The Best Razors for a Close Shave

Shaving is one of those things that many of us don’t give a second thought about. Most of us just stick with the option we were first introduced to, regardless of whether it’s the best option available to us or not.

For some people, there comes a time when that approach no longer cuts the mustard, and you’ll start to want to work on optimising your approach to shaving to get the closest shave possible.

While there’s no single, clear-cut answer, we do believe we have a few bits and pieces of wisdom that can help you make the right decision. To help you out, we’ve gone through the main varieties of razors, to see how they can help - or hinder - the closeness of your shave.

Straight razors

If you really want to get the closest shave you possibly can, you’ll likely need to go with a straight razor. Straight razors are the only kind of razor where the blade literally sits straight against your skin, without any kind of frame sitting around it.

Not only that, but the blade tends to be made of a very high quality of steel, and will need to be honed on a regular basis to keep it sharp. Combined with the appropriate technique, this can lead to one of the most effective results possible.

Safety razors

Safety razors are another old-school solution that’s currently experiencing a revival in popularity. While this revival is partly due to the attractive, high-quality aesthetic of the razors themselves, it’s also because safety razors can provide an extremely close shave.

When adjusted properly, and used with the right technique, the single blade can get very close to the skin, resulting in an end result that’s nearly as impressive as a straight razor. They still have a bit of a learning curve to get used to, but they’re substantially safer than a straight razor in most cases.

Electric razors

Electric razors have to be included on this list because of their sheer convenience. If you want to get as close a shave as possible with an electric razor, you’ll need to make sure that you’re using one that employs a foil technology.

While this will provide you with a reasonably close shave in not too long a time frame at all, we’re afraid to say that electric razors are likely the worst option on this list if you really want a close shave with as little hair left over as possible. 

Cartridge razors

Lastly, while cartridge razors are hardly the fanciest or fastest option on the market, they can still provide you with a very close shave. Make sure that you choose a high-quality brand, ideally with at least 4 or 5 blades. This will often be the most economical way of achieving a close shave, while also being the easiest to get used to skill-wise.

Straight razors may be the most effective technology when it comes to getting a close shave, but it won’t be the right option for everyone. It’s important to weigh up the other factors that are important to you, from convenience to cost, so that you can pick a solution that works for you.