Electric or manual shaver?

Shavers come with plenty of options available, enough to fill up an aisle in the drugstore. Choosing the right one for you is not always easy. Which razor works best? Electric? Manual? Well, both have their pros and cons, which I’m going to explain below to help you decide what is best for your shaving style.

Electric shaver

Pros:

An electric shaver rolls up the skin, forcing the hairs up before cutting them, which means that you don’t need to cover the same areas as many times as you would with a manual razor, thus saving you a lot of time. It is also easy to carry around, so if you’re late for work you can always take your best electric razor with you and shave in the washroom when you get there. An electric razor does not require shaving products like shaving cream, soap, gel or even water, and it is quite versatile, as it can be used to shave facial hair, beard, mustache, and sideburns. Finally, your best electric shaver reduces the risks of nicks, cuts, and ingrown hair.

Cons

Electric razors do not shave as far as manual ones, so the result is not as smooth and you may have to shave more often. Since they are electrical devices, their maintenance requires more attention, and most of them cannot be used in the shower, although there are models that are waterproof. Also, the price of initial purchase and replacement parts can be quite steep.

Manual shavers

Pros

Manual shavers provide a smoother shave for a longer period of time than electrical shavers. They are simple to use, and having no electrical circuit, are less prone to defects. Manual razors are cheaper than their electrical counterparts and are easy to clean and maintain.

Cons

When you shave with a manual shaver, you also take off a very thin layer of skin. For people on blood thinning medication and those with difficulty healing, this may be problematic or even dangerous. Seniors with wrinkled skin may also experience problems when shaving with a manual razor, and because their hand is often unsteady they risk cutting themselves.

Shaving with a manual shaver takes longer because it requires special products like shaving cream; soap, gels and aftershave solution, and because you need to go over the same area several times. Another downside is that you need to change the blade often because it looses its sharpness quickly.

For more information, visit Best Electric Shaver.

Want to learn about the best electric shavers for men? Check out Top 10 electric shavers for men.

Top 10 electric shavers for men: our readers favorites

Do you wonder what are the top 10 electric shavers? Are you tired of nicks and cuts, irritation, hair pulling, bad batteries, burning sensations…  If you answered yes to any of the above, please read the following.

A best electric razor will give you the convenience of a quick shaving, with no burns and cuts. But this is only if your gadget works! A good electric shaver has to provide you with a close shave, on the neck and face, above the lips like under the lips, be easy to handle, preferably be rechargeable, preferably be usable dry or wet, be easy to clean and of course, should last you many years of great shaving. And good devices with good features are not given, this is why it is important to do a little bit of research before hand and not buy a product based solely on its look or based on the brand. To make your research easier, I’ve have compiled here the best electric shaver for different categories. This is based not only on the description given by the manufacturer, but also on the reviews of hundreds of happy consumers.

Unfortunately, not all electric shavers compare. And like many other electric gadgets, price doesn’t always mean quality. Being frustrated myself with bad cuts from razor blades, and from electric razors that irritate my skin, I went on the search for the top 10 electric shavers.

After a few weeks of research, I am ready to share with you some the top 10 electric shavers, also the best selling available on the market.

Panasonic steals the show among my top 10 electric shavers this year. While the Panasonic ES-LA93-K (#2) is an incredible shaver, it is also a luxury. This is why guys often prefer the more affordable Panasonic ES8109S Vortex (#1), a wet/dry foil shaver, that can, just like the ES-LA93-K, not only be used with hot water, but can also be used with shaving creams for extra close shavings! The Braun Series 7- 790cc Pulsonic shaver (#3) also offers an incredible close shave. I found that guys especially loved the Clean & Renew System which makes shaving mess free while keeping your electric shaver like new.

Top 10 electric shavers

1. Panasonic ES8109S Vortex Wet/Dry Shaver – BEST OVERALL

2. Panasonic ES-LA93-K Vortex Men’s Shaver

3. Braun Series 7- 790cc Pulsonic shaver

4. Panasonic ES-LA63-S Arc IV Multi Flex Nanotech Rechargeable Shaver

5. Panasonic ES7103K Pro-Curve Wet/Dry Triple Head Shaver BEST FOR SMALL BUDGETS

6. Panasonic ES8243A Arc IV Nano Men’s Wet/Dry Rechargeable Shaver

7. Panasonic ES8249K Arc IV Nano Vortex Wet/Dry Rechargeable Shaving System

8. Philips Norelco 7810 Men’s Cutting System shaver

9. Braun PocketGo P-70 Men’s Shaver – BEST FOR TRAVELERS

10. Remington R-960 Titanium Rotary MicroFlex shaver

I picked the Panasonic ES7103K (#5) as one of my top 10 electric shavers because it not only has received outstanding reviews, but is also a great item for people on budget (priced under $100). Travelers? You will love the Braun PocketGo P-70 (#9). It may not be the best of the top 10 electric shavers, but this baby is sure an excellent tool for travelers. It is light and can be used with batteries, a FANTASTIC feature since I (and maybe you too), tend to forget the damn charger when going away…

Need more information? Come back for updates about our top 10 electric shavers for him on Best Electric Shaver!

A review of the Braun 7-790cc electric shaver

Very satisfied with the Braun 7-790cc

The Braun 7-790cc electric shaver product is Braun top of the line razor model and uses the Braun Pulsonic technology which is an ultrasonic vibrating head technology. This electric razor is capable of providing a very close shave.

Review

Design of the head and foil

The head of the shaver is quite unique. There are three sets of blades, two sets with floating head at the top and bottom and a trimmer set in the middle to get the longer hair, which allow the shaver to get all the different size of hair on the beard. The screen was designed to optimize the cutting of the hair follicles. I find that the shaver is quite efficient at it.

This best electric shaver has a very active head (10,000 micro vibrations per minute). The shaver has a swivel head, which goes twice as far as other Braun shavers and that gives you more flexibility. The head also has a locking button and you can simply lock the head when you need to access an area where you want to head to remain straight, like under the nose.

The foil uses the Gillette blade technology and last about 18 months, where after you will need to change it, and an indicator will even tell you when it’s time to replace it. The foil easily pops out so you can easily change it.

Trimmer

One of the nice feature the unit has is the pop-up trimmer, which is especially good if you have sideburns.

LED indicator

A the bottom of the best electric shaver, an LED indicator tells you the battery life and the level of cleanliness of the shaver. The Braun 7-790cc can last up to a week of daily shaving on a full charge.

Base

The base will not only charge the device, but will also clean it. The stand uses the “clean and renew” cleaning product with lemon scented oil that will lubricate the razor blades, with a really nice and refreshing scent. This makes it very convenient. After shaving, all you need to do is to put the shaver back on its stand, hit one button, and it it goes to work to not only charge the battery, but also to sterilize the blades. The stand has different levels of cleaning needed depending on your need – from an eco quick clean to the super duty cleaning. There is also the option of a 20 seconds fast clean.

If you are travelling, there are great options for you. First, the shaver can also be washed under running water, so you don’t need to “clean and renew” you shaver all the time. For charging, you have the option of plugging your charger to the well by taking the cord right out of the base and charging the shaver directly. Plus the shaver comes with a nice hard plastic travel case.

Conclusion

The shaver is made in Germany and have a very good hold and feel to it. So this ends my review of the the Braun 7-790cc electric razor which is probably, in my opinion, the best electric razor I’ve ever owned and gives a nice clean tight shave.

Tips

Tip when using this electric shaver:

• The manufacturer, Braun, recommends to shave before showering or washing your face, has the oil on your face will protects from irritation.
• Unlike for manual shaving, it is recommend to shave against the grain with the Braun 7-790cc.

Jonathan Willards, for Best Electric Shaver.

A review of the Philips Norelco Arcitec 1090 Men’s Shaving System

Philips Norelco arcitec 1090 Men’s Shaving System

Good everyday shaver – Disappointing for beards and mustaches

The Philips Norelco arcitec 1090 Men’s Shaving System is the very latest product in Philip’s Arcitec line of shavers, but this product unfortunately does not completely stands the high expectations from the previous Norelco generations. Philips Norelco claims that the boasting innovative new enhancements such as the 360 degree range of motion swivelling head, and advanced tube trimmer, makes this rotary Philips Norelco one of the best electric shaver on the market in 2010.

It is true that Philips offers here a 360 degree swiveling shaving head and a state-of-the art sleek design, making the Arcitec the most advanced Philips Norelco shaver yet. Compared to other Philips Norelco shavers, Arcitec offers new flex & pivot technology, a more aerodynamic design, and an advanced tube trimmer.

Pros:

Let’s start with the good stuff. First off in any shaver review, you want to know just how well does this thing shave? Well, be assured that this thing delivers a smooth, comfortable shave. The new “Flex and Pivot” technology really shines here, making it easy to reach every spot on your face without revisiting. I have a couple problem areas, especially around my neck/ear area and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it caught the hairs there without any trouble.

Also, although this doesn’t actually affect how well the shaver performs, this is one attractive shaver. You might almost declare this the best rotary elecric shaver of 2010 solely on the state of the art design. It’s a beautiful shaver, with it’s carbon fiber exterior and slim ergonomic design, it fits snugly in the palm of your hand.

State-of-the-Art Design: arcitec’s ‘central drive’ technology makes it possible to design an ultra slim ergonomic body that fits snugly in your hand — making it more comfortable to hold and effortless to use. The central drive technology connects all rotary blades to the shaving motor using only one spindle (axle) for a more comfortable grip.

Cons:

The old adage “You get what you pay for” is more or less true for the Philips Norelco arcitec 1090 Men’s Shaving System, as this is no budget shaver. Quality comes at a price, but luckily the shaver isn’t too expensive at well under $200 with an Amazon sale.

So for the bad stuff, I noticed that this trimmer is a lot noisier than the previous generation, which is a bit disappointing. This wasn’t a big deal, as I’m not trying to shave while spying on people, but it would be nicer if the shaver ran quietly.

While the Arcitec is actually pretty good when you use it daily for a clean shave, I find that it lacked the power to cut long whiskers. If you miss a few days of shaving, you will need to use a trimmer before finishing off with the Philips Norelco Arcitec 1090.

This model also features a built-in trimmer like previous generations. Unfortunately, it’s a bit narrow and I found it wasn’t that effective.

This reviewer (RalphyDaly28) summarizes exactly what I think:

“I will admit that it is light, feels good in the hand, and shaves well if you use it every day. If you skip shaving for a few days it takes many passes before it shaves all the long whiskers. I typically need to use a trimmer to cut some strays down before finishing off.”

Conclusion :

By Jonathan Willard

Guide to the best electric shaver on the market

Shopping for the best electric shaver on the market

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>>SEE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS<<

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So it is time to shop for a new electric shaver? When purchasing an electric shaver, there are many points you should consider. Good electric shavers are not cheap, and it is in your best interest to make a wise investment that will last several good years of shaving. Before purchasing a shaver, read reviews and compare products. Here are some key points to help you decide what electric shavers.

The Basics

So this is what you need to know before buying an electric shaver.

1) Rotary or Foil? This is often a question of personal preference. Some men with thicker beard prefer the cutting power of the rotary shavers, while more sensitive skins will prefer the smoothness of a foil shaver. (see Foil vs Rotary Shavers)
2) What type of beard do you have. A thick dark beard, or a softer beard?
3) What type of skin do you have. Is your skin the sensitive type that will get irritated at the touch of any material, or do you have a tough skin that will endure the worst pain caused by a dull blade? (see Avoiding Electric Shaver Irritation)
4) Close shave is always a priority. Now the myth is that manual shaving is the way to go for a close shave. This was true a decade ago, but new technology has improved the quality of shave of electric razors, and the best ones will give a darn close shave as well.
5)The main names are: Braun, Panasonic, Philips Norelco and Remington.

The Features

Feature feature, tell me who’s the most important one.

1) Battery indicator life. Not a requirement, but a great addition to any best electric shaver. They allow you to know when it’s time to charge it, to avoid bad surprises when you need to shave the most.
2) Trimmer or no trimmer? If you like a clean shave, with no facial hair, chances are that you will never use the trimmer. But if you have a goatee, a mustache, sideburns, a beard or any other type of facial hair, a pop-up trimmer can be a good addition to a shaver.
3) Cord or cordless. A rechargeable shaver is always more convenient, but in some cases, i.e. when your rechargeable needs to be recharged and you need to shave NOW, a cord is more than welcomed. The options are: cord, rechargeable no cord, rechargeable with cord, rechargeable no cord with a 3-5 minutes fast charge option.
4) Dry or Wet/Dry. Unlike many believe, many electric shavers for men can be used wet in the shower, or even with shaving cream. A wet option allows for an optimal shave, especially you have more sensitive skin. (see How to Wetshave with a Panasonic Electric Shaver)

Other criteria

Moreover, when searching for a new razor, look for
1) Durability - needless to say that it often comes at a price
2) Something that is user friendly - sometimes too many buttons makes the razor worst!
3) A razor that will give you a fast shave - nobody wants to spend their morning shaving
4) An ergonomic grip for more comfort while shaving. This is especially true if you are shaving wet as the electric razor becomes slippery
5) A quiet motor, unless you want to make the morning buzz the household alarm clock
So now the big question is which is the best electric shaver on the market? Here are 5 great electric shavers, and which of them, we give you a short summary of why we think they are the best.

What we heartily recommend

1. Panasonic ES8243A Arc IV Nano Men’s Wet/Dry Rechargeable Shaver
Everything a men can dream of in a shaver can be found in the Panasonic ES8243A Arc IV. LCD battery indicator? Got it. Micro Polished Nanotech Blades? Got it. 30 degree angle blades? Got it. Wet/Dry system… Got it! Just click on it, you won’t be disappointed.
2. Braun Series 7- 790cc Pulsonic Shaver
This beautiful device will shave as close as a manual razor once you master it. Both Panasonic have a cleaning module, but Braun has the best self cleaning system. A 10,000 micro-vibrations which results simply speak for themselves. Not surprising that it is the bestselling electric razor!!
3. Panasonic ES8228S Men’s Linear Vortex Nano Arc Foil Shaving System
A beautiful, elegant and functional device. Its 13000 rpm motor and a the “nano sharpened blades” create an amazing shaving experience. Allows you to shave with shaving creme, soap or gel, in the shower or dry. The results? An obscenely good shave!
4. Philips Norelco Speed 8240XL Men’s Shaving System
Triple head lovers, we didn’t forget about you. This Philips Norelco rotary shaver will make the joy of many men in search for a good rotary razor. The LED power indicator will keep you away from bad surprises. No cleaning system, but the – shaver can be cleaning under running tap water. Plus this shaver is so quiet as notes this happy consumer “It is so quiet I can carry on a conversation with my wife while using it“. Norelco gives consistently affordable good shavers once again.
5. Panasonic ES7103K Pro-Curve Wet/Dry Triple Head Shaver
While you get easily get a good rotary razor for under a hundred bucks, good foil razors can cost you up to 400$! This is why foil shaver lovers with love this budget electric shaver. Rated 4.5 by its users, this shaver (by Panasonic again!) offers everything men want : a good shave. Forget about the bells and the whistles and go directly to the center of the problem.

For more information and useful shaving tips, visit Best Electric Shaver.

Review of the Panasonic Pro Curve Double Blade ES4026NC

Panasonic Pro Curve Double Blade ES4026NC

Value electric shaver with some shortcomings

I purchased the Panasonic Pro Curve Double Blade ES4026NC and have been using it for a few weeks now, and now that I’ve made enough use of it, I think I can give it a fair review. I’ve always been a faithful Remington customer, but reviews of the latest products weren’t great and my father-in-law highly recommended me to try a Panasonic electric shaver. Obviously, I will be comparing a lot to my old Braun shavers, which I’ve been accustomed to for over 10 years.

Review

WET/DRY FEATURE

I must say that the first thing that pushed me to try this shaver (other than it’s low cost and my father-in-law) is the wet/dry feature. I really like having the option of choosing between shaving or… well anywhere you can think of.  My Braun shaver did not have that option. And I must say that I realized how much better I prefer to shave in the shaver. The hot water helps the shave to glide more smoothly on my face and neck. I tried shaving dry a few times, but my preference certainly goes to wet shaving. However, it is nice to have the dry option when you need to do a small-touch up only. And clean-up of this best electric shaver is fantastic : remove the cap and clean the blade under running water.

QUALITY OF SHAVE

I haven’t try the newest Brauns, but I find that the ES4026NC gives me a shave that is much closer than any other electric shavers I’ve own in the past, almost as close as a razor blade I have to say!

COMFORTABLE SHAVE

The ES4026NC has an ergonomic design, a gives a very natural feel when you hold it while shaving. One criticism : the anti-slip rubber material does not cover where I hold the shaver, it seems to cover mostly the sides of the  razor, while I hold the razor on the front and back (I just find it easier to control the shaver this way).

CHARGE

This is the area where the Panasonic Pro Curve Double Blade ES4026NC lacks the most.  This model has a nickel cadmium batter which are known to lose their charge if they are not fully depleted of power before being recharged. I also thought this shaver gives me less shaving per charge (half the number of shaves compared to my older Braun). And last, you can’t use a cord for shaving if your battery is dead – the shaver sits directly on the charger without any cord, which can be an annoyance when you are in a hurry. However, if you upgrade to more sophisticated models, they seem to all have a quick 5 minutes charge.

POP-UP TRIMMER

The 90 degree angle pop-up trimmer can be used for trimming beards, sideburns or mustaches. I find the trimmer to be a little bit oddly angled and prefer by far the trimmer on my old Braun.

Conclusion

I think that the Panasonic Pro Curve Double Blade ES4026NC is a great little electric razor, good value and is great if you travel a lot (lightweight and doesn’t take much space in your suitcase). Of course, the shaver has its little imperfections, but, overall and for the price, it does the job and I recommend using it wet with shaving cream.

By Simon G., for Best Electric Shaver.