Shaving is probably the single most tedious task of any guy’s morning routine. Many guys have given up on shaving altogether and started embracing the beard. However, to keep that beard looking tight, there’s still some shaving involved. And if you’re bald, there’s only one way to keep that chrome dome looking great.
Over the past several months I’ve been seeing razor ads all over Facebook and Instagram. And although each of them offers different features, they still all promise one thing – their razor will give you the best shave.
This got me thinking. Are these razors in the ads really that much better than what I’m using now? Is there a razor that truly offers a “close and comfortable shave”?
After a lot of thought and research, I decided to run a two-month-long experiment to see if these razors really live up to the hype of their marketing; and to find the best men's razors.
Diving right in, I purchased, the Defender, Gillette King C, Shavelogic, Supply, Gillette Heated Razor, and the OneBlade. Yes, it was an expensive experiment. And will probably be the last time I ever spend over $500 on razors!
Jack Black – The Closer
The razor that I’ve been using for the past five years is The Closer, by Jack Black. Prior to using The Closer, I was using the Gillette Proglide. Both are cartridge razors, but what turned me on to the Jack Black razor was the weighted handle and the fact that I love Jack Black grooming products. So, I thought why not?
The cartridges for this razor came out to be a little cheaper than buying Gillette and I got about the same shave.
Recently Jack Black changed the design of this razor and with the design change also came a redesign of the cartridges. Thus, leaving customers who purchased the previous design stuck with a useless $40 handle. Although The Closer doesn't rank high among the best men's razors, it's certainly worth a try if you like the cartridge style.
Defender
The first razor that I had to try out was the Defender. And honestly, how could I pass it up when they were practically giving these things away at only $5.95 with free shipping?
The Defender is a cartridge razor with a very unique design. The cartridge is a three-blade head that has an extra-wide space between each blade. The idea behind this is to allow more strokes with less rinsing. When it is time to rinse water can pass through the blades making it easier to clean.
Another interesting feature is the adaptive suspension. This allows the blades to easily bend to the contours of your face.
The handle is made of plastic and rubber which makes it very lightweight. And it comes with a little suction cup so you can hang it on the mirror in your shower.
Conclusion
After using the Defender for a week, I didn’t find the blades as easy to clean as they claim to be. My beard stubble was still stuck between the blades even after several rinses.
If you’re looking for a close shave, it’s not going to happen with this razor; after several passes, I finally gave up.
However, if you’re looking for just a quick shave in the shower it’s probably fine. The blades will run you $10 for a 4-pack (without a subscription).
The bottom line is this, if you’re in college or you’re broke, then this is a great choice. Otherwise, save your money for a cup of coffee. This one ranks at the bottom of the list of the best men's razors.
King C. Gillette Neck Razor
As a guy who keeps a well-groomed and tight beard, I like to keep my neck clean-shaven. So, when I first came across the King C. Gillette neck razor I was intrigued.
The razor and specialty line of products is named after the Gillette founder, King C. Gillette. And the line is made specifically for guys with beards.
The neck razor cartridge has two blades that are spaced really far apart with soft fins in between. The idea behind this is to smooth and stretch the skin between each stroke. The back of the cartridge head also features a precision trimmer blade to help you edge your beard.
The handle is made of hard plastic with a rubber thumb-grip that makes it super lightweight.
Conclusion
After using this razor on my neck for the first time, I picked up my Jack Black razor to finish up. The two-blade cartridge just didn’t work for me.
This razor is fairly priced at about $15.00 and includes two cartridges. It received a lot of positive reviews on Amazon, so just because it didn’t work out for me, doesn’t mean it’s a bad razor.
Supply
The Supply Single Edge razor was featured on Shark Tank. And as the name implies is a single-blade razor. The razor is similar to a standard safety razor, but with additional safety features.
The razor includes three custom shave settings that allow you to change out the shaving guard, which essentially changes how much of the blade is visible. Of course, this has an effect on the closeness of the shave.
The blades are inserted in the razor head with an injector that allows for an effortless and touch-free blade change. Each blade is good for 8-10 shaves and each blade injector includes a 90-day supply of blades.
The handle is made with aerospace-grade 100% stainless steel or aerospace-grade PVD chromed alloy (depending on the razor you choose) and is the heaviest of all the razors I’ve reviewed. However, I didn’t find the weight of it to be an issue.
Now, this razor isn’t cheap. The razor with 8 blades starts at $75 for the classic matte alloy or mirror polish alloy finish. I upgraded my razor to the jet black alloy and this set me back about $95. Yeah, the up-front costs are a bit hefty. But the razor is backed with a 100-year guarantee and a 3-month supply of blades only costs $6.00!
Conclusion
The Single Edge 2.0 is in my top three favorite razors. Although changing out the shave setting isn’t entirely effortless, it’s still a cool feature. I continue to use this razor with no issues and always get a great shave.
Shavelogic
One of the newest razor companies on the block is Shavelogic. The company actually started developing this razor about 11 years ago. With over 100 patents and $40 million invested, they offer the best low-cost cartridge razor I’ve seen.
The week that Shavelogic launched (and before they sold a single razor) Gillette filed suit against the company and four of their employees (who are former Gillette employees) claiming that there were trade secrets and confidential information disclosed. But in 2017, the judge dismissed the suit.
The suit only validated that Shavelogic had a superior product, which would rightfully make Gillette a bit fearful of losing sales.
The Shavelogic has an all-metal handle and has a lifetime guarantee. It has a good weight to it and is ergonomically designed so it feels good in your hand any way you hold it.
The cartridges are magnetic which makes swapping them out a breeze. The starter kit which includes the handle, and four 5-blade cartridges are only $25.00. Which makes this high-quality cartridge razor extremely affordable. A 4 pack of cartridges will only set you back $18.00.
Conclusion
This is one of my favorites and certainly the best men's cartridge razor. The 5-blade cartridge can help you get a close shave, but with the blades being so close together it does make it a bit difficult to rinse out. I’ve actually been using my WaterPik water flosser to blast the blades clean. If you haven’t tried this yet, you need to; it’s pretty brilliant. Overall, it provided a great shave at an affordable price.
Gillette Heated Razor
The Gillette Heated Razor was the most expensive of my purchases. However, it is the only one on the market that claims to give you the feel of a hot shave and one of the best men's razors I reviewed.
This behemoth of a razor has a built-in lithium-ion battery that wirelessly charges on a sleek magnetic base.
The razor has two settings for heat. A warm 109 degrees Fahrenheit or an even warmer 122 degrees Fahrenheit. I have to say, that this was a really nice shave; and for almost $200 it better be!
The full length of the razor with the cartridge measures 6 inches long, which is about an inch longer than your standard cartridge razor. The handle is made of metal and plastic and is surprisingly lightweight for its size.
There isn’t anything special about the blades. They are the standard Gillette 5-blade system. The replacement cartridges are a bit pricey at $50 for an 8 pack, which is almost twice the cost of an 8 pack of Gillette Proglide blades.
Conclusion
If you have some money to burn and are looking for a unique shaving experience, you really need to try this heated razor. This isn’t my first choice for an everyday razor, but I’m certainly going to continue to use it, especially since I paid almost $200 bucks for it!
OneBlade - #1 of the Best Men's Razors
The OneBlade razor is not only revolutionary, but it’s a work of art. This is hands down my favorite and the one I use every day.
First off, some guys might think that a single blade isn’t as good as 3, 5, or 6 blades. But this is a common misconception. More blades do not equal a better shave.
The single blade cuts the hair right at the surface of the skin. With multi-blade razors the hair is pulled and lifted, then drops back below the surface of the skin. This is great for a close shave until you start experiencing razor bumps, razor burn, and ingrown hairs.
The Best Men's Razor
What I love about this razor is the closeness of the shave. Most razors require at least three passes to get that super close shave and this one I can complete my shave in just one.
The blades are standard single-edge Feather stainless steel blades and removing and installing them is simple. You can purchase a pack of 30 blades from OneBlade for only $21.00 when you sign up for a refill plan. A single blade is good for 2-4 shaves before it needs replacing so 30 blades will last you a solid couple of months.
There are three versions of this razor and they range in price from $29 for the Core, $129 for the Hybrid, and $349 for the Genesis.
Unless of course, you’re looking for one that’s made with an 18K rose gold or 24K gold finish. These beauties will set you back an easy $649-$1000.
However, if you purchase one with a blade refill plan, they’ll knock 10% off the price. For the purpose of this review, I went with the Hybrid and I couldn’t be happier.
The Hybrid head is made from military-grade stainless steel and the handle is Tritan and stainless steel. It’s surprisingly lightweight for all the steel that went into it. Unlike other single-blade razors with a stationary head, the OneBlade head pivots back so it moves along the contours of your face.
Conclusion
The OneBlade razor is well worth the $129 and in my opinion, is the best men's razor. This is the last razor I’ll need to buy and with the subscription option on the blades, the annual cost is extremely affordable. You get what you pay for. And when it comes to your face, you've only got one, so you should spend a few extra bucks on a good razor.
