Which is the best men's electric shaver?

Shaver Type

Men's electric shavers come in two different shaver types given by the orientation of the motor-driven blades. Rotary shavers drive the cutting blades in circular motions; foil shavers drive the cutting blades in linear motions. Unlike with a manual shaver, the blades in both a rotary and foil electric shavers do not directly touch the skin. Instead, electric shavers cut via a scissoring action against hairs that have entered the cutting chambers.

	Value	Description	Pros	Cons	Alternatives
Shaver Type	Rotary	Rotary shavers have a series of rotating cutters typically placed in a triangular pattern. Slow, rotating motions are best for a good shave.	Easier to navigate difficult areas like the chin and neck. Less noisy than foil shavers.	Requires more effort to clean. Not as close a shave as manual or foil shaver.	Norelco 1250XCC, Norelco 1160XCC, Remington R7130HXLP, Remington R8150, and Norelco 8240XL
Shaver Type	Foil	Foil shavers have a series of knife-like blades under a rectangular metallic foil. Long, even movements are best for a good shave.	Closer shaves than rotary shaver. Slightly less irritating than a rotary shaver	Difficulty clipping longer hairs. Foil tends to break easier. Not as close a shave as manual shaver.	Braun 760CC-4, Braun 590CC-4, Panasonic ES8249S, Panasonic ES8228S, Braun 370S, and Panasonic ES8103S

Cost

	Value	Alternatives
Cost	$150 and higher	Norelco 1250XCC, Braun 760CC-4, Norelco 1160XCC, and Braun 590CC-4
	$75 to $149	Panasonic ES8249S, Panasonic ES8228S, Remington R7130HXLP, Braun 370S, and Remington R8150
	$74 and lower	Panasonic ES8103S and Norelco 8240XL

Complete Hair Capture

With the use of different sizes and shapes of holes and slots, an electric shaver can capture hair that grows in different directions as well as hairs of different lengths.

	Value	Description	Alternatives
Complete Hair Capture	Ultra Track	Provides channels to catch longer hairs and slots for normal hairs.	Norelco 1250XCC
	Smart Foil	A unique foil pattern captures hairs growing in different directions.	Braun 370S
	OptiFoil	This foil has zones of different hole sizes to trap hairs.	Braun 760CC-4 and Braun 590CC-4
	Dual Track	Spins blades in opposite directions of the heads to get every hair.	Remington R7130HXLP and Remington R8150
	Dual Precision	Head has slots for normal hairs and holes for short stubble.	Norelco 1160XCC and Norelco 8240XL
	Arc Foil	Allow this foil shaver to move in a circular motion to capture hairs.	Panasonic ES8249S, Panasonic ES8228S, and Panasonic ES8103S

Hair Lifting Method

In order to get a closer shave, an electric shaver lifts the hair up to cut it below the skin level.

	Value	Description	Alternatives
Hair Lifting Method	Three Stage Cutting	Shaves progressively close in three stages. Two foils shave off stubble and an integrated cutter shortens longer hairs	Braun 370S
	Super Lift & Cut	Lifts hairs to cut below the skin level.	Norelco 1250XCC, Norelco 1160XCC, and Norelco 8240XL
	Nanotech Blades	Arced blades impregnated with nano particles.	Panasonic ES8249S, Panasonic ES8228S, and Panasonic ES8103S
	Active Lift	An active oscillating middle trimmer between the two foils that lifts and cuts flat-lying hairs.	Braun 760CC-4 and Braun 590CC-4
	None		Remington R7130HXLP and Remington R8150

Skin Comfort Feature

Electric shavers use low friction and other approaches in order to minimize irritation to the skin.

	Value	Description	Alternatives
Skin Comfort Feature	Skin Glide	Low friction heads to minimize irritation.	Norelco 1250XCC and Norelco 1160XCC
	Personalization Mode	Has an extra sensitive and intensive mode for different facial zones.	Braun 760CC-4
	Floating Heads	Independently floating cutting elements.	Remington R7130HXLP and Remington R8150
	Fast Linear Motor	Delivers 14,000 cycles per second for a smoother shave.	Panasonic ES8249S, Panasonic ES8228S, and Panasonic ES8103S
	None		Braun 590CC-4, Braun 370S, and Norelco 8240XL

Contour Following

Electric shavers take various approaches for moving along the contours of the face for a more efficient shave.

	Value	Description	Alternatives
Contour Following	Smart Touch	Follows face contours in a rocking motion.	Norelco 8240XL
	Pivot & Flex	Uses a pivoting neck and two independently flexing foils.	Remington R7130HXLP and Remington R8150
	Gyroflex 3D	Follows face contours in three dimensions.	Norelco 1250XCC
	Gyroflex 2D	Follows face contours in two dimensions.	Norelco 1160XCC
	Fully Flexible	A unique combination of a pivoting head and floating foils.	Braun 760CC-4
	Free Float	Independently floating cutting elements.	Braun 370S
	Contour Adaptive	Uses a 33 degree pivoting head to adapt to jaw line and under the chin.	Braun 590CC-4
	Adjustable Pivot	Head pivots to follow face contours.	Panasonic ES8249S, Panasonic ES8228S, and Panasonic ES8103S

Separate Cleaning System

A separate cleaning system cleans, lubricates, and charges the shaver in a freestanding device.

	Value	Description	Alternatives
Separate Cleaning System	Hydra Clean	Cleans, dries using heater, and refreshes the shaver alcohol-free.	Panasonic ES8249S and Panasonic ES8228S
	Jet Clean	Cleans, lubricates, and charges the shaver.	Norelco 1250XCC and Norelco 1160XCC
	Clean & Renew	Uses an alcohol-based cleaning fluid to clean, charge, and lubricate. Only the Series 7 system dries the shaver.	Braun 760CC-4 and Braun 590CC-4
	None		Remington R7130HXLP, Braun 370S, Remington R8150, Panasonic ES8103S, and Norelco 8240XL

Wet-Dry Shaving?

Wet-Dry shaving allows for shaving in or out of the shower and with shaving gel or foam.

	Value	Alternatives
Wet-Dry Shaving?	Yes	Norelco 1250XCC, Norelco 1160XCC, Panasonic ES8249S, Panasonic ES8228S, and Panasonic ES8103S
Wet-Dry Shaving?	No	Braun 760CC-4, Braun 590CC-4, Remington R7130HXLP, Braun 370S, Remington R8150, and Norelco 8240XL

Shaving Head Cleaning?

Electric shavers allow for cleaning the shaver by running the shaver head under water. Unless otherwise stated, an electric shaver should not be immersed in water.

	Value	Description	Alternatives
Shaving Head Cleaning?	Turbo Cleaning	Holding the on/off button shifts from 13,000 RPMs to 17,000 RPMs while running under water.	Panasonic ES8249S, Panasonic ES8228S, and Panasonic ES8103S
Shaving Head Cleaning?	Yes		Norelco 1250XCC, Braun 760CC-4, Norelco 1160XCC, Braun 590CC-4, Remington R7130HXLP, Braun 370S, Remington R8150, and Norelco 8240XL

Battery Type

Modern electric shavers use Lithium-ion (Li-ion) or Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries. Both Li-ion and NiMH have major advantages over the older NiCd (Nickel Cadmium) battery technology: longer life, less impact on the environment, and no need to fully discharge before recharging to avoid charge-cycle-reducing memory effects.

Between the Li-ion and NiMH, Li-ion is generally preferable, although Li-ion can drive up the cost of an electric shaver:

	Value	Description	Pros	Alternatives
Battery Type	Li-ion	Lithium-ion	Less expensive. Charges faster.	Norelco 1250XCC, Braun 760CC-4, Norelco 1160XCC, Braun 590CC-4, Panasonic ES8249S, Panasonic ES8228S, Panasonic ES8103S, and Norelco 8240XL
Battery Type	NiMH	Nickel-Metal Hydride	Higher energy density. Slower standby discharge.	Remington R7130HXLP, Braun 370S, and Remington R8150

Battery Charge Time

Besides charging times of 1 hour or 1.5 hours, all of these electric shavers have the capability of a quick charge of 5 minutes that would be good for one shave.

	Value	Alternatives
Battery Charge Time	1.5 hours	Remington R7130HXLP and Remington R8150
Battery Charge Time	1 hour	Norelco 1250XCC, Braun 760CC-4, Norelco 1160XCC, Braun 590CC-4, Panasonic ES8249S, Panasonic ES8228S, Braun 370S, Panasonic ES8103S, and Norelco 8240XL

Voltage Adjustment

Adjustment for international variations in voltage standards is done automatically for voltages provided between 100v and 240v.

	Value	Alternatives
Voltage Adjustment	Yes	Norelco 1250XCC, Braun 760CC-4, Braun 590CC-4, Panasonic ES8249S, Panasonic ES8228S, Remington R7130HXLP, Remington R8150, and Panasonic ES8103S
Voltage Adjustment	No	Norelco 1160XCC, Braun 370S, and Norelco 8240XL

Manufacturer

	Value	Alternatives
Manufacturer	Remington	Remington R7130HXLP and Remington R8150
	Philips Norelco	Norelco 1250XCC, Norelco 1160XCC, and Norelco 8240XL
	Panasonic	Panasonic ES8249S, Panasonic ES8228S, and Panasonic ES8103S
	Braun	Braun 760CC-4, Braun 590CC-4, and Braun 370S