Advice for a decent electric shaver (NOT a troll at all!

[Folace]

(As an introductory note, this is not a troll of any sort but a sincere question. Mods can move my thread anywhere in the forum else if this section is not appropriate)

For those who remind me, I have not been around for quite some time due to several issues in my personal life but I will be active anytime soon. I do not forget the B&B community!

Back on initial topic: my father has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. This is affecting his hand which lost most of its strength and motor function. Basically he cannot wet-shave anymore in safe conditions, and my father has been complaining about the electric shaver he already owned being a very awful shaving device.

Can you recommend me a good enough brand/model of electric shaver? I would like to offer my father a new one while he gets his treatment and until he hopefully recovers his strength and good health.

Thank you very much for your help, kindly appreciated.

 

[rockviper]

Sorry to hear about your dad, Phil. I've had poor luck with electrics (foil or circle thingies), but then again, I haven't used one for maybe 15-20 years. Maybe they've gotten better since then.

 

[dpm802]

Its a valid question. Good luck to your father.

Consumer Reports gave its highest rating to the Braun Series 7 Shaver System 760cc-4 electric razor. Its a bit pricey at $240 MRSP, but you should be able to find it discounted in the $160~$210 range.

Panasonic Arc4 Multi-Flex ES-LA63-s also scored highly. It has an MSRP of $150, but you can find it on auction sites as low as $110.

Be sure to investigate the availability of maintenance supplies for whatever electric you get him. This would include replacement heads, new batteries, and cleaning solutions. Stock up on these and keep them on hand at all times. When your dad's razor needs repair, you don't want to have to send it back to the factory and wait months for its return.

And pre-shave prep is just as important as it is with wet-shaving. There are numerous lotions, oils and powders that he can put on to make the razor work better, and cut closer and more comfortably.

 

[dpty939]

Sorry to hear about your father! I wish him a speedy recovery, as I'm sure all of us on this forum do. About your question, I really can't say which shaver is good. In my youth I tried norelco, Braun, and Remington, and all gave me horrible shaves, so I would say none of them are decent. With that said, is your dad doing any kind of prep before his shave? I know they are supposed to be used dry, but some can be used wet also! Maybe try one of those models? If he is gonna stay with the regular dry method, maybe try using a talc powder before shaving, or one of the electric pre-shaves? Wish I could help more. Prayers for your father and family.

 

[cvargo]

Sorry about your father. A lot of people recommend the Norelco sensotouch 2 or 3 or whatever number they are on.

Last time I used an electric my face hurt for days

 

[eawtan]

Hope your father recovers soon. I have had no luck with the foil variants (several brauns) , only the philips rotary shaver (twin version/norelco) works for me. I am able to get a nice clean shave and it is still going strong after >10 years.

 

[JaredB]

I'm sorry to hear about your Dad, too. I just (6 weeks or so?) bought a Panasonic Arc 4 ES8243A for my son who is moving into a dorm. He doesn't have a super full beard, but what's there is pretty coarse, and he likes it. Says no burn or irritation at all. I can't speak to it's longevity whatsoever, but it seems like a pretty nice shaver. Supposedly, you can wet shave with it, so maybe dad could still enjoy a nice pre shave like a Trumpers Skin Food or something? It went for $100 on Amazon. Good luck.

ES8243A

 

[westsider]

Sorry to hear about your father. I will also recommend the Phillip Norleco rotary razors. they are not cheap but the do work.

 

[Dave R]

Sorry to hear about your dad. I have a Bruan that for years I used to knock off a 5 o clock shadow. It does a decent job. You may also want to look into a wet/dry shaver, which is one you can use shaving cream with. I had one years ago, made by Norelco that surprisingly did a good job.

Good luck!

 

[mgoldmann]

My wife and I send out our prayers for you and your father.

I can tell you that my own father insisted on the Phillips Norelco when he was forced to give up DE shaving due to age and infirmity.

I had good results with one made by Braun- but that model is no longer available.

I can't recommend Remington- I had bad experiences with them.

 

[sub vet]

I went through a time when I had to use an electric due to a physical problem and tried a Braun foil type and Norelco rotary. I found the rotary didn't require as much muscle control to use but the foil gave a closer and more comfortable shave. I found the Braun held its battery charge longer than the Norelco but it did have a space-consuming charge stand instead of a simple cord. The foil types are typically noisier to use than the rotaries due to the drive mechanism. Either way, get a good quality shaver and avoid the bottom tier models from even the better manufacturers.

 

[Folace]

Thank you very much for all your kind words and recommendations! I will check these brands/models and find the best option.

My father started a chemotherapy through medication yesterday, then he will be treated with a radiotherapy.

 

[stoof2010]

I have a Braun series 3 that I enjoyed very much before my jump into wershaving. It's cheaper than the series 7 by far. Even in B&M stores it's less than 100. I always preferred the straight foil ones over the circle foil ones. Went through 4 or 5 before I settles on the series 3.
good luck in finding something!!

 

[dcoulombe]

I don't know in France, but here in Qc, Canada, we have a few stores that offers a satisfaction warranty for electric shavers. That way, I tried a Braun series 5 for 3 weeks before starting traditional wet shaving. I got a full refund (at Costco). Some stores only offer exchanges, but that might still be an option for you.

Good luck to you and your father.

 

[PeteB]

I did the same thing for my grandfather, when he got to the point of not being able to use his DE, I bought him A Gillette Protector, which was a 3 blade razor with wires to stop you cutting yourself. After a year or two, we got him a Philips mid range model, which was ideal.

 

[jackgoldman123]

I have used top of the line: Braun, Norelco and Remington and for "electrics", I had/have great results.

 

[FireDragon76]

I've never had good experiences shaving wet with an electric shaver, it seems to intensify the skin irritation even if delivering a closer shave. I used Williams Lectric Shave if I needed it. Lubricating the foil weekly is a must, however.

Braun is a dependable brand even if the performance is not as good as Panasonic or Remington. Of the other two, I liked Panasonic better. Philips is also a good shaver, probably the only shaver that really gets close to shaving "as close as a blade", but they can cause ingrown hairs and in my experience do not last as long as Braun foils.

I still keep a Braun around to touch up a bad shave or deal with 5 O'clock shadow.

 

[djm2]

I've had very good luck with Braun, and use it quite often. Periodically (~annual if used often) replacing the foil and cutter is an on-going maintenance expense.

 

[GKC1]

I shaved for years with a Braun Series 7, and it did give me very good shaves, as long as:

1) I shaved every day
2) I changed the blades every 6 months
3) I cleaned it daily (which isn't a chore, since it has a cleaning/recharging stand

I tried a couple of different Norelcos, but never got results like I did with a Braun. Good luck to you and your father.

 

[Dave-the-rave]

There's 2 types of electric shaver: the rotary and the foil. Which is best is determinately a YMMV thing unfortunately.
I used a foil type for years trying different brands over time. My last one was a Panasonic ES-RF31. It was very good and very sharp. After a few years the motor and battery still worked as new. I found with any brand over the years the replacement cutting heads were never as good as the originals which is what brought me back to wet shaving. On principle. The Panasonic was the best I ever had and a very good price indeed compared to the competition. http://www.shavers.co.uk/product.php?product_id=1144