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We put electric shavers from Braun, Panasonic, Philips, Remington and more tothe test to find out which delivers the closest shave
Sam MorrisPrincipal researcher & writer
In this article
- The electric shavers we tested
- More electric shavers from our tests
- How we test electric shavers
- How to clean
- How often do you need to replace shaver heads?
- Foil vs rotary shavers
- How to buy the best value electric shaver
The best electric shavers leave our testers rubbing their chins in amazement at the smoothness.
We put the most popular foil and rotary shavers from Braun, Panasonic, Philips, Remington and more through their paces to discover the best electric shaver for a close and smooth trim.
As well as Best buy recommendations, we've found two fantastic Great Value options that are often on sale for less than £40.
How we test to find you the best
We've tested 23 electric shavers
We assess products from the big brands and at different price points to ensure you get the best value and performance.
Quality of trim
One person's view just doesn't cut it. We use a panel of volunteers with varying hair types and stubble lengths to try every single shaver.
Maneuverability
Fed up of stray hairs? We assess how well each shaver performs close to sideburns, on the top lip, and around and underneath the chin.
We also test...
Ease of use, skin irritation, noise, ease of cleaning and durability, so you know which ones are brilliant both during and after shaving.
The electric shavers we tested
The biggest brands and the most popular electric shavers are listed below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best electric shavers from our tests.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
| Electric shaver | Price | Score | One-day stubble close shave | Three-day stubble close shave | Type | Accessories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations. Unlock tableFirst month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time Already a member? Log in | 96% | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | |||
| 94% | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ||||
| 94% | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ||||
| 93% | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ||||
| 89% | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ||||
| 87% | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ||||
| 84% | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ||||
| 83% | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ||||
| 79% | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ||||
| 78% | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ||||
| 77% | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ||||
| 74% | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ||||
| 73% | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
Sign up to reveal
Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations.
Unlock tableFirst month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time
Already a member? Log in
We've tested 23 electric shavers in total, but the table displays our top picks only.
Dates tested: August 2022 and September 2023. Page last checked: March 2025. We're not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available.
Barbarossa Brothers Titanium Electric Foil
Available fromBarbarossa Brothers(£70)
Most recently testedSeptember 2022
Type Foil
AccessoriesPop-up trimmer, charging cable, cleaning brush
Cheapest cost to replace shaver head £14.99at Barbarossa Brothers
Braun Series 3
Most recently testedSeptember 2023
TypeFoil
AccessoriesCharging cable
Cheapest costto replace shaver head£21.39 at Amazon (subscribe and save)
Braun Series 5
Most recently testedSeptember 2022
Type Foil
AccessoriesCharging cable, charging stand, cleaning brush, micro comb, body groomer, beard trimmer attachments size 2-7
Cheapest costto replace shaver head£31.99at Braun Shop UK
Braun Series 6
Most recently testedSeptember 2023
Type Foil
AccessoriesCharging cable, charging stand, cleaning brush, pop-up trimmer, travel case
Cheapest costto replace shaver head£24.99 at Amazon
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Braun Series 7
Most recently testedSeptember 2023
Type Foil
AccessoriesCharging cable, charging stand, cleaning brush, pop-up trimmer, travel case
Cheapest costto replace shaver head£33atAmazon
Braun Series 8
Most recently testedSeptember 2023
Type Foil
AccessoriesCharging cable, charging stand, cleaning brush, pop-up trimmer, travel case
Cheapest costto replace shaver head£41.95 at Amazon
Braun Series 9 Pro
Most recently testedSeptember 2022
Type Foil
AccessoriesCharging cable, charging stand, cleaning brush, travel case, pop-up trimmer
Cheapest costto replace shaver head£49.36at Amazon
Braun Series 9 Pro+
Most recently testedSeptember 2023
Type Foil
AccessoriesCharging cable, charging stand, charging case, cleaning brush, pop-up trimmer
Cheapest costto replace shaver head£40atAmazon
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Panasonic 5 Blade ES-LV97
Most recently testedSeptember 2022
Type Foil
AccessoriesCharging cable, charging station, pop-up trimmer, carry case, cleaning brush
Cheapest costto replace shaver head£58.61 at Amazon
Philips Series 5000
Most recently testedSeptember 2023
Type Rotary
AccessoriesPop-up trimmer, charging cable, carry bag
Cheapest costto replace shaver head£22.99 at Boots
Philips Series 9000 Prestige
Most recently testedSeptember 2023
Type Rotary
AccessoriesPrecision trimmer, charging cable, wireless charging base, soft brush
Cheapest costto replace shaver head£135 at Amazon
Remington F3 Style Series
Most recently testedSeptember 2022
Type Foil
AccessoriesPrecision trimmer, charging cable, wireless charging base, soft brush
Cheapest cost to replace shaver headn/a
Remington F9 Ultimate Series
Most recently testedSeptember 2022
Type Foil
AccessoriesPrecision trimmer, charging cable, wireless charging base, soft brush
Cheapest costto replace shaver head£22.67 at Amazon
More electric shavers from our tests
Here’s how the rest of the electric shavers from our test measured up, listed in alphabetical order.
| Electric shaver | Price | Score | One-day stubble close shave | Three-day stubble close shave | Type | Accessories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmen Cordless Titanium | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50001549 | Rotary | Charging cable, charging stand, precision trimmer, nasal trimmer | |||
| Panasonic 4 Blade ES-RF31 | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50001547 | Foil | Pop-up trimmer, cleaning brush, charging cable | |||
| Panasonic ES-RT37-K511 | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50001552 | Foil | Pop-up trimmer, charging cable, cleaning brush | |||
| Philips Series 3000 | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50017102 | Rotary | Pop-up trimmer, charging cable, carry bag | |||
| Philips Series 7000 | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50001550 | Rotary | Carry case, charging cable, charging station | |||
| Remington F6 | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50001548 | Foil | Charging cable | |||
| Remington MS5120 | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50001554 | Foil | Pop-up trimmer, charging cable |
Dates tested: August 2022 and September 2023. Page last checked: March 2025. We're not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available.
Tips for living well
How we test electric shavers
Which? is a not for profit organisation and has been testing products and calling out rogue businesses for almost 70 years.
In an increasingly chaotic world, filled with so-called 'experts', it's good to know that brands still can't buy their way onto our testing or influence what we write. We buy every product we test and we'll tell you the worst as well as the best electric shavers.
We also regularly revisit the electric shavers on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing and when we find them we do so.
To ensure those we name the best electric shavers have been pushed to the max, we recruit a panel of volunteers from a mix of ethnic backgrounds to try each of them out and score them against set criteria. That's so that each shaver gets fully tested on a variety of different hair types.
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.
That's so you don't just get the opinion of one person, but the best electric shavers rated by many.
Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturer and retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent
- 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.
- NoiseSome 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.
- DurabilityEach 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.
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.
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.
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