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Best Travel Electric Razor

Adventure in Style: The Best Travel Electric Razor

Once upon a time, you could only experience an electric razor in your home. If you went on a trip, you’d have to take disposable travel razors, and deal with the inevitable razor burn and uneven shave that came with it. It was the worst. Nowadays, though, you can use an electric shaver when you’re on the road, on vacation, or taking a business trip. In fact, a number of electric razors have specific features that make them ideal for traveling. Here we’ll discuss models with those features, and hopefully we’ll find you the best travel electric razor for your next adventure.

What is the Best Electric Razor for Travel?

Let’s do it:

Travel Electric Razors: Review Summaries

Here are the electric razors we think “make the grade” when it comes to travel:

The Best “Clutter-Free” Travel Shaver—The Braun M90 Mobile Electric Shaver: Everything you need for a clean foil shave without any extra pieces

The Best Rotary Shaver for Travel—The Pritech Men’s Electric Razor: A compact rotary option that can be good for rugged travel

The Best Multi-Groomer for Travel—The Philips Norelco OneBlade: A uniquely designed model that you can use to shave your face and body, saving your space in your luggage

The Best Shaver for Long Trips: The MAX-T Electric ShaverA fully waterproof rotary shaver with a very long battery life, great for long jaunts in the wild

The Best Travel Shaver for Guys with Sensitive Skin: The Panasonic Arc5 Electric RazorDesigned for guys with skin issues, this foil shaver can be a great option if you experience razor burn or bumps, and finally…

The Top Luxury Travel Shaver: The Philips Norelco Shaver 7700—If you like the finer things in life and demand to travel in style, this is our suggestion! It’s a high-performing, high-end rotary shaver with a lot of luxury features, designed to deliver a very close shave. The best of the best, if you’re at home or on the road.

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Alright! Now let’s jump to…

The Best Travel Electric Razors: Our In-Depth Reviews

Now that you’ve seen just which electric razors we chose for travel, let’s get into the full reviews. We’ll start with…

The Braun M90 Mobile Electric Shaver

Summary: The Braun M90 electric foil shaver has everything you need to get a close shave in just one piece of equipment, and can be a great option if you like to pack light and minimize clutter in your suitcase.

Pros:

  • Compact 1-piece package
  • Locking twist cap
  • Cleaning brush stored inside
  • No charger needed
  • Floating-foil design
  • Washable

Cons:

  • Must replace batteries
  • Low power

Possibly the best small travel electric razor on the market, the Braun M90 Electric Razor is made for traveling. At just 0.2 pounds, few electric razors are more lightweight and compact. In fact, everything you need is included in one easily portable package, and that’s one of the things we look for in a travel shaver.

There’s a locking twist cap as well as a cleaning brush that actually stores inside the device itself. Plus, it runs on AA batteries, and even though they have to be replaced, two are included. This means you don’t have to worry about carrying around the charger too. All that’s to say it will fit inside your suitcase—your pocket even—without doing damage or getting damaged.

We’d rate this shaver’s power on the lower end, probably due to its small size, but it still shaves closely and consistently thanks to the floating-foil design.  Then, you can wash it under running water to save you time but still help prevent razor burn when you have important business meetings.

We’re big fans of Braun shavers, and we think this is a great model if you like smaller shavers and like to pack light.

The Pritech Men’s Electric Razor

Summary: For those who like rotary shavers, we would suggest the Pritech Men’s Electric Razor—we think it is one of the best portable electric shaver options thanks to its effective travel lock and convenient USB charger.

Pros:

  • Travel lock
  • USB charger
  • Included accessories
  • Travel pouch
  • Digital battery-life indicator

Cons:

  • Easy to accidentally turn off
  • Loud
  • Must keep track of accessories

Compared to other rotary shavers, this Pritech Men’s Electric Razor has two main features that make it good for travel: the travel lock and the USB charger. By requiring a full three seconds of pressing, the travel lock prevents the shaver from turning on in your suitcase and draining the battery.

Meanwhile, the USB charger makes it a lot easier to charge the shaver with different adapters in different countries, not to mention in the car if that’s the kind of trip you’re going on.

Additionally, this model is more than just a rotary shaver. It also comes with a nose-trimming head and a sideburn trimmer. On the one hand, you have to carry these accessories with you if you want to look your best on a trip, but this is easy thanks to the included travel pouch.

Another great feature is the digital battery-life indicator which tells you how much juice you have left in a percentage. This is actually nice for traveling as well because you know exactly when you need to charge so you don’t have to take your charging cord out of your luggage if you don’t need it. This isn’t the fanciest feature, but you’d be surprised at how many rotary shavers don’t have it (and that includes some of our favorite rotaries!). So while it may not seem like much of a technologically-advanced feature, it’s a great characteristic of the Pritech.

This is a nice little package that has a lot of great features, and includes all the basic features we’d hope to see in a travel shaver.

The Philips Norelco OneBlade

Summary: With its two different blades and multiple stubble guards, the Philips Norelco OneBlade is a versatile shaver that you can use on vacation to shave both your face AND body without taking up much excess room in your luggage.

Pros:

  • Face and body grooming
  • Fast-moving dual-sided blade
  • Small and compact
  • Extra combs
  • Durable blade

Cons:

  • Small pieces to keep track of
  • Long charging time

Going on a beach vacation? Then you may want to shave more than just your face! There’s no reason you have to pack multiple devices, though, and the Norelco OneBlade is designed so that you can groom your face and body all with one dual-bladed electric razor. It can do this because the blades move incredibly fast, at over 200 times per second—which is pretty incredible, when you think about it.

The OneBlade is also good for traveling because it’s small and compact. It can easily fit inside most suitcases or even the pocket of a backpack. In fact, if you just need one guard and one blade, it doesn’t require you to pack any extra accessories, either. Of course, if you need both the face and body blade or the extra stubble combs, you’ll have to keep track of all those small pieces.

Our biggest complaint about this electric razor is how long it takes to charge: four hours. That only translates to an hour of battery life. The blade, however, is much more durable. It doesn’t require nearly as much replacement as other shavers.

If you’re looking to shave your face AND your body while you’re traveling, this is the model we usually recommend.

The MAX-T Electric Shaver

Summary: The MAX-T Electric Shaver can provide a close but comfortable rotary shave that you can take with you on long trips due to the extra-long battery life and protective carrying case.

Pros:

  • Close rotary shave
  • 2-hour battery life
  • Pop-up trimmer
  • Hard travel case
  • IPX7 waterproof
  • USB charger

Cons:

  • Bulky
  • Wall adapter not included

Overall, the MAX-T Electric Shaver is a standard model that does all the things rotary shavers do well. For example, its floating heads contour to your face for a close shave that’s less likely to irritate the skin. Foil shavers don’t have that “floating head” feature (and that’s a common complaint against them).

Beyond that, though, this is also a great model for travel. For one thing, it has an especially long battery life of two hours on only just one hour of charge. That means you can potentially take it on short trips without even having to bring the charging cord. Other good travel features include the pop-up trimmer, which lets you get more creative with your grooming choices without needing extra accessories, and the hard travel case, which helps keep the shaver safe and clean inside your suitcase.

Finally, we like that this shaver isn’t just water-resistant but IPX7-rated waterproof. That means you can use it in the shower along with shaving cream so you can get out of the hotel and on your way faster.

If you’re looking for a rough-and-tumble shaver (hey—that’s our name!) that can keep a charge, this is the mode we might suggest.

The Panasonic Arc5 Electric Razor

Summary: If you regularly suffer from skin irritation and need a sharp electric razor that cuts clean and fast but also has the features necessary for convenient traveling, the Panasonic Arc5 may be a good fit.

Pros:

  • Pop-up trimmer
  • Waterproof
  • International voltage
  • 14,000 cuts per minute
  • Shaving sensor monitors
  • LCD battery-life indicator

Cons:

  • Low battery life

What makes the Panasonic Arc5 great for traveling? Number one, it has a pop-up trimmer so you can get a close shave in some places and trim down to stubble in others. Moreover, it’s waterproof enough that you can use it in the shower, which makes it a lot more convenient on busy mornings during important trips. Finally, it can adapt to any voltage between 100V and 240V, meaning you can use it in just about any country in the world.

Beyond its travel features, though, the Arc5 is just a high-quality electric razor all around. Built with a linear motor, it makes an astounding 14,000 cuts per minute. That means a fast but comfortable shave that minimizes irritation—also not a bad perk when you’re traveling. It even has shaving sensor monitors that adapt the cutting power to the density of your beard hair, which can make it less rough on your skin—it can “ramp up” over the thicker areas of your growth, thereby avoiding that awful “tugging” feeling that lesser-made shavers can give.

Perhaps most importantly for guys with sensitive skin, the Arc5 is a foil shaver, and the design on foil shavers is usually easier on the skin that other kinds of electric shavers (and it’s usually much easier on the skin than rotary shavers). We talk more about our recommended foils here, if you’re interested.

Our only real complaint is that the battery life is relatively low. However, the LCD display does let you know how much is left so you can always keep it charged, and that’s great.

If you suffer from skin irritation, razor bumps, or general skin sensitivity, this can be a good option.

The Philips Norelco Shaver 7700

Summary: The Philips Norelco Shaver 7700 has extensive features like international voltage and adaptive sensors that make it both an advanced grooming device and an ideal travel electric razor. Our top pick overall, and a great option for grooming at home and abroad.

Pros:

  • Light and compact
  • Hard-shell travel case
  • International voltage
  • Cleaning pod
  • 90,000 cutting actions per minute
  • ComfortGlide rings
  • Adaptive sensors

Cons:

  • Not a great choice if you like low-fi, “just-the-basics” models

Philips Norelco makes some great products, but the Philips Norelco Shaver 7700 might quite possibly be the best Norelco travel shaver. It’s light and compact, easy to include with your luggage, and even has a hard-shell travel case to keep it safe in your checked bag. Plus, it can handle voltages from 100-240V so you can use it even if you’re globetrotting.

In our opinion, the cleaning pod also makes the 7700 good for travel. It is admittedly another accessory that you have to keep track of, but it’s worth it to make sure your device is clean of any foreign germs that could cause razor burn on your unprepared skin. If your skin breaks out when you use a shaver that needs to be cleaned, this can be a great feature.

Speaking of razor burn, the shave from the 7700 is, in our experience, amazingly comfortable. We imagine that’s because it makes 90,000 cutting actions per minute and has ComfortGlide rings that let it pass smoothly over the skin while pulling and yanking hairs much less often than other shavers. It even has a motion control sensor and hair adapt sensor to create a shave tailored to the needs of your beard, which puts it in the “upper-tier” of shavers we’ve used.

If you like the “best of the best” at home and abroad, this is the electric shaver we’d suggest!

Alright—there you have it! Those are our picks for the best travel electric razors. Hopefully there’s something above that meets your needs. If you still have questions about electric shavers—like how to choose an electric shaver for traveling needs—read on!

How to Choose an Electric Razor When You’re Traveling

If you travel a lot you still want a good electric razor that will give you a close but comfortable shave that makes you look good without causing irritation. At the same time, there are a number of additional features you should look for to make sure it won’t be an inconvenience while you’re on the road.

Check The Battery Life of the Shaver

If you need an electric razor for traveling, a long battery life and short charging time should be at the top of your list. With a really good charging time, like those well over an hour, you may be able to leave the charger at home and still be able to shave over the entire length of your trip, especially if your trip is under a week.

That’s not all, though. A good battery life is great in general when you’re on the road. Your life is likely to be more chaotic than normal and lacking your usual routine. You don’t want to wake up for a business meeting only to find your electric razor out of juice.

Similarly, you might not have the same access to charging you do at home. Your hotel room might have limited outlets you need to charge your other various devices, preventing you from charging your razor every night. A long battery life as well as a short charging time gives you a lot more flexibility in this regard.

Determine The Voltage of the Device

As some people unfortunately find out when their devices short out the first time they plug them in abroad, it’s not just the shape of the plug that’s different in foreign countries. It’s the actual voltage, too. For instance, while the US grid is generally on 110 volts, Europe uses 220 volts. Plugging an electric razor designed for US voltage into a European outlet will give you quite a fright when it shoots out of your hands with excess power. That is, if it doesn’t just ruin the device immediately.

However, these days you can find electric razors that are designed to handle a wide range of voltages, usually enough to handle the power grid just about anywhere. This is great because then you can take the razor on international trips, and all you have to worry about is the plug adapter.

See If It Has a Travel Lock: The Feature You Didn’t Know About That’s Incredibly Important

If you’re going to travel a lot with your electric razor, a travel lock is a must. This is a setting on your razor that keeps it from being turned on until the lock is released. This prevents it from accidentally turning on in your suitcase.

Your electric razor turning on in your suitcase is a major inconvenience, and not just because it’ll buzz and rattle around. Without a travel lock, your razor can turn on in your suitcase and run through its entire battery life before you even use it on your trip. Additionally, it can jostle around inside your luggage, damaging itself or other items.

A travel lock is a travel-specific feature. Consequently, the best travel electric shaver will necessarily have one.

Look for a USB Charger

A USB charger is a convenient feature already, but it’s especially great if you’re looking for an electric razor for car use. This could be truckers, van-lifers, RV explorers or just people going on a road trip.

This is because most modern cars actually have USB ports for charging, and you can use them for your razor. Plus, even if your vehicle doesn’t have a USB port, it’s easier to find USB adapters for the 9V outlets most cars have.

Carrying Cases Are a Great Feature

A carrying case definitely makes it a lot easier to travel with your electric razor. This is especially true if you have a lot of accessories that you need to carry with the razor like various trimmers, a cleaning brush and, of course, the charger. The case helps you keep track of them while traveling.

On top of that, a carrying case increases cleanliness when you’re traveling with luggage. Electric shavers can be pretty messy. Just ask the many wives who have had it up to here with the beard trimmings all over the sink.

If you’re on the road, those beard clippings are also going into your suitcase and all over your clothes, which you probably need to look nice. A carrying case or pouch keeps those trimmings from going all over the place.

Finally, a hard carrying case and even a soft carrying pouch to a certain extent help keep the razor itself safer inside your luggage. If you’ve ever seen an airport baggage operator move around suitcases, they aren’t exactly gentle. You need at least some kind of protection or your shaver is going to take a beating.

Be Certain About Whether It’s Waterproof of Not

Waterproofing is a great feature for any electric device, electric razors even more so. Since shaving is part of your bathroom routine, your razor is bound to be around a lot of water. You shouldn’t have to constantly worry about damaging it. In fact, shaving goes that much faster if you can do it in the shower, so a waterproof electric razor can save you time and hassle.

Waterproofing is even more beneficial when you’re traveling, though. For one thing, you’ll probably be a lot busier, so being able to save time by combining parts of your morning routine is a big perk. Plus, the bathroom in your hotel, RV, wherever will almost certainly be smaller than your bathroom at home. That means a higher chance you’ll accidentally get the device wet.

One thing to keep in mind is that there’s a wide range of waterproofing. For instance, some electric razors can just handle a light rinse for cleaning purposes while others can be fully submerged in the shower.

It’s easy to determine how waterproof an electric razor is if it has an IP rating. You’ll see this listed as IP and then two numbers. The first number reflects the device’s resistance to dust and the second its resistance to water. The numbers range from 0-9 with a higher number reflecting more extensive waterproofing.

So, for example, an electric razor with a rating of IP67 is completely resistant to dust (dust resistance only goes up to 6) and waterproof enough that it can be temporarily immersed in water. This would be a good razor for traveling.

Keep Track of Your Adjustable Guards, Or…

While plenty of men want a portable electric razor to get a clean shave while traveling, others want to be able to trim their beard and keep it looking neat. The problem with that is that it normally requires a lot of different equipment like different combs and guards to give you varying trimming lengths. This is terrible for trips since you have to pack and keep track of it all.

An easy solution is a single adjustable guard that lets you change the length of the trim without having to swap out pieces. This way you only really have to pack the device itself.

Look for a Pop-Up Trimmer on the Device

Like an adjustable guard, a pop-up trimmer makes an electric shaver better for travel simply because you can do more things without needing to pack a ton of accessories. Use the shaver in the areas where you need a clean shave and the trimmer where you want to leave stubble. This way you can use the travel shaver with trimmer to get creative styles while you’re on the road.

Check the Size and Weight

The best portable electric razor is inevitably a small one. Room that your shaver takes up is always room you could use for something else, so small makes packing more convenient. And don’t forget about those airline luggage weight limits.

Generally speaking, if you’re buying an electric razor for travel, the smaller the better. Go for compact, too. Something that packs a lot into a little device that’s easy to stick in a suitcase but doesn’t compromise on shave quality.

Tips for Shaving with an Electric Razor When You’re Traveling

Once you’ve found the best electric travel razor for you, you need to use it right. Shaving on the road isn’t exactly the same as shaving at home. Follow these tips to stay comfortable and looking good.

Charge the Razor Before You Leave

Even if you’re going on a short trip, you should make sure your electric razor is fully charged before you leave. If it doesn’t have a battery-level indicator, charge it overnight before you travel.

By making sure your electric razor is fully charged, you minimize surprises and hassles. Any trip is a bit chaotic, so you don’t want to go for your razor one morning only to find it out of juice. Having a full charge from the get-go gives you more leeway.

Check the Voltage

Many modern travel electric razors can handle ranges of voltage including that in most countries. Nevertheless, you should always check ahead of time. Look up the voltage for your destination country and the accepted voltage of your electric razor. If the razor isn’t rated for the country’s voltage, trying to use it could be dangerous for both you and the device.

Keep the Blades Clean

A bad razor cleaning routine can come back to bite you when you’re traveling. New places have new germs, and the blades of your razor inevitably get dirty inside your luggage.

If a strange kind of bacteria builds up on the blades of your electric razor, it can cause razor burn even if that’s not usually a problem for you. That’s why we highly recommend cleaning your blades often when you’re traveling. Read your specific model’s manual to see how to do that. Some can be rinsed under water while others work better with an alcohol solution.

Use a Travel Case

Although you may be tempted to just throw your electric razor into your suitcase, you should really use a travel case if you can. It helps a lot.

For one thing, the travel case helps you keep track of the razor and all its accessories. Additionally, it prevents hair trimmings from spilling all over your suitcase and getting your clothes dirty.

However, a travel case is also important for the quality of your shave. The case protects the blades, keeping out moisture and abrasive dust. This way the blade stays sharper longer.

A sharp blade is better for a quality shave because it cuts the hairs cleanly. It doesn’t pull or yank on them, and helps prevent irritation and razor burn.

Plus, a sharp blade makes for a faster shave. You can move over the skin more quickly without yanking hairs, and it’s less likely to miss hairs, so you don’t have to go over the same spot over and over. That’s good for traveling when you’re likely to be busier than usual.

Take Care of Your Face

If you’re traveling, your skin is going to deal with a lot it’s not used to. The water is different, there are different allergens, you’re under stress. As a result, it may be more prone to irritation if you don’t take extra good care of it and the hair that grows out of it.

If you keep some of your facial hair grown out, the best way to do this is with beard oil or beard balm. These are natural products that use a thick base like castor oil along with essential oils that provide specific benefits like soothing inflammation and hindering microbial growth. Apply some starting at the base of your beard after you wash and dry it.

If you have a clean shave or stubble, you should still at least moisturize your skin after a shave and wash it beforehand. This will keep the skin healthy and resilient to take on the stresses of traveling.

Only Bring the Accessories You Need

Some electric razors come with a lot of different accessories like extra heads and guards. These are great for getting the right shave, but you should only bring them on your trip if you need them. They tend to be small and hard to keep track of, so you might lose them in the chaos of traveling. Then you won’t have them when you do need them.

Whatever accessories you do bring, make sure to put them back in the carrying case or suitcase after you use them. That’s the best way to keep track of them and not end up leaving them on the hotel room’s bathroom counter.

Check the Hotel Before You Leave

Okay, so this one applies even if you don’t have an electric travel shaver. Check your hotel room all over before you check out. Even if you’re positive you have everything packed, check again. Why would you have put your electric razor in the fridge? Doesn’t matter, check there too.

People always seem to leave things in hotel rooms, and often in the most unexpected places. You don’t want the thing you leave to be your electric razor, especially if you have more legs of your trip to go. For that reason, take one last look around the room before you go.

Time to Take Off

There’s no reason you can’t see the world but still keep your facial hair looking well-groomed and presentable—you just need a device that meets your needs. Good luck, have fun, and safe travels!

Michael Morris is the head writer here at Rough and Tumble Gentleman. He's got a ducktail beard and loves Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He's married to the woman of his dreams and lives in Brooklyn, NY.

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