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Best electric shavers

We put electric shavers from Braun, Panasonic, Philips, Remington and more to the test to find out which delivers the closest shave
Matthew KnightProduct testing team leader
Man shaving

We've put electric shavers – ranging from £30 to more than £300 – to the test, so we can tell you which electric shavers will leave you rubbing your chin in amazement. 

To find the best electric shavers, we put the most popular foil and rotary shavers from Braun, Panasonic, Philips, Remington and more through their paces. 

Testers with varying hair types and stubble lengths recorded how well each one removed stubble after both one and three days. We also rated manoeuvrability, skin irritation, noise, ease of cleaning and durability.

And we've found a fantastic Great Value option that's often on sale for less than £40, so a decent shaver needn't break the bank.

The best electric shavers from our tests

Only logged-in Which? members can view the electric shaver test results below. 

Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.

Electric shaverOne-day stubble close shaveThree-day stubble close shaveTypeAccessoriesWhere to buy
ExcellentExcellent
ExcellentExcellent
ExcellentExcellent
ExcellentExcellent
ExcellentExcellent
ExcellentGood
GoodGood

Dates tested: August 2022 and September 2023. Pricing and availability last checked 5 February 2024. We're not able to show every retailer, and cheaper prices may be available. 

The electric shavers we tested

All the electric shavers we tested are listed in alphabetical order below. 

Only logged-in Which? members can view the best electric shavers from our tests. 

Join Which? to get instant access to our results and Best Buy recommendations below. 

Barbarossa Brothers Titanium Electric Foil

Barbarossa Brothers electric shaver

Available from Barbarossa Brothers (£70)

Pros Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal

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Most recently tested September 2022

Type Foil

Accessories Pop-up trimmer, charging cable, cleaning brush

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £14.99 at Barbarossa Brothers

Braun Series 3

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Most recently tested September 2023

Type Foil

Accessories Charging cable

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £21.39 at Amazon (subscribe and save)

Braun Series 5

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Most recently tested September 2022

Type Foil

Accessories Charging cable, charging stand, cleaning brush, micro comb, body groomer, beard trimmer attachments size 2-7

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £31.99 at Braun Shop UK

Braun Series 6

Braun Series 6

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Most recently tested September 2023

Type Foil

Accessories Charging cable, charging stand, cleaning brush, pop-up trimmer, travel case

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £24.99 at Amazon

Braun Series 7

Braun Series 7

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Most recently tested September 2023

Type Foil

Accessories Charging cable, charging stand, cleaning brush, pop-up trimmer, travel case

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £33 at Amazon

Braun Series 8

Braun series 8

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Most recently tested September 2023

Type Foil

Accessories Charging cable, charging stand, cleaning brush, pop-up trimmer, travel case

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £41.95 at Amazon

Braun Series 9 Pro

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Most recently tested September 2022

Type Foil

Accessories Charging cable, charging stand, cleaning brush, travel case, pop-up trimmer

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £49.36 at Amazon

Braun Series 9 Pro+

Braun Series 9 Pro +

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Most recently tested September 2023

Type Foil

Accessories Charging cable, charging stand, charging case, cleaning brush, pop-up trimmer

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £40 at Amazon

Carmen Cordless Titanium

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Most recently tested September 2022

Type Rotary

Accessories Charging cable, charging stand, precision trimmer, nasal trimmer

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head N/A

Panasonic 5 Blade ES-LV97

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Most recently tested September 2022

Type Foil

Accessories Charging cable, charging station, pop-up trimmer, carry case, cleaning brush

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £58.61 at Amazon

Panasonic 4 Blade ES-RF31

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Most recently tested September 2022

Type Foil

Accessories Pop-up trimmer, cleaning brush, charging cable

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £33.02 at Amazon

Panasonic ES-RT37-K511

Panasonic ES-RT37

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Most recently tested September 2023

Type Foil

Accessories Pop-up trimmer, charging cable, cleaning brush

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head n/a

Philips Series 3000

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Most recently tested September 2023

Type Rotary

Accessories Pop-up trimmer, charging cable, carry bag

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £22.99 at Boots

Philips Series 5000

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Most recently tested September 2023

Type Rotary

Accessories Pop-up trimmer, charging cable, carry bag

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £22.99 at Boots

Philips Series 7000

Philips Series 7000

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Most recently tested September 2023

Type Foil

Accessories Carry case, charging cable, charging station

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £15 at Amazon (currently unavailable)

Philips Series 9000 Prestige

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Most recently tested September 2023

Type Rotary

Accessories Precision trimmer, charging cable, wireless charging base, soft brush

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £135 at Amazon

Remington F3 Style Series

Remington F3 electric shaver

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Most recently tested September 2022

Type Foil

Accessories Precision trimmer, charging cable, wireless charging base, soft brush

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head n/a

Remington F6

Remington F6

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Most recently tested September 2023

Type Foil

Accessories Charging cable

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head n/a

Remington F9 Ultimate Series

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Most recently tested September 2022

Type Foil

Accessories Precision trimmer, charging cable, wireless charging base, soft brush

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £22.67 at Amazon

Remington MS5120

Remington FS5120

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Most recently tested September 2023

Type Foil

Accessories Pop-up trimmer, charging cable

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head n/a

Remington Virtually Indestructible Rotary PR1855

Remington Rotary

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 Most recently tested September 2023

Type Rotary

Accessories Charging cable

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head n/a

Remington Virtually Indestructible Foil PF7855

Remington Foil

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Most recently tested September 2023

Type Foil

Accessories USB charging cable only

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head n/a

Wahl Clean & Close Plus Wet & Dry

Wahl Clean

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Most recently tested September 2023

Type Foil

Accessories Charging cable, cleaning brush, carry case

Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £16.22 at Amazon


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How we test electric shavers

To test electric shavers we recruit a panel of volunteers from a mix of ethnic backgrounds, so that each shaver is tested on a variety of different hair types. We buy every product we test. 

Most of the panel test three or four shavers each and, so that we can get a true and fair comparison of all shavers, three testers also spend six weeks comparatively testing them all at home.

  • Close shave Each shaver's ability to deliver a super-smooth close shave is rated on one day of stubble and three days of stubble. Best Buy shavers will leave you smooth all over. In contrast, the worst shavers will leave you with scratchy patches on your face for the rest of the day.
  • Manoeuvrability Particular attention is paid to how well each shaver performs close to sideburns, on the top lip, and around and underneath the chin. There's a real difference between how accurately and closely the Best Buys can shave in these areas compared with the worst.
  • Skin irritation After each shave, each tester is examined for skin irritation to see if some are more likely to cause inflammation or in growing hairs.
  • Noise Some shavers make a low, powerful buzz, others an irritating whine that will wake the house. We assess each shaver for how loud and irritating a noise it makes.
  • Ease of cleaning After use, we painstakingly clean each shaver and rate it for how easy it is to do. 
  • Durability Each shaver is dropped five times from head height to see how robust it is.
  • Ease of use With a Cambridge Simulation glove, which allows the wearer to empathise with those who have hand mobility issues, we assess each shaver for how easy it is to use. All of our Best Buys are easy to use, even if you have limited hand movement. However, the worst we tested are really tricky to get to grips with and control if you have a condition such as arthritis.
A foil shaver and a rotary shaver

Foil vs rotary shavers

The biggest question you'll face when buying a new electric shaver is whether to opt for a foil or rotary model. 

Foil shavers

  • Foil shavers have straight heads that use blades beneath a fine perforated foil to cut hair. 
  • Based on our testing, if you're the type of person who shaves every day, or every one to three days (76% of people, according to a survey of Which? members conducted in May 2022), you're likely to get on better with a foil shaver, rather than a rotary. 
  • Our test results reveal that, in general, foil shavers will give shorter stubble a closer shave and more quickly. 
  • They're also easier to use to get accurate results around the chin, lips and sideburns.

Rotary shavers

  • Rotary shavers usually have three circular heads that rotate to lift and then cut stubble captured by the outer, stationary guard.
  • Our testing revealed that most people prefer foil to rotary shavers. 
  • According to our testing, those who leave their stubble to grow for a week or more (22%, according to our survey) are more likely to prefer a rotary shaver. 
  • This is because rotary shavers are marginally better at capturing longer hairs than foil shavers.

How to buy the best value electric shaver

It pays to shop around. All of our Best Buys are nearly always available on a good deal somewhere. 

In some cases, you can save well over £100 by buying from the cheapest retailer. 

If you're looking for a good deal, beware of being influenced by extra features and attachments, such as self-cleaning charging bases, travel cases and even wireless charging bases. These can make comparing different prices difficult, and they often add hundreds of pounds to the overall cost of the shaver. 

Our testers weren't that impressed with many of these types of extras, as they take up quite a lot of space in the bathroom and weren't considered to enhance the shaving experience very much. 

Cleaning an electric shaver

How to clean

The vast majority of electric shavers are really easy to clean. 

You can do this by running the head under the tap and removing the foil protection to expose the blades, which can then be cleaned with the small brush provided. 

Some expensive shavers come with their own cleaning stations. However, the majority of our panel found that these were a bit excessive considering that cleaning a shaver is very easy in the first place. 

You can save quite a lot of money, if you want to, by opting for a shaver package that doesn't have additional extras, such as a self-cleaning station. 

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How often do you need to replace shaver heads?

Most manufacturers recommend that you change the shaving head every 18 months.

Remember to consider the cost of the replacements when you're buying your electric shaver. 

Save money by sharpening your rotary shaver head

One benefit of a rotary shaver over foil models is that it's possible to sharpen the blades yourself, if you own a whetstone. 

If your rotary shaver allows it, you can remove the three circular blades from the shaving head, swirl each blade face down and with light pressure on a whetstone for five seconds each, to make it almost as good as new. 

We've tried this out with an old rotary shaver and it works a treat. 

Stem the flow of any shaving nicks with our pick of the best toilet roll.