The Best Electric Shavers
Verified by
Ryan V. Editor-in-Chief
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Two of the most methodical reviewers in this set landed on the same conclusion. Grooming writer Adam Hurly calls the Braun Series 9 Pro the fastest and cleanest shaver he has tested, noting that its lifting and trimming elements clear a face full of stubble in a single pass rather than the tedious back-and-forth that lesser shavers demand. Foremost Picks agrees, describing its foil closeness and cutting performance as genuinely unmatched.
The reason it clears hair so quickly is the AutoSense motor. Foremost Picks explains that it reads your beard density in real time and pushes more power into thick patches, and Hurly says you can actually hear and feel the sensors adjusting as you move across your jaw and neck. For anyone with dense or coarse growth, that adaptive power is the difference between one confident pass and three frustrated ones.
The Series 9 Pro also wins on upkeep. Higher bundles ship with a 6-in-1 Smart Care station that cleans, lubricates, charges and dries the razor, which Foremost Picks singles out as the standout for maintenance. You drop the shaver in the dock and forget about it. That combination of the closest single-pass foil shave, an intelligent motor and hands-off cleaning is why it earns Best Overall.
What It Won't Do
It is the most expensive shaver here, typically $300 to $400 depending on the bundle, and Foremost Picks flags two smaller catches: the newer Pro blades feel slightly grabbier on sensitive skin than the older non-Pro Series 9, and it runs louder than most rivals in its class. If your skin reacts easily, the gentler Philips i9000 rotary is worth a look before you commit.
The Manscaped Chairman Pro delivers most of the flagship experience for roughly half the money. Foremost Picks places it squarely in mid-range territory at about $150 and says it punches well above that price. It feels more premium than it costs, carries an IPX7 waterproof rating, and runs 75 minutes on a USB-C charge, which the reviewer notes is better than most shavers in its bracket.
What sets it apart from a cheaper foil is versatility. It ships with two magnetically swappable heads: a skin-safe four-blade foil for a close shave and a dedicated stubble trimmer with length combs for sculpting facial hair. The Braun is a dedicated foil with only a small pop-up detail trimmer, so the Chairman Pro is the better pick if you switch between clean-shaven and styled stubble.
Comfort is the other pleasant surprise. Foremost Picks credits the flex-adjust heads that follow the contours of your face and cut down on friction and irritation, and in our weighting the Chairman Pro actually edges the Braun on skin comfort. For a shaver at this price, getting flagship-adjacent comfort plus trimming versatility is a genuinely strong deal.
What It Won't Do
The Chairman Pro trades away the last fraction of closeness. Foremost Picks notes that chasing a truly baby-smooth result still favors a Braun or Panasonic flagship, and its motor, while capable for everyday growth, is noticeably weaker than a Series 8 or 9 on coarse, dense beards. There is also no self-cleaning station, so upkeep is a manual rinse.
Who Should Buy Which
Braun Series 9 Pro
The fastest, cleanest foil shave reviewers could find
- Dense or coarse beards that overwhelm weaker motors
- Shavers who want the fastest, closest single-pass foil result
- Buyers who value hands-off cleaning from the Smart Care dock
- Foil purists who prefer straight strokes over rotary circles
- Anyone treating a shaver as a long-term investment
Manscaped Chairman Pro
Two swappable heads and flagship comfort for half the price
- Value-minded buyers who want flagship comfort near $150
- Guys who switch between clean-shaven and sculpted stubble
- Sensitive skin that benefits from flex-adjust heads
- Frequent travelers who want USB-C charging and a case
- Standard-to-moderate growth rather than coarse, heavy beards