The 4 Best Electric Razors of 2022 Reviews by Wirecutter

For an update to this guide, James tested the revamped Braun Series 5, 6, and 7 models for a month. Following the same procedures as the original panel of testers, he compared each new Braun’s Philips Norelco Shaver performance against that of the others as well as our budget pick. Keila Torres Ocasio grew up in Bridgeport and started her career as reporter for the Connecticut Post in 2008.

The lithium ion battery can now charge from a USB socket, and it lasts for 60 minutes where previous models lasted 40. If you’re running close to zero, a quick five minute charge will be enough to get you through your next shave. Electric razors plug into a wall socket or a charger, using electricity to vibrate or spin the blades inside the razor. The hairs on your face stick up through a thin piece of metal with holes in it and are then cut by the blades, giving you a close shave. This piece of metal, called the foil, is what touches the skin, rather than the blades touching it directly as they do with a traditional razor. This design makes electric razors very safe — you won’t have to worry about cutting yourself while shaving as you do with a traditional razor.

The shaver has to be charged for 90 minutes to be used for that same amount of time, according to the brand. A razor can provide a close shave using some water and shaving cream, but they should be used in conjunction with the above tools if you have longer hair. Butler noted that a straight razor is “unforgiving” and getting used to such a sharp blade can take skill and patience. “A head shaver, however, is a push of a button and a smooth glide over your head with no worries about cutting yourself,” he added.

All Philips Norelco shavers come with a two-year warranty. The pop-up trimmer is similar to Braun’s design, and it works just as well for mild sideburn grooming. Remington’s center bar design isn’t as sophisticated as Braun’s, but our testers found the shaver to work almost as well. Philips Norelco Shaver James has been using the Series 7 to shave a portion of his face since first testing for this guide in 2020. It’s held up remarkably well and, aside from a dip after a little more than a year of use which was remedied by replacing the foil, the shave quality has remained consistent.

Most of our testers agreed that the Series 9 is an amazing shaver. At first glance, the biggest difference between the Series 9 and the Series 7 is size. The Series 9 is longer, has more girth, and is more top-heavy, all due to its quadruple-headed shaving mechanism. That four-way head sticks to Braun’s traditional two-foil design but adds a pair of cutting mechanisms—a “direct & cut” trimmer and a “hyper-lift & cut” trimmer—that better snag wiry, unruly whiskers, the company claims.

Remington Shaver

If you push the little white buttons on the side you can pop off the top part to really clean it. I usually use it everywhere, even the bikini area and then go in with a regular razor blade to catch anything I missed. We tried Philips Norelco’s lower-end rotary models but determined that the brand’s 9000 series performed better, and it was so closely priced that it was a better buy for most people. In our experience, the 4000-series razor didn’t shave closely enough to be worth their bargain prices. However, one member of our test panel has been using a 4000-series model for years, and they still love it, even after trying much more expensive models.

We believe the Braun Series 7 is worth its higher price, but the Remington F is a surprisingly competent budget alternative. It provides credible stubble-leveling results at an affordable price. Braun’s top-of-the-line electric razor offers the best shave—even for heavy beards—at a higher price.