01.Introduction
Any electric shaver user will tell you that you don’t get as close a shave as you do with a manual razor, but it’s worth compromising for convenience – shave anywhere, anytime, with speed, and no nicks, grazes or cuts. We recruited four CHOICE testers who are regular electric shaver users to find a shaver that comes close to a manual razor’s smooth finish.
Our two rotary shaver users tested rotary ones and the two foil-users tested the foil shavers - each had differing hair and skin type. They tested each shaver on dry skin at least twice for both one-day growth and two-day growth.
All our testers disliked the shaver’s cleaning stations. They found that these are fiddly to use, noisy, and take a long time using unnecessary power to do a job that can easily and quickly be done under a tap. All models with cleaning stations had detailed instructions on how to clean the unit without one (as you’re likely to do when travelling), so there is no need to use these.
For more information on Hair removal, see Beauty and personal care.
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What’s the difference?
Rotary shavers use two or three rotating heads to lift and cut the hair. Foil shavers use oscillating blades beneath a perforated foil to cut the hair.
Did you know?
Each shaving method is said to train hair to grow in a particular direction, so if you’re switching from foil to rotary or vice versa, you need to give your face at least a month to adjust. It's similar to when you switch from a manual razor to an electric shaver.
Models tested
Rotary models
- Philips SensoTouch 2D RQ1160
- Philips SensoTouch 3D RQ1280CC
- Philips HQ6900 (A)
- # Remington Titanium 360 R3130AH
- Remington Diamond 360 SR9130A
Foil blade models
- Braun Series 3 Wet & Dry 340
- Braun Series 5 Smooth & Precise 590cc-3
- Panasonic ES-LA83
- Panasonic ES-RW30
- Panasonic Pro-Curve ES8109
- # Remington Titanium Pivot & Flex F4790
- Remington Titanium Pivot & Flex F7790
(A) Limited distribution.
# Discontinued but still in some stores.
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