Get a close, smooth shave with these shaving clubs for men and women.
CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. Coil Slitting Knives
Some are better for people who shave their face while others are better for women. There are also shave clubs that cater to specific types of hair.
Shave clubs are great for frequent shavers, but those who like the au naturel look most of the time — whether it’s your beard or body — will probably be better off just buying razors as they need them from a store.
Price of refills and other products
To make sure a shave club is worth it to you, make sure you’re comfortable with the price of an ongoing subscription. Also, keep additional products such as exfoliating scrubs or aftershaves in mind, as well as what companies have to offer, as care before and after shaves can make or break the shaving experience.
CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.
Some are better for people who shave their face while others are better for women. There are also shave clubs that cater to specific types of hair.
Shave clubs are great for frequent shavers, but those who like the au naturel look most of the time — whether it’s your beard or body — will probably be better off just buying razors as they need them from a store.
Price of refills and other products
To make sure a shave club is worth it to you, make sure you’re comfortable with the price of an ongoing subscription. Also, keep additional products such as exfoliating scrubs or aftershaves in mind, as well as what companies have to offer, as care before and after shaves can make or break the shaving experience.
While you can get a subscription service for almost anything, a shaving club is one of the most practical for elevating your grooming routine. You can get high-quality blades for a great shave, but you'll never be without a new razor and may even save money. Whether you want the best value or add-ons like shave gel and exfoliating scrub delivered straight to your door, these are the best shave clubs to save you a last-minute trip to the store for yourself or an affordable gift this holiday season.
We've tested a number of shave clubs and searched the internet for the best shave clubs to find the top picks this year to meet your needs.
We did not select a best shave club overall for this list because the best shave club for you will depend on multiple personal factors, such as what you shave, how often you shave and the type of hair you are shaving. In addition, you will want to consider the price of starter kits, refills and any additional products you plan to purchase (such as shave creams and aftershaves) to enhance your shaving experience.
As your typical (and often reluctant) woman shaver, I do not like the typical woman razors and shaving products. I find them often "pink taxed," i.e. more expensive than products marketed toward men, just because they have an aesthetic some women may prefer. To add insult to injury, the drugstore razors for woemen I've bought -- especially the reusable ones -- tend to be less effective and more flimsy than the "masculine" ones. In my experience, this has been especially true while shaving around the knee, where there are more bends, and the razor head is more likely to snap off and fly across the shower floor. At that point, I'd rather embrace the au natural look than scrape a bacteria-ridden razor blade across my skin.
For these reasons, I usually buy disposable five-blade drug tore razors marketed toward men. They get the job done and they're cheaper.
However, I've officially been influenced by Athena Club and will gladly pay a small pink tax because the razor actually works, and it improved my shaving experience. The reusable razor handle pairs with durable five-blade razors that move with a flexible head, so they stay put around the knee.
Another quality I really liked about the Athena Club razor is that while it stayed put during shaving, it was really easy to detach with the push of a button. I also tried the Super Bloom exfoliating sugar scrub, which I think smells amazing, but it's one of the scented add-ons that may not be everyone's cup of tea, and you'll need to purchase it separately.
Bevel is a shave club designed specifically for Black men -- though anyone with coarser or curly hair wanting to reduce razor burn as they shave their face may benefit from Bevel's safety razors and full range of shaving products.
While I am not the target consumer for Bevel, the company's eco-friendly packaging and starter kit options impressed me. The Bevel Essential Disposable Starter Kit for $30 comes with five disposables, and the Bevel Shave Kit, which is a real upgrade, comes with a silver-colored, weighted brass safety razor, shave brush, 40 blades, pre-shave oil, shave cream and post-shave balm for $90. Because I don't shave my face, I'd never worked with a safety razor before, but I thought the heavy feel of the reusable premium razor was especially classy for those who want a little weight on their razor.
In terms of refills, a 20-pack of blades for the safety razor is $10 and $8 for a monthly subscription. The same prices apply for a five-pack of disposable razors. Another note about scents: I liked the smell of all of Bevel's shave balms and creams, because they have a lemon or citrus scent I think is unique compared to other aftershaves.
While Bevel's disposable razor option is 100% disposable -- meaning there's not a reusable handle with disposable heads -- the company says it's made with a 45% wheat straw plastic alternative, making them a bit more earth-friendly.
Bevel also sells products for body shaving.
Dollar Shave Club is a popular name in the shave-club game. Its appeal and shave products lean more toward men's care, but anyone who wants to shave their legs, their face or anything else can get some bang for their buck with this club.
Like other shave clubs, there are a variety of products to choose from, but Dollar Shave Club's Starter Set may be a good choice to get started, and it's extremely affordable for new members at just $5. It comes with a reusable razor handle, four replaceable razor heads with six blades (a perk if you like additional blades to get the job done), a razor cover and a one-ounce bottle of shave butter. After you get started, a four-count of replaceable razors are shipped every month for $10 plus $2 shipping.
The Dollar Club razor has a particularly good grip. But for leg shaving, I thought the Athena Club razor beat out Dollar Shave Club because of its flexible head and easy-to-replace razor head, so I would recommend the former over this kit for most women. However, the fact that Dollar Shave Club sells six-blade razors and its razor is fairly gender- and shaving-neutral makes it a good universal option.
Harry's focuses on simplicity, style and higher-quality craftsmanship for its shaving and grooming products. There are just two handle options for their men's razors and one type of razor cartridge. For $12, the Winston handle is metal with no-slip rubber grips. For $10, you can get the Truman, which has a rubber coating throughout and comes in orange, navy and green.
Like Dollar Shave Club, Harry's offers a $5 shaving essentials grooming starter pack that includes one five-blade razor blade cartridge, handle, travel cover and shave gel. With a Harry's Shave Club subscription, you get eight new cartridges for $16 (plus shaving gel for an extra $6) every two, three or six months, depending on how often you shave.
In addition to blades, Harry's also sells face wash, post-shave balm, soap and other body care items.
Billie's ambition as a shave club is to provide quality women's razors and body care products that don't cost more than men's. Women's personal care and shaving products are often subject to the "pink tax," meaning they cost more simply because they are marketed to women.
The brand sells one style of razor, available in an Instagram-worthy eight colors. It has five blades and a band of charcoal soap around the blades to help the razor slide easily for a comfortable shave.
Billie's $10 starter kit includes a handle, two cartridges and a magnetic holder to store the razor in your shower. The company then sends you four replacement cartridges monthly (or whatever frequency you choose to get a blade refill), which also costs $10. In addition, Billie sells body lotion, body wash and shave cream.
What I particularly love about this company is that it celebrates and normalizes women's body hair, whether you choose to shave or not, with its Project Body Hair campaign. Anyone can submit a photo of their body hair, and you can see photos from others who've contributed. In a society that often demonizes any kind of physical flaw in women, this approach is frankly refreshing.
What you want to shave and how you want to shave it: Some shave clubs are designed specifically for people who shave their face, while others are better for women. There are also shave clubs that cater to specific types of hair.
How often you shave: Shave clubs are great for frequent shavers, but people who like rocking what nature gave you most of the time will probably be better off just buying razors as they need them from a store.
Price of refills and whether you want shave creams or products: To see if a shave club is worth it to you, make sure you’re comfortable with the price of an ongoing subscription. Also, keep additional products such as exfoliating scrub or after shave in mind, and what companies have to offer, as care before and after a shave can make or break the shaving experience. In many cases, you'll want to throw in an extra cream or product to your subscription order.
If you’re a frequent shaver, i.e. you like going hairless on at least parts of your body most of the time, a subscription to a shave club could save you time and possibly money. While you may be able to find more affordable shave products or creams, having razors delivered to your door can be more affordable than buying replacements in the store and cut down on waste, since most subscriptions have reusable handles.
Nope. While many are definitely catered to those who shave their face, and have more “masculine”-marketed shave creams and products, there are a few options (Athena Club and Billie, for example) that are better for women or people who shave their body. But as you sign up for one, it’ll become clear how what the company is offering compares with what you’re going for.
While shave clubs tend to be more economical, efficient (since you don't have to drive to the store) and eco-friendly, they may be outside your price range depending on how often you shave or the types of products you seek. Also, some shave clubs rely on disposable razors and/or cartridges, which are less eco-friendly than reusable handles or safety razors. Speaking of reusable and safety razors, they are intended to be used over a long period of time, so if you don't like the specific one you purchase, you will have to get rid of the product. This defeats the purpose of its eco-friendly nature.
Milling Cutter Both Dollar Shave Club and Harry's have $5 starter packs. Harry's includes one five-blade razor blade cartridge, handle, travel cover and a two-ounce bottle of shave gel. Dollar Shave Club's kit has a reusable razor handle, four replaceable razor heads with six blades, a razor cover and a one-ounce bottle of shave butter. The difference: Dollar Shave Club includes three additional razor heads, all of which have six blades instead of five. Harry's provides a shave gel instead of butter, with an additional ounce of product. With Dollar Shave Club, a four-count of replaceable razors are shipped every month for $10 plus $2 shipping. With Harry's subscription, you get eight new cartridges for $16 every two, three or six months, depending on how often you shave. In other words, a Harry's subscription is $2 per razor cartridge, but these are five-blade razors. Dollar Shave Club's razors with six blades are $3 per cartridge. While Harry's is cheaper, Dollar Shave Club razors have an extra blade.