Anyone have an on-line subscription to Consumer Reports?

[Neil]

I need to buy an electric razor for someone for Christmas and would like to see how they are ranked. The link is:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/h...ctric%20razors

Thanks -

[98MustGT]

Electric shavers
A cut below

CHEAP SHAVE The Titanium Turbo, $10, uses AA batteries and is meant to be thrown away when the head wears out. How can you lose? Well, the shave was middling and the shaver was noisy. Some users conceded that it might be useful for travel. An electric shaver can be convenient when there’s no soap and water to be found, and you can avoid nicks, since the blades don’t touch your skin. But that’s about the limit of the good news we gathered during recent tests.

Most electric shavers, whether rotary or foil type, cost far more than blade razors; they’re costly to maintain (you need to replace parts every six months to two years, and heads cost about $25 to $45); batteries in some shavers take 12 hours to recharge; and electrics shaved slightly less close than blades in our tests. Men and women panelists who typically use blades said they wouldn’t switch to electric shavers after trying some from our Ratings.

That said, if you’re a fan of electric shavers, we found a handful to make you happy.

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Quick Ratings Electric shavers

Within types, in performance order.
Excellent Very good Good Fair Poor
Brand & model Price Overall score Test results



MEN'S FOIL

Braun 360° Complete 8985
$170 79.
Braun FreeControl 1775 CR Best Buy
40 70.
Remington Microscreen 500
60 67.
Wahl Custom Shave System 4000 7367-500
60 61.
Titanium Turbo T2
10 53.
MEN'S ROTARY

Philips Norelco Smart Touch XL 9160XL
150 77.
Philips Norelco Jet Clean System 8160XLCC
130 74.
Remington Microflex 600 CR Best Buy
70 64.
Philips Norelco Cool Skin 6701X
70 56.
Remington Microflex 400
50 55.
Bell + Howell ZX4
25 48.
WOMEN'S FOIL

Remington Smooth & Silky Ultra WDF-5500
60 43.
Panasonic Close Curves ES2206 AC
20 39.
Conair Satiny Smooth Lady Pro LWD400RCS
30 30.
Braun Silk & Soft Body Shave
60 29.
Note: Female testers were blade users; male testers were electric-shaver users.


How we tested. For tests of men’s shavers, each of which lasted one week, we asked six foil users to try all the foil shavers and eight rotary users to try the rotary models. Eight blade users tried one foil and one rotary for three weeks. We also enlisted 11 women, all blade users, to test each of four women’s shavers and two men’s at least twice. (Women’s shavers were generally lighter and cheaper, but we didn’t notice anything particularly womanly about them, and a woman can certainly use a man’s shaver.)

Panelists filled out a questionnaire, and staff members assessed the closeness of the men’s shaves (yes, we have experts trained in those things), comparing faces to sandpapers of varying roughness.

What we found. Foil users will get the best mix of performance and price from the Braun FreeControl, a CR Best Buy at $40. It can be used with or without a cord. (The Braun 360° foil-type shaved closest of all but cost $170.) A low-priced, very good rotary: the Remington Microflex 600, a CR Best Buy at $70.

The women faulted all the shavers, which they said were harder to use than a blade razor and took more passes to do the same job. They also reported bumps, irritation, and scrapes when shaving under their arms.

CR’s take. If you favor electric shavers, check the Ratings, where you’ll find some very good choices. Judging by our tests, though, none is apt to convert a blade user.

[Wulfe13]

I wouldn't go by anything in Consumer Reports.

[Neil]

Thanks 98MustGT! Saves me a lot of research time.