Men's razors Best Buys
The average man spends two months of his life shaving, so it’s important to find a razor that makes this as close, comfortable and cut-free as possible. We've tested six disposable razors and six shaving systems including those from big names and own-brands.
As part of the test, 48 men underwent a total of more than 700 shaves.
Shaving systems
A shaving system is where you buy the handle and replace the blade cartridges. They usually give a closer shave than disposables, but costs add up.
Gillette fusion stealth power
77% Gillette Fusion Power Stealth £9.99
The five-blade battery-powered Fusion Power Stealth gives an exceptionally close shave and comes with an edging blade for beards and side-burns. A battery in the handle powers a vibrating function to improve razor-glide, and there’s a low battery indicator, too. The standard Fusion Power is silver, the Phenom is blue and silver and the Stealth is black. Manual versions are also available.
Gillette Mach 3 Turbo
74% Gillette Mach 3 Turbo £5.83
A lubricated strip above the three coated blades helps the Mach 3 Turbo to provide a very smooth and close shave. We found Mach 3 Turbo blades to be very durable and it was popular with our trialists.
King of Shaves Azor
71% King of Shaves Azor £4.88
The four-blade Azor from King of Shaves looks more like a tuning fork than a razor but it delivers a close and comfortable shave at a reasonable price. Rather than having a pivoting head, the Azor reaches the nooks and crannies of your face by the blade cartridge being fitted to a flexible rubber head, a bit like a bendy toothbrush. It comes with three replacement blades. There is a version in black (Warp), white (Polar) and limited-edition red (Rari).
The costs of using a shaving system
Replacing the blade cartridges for a shaving system can be expensive and you won’t be able to find cheap unbranded blades to attach to big-name razors. Manufacturers are keen to protect their razor innovations, and Gillette has 70 patents on the Fusion alone.
We found that the six shaving systems we tested had similar durability, but there were striking differences in cost.
For example, when we checked, the Azor from King of Shaves was half the price of the Gillette Fusion Power Stealth and came with three replacement blades, whilst the Power Stealth came with one. And buying a pack of four replacement blades for the Azor was half the price, as well.
Disposables
64% Gillette Sensor 3 £3.88 for four
The Gillette Sensor 3 disposable razor gives a close and comfortable shave but as you’d expect with a disposable, it doesn’t have the most durable blades.
The Sensor 3 comes with a pivoting head, three blades, a lubricated strip, microfins and a comfortable moulded grip.
61% Gillette Blue II £2.92 for ten
The Blue II is a basic disposable razor and comes with a fixed head and two blades. There’s no lubricated strip or swivel head but the Blue II offers a reasonably close shave and at just 29p each, exceptional value for money.
Best for specific purposes
- Closest shave Gillette Fusion Power Stealth
- Best value Gillette Blue II
- Fewest cuts Wilkinson Sword Quattro Titanium Energy
- Trimming your beard Wilkinson Sword Quattro Titanium Precision.