Unlike any of the other electric razors I tested, it has a quick-charge mode. Plug it in for five minutes, and you’ll get extra battery life—in my tests, 11 minutes’ worth. The F has the look of a Braun clone and uses a proven dual-foil system with a center lift-and-cut trimmer mated to a pivoting head. But unlike the Braun Series 7 foil block, which pivots along two axes, this less-expensive shaver pivots only up and down.
It handled daily shaves without complaint and powered through more days of growth without too much issue. You’ll need to replace the foil on your shaver more or less annually, depending on use. My face was left with some redness that faded within an hour or so. It wasn’t a huge deal for me, but I could see how that would really irk someone’s nerves.
The Philips SatinShave razor has two foil blades and a cutter made of hypoallergenic stainless … James has been using the Series 7 to shave a portion of his face (growing a pandemic beard after initial testing decreased his use somewhat) since first testing for this guide in 2020. It’s held up remarkably well and, aside from a dip after a little more than a year of use which was remedied by replacing the foil, the shave quality has remained consistent. The 7085cc and the 7020s provide the same high-quality shave as our pick, but they each come with different sets of accoutrements. We think the new 7071cc has the features that most people want or need, but prices tend to fluctuate, and if you find one of the others for significantly less you won’t be missing a lot by picking that model up. The Quick Clean Pod is the world’s smallest and cordless cleaning station.
At first glance, the biggest difference between the Series 9 and the Series 7 is size. The Series 9 is longer, has more girth, and is more top-heavy, all due to its quadruple-headed shaving mechanism. That four-way philips electric razor head sticks to Braun’s traditional two-foil design but adds a pair of cutting mechanisms—a “direct & cut” trimmer and a “hyper-lift & cut” trimmer—that better snag wiry, unruly whiskers, the company claims.
Meaning that if you’ve grown your beard out for more than three days, it’s not recommended to use it. We tried Philips Norelco’s lower-end rotary models but determined that the brand’s 9000 series philips razor performed better, and it was so closely priced that it was a better buy for most people. In our experience, the 4000-series razor didn’t shave closely enough to be worth their bargain prices.