So we all know what it's like to want to shave but have neither the time nor the tough skin to handle the razor. Well, now to our salvation we can turn to technology and the power of the electric razor. A lot has been said about the electric razor--some call it witchcraft, others call it science. What ever you call it, we wanted to give you the scoop on the best and worst the world has to offer. So my mission was simple: Try out six of the top mechanical trimmers in one sitting. My plan of attack was to shave six different sections of my face and see what happened.

We broke the shavers down in to three groups:

Wet Dry Shavers

Norelco Cool Skin

www.norelco.com
This shaver had a really dumb charging light. It's hard to see if it's actually charging. It comes with lotion that you install into the shaver and you can dispense it at will. It is way too complicated to do--you have to take off a pack of lotion then plug in this tip thing then put the whole device into the back of the shaver...not cool. Also, if you ever use the trimmer (which I do), you need to pop the top open, remove the razor heads, clip on the "jank" trimmer, and put the heads somewhere else...not cool at all. The trimmer does an okay job, but it's just way too complicated and annoying to put it on. The razor itself was again okay, but didn't shave that close and the battery didn't keep a charge very long...don't buy this.

 
Braun Freeglider

www.gillette.com
This is a cool, good shaver. The liquid cartridge is much more user-friendly--you just slam the cartridge into the bottom and you're ready to go. No fumbling with tips or anything...nice. Also, the trimmer is built right on and it works really well. Having this razor in the shower really makes it easy. My only complaint is that it didn't get too close when shaving--not to say that it didn't get close, just not as close as its self-cleaning brother which I'll talk about later. Very comfortable, though. Buy this one if you want to shave in the shower.
 

Basic Shavers

Norelco Spectra 8

www.norelco.com
This razor sucks... the only thing this has going for it is a cool-looking clock on the charger base. Not only did the trimmer hurt like hell, but my girlfriend said that it just sounded like it would hurt. After I powered through the trimmer, I tried the razor and it was extremely uncomfortable. This is not good. Don't buy this.


 
Wahl Lift & Wash

www.wahl.com
This felt the cheapest of all the razors, but it did a really good job shaving. The trimmer left something to be desired because as you are trimming, it's also shaving you. It's just that the trimmer doesn't come out far enough so as you trim your beard it starts to shave with the razor every once in a while. Not good. But the razor alone is actually up there with the most expensive ones. I would say buy this if you don't have the money to spend on the top-of-the-line or if you shave every day and you don't need the trimmer. Maybe buy this.
 

Self-Cleaning Shavers

Remington Titanium Smart Cleaner

www.remington-store.com
This thing looks stupid; just because you have titanium-coated blades doesn't mean that you need to make your razor shiny. It's got a flimsier trimmer than almost all of the other razors, and it's almost impossible to use because of the weird angle of the blades. It actually pushes itself closed while you're trying to use it. The razor also pinches a lot. Hurting me equals don't buy this.

 
Braun Activator

www.gillette.com
This is hands-down the best electric razor I've ever used...and I use electric razors exclusively. This thing looks cool and feels great! The trimmer works like a charm. Comes off the razor far enough that it won't shave you when you don't want it to but not so far that it's flimsy. The actual razor is like butter. It feels great and shaves very close. This is the razor I want to keep--and my girlfriend, after all was said and done, asked me to go back over my whole face with this one. BUY THIS ONE.