Best razor for women: Get a quick, clean and moisturising shave

When it comes to hair removal, the best razors for women make shaving a convenient, pain-free method that everyone’s comfortable with. That’s why most women will automatically reach for a razor rather than anything fancy or complicated. Thankfully, gone are the days of stiff and flimsy razors that dry out your skin as soon as touching it.

Nowadays, modern razors are equipped with features such as recyclable blades, water-activated moisturising strips and ergonomically designed handles, to name just a few. Better still, these new designs help you tackle tricky areas such as ankles and knees, and avoid the dreaded razor burn while providing the closest shave possible.

If you’re on the lookout for your next razor, we’ve put together a guide for how to choose the best ones for you, along with a quick guide for getting the perfect close shave.

Best razors for women: At a glance

• Best recyclable razor for women: FFS | £14
• Best disposable razor for women: BIC Miss Soleil | £4.30
  
• Best women’s razor for travel: Gillette Venus Snap | £5
• Best electric razor for women: Brori Electric Shaver | £37
  

How to choose from the best razors for women

How many blades is best?

General consensus seems to be that more blades provide a closer shave. Most razors have between two and five blades on a razor head: the first blade hooks the hair and pulls it up, while the second slices into the hair. With more blades this hook and slice process is repeated, allowing for a smoother, faster shave – and more blades also reduces skin contact, so you’re less likely to cut yourself.

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How often should I change blades?

Sharp blades cut the best, but a razor’s blades will dull and lose their cutting power with every shave. This contributes to irritated skin, cuts and bumps. There’s also the chance of bacteria buildup when a razor is left on the side of the bath to dry out. To maintain a clean shaving experience it’s recommended to change blades every five to seven uses.

How do I shave with dry or sensitive skin?

Razor burn usually occurs when the blades scrape off skin at the same time as cutting hair. The easiest way to avoid it is making everything as soft as possible: the softer your hair, the easier it will be for the blades to slice through. Using specialised shaving cream or gel is advised for this reason, although it’s also useful to soften your skin before shaving – by soaking in a warm bath, for instance. Rinsing the razor after every stroke will help maintain better contact with your hair, and moisturising your skin afterwards with an alcohol-free lotion will help to prevent dry skin and any post-shave rashes. 

How we test razors for women

As you might expect, testing women’s razors requires a fair amount of shaving, so plenty of legs are tasked with the opportunity. We test each razor over a period of a month, using models to shave the stubble of early regrowth, as well as longer hair. We pay particular attention to performance in awkward areas, such as kneecaps and behind the ankles, and once a shave is complete, we note how the skin feels for dryness and highlight any small nicks or cuts.

Throughout the testing process, we consider ease of use, comfort, and the weight of the handle, plus how each razor fares on different areas of the body including legs, armpits and bikini lines. We review the material from which a razor is made, as well as the ease with which blades can be switched out; we also note the frequency at which blades need to be changed. We consider effective storage options, too, for when a razor isn’t in use.

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The best razors for women you can buy in 2023

1. BIC Miss Soleil Colour Collection: Best disposable razor for women

Price: £4.30 for eight | Buy now from Amazon

If you’re looking for disposable razors, you can’t really go wrong with BIC. They may not have all the fancy features of pricier razors here, but the Miss Soleil razors aren’t flimsy either – and crucially, they’re not going to overly nick or dry out your skin.

They really do work well, too. The curved handle allows for easy shaving even with wet hands, while the triple-bladed narrow razor head means you’re still getting a close shave.

We find it’s more economical to buy BIC disposable razors in bulk, and this pack of eight includes four BIC Soleil Lady and four BIC Soleil Scent razors in a range of bright colours such as yellow, tangerine and lilac. At £6 for the pack, it works out at just 75p per razor.

Key spec – Blades: 3; Moisturising: Yes; Recyclable: No

2. Brori Electric Lady Shaver: Best electric razor

Price: £37 | Buy now from Amazon

Fans of a super speedy shave will love the Brori Electric Lady Shaver. Because it rolls upwards on the skin, hairs are forced to stand much straighter when the Brori shaver passes over them, which means you don’t have to go over the same patch of skin multiple times.

The Brori Shaver has three ultra-sharp rotating blades protected by a foil so there’s no danger of nicking your skin, and it also has an LED light just in case you’re shaving in a dimly lit area.

The rechargeable battery takes around an hour to charge via a USB connector and should last for 90 minutes of continuous use, but you can still use it while plugged in too.

The Brori is fully waterproof, and although some customers have reported it’s harder to get a close shave with wet skin, it’s particularly good for sensitive areas such as underarms and bikini line.

Key Spec – Blades: 3; Moisturising: No; Recyclable: No

3. Gillette Venus Extra Smooth Snap Razor: Best compact travel razor for women

Price: £5 | Buy now from Boots

A compact razor is a fantastic addition to your toiletry bag when you’re travelling, and Gillette has knocked it out of the park with the Venus Snap razor – this lightweight, palm-sized option squeezes in five full-sized razor blades.

The round handle is tiny but easy to hold onto thanks to its ridged rubber grip, and this makes tricky areas such as underarms and bikini line that much easier to shave. The five diamond-coated blades provide a fantastically close shave, and you can replace the razor head with any new Venus blade thanks to the “one-size-fits-all” design.

The Venus Snap razor also comes with a plastic carry case for easy storage, which has little holes to prevent excess water from being trapped inside.

Key Spec – Blades: 5; Moisturising: Yes; Recyclable: No

4. FFS Beauty Essentials Pack: Best recyclable razor for women

Price: From £14 | Buy now from FFS

FFS is a female-focused company, and its razors are undeniably pretty. The Premium version comes in either a rose gold or forest (a dark bluey-black) shade with a shiny finish, and both look great.

Whichever colour you choose, the FFS has a satisfying weight to it, and the metal handle has a long strip of grooved rubber beneath, which provides a good grip. Six diamond-coated steel blades have an additional moisturising strip enriched with vitamin E and aloe vera, and the head of the razor pivots to allow for maximum reach.

All the FFS packaging is totally recyclable, as are the razor’s handle and blades. If you sign up for a subscription, you’ll receive four new blades every month, making it a good option for those who always forget to change blades – and you can also return your old blades to FFS for recycling.

Our favourite extra from FFS is its engraving service (as long as your chosen name is 12 characters or less), which makes this razor a cool, if slightly odd, gift!

Key specs – Blades: 6; Moisturising: Yes; Recyclable: Yes

Buy now from FFS

5. Wilkinson Sword Hydro Silk: Best razor for sensitive skin

Price: £7 | Buy now from Amazon

Shaving can often lead to irritated skin: we’re talking dry patches, red bumps and a desire to never shave again. Thankfully, the Wilkinson Sword Hydro Silk Razor is infused with moisturising goodness to make sure that never happens.

The Hydro Silk’s blade head is embedded with a water-activated Hydra Renew and Shea Butter serum which foams up on your skin to create a good lather, and Wilkinson Sword claims that this razor will provide hydration for two hours post-shave.

Design-wise, the Hydro Silk Razor is easy to hold and the ergonomically shaped handle allows for navigation around trickier areas such as ankles and knees, while the five curved blades give a close shave that leaves skin feeling smooth and soft.

Some customers report that the gel runs out quite fast – after ten shaves or fewer – so consider stocking up on replacement heads.

Key Spec – Blades: 5; Moisturising: Yes; Recyclable: No

6. Wilkinson Sword Intuition Perfect Finish Eyebrow Razor: Best facial razor

Price: £3.50 for three | Buy now from Boots

Hair removal isn’t just about your legs – sometimes there’s peach fuzz, eyebrow stragglers and upper lip hair that needs attention, too. A multi-purpose beauty tool such as the Wilkinson Sword Razor Shaper lets you gently remove fine hairs and fuzz from your face with careful precision and without leaving stubble.

It can take a bit of practice to get the technique right, and as you’ve got a sharp blade very close to your face, it’s advisable to take your time. We suggest starting off with slightly moist skin that you can still hold taut, and then moving the blade in gentle downwards motions. Be sure to avoid using fragranced products afterward, and clean the blade after use, too.

As the Intuition is a disposable design it comes in packs of three. There’s also a precision cover to use for eyebrow shaping, as well as a protective cap for when the blade isn’t in use.

Key Spec – Blades: 1; Moisturising: No; Recyclable: No

Buy now from Boots