Health & Wellness
The Best Electric Shavers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)
We compared four current foil and rotary electric shavers on closeness, comfort, multi-day handling, and daily upkeep.
The verdict in 30 seconds
What mattered most
- Shaving system
- Closeness on coarse beard
- Comfort / sensitive skin
- Multi-day growth handling
- Cleaning & maintenance
- Battery & charging
Electric shavers split into two camps: foils that shave close and fast, and rotaries that stay gentle on tricky skin. We weighed independent testing and owner reports across four current models — two clear buys, one that depends entirely on your skin, and one to skip.
The most complete foil shaver you can buy — close, gentle, and effortless to live with.
Best for: Anyone who wants a premium, comfortable daily shave and hates fuss.
- Rare blend of very close results and real comfort, even on sensitive skin
- Density-sensing power adjustment clears multi-day stubble in fewer passes
- Hands-off automatic clean-and-charge station; built to last years
- Sits at the top of the price ladder
- Cleaning station needs replacement refill cartridges over time
The value champion — arguably the closest, fastest shave here for mid-range money.
Best for: Daily shavers with heavy stubble who want the most shave for the money.
- Fast linear motor and five-blade head deliver an exceptionally close, quick shave
- Powers through dense, coarse beards without bogging down
- Simple tap-rinse cleaning with no ongoing cartridge cost
- Can feel slightly more aggressive on very sensitive skin
- Battery gauge and trimmer feel a step behind pricier rivals
The rotary to pick if foils have never agreed with your skin.
Best for: Sensitive-skinned shavers who value comfort over the last bit of closeness.
- Independently floating rotary heads glide gently over necks and jawlines
- Forgiving on curly, patchy, or ingrown-prone beards
- Pressure feedback plus one-minute cleaning pod
- Doesn't shave quite as close as the top foils
- Heavy, thick beards can need an extra pass
A fine intro to electric shaving that runs out of talent past one-day stubble.
Best for: Strict budgets and everyday shavers who never let stubble build up.
- Inexpensive, durable, and waterproof
- Perfectly capable on light, one-day growth
- Entry-level blades struggle on two-to-three-day beards, needing repeat passes
- Occasional missed patches on the neck; easily out-shaved by a small price bump
| Criteria | Braun Series 9 Pro+ Top pick | Panasonic Arc5 ES-LV67 | Philips Norelco Shaver 9500 (Series 9000) | Philips Norelco Series 3000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Buy it | Buy it | It depends | Skip it |
| Best for | Anyone who wants a premium, comfortable daily shave and hates fuss. | Daily shavers with heavy stubble who want the most shave for the money. | Sensitive-skinned shavers who value comfort over the last bit of closeness. | Strict budgets and everyday shavers who never let stubble build up. |
| Price tier | $$$$ · flagship | $$ · mid-range | $$$ · premium | $ · budget |
| Shaving system | Foil (5+1 elements) | Foil (5 blades) | Rotary (3 heads) | Rotary (3 heads) |
| Closeness on coarse beard | Excellent | Best in test | Very good | Fair |
| Comfort / sensitive skin | Best in test | Very good | Excellent | Good |
| Multi-day growth handling | Excellent | Excellent | Very good | Weak |
| Cleaning & maintenance | Auto station (cartridges) | Tap rinse | Quick-clean pod | Tap rinse |
| Battery & charging | ~60 min, quick-charge | ~50 min, quick-charge | ~60 min, quick-charge | ~50 min |
| Price tier | $$$$ · flagship | $$ · mid-range | $$$ · premium | $ · budget |
Which one is right for you?
- Anyone who wants a premium, comfortable daily shave and hates fuss. Buy it Braun Series 9 Pro+
- Daily shavers with heavy stubble who want the most shave for the money. Buy it Panasonic Arc5 ES-LV67
- Sensitive-skinned shavers who value comfort over the last bit of closeness. It depends Philips Norelco Shaver 9500 (Series 9000)
- Strict budgets and everyday shavers who never let stubble build up. Skip it Philips Norelco Series 3000
How we judged the field
We don’t run our own shaving lab. Instead, we synthesize the pattern that emerges across independent testing, expert teardown reviews, and thousands of aggregated owner reports, then weigh it against what actually matters day to day. Four things rose to the top. Closeness — how smooth your face feels after one pass, especially on a two-to-four-day beard. Comfort — whether the shaver leaves you irritation-free, which matters most for sensitive skin and necks. Multi-day handling — flat-lying, longer hairs are where cheap shavers fall apart. And living with it — cleaning, battery, noise, and how long the thing lasts before it starts tugging.
A recurring theme in the reports: foil shavers (Braun, Panasonic) tend to shave closer and faster, while rotary shavers (Philips Norelco) are more forgiving on necks, patchy growth, and skin that breaks out easily. There is no single “best” — there’s the best for your face. Below, the honest case for each.
Braun Series 9 Pro+ — buy
If you want the most complete foil shaver you can buy right now, this is it. Reviewers consistently describe the Series 9 Pro+ as the rare shaver that is both very close and genuinely gentle — a combination most shavers force you to choose between. Its sensing technology reads beard density and adjusts power on the fly, and owners with three-to-five-day stubble report it clears flat-lying hairs in fewer passes than almost anything else, thanks to the dedicated lifting element in the head.
The trade-offs are honest ones. It sits at the top of the price ladder, and the automatic clean-and-charge station — lovely as it is — means buying refill cartridges over time. But independent testing and long-term owner reports agree it’s built to last years, and for most men it’s the shaver that ends the search.
Panasonic Arc5 ES-LV67 — buy
The value pick that doesn’t feel like a compromise. The Arc5’s fast linear motor and five-blade head are frequently singled out in testing as the closest, quickest shave in the group — it powers through dense, coarse beards without bogging down, and its shave sensor keeps it from stalling on thick patches. For people who shave daily and just want it done fast and smooth, it’s hard to beat for the money.
Why it’s a “buy” and not the top pick: it can be a touch more aggressive on very sensitive skin than the Braun, its LED battery gauge and pop-up trimmer feel a generation behind the Braun’s polish, and this version cleans under the tap rather than in an automatic station. None of that dents the shave quality — you’re simply trading some refinement and convenience for a noticeably lower price.
Philips Norelco Shaver 9500 (Series 9000) — it depends
This is the shaver to consider if foils have never agreed with your skin. Philips’ rotary heads float independently and glide over the neck and jaw, and owners with curly beards, ingrown-prone skin, or irregular growth often find a rotary far more comfortable than any foil. The Series 9000 adds pressure feedback and a one-minute cleaning pod, and reviewers rate it the strongest rotary shaver short of the flagship Prestige.
So why “it depends”? Rotary shavers, this one included, generally don’t shave quite as close as the top foils, and heavy, thick beards can need an extra pass. If your priority is a baby-smooth finish on coarse stubble, a foil will likely satisfy you more. If comfort and neck-friendliness top your list — and you don’t mind a hair less closeness — this is an easy shaver to live with.
Philips Norelco Series 3000 — skip
The Series 3000 is a perfectly pleasant introduction to electric shaving: inexpensive, durable, waterproof, and fine on light, one-day stubble. The problem is what happens past that. Its entry-level blades and simpler heads mean testers and owners alike report going over the same spot repeatedly on two-to-three-day growth, with the occasional missed patch on the neck.
If your budget is firm and you shave every single day, it will do the job. But for only a step up in price the Panasonic delivers a dramatically better shave, and most people who buy at this level end up wishing they’d stretched a little further. For a definitive recommendation, this is the one to skip.
Braun Series 9 Pro+ vs Panasonic Arc5 ES-LV67: which should you buy?
This is the real decision for most shoppers, because both are excellent foils. Reviewers give the Panasonic the nod for outright closeness and speed — its motor is relentless and it’s the shaver to grab if you have a heavy beard and little patience in the morning. The Braun counters with the better all-round experience: nearly-as-close results with clearly more comfort on sensitive skin, plus the hands-off cleaning station and a more premium feel in the hand.
Put simply: buy the Panasonic if you want the closest, fastest shave for the least money and don’t mind rinsing it yourself. Buy the Braun if you want the most comfortable premium shave, the convenience of automatic cleaning, and you’re willing to pay flagship money for it. Neither will disappoint — this is a “how much do you want to spend, and how sensitive is your skin” question, not a good-versus-bad one.
What to look for
- Foil vs rotary: Foils (Braun, Panasonic) shave closer and faster and suit flat, dense beards. Rotaries (Philips Norelco) are gentler on necks and better for patchy or curly growth. Your skin usually picks the winner.
- Match it to your beard: Daily shavers can get away with cheaper models; if you go two-plus days between shaves, pay for a head that lifts and handles longer hair.
- Wet/dry capability: Being able to shave in the shower with gel adds comfort — all four here are waterproof, but confirm on any model you consider.
- Cleaning reality: Automatic stations are wonderful but need refill cartridges forever. Tap-rinse models cost nothing to maintain but ask a little effort.
- Battery and trimmer: Look for roughly an hour of runtime, quick-charge, and a built-in pop-up trimmer for sideburns.
- Replacement heads: Every electric shaver needs new foils/blades every 12-18 months — factor that ongoing cost into the “cheap” options.
Our final take
For most people, the Braun Series 9 Pro+ is the shaver to buy: it’s the fullest expression of a close, comfortable, low-effort shave, and it’s the one owners keep for years. If you’d rather not pay flagship money, the Panasonic Arc5 ES-LV67 gives up remarkably little — arguably the closest shave here — for a mid-range price, and it’s our value champion. Choose the Philips Norelco Shaver 9500 only if foils irritate your skin and you value neck-friendly comfort over the last few percent of closeness. And unless your budget truly won’t stretch, skip the Series 3000 — it’s fine for one-day stubble but frustrating the moment your beard gets ahead of it. Best for most: buy the Braun; save with the Panasonic.
Questions, answered
Foil or rotary — which type of electric shaver is better?
Neither is universally better; they suit different faces. Foil shavers (like the Braun and Panasonic here) generally shave closer and faster and excel on flat, dense beards. Rotary shavers (Philips Norelco) tend to be gentler on necks and better at handling patchy or curly growth. If you want the smoothest result go foil; if comfort and irritation are your concern, try a rotary.
Which of these gives the closest shave?
In aggregated testing the Panasonic Arc5 ES-LV67 is repeatedly singled out as the closest and fastest of the group, with the Braun Series 9 Pro+ a very close second while adding more comfort. Both foils out-shave the two rotaries on coarse, multi-day stubble.
Is the automatic cleaning station worth it?
It's a genuine convenience — the Braun's station cleans, lubricates, and charges hands-free — but it isn't free forever: you'll buy refill cartridges periodically. Tap-rinse models like the Panasonic and Series 3000 cost nothing to maintain but ask a little more effort. If you value a set-and-forget routine, the station is worth it; if you want the lowest running cost, skip it.
I have sensitive skin and get irritation or ingrown hairs. What should I pick?
Many people with sensitive, breakout-prone, or ingrown-prone skin find rotary shavers like the Philips Norelco Shaver 9500 more comfortable because the floating heads glide rather than press. Shaving with gel in the shower and replacing worn blades on schedule also helps. This is general grooming guidance, not dermatological advice — if you have a persistent skin condition, consult a professional.
How often do I need to replace the foils or blades?
Plan on new foils or cutter heads roughly every 12 to 18 months on every electric shaver; worn blades tug and shave less closely. Factor that ongoing cost in — it's part of why the cheapest models can end up a false economy compared with a mid-range shaver you'll keep longer.
