Top 5 compared
The best electric shavers
A close, comfortable shave without the nicks, the foam or the queue for the bathroom.
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The top 5 at a glance
An electric shaver cuts hair with fast-moving blades kept behind a guard, rather than a bare edge on the skin. Rotary shavers have round heads that turn and follow the curves of the face; foil shavers have blades under a thin foil and tend to cut closer on the cheeks. Hybrids such as the OneBlade trim as well as shave, which suits anyone who keeps their stubble at a set length.
Every one here rinses clean under the tap, and most can go in the shower with gel or foam too. Chargers differ: some take a USB cable with no plug in the box, others a two-pin plug for a bathroom shaver socket, which needs an adaptor for an ordinary one.
What matters
- A built-in trimmer, for the edges a head can’t reach.
- What replacement heads cost, and how often they’re due.
- Minutes per charge, and a quick-charge option.
#1Philips Series 3000 Wet & Dry Electric Shaver
£50–£75
- About 60 minutes per charge
- Wet and dry use
- Pop-up trimmer
Philips’ 5D Pivot & Flex heads carry 27 blades that sharpen themselves, with SkinProtect for comfort, a pop-up trimmer and around an hour of shaving from a charge. Philips has been making rotary shavers since the first Philishave in 1939.
What owners say: Owners get a clean, comfortable shave wet or dry and like how well it holds its charge and how quickly it recharges. Some find it doesn’t match a blade for closeness, and reports on how long it lasts are mixed.
A closer look: Rotary heads follow the jaw and neck well, which makes them a good fit for someone moving from a razor. It can be used in the shower with foam or gel. It charges from any USB plug, so it travels light.
Best for: Longest battery life
- Type
- Rotary
- Wet & dry
- Yes
- Cordless run time
- 60 min
- Trimmer
- Pop-up
- Charging
- USB-A cable
#2Philips OneBlade 360 Face + Body
£50–£75
- 1, 3 and 5mm stubble combs
- Three blades in the box
- Body comb and skin guard
Not quite a shaver and not quite a trimmer: it shaves clean, trims to even stubble with three combs, and does the body too. The blade flexes through 360° to follow the jaw, and it edges a beard’s outline as well as trimming it.
What owners say: Owners like how smooth and quick it is for a tidy-up. Some report charging problems, many get a close shave with no irritation while others get the odd nick, and some find it pricey.
A closer look: It’s designed to cut hair rather than skin, which is why it suits faces that hate shaving. Three blades in the box will last a good while. It suits the man who keeps permanent stubble rather than a clean shave.
Best for: Designer stubble
- Type
- Hybrid blade
- Wet & dry
- Yes
- Cordless run time
- 45 min
- Trimmer
- 3 stubble combs
- Charging
- USB-A cable
#3Braun Series 3 ProSkin 3040s Wet & Dry Foil Shaver
£124.99 RRP
- 5-minute charge for one shave
- Pop-up trimmer
- Wet and dry use
- Needs adaptor for 3-pin sockets
Braun’s current Series 3: three floating foil elements follow the jaw, a MicroComb steers more hair into the cutters, and it’s made for up to a three-day beard. It works wet or dry, has a pop-up trimmer for sideburns, and five minutes on charge is enough for one full shave.
What owners say: Owners like how solidly it’s made and find a smooth shave easy to get. Views on battery life and performance are divided, and skin irritation is a concern for some.
A closer look: It comes with a two-pin plug for a bathroom shaver socket, so keep an adaptor handy if it’s charged in the bedroom. Made for up to three days’ growth, it copes best used every day or two; a longer beard is better taken down with a trimmer first.
Best for: Catching more hair each stroke
- Type
- Foil, 3 elements
- Wet & dry
- Yes
- Cordless run time
- 45 min
- Trimmer
- Pop-up
- Charging
- 2-pin plug, 5-min quick charge
#4Panasonic Series 800 ES-LV67 5-Blade Shaver (Arc5)
£100–£150
- Beard sensor adjusts the power
- Five-blade foil head
- 3-minute quick charge
Five blades, a very fast motor and a head that flexes in 16 directions, for a close shave on thick stubble with less irritation. The inner blades are Japanese steel sharpened to 30°, and all five are made to catch flat-lying hairs as well as longer ones.
What owners say: Owners find it shaves very close without leaving a rash, and say the battery outlasts what they expected. Some find it noisier than they’d hoped, and opinions on the price are split.
A closer look: The beard sensor adds power where the stubble is thickest, so there’s less going over the same patch. The three-minute quick charge rescues a morning when it’s been forgotten. It’s waterproof, so it rinses clean under the tap.
Best for: Dense beards
- Type
- Foil, 5 blades
- Wet & dry
- Yes
- Cordless run time
- 50 min
- Trimmer
- Pop-up
- Charging
- 1 hr, 3-min quick charge
#5Braun Series 3 300s Electric Shaver
£41.99 RRP
- Full charge in one hour
- Charger adjusts to 100–240V
- No trimmer
- Dry shaving only
- About 30 minutes per charge
A plain, light Braun foil shaver for a quick morning shave: three pressure-sensitive elements flex to follow the jaw and neck, and the whole head rinses clean under the tap afterwards. It’s the simple member of Braun’s Series 3 family, a step below the ProSkin.
What owners say: Owners say it’s straightforward to use and gives a close shave. Some find it cuts less well than they hoped, battery reports are mixed with a few units losing power suddenly, and many miss a built-in trimmer.
A closer look: An hour on charge gives about 30 minutes of shaving, so a few days away needn’t mean packing the charger. The smart plug adjusts itself to any voltage from 100 to 240V, so abroad it needs only a plug adaptor. Sideburns and moustache edges are best tidied with a separate trimmer.
Best for: Cost friendly
- Type
- Foil, 3 elements
- Wet & dry
- No
- Cordless run time
- 30 min
- Trimmer
- No
- Charging
- Smart plug, 1 hr
Side by side
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Philips 3000 | #2OneBlade 360 | #3Braun Series 3 ProSkin | #4Panasonic Arc5 | #5Braun Series 3 300s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best budget | |||
| Picked Rating | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.2 |
| Price | £50–£75 | £50–£75 | £124.99 RRP | £100–£150 | £41.99 RRP |
| Type | Rotary | Hybrid blade | Foil, 3 elements | Foil, 5 blades | Foil, 3 elements |
| Wet & dry | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Cordless run time | 60 min | 45 min | 45 min | 50 min | 30 min |
| Trimmer | Pop-up | 3 stubble combs | Pop-up | Pop-up | No |
| Charging | USB-A cable | USB-A cable | 2-pin plug, 5-min quick charge | 1 hr, 3-min quick charge | Smart plug, 1 hr |
| Best for | Longest battery life | Designer stubble | Catching more hair each stroke | Dense beards | Cost friendly |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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