The Best Razors for Every Type of Scruff and Stubble

And aside from being terrific for full shaves, it’s also proven effective at keeping my facial hair lines tidied, too—my cheeks and neckline, that is, whenever I grow things out. Ditto for the hairs just under my nose, which I like to keep tidied so that my mustache has better curvature all throughout; this one is precise enough to mind those tiny details. There’s a lot to love about Leaf as a brand too, from full-metal recyclable parts to beautifully designed products. Color me a big fan.

Best Men’s Razor for Body Grooming: Gillette Intimate Manscaping Razor

You’re brave to trim your body hair with a bare razor, but if you must, use a tool that won’t get caught on stuff stubble and will leave your precious pubis pearly smooth. With double the lube and an anti-friction blade design, these five-blade cartridges from Gillette deliver much smoother results than other razors. It might contradict the notion that you want fewer blades in your intimate parts, but, I find it a lot easier to get the task done in a single pass, and with the ergonomic angles necessary when I use this one. So, while I’d otherwise tell ya to let it grow (albeit trimmed nicely) or to wax it clean; if you’re going to bare shave, consider this razor the sole option I’ll endorse for your most sensitive bits.

Best Razor for Bald Head Shaving: HeadBlade MOTO Razor

Think of this like a little Zamboni that you grip in your palm and glide around your dome, polishing things up with aplomb—despite having so many blind spots along the way. That’s HeadBlade’s whole area of expertise: products designed for smooth, soothed, and eye-catching shaved heads. The HeadBlade shaver is its namesake, and some 2,000+ five-star reviews on Amazon can’t be lying about its ease of use and efficient results. And while I’m not bald, my brother Sam is the one who tests all things bald for me, and he’s been loyal to the HeadBlade for as long as I can remember. It’s fast, easy, and he basically operates it on autopilot now, he says.

Best Cartridge Razor for Men: GilletteLabs Exfoliating Razor

Quick background before I explain this pick: While there’s a lot of messaging around “exfoliating before shaving,” I think it is often too risky to do a gritty scrub or to use a chemical exfoliant right before you rub a sharp razor over the skin. It’s a recipe for irritation, despite your intentions being true. Yes, it’s good to have as little dead skin as possible (to minimize razor drag), but I think it should be part of your regular skin care regimen, not your pre-shave routine.

So, that’s why I think GilletteLabs’ invention here is the perfect solution: You know how many cartridge razors have a lubricating strip that cushions skin after of the blade? Well, this one also has a buffing bar ahead of the blades to do the very light same-day exfoliation work. It’s like a snow plow for your skin—pushing the dead stuff away for a smoother, bump-less result—and on top of that, it’s Gillette, so it’s been as efficient and effective for each shave as I’d expect. It’s a good example of “reinventing the wheel” that actually offers something new and improved.

Best Safety Razor for Men: Merkur 38C Long Handle Double Edge Safety Razor

I gave this pick to the barber, since my “overall” winner was a safety razor, too. So, consider this a runner up in that field, as well as the barber’s favorite for customers. “Merkur’s 38C Long Handle is as classic as they come,” he says. “Honestly, most three-piece safety razors are going to be more or less the same functionally with varying degrees of quality when it comes to the blades (Feather blades are my favorite)…” but Merkur has a reputation for quality in the barbering and safety-razoring communities. If you are a true novice in safety razor shaving, consider the short-handle 34C option from Merkur too; it might offer you more control as you get ahold of things, though if you’ve got big hands, then Conrad’s pick here is a more reliable option.

Best Straight Razor for Men: Feather Artist Club DX Maintenance-Free Straight Razor

Here’s another pick from Conrad, who has a lot more mileage with straight razors than I do. “Stropping and honing a blade to keep a razor sharp edge is not a skill to take lightly. It takes many hours of practice just to become good enough to maintain a straight razor, let alone use one on your own face. So, for everyone who wants to straight shave without the hassle of sharpening, I recommend the Feather Artist Club Series because it uses replaceable disposable blades which are always factory sharp, and is the closest thing to an actual straight razor I have found in a shavette.”

Best Manual Razor Alternative: Philips Norelco OneBlade Electric Trimmer and Shaver

I love a multitasking grooming product, and Philips Norelco’s OneBlade trimmer-shaver can handle just about every hair-taming task you assign. Be it facial hair or body hair, it can trim, shave, or detail as you need, wet or dry, and has interchangeable double-edged blades for every use. It even comes with a skin guard for those more precious, sensitive spots. I also called it one of my favorite electric shavers, but this thing is unclassifiable since it feels like a hybrid between shaver, trimmer, and cartridge razor. It does everything except leave skin irritated; best of all you can use it to customize facial hair styles; the trimmer manages length while the shaver tends to the edgework.

Best Razor for Guys With Sensitive Skin: Supply Single-Edge SE Safety Razor

The Shark Tank-backed Supply uses a nifty sliding installer to load single bare-metal blades straight into its sleek metal frame. Many new safety-blade shavers don’t love handling a bare blade, and Supply’s razor takes care of that. Consider it driving automatic compared to the manual-transmission double-sided shave from more traditional safety razors. You still get a close, smooth shave from a simple single-blade design, but without the fuss—and because it’s a single blade, it minimizes any agony on the skin. That’s perfect for whenever I’m going long stretches without shaving. Typically, in times of frequent shaving, I’m alternating between this and Leaf, and I find them most comparable on this list. But Conrad echoes my sentiments for this one being great for sensitive skin, too: “This one is designed for maximum protection of the skin with minimal irritation or nicks,” he says.

Best Razor for Men with Ingrown-Prone Skin: Braun Series 9 PRO+ Electric Shaver 9599cc

Here’s another all-time favorite electric razor of mine, which earned a much deserved accolade in our best electric shaver article. And since I praised it so much there, I’ll let Conrad add his two cents on this list. “For guys that have a lot of acne I usually recommend Braun’s electric foil razor. Ideally you don’t want a razor gliding over acne bumps causing nicks and irritation which can also lead to scarring. The technology for these has actually surged in the last few years and the level of protection it gives the skin’s surface while still achieving a shockingly close shave is remarkable.”

Best Cartridge Razor for Thick Stubble: Bolin Webb Generation Razor (with Gillette Cartridge)

Bolin Webb’s beautiful, sleek razor won a British GQ Grooming Award last year, given its trophy-esque state. And when paired with a Gillette cartridge (which the brand tends to recommend), you have a recipe for some seriously efficient, swift shearing—perfect for thick and coarse stubble that otherwise struggles with resistance and razor drag. “While I usually recommend a safety razor for thick stubble—since they get get clogged up—if you are one of those guys whose face is made of granite and you are looking for the smoothest shave possible, Gillette Fusion5 is a pretty tough customer [thanks to its reinforced, anti-friction design]. Class it up a little by ditching the factory handle and get yourself something a bit more stylish like Bolin Webb’s razor.”

Best Disposable Razor for Guys: BIC EasyRinse Disposable Razor

Somewhere in the “more is better” marketing blitz, we lost track of the fact that fewer blades yields better spacing when it comes to rinsing the razor, and preventing razor drag between strokes. I love that BICs’ disposables here deliver on their promise of less drag and more efficient results (which is usually why I’d suggest skipping disposables in the first place). They have 30% more space between the blades than their closest competitors. So if you need a razor in a jiffy, or you just don’t shave enough but need a sensitivity-minded one stocked up, then look for EasyRinse.

Best Razor to Stop Razor Bumps: Gillette SkinGuard

Our Experience

For men who’ve resorted to maintaining perpetual stubble just to avoid razor bumps, this razor could be the game-changer that brings back your clean-shaven era. What makes this design unique is the “irritation defense bar” (very serious!) situated between the twin blades: The defense bar absorbs pressure from your hand while slightly raising the blades from the skin, creating the ideal distance for cutting hairs without aggravating sensitive areas. I was particularly impressed with how it handled my neck and jawline—traditionally problem areas where I can end up with irritation and ingrown hairs. The aloe-infused lubrication strips create a super smooth glide that breezily gets the job done. The handle is lightweight without feeling flimsy, and while I wouldn’t reach for this razor to hack through a week’s growth, it’s become my go-to “closer” for achieving a gentle, irritation-free finish.

Best Travel Razor Kit: Harry’s Shave Travel Kit

Our Experience

If you’re always in the TSA PreCheck line and care about keeping your shave consistent, might I suggest upgrading from your raggedy college toiletry bag to a dedicated travel shaving kit? We all know Harry’s as the OG’s of making high-quality razors at accessible price points. This kit includes their signature Truman razor, a travel cover to protect your blades (essential for keeping them clean and helping them lasting longer), a travel-size shave gel that lathers up well and smells good, and a slim, durable zip case that’s water resistant and easy to clean. It’s got everything you need and nothing you don’t–perfect for throwing into your carry on so you don’t have to resort to risking it with a hotel front desk disposable razor the morning before a big meeting.

Best Shaving Set: MÜHLE RYTMO 4 Pc. Shaving Set

Our Experience

If you’ve spent most of your shaving journey tossing a plasticky razor into a drawer, allow me to put you on to the beauty of an old-school shaving stand. This German-made set from MÜHLE is basically bathroom counter eye candy—elevating your bathroom decor instead of cheapening it. The real ash wood is gorgeous (that deep, rich grain comes from a special steaming process) and the brush feels fantastic against your skin and whips up a rich lather without using animal hair (yep, it’s vegan). Plus, as this is a classic safety razor, you’ll be able to invest in this kit and swap in replacement blades for decades to come with no plastic waste. Chic and smart.

Best Heated Razor: GilletteLabs Heated Razor

Our Experience

Is there anything more blissful than the moment your face is wrapped up in a barber’s hot towel? With the noble goal of taking your everyday shave and turning it into something more luxurious, the GilletteLabs Heated Razor brings that barbershop bliss into your bathroom. The stainless steel warming bar heats up instantly and maintains a strong and satisfying heat that I found made the whole shaving experience more enjoyable. Plus, given that heat is known to help your skin’s pores stay open, applying it directly to the skin while simultaneously cutting hair helps reduce ingrown hairs and irritation. On top of the headline heating feature, this razor just feels good–with a weighty aluminum-zinc handle, GilletteLab’s agile FlexDisk head, and a sleek magnetic charging dock. While the price point puts it firmly in the luxe category, if traditional shaving leaves you cold—literally and figuratively—this could be the upgrade that makes you look forward to your next shave.

More Razors We Love

The Different Types of Razors for Men, Explained

Here’s a quick guide to the different types of razors, and what to expect or look for in each.