Anyone use an electric shaver?

I know this is a weird post, but most of you are men and I can't ask at the coffeeshop during covid, lol.

So, I bought an electric (cordless) shaver (brand is SMATE), one of those indiegogo things that I fell for. Supposedly, four cutting heads. I think you call this a foil shaver. Some real powerful salesmanship copy convinced me to back them to the tune of $100 for this shaver. Ugh. Gave me the worst shave I have EVER had. Just pitiful. Was not fun to shave, quite a few snags/pulls of the whiskers instead of cutting, and many areas of the face that did not shave well, so, it wasn't a 'close' shave by any stretch of the imagination.

Granted, I have a bit of a tough beard growth, what we used to call a 'heavy beard' but that doesn't mean an actual beard, it just means the density of the whiskers. Shaving with a razor blade, I get a great, close shave.

I asked for a refund and they did not respond.

After the first abysmal shave, which was dry, I showered and then shaved. Same result.

I have a cordless trimmer gizmo that is not a shaver, it's a trimmer for sideburns, neck, etc. I have had it for many, many years and it works better than this $100 shaver! It gives me a shave that's equivalent to about a one to one and a half day growth.

I don't expect an electric shaver to provide a shave like a razor blade but it certainly should be better than what I got and it should not be painful!

I had a shaver 30 years ago better than this. And this is supposed to be some gee-whiz technology.

So, question is... do you do anything pre-shave or apply anything to get a better shave, and, if so, what?

 

I’m going to follow this one. I had a beard for 36 years and recently shaved it.


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I've used a Braun since I started shaving. Electric isn't straight razor level smooth, but close enough. If my whiskers get too long, electric will pull. In that situation, I use a small trimming clipper or the sliding trimmer on the shaver to trim the long down to a level that does not catch/pull. I've tried those rotary Norelco type and those didn't get as close as the foil.

 

I've used Norelco rotaries since I was 14 or 15. That's what dad used. No preps. You don't use an electric carving knife to cut down trees for firewood. It wasn't made for that. This is no different. If you have fairly major growth, it's the wrong tool regardless of what the marketing hype says. 2-3 days growth is all I would consider (does better when used daily).

 

Makes some sense; maybe you just can't use them when growth is longer. I will see how it does with one or two day growth. My whiskers grow fast.

 

Geez I've been married 28 years and my wife has NEVER seen me without a beard.

 

Sorry it wasn't what you expected. I can't speak to your specific razor but mine wouldn't make it through a week's growth. Good luck!

 

I use a Panasonic Arc 5. Expensive, but it leaves my face as smooth as the proverbial baby's bottom. It has a cleaning station that sterilises and cleans the shaver automatically. I use that once a week and it's like having a new shaver. I also use a drop of shaver oil on each of the five cutters once a week to prolong the life of the cutters and foils.

 

My same experience. I use a braun foil shaver a lot of the time. It has 2 inline heads. Not as close of a shave as my razor blades, but it works. It also has a trimming blade too, and I use that quite a bit.

My dad always had rotary headed ( usually Norelco) electric shavers and I never liked how they worked. You'd always get more snags and pulls.

My braun has a charging and cleaning station, but I don't use that any more. It was one of the first lithium battery shavers,c and the battery won't take a charge any longer, so I have to leave it plugged in. It's probably due for replacement, but it works well enough when I need a quick shave and I don't have time to use the razor.

My dad did the same thing. He wouldn't throw out the old one until we bought him a new one for Christmas or his birthday.

 

Let me ask, do you have a thick, dense beard growth or no? Because anyone's results are irrelevant if you don't have a thick growth. Some of my friends, compared to mine, I could shave them with a butterknife.

 

I was thinking the same thing. I can grow a dense beard in days. I do not care for electric shavers and don’t want to buy razors. I clip my beard when I cut my hair. No muss no fuss.

 

Yes, heavy stubble. I find it hard to wet shave with a razor, no matter how many blades or which direction I shave, as razors always snag and cut my skin. It takes me twenty minutes or more to do a proper wet shave, but only eight minutes with the Panasonic. I know the time exactly as it has a built-in timer that shows the shave duration (and battery percentage remaining).

I'm beginning to sound like a sales rep for Panasonic.

My previous two shavers were Remington models. Awful. The first one didn't shave well at all so I bought a higher end model. That didn't shave well either and fell apart after a fortnight, and the customer service was non-existent. Your SMATE sounds similar.

 

Wow, very cool, thanks for replying. I am now tempted to try the Panasonic!

Reason I am getting away from razor blades is because at my age, I do not shave every day like I did for decades interfacing with the business and personal world, and if I can find something to just 'touch up' the face, I am all in. I also actually do wear a short-cropped beard a time or two each year for a few weeks and being to do a touch up on the neck would be helpful.

 

They are not cheap. I found a deal on eBay, but you pay less in America anyway than over here in the UK. Links below:

Arc5 5-Blade Wet Dry Electric Shaver with Shave Sensor Technology and Automatic Cleaning/Charging Station - ES-LV95-S - Panasonic US

What’s The Best Electric Shaver For Coarse Hair (2021)? • ShaverCheck

 

I haven't shaved "clean" in many years...got tired of buying new shaver blades/heads/etc and dealing with the skin issues after shaving too (tried about everything for that) so what I have been doing is shaving as clean as I can with one of these... https://www.walmart.com/ip/Wahl-Beard-Cord-Cordless-Rechargeable-Trimmer-Model-9918-1601/49086994
works well for me...my wife likes the "scruffles" so that works too
The other thing I like about that shaver is it can be used corded or cordless/rechargeable...they usually last me 3-4-5 years too.

 

My experience with electric shavers is they don’t work for me. My stubble is too thick for foil shavers and I dull the blades on norelco type so the cost was prohibiting. As we all know a sharp “blades” is critical. My favorite razor is gramps straight razor freshly sharpened on the strap. But I generally use a replaceable as it’s faster.

 

Yep, that is what I was talking about when I said I could get a better shave out of my cheap cordless trimmer (Conair brand many years old, still works) than this $100 razor!