The device uses a three-blades, a set of trimmers, and a hypoallergenic foil to lift and cut hair in minutes. Our hair is as individual as our fingerprints, but we hope that we’ve given you enough info to buy an electric shaver that you’ll love using. Our hypothesis is that the more expensive shavers are cutting more efficiently, which means you don’t need to press the shaver into your skin as much to get close; less abrasion always means less redness. On the whole, though, it seems clear that most people will be happier with the bar-shaped foils than the triangular pattern of circular foils.
If the cover comes off in your gym bag when you stuff it in your locker, it’s still vulnerable to accidentally powering on, but we like the simplicity of the design. The Arc3 also features our favorite pop-up trimmer of the bunch; it’s not a replacement for a full beard trimmer that can help you maintain a consistent length, but for edging a moustache or sideburns it’s perfect. Panasonic’s secret weapon has always been in the motor, and this shaver has that same strength. While the Braun shavers (even the spendy Series 7 and Series 9) sound like hair clippers, Panasonic’s shavers give a higher-pitched and much smoother whine, like an angry bumblebee to Braun’s runaway sewing machine. In the past, I acted as the spokesperson for two global brands, Lab Series by Estee Lauder and Philips Norelco.
This is because it will take a few weeks for you to find the right touch to achieve a close, comfortable, and irritation-free shave. So, you may experience extra heat on the skin from slower beginner shaving, to some hair tugging (or pulling) in more challenging areas of the face before you are 100% happy with your new shaver. And learning from the best is probably a good way to avoid mistakes and skin irritation further down the line. “First off, you need to ensure your skin and stubble are clean,” says Mills. “Then apply a small amount of electric shaver skin prep cream and rub it into the skin and stubble you are trimming.
Simply place the shaver into the pod and the cleaning solution inside will clean and lubricate the 9500’s blades, ensuring that it’s ready for the next time you need a shave. The Pod’s cleaning solution needs to be replaced on a regular basis, but the 9500’s shaving heads can also be rinsed off under a running faucet. We shouldn’t have to talk about the hygiene issues with using the same device you use on your body as your face, but in case we do, you definitely shouldn’t use the same electric shaver all over your body. In fact, we’d happily point you towards our best body hair trimmers article to learn about the best tools for that job. Unless you’ve already got stubble all over your body, these razors aren’t well-equipped for a total groom where the sun doesn’t shine, and you should definitely invest in the right tools if that’s what you’re keen on. The difference in cleaning score mostly came down to easy access to the inside of the cutting system.
Once on, its cutting ability is optimized by shaving in an up, down, or across motion. This action effectively captures and cuts each hair no matter the direction the hair grows in. For this shaver as well, overlapping shaving strokes will also aid in reducing shaving irritation. Lastly, one of the biggest benefits of electric razors is how they can be used almost anywhere.
And since the razor is ergonomic, you can skillfully maneuver it around your curves without the threat of a nick. This was the most variable feedback we got from testers, particularly for the rotary-type shavers. After testing the top-class Philips – 8900, one tester (who has used a Braun foil-type shaver for years) said it was pulling at his hair so much he wondered if it was broken or might have a faulty battery. We tried to find alternatives to the big three, and we didn’t see much that was encouraging. Skipping no-name shavers that seemed too much of a gamble, we found two more models to calibrate our test experiences. It’s the shaver of choice for barbers cleaning up fades, and we wanted to see how it fares in a lineup of complex waterproof razors.
Carefully tracking against the “grain” of hair to cut closer is a bit easier that way. The battery life in the Series 5 is definitely a step up from budget shavers, but it’s still not replaceable and the waterproof design still won’t turn on when it’s plugged in. The new solo model 5147s is harder to find and lists for $120; we bought the 5190 with cleaning stand for $115 and it’s probably going to remain the best value for this series.
Combined with its powerful motor that provides an impressive 84,000 cutting motions per minute, it helps ensure that each shave is perfectly suited to your face. For more versatility, we recommend Panasonic’s Multishape has multiple heads that include a toothbrush, beard trimmer, hair clipper and nose hair trimmer. Now that the razors are designed to run philips electric razor wet, it’s pretty easy to spread some soap on the foil and run the shaver motor while the head is immersed, just as the cleaning stand does. We couldn’t see any difference between this cleaning method and the results from the stand. The Lifeproof’s performance on all hair types (straight, curly, thick, and overly-curly) ranked surprisingly above average.
That said, if you’re okay with a bit of scruff returning at the end of each day this might be a great razor for you. It’s louder and vibrates far more than the Series 7, definitely not the same class of motor. So far as we can tell the design and construction of the cutting heads is the same, you can even snap a Series 7 head onto the Series 5 body, but the comfortable shave of the Series 7 just wasn’t there anymore. If you’re okay sacrificing a little bit of comfort to save some money, Panasonic is a much better bet. The shaver was introduced in 1939, though initial production was limited due to the outbreak of World War II (the production facility in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, was overrun by the German Army in 1940). After the war, a slightly improved version of the cigar-shaped single-head shaver was introduced.
However, even after this warning pops up, you can feel comfortable knowing that you can still achieve at least two more shaves. If you’ve ever stepped foot into a barbershop, the odds are good that you may have seen an Andis Pro-Foil shaver. This powerful electric razor is a go-to for barbers looking to finish off a haircut or quickly remove stubble. Its wide, staggered, raised blades allow the Pro-Foil to choose what portion of the blade is needed to remove hair. This is an advantage for more detailed and more gentle hair removal (i.e. maintaining a mustache line or cleaning up the neckline). Unlike many of its predecessors, the Philips Norelco 9500’s ComfortGlide rings make circular-motion-shaving virtually friction-free.