harshing my buzz

February 23, 2013 4:39 PM

Please recommend me an electric razor, available on Amazon, for buzzing my head.

I'm tired of paying $15 a pop to have someone run a buzzer over my head for four minutes! I have Amazon credit, so I'm looking to buy something available there. I'd like something that has multiple closeness settings (1, 2, 3, 4 or whatever). I've never buzzed my own hair before, so if there's such thing as razors that are more or less user-friendly, that's a factor. I am somewhat price-conscious, so basically I'm looking for the cheapest thing that's good.

If it could double as a face shaver, that would be pretty dang awesome, but it's not the most important factor.

Thanks!

posted by threeants to clothing, beauty, & fashion (13 answers total)

I've got this Wahl set, and it's pretty straightforward. If you're talking buzzed as in cue-ball smooth, this probably won't get close enough for your liking, but if you mean buzzed as in very short it'll get the job done.
posted by brentajones at 4:55 PM on February 23

Most cheap razors that give a nice buzz won't double well for day-to-day shaving, unless you have a beard and just need to keep it trim around the edges. There could be something out there that I don't know about, but in my experience cheap just doesn't cut it on the neck and chin. (Sorry about the pun.)

I've done fine with this Philips one ($14 in the US), which does have an adjustable comb for different lengths. There's a comb for the beard and mustache, too, if that is or ever will be a help for you.
posted by mcoo at 5:02 PM on February 23

I cut my hair with a #2 guard every two weeks with a $20 Wahl and have for almost 20 years.
posted by COD at 5:08 PM on February 23

Yep, brent, I'm talking about lengths similar to this (based on a quick google images perusal) and maybe a bit longer...but not this.
posted by threeants at 5:09 PM on February 23

I have the same Wahl set as brentajones and do my hair and beard to #2 length every week. It's on year 5 and going strong. Highly recommended.
posted by Rodrigo Lamaitre at 5:14 PM on February 23

As an addendum to what I said before: the Wahls, though very slightly more expensive (by a hefty $5), are probably more durable than my Philips is. And the $5 might be worth the convenience alone of being able to run the razor when plugged in: most lightweight Philips razors won't work while charging.
posted by mcoo at 5:18 PM on February 23

I have a Wahl and have been using it to trim my beard and buzz my hair for years. Highly recommended.
posted by pombe at 5:24 PM on February 23

Neat, thanks all. I'm glad/surprised to see such a consensus. For some reason I thought this would be one of those things where there are a million differently crappy options.
posted by threeants at 5:27 PM on February 23

I have a Wahl, and it has served well for years. Built like a tank and easy to clean and oil.
posted by zippy at 5:36 PM on February 23

Wahl is good, or I have this Andis T-outliner with a set of different-length attachments.

From what I've read, the Andis is better at a close-to-the-skin trim, I use it for my beard but it can easily take care of your head too. It won't give you a baby-butt smooth trim, more like an afternoon shadow.
posted by jpeacock at 6:10 PM on February 23

I use this Wahl on Mr. Mitten's hair. His is kinda coarse/thick - we went through several lesser clippers before we found this workhorse.
posted by agentmitten at 6:47 PM on February 23

Ordered the shinycolors Wahl!
posted by threeants at 9:38 PM on February 23

Got my Wahl, buzzed the ol' head, easy as 1-2-3. Thanks all! This is going to both save me a ton of money and let me keep the length I want more frequently.
posted by threeants at 10:05 PM on March 11