Best Foil Shaver in 2020: Reviews & Buying Guide

   

Do you have sensitive skin that doesn’t respond well to wet shaving?

Perhaps you keep your head shaved close and like the idea of shaving your head as you shave your cheeks in the shower.

Either way, a great electric shaver streamlines this process no end.

You can find two main types of electric shaver:

  • Foil
  • Rotary

Our core focus today is on rotary shavers. What are these and why should you care?

The principle is simple and a refined version of a regular shaver with a microfoil used to cover the blades promoting a much more comfortable shave.

The blades of these shavers oscillate sideways at high speed while protected by a screen. As they enter the perforations in the foil, these hairs are cut.

Foil shavers give you a much closer shave than you could achieve with a rotary shaver. That said, you’ll struggle to get the closeness you could get with a wet shave.

This form of shaving also works extremely well for finishing touches and working with beards and sideburns

OK, with those basics in place, it’s time to break down the benefits and drawbacks of these 5 foil shavers:

5 Best Foil Shavers

We’ll get directly down to business with our reviews. After presenting 5 of the best choices on the market for your home and garden, we’ll walk you through how to focus on getting the most appropriate tool for your needs.

Best Foil Shaver in 2020: Reviews & Buying Guide 2

If you want a pocket-friendly electric shaver that doesn’t stiff you on the performance front, you can rely on Remington.

The shaving head has a flex interceptor and pivot baked in. What this means for you is that the shaver can self-adjust giving you a clean and smooth shave across all areas of your skin.

A generous hour of runtime gives you perhaps a week of shaving action before you need to give it a burst of charge.

Since you don’t need batteries, there are no ongoing running costs to worry about, either.

If you do run out of power at an inopportune moment, just plug the shaver in and run it on the cord.

The triple-stage cutting system uses an interceptor to trim longer hairs then the flexible foils finish the job off.

Aside from rinsing your shaver under running water, there’s nothing else to concern yourself with on the maintenance front.

Best Foil Shaver in 2020: Reviews & Buying Guide 3

Pros.

  • Pre-trims long hairs to set the stage
  • Get a full 60 minutes of runtime with no trailing cords
  • Easy to rinse and clean under the faucet so almost maintenance-free
  • Unbeatable price/performance ratio
  • Impart finishing touches with detail trimmer

Cons.

  • Replacement foils are quite costly

Best Foil Shaver in 2020: Reviews & Buying Guide 4

Next we have the first of a couple of Panasonics with the iconic ARC5.

These naming conventions refer to the number of blades with the 5-bladed head making light work of even stubborn hair.

At first, the bulky shaving head might feel awkward. It won’t take long, though, and you’ll be imparting a close and smooth shave every time.

The head is designed to pivot and flex as it glides over the contours of your face and neck.

Since this is a wet/dry shaver, you can use oil, gel, or foam.

With subtle and understated looks, you get a winning package from an industry giant: what’s not to love?

Best Foil Shaver in 2020: Reviews & Buying Guide 5

Pros.

  • 5 Nanotech blades designed to hug the contours of your face
  • Head neatly pivots to cut closely around all areas of your face, neck, chin, and jaw
  • Onboard sensor matches cutting power to beard density for optimum results
  • Powerful linear motor delivering 14,000 cuts per minute
  • Automatic cleaning and charging station to make your life easier

Cons.

  • Certainly not the cheapest shaver up for grabs

Best Foil Shaver in 2020: Reviews & Buying Guide 6

The ARC5’s younger brother, the ARC4 is enduringly popular with just cause.

 Priced keenly, you get exceptional performance without needing to dig too deep.

Packing a 4-blade system that’s still highly effective despite its age, you’ll power through your morning shave in no time.

As the motor vibrates, so your hair is agitated and lifted so the blades can more easily trap then cut them.

All maintenance is automated with the charging and cleaning system provided.

The ARC4 delivers around 45 minutes of runtime. Only 5 minutes is needed to get a quick charge in.

This shaver is one of our personal favorites for its balancing act between functionality and affordability.

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Pros.

  • 4 rugged, angled blades for a smooth shave every time
  • Automated cleaning and charging so you don’t need to lift a finger
  • ARC foil gives you a close shave without any irritation
  • Commanding aesthetic to set off the bathroom cabinet
  • Works on all voltages

Cons.

  • Sometimes struggles with hair on jaw and neckline

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We’ve saved the best for last with a pair of Braun razors from the brand that dominates this vertical.

Why is the Series 7 such a great shaver, though?

This model, the 790cc, is the premium variant of the 3 models in the line. It benefits from an overhauled dock. This cleans your shaver and keeps it lubricated, charged, and dried.

100% waterproof, shave in the shower fuss-free.

Braun’s proprietary Pulsonic tech is baked in so you’ll get vibration from the foils helping the shaver to trap rogue hairs. Any hairs laid flat are lifted by the razor.

A 3-blade system gives you the ability to cut smooth and close.

3 different settings let you customize your shave according to your skin type and the area you’re shaving.

Build quality is genuinely impressive even if design is underwhelming.

Runtime averages at 50 minutes and you can get a full burst of charge in as little as an hour.

Best Foil Shaver in 2020: Reviews & Buying Guide 9

Pros.

  • Sonic technology baked in so cutting optimized for hair density and awkward areas
  • OptiFoil capable of cutting incredibly closely so you’ll feel almost like you’ve had a wet shave
  • Totally waterproof for ease of cleaning and shaving in the shower
  • More power delivered when the blades are laboring in tough spots
  • ActiveLift trimmer deals adeptly with stubborn hairs

Cons.

  • Customer care is underwhelming to say the least

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If you’re prepared to go all-in, why not consider our upgrade pick, the legendary Braun Series 9?

Loudly trumpeted as the most efficient shaver in the world, can the Series 9 live up to that bold claim?

4 cutting elements and a thin foil keep your skin guarded while you can also choose to shave wet or dry.

There’s unfortunately no option for manipulating the power like you can on the Series 7 but this is certainly not a deal-breaker.

The cleaning station is a nice bonus and build quality is exactly as you’d expect from Braun.

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Best Foil Shaver in 2020: Reviews & Buying Guide 11

Pros.

  • Composed of 5 shaving elements designed to work in harmony and deliver a smooth shave with little effort required
  • Intelligent motor adapts to beard density to serve up a customized shave
  • Works well on longer stubble and you can also effectively shave your head 
  • Micro-vibrating tech takes all the sting out of shaving
  • Pair of titanium-coated trimmers to finish things off

Cons.

  • Customer care is underwhelming to say the least

OK ...

Right, with our reviews in place, it’s time to finish up with something completely different…

We typically tail off with a buying guide but shavers are so intrinsically simple, there’s not much to differentiate them. Instead, then, we’ll sketch out the leading advantages and disadvantages of foil shavers so you can decide whether or not investing in a foil shaver makes sense for you.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Foil Shavers

Pros

  • Ideal For Trimming and Finishing Touches
  • Great For Sensitive Skin
  • Shave Closer Than Any Other Type of Electric Shaver
  • No Hassle To Clean
  • Precise Results 
  • Get More Done In Less Time
  • Wide Variety at Your Disposal

Ideal For Trimming and Finishing Touches 

Do you have a goatee? How about sideburns? Either way, you can trim them with precision using a foil shaver.

Using short, straight strokes, you can get much more precision than you could achieve with a rotary shaver.

There’s no real learning curve involved so why not introduce your teenage son to shaving with an electric foil shaver?

Great For Sensitive Skin

If you find you get constant breakouts with your sensitive skin, ditch any idea of cutting costs by getting a rotary shaver. The added smoothness a foil shaver provides is well worth the extra expense.

Rotary shavers pinch your skin. They also pull it where a foil shaver is expressly designed so this irritation doesn’t happen.

Shave Closer Than Any Other Type of Electric Shaver

Now, you’re not going to get the same results with an electric shaver as a wet shave delivers. Any marketing hype that tells you anything different is just that: hype.

That said, if you’re going electric, foil shavers are the next best thing to a wet shave.

The thin microfoil barrier gives you a far deeper and smoother shave than rotary shavers with their thick protective combs.

No Hassle To Clean

Many upscale foil shavers come with an automatic cleaning station. This is a nice touch and reduces upkeep to a bare minimum.

You can easily clean your shaver manually, though. All you need to do is sluice it with some warm, soapy water to keep it running at its best.

Precise Results

The foils are designed to afford you all the precision you need whether shaving your beard or trimming elaborate sideburns.

The heads move from top to bottom as well as from right to left. This allows you to comfortably shave with your foil shaver where a rotary would let you down.

Get More Done In Less Time

Foil shavers get the job done in a flash. You’ll massacre most hairs on the first pass and get more done in less time.

Wide Variety at Your Disposal

You don’t find many rotary shavers but you’re spoiled for choice if you go with a foil model.

How about the flipside?

Cons

  • Doesn’t Shave as Closely as a Razor
  • Quite Noisy in Operation
  • Limited Maneuverability

Doesn’t Shave as Closely as a Razor

You won’t get the same type of shave as you would experience in the barber’s chair being massaged by a cut-throat razor. But then you know that by now.

To avoid being seriously disappointed, compare like-for-like. You should contrast electric shavers against other electric shavers. A wet shave should not be your benchmark. If it is, you’ll come up short.

Quite Noisy in Operation

A foil electric shaver is reasonably noisy so think about whether this would disturb others or whether it’s a non-issue.

Limited Maneuverability

You’ll find pivoting is somewhat limited due to the way the head moves. You should find you quickly get used to the trademark movement, though.

A Final Word

Well, you should now be pretty clear as to whether this type of premium electric shaver makes sense for you. If you’re prepared to spend a little more for a foil shaver, you’ll benefit from a smoother and more comfortable experience. You’ll also find you get a closer shave.

Before you go, don’t forget to bookmark Homendgarden. We’re hard at work bringing you fresh content daily so be sure to come back soon.

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