The best men's razors we tested
Best men’s razor: Gillette SkinGuard
Best men’s safety razor: Bevel Safety Razor
The best men’s razor leaves behind smooth skin and no irritation. It’s something almost every man needs, even if you’re not going for a freshly shaven look every day. We’ll be the first to admit we’ve cheaped out on razors over the years, and those rough experiences — combined with testing 14 different models for this guide — made it clear: It’s not hard or expensive to attain a close shave, but you have to know the difference between groundbreaking features and the latest marketing gimmicks.
Lucky for you and your grooming routine, we’ve done the ground work. Whether you’re looking for something to clean up the edges while your electric razor takes a day off or you need a new daily driver, we’ve found a razor that will fit your budget and routine. We’ve put cartridge razors from legacy brands like Gillette and Schick through their paces, plus tried several single-blade safety razors that shaving enthusiasts swear by. After shaving at home again and again, these two options had our faces feeling the freshest.
Best men's razor
The Gillette SkinGuard stood out above all the other razors we tested, thanks to its extremely comfortable and easy shave. Its guarded razor made shaving a breeze, and we experienced zero tugging or irritation when using it. Along with its durability, ease of cleaning and additional precision blade, it was easily the best men’s razor we tried.
Best men's safety razor
If you want the closest possible shave and don’t need extra features, the Bevel Safety Razor is the blade for you. Utilizing a single, double-edged blade, the Bevel gives a remarkably close shave. All the safety razors we tested were a step above the cartridge options in terms of closeness, but the Bevel’s comfortable handle pushed it past the other safety razors to claim a top spot.
Best men’s razor: Gillette SkinGuard
Out of all the razors we tested, the Gillette SkinGuard gave us the easiest, most comfortable shave by far, mainly due to its specialized blades. The razor has little bumpers between the SkinGuard’s two blades to minimize skin irritation. While Gillette says this causes a shave that isn’t as close as its five-blade razors, we didn’t notice much of a difference between the SkinGuard and the other cartridge blades we tested. Associate testing writer Joe Bloss even went as far as shaving half his face with the SkinGuard and the other half with the five-blade Gillette Labs. The results were not noticeably closer on one side compared to the other.
The SkinGuard also provided superior comfort. The protective blades made it feel like the razor head was gliding across our face — something we always heard about in shaving commercials but never experienced in real life. The bumpers, along with two lubricating strips, gave us a super-smooth shave. We never felt irritation or experienced razor bumps or ingrown hairs — even hours after we shaved.
What’s the trick? After we landed on the SkinGuard as our favorite razor, we talked to Frauke Neuser, senior director of scientific communications for global grooming and shave care for Gillette’s parent company, Procter & Gamble. Neuser, who has a doctorate in biotechnology, says it’s simple physics. The bridge between SkinGuard’s two blades spreads pressure as a five-blade razor would. But by replacing the middle three blades with that bumper, there’s no bulging skin when the remaining two blades arrive at a hair to cut. “We actually have the blades on slightly different planes while the SkinGuard is deeper,” she says. “The blades are ever so slightly lifted off the skin.”
Bloss has cycled through various razors over the years, and razor bumps on his neck were frustratingly common the day after a shave. Not with SkinGuard. “So, for men who have that as a problem — very curly hair or just a natural sort of susceptibility to [irritation] — SkinGuard is a true game changer,” Neuser says, “because with just the two blades and the SkinGuard bridge in between, we’re not cutting below skin level.”
But the comfort we experienced with the SkinGuard wasn’t limited to just the blades — it was also one of the most ergonomic razors we tested. Thanks to its rubberized handle and gentle curving shape, it fit perfectly in our hand and was easy to hold and maneuver around our face.
Besides its comfort, the SkinGuard also came out unscathed in our drop tests, and can shave solidly clean lines with its precision blade found on the reverse side of the cartridge. Speaking of cartridges, getting replacements is easy, but the price of the SkinGuard’s replacement blades was a bit higher than our pool’s $2 average, coming in at about $3 per blade no matter how many you buy at once. If you’re worried about remembering to fill up on blades, you can set up a subscription with either Amazon or Gillette so you never run out.
Best men’s safety razor: Bevel Safety Razor
The cartridge razors couldn’t provide as close a shave as any of our safety razors. The double-edged, stainless steel blade takes a little more patience and skill to maneuver, but the result is a wildly close shave.
We tested five of these close-shaving razors, and the Bevel Safety Razor was easily the best of the group because was much easier to handle and move across our face.
Having never used a safety razor before this story, our first shave was painstakingly slow, making sure the blade was as close to a 30-degree angle against our skin so we wouldn’t, you know, cut our jugular. We got a couple nicks that first time but soon found that shaving with these safety razors — and the Bevel especially — wasn’t too different from the multi-blade cartridges we’d grown accustomed to.
If you maintain a 30-degree angle and let the weight of the blade do its thing, shaving with a safety razor is a breeze. The Bevel has a long, straight handle that was quite comfortable to hold, which eased our nerves when running it across our face. The other safety razors we tried had handles that were at times awkward to hold, so we had to constantly readjust our grip to get a comfortable shave.
When your blade gets dirty or worn out, the Bevel makes it super easy to clean or replace with a simple screwing mechanism. We preferred this over the Merkur Futur’s blade enclosement, which just pops off, because in our drop test the Futur’s blade would pop out from the handle and end up somewhere on the floor.
Replacement blades for the Bevel are among the cheapest in our testing pool too, with a package of 20 going for $10, averaging out to $0.50 per blade (you can also subscribe to automatically get these through Amazon). As a bonus, safety razors as a whole are better for the environment than your standard razor, since there’s no plastic and you can recycle your used stainless steel blades.
How we tested
To find the best men’s razor, we ran 14 razors through all sorts of tests. We shaved with them, cleaned them, dunked them in water, dropped them and more. We broke up our product testing into two categories: performance and durability. Here’s a breakdown of all the tests we ran.
Performance
- Closeness of shave: Using the same shaving cream each time, we shaved with each razor going with the grain of our facial hair. We noted how close the shave was, and felt how much hair, if any, was left on our face after shaving.
- Comfort of shave: We judged how easy it was to shave and how the blades felt on our face. Immediately after shaving we noted if we had any nicks or felt any irritation.
- Lasting comfort: We checked our face again several hours after shaving to see if any irritation, bumps or redness formed.
- Ergonomics: We held each razor and judged how it felt in our hand. We also dunked it in water and held it again to see if it was slippery.
- Precision: We noted if the razor had a specific precision blade, and cut lines in our facial hair to judge how precise the blade was.
- Extra features: We counted any extra features the razor had, such as lubricating strips, heating elements and more. We also judged how these features impacted the shaving experience.
Durability
- Ease to clean: We cleaned each blade after shaving and noted how difficult it was to clean, as well as how long it took.
- Drop test: We dropped each razor three times over our sink from face level. We noted any damage and if the blades popped off the handle.
- Ease of blade replacement: We researched the price of blade replacement and if you were able to sign up for an automatic subscription.
How to choose the best razor
Different guys’ skin reacts differently to shaving. Even though we’ve had multiple testers try and love the Gillette SkinGuard, other options might be better suited for your needs. Here’s what you need to consider.
Closeness
Some men shave in the morning and have a beard by dinner — hence the term “5 o’clock shadow.” But others take days to go from smooth to scruffy. If you fall under the former category, a close shave is imperative. It’ll keep you fresh for the entirety of the day.
Though not our top pick, the Gillette Labs razor illustrates how multi-blade razors attack shaving. It’s a five-blade razor laid out with a “progressive geometry,” Neuser says. Each blade in the cartridge is closer to the skin than the last, so it cuts the hair five times. Hairs then retract into your skin for an ultra-smooth shave. The downside of this process, known as hysteresis, is that it can lead to irritation and ingrown hairs if you have sensitive skin. That’s why it’s not for everyone.
Speed
The flexible heads and handles of traditional cartridge razors make shaving easy, no matter how many razors are in each cart. Safety razors, though, require a more delicate shave and take time to learn. If you’re rushing to get to work or to not be late for a date — or if you’ve used a cartridge razor since your teenage years — the skill it takes for a single-blade razor might not be worth the time.
That said, there are advantages to learning to shave with a safety razor. At their best, they produce comfortable, clean shaves that feel great. They cost almost nothing after the initial investment, as replacement blades can be bought in bulk at a fraction of the price of new carts. And it’s a more sustainable habit, because you’re not consistently trashing bulky carts mostly made of plastic.
Irritation
Here’s where it helps to know how your skin reacts to shaving, and to understand the different problems razor construction can combat. Neuser described three forces that exist in shaving that Gillette developers aim to optimize for better comfort. The first is the cutting force, which is what’s required for a blade to slice through hair. Ideally, sharp blades need a lower cutting force without pulling or tugging on hair rooted deep in your skin and surrounded by nerves and blood vessels. Dull and poorly arranged blades, and thus weak cutting force, can make shaving painful.
Next, there’s the downward force of the razor against the skin. Multiple blades can help distribute that pressure across more space, and the same can be said for flexible heads and cartridges that ensure even contact without pressing hard against your skin. Pushing your razor too firmly on your face can result in nicks and cuts.
Finally, there’s the reason for shaving cream and oil and those little lubrication strips that most brands put on their carts — friction. This horizontal force can disturb the interaction between blades and hair and result in different types of irritation.
Other men’s razors we tested
If irritation isn't usually a problem when you shave, Gillette Labs will get you a marginally closer finish than our top pick, the Gillette SkinGuard. We loved how flexible its head is.
While we’ve discussed the irritation drawbacks of five-blade razors, Bloss generally loved the Gillette Labs With Exfoliating Bar. It was a touch less smooth compared to its SkinGuard sibling but still an enjoyable shave. Its head pivots front-to-back (as most cartridge razors do these days) and rotates side-to-side thanks to a disk-shaped joint (it also has a heavier metal handle). Bloss says he got a comfortable shave that felt more premium than you get with most disposables.
Neuser highlighted the green exfoliating bar — a permanent fixture attached to the razor — as a key component of the Gillette Labs razor. While it does remove dirt and debris to smooth your razor’s path, it can also free trapped hairs. These differ from ingrown hairs in that they’re not improperly growing underneath the skin; they just haven’t emerged yet. The exfoliating bar rubs away that last layer of skin entrapping the hairs, revealing them for the incoming blades.
However, keep in mind that refills of the Gillette Labs five-blade cartridges are even pricier than the SkinGuard’s. They’re nearly $5 each when purchasing a multi-pack on Amazon and Gillette.
Another five-blade razor that results in a smooth shave, Schick Hydro Sensitive gets the job done — and at half the price of Gillette Labs.
Schick’s Hydro Sensitive Razor deploys five blades for a price that’s more approachable in the long run. Replacement carts are about $2.50 each, roughly half what you’d pay for Gillette Labs’ five-blade refills. Harry’s and Dollar Shave Club carts are a bit cheaper, but Bloss says he feels the quality you get in the Hydro Sensitive is well worth it.
The cartridge and the head it attaches to pivot, so you’ll get the right amount of pressure with each swipe. It also has a precision blade hidden beneath its lubricating pools atop the razor. If you’re looking for a five-blade razor that blends a smooth shave with a fair price, Schick fits the bill here.
Most safety razors sport double-edge blades. Leaf's handles fit single-edge blades and are angled to ease the learning curve.
Leaf’s single-edge razors come in two versions: Twig, for mild exposure, and Thorn, for medium exposure. The latter proved better for Bloss’s shaves after two days of growth. No matter which is best for your beard, Bloss thinks Leaf is an excellent starting ground for anyone sick of wasteful cartridge razors.
Leaf uses a lone single-edge blade and angles the head so shaving feels natural and familiar — you don’t have to search for the correct approach the way a double-edge safety razor requires. The Leaf razor is also easy to set up, with a twist-to-open handle, a magnetic head that accepts new razors each time you insert a fresh one.
Replacements are astonishingly affordable with Leaf, dropping as low as $0.15 each if you buy 200 (they’re on Amazon too).
Henson's safety razors are some of the most popular among shaving enthusiasts, but Bloss couldn't get a smooth shave with their introductory model.
Henson’s AL13 razor is supposed to provide, according to the brand, “the perfect drama-free shave, period.” But Bloss says he couldn’t achieve a smooth shave during his initial tests with this double-edge blade. While safety razors are an adjustment from cartridge razors, multiple attempts got Bloss rough shaves where the razor dragged through his stubble. It’s going to take more trial and error to learn to use the Henson correctly.
Harry's razor is a solid option and subscribing to save money (and effort) isn't hard. But we liked our shave better with our top pick from Gillette.
The Harry’s Winston Razor gave us a close, comfortable shave. It was pretty easy to clean, had a nice precision blade and felt good in our hand, but it just couldn’t separate itself from the rest of the pack.
If you're going the Harry's route, the Truman handle feels a little cheaper than the Winston mentioned above.
Similar to the Winston, this razor from Harry’s is very good but just didn’t outdo the SkinGuard. When we shaved with the Truman we got a close shave, though not as close as the Winston or some other cartridge blades like Schick.
Dollar Shave Club's signature razor has six blades. The unique number didn't win us over.
This razor was decently comfortable and provided a pretty close shave, just not as good as the SkinGuard. We did enjoy its precision blade, but we still wouldn’t recommend it over our winner.
We didn't like trying to wield the tiny handle on this safety razor.
This safety razor gave us one of the closest shaves, actually tying with the Bevel. However, its handle is very small and short, so it wasn’t comfortable to hold while shaving.
This razor didn't survive our drop test and was noticeably heavy.
The Merkur Futur gave us the closest shave of all the razors we tested, but it was too heavy to actually hold easily and maneuver around our face. Also, during our drop test, the top section of the compartment that holds the blade popped off, leaving the razor blade somewhere on our floor. We think the Bevel is the better option if you’re looking for a safety razor.
Another one of Gillette's flagship razors, the Mach3 lagged behind its sibling offerings in terms of comfort.
The Mach3 is an incredibly light razor, but its super-thin build wasn’t the most ergonomic. It didn’t provide a very close shave, but it was quite easy to clean and comfortable to use.
In theory, the heated razor sounds like a luxurious, spa-like shave. In practice, it did very little to merit a price tag in the triple digits.
The Gillette Heated razor heats up its blades so you can theoretically get a closer, more comfortable shave. While this feature was cool, it didn’t result in an outstandingly different shave. This, plus the fact that it’s more than three times pricier than the next most expensive razor, knocked it out of the race.
This is a viable electric beard trimmer but hardly a worthwhile everyday razor.
The Philips is an electric razor, and while it might be good as a beard trimmer, we didn’t find it to be a great daily shaver. It didn’t give us a very close shave at all, most likely because we shaved with the grain of our facial hair with every razor, but the instructions of the OneBlade recommend shaving against the grain. Going with the grain, this razor didn’t do much, and going against the grain gave a closer shave, but that’d be the case with any razor.
FAQs
The closest shaves our testers got during testing came with double-edged safety razors, but it’s possible to achieve close shaves with cartridge razors too. Five-blade razors pull skin and cut it to lengths that retract beneath the skin, resulting in very smooth shaves (though often irritation as well). The direction in which you shave can also produce closer shaves. Attempt to shave against the grain of your hair growth to get the closest.
The Gillette SkinGuard. This was both of our testers’ favorite razor overall because of how smooth it glided over their faces when shaving. It’s particularly suited for sensitive skin, as it uses only two blades that don’t pull out hair to cut it the way a five-blade razor tends to.
It just feels nice. We tested Gillette’s heated razor, and while it was comfortable, it didn’t do much to affect our resulting shave. And it’s more expensive. We don’t recommend it unless you’re really curious.
Meet our expert
For this article, we consulted the following expert to gain their professional insights.
- Frauke Neuser, senior director, scientific communications for global grooming & shave care at Procter & Gamble
Why trust CNN Underscored
CNN Underscored editors thoroughly test all the products we cover and provide full transparency about how we test them. We have an experienced team of writers and editors who have many years of testing experience and ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when it makes sense to ensure we are testing each product accurately and speaking about the pros and cons of each item.
For this guide, Underscored outdoors, pets and sustainability editor Kai Burkhardt tested our initial pool of razors for a month. More recently, associate writer Joe Bloss put our favorite razors to the test against several additional contenders. Bloss, who once reviewed Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s skin care line, tests and reviews various household products in his role at Underscored, including flannel sheets and home printers.
