Best close-shave electric shaver?

December 2, 2012 10:22 PM

What's the best very-close-shave electric shaver/razor for the face and other sensitive areas? I'm intrigued by the Cleancut and the similar Body Bare, but they seem too good to be true and honest reviews are hard to find. Do you have personal experience with either of those, or another you really like? Or does what I want even exist?

I'm female, and would mostly be using it on my face and neck, but also maybe on the bikini area (I usually wax, but can't always fit it into my schedule). I don't care whether it's marketed for men or women, but I'm definitely not interested in standard men's electric razors, as they don't cut close enough--not even the fancy high-end ones. The ones I've been looking at claim a close, smooth, almost completely stubble-free shave, and assuming that's not impossible, that's what I want.

Of course I know straight/safety/other non-electric razors are an option, but that's not what I'm asking about here.

posted by rhiannonstone to clothing, beauty, & fashion (6 answers total)

Cleancut is great, but the hair needs to be down to stubble first (so you'd have to use clippers or a razor, then maintain) and requires baby powder. Not sure how the baby powder would work on your face and neck.
posted by schroedinger at 12:23 AM on December 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

The very best electric shave I get is just using a Norelco that can get wet, and shaving dry, then shaving wet after soaping up my face in the shower.

I takes longer, so I don't usually do it unless for some reason I want to spend the time to get an unusually close, baby-face shave.
posted by eye of newt at 12:54 AM on December 3, 2012

No machine can remove stubble. Simple. Impossible just from the physics. Save your money.

Micro screen with high power will come closest, but only a blade-based method can do so as far as devices are concerned.
posted by Kruger5 at 6:58 AM on December 3, 2012

I like the cleancut- it works well on my face and elsewhere. I use it at least daily on my face/neck, and will sometimes use it a second time later in the day - it does make things smooth, but the damn hairs keep growing.

It helps to make sure the skin is bone-dry before using the razor. You get a better result and less blade-clogging goo. My cleancut has lasted for several years now, I've changed the blades once.
posted by acanthous at 8:26 AM on December 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

We had a Body Bare. We tossed it. The claims about "impossible to nick yourself" are completely, TOTALLY overstated, and it really didn't shave very close.

IME, waxing or plucking is the most effective.
posted by Lexica at 7:44 PM on December 3, 2012

Just popping back in to say that I got the Cleancut and it does exactly what I hope it would. Thanks!
posted by rhiannonstone at 3:24 PM on April 2