
The Custom Shave is about as generic-looking an electric shaver as you can find-a tapered hunk of black plastic with a non-floating head and an on/off switch.
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We initially wanted to look at the legendary Wahl 5 Star shaver the maroon-colored model is beloved by barbers, who have nicknamed it “The Brick.” But since it’s generally sold via pro barber-supply sources, we opted for a close cousin, the company’s Custom Shave, which is no longer available.
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Several of our testers said they used a manual razor to get those hairs at the end of the shave, which to us felt kind of like a “what’s the point?” proposition. Nearly every shaver manufacturer-in a tacit admission that these devices don’t really shave as close as a blade-recommends that you snag your longest, toughest facial hairs first, using the shaver’s built-in trimmer. All of the razors we recommend have pivoting heads, so maintaining a proper angle is easy, but if you’re using a shaver with a fixed head (such as a Wahl), make sure to hold the head at a right angle to your skin.
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Instead, gently pull the skin taut with one hand and let the razor glide over your face in slow, steady strokes experiment with circular motions and straight strokes, and going with or against the grain (you’re looking for the perfect balance of closeness and post-shave comfort). Don’t press those cutting blades into your skin.

Men’s Health UK offers a fairly extensive tutorial, but the takeaway is: Go lightly. No matter when you shave, be sure to follow some basic-technique tips. Lower-end shavers tend to come with plastic head guards that snap on for transport they work, but we managed to lose almost every one of them during our testing. Most shavers come with some kind of carrying or protective device. The heads and foils on electric shavers are delicate and need protection. Other extras: The often-overlooked carrying case is a big plus.We found more elaborate digital displays nice but not necessary. Display: We looked for models that offer, at a minimum, a lighted battery indicator.Ergonomics: A shaver should be comfortable to hold and should easily maneuver around the contours of your face.Although you can usually purchase a cleaning system separately, if you’d like this feature, buying a shaver that comes with one is almost always more economical.

Note, though, that automatic cleaners are generally loud (some roar, others just whirr) and bulky, requiring counter space, which may be at a premium in a small bathroom or an apartment.

It’s especially convenient to be able to shave and then just pop your razor into a docking station and have it charged and ready to go the next morning.

These are designed to get your whiskers standing a little straighter, for better contact with the shaver’s cutters. Both rotary and foil shaver manufacturers add pulses and vibrations to their higher-end models. Rotary shaver makers use beard lifters that are built into the dozens of tiny, spinning blades they’re generally scythe-like, so hairs are (in theory) scooped up and pulled taut from beneath the skin line, at which point they can be cleanly cut. In addition to including multiple heads, foil shaver makers add jagged guide blocks that are designed to capture longer, tougher hairs the variable patterns are intended to act as whisker-trapping labyrinths. One way shaver makers have tried to improve closeness, to compensate for the barrier layer between shaver and user, is by employing mechanisms that lift, cut, and guide facial hair into the cutter.
