As popular as depilatory creams and epilators are, shaving is still the go-to method of body hair maintenance for the majority of women. It’s easy to see why! The best electric shavers for women can trim hair right down to the skin, without nearly as much discomfort as epilating or waxing.
The trick is to find a decent shaver, though! Crappy shavers and trimmers can be extremely painful, snagging hairs and causing lots of frustrating. Thankfully, our resident beauty expert is on the case! Alice McLaughlin has been comparing and reviewing dozens of shavers and trimmers for women, and you’ll find all her recommendations below.
Best Women’s Electric Shaver Reviews (2018)
Phillips SatinShave Essential Women’s Electric Shaver
“This Phillips foil shaver is a great choice for ladies who are always on top of their body hair maintenance. It doesn’t have a built-in trimmer, so it’s best either in conjunction with a separate one or as a standalone device for women who never let their body hair grow out beyond stubble. I think it’s by far the best of the inexpensive wet/dry models on the market.”
It’s a perfect maintainer for ladies who shave regularly. A foil shaver like this is ideal for trimming stubble right down to the skin, for a smooth look you can’t achieve with a trimmer blade.
It’s a cordless wet/dry model. We don’t think it’s worth bothering with corded models that only work on dry skin. Shaving when your legs/pits are wet is way more comfortable. Plus, corded models are impossible to clean properly. The best thing about the Phillips is that it’s available for the same price as most of the corded shavers!
It’s very inexpensive. You can grab one of these for well under $20. Since it’s as reliable as a lot of $75+ models, that makes it very appealing for us. This is a shaver that lasts a decent amount of time but also doesn’t cost much to replace when you wear it out.
It comes with a travel cap and a cleaning brush.
Cons:
Foil shavers like this are only good for maintaining body hair that’s already quite short. You can’t use one of these on leg hair that’s grown out for a month, or on armpits you’ve never shaved.
So, if you occasionally let hair grow out, or are starting trimming for the first time, you’re going to want to pair this with a trimmer like the Panasonic model below. On its own, it’s best for ladies who never let their hair grow out beyond short stubble. This is a maintainer, not a bushwhacker!
It’s not rechargeable, so you’ll need to stock up on AA batteries. Some people find that annoying, but we actually think it’s a hidden advantage. Inexpensive rechargeable batteries conk out quickly, and you’ll have to throw your whole device away if they do. So, stick to AA’s and just get yourself some rechargeable AA’s if you don’t want to deal with swapping out cells.
Panasonic ES2113PC Facial Hair Trimmer For Women
“This Panasonic trimmer is intended for facial hair, but I think it’s a perfect all-around detailer for body hair you don’t want to/can’t maintain with a foil shaver. A trimmer blade like this is also convenient for hard-to-reach areas around the groin where a larger foil trimmer doesn’t fit easily. You’ll definitely want this to go along with a foil shaver if yours doesn’t have a trimmer attachment already built in!”
All in all, it’s highly maneuverable–exactly as a detail trimmer should be! The head pivots 10 degrees in either direction. That allows you to easily follow contours without having to twist your wrist awkwardly. The handle is ergonomic, too.
The round-tipped blade makes this a lot easier on sensitive skin and in sensitive areas than your average trimmer.
The trimmer head is nice and small so it works great for nose hair, unlike a lot of other wand detailers. You don’t need to use a separate attachment, either, so it’s very convenient.
It gets very close on its own, for areas that you don’t want to maintain with a foil trimmer. It’s also perfect for prepping areas that you haven’t maintained in some time before you use your foil trimmer on them.
It comes with eyebrow attachments.
Cons:
It may not work in the bikini area for all women. If you have thick, wiry pubes, you may need something more powerful, such as the Panasonic all-in-one below.
It’s not wet-dry, though that’s standard for most trimmers, especially at this price.
Once the blades get dull, it’s disposable.
Panasonic ES2207P Ladies Electric Shaver
“This all-in-one combines a foil shaver like the Phillips above with a detailing trimmer, much like the Panasonic model we’ve just looked at. It’s an ideal shaver/trimmer combo for ladies who want one device to do it all! I suggest it to practically everyone. You get two devices for the price of one, and the whole thing is waterproof. It doesn’t get much better than that!”
It combines a foil shaver and a trimmer attachment in one convenient gadget. It’s always more convenient to have one tool that does multiple things!
Better still, the whole thing is waterproof–even the trimmer head. That’s not true of the small detailer above.
It’s comfortable to use. The handle is ergonomic, the blades don’t snag or irritate skin, and you can maneuver it pretty handily all over your body.
It doesn’t cost much more than the individual foil shaver/trimmer tools we’ve recommended above. While there are certainly pricier, fancier models on the market, the Panasonic does just as much as them and isn’t any less reliable.
Cons:
The trimmer attachment on this is great, especially for thicker facial hair and the bikini area, but it’s not as maneuverable as having a separate detailer. You can’t use this for nostril hair, for example.
Since it’s rechargeable, you have to ditch the whole thing when the battery wears out. You can’t simply swap out AA’s like you can with the other electric shavers we recommend.
Buying Guide
“I’ve been reviewing beauty products for a number of years now, so trust me when I say that I’ve seen a lot of stinkers! Especially when it comes to gadgets like trimmers and shavers, there’s a whole lot of junk on the market these days. Most ladies’ instinct is to spend more for a premium model, hoping that it’ll shave better and last longer. Sadly, I haven’t found that that’s a great strategy. This is one of the few shopping departments where the rule “you get what you pay for” doesn’t always apply. There are crappy gadgets at every price point, and no shaver for women is all that reliable. That’s why I actually used to recommend a few men’s models! They were more rugged and tended to work well for longer. That’s not even the case anymore, unfortunately. So, I actually suggest avoiding the models over $50. That’s just too much money to spend on something that may or may not last longer than $25 products. Save your money and get something inexpensive that won’t break your heart if it wears out relatively quickly.”
What’s Next
We’ve got all your beauty needs covered with guides to the best epilators, depilatory creams, permanent hair removal methods, and so much more. Links and featured articles are easy to find on our homepage, at wifeknows.com.
Abby Larson
