The 3 Best Electric Razors
Six weeks, five beard types, one shared scoring sheet: closeness measured against a manual-blade control, plus irritation notes logged every morning.
Braun Series 9 Pro+
“On every beard type it got closest to the manual-blade control while causing the least irritation — the category's quiet benchmark.”
The closest foil shave, full stop. Our reviewers logged repeat sessions with the Braun Series 9 Pro+ across the full test protocol before scoring, and re-checked the result against the 12 other candidates in this category.
- +Closest foil shave
- +Gentle on skin
- +Superb build
- −Expensive
- −Heads cost real money
- Type
- Foil, 5 elements
- Battery
- 60 min
- Wet/dry
- Yes
- Head cost
- $45/18mo
Panasonic Arc6
“Six blades and a motor that never bogs down — dense three-day growth came off in single passes nothing else managed.”
The technical marvel for heavy beards. Our reviewers logged repeat sessions with the Panasonic Arc6 across the full test protocol before scoring, and re-checked the result against the 12 other candidates in this category.
- +Fastest on thick beards
- +Excellent display
- +Responsive motor
- −Large head takes practice
- −Loud at full speed
- Type
- Foil, 6 blades
- Battery
- 50 min
- Wet/dry
- Yes
- Head cost
- $50/2yr
Philips Norelco 7500
“Rotary heads glide where foils scrape — testers with reactive skin finished the six weeks irritation-free for half the flagship price.”
The rotary pick for sensitive skin. Our reviewers logged repeat sessions with the Philips Norelco 7500 across the full test protocol before scoring, and re-checked the result against the 12 other candidates in this category.
- +Gentlest on skin
- +Great value
- +Easy to clean
- −Less close than foils
- −Slower on flat areas
- Type
- Rotary, 3 heads
- Battery
- 60 min
- Wet/dry
- Yes
- Head cost
- $40/2yr
Every measurement, in one table.
| Specification | № 1 Braun Series 9 Pro+ | № 2 Panasonic Arc6 | № 3 Philips Norelco 7500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 9.3 | 9.1 | 8.7 |
| Price | $330 | $300 | $150 |
| Type | Foil, 5 elements | Foil, 6 blades | Rotary, 3 heads |
| Battery | 60 min | 50 min | 60 min |
| Wet/dry | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Head cost | $45/18mo | $50/2yr | $40/2yr |
| Verdict | The closest foil shave, full stop. | The technical marvel for heavy beards. | The rotary pick for sensitive skin. |
12 candidates. Three survivors.
Amara Diallo ran this category through the standard Top3 protocol. Raw measurements are logged publicly, and the ranking is re-verified every twelve months at minimum.
- 01Longlist
We begin with every serious contender in the category — typically 20 to 60 products.
- 02Screen
Objective filters (safety certifications, warranty minimums, return policies) cut the list to 12–15.
- 03Test
A structured protocol, run by at least two reviewers, with raw measurements logged to a public sheet.
- 04Live
Finalists live with an editor for a minimum of 14 days. First-week impressions are discarded.
- 05Rank
Scores are weighted by what users actually report caring about — based on annual reader surveys.
- 06Publish
Drafts are reviewed by an editor who did not test, and by a subject-matter expert outside the team.
- 07Revisit
Every ranking is re-verified at least annually. Lapsed rankings are marked or retired.
