June 2008
Shavers on the cutting edge
SMOOTH MOVES The Remington MicroScreen 500 MS2-390 is a CR Best Buy at $60.
It must be a style thing. Although electric shavers cost more than a bucketload of blade razors and in past tests haven't
given quite as close a shave, they're still sure to be on many Father's Day gift lists. Happily, we found plenty of electrics
that shave close enough, including a CR Best Buy.
How we tested. We bought shavers of both types: foil (with oscillating cutters) and rotary (with spinning cutters) and asked 16 male panelists to test the type of shaver they usually use. (We did not test women's shavers be cause they've done relatively poorly in our previous tests, but there's no reason women can't use a men's shaver.) Panelists tried each shaver at home for a week. At the end of each week, they also shaved in our lab and let our sensory staffers feel their faces, using sandpapers as a reference. Panelists judged noise and ease of cleaning, too, and we measured how quickly batteries ran down.
What we found. The closest of shaves should make a face feel like fine, 1000-grit polishing paper. The Braun 360 Complete foil shaver, $170, earned excellent scores across the board, but the Remington MicroScreen 500 foil shaved nearly as well and costs $110 less. For men who shave in the shower, the wet-or-dry Panasonic ProCurve foil is a sound choice. Among rotary models, the Philips Norelco Speed-XL was best overall.
All the devices should provide at least seven shaves on a full charge. When recharging the Panasonic ProCurve or Philips Norelco
Speed-XL, however, you need to pull the plug as soon as the shaver is fully charged, or battery life might be reduced.
CR's take. Buy by performance and price. And if you choose wrong, no worry: All of the tested shavers offer a money-back trial of 30 days or more—a good idea, since some manufacturers suggest that it takes a few weeks for skin and beard to adjust to a new shaving method.
How we tested. We bought shavers of both types: foil (with oscillating cutters) and rotary (with spinning cutters) and asked 16 male panelists to test the type of shaver they usually use. (We did not test women's shavers be cause they've done relatively poorly in our previous tests, but there's no reason women can't use a men's shaver.) Panelists tried each shaver at home for a week. At the end of each week, they also shaved in our lab and let our sensory staffers feel their faces, using sandpapers as a reference. Panelists judged noise and ease of cleaning, too, and we measured how quickly batteries ran down.
What we found. The closest of shaves should make a face feel like fine, 1000-grit polishing paper. The Braun 360 Complete foil shaver, $170, earned excellent scores across the board, but the Remington MicroScreen 500 foil shaved nearly as well and costs $110 less. For men who shave in the shower, the wet-or-dry Panasonic ProCurve foil is a sound choice. Among rotary models, the Philips Norelco Speed-XL was best overall.
You'll spend to shave
Rotary heads, foil screens, and cutters need replacing every six to 24 months. Heads can cost $25 to $50. And once the rechargeable batteries die, you have to send the shaver to the factory or an authorized repair shop.
CR's take. Buy by performance and price. And if you choose wrong, no worry: All of the tested shavers offer a money-back trial of 30 days or more—a good idea, since some manufacturers suggest that it takes a few weeks for skin and beard to adjust to a new shaving method.
