Best electric shaver 2024: Get a closer, more comfortable shave

The best electric shaver will help you to achieve exactly the look you want, whether that’s a smooth shave or a five o’clock shadow.

The problem is that it can be a bit of a minefield picking the right electric shaver for you. Firstly, there’s the question of price: how much do you need to spend to get something that does a decent job? As well as that, there are also plenty of different features to consider. Do you prefer foil or rotary blades? Do you need a model you can use in the shower? How about a detail trimmer for tidying up your sideburns afterwards?

Below, we’ve picked the best electric shavers on the market right now for a range of different budgets and requirements. If you’re still undecided after checking out our picks, you will also find a handy buying guide at the end of this article.

Best electric shaver : At a glance

How to choose the best electric shaver for you

What type of shaver do I need?

It really depends on how thick and wayward your beard growth is and how often you need (or want) to shave. If you have thick facial hair that sprouts in all directions – or if you only shave every few days – a rotary blade shaver is usually the best option. The best eat unruly hairs for breakfast (Ed: gross) and will clear thick stubble in minutes.

Foil shavers work better if your hair is relatively light or if you like a clean shave every day; you will find them softer on your skin and they can sometimes give a closer shave – and the battery life is often better.

What are the best shaver brands?

The UK’s market-leading electric shaver brands are Braun and Philips. Remington, Panasonic and Wahl are also very popular manufacturers.

What power source options are available?

When choosing a razor, you might come across mains, battery and rechargeable devices. Most electric shavers are rechargeable these days, making them perfect for use both at home or on the move. While some can be used both cordless or from the mains – allowing you to use them even if you’ve run out of charge – you should probably avoid battery-powered shavers. These are designed for occasional use only and using them often could cost you a fortune in batteries.

Should I choose a shaver based on my skin type?

If you have sensitive skin and are prone to razor burn, a foil shaver might be your best bet as they are recognised as being less harsh on the skin when compared to rotary shavers.

What extra features should I look out for?

Charging: Many cordless shavers now come with a quick-charge setting that means you can plug in your shaver before you get in the shower and it will have enough power for one shave when you’re finished. If that’s not an option, however, plug them into the supplied docking station – or simply plug in the cord from the power adaptor – and they can usually be fully charged within an hour or two. Some now even charge through a USB cable. 

Waterproofing: As well as dry use, a lot of cordless shavers can be used with shaving foam or gel, if you’re worried about sensitive skin. Many can also be used in the shower – if you’re really in a hurry in the morning. Make sure you read the instructions before getting your shaver wet, however, as not all are waterproof and many are only, at best, water-resistant.

Trimming and shaping: Shaver manufacturers have caught up to facial hair trends and now many include additional features or attachments for trimming beards to leave behind a light stubble, or for shaping sideburns, moustaches and goatee beards. Some of these can be quite useful, though you may find that a dedicated beard trimmer is easier and more comfortable to use.

Cleaning: Not to be content with all the shaving and trimming, some electric shavers now also come with their own recharging and cleaning stations that take care of the maintenance for you. These go much further than a quick brush, or a rinse under the tap, but you’ll pay a premium for both the shaver and the cleaning fluids you’ll need to replenish every few months.

How much should I spend?

The price of electric shavers varies massively, and there’s no guarantee that an enormously expensive shaver will work for your individual face and beard growth. Generally speaking, though, spending more will get you a more powerful motor and a more sophisticated head that will be more effective at handling different densities of growth and moving tricky hairs into position for cutting. Build quality and battery management will also be significantly better. It’s worth noting that some of the more expensive shavers also come in cheaper versions without all the accessories or cleaning stations. These cut-down versions lose some of the convenience, but you’re getting great shaving tech at a lower price.

How we test electric shavers

During our testing, we used each shaver according to their supplied instructions.

In order to test the shavers, we not only tried each model on day-old beard growth, but we repeated the process on three-day-old beard growth to see how well each shaver tackled slightly longer facial hair. To make a fair comparison, we made every effort to ensure the same amount of pressure was applied while shaving.

Although how each shaver performed was crucial – we were looking for a smooth shave with no snagging or irritation – we also took into account each shaver’s ergonomics, the battery life and charge time, and how easy they were to clean. Since electric shavers tend to be carefully considered purchases – especially the more hi-tech ones – we paid particular attention to their overall value for money as well. Finally, given that a gadget’s appearance is always a factor, how the shavers looked was important to us too.

READ NEXT: Best hair removal creams for men

The best electric shavers you can buy in 2024

1. Braun Series 3 3040s: Best affordable electric shaver

Price when reviewed: £53 | Check price at AmazonThis affordable foil shaver uses three independently floating elements to adapt to the contours of your face. It can be used in the shower for a wet or dry shave and, best of all, one hour of charging promises up to a whole week’s worth of shaving.

There are no fancy extras: you only get a charging cord and plastic foil guard. Shaving performance isn’t up there with pricier models such as the Braun Series 7, either – you will need to do a few passes for a close shave – but cleaning is easy and the results are good for the money. Another slight annoyance is the sensitivity of the power button, which means even the slightest brush can turn it off in the middle of a shave. If you can live with that, though, this is a great shaver at a keen price.

Key specs – Battery type: Rechargeable NiMH; Battery life: 45 minutes; Charging time: 1 hour; Waterproof: Yes, IPX7-rated

2. Remington R6 Style Series Aqua: Best low-cost rotary shaver

Price when reviewed: £53 | Check price at Amazon  Remington has produced some good low-cost rotary shavers in the last few years, but the R6 Style Series Aqua tops them all with features you don’t usually get at this price point. For a start it’s waterproof, so you can use it wet or dry, with gel or foam or in the shower. 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.

As for the shave itself, it’s pretty good. The R6 doesn’t get quite as close as consistently as the premium shavers, and can tug on longer hairs if you’ve let them grow. Yet it’s comfortable if you shave every day or so and the Twintrack blades do a good job of dealing with thick growth under the jawline. We’re still not big fans of the stubble attachment, though; it’s both uncomfortable and ineffective, while the detail trimmer isn’t brilliant. Otherwise, just like the F6 Style Series Aqua, this is a great shaver at a very affordable price.

Key specs – Battery type: Rechargeable Lithium-ion; Battery life: 60 minutes; Charging time: 90 minutes; Waterproof: Yes

3. King C Gillette Style Master: Best electric shaver for handling stubble

Price when reviewed: £27 | Check price at Gillette  The King C Gillette Style Master is the bestselling razor brand’s take on the Philips OneBlade, with a motorized ‘4D blade’ that cuts on both the upstroke and the downstroke, plus three interchangeable combs to keep your stubble under control. It can’t give as close a shave as more conventional shavers, but it’s brilliant at trimming away stubble on the neck, cheeks or jawline, and even better at maintaining a consistent two- to three-day stubble look. It can even double as a beard trimmer if you like to alternate between stubble and a short beard.

In some ways, it’s an improvement on the OneBlade. The blades seem to stay sharper for longer – Gillette claims that they can last for up to six months – and you can get a good 50 minutes of trimming and shaving from a single charge. It’s also fully waterproof, so you can happily wash it under the tap or use it in the shower. If you’re not bothered about getting a smooth, clean-cut look, you don’t need anything more.

Key specs – Battery type: Rechargeable Lithium-ion; Battery life: 50 minutes; Charging time: 8 hours; Waterproof: Yes

Check price at Gillette

4. Remington F6 Style Series Aqua: Best electric shaver to use in the shower

Price when reviewed: £49 | Check price at Amazon In or out of the shower, the F6 Style Series Aqua is a great rechargeable shaver, with the feel and features of more premium shavers at a thoroughly affordable price. Its two independent flexing foils and intercept trimmer give you a close shave for the money, with the head pivoting to follow the contours of your face and tackle difficult spots around the chin. Build quality is solid, bar a slightly flimsy pop-up trimmer, and the non-slip grip is great if you’re using it wet. Remington’s clip-on stubble styler is better at protecting the foils than actually trimming beard growth down to size – expect a few ‘ouch’ moments if you try it – but this is one of the most comfortable shavers we’ve tried for around £50.

It gets bonus points for its battery charging, too. Normally you’re looking at a 90-minute charge for 60 minutes of shaving, but a quick emergency five-minute boost will get you through a shave in a pinch. And, to make this even more convenient, the F6 Style Series doesn’t need a dedicated charger: with a USB cable, you can use any USB charger, power bank or even laptop.

Key specs – Battery type: Rechargeable Lithium-ion; Battery life: 60 minutes; Charging time: 5 to 90 minutes; Waterproof: Yes

5. Philips Shaver Series 5000: Best rotary shaver under £150

Price when reviewed: £104 | Check price at Amazon If you want a good rotary shaver but don’t have a sky-high budget, the Shaver Series 5000 is a great step up from the Remington Style R4. It packs in some of the same technology you will find in Philips’ high-end Series 9000 models, including the SkinIQ technology that senses the density of your facial hair and adapts the motor power to give the optimal shave. Meanwhile, the heads pivot in all directions to give a closer shave in tricky areas, though we found a few tight spots around the jawline that still needed a couple of goes. This may be because the head assembly feels larger than the average.

The battery takes an hour to charge for over an hour’s shaving, although there is a five-minute rush charge if you need it, and you can use it wet or dry and rinse it under the tap when you’re done. Philips also sells this model with an optional cleaning pod, which does a fantastic job of cleaning and lubricating the head. You simply insert the supplied blue goo cartridge, stick your shaver in upside down and turn it on. However, you will pay an extra £40 to £50 for the privilege and it’s a fine shaver with or without.

Key specs – Battery type: Rechargeable Lithium-ion; Battery life: 60 minutes; Charging time: 5 to 60 minutes; Waterproof: Yes

6. Braun Series 7 70-N7200cc: Best electric shaver under £350

Price when reviewed: £310 | Check price at Boots The previous-generation Braun Series 7 7898cc set a pretty high standard for foil shavers, using four synchronised shaving elements and a micro-vibration technology to deliver an impressively smooth shave, even if you didn’t shave every day. The new Series 7 70-N7200C is – against the odds – even better.

The head, with 3 flexible blades, is mounted on Braun’s new 360° Flex adaptive system, which can twist and pivot in all directions to follow the contours of your face. Meanwhile, Braun’s AutoSense technology ramps the shaving power up and down according to the density of your beard. It’s genuinely great at pushing through thick and unruly stubble, and there’s not as much of the nasty ‘plucking’ sensation that’s often associated with electric shavers.

Elsewhere, the new handle is lighter and easier to grip, with the button falling right under the thumb. You can still use it wet or dry, and Braun bundles in its SmartCare Centre, which cleans, lubricates and charges when you insert the shaver head downwards and push the connector at the top. You can have 50 minutes of shaving from a one-hour charge or sneak an emergency shave in from the five-minute quick charge. Some might find the illuminated indicators on the SmartCare Centre a little blinding, but that’s really the only criticism we have. It’s the best premium shaver we’ve tested without a sky-high price.

Key specs – Battery type: Rechargeable Lithium-ion; Battery life: 50 minutes; Charging time: 60 minutes; Waterproof: Yes

Check price at Boots

7. Philips Shaver Series 7000: Best smart shaver

Price when reviewed: £180 | Check price at Amazon Philips Series 9000 shaver is the best rotary shaver we’ve ever tested, but it’s also the most expensive, with a price tag that will frighten off the majority of buyers. The Series 7000 is more approachable, giving you most of the same core technology for half the price. The latest version is a little chunkier than the outgoing model, with redesigned heads that aim to channel facial hair into the ideal cutting position. They twist and pivot to follow the contours of your face, so that the self-sharpening SteelPrecision blades don’t miss a whisker, while a protective coating reduces friction and makes for a more comfortable close shave. Put it all together, and you get a premium shave whether you shave dry, with foam or gel or in the shower.

Of course, most electric shavers don’t give their best results on the first shave, getting better as they bed in and you get practice. Here Philips has a nifty trick in its GroomTribe app, which works via Bluetooth and uses motion sensors in the shaver to track your shave and help you improve your technique. You probably won’t use it after the first few shaves, but it’s a good way to help you get started. What’s more, the Series 7000 has the same cleaning pod as the Series 5000, to help you get your shaver clean and ready for action. With its smaller, lighter body and more mobile head, the Series 9000 is still one step ahead for closeness and comfort, but the Series 7000 is a whole lot easier on the wallet.

Key specs – Battery type: Rechargeable Lithium-ion; Battery life: 60 minutes; Charging time: 5 to 60 minutes; Waterproof: Yes

8. Panasonic ES-LV9Q: Best shaving system for daily shaves

Price when reviewed: £174 | Check price at Amazon While it costs close to £200, Panasonic’s ES-LV9Q is one ludicrously high-tech shaver. Its five-blade cutting system cuts at an incredible 70,000 actions per minute to ensure no facial follicle goes unsliced. Meanwhile, its pivoting head moves to trail the different surfaces of your face and a sensor checks your beard density to give the heads more power where necessary. Put this all together and Panasonic’s shaver delivers an incredibly close and frankly flawless shave.

Having said that, we found it works best if you shave every day. If you let a few days pass, the long hairs seem to fox this smart shaver, leaving odd hairs loitering on your fizzog. For the very best results, you can use it wet, then place the shaver upside down in its cleaning station and wait while it cleans and dries. This involves 80 minutes of fan noise and the shaver itself isn’t quiet, but if you’re horrified by the thought of going out unshaven, this shaver will make damn sure your nightmares don’t come true.

Key specs – Battery type: Rechargeable Lithium-ion; Battery life: 45 minutes; Charging time: 60 minutes; Waterproof: Yes

9. Braun Series 9 Pro: Best foil shaving system for irregular shavers

Price when reviewed: £297 | Check price at Amazon Where the Braun Series 7 competes with the world’s best shavers from a slightly lower price point, the Series 9 Pro shows what Braun can do on a high-end budget. The new head contains five cutting elements, including a ProLift trimmer designed to lift and trim tricky low-lying hairs. This, combined with Braun’s micro-vibration technology, delivers one of the smoothest and most comfortable shaves we’ve seen from an electric shaver, comparable to the Panasonic ES-LV9Q and Panasonic ES-LS9A. In fact, it’s arguably better than the former at dealing with longer hairs and stubble, while the pivoting design is great for tricky areas under the jawline and around the neck.

If the shaver itself doesn’t convince you, Braun has also put together an outstanding kit. It comes with Philips SmartCare Centre for charging and cleaning. Just drop and click the shaver into position, and after a rather noisy process, it comes out smelling sweet and looking good as new. What’s more, if you’re travelling, the bundled case includes a secondary battery, giving you up to 90 minutes of use while you’re away from the mains – an extra 50% on top of what the Series 9 Pro’s internal battery can do. Be aware that you will need to splash out extra on additional cleaning fluid cartridges, but these last for roughly two to three months. If it weren’t for the Panasonic ES-LS9A, we would be crowning this the new king of shavers. As it is, it’s awfully close.

Key specs – Battery type: Rechargeable Lithium-ion; Battery life: 60 minutes; Charging time: 50 minutes; Waterproof: Yes

10. Philips Travel Shaver PQ206/18: Best electric shaver for travel

Price when reviewed: £19 | Check price at Boots This tiny electric shaver might not look like much, but it’s an absolute steal at the price. About the size of a mobile phone, the Philips Travel Shaver packs in a pair of rotary heads equipped with self-sharpening blades that last for up to two years. Plus, as it takes easily-available AA batteries, there’s no need to carry a charger with you when you go abroad.

You only get an hour of shaving from a pair of AA batteries, and the shaving performance isn’t as close or quick as pricier models, but the results are surprisingly decent. For little more than a tenner, you get an effective shaver, a zip-up travel case, and a pair of batteries to get you started. If you’re flying abroad to finalise that multi-million-pound deal, this might not be the shaver for you. But, for everyone else, the PQ206 is a perfect travel companion.

Key specs – Battery type: Replaceable AA; Battery life: 60 minutes; Waterproof: No

Check price at Boots

11. Panasonic ES-LS9A: Best shaving system for closeness and comfort

Price when reviewed: £399 | Check price at AmazonTo be honest, we doubted Panasonic could improve on the ES-LV9Q. In fact, adding a sixth cutting blade to the LV9Q’s five seemed a little like a gimmick. If so, we’ve been proved wrong on both counts. Panasonic’s previous flagship shaver gave an almost flawless, super-smooth shave every time, thanks to an ingenious pivoting head, a density sensor and a cutting system that worked at 70,000 actions per minute. The LS9A ups that to 84,000, with two new thick stubble blades designed to tackle long and tricky growth.

The result? A superb shave that’s even smoother and closer than the old model managed, with its one failing – problems handling longer hairs – completely banished. What’s more, it’s both painless and effortless. As someone who always cringes while shaving my neck if I’ve left the stubble to grow for more than a day or two, I couldn’t believe how easy-going the ES-LS9A turned out to be.

Needless to say, it’s stupidly expensive, but then you are literally at the cutting edge of shaver tech, and it comes with Panasonic’s Cleaning and Charging stand, which charges, cleans, maintains and dries your shaver in around an hour if you drop it in after use. You will have to budget for the proprietary detergent, and while the sachets aren’t as expensive as Braun’s plastic cleaning cartridges, the mixture only lasts for 30 days. Still, if you’ve spent this kind of money on a shaver, you want to keep it in tip-top condition. That goes double when the shaver is – like the LV9Q before it – the best we’ve ever reviewed.

Key specs – Battery type: Rechargeable Lithium-ion; Battery life: 50 minutes; Charging time: 1 hour; Waterproof: Yes

12. Philips Series 9000 Prestige: The ultimate rotary shaver

Price when reviewed: £337 | Check price at AmazonIt’s tempting to think that the Series 9000 Prestige is all about the gimmicks. Philips’ most expensive high-end shaver ships with a fancy, glowing, wireless QI charger, a carry case and a clever click-in trimmer which does a great job of sorting out your sideburns. It sports a futuristic design, complete with a digital battery indicator, and takes around three hours to charge wirelessly, after which it will shave for around 60 minutes.

It definitely looks and feels the part, with premium materials and a lightweight but tough construction. Yet what really sells this shaver is the sheer quality of the shave. Straight up, it’s by far the best rotary we’ve ever tested, delivering a closer shave and leaving fewer hairs behind than any other, yet managing to do so without irritating sensitive areas of the face and neck – something that we can’t say for every other shaver.

The trick is that it senses and adapts to the density of your beard, while the high-precision floating head gets as close as possible to the skin. We usually take all the talk of NanoTech Dual Precision bladed and 150,000 cutting actions per minute with a pinch of salt, but the tech in the Series 9000 seems incredibly effective. Of course, it’s incredibly expensive, but if you want the best, then this is it.

Key specs – Battery type: Rechargeable Lithium-ion; Battery life: 60 minutes; Charging time: 3 hours; Waterproof: Yes

13. Remington Limitless X5 Rotary Shaver: Best mid-priced shaver

Price when reviewed: £150 | Check price at Boots

A recent addition to Remington’s lineup, the Limitless X5 Rotary Shaver features heads that aren’t just fast – 130,000 cutting actions per minute – but designed to reduce friction by up to 30%. Together, this means fewer passes are required to get the job done as well as it being a more comfortable shave overall, making this a great option for guys with sensitive skin, or for those who are just impatient. On top of that, it features PowerSense Technology, which adapts to the amount of pressure you use and the thickness of your stubble. We can’t say we noticed it in action – though, to be fair, we don’t think you’re supposed to – but we did notice the unique ‘Pivotball’ which allows the shaver head an impressive amount of manoeuvrability over the contours of the face.

All in all, it delivered a great shave, though it was a little better on day-old stubble than anything much longer. While it has a detail trimmer for sideburns, it’s still fairly basic in terms of additional features – flashing lights and whatnot – but it’s a cinch to use and to clean, making it a great starter shaver for electric newbies.

Key specs – Battery type: Rechargeable Li-Ion; Battery life: 50 minutes; Charging time: 60 minutes; Waterproof: Yes

14. Panasonic ER-CKN1 MULTISHAPE Modular Personal Care System: Best customisable shaver

Price when reviewed: £82 (main unit + shaver head bundle) | Check price at Amazon

Perfect for guys who like to switch between being clean-shaven and sporting a smattering of facial hair, this modular grooming tool from Panasonic is a jack-of-all-trades and actually, for once, a master of them all. The basic concept is that you buy the main unit – which comes with a hair and beard trimmer as standard – and then add functionality with different heads, purchased separately.

To turn the device into an electric shaver you’ll need the Panasonic Wet & Dry Electric Shaver Head Accessory (RRP £29), which offers three-blade foil shaving using a floating head. If you’re an electric shaver aficionado, you might find this clip-on approach a bit basic, but we found the shave to be perfectly adequate, even though the relatively small size of the head does mean it takes a bit longer.

Overall, we loved the multifunctionality of the unit – you can also buy a nose and ear hair trimmer attachment and even a toothbrush one! – and the gadget itself, all smooth lines and a matt black finish, is beautiful to hold and behold.

Key specs – Battery type: Nickel-Metal hybrid Ni-MH; Battery life: 50 minutes; Charging time: 1 hour; Waterproof: Yes

15. Remington Ultimate Series RX7 Rotary Head Shaver: Best for shaving the head

Price when reviewed: £78 | Check price at Amazon 

If you thought electric shavers were just for faces you’d be wrong – in recent times, the technology has been adapted for use on the head too, which makes shaving your bonce simpler and safer than ever before. This offering from Remington has been designed to be held in the palm of your hand, and features no less than five rotary shaving heads that can flex around the contours of your head, ensuring an all-over close shave.

Our Uncle Fester – rhyming slang for ‘tester’ – reported back that it took a while to complete the full head shave, but that the results were pretty good, especially when the turbo function was employed to help it power through hair. The pop-up trimmer was handy for trimming sideburns, and for removing stray hairs around the neck and ears too. If a smooth pate is what you’re after, rather than a smooth chin, then this is your gadget.

Key specs – Battery type: Li-Ion; Battery life: 60 minutes; Charging time: 4hrs; Waterproof: Yes

16. Wahl Lifeproof foil shaver: Best for beginners

Price when reviewed: £50 | Check price at Amazon 

Wahl has become renowned for the robustness and longevity of their products – it’s why you often see Wahl professional hair clippers in barbers – but this shaver, housed in a shockproof casing, really takes things up a notch and is being touted by the manufacturer as ‘practically indestructible’. While we intentionally dropped it a couple of times to test this – and, in fairness, it did survive both little ‘accidents’ – we don’t recommend throwing it around just for the sake of it.

Performance-wise, it was pretty good, if a little noisy, and shaved without snagging. Other features we liked included the quick charge option – five minutes of juice will give you a five-minute shave – the rubber grips, and the generous five-year warranty.

It’s one of the more eye-catching shavers we tried – reminiscent of something from a plumber’s toolbox – but its no-frills approach and overall robustness make it great for beginners and butterfingers alike.

Key specs – Battery type: Lithium; Battery life: 90 minutes; Charging time: 60 minutes; Waterproof: Yes