Cost, convenience and closeness are the deciding factors when it comes to choosing either a manual or an electric shaver – Groom+Style compares.

Asking which is better, a manual or an electric shaver, is like asking whether tea is better than coffee — they’re both hot, brown and wet, and they both contain caffeine. It’s personal preference. You can buy tea and coffee which costs a little, or you can buy tea and coffee which costs a lot, it’s the same with shavers.

What Is a Manual Shaver?

A manual shaver is anything without a motor, which requires you to run a blade over your beard to cut the hairs. That includes everything from disposable Bic razor, to expensive Gillette Mach III razors.

What Is an Electric Shaver?

An electric shaver can be either a foil, rotary or clipper. See Groom+Style’s article comparing electric shavers for a full run-down. Electric shavers feature oscillating or rotating blades, covered with some form of protective cover.

What About Fusion Razors?

Razors such as the Gillette Fusion combine a manual razor with a vibrating head. The idea is to retain the control and feel of a manual shave, while introducing the hair-lifting and speed benefits of an electric shaver. If you’re on the fence about which one to use, a fusion razor could be the answer, although they’re not the most economical — you’ll be paying for both batteries and replacement razors.

In Celebration of the Safety Razor and Straight Razor

With the possible exception of a beautiful straight razor, a safety razor will not only shave closely with a healthy dose of nostalgia thrown in, it also makes a great gift. Sturdy, single-blade safety razors have been around for a long, long time. Check out Groom+Style’s picks for the Top 5 Safety Razors.

If you’re feeling really fancy, you might want to consider a straight razor (like the kind a traditional barber might use, or Sweeney Todd.) The cost of a straight razor (otherwise know as a cut throat razor) is pretty similar to that of a safety razor (depending how fancy you want to go), plus a leather strop for sharpening. The fun factor is through the roof with a straight razor, but be careful, it’s easy to cut yourself with one of these, and getting a good shave requires some practice.  Find out more at how to shave with a straight razor. You might also want to make sure that you’re using the right products with your straight razor.

Conclusion – What is Best for You?

What it comes down to is this: if you have the time to shave manually and you enjoy it, get a manual shaver, safety or straight razor. If convenience and a decent shave are what you’re after, get an electric shaver. If you have money to burn, get a fusion.

Check out the Groom+Style Art of Shaving section for more.

For convenience, there’s no better way to shave than with an electric shaver, but you still want the best results, and the equipment you choose plays an important role.

Here’s a quick run-down of the various types of electric shavers, what they do and what their advantages and disadvantages are. We’ve also included links to some of Groom+Style’s favorite shavers in the rotary, foil and clipper categories.

Electric Rotary Shavers

Rotary shavers usually have either three or four rotating heads. They’re particularly good for guys with thick or fast-growing hair, which tends to grow in lots of different directions.  Rotary shavers also have a slight advantage if you don’t intend to shave every day.

They work by lifting the hair away from the face and cutting it inside one of the rotating components. Ideally, you’ll want to look for one with a flexible head, so that you can reach all of the nooks and crannies on your face.

When shaving with a rotary shaver you move it in a circular motion on your face.

Electric Foil Shavers

Foil shavers feature a thin layer of foil which covers the oscillating blades — this has two purposes. The first is to help lift the hair away from the skin to that it can be cut neatly and closely. The second is to limit blade-on-skin contact, making foil shavers somewhat kinder to your face than rotary shavers.

Foil shavers usually come in either three or four-blade varieties. A four-blade foil shaver will shave you faster and closer than a three-blade shaver.

When shaving with a foil shaver you move it in straight lines on your face.

Clipper Shaver, Beard Trimmers or Hair Clippers

A clipper or beard trimmer is a great choice as long as you’re not looking for a smooth finish. If you’re looking for all over stubble, and want something which will work on your head as well as your face, then clippers like the ones a hairdresser or barber uses are great.

They work by sending a series of serrated blades buzzing side-to-side, which cuts the hair in a sideways motion. Best used in one direction – straight lines.

Read our full review of the Top 5 Best Beard Trimmers.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you now have a clearer picture of whether a rotary or foil shaver or trimmer, is right for you.  For more shaving and styling tips, visit the Groom+Style Art of Shaving section; and if you want some more information on how to get the most out of your electric shaver you can read our article How to Use an Electric Shaver.

Continue reading to find the top 5 best electric shavers review by Groom+Style.

The team at Groom+Style cover the when and how of teaching your son to shave, with an introduction by Homer Simpson.

Right before teaching Bart how to shave, Homer Simpson offers his son three sage pieces of advice, “The three little sentences that will get you through life —

Number one: Cover for me. Number two: Oh, good idea, boss! Number three: It was like that when I got here.”

Teaching your son how to shave can be great fun for both of you, and it’s a fantastic way of bonding with him.

You’re unlikely to offend the guy by suggesting that he learn how to shave, he’s dying to know.

He’s probably had a play around with the razor once or twice already, but to him that thing in the bathroom with the lethal-looking blades is still something mysterious.

It’s not part of his world yet — the razor is about as alien to your son as the tampon is to you (it’s ok, we know.)

In this article we’re going to explore when and how to teach your son to shave.

Making the Offer

Unless Spartan initiation rituals are commonplace in your house, we suggest keeping it simple. The next time you’re about to shave, invite your son to join you, saying that he might like to learn how to do it himself.

Tell him that he’ll need to start shaving regularly soon, even if he does choose to eventually maintain an awesome beard. If asking him outright to follow you and watch you shave feels a bit weird, buy him a disposable razor kit — he’ll be thrilled with it and raring to try it out.

Groom+Style does recommend you start by teaching your boy how to shave with a manual razor.

You can start with a disposable razor, or if you want to make a bigger occasion out of it, you can gift your son a safety razor.  Once your son has learnt to appreciated the art of shaving you can discuss alternative shaving methods such as straight razors or electric shavers.

But, even with the kit, he might not be ready to give it a try just yet.

He might be having a bad day, or he might want to approach you once he’s ready. Offer it to him, say, I can see the start of a beard, there. Want me to show you how to shave? I’m doing mine. He might say yes, but if he’s unsure, turn it into an open-ended offer, Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll show you.

That’s option number one. Option number two is to do as Homer Simpson does and simply tell your son that he’s going to learn how to shave.

“Now come on, you’re gonna learn how to shave.” Homer Simpson

Choosing Your Equipment

Groom+Style highly recommend giving your son his own razor right from the start.

You can give him a disposable, as we mentioned, but even if it seems unnecessary to give him a decent Gillette razor with replacement blades at this stage, this is an experience of a lifetime for your son.

When he looks back on this in ten, fifteen years, he’s going to remember that you made it a really special occasion by giving him his very own shaving set.

If you’re thinking that spending money on something the kid can’t even use properly yet is a waste, pinch yourself and ask whether you’d think the same about a musical instrument or a sketching pad.

Something like the Merkur Shaving set would be an ideal gift – get yourself one while you’re at it so you can match!  Having said all that anything will work as long as its not chainsaw…

Either way make sure you’ve got the following to hand:

• A new razor for both you and your son
• A good quality shaving cream
• A face wash and moisturiser

If you’re an old-school aftershave applier, go for it, but plenty of us at Groom+Style prefer a simple moisturiser.

Prepping and Shaving Technique

This is really for your benefit, right here.

If you get in there with your son and realise that actually, you don’t know how to shave properly (a lot of us don’t) you’ll spoil the experience.

Avoid rashes, razor bumps and an uneven finish by following these steps for a smooth shave.

We know, he might not have enough hair yet to warrant worrying about such things, but it’s the thought that counts, and while this is primarily a bonding experience right now, what he learns with you is going to stick with him when shaving becomes a daily routine.

So let’s get it right – you can also find more details in our article on the art of shaving.

Wet Your Beard Thoroughly

Dry shaving is one of the leading causes of rashes and razor burn.

When your hair is warm and wet, it becomes much easier to cut. If you’ve ever had a straight razor shave from a barber, you’ll know how seriously they take the pre-shave washing ritual.

Wash your face in very warm water, massaging the hair as you go to get it all standing up.

Use a Quality Shaving Cream

Shaving creams with a lot of foam are a bit misleading.

We need something to look at in TV ads, which is partly why most creams foam so much. You don’t want that, though. A shaving cream’s job is to lubricate your face and make it easier for the razor to cut the hair. The more foam, the less contact there is between razor and skin. If your beard is wet and warm enough, you should only need a small amount of cream to get the job done.

Use a Sharp Razor

A blunt razor is more likely to cut your face than a sharp one, since you’ll press harder with a blunt razor and it’ll catch more. You’re using a metal razor against soft, wet hair, there should be no contest. If your razor is sticking and catching, change it.

It never hurts to wet your razor in warm water right before use, either.

Shave With the Grain First

The simplest way to get a good shave, is to remember that shaving in the direction of the hair growth is best. Everyone’s beard grows in differently, but it should be pretty easy to tell which way yours goes (it’ll grow in different directions on different parts of your face.)

Let the razor do the work, gliding over the hair. If you’d like to get an even closer shave, apply more cream, then go sideways. You can go against the grain when it’s very short, but you risk bumps and ingrown hairs.

Wash and Moisturise

When you’re done, wash your face gently with clean, warm water. Pat dry, don’t rub, and apply a moisturiser to soften the skin out.

That’s it. You’ve got everything you need now, to make this a fun and memorable experience for you and your son. If it goes well, let us know by dropping a comment below, or share a photo with us on Facebook.

After all that if your son is not ready go outside and play some catch, and try again next year!

Some guys choose a beard to help make them look more rugged, others to make them look more sophisticated, more grown-up.

Whatever the reason, there are as many styles of beard as there are face shapes, and finding the right fuzz for you can mean the difference between a beard that rocks and a beard that sucks.

It’s not super difficult, either. Finding the right kind of beard for you depends somewhat on your hairstyle (if you have any hair), and largely on the shape of your face. Presuming that you want to balance out your face and either highlight or tone down particularly strong features, then following Groom+Style’s simple tips for choosing the right beard for your face shape, will ensure that you look good no matter what.

Choosing The Right Beard Requires Common Sense

When it comes down to it, choosing the right beard is easy. As long as you don’t fight what nature’s given you, you can’t go far wrong. As with everything else in life, trying to be something you’re not, will only lead to disappointment in the end.

Be true to the face you have, to the hair you have, and the right beard will find you.

We really can’t hammer this point home hard enough: you don’t really need to choose the right beard for your face, you just have to accept the one that’s right for you. There will be one that’s right for you, and finding it is easy once you understand how that facial hair is related to the shape of your face, and the size of your head.

Identify Your Face Shape, Get The Right Tools Then Style On

Start by identifying the shape of your face (see below) then grow (or continue growing) and shape your beard as you desire – don’t take the process to seriously remember to have fun.

Additional Notes and Pointers

If you want to get really specific with identifying the shape of your face then get a tape measure and write down the following length:

• The length of your forehead
• The length across your cheekbones
• The length of your jawline
• The vertical length of your face – top of your forehead to your chin

If your beard still needs some work then check out Groom+Style’s 10 Tips on how to grow a full beard fast!

Once you have identified your face shape and want to get styling then you will need the right tools (if you do not already have them):

The Right Beard Trimmer

If you are ready to get styling but need some help finding the right lines then we can highly recommend the Cut Buddy which you can find on Amazon.  This compact little tool will give you all the options you need to shape, groom, trim or cut your beard along your desired  lines.

1. Square Face: Beard Style, Longer on the Chin

Square Face – The length of your forehead, cheekbones and jawline (horizontal lengths); and the length of your face (vertical length) are roughly the same.

Guys with square faces, you’re going to want to bring the facial hair down to the chin. Grow the hair out more on the chin and keep it shorter on the sides and around the cheeks. This will help to create length in your face, while retaining your naturally strong jawline.

2. Round Face: Beard Style, Longer on the Chin

Round Face – The length across your cheekbones (horizontal length) is roughly the same as the length of your face (vertical length).

Just like your square-faced friends, if you’re a guy with a rounder face, then shaping your beard to be longer at the chin and shorter on the sides, can help to elongate your face and make it appear more balanced. Keeping it neat around the edges will also help to strengthen your jawline.

3. Rectangular or Oblong Face: Beard Style, Experiment with Side Length

Rectangular or Oblong Face: The length across your forehead, cheekbones and jawline are roughly the same (horizontal lengths); and the length of your face (vertical length) is longer that the horizontal lengths.

Note – an oblong is effectively a rectangle where all the sides are not of equal length.

The oblong face can be a tough one to stick a beard onto, since your jawline is likely rounded and sweeping, giving you no real feedback about where to go longer or shorter. Our advice, is to keep the beard fairly short all over, and experiment with a length which brings the overall shape into more of a rounded form.

4. Oval Face: Go for Broke, You Lucky Sausage

Oval Face: The length across your cheekbones (horizontal length) is less than the length of the face (vertical length).  The length of the forehead is larger than the length of the jawline, and the angle of the jaw is rounded.  Think of an American football, which has less pointy ends.

If you have an oval-shaped face, you’re pretty much good to go on any beard. Your jawline sweeps down from wide to a point at the chin, and your bare face is pretty symmetrical and balanced as it is. If you want to find the perfect beard for you, then let it grow out quite a bit, then trim away gradually until you find a style which suits you the best.

For the oval-faced lot, a beard which is even all over, tapering into slightly longer on the chin can work really well. Just remember that you’re more likely to be naturally symmetrical in your face, so complement that with your beard. Don’t go for crazy styles and varying lengths, or you’ll lose the effect of having such a versatile face shape.

No matter which stage of the beard growing, designing or shaping process you are at don’t be afraid to talk to everyone about your journey – or at the very least hint that they are free to bestow up you a wide range of beard care gifts! 

Enjoy this journey with your facial hair, and don’t be afraid to experiment.

A Case For Retro Shaving

If you’re like most men and began to shave on a regular basis in your early teens, by now the whole shaving thing is beginning to become a little routine.

In fact, it’s probably getting to be a chore, particularly when you consider the number of products and amount of time involved in the process. It’s time for men to simplify the task of shaving, while saving time, money and effort.

When you think about it, shaving is pretty basic. The point of the exercise is to get rid of the hair on your face, something men have been doing for about 5,000 years, according to archaeologists. The goals haven’t changed, even after all that time: Get a close, smooth shave, avoiding too many nicks and cuts and finish without that raw, scraped feeling and bumpy rash called “razor burn.” Seems pretty straight-forward.

The problem is that, in recent years, there have been a large – and sometimes confusing – number of shaving products placed on the market. They are touted as being the solution to make shaving easier, closer, faster or sexier, or any combination of the above. Some of them are based on mutually conflicting theories about beard hair, skin health and (it seems at times) the laws of physics. What they do seem to have in common is that they are all pretty expensive.

Pre-Shave Techniques from the Good Old Days

Beard stubble is tough and scratchy, as we’re constantly reminded when we run a hand over our cheeks before shaving. Although shaving cream is supposed to soften the stubble before shaving begins, there’s a problem of timing: Most shaving cream will start to dry out before the hairs become softened. The second problem is that the skin pores, where the hair follicles are based, haven’t been relaxed enough to allow the razor blade to cut as low as possible and provide a close shave.

To open the pores and soften the beard stubble, apply wet heat to the area to be shaved. This is why shaving after a hot shower usually results in a smoother shave, but the same result can be achieved with either a hot, wet towel or warm oil. Both of these are old barbering tricks, dating from the days when many men went to their local tonsorial emporium for a shave. Wrapping a hot towel around your face is a lot of trouble, particularly first thing in the morning, and the technique doesn’t always treat the really difficult areas (like the areas just behind the hinges of your jaw).

The best technique is to use pre-shaving oil. Get the oil comfortably warm and rub it into the stubble and massage the skin well, taking care to apply it everywhere you plan to shave. Do not wipe off the oil before you apply shaving cream: The oil will act as a lubricant to help the blade slide across your skin.

Shaving Cream – Keep it Simple

Any time a man even thinks about sneering at the number of skin care products on a woman’s makeup table, he should reflect on the variety of different shaving creams available in the average “shaving needs” aisle at the average drug store. There are so many gels, foams, scents and medicated formulas available that it is only surprising that there aren’t any that are touted as being low-salt and fat-free. All of these choices obscure the purpose of shaving cream: To keep the beard stubble moist and fixed in the soap matrix so they can be shaved off.

Razors – Cold Hard Steel

Forget the three-blade, four-blade or, God help us, five-blade plastic disposable razors. Even the electric razors, including those engineered for wet shaving, aren’t as effective as cold steel. Before you get carried away, though, and buy a straight razor (which, admittedly, look pretty cool) remember why they were once called “cut-throat” razors and were instantly put away by most sane men when one of the great inventions of the early 20th century was introduced: the safety razor. While straight razors were fine when someone else, like a barber, was doing the honors, a safety razor is, well, safe for anyone to use.

Again, this isn’t retro for its own sake: Safety razors are not only more effective, but they are more hygienic than the multi-blade disposable ones. Unless you’re willing to throw away a disposable after each shave, consider that it quickly becomes a breeding ground for bacteria between uses. The spaces between those blades get clogged up with all sorts of gunk, including old skin cells, and they cannot be cleaned out thoroughly. The next time you use it, if you nick yourself you are pressing a veritable infection factory against an open wound. At least with a safety razor, you can really rinse off the blade between uses. Besides, safety razor blades last longer.

After-Shave – Post Shave Steps

You know those ads for fresh-smelling after-shaves, touted as the “perfect” Father’s Day present for the old man? Every wonder why the guys in those ads always look a little nervous as they stare at the bottle, as a mysterious sailor taunts them with that stupid whistled tune? That’s because the contents of those after-shaves are about 70% alcohol. Think about applying alcohol to a freshly shaved face, particularly if you’ve nicked yourself. What sort of sick, twisted mind ever came up with that concept? We have our theories, but they can’t be published because the court order is still in effect.

It’s a natural astringent, meaning that it closes the pores and firms the skin and, in most cases, witch hazel-based after-shaves don’t include alcohol. There are others available, containing various ingredients, which can have the same skin-tightening effects without the screams of agony. For nicks and cuts, avoid resorting to the old little-piece-of-toilet-paper trick; you’ll invariably forget to take them all off one day, and then have to spend the rest of your career at the office living down your new-found reputation as a dork. Septic pencils, which are basically alum (also astringent) with a little antiseptic mixed in, work well to stop the bleeding and reduce the chance of infection.

Unless you plan to go all mountain man and grow a full beard, shaving will continue to be part of your daily routine. It doesn’t have to be exciting or fun (neither term applies to much of anything while standing in your bare feet in front of a mirror), but it can be done efficiently and with a minimum of fuss.