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Even the best electric shaver is often underestimated by the general shaving public. But anyone who does rely on one knows that it delivers a nearly-perfect shave, minus any irritation. That’s because electric shavers buzz you as close to the skin as possible, without breaking the surface (and without inviting ingrown hairs, razor bumps, and razor burn)—ideal for guys with sensitive skin who need a clean shave every day, but would rather not risk irritation and redness.
Why Bother With an Electric Shaver at All?
Good question. It's one we've pondered long and hard here at GQ—so much so, in fact, that over the years we've come to champion the electric shaver above all other grooming tools in our cabinets. The electric shaver's appeal mostly boils down to convenience and ease-of-use: the vast majority of models on the market today are designed for wet or dry shaving, but they're also lightweight and long on charge, ideally suited to on-the-go touch-ups or a quick post-gym freshening. Plenty of them are equipped with foil heads for an antimicrobial clean even your mother would approve of, or come with separate stations that help flush out debris and preserve the quality of your device. Got a mountain-man beard or a freshly-shorn dome? There's an electric shaver out there for you, too.
Wait, What About Beard Trimmers?
Electric shavers are convenient, sure, but their real selling point is speed. The best of the genre clean up your face in a hurry, leaving the hair so close to the skin that, to the naked eye, you have a noon-o’clock shadow—if anything at all. The results are far superior to the stubble you’ll get from a guard-free beard trimmer (if you're shaving your head, they'll service you even more ably than hair clippers, too). There's nothing wrong with using a beard trimmer to mow down your whiskers if you want to leave a little stubble, but if you took an informal poll of GQ staffers, for a clean-shaven look, all of them would point you towards an electric shaver every time.
What's the Difference Between a Foil and a Rotary Shaver?
Electric shavers fall into two categories. Rotary shavers—defined by their separate, revolving blades—are designed to hug the contours of your face, no matter how chiseled that jawline. Foil shavers—defined by their oscillating blades, each tucked neatly beneath a foil guard—offer a more precise shave, at the expense of reaching pesky areas like your neck. If all that “oscillation” talk is starting to sound a little wonky, just remember this: rotary shavers tend to be better at cutting thick, coarse hairs in a jiffy; foil shavers are often gentler (and more equipped to handle all hair types), but they'll never quite compete when it comes to flexibility.
Convinced? Good—now it's time to take one of these suckers out for a spin yourself. Below you'll find GQ's exhaustively-researched, rigorously-vetted guide to our very favorite electric shavers on the market, each one ready and raring to help you home in, laser-like, on the stubble of your dreams. Happy shaving.
The Best Electric Shavers, at a Glance
- The Best Electric Shaver Overall: Braun Series 9 Pro, $330
- The Longstanding Fan Favorite: Panasonic Arc6, $400
- The Best Rotary Electric Shaver: Philips Norelco Series 9400, $160
- The Best Bald-Head Shaver: Kibiy electric bald-head shaver, $44
- The Best Body Shaver: Mangroomer body shaver, $50
- The Best Shaver for Sparse Stubble: Braun MobileShave electric shaver, $27
- The Best Trimmer-Shaver Combo: Panasonic Multishape, $130
- The Best Travel Shaver: BaBylissPRO "Barberology" foil shaver, $55
- The Best Entry-Level Electric Razor: Philips Norelco OneBlade, $35
- The Best Entry-Level Foil Shaver: Remington foil shaver, $47
- The Best Shaver for Precise Finishing: Wahl Professional shaver, $105
The Best Electric Shaver for Men, Period
Braun's Series 7 shaver was our top pick in the category for years, largely thanks to its slew of must-have benefits, including a cleansing base that also serves as a charger, wet/dry capabilities for whichever method you prefer, and an adjustable speed (with 5 options) that lifts hairs away from the skin for an even, close shave. All that's to say: it was near-perfect as is. But in 2022, the German brand disrupted itself, introducing the next generation of its best-in-class electric razor—and promptly scooped a Grooming Award in the process. (If you're looking to save a few dollars, the 7 is still widely available for half the price of its newer counterpart.) The 9 leaves all those features mercifully intact, but adds a couple of welcome functions to the mix, like a separate cutting element that mows down hairs that zig when all the others zag. It lasts just shy of an hour on a full charge, and yes, it still comes with that nifty pop-up trimmer to get a clean line on your sideburns.
The Longstanding Favorite Foil Shaver
Don't worry, this list isn't a roundup of $400 shavers. But we couldn't not call out his big launch from Panasonic: The beloved Arc5 leveled up with this 6-head foil shaver. Panasonic’s wet-dry Arc6 electric foil shaver is our top pick for several reasons, but the biggest is its incredible 84,000 crosscuts per minute. Next is the flexible head, shimmying in 22 different directions as it navigates your contours. Its motor speed adjusts with the thickness and density of your facial hair, so that it knows precisely how forceful and fast to cut stubble. Despite all its muscle, the Arc6 shaver maintains a 50-minute runtime after just one hour of charging, and gives you enough juice for a quick shave after just three minutes plugged-in. (Oh, and if you want an Arc6 with the cleaning/charging dock, they've got one!)
The Barbershop Favorite
This gold-titanium foil shaver from Andis is both a barbershop standby and one of the simplest tools on the roster. It gives you a bump-free shave, and is also great for cleaning up the base of fresh fades. Its lithium ion battery holds an 80-minute charge, which will get you through a long weekend away or stay active months into your periodic clean-ups.
The Best Rotary Shaver
Philips Norelco’s wet-dry rotary shaver glides over your neck, chin, and face without getting caught on odd angles or errant moles. Hell, try it on your shoulders, upper back, and even your dome. It promises to cut hairs up to 30 percent closer than the competition with its three rotary heads that rotate eight ways each. You can adjust the speed of the shaver if you want to take it slower, or if your skin is too sensitive for its rapid-fire removal. The device is easy to clean since it’s a wet-and-dry shaver, but it also comes with a cleansing stand for quick, effective disinfecting. This cordless shaver lasts three hours with each charge, and a digital display tells you how much charge remains.
The Best Bald-Head Shaver
If you're sporting a beautiful cueball dome—maybe you're auditioning for the next Fast and Furious—then you'll want an easy-to-use, ergonomic rotary shaver. (That is, if you don't want to actually shave your head with a razor.) The key term, though, is ergonomic: While Kibiy's palm-held device boasts attachments for clean beard outlines, facial cleansing and exfoliating, and nose-hair trimming, it is a palm-held head shaver above all. Just grip it and zoom every which way around your head—it even works in the shower if you prefer a wet shave, and it holds an 1.5 hour-long charge.
The Best Body Shaver for Men
We know that many of you are actually here to find the best manscaping device. "Where can I get a device to trim all of this man?" you wonder. Look no further than the aptly named Mangroomer. The brand's double-headed wet-dry device gives you a trim or a shave (with 8 different length settings on the trimmer, so that you can trim or shave to your liking on chest or junk). Its foil shaving head glides smoothly over the contours of your, uh, curves, snipping everything down without nicking the skin anywhere—particularly not in your most sensitive areas.
The Best Shaver for Sparse Stubble
If you want a shaver but aren't working with a lot of scruff, then stick with a low-investment travel shaver like Braun's. It's got a single foil head, is easily rinsed clean, and holds a two-hour charge on a pair of AAs. Honestly, there isn't much more to add, and that's probably music to the ears of certain sparse-stubbled heads out there.
The Best Trimmer-Shaver Combo
It's one of our favorite beard trimmers, and one of our favorite shavers. The newly launched Multishape allows customers to opt in for whichever device heads they need. You can also choose whether you want the hair clippers, the nose trimmer, and the toothbrush heads—all of which are good, but we love the wide-head electric foil shaver and the half-millimeter-incremental beard trimmer best. Just be sure to buy the Lithium Ion battery (of the two options available), since it'll last longer and charge faster. (The price here reflects a kit built with the trimmer and shaver heads, and li-ion base.)
The Best Travel Shaver
BaBylissPRO—surprisingly not a South Florida Soundcloud rapper—makes its signature razor with only one foil, a functional design detail that offers more control in-hand (not to mention a sleek silver finish). If aesthetics alone were enough to warrant inclusion here this shaver would land near the top of the list, but thankfully it delivers on the practical front too—if you dig the added control, especially when it comes to shape ups, this is the device for you. Note that it is battery-powered, but still delivers 5 hours of mileage on a pair of AAs.
The Best Entry-Level Electric Razor
This cartridge-esque electric shaver is a terrific entry point for hesitant or first time shavers. On top of that, it's great for multitaskers: It is safe for both body and facial hair, plus works like a great T-blade for clean edges on your mustache, neckline, sideburns, etc. It has three guards for tiered trimming and detailing options, and comes with a 45-minute battery life. Don't forget to buy additional "razor" heads, too, which will ensure that you practice good razor hygiene. Lastly, this one shaves wet or dry, so bring it in the shower if you fancy a quick multitasking once-over.
The Best Entry-Level Foil Shaver
If this is your first go-around with a foil shaver (or your skills feel rusty after a long hiatus), it doesn't hurt to kick things off with the training wheels attached. Remington's sleek foil shaver might look unassuming, but it’s designed to make shaving as easy as possible thanks to a pivoting head that flexes to hug the contours of your face, and a pop-up detailing trimmer that ensures your lines are extra neat. (It helps that clean up is a cinch, too–just rinse the blades in your sink and you’re good to go.) Each charge yields an hour of runtime so you can take it slow, but if you’re the anxious/curious type, a handy LED display lets you know how much juice you've got left before you need to plug in again.
The Best Shaver for Precise Finishing
Generally speaking, if you want barbershop-level precision, it's best to turn to the professionals—unless, that is, you’re short on time or your barber is booked out for the next week and you need a clean up ASAP. Wahl popularized the first electric hair clipper over a century ago, so if its 5 Star Finale shaver looks familiar, it's likely because it's your barber's tool of choice, too. The gold foil trimmer leaves even the most sensitive skin smooth and free from razor burn, and even though it's battery-operated, it comes with nifty wall plug in case you'd rather shave the old-fashioned way. A hundred bucks isn’t exactly cheap for a foil shaver, but you get what you pay for—in this case, lines so clean you might skipp your next haircut entirely.
