Electric shavers have largely displaced straight razors, allowing millions of men (and women) around the world to manage their bodily hair and groom themselves meticulously. That being said, there are still some who used manual razors, which we’ll cover in this buyer’s guide as well. Read on to find out about the types of shaver available, some tips on how to get a good shave, as well how to get your hands on the world's biggest shaving brands for less.
For centuries, humans have tried to sculpt their facial hair and remove it entirely, but for much of that time, all we had were sharpened metal razors and hot water (and the skills of barbers to put them into action). Understandably, inventors saw an opportunity, and in the early 20th century, electric razors started to appear.
The first electric shaver arrived in 1930, courtesy of an American named Jacob Schick. However, none of us groom ourselves with a Schick these days, because the technology was taken on and perfected by a company called Remington soon afterwards. Remington developed the straight, foil-based razor, but elsewhere in the world, inventors had other ideas. In the late 30s, the Belgian technologist Alexandre Horowitz created the first rotary razor for his employers at Philips, and another milestone was reached.
Since then, straight and rotary shavers have dominated the market. Battery powered models arrived in the 1960s, making shavers suitable for travel and roaming around the house, while more recently, smart devices have appeared, making shavers more flexible and intelligent than ever.
Although they've both been around for decades, there are still two major forms of electric shaver on the market: foil and rotary shavers. Here's a quick summary of how they differ:
Foil shavers – “Foil” shavers don't use metal foil, as the name would suggest. Instead, they use a thin sheet of perforated metal, which catches individual hairs and passes them in front of a set of oscillating blades, which then do the cutting. They tend to produce a very close, smooth shave, catch almost every single hair in a couple of sweeps, and offer a high level of precision, which can help if you are cultivating a sideburn or facial hair look.
Rotary shavers – On the other hand, rotary shavers use spinning heads, usually in sets of three in a triangular setup. Each round head contains a blade which cuts anything in its path. With their larger surface area, rotary shavers tend to be ideal for shaving larger facial areas (and other parts of the body), as well as curves and crannies such as the cleft under your chin or the sides of the neck. They don't generally cut as finely as foil shavers, but they can be easier on sensitive skin, and they are often favoured by beard-growers because they cut more gradually, allowing users to achieve just the right thickness of moustache, stubble or beard.
So, those are still the two major shaver types, but choosing between a rotary and a foil shaver isn't the only thing to think about. Actually, there are plenty of other considerations that should influence which shaver you go for:
Mains-powered Vs. Rechargeable – How do you want your shaver to be powered? This is a really important question for sound practical reasons. If you intend to travel a lot, a good rechargeable shaver is going to be preferable. But if you just want to use it every now and then at home, either will do. More modern shavers offer cordless use with recharging stations, which is pretty much the best of both worlds, and will suit may peoples' lifestyles, but these advanced shavers tend to come with a heftier price tag.
Shavers For Men Or Women – There are different shavers for men and women, which shouldn't come as a surprise. Most women won't need their shaver to handle thick facial hair, while few guys will use theirs to shave legs or arms, and each task comes with its own requirements. Women's shavers will be optimised to handle larger surface areas, with rounded edges and blades that cut extensively. On the other hand, men's razors are usually calibrated for precision, but there's bound to be some overlap.
Shavers For Your Head ¬– More and more people are choosing to shave their own heads these days – if you think about, there’s not much that can go wrong if you want all your hair shaved off.¬ Shaving companies have caught onto this and started manufacturing electric razers designed specifically for shaving the scalp. The Remington XR1400 fits in the palm of your hand, making ideal to stay in control while your trim or shave off your hair.
Wet, Dry or Combo – Shaving in general can be carried out wet or dry, and this applies as much to shavers as to razors. One of the advantages of a high-quality shaver is that you don't need to shell out for shaving foam and go to the hassle of slapping it all over your face. In theory, you can shave dry wherever you are, which makes them handy for business travellers. But that doesn't work for everyone. People with sensitive skin often need shaving gel to soothe their skin, while others simply prefer the moist feel. If that's you, go for a shaver that can handle both dry and wet shaves (not all can though, so be careful as shaving wet with an inappropriate device can affect its functioning).
Price – As with any gadget, shavers come with varying price tags. You can find very good basic razors for £40 or under, but prices also stretch into the hundreds for premium models, so think hard about what features you'll be needing. More expensive models usually come with more settings and finer blades. You'll pay more for cordless models, as well as multi-shavers that include beard trimmers and clippers as part of the package. Others, like the Philips 9000, come with much more advanced contouring features. However, these premium features are not essential for most users. They're nice to have, but if you just need to trim your hair every other day, budget shavers are always a good alternative.
A new option for those who continue to use manual razor blades is a subscription blade service that delivers fresh blades and gel to your home on a monthly basis, so you’ll never be without everything you need for a shave. The most popular of these is Harry’s – you can get a free trial set, as well as a full money back guarantee if you’re not satisfied.
When you come to select your shaver, you'll essentially be picking a brand. The shavers sector has some famous names, like Philips, Remington, Braun and Panasonic, and each of them has their own proprietorial cutting system. This means that almost all of their shavers will have the same quality and shape of blades – so the differences between their models lie in extra features. Here's a quick introduction to the world's biggest shaver brands:
Philips – Based in the Netherlands, the core of the Philips range is the Series collection. High-end Series devices feature SmartClean, which automatically cleans and lubricates the blades when the shaver isn't being used. All models are cordless and come with around 1 hour of charge. Prices range dramatically from £30 to £300, so there's plenty of choice. Aside from Series, Philips also offers AquaTouch, a three-way rotary shaver that's set up to handle all types of beard. There are also some compact basic shavers which come with handy travel pouches and are great for people on the move.
Braun – Most of Braun’s modern shavers are organised (like Philips) in Series, from Series 1 (the most basic) to Series 9. At the bottom end of the scale, they offer foil shavers with three-part flexible heads, which makes them more precise than standard foil devices. They are also very quick-charging and waterproof too, making them a good choice for wet shaving fans. As you move up the scale, Braun offers more deluxe features, such as sonic technology which detects your beard length and tailors its blades accordingly, along with programmable pre-sets, trimmers and auto-lubrication when the shavers are on charge.
Remington – An American shaving giant, Remington offers a choice between rotary and foil shavers, with a focus on practical, good-value models. Models like the F7 Ultimate Electric Foil Shaver offer long charging times, blades that adapt to beard length, good wet shaving performance. Remington also offers more expensive models like the R8 Ultimate Electric Trimmer that also has an LCD display that shows you the charge remaining. It's also worth noting that Remington complement their range of shavers with plenty of body grooming devices for specialist tasks like beard trimming, hair shaving and handling precise, hard-to-reach areas.
Panasonic – The Japanese electronics giant is another major player in the sector, so don't count them out. As with Remington, Panasonic delivers reliable shavers that aren't flashy but are certainly functional. Their Wet & Dry 3-blade Shaver offers one of the finest shaves around and includes special blades for hairs that lie flat against the skin and comb blades for extra-long beard hairs.
Babyliss – Probably the world's leading manufacturer of women's shavers, Babyliss helps millions of women keep their skin hair-free every day. Models like the TrueSmooth Wet And Dry Cordless Lady Shaver has a floating trimmer that tracks how your body curves in order to cut the longer hairs first, preventing irritation. If you need a shaver for travel or occasional leg or arm trims, there's no better brand to check out.
Basically, a good shaver is one that meets your individual needs. It may not be the most sophisticated, the smartest and almost certainly not the most expensive on the market, but it will cut your hair just the way you like it, every time.
There's no one size fits all definition of what makes a great shaver. For some people, what's most important is being able to shave around the chin and other contours, so a standard rotary model will suffice. For others, it's all about keeping the upper lip tightly shaven and hair-free, so a good foil shaver will be perfect. Then again, beard and moustache growers need something a little more flexible, so shavers with various blades and length settings will be perfect.
People with sensitive skin will want something that cuts gently like a rotary model, and a device that can handle wet shaving. People who travel all the time will want excellent battery charge. They may also want a device that can be connected to mains sockets and charging stations alike, giving them total flexibility when staying in hotels.
As you can see, there's plenty to think about. And when you've assessed the options, you'll be in a great position to find cheap electric razors that tick all of your boxes.
There are a number of other products that shaver-buyers might want to think about getting hold of when they find the right electric shaver deal. For instance, you'll find all of the following at the hotukdeals shaving listings:
Shaving gel – If you have sensitive skin or just feel that wet shaves produce a more even, enjoyable result, you'll want to pick up some shaving gel at the lowest possible price. Leading brands include King of Shaves and Bulldog, but it's also worth looking at what your shaver manufacturer has to offer. For instance, Philips recommends specific Nivea balms and gels for use with their products, and you'll often find them discounted when you make a shaver purchase.
Adaptors & Sockets – Travelling with shavers can become a nightmare if you don't have the right adaptor for the country you've arrived in. Take the hassle out of using your shaver on the move by purchasing an adaptor or shaver socket that's suited to your device.
Brushes – A good shaving brush can make applying shaving foam or gel much easier. The idea is to apply shaving products evenly across the whole surface to be shaved, and that's not always easy to do by hand. With a high-quality brush, you'll find it much easier to achieve an all-over shave every time.
Whether you're in the market for a functional travel shaver or a deluxe smart shaver with all of the add-ons money can buy, you can save plenty of money by shopping intelligently.
To start with, do some research and decide which style of shaver you are interested in. If your budget stretches far enough, by all means go for models with pre-sets and sonic sensors, but don't go overboard if all you need is a reliable shaver. Find something that works for you.
After that, it's time to start hunting for cheap shavers. Head over to the hotukdeals shaver listings, and type in the brand and model of shaver you'd like to buy. You'll find a list of shavers from the UK's leading shaver retailers, including Boots, Argos, Asda, John Lewis and Amazon.
Pick the right shaver and be sure to check for combo deals with accessories like gel and replacement foils. It might also make sense to shop during sales periods like Black Friday or the New Year sales. At certain times of the year, it's common to find the biggest brands at bargain prices, so if you want to buy a decent shaver at half the price, shop seasonally to snag the best deals.
Ensure that all of your grooming needs are covered by purchasing a high-quality shaver. Whether you need a men's electric shaver, a ladies shaver or a shaver for travel purposes, it's almost never necessary to pay face value for the device you need. Instead, search for the cheapest shavers around at hotukdeals and slash the price of grooming for good.
Better than Braun yes, have only ever used Philips rotary shavers which aren't too bad but never seem to have much power.
Do you reckon these are better than foil shavers from Braun & Philips?
I've been using electric shavers for sixty years and if there is a better shaver then Panasonic I've yet to find it. :D