Best electric shaver 2024: top shaving options from Braun, Philips, Panasonic and more

Reduce stubble to rubble with the best electric shavers from Braun, Philips and other brands that make electric razors

Best electric shaver 2024: Jump Menu

The best electric shaver on a green and blue abstract background

(Image credit: T3)

00. T3's top 3 ↴
01. Best overall: Braun Series 9 9390cc
02. Best wet and dry: Philips Shaver Series 9000 Prestige
03. Best flexible option: Braun Series 7 70-N7200cc
04. Best affordable option: Panasonic ES LV95
05. Best sensitive skin option: Philips Shaver Series 7000
06. Best compact option: Remington XR1400
08. How we test

The best electric shavers easily chop through beards, moustaches and other facial hair for a smooth customised look. Wet or dry, we've got an electric shaver for you, from the likes of Philips, Braun, Panasonic and many more.

Why buy the best electric shaver, you might ask. Not all men shave every day anymore. Some men barely shave at all. However, for the old guard who prefers a smooth appearance, and younger men turning away from the beard, an electric razor is just the thing, and these are the best electric shavers on the market right now.

Our full rundown of the best electric shavers has our top picks, buying advice and the best prices for those shavers. "But can it be possible to shave a whisker more off those prices?" you ask. "Why, yes!" we reply. "As sure as you will have a 5 o'clock shadow at the end of the day, there are always, always electric shaver deals to be had."

WRITTEN BY
Lizzie Wilmot
WRITTEN BY
Lizzie Wilmot

Lizzie is T3's Home Staff Writer, also covering style, living and wellness. Whilst Lizzie may not be in need of an electric shaver herself, it doesn't mean she knows any less. Lizzie spends a lot of time comparing electric shaver models and brands, and has recently began sharing her top tips and tricks for looking after your shaver and prolonging its lifetime. 

The top three

Best electric shavers ranking 2024

Why you can trust T3 Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

The best electric shaver overall

Silver Braun Series 9 9390cc with charging standT3 Awards 2020

(Image credit: Braun)
The best overall electric shaver

Specifications

Battery life: 50 minutes from 60-minute charge
Waterproof: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Best electric shave you can get on longer stubble
+
Titanium tipped blades
+
Good charging and battery life

Reasons to avoid

-
Similar performance to Philips but a bit pricier

Especially given that the trend is to shave less nowadays, I now recommend the Braun Series 9 foil shaver over Philips' almost equally impressive efforts. If you're a two to three shaves per week kinda guy you will probably prefer this too, as it is slightly better on longer stubble patches. That's thanks to the titanium tipped blades that give it its 'gold-painted' appearance.

Braun used to be noted in its glory days for producing perfect combinations of form and function, using cutting-edge design techniques. Now I'm not saying Dieter Rams would necessarily be upset by the design of this but, while its functionality is hard to argue with, aesthetically the 9 Series is quite lacking. It looks and feels plasticky, and the way it slots into its charging and cleaning base is not very satisfying. 

That being said, the Series 9 is light, ergonomically sound, waterproof up to five metres and easy to clean. As with its Philips rival, the 50-minute battery life, from just a one-hour charge, is great. The slide-up beard trimmer is nothing to write home about, but at least it's always there, unlike Philips' clip-on one. 

Read the full Braun Series 9 review to find out more. 

The best wet and dry electric shaver

Dark chrome Philips S9000 Prestige on charging padT3 Awards 2022 Winner's Badge


The best wet and dry electric shaver

Specifications

Battery life: 3 hours wireless charge, battery life not quoted but seems like 2+ hours in all
Waterproof: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
The best electric shave ever
+
Stylish with it
+
Handy Qi wireless charging

Reasons to avoid

-
You do not wanna be paying RRP for it

Thanks to a new blade design and more generously sized foil holes, the Philips Shaver Series 9000 Prestige can tackle thick stubble – up to a week’s worth, even. And it really works. Where other electrics force you to hack away over and over if you’ve missed a few days, you can pretty much just run this over once, and then look for only a few minor spots that might need a second go.

The shave it gives you is almost unbelievably close. It really does feel like you’ve used a multi-blade traditional razor. It manages this partly through that new blade design, which pulls the hairs deeper beneath the foil before cutting. It achieves this with minimal irritation, partly thanks to an anti-friction coating that most of Philips’ other razors don’t include, but you can happily use this one with shaving foam if you require more protection from the whirring blades. 

It has three intensity levels, the idea being that the especially sensitive-skinned can keep it lighter. Using a rotary shaver is weird enough at the best of times, as they have such a light touch. This model also comes with a beard trimmer that is unusually good for a shaver attachment, although it would be better if it was a built-in, pop-up one rather than having to be fitted as an attachment – you pull off the rotary head and put this in its place. In some Prestige packages there's also a rotating brush that you can use to deep cleanse your face. The Philips 9000 Series Prestige also comes with a wireless Qi charging pad, which you can also juice your phone and other compatible gadgets on. 

A full recharge is actually comparatively slow at three hours, but obviously the idea is that you leave charging pad and razor out. 

Read our Philips Shaver Series 9000 Prestige review and check our Philips discount codes to bag the best deal.

The best flexible electric shaver

Silver Braun Series 7 70-N7200cc with charger, guard and travel caseT3 Award

(Image credit: Braun)
The best flexible electric shaver

Specifications

Battery life: 50 mins
Waterproof: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Shaves outrageously close & quickly
+
Fully waterproof
+
Comes with a motorised washer

Reasons to avoid

-
Not as comfortable on the face as the Philips
-
Washer solution evaporates over time

This new, designed-from-the-ground-up offering from Braun is an absolute cracker in every respect, but mostly in the way it shaves. As pointed out above, as brilliant as the Philips rotary models are, they do feel like you’re rubbing your face with the back of a spoon. By contrast, this brand new foil model feels firm, narrow and not quite as comfortable against the skin. 

Like the top Philips models, the whole head is spring loaded so it moves around with the contours of the face. On top of that, the three slim foil blades also move independently from side to side. The upshot is a shaver head that mooches around the face like a caterpillar, snipping here, there and everywhere until there isn’t a bristle left in sight.

Naturally you can also use the Series 7 70 as a wet shaver, especially as the whole unit is fully waterproof. You can simply go about the morning business while shaving and before you know it the job is done.

The Series 7 comes with a hard case, a single precision trimmer attachment and a SmartCare Centre. 

Read our full Braun Series 7 review to find out more. 

The best affordable electric shaver

Panasonic ES LV95T3 Award

(Image credit: Panasonic)

4. Panasonic ES LV95

The best affordable option

Specifications

Battery life: 45 minutes
Waterproof: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Superb shaving experience
+
Build quality feels excellent
+
Under £200

Reasons to avoid

-
Kinda chunky

Deploying an entirely ridiculous array of five blades, this is another wet–and-dry winner. The Multi-Flex 3D pivoting head and Quick Lift Foil help make shaving smooth and almost enjoyable. This is particularly true if you've got a few days of growth. The Panasonic ES LV95 will actually sense this, and slow down its motors to methodically lawnmower it.

Overall, there is very little to tell between this and its premium rivals, but a slightly shorter battery life and higher RRP moved it down the list.

The best electric shaver for sensitive skin

Philips Shaver Series 7000

(Image credit: Philips)
Best electric shaver for sensitive skin

Specifications

Battery life: 50 minutes
Waterproof: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Triple head design for close shaving
+
Can be used wet or dry
+
Good battery life

Reasons to avoid

-
Chunky design can make it tricky to hold

If you want an electric shaver specifically designed for sensitive skin, the Philips Shaver Series 7000 is full of quality features that will do the job. Philips has said that the Philips Shaver Series 7000 was specifically designed to cater to those with sensitive skin, and it reduces irritation, lowers friction and minimises the pulling of hairs.

The Philips Shaver Series 7000 does all of this with its flexible, triple-head design that twists and pivots to adjust to the contours of the face and neck. The shaver also has a microbead protective coating that enables the heads to lift, cut and remove hair without causing any skin damage. While it's a bit clunky to hold, it's a definite win if you want a close shave without a shaver's rash.

The best compact electric shaver

Blue Remington XR1400T3 Award

6. Remington XR1400

The best compact electric shaver

Specifications

Battery life: 45 minutes
Waterproof: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Compact, ergonomic shape
+
Decent value
+
Good for heads too!

Reasons to avoid

-
Can't compare to pricier shavers

A rather old-fashioned design at heart, this is short and stubby and designed to be pressed sideways into your beard rather than upwards. It's a little reminiscent of an updated version of the electric razors of the 1950s.

Given its low price, this Remington is not a bad performer by any means, especially if you shave every day. It's also, if Amazon reviews are any judge, a highly popular choice amongst the bald community, with its easily-gripped form making for comfortable and effective head shaving.

How to choose the best electric shaver for you

My first bit of advice is to look at what the best shaver deals today happen to be. Their prices go up and down like rollercoasters, and you will frequently find that the most high-end razors somehow cost less than the more bog-standard ones. For instance, normally I would say the Series 9000 Prestige – the absolute crème de la crème of male shaving – is overpriced. However, in today's deals, it might suddenly be the same price as a Braun Series 9, or even less.

There are a lot of different versions of the Braun and Philips shavers, as you can see. It would take too long to run down the difference between all of them – there are different model numbers for ones with and without cleaning stations, and with and without various accessories such as trimmers and carry cases. 

However, the crucial thing to be aware of is that the most recent Brauns have model codes beginning 93 and the most recent Philips ones begin S97 or S95 – plus the Prestige. There is nothing wrong with the older models you will find online, and sometimes they are at real bargain prices, but they're not the very latest and bestest. 

If you want to stay smooth, without facial irritation, you simply MUST go high-end when electric razor shopping.

That's because, despite decades of product development, and billions spent in research, they've really only recently started to crack it, and even then, only on the flagship devices from each of the half dozen brands that dominate the sector. For anyone who only shaves once or twice a week, but wants to be smooth when they do, a manual razor is always better. Irregular shavers who don't need to be baby smooth will be better off with the best beard trimmer and, if you're looking to remove the hair from your body, you'll want the best body groomers and even one of our best IPL machines

Another thing to note if you don't shave every day is that you'd be better off using a chainsaw or angry dog to remove three-day growth than a cheaper electric razor - another reason to go high end.

The good thing about electric razors is there isn't really a 'correct' way of using them, unlike bladed razors, but if you suffer irritation easily, a wet and dry model could prove a boon. You can use them with running water, or even shaving cream. 

Particularly when it comes to Phillips shavers and, to a slightly lesser extent Braun, there are usually at least three versions of each shaver. You get the same basic electric razor model in each but with a different array of accessories, from a travel pouch to automatic cleaning and charging stations, for cleaning and sterilising your shaver with an alcohol-based cleaning solution.

Please be aware that to use these stations properly means you will need to buy replacement cartridges of cleaning fluid, FOREVER. You could, of course, not bother with that and just pop the top off and rinse the blades under the tap after every use. Depends on how hung up on hygiene you are. Read our step-by-step guide on how to clean a waterproof electric shaver for more information on this. 

You will also need to change the blade cartridge every year or so, depending on how often you use it and other variables such as how wiry your stubble is. 

How we test

The best electric shaver on a red, gold and white abstract background

(Image credit: T3)

We spend a lot of time reviewing the best electric shaver, so when it comes to recommending what shaver to buy, you can be safe in the knowledge that we'll recommend the best options for you.

We'll usually spend a week or longer testing new electric shavers, and the review process is fairly straightforward – our reviewers use them to shave their faces. This helps them see how closely they are capable of shaving, and how easy they are to use and achieve the desired style. Our reviewers also test whether the shavers nick your skin or cause any irrritation, and just how long the battery lasts.

If the electric shavers have any advanced features, such as an additional trimmer or quick charging, our reviewers will try these out to test if they work and if they're worth the extra money they no doubt command.

Once the initial review period is complete, we'll publish a full review, give the electric shaver a star rating, and add an abridged review to this guide.

Lizzie Wilmot
Staff Writer, Home

Lizzie is T3's Home Staff Writer, also covering style, living and wellness. She works closely with Bethan Girdler-Maslen, T3's Home Editor, ensuring all the latest news, trends and recommendations are covered. Outside of T3, Lizzie can be found mooching around Bath, attempting (or at least trying to) a new DIY project or spending time with family and friends.

With contributions from