rotary vs foil which one do i get help

[Jared Ott]

ok so im trying to buy my first electric razor and everyones saying different things about rotary and foil and i dont get it. like whats the actual difference besides the shape??


i went to target and they had both kinds but the guy working their didnt know anything he just kept saying "there both good" which doesnt help me at all. i watched some youtube videos but half of them are just sponsored so i dont trust what there saying.


my beard isnt super thick but it grows pretty fast. i usually shave like 3 times a week with disposables but im tired of buying them and dealing with shaving cream and all that. just want something quick and easy for mornings before work.


budget is around $60-80 so nothing crazy expensive. i saw the philips norelco 3500 and some braun series 3 on amazon that looked decent but dont know if rotary or foil is better for me.


does it even matter that much or is it just personal preference? some people act like its a huge deal and others say just pick one.


thanks


Jared

 

[Shaverman]

Jared, your question will likely evoke several opinions and answers...even from the people on this site. Like others on this site, I have both foil and rotary, corded and rechargeable.

The fact that you say you shave 3 times a week means you aren't looking for a daily, somewhat closer shave that a foil is good for. Rotaries seem to take on more growth easier than foil shavers...and the combs are thicker so you wouldn't tear them like you could a foil. If you tear a foil, it can leave your face with cut marks. Rotaries don't do that.

If you want to make sure a rotary works for your needs, you could invest in a low-cost plug-in Philips 1000 rotary shaver first. It uses the same cutters and combs as the higher level 2000 and 3000 series, but you don't have to charge it. If you don't like the rotary shave, you haven't invested a lot of money. And getting it from Philips directly might be cheaper than buying online at a retailer.

Many of us also like foils (Braun and Remington mostly). They provide a very close shave with their thin foils, but they don't do as well if your beard growth is several days out.

Again, before you invest much money, you could try a low-cost rotary (Philips 1000 or Remington R50) first. If you like it, you can buy a fancier model with more bells and whistles and it would be rechargeable....which is convenient in its own way. Good luck.

 

[Jim Elliott]

Jared, welcome. This goes back to the money-back guarantee of each razor company and even the guarantee of the place you buy the razor from. You specifically mentioned Amazon. They have a good return/money-back guarantee policy. Try a low-end foil like the Braun 3 from Amazon first. try it for three weeks. If it isn't for you, return it and then order a Philips Norelco 3500 from Amazon. Keep us posted.