Wellness Roundup
Best electric shavers in 2026: 10 foil and rotary picks
What are the best electric shavers in 2026?
Braun Series 9 Pro is the shaver most daily shavers should buy, because foil heads suit sensitive skin and short regrowth. Philips Series 9000 is the rotary answer if you shave every few days or work around a strong jawline. Panasonic's Arc5 wins on coarse, dense stubble. Whichever you pick, check today's price on replacement heads before the shaver — that is the cost that actually adds up.
Top 3 at a glance
Compare the options- #1Best overall
Braun Series 9 Pro
Find model on Amazon* - #2Best rotary
Philips Shaver Series 9000
Find model on Amazon* - #3Best for coarse stubble
Panasonic ES-LV6U Arc5
Find model on Amazon*
Braun Series 9 Pro
Amazon UK
The foil shaver that gets closest without punishing sensitive skin, and the one most daily shavers settle on and stop researching.
Check before buying: Head cassettes cost real money
Why it's a good thing: Braun publishes a wet-use rating for the range and sells the Series 9 head cassette openly for years after launch.
- Kind to sensitive skin
- Very close on short regrowth
- Heads widely stocked
- Head cassettes cost real money
- Bulky in the hand
Philips Shaver Series 9000
Amazon UK
Philips' flagship rotary, and the pick if you shave every few days or need heads that follow an awkward jaw and neck.
Check before buying: Circular motion takes practice
Why it's a good thing: Rotary head packs are sold individually and stay listed across generations, so the shaver outlives its first set.
- Handles longer stubble well
- Contours around jaw and neck
- Quiet compared with foils
- Circular motion takes practice
- Less precise on edges
Panasonic ES-LV6U Arc5
Amazon UK
Five foils and a fast, high-pitched motor that cuts through dense growth other shavers pull at rather than sever.
Check before buying: Loud motor
Why it's a good thing: Foil and cutter sets are sold as separate parts, so you replace only the worn component.
- Excellent on thick beards
- Foil and cutter sold separately
- Fast, efficient passes
- Loud motor
- Heads pricier than Braun's mid range
Braun Series 7
Amazon UK
Most of the Series 9 experience for noticeably less — the sensible buy if you shave daily but don't need the flagship.
Check before buying: Slower on longer growth
Why it's a good thing: Shares Braun's long spare-head support and a published wet-use rating.
- Great value for a foil
- Comfortable on sensitive necks
- Cheaper heads than Series 9
- Slower on longer growth
- Fewer modes
Philips OneBlade 360
Amazon UK
Not a true shaver and not just a trimmer — the right tool if you keep stubble at a length rather than going bare.
Check before buying: Not a bare-skin shave
Why it's a good thing: Blades are cheap and openly sold, and one device replaces a separate trimmer and shaver.
- Trims, shapes and shaves
- Inexpensive blades
- Fine in the shower
- Not a bare-skin shave
- Blades need frequent swaps
Philips Shaver Series 5000
Amazon UK
The entry rotary that does the job without drama — a fair first electric shaver if you're moving away from blades.
Check before buying: Less close than flagships
Why it's a good thing: Uses the same widely stocked Philips head format, so spares stay easy to find.
- Affordable rotary entry
- Wet and dry use
- Easy to clean
- Less close than flagships
- Slower on thick growth
Skull Shaver Pitbull Gold Pro
Amazon UK
Built for shaving your own scalp, with a grip and rotary layout that make the back of your head reachable one-handed.
Check before buying: Mediocre on facial detail
Why it's a good thing: Replacement heads are stocked directly and the design is specific rather than a repurposed face shaver.
- Genuinely easy on a scalp
- Comfortable one-handed grip
- Usable wet
- Mediocre on facial detail
- Fewer UK spares outlets
Wahl Aqua Blade wet/dry
Amazon UK
More trimmer than shaver, and the better buy if your real job is keeping a beard tidy rather than removing it.
Check before buying: Not a close bare shave
Why it's a good thing: Wahl sells blades and attachments separately, and its clipper heritage means parts remain available.
- Excellent for beard lines
- Lots of guards included
- Rinses under the tap
- Not a close bare shave
- Guards easy to lose
Remington F9 Ultimate Series foil
Amazon UK
A foil shave at entry money — coarser than the flagships, but a fair way to find out whether foil suits your skin.
Check before buying: Less comfortable than Braun
Why it's a good thing: Cheap enough to test the foil format before committing, with heads available on the same shelves.
- Low entry cost
- Simple to clean
- Decent battery behaviour
- Less comfortable than Braun
- Build feels light
Xiaomi Mijia S500 / S300
Amazon UK
A compact, USB-charged rotary for a wash bag — a sensible second shaver rather than your main one.
Check before buying: Not close enough for daily use
Why it's a good thing: USB-C charging avoids another proprietary adaptor, and heads are inexpensive to replace.
- Small and light
- USB-C charging
- Cheap to replace
- Not close enough for daily use
- Spare heads harder to source
What actually decides this purchase?
Heads, seals and published IP ratings matter more than “dentist recommended” stickers. Spare heads on sale in year three is the test. Our top-rated pick here is Braun Series 9 Pro (9.0/10) — The foil shaver that gets closest without punishing sensitive skin, and the one most daily shavers settle on and stop researching. That is a research ranking locked before affiliate links, not a lab week.
Which job are you actually hiring it for?
Match the badge to the weekly job, not the Amazon carousel.
| Job | Start here | Why this list says so |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Braun Series 9 Pro | The foil shaver that gets closest without punishing sensitive skin, and the one most daily shavers settle on and stop researching. |
| Best rotary | Philips Shaver Series 9000 | Philips’ flagship rotary, and the pick if you shave every few days or need heads that follow an awkward jaw and neck. |
| Best for coarse stubble | Panasonic ES-LV6U Arc5 | Five foils and a fast, high-pitched motor that cuts through dense growth other shavers pull at rather than sever. |
| Best value foil | Braun Series 7 | Most of the Series 9 experience for noticeably less — the sensible buy if you shave daily but don’t need the flagship. |
| Best hybrid trimmer-shaver | Philips OneBlade 360 | Not a true shaver and not just a trimmer — the right tool if you keep stubble at a length rather than going bare. |
| Best budget rotary | Philips Shaver Series 5000 | The entry rotary that does the job without drama — a fair first electric shaver if you’re moving away from blades. |
What mistakes should you avoid?
- A sealed handle with no replacement-head SKU.
- Miracle enamel claims with no standard cited.
- Sharing heads.
- Ignoring a known trade-off on this list: head cassettes cost real money.
- Ignoring a known trade-off on this list: bulky in the hand.
- Treating a search-page URL as a guarantee of today’s stock or price.
How do you make the purchase last?
Replace heads on schedule, charge as the manual says, and rinse the handle seal. Braun publishes a wet-use rating for the range and sells the Series 9 head cassette openly for years after launch. We do not invent a price on this page — check the retailer on the day you buy.
When is the cheaper option the right buy?
Braun Series 7 is the value line to look at first if the expensive extras would sit unused. Buy it when the job is real. Skip it when the missing feature is the job — then spend on the badge that names that job, or skip the category.
The bottom line
Braun Series 9 Pro is the shaver most daily shavers should buy, because foil heads suit sensitive skin and short regrowth. Philips Series 9000 is the rotary answer if you shave every few days or work around a strong jawline. Panasonic’s Arc5 wins on coarse, dense stubble. Whichever you pick, check today’s price on replacement heads before the shaver — that is the cost that actually adds up. Start with Braun Series 9 Pro unless a badge further down matches your job more closely. If none of these survive the values filter for your household, skip the category rather than buying a disposable extra.
How we choose
Research-based review (July 2026): we weighted Amazon owner reviews for skin irritation complaints, motor and battery failures after a couple of years, and how easy replacement foils, cutters and rotary heads are to buy in the UK. We favour shavers with published IPX ratings for wet use and openly stocked spare heads over sealed units with vague claims. This is a research-based review, not a hands-on lab test.
Our values filter: We skip anything with unverifiable health claims and favour products with published testing or certifications.
Prices change — check the retailer for today's price.
Common questions
- What is this guide based on?
- Research-based review (July 2026): we weighted Amazon owner reviews for skin irritation complaints, motor and battery failures after a couple of years, and how easy replacement foils, cutters and rotary heads are to buy in the UK. We favour shavers with published IPX ratings for wet use and openly stocked spare heads over sealed units with vague claims.
- Does Small Good Things earn commission from this guide?
- Links marked * are affiliate links. Qualifying purchases may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. A shopping link is not a guarantee of stock, seller authenticity or suitability for your needs.
