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By Ben Popken and Dan Koeppel Perforated Metal Panel Machine Manufacturers
For an ultra-efficient, nick-free shave, an electric razor is a worthy tool for your dopp kit. But only a truly great electric shaver guarantees results as close to a manual shave as you can get without breaking the bank, loading you down with unnecessary features, or creating an annoying experience.
To greet the day with a fresh face, we recommend the Braun Series 8 foil electric shaver. It shaves closely, has a long-lasting battery, offers an ergonomic design, works wet or dry, and comes with a built-in trimmer that’s actually functional. It’s also packaged with the accessories that we think most people appreciate, all for a reasonable price.
This solid, pivot-head foil electric razor consistently provides a close, clean, and comfortable shave. It’s fast and easy to use and maintain, and it comes with all the accessories you might want.
This is the same razor, but without a charging case and cleaning station.
This is the same razor, without a charging case and cleaning station. (A noncharging travel case is included.)
This model gives you a premium, easy, smooth shave in a high-end package. It comes with our top pick’s accessories, plus titanium-coated blades (with a middle trimmer) and a feature that matches the blade speed to beard density.
This model gives a close-enough facial shave that’s superior to the results from other budget foil shavers. But it underperforms on the neck, and the build and grip are not as sophisticated as on our other picks.
The best rotary shaver we tested, this model provides a close and smooth cut and comes with a variety of useful accessories.
We ranked models according to shave closeness and the number of passes required to achieve our ideal shave.
We gave extra points for wet/dry use, longer battery life, and a functional built-in trimmer.
Cleaning tools and a travel kit are nice but not strictly necessary.
We prioritized electric razors with widely available replacement foils and other parts.
This solid, pivot-head foil electric razor consistently provides a close, clean, and comfortable shave. It’s fast and easy to use and maintain, and it comes with all the accessories you might want.
This is the same razor, but without a charging case and cleaning station.
This is the same razor, without a charging case and cleaning station. (A noncharging travel case is included.)
We love the reliable and efficient shave of the Braun Series 8 electric razor, which can work wet or dry. The 8577cc version delivers an especially close electric shave in comparison with much of the competition. It has a 60-minute battery, features an ergonomic grip and a built-in trimmer, and often comes with a suite of actually useful accessories, including a travel case that also charges the razor, a cleaning center, and a cleaning brush. Although no electric razor can cut as close or come in as compact and quiet a package as a manual razor, the Series 8 performed the best relative to similarly priced electric razors we tested. Braun says that this model is designed to last up to seven years.
This model gives you a premium, easy, smooth shave in a high-end package. It comes with our top pick’s accessories, plus titanium-coated blades (with a middle trimmer) and a feature that matches the blade speed to beard density.
The wet/dry Braun Series 9 Pro has what the company says is beard-sensing technology that increases the shaver’s power when it detects thicker hair and eases off when it runs over everyday stubble. It has four shaving elements, two of which are foils and two of which are trimmers. One of the trimmers directs and cuts hairs growing in different directions, while the other lifts and cuts flat-lying hairs and is coated in gold-colored titanium nitride for durability and anti-corrosiveness. We found the Series 9 Pro’s shave to be very close and gentle, and in our testing it matched its claim of being effective at mowing through a seven-day beard. Like the 8577cc, the 9477cc version in this series comes with a charging travel case.
This model gives a close-enough facial shave that’s superior to the results from other budget foil shavers. But it underperforms on the neck, and the build and grip are not as sophisticated as on our other picks.
For around a fifth of the price of our top pick, the Remington F5-5800 offers a solid foil-based shave. It isn’t pretty or sleek, but it gets the job done, delivering a shave in our tests that was the closest among the $60-or-less options we tried. The shaving mechanism grabs the skin more roughly in comparison with higher-end models, leaving you with extra irritation and redness. In addition, the build isn’t as sophisticated as that of other shavers—one of our testers said he felt like it might “fly apart any minute.” But if you’re on a budget, and an electric razor that produces decent results is what you need, this is a good one to grab.
The best rotary shaver we tested, this model provides a close and smooth cut and comes with a variety of useful accessories.
Traditionally, rotary shavers haven’t cut as close as foil models. But this stalk-like, grippable rotary shaver beat several foil shavers with its “lift and cut” system. The wet/dry Philips Norelco Shaver 9500 is an upgrade over our previous rotary pick, the discontinued Shaver 9300, and includes a built-in trimmer and a cleaning station. It also has some “advanced” electronic features designed to train you to improve your shaving technique; you can either take heed of them or ignore them.
To learn all we could about what makes a truly satisfying electric razor, we interviewed razor product designers, dermatologists, barbers, electric razor bloggers, and everyday shaver users. We also read razor studies, delved into written and video shaving reviews and the comments on them, and lurked in shaving enthusiast forums.
Ben Popken is the former editor of The Consumerist, a consumer-empowerment website and platform started at Gawker and acquired by Consumer Reports. He was a business reporter at NBC News national, online and on-air, for 10 years and has reported on nearly everything on the shelf and off the charts when it comes to consumer, business, and economic news.
Dan Koeppel is a razor enthusiast and loves playing with both manual and electric razors. In the time he has been writing about razors for Wirecutter—since 2015—he has personally tested more than 30 models, including the full lines from Braun, Panasonic, and Philips Norelco, as well as one-off brands and used shavers (don’t do it!) that he found in the deepest, darkest corners of eBay.
Let’s just get this out of the way: It’s physically impossible for an electric razor to shave as close as a manual razor. A blade that moves on or near the skin is simply closer than a whirring motor located behind a serrated gate. So if absolute closeness is your highest priority, you’re better off with a manual razor.
But there are a couple of situations in which you might opt for an electric razor. If you’re susceptible to nicks and cuts or want to avoid them entirely, an electric razor can give you a clean, safe shave. This factor can make electric razors a better choice over a manual model for people with certain disabilities or injuries.
If you don't have easy access to water, shaving cream, or electricity, such as when you’re traveling or going through a power outage, a battery-powered electric razor can also be preferable.
If you want to trim facial hair (not remove it), see Wirecutter’s review of beard trimmers. For trimming body hair, we recommend a model that’s better for grooming below the neck.
The main job of a razor is to give you a close, comfortable, long-lasting shave. Closeness of the shave was therefore our most important metric: Could you feel or see the stubble after the shave?
Wirecutter has reviewed electric razors since 2015, and in that time our writers have tested more than 20 different models, including some specialty models that co-author Dan Koeppel ordered on eBay or handled in one of the last remaining brick-and-mortar stores dedicated to powered shaving tools. In 2023 and 2024, we tested 10 razors, comparing our existing picks with newer models.
Then we subjected the razors to months of use and testing by three people with different facial-hair textures—including an associate professor of dermatology—to winnow the contenders down to a handful of select choices. Chiefly we looked for a close shave; we were able to toss out many razors right away due to an insufficiently close shave. Sometimes testers shaved one side of their face with one razor and the other side with another to compare closeness and comfort. (We did not test these devices on body or head hair.)
From there our panel of testers reviewed the semifinalists as part of their daily routine and rated them according to closeness of shave, irritation, ergonomics, maneuverability, and ease of cleaning. To approximate the noise each razor emits when powered on, we used the NIOSH Sound Level Meter app. For qualitative sound data to gauge the auditory impact of a morning routine on another household member, one tester had their partner listen from the bedroom as the razors were run in the bathroom down the hall with both doors ajar. We also considered price and battery life as we made our final picks.
This solid, pivot-head foil electric razor consistently provides a close, clean, and comfortable shave. It’s fast and easy to use and maintain, and it comes with all the accessories you might want.
This is the same razor, but without a charging case and cleaning station.
The Braun Series 8 electric razor offers a cleaner, closer, more comfortable shave than similar shavers in its price range, and it’s nearly as good as many razors that cost much more. It has a built-in trimmer and comes with a travel case, a cleaning station, and a cleaning brush. It performs well wet or dry, isn’t overly loud—around 40 decibels, according to our sound meter testing—and offers good ergonomics and grip. It’s a great razor.
It cuts hair cleanly and closely. Our testers said they found this razor “easily the best” they tested. It had “no shaving irritation” and delivered “a nice, smooth shave.” You can quickly move the shaver over your face and get close results, without needing to do several passes. Testers found that the Series 8 also did well at cleaning up the flat-lying hairs on their necks, often a trouble spot for electric shavers. Another upgrade that the Series 8 features over Braun’s lower-series models is the addition of four thin metal rods at the corners of the trimmers that help stretch and smooth the skin prior to the razor cutting the hairs.
The Braun Series 7, 8 and 9 all share a similar body chassis and cutting block. And in our tests, all the Braun models stood above the pack in closeness and comfort.
Its head can stay fixed at an angle for shaving certain parts of the face. In the Series 8 and higher models, Braun introduced a head-locking feature that fixes the head angle in one of five positions. This is intended to help you shave hard-to-reach areas, such as under the nose. We found that locking the head delivered a closer shave under the chin and on the neck, a key area where many electric shavers especially fall short in comparison with a manual razor. The lock makes it easier to maintain constant and full contact between the foils and your skin when you’re navigating these angled terrains—more contact, more cutting, closer shave. Simply push up on the large oval button above the power button to go between ratcheting lock mode and “freestyle.”
The included cleaning station is effective, if somewhat wasteful. All of the high-end Braun shavers are available with a SmartCare Center cleaning station. The station is pretty neat: You insert the razor, and it cleans, lubricates, dries, and recharges. It does so with an alcohol-based solution that comes in a replaceable cartridge that slots in the bottom. These cartridges sell for about $6 each and can last up to a couple of months. Their cost can add up, but you have a few ways to extend their life or reduce their cost, such as removing and resealing the cartridge after each use, or third-party or DIY (rather than manufacturer-recommended) solution refills.
The cleaning station is a bit bulky overall and can take up a lot of counter space, especially in small or shared bathrooms. It also makes a lot of noise and goes on for a while. If you typically get up before a partner or housemate and always try to keep the noise down in the morning, this cleaning station may not be the way to go if you’re in the habit of cleaning your razor right after you shave. (You could instead just set the razor to clean itself at night when you brush your teeth.)
It’s the best value in a beloved shaver lineup. We compared the Series 7 and 8 in our most recent round of testing. The two were very similar, but overall our testers said that the Series 8 ranked far ahead in closeness. And the “ride” of the pivoting head over our testers’ faces was one of the smoothest among all the razors we tried. Our first sensation on using it was that it was like shaving with a stick of butter mounted on a flashlight! (This after favoring a manual razor for pretty much our entire adult lives.)
You should replace the foils on this model every 18 months. A new replacement head runs about $60.
Braun’s models sport grippy rubber on the back that helps you get a firm grasp on the razor. It tends to pick up a bit of facial-hair dust, but you can easily rinse it.
Braun backs all of its shavers with a two-year warranty covering everything except the foil and cutting block.
The built-in trimmer doesn’t get as close in comparison with a standalone trimmer. And it’s definitely no match for a blade-based razor in that regard. If you have a difficult beard line to maintain, this device may not be sufficient as your all-in-one.
The Series 8 is 0.7 ounce heavier than the Series 7 and has a wider body. Some testers were more sensitive to a shaver’s grip feel and heft. Whether heavier or lighter is better comes down to personal preference.
The Series 8 uses a head that pivots vertically, versus the side-to-side flexibility of the Series 7. However, the blades themselves have lateral movement. People with more contoured faces or those who often have to go back over spots may find this design to be a drawback.
You may not want the cleaning station. Part of the premium aspect of some electric-razor packages is their inclusion of cleaning stations and travel cases. But some of our testers found that the cleaning stations took up too much bathroom counter space—in a shared, single-sink bathroom, forget it. For the environmentally conscious, all the extra plastic and material can be a turnoff, too. Braun’s charging case is large: nearly 10 inches long, more than 5 inches wide, and about 3 inches deep. It protects the razor well, but the tradeoff of not packing a charging cord is needing space to stow a bulky case. You can simply opt to get a version of the razor without the cleaning contraption and charging case (such as the Braun Series 8 8417s or 8517s), saving about $100.
The Series 8’s battery life on a full charge is around 60 minutes. All of the Braun models have some kind of “sleep mode” where if you haven’t used yours for a while it will register as out of battery when you grab it—but once you plug it into a charger for a few seconds, it’s suddenly powered up.
This model gives you a premium, easy, smooth shave in a high-end package. It comes with our top pick’s accessories, plus titanium-coated blades (with a middle trimmer) and a feature that matches the blade speed to beard density.
The Braun Series 9 Pro takes the Series 8 and adds a two-part titanium-coated trimmer. One, Braun says, is a lift-and-cut trimmer that can cut flat-lying hair; the second is a direct-and-cut trimmer that can cut hair growing in different directions. This model also upgrades our top pick’s skin-protecting metal rod to a full bar across the entire cassette head that helps smooth and stretch the skin before facial hairs enter the shaver’s cutting elements.
The Series 9 Pro is designed to be able to handle a seven-day beard with ease, and in our testing it lived up to the claim. It smoothly plowed through a full-growth, weeklong beard without uncomfortable snags, pulls, or catches.
Perforated Sheet Metal Machine Suppliers If you are a daily shaver and keep yourself fairly baby-faced, the marginal benefit of the Series 9 Pro isn’t quite worth the cost increase. Still, in our experience, the Series 9 Pro’s shave definitely felt closer and more comfortable than what we got from the Series 8 or Series 7, and its results were more velvety and smooth than those of all the other razors we tested.