The foil’s perforations guide the whiskers into the block, where a pair of opposing blades slice them off. The action is more like what you’d get from a pair of scissors than from a knife. Rotary shavers use similar perforated surfaces to guide whiskers toward their cutters, but instead of snipping, hundreds of tiny blades slice hairs with a circular motion. Imagine the horizontal spinning blade on a power lawn mower—but with teeth—and you’ll get the idea. Some Braun razors work best on dry skin, while others work well on wet skin.
Right now, the bundle, which includes a charging stand and storage pouch, is 20 percent off. For the overall quality of shave at a non-crazy price, I’d personally recommend Braun’s updated flagship Series 9. It gets you smooth even if you haven’t shaved for 3 days and I prefer the feel of foil to rotary. Having tried all these models, it’s actually quite hard to differentiate between the most expensive, ‘flagship’ models.
On top of that, the three slim foil blades also move independently from side to side. The upshot is a shaver head that mooches around the face like a caterpillar, snipping here, there and everywhere until there isn’t a bristle left in sight. I was frankly astounded by how close it shaved, even ‘dry’ straight out of the box. However, if you really want the absolute best electric shaver, pay that premium and get the Series 9000 Prestige. This will deal with 5 days worth of stubble and comes with a wireless charging pad that also works on compatible phones. It’s also notably more premium in terms of look and feel than any other shaver.
Many electric razors offer both dry and wet shaving capabilities. After conducting our Series 9 Pro review, we found the razor cuts shaving time into philips shaver a fraction of what other electric razors typically put out. There’s even Sonic Technology that lifts hair to deliver a closer shave in less time.
If you struggle with things like razor bumps, post-shave irritation or even acne, an electric razor may offer a more gentle experience for you. So overall, what you get with the Series 8 is a high quality trimmer for about $75 cheaper than the industry-leader. In our roundup of the best electric razors, we picked the Philips Norelco 3800 as the best less-expensive overall razor for its simplicity and affordability.
Several of the newer designs adjust the power to the foils when dealing with thicker or coarser beards or facial hair. “Philips Norelco pioneered artificial intelligence in electric shavers with the debut of Philips Norelco Shaver Series 7000 in January 2021,” said Brett Bardsley, Philips Norelco Marketing Director. “SenseIQ technology is the outcome of years of research and development and delivers superior results, helping users feel confident in their shave no matter their hair length, hair type or skin type.” If the electric shavers have any advanced features, such as an additional trimmer or quick charging, we’ll try these out to test if they work and if they’re worth the extra money they no doubt command. We’ll usually spend a week or longer testing new electric shavers, and the review process is fairly straightforward – we use them to shave our faces.
But that doesn’t mean you should just take your electric razor out of the box and start zooming without first knowing how to get a close shave. The Braun Series 8 features four synchronized shaving elements that can cut in one stroke what other razors do in two. You get most of the features in the Series 8 as you do the Braun Series 9.
EVEN THOUGH my grooming routine is extensive, I’m a minimalist at heart. I like nothing more than an easy-to-use, no-fuss-no-muss product that can cut down my grooming time. I was still stuck on the pre-shave, shaving cream, razor, aftershave hamster wheel and couldn’t seem to get off. No matter what I did, and no matter what product I tried, I couldn’t seem to get rid of them. In some Prestige packages there’s also a rotating brush that you can use to deep cleanse your face.
For starters, make sure your skin is clean before starting your shave. If you have a wet and dry use shaver, you can go at your scruff right out of the shower (or even in the shower) after washing your face. If you have a dry shaver only, then you can use a light amount of philips electric shaver pre-shave oil or you can wash your face and then pat yourself dry with a towel—these types of shavers work best with stubble that’s stiff and void of any moisture. Unlike shaving with a traditional razor or safety razor, an electric razor has a pretty low learning curve.