Because of their shape, Philips Norelco razors need to be held in the cleaning base by a kind of stalk-like support, which means an extra step of inserting the razor. You’ll have to decide whether the convenience is worth it; maintaining your shaver manually with the included cleaning brush is certainly easy enough. Philips also provides a range of Click and Style shavers which help trim your beard at an even length.
Chad Beightol, founder of grooming boutique Consigliere, recommends it as a solid all-around wet and dry razor, meaning you can use it in the shower, too. Beightol says the 3800 is a straightforward shaver with features you’d find on advanced models, like an 60-minute battery life and a pop-up trimmer for cleaning up facial hair. If you need an electric razor and don’t want to think too much about extra bells and whistles, you can’t go wrong with the 3800. If you’re someone who’s constantly fighting those pesky neck hairs, then this powerful new shaver brings AI into your bathroom and harnesses it to deliver an epic close shave. The rotary heads make it easy to move with you skin, and the pressure sensors alert you when you’re pressing too hard or not enough.
Right now, the bundle, which includes a charging stand and storage pouch, is 20 percent off. For the overall quality of shave at a non-crazy price, I’d personally recommend Braun’s updated flagship Series 9. It gets you smooth even if you haven’t shaved for 3 days and I prefer the feel of foil to rotary. Having tried all these models, it’s actually quite hard to differentiate between the most expensive, ‘flagship’ models.
The result is that within seconds of being turned on, the foil chills to near zero, ‘reducing irritation’. Possibly the real killer feature of the Braun for me is that using it actually feels like shaving. The rotary motion of the Philips is more philips razor like rubbing your face. Send me exclusive offers, unique gift ideas, and personalized tips for shopping and selling on Etsy. Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
We asked testers to evaluate each razor for closeness of shave, speed, and irritation. First, testers used the razors at whatever their standard “I need a shave” interval was. We then asked for a double-growth test—skipping a shave—and, as a go-for-broke scenario, a triple-growth test. Once the initial review period is complete we’ll publish a full review, give the electric shaver a star rating, and add an abridged review to this guide. Please be aware that to use these stations properly means you will need to buy replacement cartridges of cleaning fluid, FOREVER.
It really does feel like you’ve used a multi-blade traditional razor. It manages this partly through that new blade design, which pulls the hairs deeper beneath the foil before cutting. The F has the look of a Braun clone and uses a proven dual-foil system with a center lift-and-cut trimmer mated to a pivoting head. But unlike the Braun Series 7 foil block, which pivots along two axes, this less-expensive shaver pivots only up and down. Although no cleaning system is available, you can easily rinse the shaver under running water. The battery life is about 60 minutes, a bit less than what Braun’s model offers, but that should be more than enough for most people, even when you’re traveling.
An electric razor needs break-in time—not for the razor, but for your face. If you’re switching from a manual to an electric, or even from one electric style to another, generally you’ll need to give your skin two weeks to adjust to the new tool. We couldn’t figure out exactly why this break-in period is necessary. Different sources give different answers, ranging from new-user error to the need to “train” skin as it adjusts from healing the scrapes caused by a manual razor to dealing with the pulling and shearing mechanisms of electrics.
We continue to recommend Series 7 shavers for most facial hair removal (and Series 9 models for handling heavier growth). Sales often make a given higher-end model less expensive than a version a notch below it. During deals events like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, you may be able to find a higher-series model at a lower-series-like price. This razor comes with an eight-direction comfort head for a close, contoured shave. It also has two SensoFoil blades and shaving foils that protect the skin. One of the more budget-friendly options by Braun, this electric razor makes for a great entry-level option.
On top of that, the three slim foil blades also move independently from side to side. The upshot is a shaver head that mooches around the face like a caterpillar, snipping here, there and everywhere until there isn’t a bristle left in sight. I was frankly astounded by how close it shaved, even ‘dry’ straight out of the box. However, if you really want the absolute best electric shaver, pay that premium and get the Series 9000 Prestige. This will deal with 5 days worth of stubble and comes with a wireless charging pad that also works on compatible phones. It’s also notably more premium in terms of look and feel than any other shaver.