What Makes Up a Good Electric Razor? - Must Know Parts of An Electric Shaver

Modern electric razors are truly marvels of technology. Far from the uncomfortable things of the past that made shaving so uncomfortable, the electric shavers of today are built for comfort, speed, and an incredibly close shave. Here are the essential parts that go into modern electric razor.

Foil

There are two types of electric razors that you will see for sale: foil and rotary. If an electric razor is said to be "foil" that just means that it has a long metal mesh screen along the top of it that lets hairs in. Once a hair is inside the foil, the cutter trims it off. While many cheaper electric razors have just one foil, a lot of more expensive ones actually have one or even two foils. That gives the cutters more opportunities to trim the hair, and leads to a closer shave.

Rotary Heads

On on the other hand, rotary razors have three round "heads" that are arranged in a triangle on top of the shaver. Which one you should buy actually depends upon a couple factors. Rotary heads can either be fixed, which means that they all stay perfectly still when you use them, or they can flex, which means they bend the contours of your face when you use it.

Cutter

Either spinning or vibrating underneath the foil or rotary heads is the cutter, which you have to thank for actually trimming down your hair when you use an electric razor. In foil shaver, it's a long thing that oscillate back and forth very rapidly. In rotary razors, it spins around. If you want to guarantee that your razor is going to do the best possible job in keeping your skin

Trimmer

The grooming power most modern electric shavers goes beyond the razor. Many models actually have a trimmer attached to the back that can be used to do things like touch up spots that the razor might have missed, make sideburns look neater, or square off your mustache or goatee. All you have to do is pop it up and turn on the razor like you would normally.

Charger

All good electric shavers should come with a way to charge it up, usually in form of a chord that can be plugged in at the bottom. There is also typically a charging indicator that lets you know just how much juice the electric razor has left.

Docking Station

If you really want the ultimate in keeping your electric shaver charged and well maintained, you should get an electric shaver with a docking station. In addition to charging it every time you plug it into one of these, it also totally cleans it out, keeping your shave clean and at the top of its performance level. Be aware, however, as these also often require you to buy a cartridge with cleaning liquid occasionally when your original cleaning liquid runs out.