Have you been suffering through shaves day in and out with the typical multi-blade cartridge razors? Get a better shave with the Best Electric Shaver For Black Men.
Black men tend to suffer more shaving related issues than others because of their beard type. Have no worries, one of the recommendations to help with these skin issues to use an electric shaver on your beard.
There are hundreds of different razors to choose from which can be overwhelming. That is why we created this review to help you find one that is right for you.
Why Should You Use The An Electric Shaver?
As we mentioned, black guys can suffer from many different types of skin issues so using the best electric razor shaver for black men can alleviate many of them.
The reason is that they do not cut as close as a blade which will hopefully prevent some or all of these issues.
They are also convenient and potentially could save you money in the long run vs. using a cartridge razor with expensive refill packs.
Usually you only have to change the heads on an electric razor once every 12-18 months or so. Depending on which razor you get this could be cheaper.
You also don’t have to worry about shaving creams or soaps unless you want to and you have a wet/dry shaver.
Razor Bumps
Did you know that razor bumps occur in up to 60% of African Americans? This is because they usually have thick, curly hair which is the main culprit of shaving bumps.
When the blade cuts your hair, it sharpens the edge like a spear so as the hair curls back into the hair follicle it causes the inflammation.
Constantly living with razor bumps is no fun. It can actually lead to scarring over time if you don’t do anything about it.
The number one thing you can do to prevent them is to just let your beard grow. Easy, right?
Well if you are reading this you probably aren’t able to rock a sweet beard for work or whatever reason.
The next best thing you can do to prevent razor bumps is to use the an electric shaver.
Ingrown Hairs
Ingrown hairs are like razor bumps in that the hair is curling back into the skin but it actually grows into the skin which can cause an infection along with a rash or itching skin.
You can prevent them in the same manner as razor bumps by either letting your beard grow or trying not to shave as close, like with an electric shaver.
If you find yourself with an ingrown hair you may be able to simply pluck it out with some tweezers or you may need topical treatments.
Some men go to the extreme of getting their hair laser removed!
Shaving Tips
Ok, you made the decision to stop suffering from the issues and you got yourself the an Electric Shaver, now what?
Well many of these recommendations are the same as general shaving recommendations but these should help:
- To shower or not to shower: you may need to test this on your face as every man is different. Electric razors tend to work better, or shave closer on dry skin before a shower. This because when you shower, your skin absorbs moistures and swells slightly leaving less of your hair exposed. So, since we don’t want to cut the hair so close to prevent irritation showering may be a good thing.
- Shave with the grain – In general you should shave in the direction your hair grows to prevent irritation. Going against the grain can cause the razor to pull or tug on hairs and possibly cut it below the surface which will cause you some discomfort.
- Avoid multiple strokes – the more pressure and strokes you have to use the more likely you are to become irritated.
- Use a pre-shave oil – if your razor can handle, a pre-shave oil will provide even more lubrication to help the razor slide effortlessly reducing friction.
- Use a shaving cream – if you have a wet/dry razor you will want to use a shaving cream or gel.
- Splash with cold water – this will help close your pores and any nicks you may have got while shaving.
- Use a restoring lotion – this will add back moisture and keep your skin feeling fresh.
What If You Have To Use A Blade?
If you must wear a clean shave we recommend using a double edge safety razor. It takes a little more time in the morning but will offer a more comfortable shave.
Multi-blade razors are fast but the first blade or two pulls your hair up and the remaining blades cut the hair often times below the skin surface.
With a safety razor, you have more control by how many passes you perform as to how close of a shave you want.
It may be worth it to purchase a complete shave system that comes with oils, creams and lotions in addition to the razor.
Or you may want to try one of these razors for sensitive skin.
Recommendations
Remington F5-5800 Foil Shaver
The Remington F5-5800 is one of Amazon’s top selling electric shavers for many reasons. It has over 2,000 reviews and a 4.1-star rating and our top recommendation for electric shaver for black men.
First of all, it is affordable, and at the time of this publishing there is a 20% off coupon.
You won’t get all of the bells and whistles as some of the more expensive electric razors, however, you probably won’t have super high expectations either and be pleasantly surprised by the performance of this machine.
Just like other big name brands it has features like
- Long battery life – up to 20 days of shaving with one charge
- Water resistant – so you can wash it
- Pivoting head
- Intercept Shaving Technology – catches longer hairs first
- Pop up trimmer
- LED power display
As you can see there are many features to love for a great price.
There are the typical complaints from guys who have too high expectations from electric shavers. However, a few mentioned the foil breaking after a short while.
So, since this may not have the build quality has more expensive razors you need to be gentle with it and don’t apply too much pressure when shaving.
Wahl Professional Rechargeable Shaver/Shaper
A close second behind the Remington is the Wahl Super Close Shaver. You may have seen this in your local barbershop before.
I have personally tested this one and you will love it because of its simplicity. There is simply an on and off button and a place to plug in the charger, that’s it!
However, Wahl must have put all of their efforts into motor and blades.
The shaver is a little noisy but it offers an efficient shave. You only need very little pressure to allow the razor to do its job.
In fact, too much pressure could damage the foil as it is very thin to allow for a close cut. The foil is also hypoallergenic to help reduce any issues with sensitive skin.
Since this can cut close you may want to start with just one pass with the grain and see how it works with your beard before going over and over on the same spot to get smooth.
The most common complaint is about the foil breaking. There are even several guys who mention it was an error on their part, applying too much pressure.
Just remember, you really only need the shaver to make contact with the skin. Do not apply pressure.
Feel Like Splurging? Braun Series 7 790cc
The Braun Series 7 790CC is considered by many to be the cream of the crop for electric shavers.
Since newer models have come out it has really come down in price and is a lot more affordable, however, it is still almost $200.
However, you do get what you pay for and this razor may make others on this list look inferior.
It has a powerful motor with four different cutting elements to help you get a fast, efficient shave. The head pivots in eight directions to allow the razor to really hug your face as you pass over it.
Again, you shouldn’t need to apply much pressure with this razor.
The clean and charge station sanitizes your razor when you run it through the cycle which will help keep it clean and hopefully offer less irritation.
Although, it is an alcohol based cleaning solution which does bother some people.
This shaver is 100% waterproof so you can bring it with you in the shower which may offer more comfort when shaving as well.
The complaints are mixed, the most common one seems to be that the replacement head is too expensive.
You are normally supposed to replace these every 12-18 months so just know if you go this route you will spend 2-3 times more on these replacements heads than others on this list.
Philips Norelco Shaver 7300 for Sensitive Skin
Obviously, this shaver made this list as it has Sensitive Skin in the name! However, the Norelco Shaver 7300 is a quality razor for a little over $100 and another great option.
It is a rotary shaver which might work better for you if you have a rounder face and may not cut as close as one of the foil shavers which could be good to prevent razor bumps.
They also try to reduce irritation by offering micro-beads on each rotary around the blade that is supposed to help it slide easier on your face, reducing friction and irritation.
Like the Series 7 it comes with its own cleaning station and can be used in the shower or with your favorite shaving cream.
Their cleaning station uses an alcohol-free solution which might also be better for your skin.
The 7300 has an upgraded motor that allows it to operate at faster speeds requiring less strokes overall to complete your shave.
Most of the complaints are just the typical people who didn’t like the shaver for their skin or may have received a bad product. There are not really any that stand out.
Series 3 Braun, the 3040s
The Braun Series 3 3040s is another great affordable electric razor that is no frills but will get the job done.
It is light weight and has a comfortable grip yet has a powerful motor to help cut your beard quickly. Surprisingly for its price point it is a wet/dry shaver allowing water, foam or gel to be used with it.
It has three floating blades on the head with the middle one helping to catch more hair with each stroke. This is great as the blades retract over the contours of your face for a gentle shave.
It also has a built-in pop up trimmer if you like to style sideburns or a mustache.
Many guys simply love this because of how well it works for the price. Since it doesn’t have as powerful a motor or as many blades as others, you may have to do a couple passes to catch all the hair.
This razor will allow you to achieve the look of a smooth shave without needing to be smooth since that increases the risk of shaving bumps.
One thing that is nice to know is you can see the manufacturer commenting on several of the negative reviews which is not very common.
There are not many helpful complaints however, it does have a 4-star rating with over 1,000 reviews so this razor should work well for most guys.
PANASONIC ARC5 MEN’S ELECTRIC SHAVER
This is another electric razor to check out if you feel like splurging a little. The Panasonic Arc 5 has a powerful motor and 5 blades giving you 70,000 cuts per minute!
The LED display is very advanced showing you battery level, charge indicator, cleaning reminders for the blades and foil.
The hypoallergenic blades will cut you hair at a 30º angle to help reduce irritation and keep it gentle on your face.
Panasonic claims the Arc 5 is award winning but fails to mention which one so that may just be a marketing gimmick.
The guys who use this razor really seem to enjoy it. There are even side by side comparisons to other razors like the Series 7 were this Arc 5 comes out on top.
You can use this dry or with a shaving soap and many say you will get a rather smooth shave compared to electric shaver standards. It could possibly be too close.
Most of the complaints are just guys who had higher expectations from the price tag and say it is not much better than older models or lower models.
To each his own, every guy is different so not everyone will be satisfied.
Braun Series 5 5090cc Electric Foil Shaver for Men
The Braun Series 5 is about $50 less than the Series 7 so it is more affordable but you don’t really lose that much in terms of performance.
The heads are similar as well as the motor, it comes with its own cleaning station.
You don’t get the intelligent sonic technology which is hard to say if that is really worth it anyway.
A big difference is you do lose the wet/dry shave capability however the head is washable. So, if you like shaving in the shower you may need to shell out the extra money.
It has a slightly shorter battery life but you should still be able to get a couple weeks’ worth of shaving if you average 3 minutes per shave.
So just a couple less features for $50 less and much cheaper replacements heads which means less money in the long run.
Is this the best electric shaver for you? That will be up to you to decide.
You will also see many reviews mention how well this razor works for their sensitive skin, even people that usually suffer from razor burn.
Again, most of the negatives seems to be from people expecting the closeness of a blade or just not liking the razor, not many were helpful.
Philips Norelco OneBlade
This is another shave that I have personally used, the Philips OneBlade shaver/trimmer. If you like to have multiple styles of hair on your face this is a great tool.
It comes with three different blade guards to allow you to trim a mustache or goatee that click on and off easily.
The head swivels to allow you to shave in either direction offering an efficient shave.
With no blade guard it may not get as close as these other traditional electric shavers but that is the goal, here right? To not shave so close to cause razor burn?
They even say, “not as close as a traditional blade so your skin stays comfortable”.
Depending on how often you shave you may have to replace the blades a little more frequently with this shaver, in as little as four months.
They are not too expensive however and it would be comparable to replace the heads on one of the other shavers once a year.
A few people had issues with the heads breaking before the blade wore out but maybe they were applying too much pressure.
Another drawback is that it takes 8 hours to full charge this shaver. You only get a similar run time as the others, about 50 minutes so you will have to stay on top of the charging.
However, this is the cheapest razor on this list so that makes up for it.
Conclusion
As you can see there are many great electric shavers for black men to choose from.
Depending on your wants, needs and beard type will determine which one may be best for you. Like we mentioned earlier you could always grow out your beard to completely eliminate razor burn.
However, the next best thing is to invest in a quality electric shaver.
Electric Shaverssays
This purchase is definitely cost effective when compared to a Electric Shavers. The motor produces minimal noise and the rotary blades produce a clean and close shave without going over the same area. The trimmer accessory is beneficial because undesired “stray” hairs can be eliminated easily and eyebrows can be shaped. The blade apparatus can be easily cleansed since it is hinged and shaving has become a neater process as a whole for me. The battery charge is sufficient for an entire shave in addition to detailing and charging does not consume excess time. The blade cover is an essential component since these shavers must remain clean in order to perform effectively. I highly recommend this product.
Jeremysays
Awesome thanks for the comments Diane!