The 5 Best Electric Razors of 2023 (2023)

Best Overall Electric Razor

Braun Series 9 Pro

Run Time on Full Charge: 60 minutes | Usage Options: Wet & Dry

The Braun Series 9 Pro is our favorite because of its superior shaving performance. It can be used wet or dry, leaving a super smooth shave with minimal irritation. It comes with a self-cleaner base and a travel case that doubles as a charger, so there's no need to bring it along, even on long trips. We found that it has a powerful motor that dispatches with stubble quickly. The rechargeable battery also lasts 60 minutes, meaning it may only require a recharge every few weeks.

Unsurprisingly, all of these great features come at a high cost. In addition to the hefty price tag, the self-cleaner fluid requires replacement periodically. This purchase is in addition to the blade cassette, creating substantial maintenance costs. The pop-up trimmer is serviceable but also was not the best of the bunch in our testing. However, if you want a top-of-the-line daily electric razor that offers a close shave, you can't go wrong with this model.

Best Bang for the Buck

Braun Series 5

Run Time on Full Charge: 50 minutes | Usage Options: Wet & Dry

The Braun Series 5 provides an excellent shave at a reasonable price. We are incredibly impressed with its trimmer attachment — we found that it was one of the best we tested, powering through a two-week beard without much noticeable tug. It has up to 50 minutes of run time and comes with a simple set of charge indicator lights. It is straightforward to clean — holes below the foil cassette make it quick and easy to rinse. It can be used wet or dry and performs well even on three-day growth. It is also equipped with one of the most ergonomic grips and is rubber-coated, so it stays put if you rest it on the edge of the sink and is easier to hold.

This blade isn't without its flaws. The trimmer comes as a separate attachment rather than a built-in component, so you have to switch it out with the regular blade instead of popping it up from the back. The head also doesn't have the same flexibility as other high-end models, so it takes a few more passes under the chin to get a close shave. However, this is the place to start if you are looking for a top-notch razor at a reasonable price.

Best Head Shaver

Remington Balder Pro

Run Time on Full Charge: 70 minutes | Usage Options: Wet & Dry

If you regularly shave your head and you're ready to ditch the traditional razor, the Remington Balder Pro is the way to go. This model has five individual oversized razor heads that flex and articulate around contours perfectly. The rubberized grip is designed to fit in the palm of your hand, allowing the shaver to be held upside down when it's out of your sight. The Remington is fully waterproof, so it can be used either in front of the mirror or in the shower. The chamber beneath the blades captures hair as you shave and effortlessly unclips for a quick rinse when you're done. A clever bonus, the top of the handle has a fold-out clipper for touching up sideburns — a feature that most other head shaver electric razors do not possess. The Remington also includes a blade cover, a cleaning brush, and blade oil which all fit in the high-quality case along with its charging cord.

We only identified a couple of small flaws with the Remington Balder Pro. We weren't thrilled to discover that it uses a special cord. Most brands have stuck to an industry-standard plug or switched to the ever more widely used USB-C for charging. If you misplace or forget the Balder's cord, you'll be out of luck until you order a new one from Remington. This particular model also has an unusually long charge time compared to its run time. Drawbacks aside, this model is our number one recommendation for those that are in the market for a high-performance head shaver.

Best for Body Grooming

Philips Norelco OneBlade Face and Body Hybrid

Run Time on Full Charge: 60 minutes | Usage Options: Wet & Dry

The Philips Norelco OneBlade Hybrid is a sturdy, full-featured body groomer that offers versatility at a low price. Its dual-edge blade makes getting the right angle on your shave easier and is adept at touching up sideburns and mustaches. It can be used wet or dry and has a battery indicator light to let you know when it needs a charge or has a full battery (though if only used every three days, we found that it can last well over a month between charges). It includes several attachments — 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, and 5mm for stubble on your face and two comfort guards for body grooming.

For those seeking a close shave, it's important to note that this blade complements a traditional razor; it's not a replacement. It won't provide a baby-smooth shave, but that's not what it's designed to do. It has a solid run time of 60 minutes from a full charge, but it also takes four hours to get there (which is four times longer than the average razor in this review). This inexpensive option is great if you are looking for a blade for touchups around a fresh shave or regular body grooming.

Best for Battery Life

Andis ProFoil Lithium Titanium Foil

Run Time on Full Charge: 80 minutes | Usage Options: Dry only

The Andis ProFoil Lithium Titanium Foil has a long-lasting battery and the ability to run while plugged in. If it runs out of juice mid-shave, you can plug it in and run it as a corded shaver (a surprisingly hard-to-find feature among electric razors). It also comes with hypo-allergenic gold-titanium foils and has enough power to smooth thick stubble. If you are not one to pay much attention to your battery-powered devices, this model can help bail you out. It has a run time of just over 80 minutes cordlessly, which it achieves with just an hour and a half of charging.

On the downside, this one is a brick. It's not especially heavy, but it has an extremely boxy shape that can make it somewhat awkward to hold and doesn't particularly conform to facial contours. Though the foil cassette is flexible, the head cannot pivot, making it trickier for uneven surfaces. There is also no pop-up trimmer included, so it is stubble only with this beast. However, if you are not inclined to charge your razor regularly or often find yourself with a dead battery mid-shave, this is the model to check out first.

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Why You Should Trust Us

We purchase the products we review at retail prices and run them through a series of side-by-side tests. To deliver our findings, we spent over ten hours with these blades on our faces and dozens more charging, discharging, and cleaning them, as well as assessing their features. For models that claim both wet and dry use, we lathered up and patted down.

Our electric razor testing is divided into four different metrics:

• Shave Quality (35% of overall score weighting)

• Run & Charge Times (25% weighting)

• Ease of Use & Versatility (20% weighting)

• Ease of Cleaning (20% weighting)

Our lead reviewer Ben Applebaum-Bauch has been reviewing outdoor and tech gear for GearLab for almost four years, researching and reviewing hundreds of home goods and bathroom products in that time. He has made a habit of hiking some of America's most iconic long trails and always comes back from an adventure with gnarly facial hair that no one seems to care for. With over a decade of shaving experience, often going days, weeks, and sometimes months between cleanups, he has discovered what features and facets make for a smooth, comfortable shave. Joining Ben to test the head shaver models is Senior Review Editor Ross Patton. During his years at GearLab, Ross has tackled an array of projects ranging from tools to office gadgets and everything in between. His ability to identify the subtle details that separate a good product from a great one (or one that's headed straight for the trash) will help in your endeavor to purchase the electric razor that is right for you.

Analysis and Test Results

We use four primary criteria, each with several specific considerations, to assess the electric razors in this review. We looked at shave quality, runtime and charge time, ease of use, and ease of cleaning for each device. Below, we define each metric and summarize how each model compared to the rest in the category.

Value

In addition to the metrics that make up product scores, we also look at value. For this review, value is the relationship between each model's total score and its price. Some are expensive but perform well enough to justify the price tag. Others are economical purchases that deliver above-average performance. The Braun Series 9 Pro costs a lot but offers one of the closest shaves around, as well as the bells and whistles of a top-of-the-line device. The Braun Series 5 is considerably less expensive but punches above its class, making it a great value, as does the Remington Balder Pro.

Shave Quality

The quality of the shave is what matters most. This metric covers the closeness of the shave — that is, how smooth it leaves our faces feeling afterward. We also look at facets like the speed of the shave, how many passes it takes to finish, and the power of any included trimmers. Where applicable, we ensure that razors perform well, wet and dry, and compare performance across flesh (e.g., on cheeks) and contours (e.g., jaw and under chin).

The Braun Series 9 Pro holds a top spot in this metric. It has a powerful motor, and the device took the least amount of time with the fewest passes to execute a close shave. However, its somewhat awkward pop-up trimmer keeps it from a perfect score; the shaver head contours exceptionally to the jawline and neck. Not far behind, the Braun Series 5 offers excellent performance.

The main foil cassette doesn't quite have the same pivoting prowess as the Series 9 Pro, but its wet/dry versatility and powerful trimmer attachment keep it at the top of the list. The Panasonic Arc5 Cordless also shares many of the same qualities. Though it doesn't quite have the same power as the Series 9 Pro, its head has some of the same pivot points and proved particularly effective under the chin, where other electric razors falter.

The next tier of razors includes the Remington F5 Foil, Braun Series 7, and Andis ProFoil. These razors bring plenty of power for a close shave on 3-day stubble. They have multi-direction-free pivoting heads and flexible foils. The Philips Norelco OneBlade Hybrid offers the best shave quality of the body grooming razors we tested. Though these blades aren't meant for baby-smooth results, we didn't experience any tug during dry shaving with a two-week beard, and the process actually goes faster than with a traditional cassette shaver.

The two head shaver models we tested, the Remington Balder Pro and the Skull Shaver Pitbull Gold Pro, both deliver near skin-close shaves, with the Remington producing slightly better results.

Run Time and Charge Time

Run and charge times are essential metrics for electric razors. Here we are concerned with how long it takes to charge them fully, how long the devices can run after charging to capacity, and how long it takes to quick-charge them to get enough juice for a single shave. We also look at each model's charge time and run-time ratio.

The Braun Series 9 Pro earns the top spot again with an above-average total shave time and below-average charge time. This shaver also comes with a heavy-duty hard case that doubles as a travel charger, so you can completely recharge the razor without bringing along the actual cord.

The Andis ProFoil has the longest average run time, sometimes managing over 80 minutes on a single charge. It also reaches full capacity within 90 minutes of plugging it in. The Pitbull Gold Pro is the longest-lasting head shaver model that we've tested, running for a full 90 minutes. With a charge time of 2.5 hours, it's not the quickest to juice up, but it's far from the slowest.

The next tier of still-above-average razors includes the Panasonic Arc5, Braun Series 5, Remington F5 Foil, and Braun Series 7. These models achieve average run times in the 45-50 minute range on a single charge, and each gets to 100% capacity when plugged in for around one hour.

The Philips Norelco OneBlade Hybrid and Micro Touch SOLO, two body grooming models, take at least four hours to charge (with the former running for a more impressive 60 minutes versus the 45 minutes of the latter).

It is worth noting that the Panasonic Travel runs off two AA batteries and is not rechargeable. The Philips Norelco 2300 takes a sloggy eight hours to charge for 45 minutes of run time, though it is somewhat redeeming that it can still be used when plugged in. Although the charge time takes four hours, the runtime of the Remington Balder Pro is a commendable 70 minutes.

Ease of Use & Versatility

As with almost any other product, if it's not easy to use, you are just less likely to use it. For this metric, we look at whether a razor claims it can be used safely wet and dry (bonus points for both) and, similarly, whether the entire unit is waterproof and can be used in the shower. Many of these products come with indicator lights for battery levels, travel locks, and blade replacement. We also assessed included trimmers and how comfortable or awkward they are to angle correctly, as well as additional features. Some of these models also have adaptive power modes and ergonomic designs, which help boost a score.

These electric razors are easy to use, with some variability in their versatility. Models that can be used wet (in the shower or with shaving cream) include the Braun Series 9 Pro, Philips Norelco OneBlade Hybrid, Panasonic Arc5, Braun Series 5, Remington Balder Pro, Pitbull Gold Pro, and Panasonic Travel. This feature is essential because it makes shaving more efficient if you opt to do it in the shower or more flexible if it happens to be more comfortable for you to shave with shaving cream.

Though you can rinse many of these models underwater, the following models claim to be dry-only for shaving: Micro Touch SOLO, Remington F5 Foil, Philips Norelco 2300, and Andis ProFoil. Some models, like the Braun Series 5, Remington Balder Pro, and Panasonic Arc4 Electric have solid auxiliary trimmers.

The Braun Series 7 not only has trimmer heads but comes with an exceptional array of attachments to go along with it. The Philips Norelco OneBlade Hybrid is exclusively a (high-performance) trimmer. We were surprised that the Series 9 Pro has a less-than-impressive trimmer, as does the Philips Norelco 2300. Some models like the Panasonic Travel and Andis ProFoil don't have any trimmer.

For those looking for a full-featured display, the Panasonic Arc5 has a robust set of indicator lights that give you insight into the status of your electric razor. The Pitbull Gold Pro has a battery level indicator, which we found to be particularly useful.

In terms of user interfaces, the Philips Norelco 2300, the Andis ProFoil and Panasonic Travel are straightforward, as are the OneBlade Hybrid and Braun Series 5, which have battery indicator lights, as well as the Micro Touch SOLO. The Brauns Series 7 and Series 9 Pro both have basic battery indicators, and the Philips Norelco 9500 also comes with a pressure sensor light that indicates whether or not you are shaving with the right amount of force.

Ease of Cleaning

Cleaning can be an afterthought with a razor, so the easier it is to clean, the more likely we are to use it. In this metric, we consider features that specifically facilitate cleaning. These include rinsing, drainage ports, and release buttons for easily removing/opening the foil cassette. A couple of our contenders even come with self-cleaning bases. We analyze whether they make the job easier or are just a lot of hype.

Most of these models are relatively easy to clean and low maintenance. The Braun Series 7, Braun Series 9 Pro, both come with self-cleaning stations that make the task a literal set and forget (though they do lose some points because of the periodic maintenance required on the cleaning units themselves). The Philips Norelco 9500 also has a cleaning base, but it doesn't charge the razor as the Braun models do. The Braun Series 5 comes equipped with holes at the neck that you can run water through to flush out trimmings.

We found the Remington Balder Pro to be exceptionally easy to clean. By applying an even but firm pressure to the base of the shaver head housing, the top pops off. Because everything is waterproof, you can simply rinse it out at the end of each shave.

The Skull Shaver Pitbull Gold Pro has a similar cleaning process to the Remington Balder Pro except that it requires periodically disassembling the blades. It would be easy to accidentally lose a piece during this process. Our research analyst accidentally opened the locking mechanism during testing, and we were lucky that none of the small parts went down the drain. We docked this model a point for this reason.

The Philips Norelco OneBlade Hybrid, Philips Norelco 2300, and Remington F5 Foil can all be rinsed under water and left to dry — easy enough. The Andis ProFoil and Micro Touch SOLO recommend only dry cleaning the blades with the included brush, which is more tedious and time-consuming. The two Panasonic models, the Arc5 and Travel, suggest the added step of running hand soap through the cassette and rinsing it — again, extra steps that take more time.

Conclusion

Whether you are looking for a close shave or something that can trim, self-clean, or quick charge, we hope our comprehensive expert review gives you the information you need to make the right purchase for you. We know that there are seemingly endless options out there as far as electric razors are concerned, but knowledge is power. Happy shaving!