozen pivots upwardly and down, and the Series 7 pivots up and downward and left and right, keeping the cutting block in contact with facial curves more of the time.
The Braun Series 7'south cleaning and charging system is typical of those available for our other picks. A big docking station holds the shaver, caput downwardly. Inserting the shaver and pressing the ability push button starts a process that includes charging and evaluating how much cleaning the shaver needs. Once that'due south adamant, the docking unit immerses the shaver in cleaning fluid—this comes in consumable cartridges, each of which lasts about 3 months—and then cleans the shaver and atmospheric condition the blades. (If yous choose to clean manually, you lot'll have to condition the blades yourself with a purpose-built solution like Remington's Shaver Saver.)
You'll need to replace the foil on your shaver more or less annually, depending on employ. Serial 7 foils have traditionally run nigh $forty.
All Braun shavers include a two-yr warranty, which covers everything simply the foil and cutting cake.
Long term examination notes
James has been using the Series 7 to shave a portion of his face (growing a pandemic beard after initial testing decreased his use somewhat) since start testing for this guide in 2020. Information technology's held upwardly remarkably well and, aside from a dip after a little more than a year of apply which was remedied past replacing the foil, the shave quality has remained consistent.
Flaws only non dealbreakers
Although nosotros appreciate that the Series 7 comes with a trimmer attachment—a device meant for maintaining sideburns or other smaller, more precise hair-cutting tasks—information technology's now a divide piece that is easy to misplace and a hassle to use compared with the congenital-in attachments on our other picks.
Upgrade choice: Braun Serial 9
Upgrade pick
While the Series 7 is powerful plenty for almost shaving situations, Braun'southward Serial 9 is the top-performing shaver we've tried that we observe worth the additional expense—at to the lowest degree for certain situations. If you have particularly curly or coarse pilus, or if you lot wish to shave less frequently but achieve the same level of closeness, this may exist the shaver for you.
At get-go glance, the biggest difference between the Serial nine and the Serial 7 is size. The Serial 9 is longer, has more girth, and is more top-heavy, all due to its quadruple-headed shaving mechanism. That four-way head sticks to Braun's traditional two-foil design but adds a pair of cutting mechanisms—a "direct & cut" trimmer and a "hyper-lift & cut" trimmer—that better snag wiry, unruly whiskers, the visitor claims.
About of our testers agreed that the Series 9 is an astonishing shaver. When Dan tried it on his three-solar day bristles, he found that it worked better than any electric shaver he had e'er used—though it paled in comparing to a standard bract when confronted with his iron curtain of a half-week's whiskers.
That extra power and operation come at a dollar and blueprint cost. Serial ix razors are notably bulkier than Series 7 razors, and some testers found the Series ix razors tough to maneuver in tight spots (like the every bit ginormous Panasonic Arc5, which this Braun line somewhat mimics).
Braun's Series 9 make clean-and-accuse base of operations uses the same cartridges as the Series 7 base (and those of all other Braun shavers) and is functionally identical. Replacement cartridges final well-nigh three months and cost about $25 for a four-pack. Replacement foils are considerably more expensive for the Series 9; they currently run nigh $50, compared with about $thirty to $twoscore for the Series 7.
Budget pick: Remington F5-5800
Upkeep pick
Among electric razors under $50, the Remington F5-5800 outperformed lower-end Braun and Panasonic models in our testing. Each of our testers said information technology gave a sufficiently close shave.
The F5-5800 has the look of a Braun clone and uses a proven dual-foil system with a center lift-and-cut trimmer mated to a pivoting caput. But unlike the Braun Series 7 foil block, which pivots forth two axes, this less-expensive shaver pivots only up and down. Although no cleaning organisation is bachelor, you can hands rinse the shaver under running water. The battery life is about lx minutes, a bit less than what Braun's model offers, simply that should be more plenty for most people, even when you're traveling.
Remington's replacement foils are around half the price of Braun's and Panasonic'due south (though you may take to supplant them more oftentimes—not considering they're any less durable, but because the Remington comes but with a cheap plastic head protector that's easily lost). The Remington offers more often than not skilful performance, but you'll likely find the shaving experience to be buzzier and potentially more irritating if you don't maintain a very light touch.
Equally with the more expensive Braun models, this Remington comes with a two-twelvemonth warranty. Remington recommends almanac replacement of the shaver's cutting block and foil, which are sold as a combo pack for almost $20.
James used the Remington for ii years, and it held up well during that menstruum. It handled daily shaves without complaint and powered through more days of growth without too much event.
Too nifty: Philips Norelco Shaver 9300
Also corking
For well-nigh people, foil-style electrical razors typically provide a closer shave. But if you prefer a rotary-way shaver, we recommend the Philips Norelco Shaver 9300, which includes a cleaning system.
Like the Braun models, these shavers are marketed in series. If you can't find the 9300, get whichever 9000-serial model is cheapest. In 2019, we tested the latest model, the S9000 Prestige (pictured), which includes a digital battery meter—a nonessential upgrade—but unlike the 9300 doesn't come with a cleaning system. It shaves the aforementioned as the 9300 does.
The 9300 can be unwieldy. For starters, the trimmer is a dissever attachment that requires removing the floating head. And because the triple-headed shaver isn't equally compact equally a foil shaver, information technology needs a larger case, which takes upwardly more space in luggage.
Philips Norelco doesn't integrate cleaning systems beyond its model line like Braun does, and though we retrieve the brand's cleaning bases work well, they're a little unwieldy to use compared with Braun's, and cleaning cartridge replacements are harder to come up by. Because of their shape, Philips Norelco razors need to be held in the cleaning base by a kind of stalk-similar support, which means an extra step of inserting the razor. You'll have to make up one's mind whether the convenience is worth it; maintaining your shaver manually with the included cleaning brush is certainly easy enough.
The 9300 requires annual cutter replacement. The shaver includes an indicator to let you know when the fourth dimension comes, and the cutters are usually in the $50 to $threescore range.
All Philips Norelco shavers come with a two-twelvemonth warranty.
Dan has been using this razor most-daily since 2018, and it all the same performs well. Its shave has remained close and comfortable and is still strong enough to mow through multiple days of growth when needed.
Utilise, care, and maintenance
An electric razor needs burglary time—not for the razor, simply for your face. If y'all're switching from a manual to an electrical, or even from ane electric style to some other, generally you lot'll need to give your skin two weeks to adjust to the new tool. We couldn't figure out exactly why this break-in period is necessary. Is it your face? Your shaving style? The razor itself? Different sources requite different answers, ranging from new-user error to the need to "train" skin as it adjusts from healing the scrapes caused by a manual razor to dealing with the pulling and shearing mechanisms of electrics.
We did a literature search and found no contained, non-industry-supported research on the topic, (this remains truthful every bit of December 2021) though judging from our experience, the intermission-in period is real. Your first electric shaves will be patchy and probably painful, and you shouldn't touch things up with a manual razor (which defeats the purpose of the intermission-in period). All major shaver makers offering a thirty- to 60-twenty-four hour period money-dorsum guarantee, and nosotros recommend that you give your new shaver time to reach elevation performance—but if it doesn't, don't exist shy about requesting that refund.3
To get the smoothest, about comfy electric shave, no thing which shaver you choose, you lot demand to remember that electrics can't easily go as close as a blade. Most electric shaver makers offer advice on how to get the optimal shave. Unfortunately, that advice sometimes conflicts. Braun, for case, suggests shaving first thing in the morning. ("We recommend that you lot shave before yous wash, since the skin tends to be slightly swollen after washing.") Philips Norelco says to wash but not shower ("…otherwise your pare volition be hot, puffy…"). Our testers used dissimilar techniques. Dan has dabbled with electric razors about of his adult life, and his technique is based generally on saving time. Since he has two kids, he'south always in a rush beginning thing in the morning; when using a manual razor, he shaves in the shower. Just with an electric shaver, he waits to shave during a calmer moment midmorning.
No matter when you lot shave, be sure to follow some basic-technique tips. Men's Wellness UK offers a fairly extensive tutorial, but the takeaway is: Go lightly. Don't press those cutting blades into your peel. Instead, gently pull the pare taut with one hand and permit the razor glide over your face up in slow, steady strokes; experiment with circular motions and straight strokes, and going with or against the grain (yous're looking for the perfect rest of closeness and post-shave comfort). All of the razors we recommend take pivoting heads, and then maintaining a proper angle is piece of cake, but if you're using a shaver with a fixed head (such equally a Wahl), make certain to concord the head at a correct angle to your skin. Nigh every shaver manufacturer—in a tacit admission that these devices don't really shave as close as a blade—recommends that you snag your longest, toughest facial hairs beginning, using the shaver'due south born trimmer. Several of our testers said they used a manual razor to get those hairs at the end of the shave, which to u.s. felt kind of like a "what's the betoken?" proffer.
One question nosotros've been asked a lot is whether to use a pre-shave. The best known of these is Williams Lectric Shave, an alcohol-based solution that helps "the shaver glide with less irritation." It used to claim—see this advertisement from a 1982 issue of Field & Stream—that it made a "beard stand up." How much this actually happens isn't like shooting fish in a barrel to plant, and in our group, Dan was the just tester who actually used and liked a pre-shave. The magic ingredient in almost pre-shaves is isopropyl myristate, a synthetic oil created past compounding alcohol and a fatty acid. Combined, the two provide lubrication (the substance is too a key ingredient in Liquid Wrench) without a greasy feeling, so claims that they assistance an electric razor to glide are probably credible.
Our writers don't regularly use Lectric Shave—for Dan information technology smells besides much like his Uncle Larry'south bathroom. His preferred pre-shave, Kyoku for Men Electric Pre-Shave Optimizer, contains that key ingredient, which he says does make his skin feel smoother and more taut for shaving. Other pre-shaves include powders, which are effective but messy according to Amazon customer reviews, and thicker creams (such as in Mennen's Afta), which tend to gunk upward the shaver, making it tougher to clean.
You can use shavers in the shower, but a dry out face is generally recommended to go the smoothest electric shave. We establish that using shaving foam made for a foil-bottleneck, actress-gooey experience. Using shaving cream is likely to increase the amount of time you spend shaving, if you desire to reach the closeness you lot'd get going dry.
Most shavers are rinsable, and yous can easily clean them under water with a quick brush of the foils. Some, like the Braun Series vii and 9 models nosotros recommend, come with cleaning stations. Mostly, replacement cleaning cartridges last about iii months and cost a petty over $5 each if y'all purchase them in six-packs. You should as well follow the manufacturer'due south instructions for replacing foils and cutting blocks. Braun recommends replacement every 18 months (the block and foil come as a single unit, running nigh $thirty for the Series 7 and $50 for the Series 9); Philips Norelco and Remington recommend annual replacement.
I warning for those on the go: The foil heads establish on most electric units are delicate, and if you paring or bend one, yous'll need to replace it. Most shavers come with some kind of case or shaving-head protector. It'south a good idea to apply that.
Other adept electric razors
We kickoff tested the Panasonic Arc5 in 2015, then tried information technology over again against our top selection, the Braun Series 7, in 2021. This top-of-the-line Panasonic shaver includes a total of five blades—a quartet of foils and a single aquiver lift-and-cut center trimmer. While the abundance of foils did a comparable job to the Serial 7'southward when mowing through stubble in our original testing and in our more than recent comparing, they make the Arc5's cut block noticeably chunkier than that of the Series 7, which makes working around smaller facial areas—like under the olfactory organ or effectually an existing beard—more than hard. The Arc5 is quieter than the Series 7, simply the noise information technology does make is much college pitched, which some may observe annoying. If you find that Braun models aren't working for you, the Arc5 might be a better choice for your skin or pilus type.
The competition
The series at the lower finish of Braun's foil shaving line that we tested—the Serial v and Series 6—each performed fine in our testing, and with a bit more work and time all somewhen gave the same shave equally the Serial 7. Simply neither outperformed our upkeep pick.
Braun offers a Series 8 shaver at select retailers, and that version sells for less than a Series 7 usually does. Information technology's a rebadged Series v with a larger bombardment.
Nosotros tried Philips Norelco's lower-end rotary models but determined that the make's 9000 serial performed meliorate, and it was so closely priced that information technology was a meliorate buy for almost people. In our feel, the 4000-serial razor didn't shave closely enough to be worth their bargain prices. Yet, i member of our test panel has been using a 4000-serial model for years, and they yet love it, even after trying much more expensive models.
If the 9300 is unavailable or you're shopping for an even-more-budget rotary, we recommend opting for whatsoever Philips Norelco model rather than one of the many inexpensive—and confront-mangling—3- or four-headed knockoffs popular on Amazon and eBay.
We initially wanted to look at the legendary Wahl v Star shaver; the maroon-colored model is love by barbers, who take nicknamed it "The Brick." But since it'southward by and large sold via pro hairdresser-supply sources, we opted for a close cousin, the company's Custom Shave, which is no longer available. The Custom Shave is near as generic-looking an electrical shaver as you can find—a tapered hunk of black plastic with a not-floating head and an on/off switch. It comes with a trio of interchangeable foils: one for standard closeness, one for sensitive peel, and another for "ultra closeness." The foils are visibly different—smaller holes mean a less-aggressive shave. Owners should "never begin with the ultra head," Wahl spokesperson Steven Yde warns. "It volition eat you alive." A couple of our testers really liked the bones expect and feel of the Wahl and establish that the shaver cutting powerfully and smoothly. That said, you can't make clean the Wahl shavers under h2o (yous use a brush), and they don't accept a terribly good reputation for longevity, according to Amazon client reviews.
Nosotros've besides tried a few oddball electrical razors. These include Hitachi's well-regarded-but-not-available-in-the-U.s. S-Blade RM160, a shaver that features a unique cutting technology that'southward a sort of foil-rotary hybrid: A rotating blade sits underneath a foil head; the cutter spins similar an old-fashioned push lawn mower, rather than lying apartment, as the automobile-wax-buffer-like discs on Philips rotaries do. We as well tested the sub-$10 Aokai T01 and the sub-$ten Kemei Classical Multifunction Model 5600. These cheapies showed united states of america that technology and adroitness do matter and that there's a limit to how low in price a shaver should get. Both of these models dip significantly below that waterline, though the Kemei gets a few goofball mode points because it ane) has a fake, stitched-leather finish; 2) looks like an oversize cigarette lighter; and 3) has a built-in mirror. (Nosotros peculiarly loved the born mirror—what a great idea, nosotros thought, except, of form, that you can't actually expect into information technology while you lot're shaving.)
Finally, but for style—they're gorgeous—we bought a couple of vintage shavers on eBay: an original Schick from the 1930s, too as Ronson and Remington models from the 1960s. Equally lovely every bit these vintage shavers are, electric shavers crave regular maintenance, so buying a used one is more often than not a dead end because replacement parts merely aren't available.
Footnotes
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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-electric-razor/
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