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.
If you have sensitive follicles you might consider Braun’s smoother shave worth the extra $80 over Panasonic’s close and efficient cut. Braun’s Series 5, however, which is closer in price to the Arc3, is just buzzy and inefficient by comparison. You’ll have to rinse lather off the Arc3 more frequently than the Arc5, but it doesn’t smear the lather around your face the way Braun’s shavers do. Combining a slick shaving philips electric razor cream and the Arc3 is a luxe upgrade to your morning shave routine without the risk of nicks. According to instructions supplied with the units, the shaving heads need cleaning every 2 months and replacing every 18 months. The Philishave shaver was invented by Philips engineer Alexandre Horowitz, who used rotating cutters instead of the reciprocating cutters that had been used in previous electric shavers.
We asked some proper experts for guidance on what to look for when it comes to a quality electric shaver from our mate Joe Mills, founder of Joe Mills Studio and GQ’s Barber of the Year. “This magic thing was something I saw on TikTok and didn’t think it’d work. It’s super gentle and leaves zero razor burn. I’ve used it on my ankles, bikini line, and even armpits. Love, love, love it.” —Lauren G. We charged each shaver and then timed how long it took for them to totally run out of juice. Models from Panasonic, Remington and Philips have much more room inside the foil to scoop up the lather between rinses, while the Braun heads just “snowplow” the cream around your face. Panasonic pulls out all the stops with a five-foil monster shaver, and in some spots it’ll give you the closest shave in fewer passes than with the Arc3. If the solo model of the Series 7 came with at big discount we might tell you to forget about the stand entirely, but the sad truth is that Braun has made it hard to find them and the prices go up and down all the time.
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.
Panasonic has often been pegged as an also-ran in the shaver race, but when we balance performance, price and design considerations we think the Arc3 ES-LT3N-K does its job best. When shopping for an electric razor and using one for the first time, there are a few things you should keep in mind. When powered on, the Arc5’s display employs an LED dashed circle that slowly disappears, piece by piece as the shaver’s battery level drops. Disappointingly, the Series 9 does not come equipped with any beard maintenance accessories. More troubling than this is the fact that the shaver grows hot, very quickly, when in use. The only drawback I discovered while testing the Life Proof is that it did not perform very well in the shower or with shaving cream, making it less competitive amongst its peers.
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 philips razor 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.