The Best Electric Razor

Modern electric razors can deliver impressively close shaves, but they can’t quite match the closeness of manual razors . Over more than seven years of testing, 13 electric razor testers have buzzed and clipped a path toward what we hoped would be silken-jawed nirvana—and we’ve found that Braun’s Series 7 shavers are the best electric razors for removing facial hair. The Series 7 razors consistently produce close, comfortable shaves and are easy to use and maintain.

Braun’s Series 7 razors have been around in various forms for more than a decade, and they have built a reputation for producing close shaves, being durable, and providing convenience and value. The Series 7 has been our pick since 2015. It’s still our favorite razor, and it has become an even better choice because it’s significantly less expensive than it used to be.

The 7085cc and the 7020s provide the same high-quality shave as our pick, but they each come with different sets of accoutrements. We think the new 7071cc has the features that most people want or need, but prices tend to fluctuate, and if you find one of the others for significantly less you won’t be missing a lot by picking that model up.

Braun claims that the Series 9 can tackle three days’ worth of heavy beard growth. (We’ve generally considered two days’ worth of typical growth to be as much as a typical electric shaver can handle well.) We found that this razor was as good as its marketing, with an important asterisk: The Series 9 set a standard for performance and speed that most of our testers agreed exceeded that of every other shaver we tried, but most people who shave their facial hair—whether they’re five-o’clock-shadow-by-noon types or light-and-wispy-bearded—don’t need the performance boost. Nearly everyone can get a shave that’s just as velvety from the Series 7.

We believe the Braun Series 7 is worth its higher price, but the Remington F5-5800 is a surprisingly competent budget alternative. It provides credible stubble-leveling results at an affordable price. None of our testers thought it was on the level of a Braun, and unlike the Braun Series 7 and 9 models, this Remington doesn’t come with a cleaning system—but then again, it’s usually less than a quarter of the price of our top pick.

Based on our research and testing, we believe a foil shaver produces a better shave for most facial hair. But if you prefer a rotary style, consider Philips Norelco’s Shaver 9300 (or another model in the brand’s 9000 line). Rotary shavers operate differently than foil shavers, using floating heads that grasp and remove hair, which some people find more comfortable.