Best Electric Shaver For Men 2023

The age-old debate as to whether an electric shaver can shave your face as close as a blade still goes on.

Let’s face it, even the best electric shaver in the world won’t achieve what a stainless steel blade, cutting directly onto your skin can do.

However, like all things involving technology, products get better all the time.

The best electric shavers can now cut so close, the untrained eye won’t even be able to tell if you’ve had a shave using a safety razor or an electric one.

Here are my top recommended best electric shavers for men:

Braun Electric Razor For Men Series 9

Braun is arguably the no.1 producer of men’s electric shavers.

They have been the industry leader since the 1960s and continue to innovate and improve on their already successful models.

The Braun Series 9 for men is their latest offering, and it certainly lives up to its hype as the “world’s most efficient electric shaver”.

Unlike predecessors, the 9 Series is designed to cope with a 3-day beard growth – normally daily shaves are recommended for perfect smoothness.

Clean and Charge Station

Whether you think the cleaning and charging station is a bit gimmicky; it works.

The ‘clean and charge’ station selects your cleaning program automatically (how cool?!), cleans, lubricates, dries, and charges your shaver at the touch of a button.

I personally love this addition as it means you can have your shave and dump it straight into the charging unit.

It does take up a bit of room in your bathroom, but what a revelation!

This is Braun’s flagship electric shaver, so you know you’re going to get a top-notch shave.

Now you don’t even need to worry about cleaning it or keeping it charged. Result.

Wet or Dry Shave

As it’s waterproof, you can obviously use the 9 Series on a wet face using lather/gel, or a dry face.

I’ve not tried it in the shower yet, but it’s an option.

Features

• 5 shaving elements in its shaving head, with 2 middle trimmers
• 40,000 cutting actions per minute
• Responds to facial contours and beard density increasing power if necessary
• 100% waterproof (up to 5 meters – if you’re thinking of underwater shaving!)
• Automatic clean and charge station
• Li-ion battery provides 60 mins of continual, cordless use
• Designed to last 7 years
• Available in graphite or silver color

Accessories

• Clean and charge station
• Replacement blades purchased separately (recommended to change blade unit every 18 months)

Verdict

German engineering at its best (owned by Proctor and Gamble).

What is there not to like about this shaver?

It oozes quality, is built to last, and leaves your skin exceptionally smooth.

The clean & charge unit is a game-changer.

Here’s a good video highlighting the key features of the Braun Series 9:

Braun Electric Razor for Men Series 7

You may think it strange to include an older version of what in effect is a very similar machine.

Since its launch in 2007, the Braun Series 7 has been the benchmark for electric face shavers – and for good reasons.

The 7 Series has been improved upon over the years to a point where the only thing Braun could do was to come out with a different Series – the Series 9.

Although the Series 9 has a slightly different spec, the actual shaving performance is negligible – at best.

There are many variations to the Braun Series 7 and it can be quite confusing and frustrating deciding which one to go for.

My recommendation would be to go for the Series 7 790cc.

This is Braun’s best-selling Series 7 shaver and shaves just as well as the Series 9.

You could spend hours researching the best Series 7, but it boils down to many factors, such as; length of beard growth, how sensitive your skin is, whether you need a cleaning station, wet or dry shave, waterproof..etc.

The Series 7 790cc ticks all the boxes for me, and at a good price point.

Note: In the UK & Europe, I recommend the Braun Series 7 7898cc. The shaving performance is identical and it comes in at a much favorable price.

Panasonic ARC5 Electric Shaver

Not to be outdone, Panasonic has its own hugely successful Panasonic ARC5 electric shaver.

This very cool-looking shaver/trimmer is Panasonic’s flagship shaver and has the same features as Braun’s leading shavers.

Again, I love the charge/cleaning station – it saves so much time and hassle.

Features

• Wet or dry shaving capability – can use gel/foam/cream
• Waterproof
• 5 blades in cutting head – covers a large surface area
• 70,000 cross-cuts per minute
• Intelligent shave technology – motor increases/decreases power, depending on the thickness of beard
• Pivoting head for a more comfortable easier shave – 16 independent directions
• Pop up trimmer for sideburns and mustache

Accessories

• Clean and charge station

Verdict

It’s a pretty close run between the Braun shavers and the Panasonic ARC5.

I like the pivoting head of the ARC5 which makes shaving around the chin areas much easier. It has a good battery life (approx 45 mins continuous run time) and only takes 1 hour to charge.

For a complete shaving experience for sensitive skin, the ARC5 is an excellent electric shaver.

It has a better pop-out trimmer than the Braun shavers and claims to cut more times per minute than the Braun Series 7 and Series 9.

Here’s a good review video if the ARC5:

Braun Series 9 v Panasonic ARC5

There’s really not much difference between these two quality electric shavers for men.

They will both give a top-notch shave without pulling, or any nicks to the skin.

The Panasonic ARC5 has a slight edge for me.

Here’s why:

• It has a more advanced/faster cutting system
• It has a better placed pop-up trimmer which trims slightly better
• It is less expensive than the Braun Series 9

Here’s a video comparing the Panasonic ARC5 with the Braun Series 9:

Final Thoughts

Panasonic and Braun are like Nike and Adidas.

It often comes down to brand preference, over quality and features.

When choosing the best electric shaver for men, these are the best performing models currently available.

Peter