7 Best Electric Shavers for Sensitive Skin: No Burn, No Irritation

Did you know that around 45% of US citizens have sensitive skin? At least a well-conducted research published in 2017 suggests so and you can read it in the National Library of Medicine website now!

Another study in 2022 suggests that the situation is much more grave with 71% of US adults suffering from sensitive skin to a certain extent!

It’s not only a concern for health, but also a pointer for you to re-evaluate what sort of shaving or grooming products you are utilizing on your skin.

And it begs to highlight the importance of owning the best electric shaver for sensitive skin to allow your skin a kinder and more deserved treatment.

But which shaver to pick out from the market of thousands for this criteria alone? Well, I’m here to make that search significantly easier for you!

Is a Specialized Shaver for Sensitive Skin Worth it?

In hindsight, it might feel there’s no need for investing in a specialized shaver that caters to your sensitive skin. But trust me, it’ll pay you back in the long run, no matter how much it costs.

If you have sensitive skin, you’re already familiar with all the discomfort, redness, irritation, tugs or pulls you endure during or after every shaving session.

A specialized shaver vows to spare you all these agitations and make your shaving experience a comfortable and effortless one.

The shavers I mentioned contain almost all of the necessary features required to comfort sensitive skin.

Features like upgraded blade system, hypoallergenic covering, minimal skin to blade contact, wet shaving capability, contour adaptation etc. are of essence in this regard.

It means, you should never settle for anything less!

Best Electric Shavers for Sensitive Skin

What good are these seven particular shavers over all the other products when it comes to sensitive skin? Analyzing each of them separately might give you some ideas!

Photo: 7 Best Sensitive Skin Electric Shavers

Note: The star ratings for each shaver is solely on their comfort & quality of shave over sensitive skin and doesn’t represent their overall status.

BaBylissPRO MetalFX Foil Shaver

I’ll start my reviews with the shaver that caters mostly to the consumers who prefer to shave quickly in dry conditions.

If your sensitive skin agitates by the slightest touch of blades without sufficient moisture but you can’t find enough time to set up a lengthy shaving routine, BabylissPRO is here for the rescue.

BaBylissPRO MetalFX Shaver Body

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The BabylissPRO MetalFX (FOILFX02 Black) is the perfect answer for a question like this due to tons of qualities.

Primarily, the most helpful aspect for sensitive skin is the offset double foil system that’s covered with hypoallergenic material.

BaBylissPRO MetalFX Foils Close up

My neck region is very sensitive to blades and thus I consider myself the perfect candidate to test out this BabylissPRO shaver.

To be honest, the foils felt really good! It’s pressure sensitive, meaning there’s room for adjustment even over the ups and downs of your skin.

BaBylissPRO MetalFX Foils Removed

I’ve undone the head with a click of the unlock mechanism on the sides to get up close with the blades underneath the foils.

The set of blades is really sharp! Upon turning on, these blades vibrate rapidly and chops out the hair fed through the smartly designed foils.

BaBylissPRO MetalFX Blades Close up

You want to ensure there’s minimal duration of skin to blade contact to avoid irritation, thus a powerful motor is of utmost essence.

Otherwise you could be prone to shaving burns, tugs or pulls. I’m glad that BabylissPRO considers this factor too and has equipped this shaver with an energized rotary motor capable of running at 10,000 RPM.

BaBylissPRO MetalFX Grip

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I wouldn’t go on calling the pressure sensitivity of the shaver to be accurately following along your facial contour. But for a tiny device, the horizontal adjustment is quite good enough.

As per shaving your sensitive skin, you need to be very cautious with your glides and try to be as neat as you can without pressing down too hard on your skin.

BaBylissPRO MetalFX vs Andis ProFoil Size

That’s why portability is a big concern. Because entanglement with cords or being compromised by a gigantic-sized shaver is not something I desire for my irritable skin.

When it comes to this matter, the FOILFX02 excels tremendously! It’s so small that you can easily carry it inside your pocket with the cap on.

BaBylissPRO MetalFX Power Button

Also, the battery life is a big advantage here. Running for up to 3 hours is astounding and it makes traveling much easier since you won’t have to carry a charger alongside.

And for the housing, it’s built with metal in black – slightly heavy but absolutely solid. You won’t have to worry ever about damaging the outer shells.

The shiny metal housing could have disrupted a firm grip but the shape and size of the design has compensated for it.

BaBylissPRO MetalFX Unhinging Foils

All of the factors I just mentioned add bonus points to maneuverability since I can effortlessly adjust and re-adjust the shaver on my skin, as much as I want to!

You can clean the shaver by removing the head, brushing the hair out or even washing the foils. But know that it’s not waterproof, so be wary of this factor before going near water with it.

There’s only one LED light blinking at the bottom of it for different signals. The user manual will tell you about it in detail.

BaBylissPRO MetalFX Underside

The outcome of all these features results in a very close shave without much effort. In my opinion, this is the best dry shaver that comes in a tiny size, especially for reactive skin.

So, is the FOILFX02 a good choice for sensitive skin? I’d say – YES! It doesn’t leave any degree of burn, has great room for maneuverability and of course, relentless durability.

Only downside is, you can’t shave longer beard with it, so it’s a shaver for ones who prefer to use it on a regular basis, something like a daily quick shave.

Its price might be an issue for many, but trust me, it’s well worth it. Whether you talk about the performance, shaving comfort or miniscule size, the FOILFX02 seems to have nailed it in each department.

What I Like

What I Don’t Like 

Braun Series 9 9370cc

The Braun Series 9 9370cc is the most comfortable, if not, one of the comfortable electric shavers I’ve ever experienced on my sensitive skin.

I’ve reached this conclusion based on numerous factors that require some elaboration. Once I’m done, see if you can agree with my take on the shaver.

Braun Series 9 9370cc Shaver Body

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I must stress on my admiration of the comfort level delivered by the Braun Series 9. It feels nothing but a slight vibration on my skin until I realize all of my beard is gone from the roots!

Braun has achieved that with the help of superior technology paired with some brilliant design! The vibration I mentioned is caused by the merger between Intelligent Sonic and AutoSense Technology.

Braun Series 9 9370cc Motor Heads

If you remove the shaver’s head, you’ll see the motor rapidly vibrate the hooks at 10,000 RPM in a motion that doesn’t irritate skin at any capacity.

The great thing about this shaver is that it automatically identifies the density of your beard and adjusts the motor power accordingly with the AutoSense feature.

Braun Series 9 9370cc Foil Remove Button

It means, you get the exact power you need for an ideal shave – not too much or not too less. And such perfection reduces every risk of ending up with irritated skin after shaving.

Sitting over this magnificent motor is the shaving unit consisting of 5 shaving elements. Four are cutting elements and the fifth is a SkinGuard that happens to be a blessing in disguise.

Braun Series 9 9370cc Foil Underneath

The SkinGuard keeps the skin from getting in direct contact with the blades. This is a great advantage since sensitive skins find great benefit from this feature alone!

Additionally, the four other cutting elements consist of two foil units with two specialized trimmers in the middle.

Braun Series 9 9370cc Foils Close up

None of these units establish skin to blade contact, rather have their own technology of feeding the hair through the sheet for a clean removal.

How close does it get in terms of shaving quality? I’d say, Braun Series 9 is one of the closest electric shavers mankind has ever developed.

Braun Series 9 9370cc Tilting Head

For both cases, the 10-D contour adaptation is certainly helpful! The shaver’s head tilts back and forth to a great extent and is complemented by the pressure adjustability of the shaving units.

These altogether maintain accurate contour adaptation to generate close shaves and not let you feel a single thing at the same time!

Braun Series 9 9370cc Grip

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It’s worth mentioning that the specialized trimmers are coated with titanium – it not only lasts the blades for a long time but also is kind to sensitive skins.

Braun Series 9 shaver is 100% waterproof, so wet shaving is a great option for our cause. If there was any possibility your skin irritated shaving dry with this, just dampen them or put on shaving gel.

Braun Series 9 9370cc Rubber Padding

Afraid of a hefty cleaning session afterward? Not to worry! Because the 9370cc comes with a smart cleaning station that does it for you!

Although it comes off as a barber’s choice feature, ones with sensitive skin who require frequent cleaning of the blades can enjoy the same blessing nonetheless.

Braun Series 9 9370cc LED Display

Also, the design of this shaver enhances maneuverability with lightweight design, solid grip due to the ergonomic elements and a tactile thumb rest.

This portable shaver holds juice for a long time, almost up to an hour with a full charge. Both the charger and the cleaning station can power it up.

The power level is shown by an LED display, along with the travel lock icon and warning signs for cleaning.

Braun Series 9 9370cc Pop-up Trimmer

If you’ve missed out a sensitive spot and don’t want to glide over that again, the pop-up trimmer built into the shaver comes in handy!

What makes Braun Series 9 shaver one of the best on sensitive skin then? From shaving outcome, comfort to all the premium, durable materials that have been put to good use, not to mention the newer technology – all of it comes together for people with sensitive skin.

You can now get away with quick shaves to the closest possible level and there would be no skin irritation or razor burn afterward!

For such a degree of convenience and ease (like having a cleaning station charging, washing and lubing the shaver for me), I probably wouldn’t look at the price tag.

What I Like

What I Don’t Like 

Braun Series 7 7071cc

If you don’t want to chunk out a significant portion of your wallet to help out your sensitive skin, the Braun Series 7 shaver could be a great alternative!

It’s still a product that’s priced over $100 but that cost is significantly less than Braun Series 9 shaver with a similar  kindness on your irritable skin.

Braun Series 7 7071cc Shaver Body

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Looking at the blade system, you’ll see why the price is less on this product. First of all, there are three shaving elements instead of five.

Foil meshes built with Braun’s SensoFoil technology cover up both of the sides. In between them sits a cutting trimmer that ensures a very close shave.

All of the blades are really sharp and kept separated from skin by the mesh or the cassette’s covers.

Braun Series 7 7071cc Foils Close up

Although the shaving results won’t be as good as Braun Series 9 but the difference is quite negligible. What matters more is how comfortable it is on sensitive skin after a complete grooming session.

The shaver’s head will not tilt in the same manner as the Series 9 due to the utilization of a different 360 degree Adaptive System.

Braun Series 7 7071cc 360 Degree Head

Instead of moving in two directions, the head of Series 7 moves in every direction! This in one hand compromises the precision of a barber who needs their shaver to be slightly more rigid.

The movement of the shaver’s head is further enhanced by the springiness of the three blades. You can dab the shaver on your face and feel it automatically adjusting over the bumps without missing a spot.

Braun Series 7 7071cc Foils Removed

And on the other hand, it’s great for sensitive skin! Contour adaptation is slightly better and kinder on the skin as opposed to forcing obstacles to bend their way – resulting in razor burn.

The housing as well plays a great part in ensuring such a degree of comfort. Its handle is much slimmer than the one of Series 9 which makes it convenient for a full grasp.

Even if you were to hold it with the tip of your fingers, you could very easily. The rubber grips at the back would support any type of grip you may require out of this device.

Braun Series 7 7071cc Grip

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Also, the weight in the shaver allows the consumer to glide in any direction they want. I still won’t suggest you shave against the grain, even if you must make a couple more passes.

Motor power for the Series 7 shaver isn’t explicitly mentioned anywhere. My assessment suggests it comes a little shy of Series 9.

AutoSense existed even in this older generation of Braun, so that’s a big plus if your skin suffers from over or underperforming motor power.

Braun Series 7 7071cc Foil Underneath

The dry shave on sensitive skin is quite alright with this shaver, but wet shaves felt better from my side.

That is achievable, of course, due to the waterproof technology and wet-shaving capable design.

Continuous rinsing isn’t always necessary and post-shave cleaning as well as maintenance is taken care of by the 4-in-1 Cleaning Station that comes in the box.

Braun Series 7 7071cc LED Panel

Battery life is good in my opinion for the Series 7, lasting up to 50 minutes with a full charge. I think it’ll suffice for most people since regular shaving shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes even if you’re extra cautious.

The LED panel is an average one, similar to the Series 9 shaver. A button under the power switch turns on the display for your convenience.

I like neither of the two buttons on the Series 7 shaver as I have to dip my fingers into the rubbery mess real good to get them right.

Braun Series 7 7071cc Trimmer Attached

My advice has always been for sensitive skin shavers is to keep the beard real short. Otherwise, you’re in for some painful tugs.

On that note, the Series 7 shaver has an outdated feature of EasyClick that allows you to use a separate trimmer head that comes inside the box.

If you think you can’t shave once every three days, pop on the separate head and trim out a little. Then you can let the main head do the rest!

Braun Series 7 7071cc Rubber Padding

Braun Series 7 shaver is a great device both for regular shaving and offering comfort to skin during and after the shave.

Who is it for? My simple answer is, for those who prefer the convenience of Braun Series 9 but cannot afford it, the Series 7 shaver would be the ideal alternative that comes really close to performing like its successor.

What I Like

What I Don’t Like 

Panasonic ARC5 ES-LV67-K

The Panasonic ARC5 LV67-K is the perfect tool for wet shaving and it’s the only shaver in my list that goes closest to the skin the way manual razors do.

It’s a big compliment really, for an electric shaver to match the quality of manual shaves and remain kind to the skin at the same time.

Panasonic ARC5 ES-LV67-K Shaver Body

Let me begin with the most important factor of this shaver and that’s the shaving unit. You’ll find 5 cutting units built with stainless steel and 4 of them are foils.

The unit in the middle is slightly different from the remaining four in the sense that it’s the finisher for a close shave.

While the four units grab and feed your lying hair to the sharp set of blades underneath, the fifth element cleans up after to smooth out the hair with your skin.

Panasonic ARC5 ES-LV67-K Foils Close up

70,000 cross cuts are delivered by the shaver per minute as it’s backed up by a 14,000 CPM high performance linear motor, powerful enough to chop through any density of bushes.

If I have to regard the Braun Series 9 to be the overall best electric shaver for sensitive skins, the ARC5 LV67-K would be the best for ones with coarse or curly hair over irritable skin.

Panasonic ARC5 ES-LV67-K Foils Removed

The cuts are so rapidly done that if it was any other device, you’d be left with blood clots underneath your skin, irritations and razor burns once you’ve done shaving.

But the LV67-K has endorsed a unique way to counter-balance such shaving technology. This was achieved by a combination of technology attached to the blade system, shaver head and motor power adjustment.

Panasonic ARC5 ES-LV67-K Blade Adaptation

The blades can tilt up to 30 degrees upon pressure, rending a comfortable experience on the skin as the sharp ends don’t contact the skin layer directly.

Shaver head on the ARC5 is also a miracle – turns 16 directions to adapt to contours precisely with the aid of both horizontal and vertical tilting.

Panasonic ARC5 ES-LV67-K Tilting Head

This tilting has been limited to a certain extent to retain the shaving quality, unlike the Braun Series 7 shaver, and thus it’s favored even by professional groomers worldwide.

As per the shaving technology, the in-built Active Beard Density Sensor assesses your beard’s coarseness 220 times per second.

With that assessment, motor power is readjusted 14 times per second. The numbers are crazy to be honest. While Braun Series 9 does something similar, they’ve never put the exact numbers up for public knowledge.

Panasonic ARC5 ES-LV67-K Thumb Rest

This automatic adjustment of motor power guarantees a gentle touch of blades on your skin, not running as a power house to leave you scarred.

Ergonomically the ARC5 shaver is bulky like the Braun Series 9 but encourages wet shaving more with their extended rubber shell and a designated thumb rest place.

Also, wet shaving capable blades and waterproof shaver lets you dampen your beard to make the shaving an effortless procedure. This approach cools down your skin underneath the beard and prevents skin jumpiness.

Panasonic ARC5 ES-LV67-K Ergonomics

You can wash the shaver under running water easily. The foil head pops out with the press of one button on each side to allow deeper cleansing.

Maneuverability is a prime concern for sensitive skin shaving to maximize control over glides. A battery life of 50 minutes sees to it.

The LED panel in this shaver is similar to the one of Braun Series 9. It shows every necessary icon like travel lock, cleaning requirements and of course, battery levels.

Panasonic ARC5 ES-LV67-K LED Panel

I’d rank the sensitive skin shaving comfort for this shaver somewhere in between the Braun Series 9 and Series 7 because there are a couple of drawbacks despite being such a great product.

The major one is that the 5 blade system makes the head really bulky. Not really ideal to shave your mustache or shave over fine areas.

Panasonic ARC5 ES-LV67-K Pop-up Trimmer

There’s a built-in pop-up trimmer at the back that opens up with the same locking mechanism slider. You can use that to remove your mustache, trim around pimples or highly sensitive regions.

But to be honest, it’s not a permanent workaround. Braun Series 9 faces similar issues with the bulky head but the two cassettes instead of one in the middle makes up for this to a great extent.

Panasonic ARC5 ES-LV67-K Grip

The comfort the ARC5 LV67-K has provided my sensitive parts of the face cannot be sufficiently described in any amount of words I put into this article.

It costs less than the Braun Series 9, offers a closer shave, grip level is supreme in both conditions and overall a durable shaver made in Germany that’ll last years.

Why don’t you give it a try?

What I Like

What I Don’t Like 

Andis TS-1 17235 Pro Foil

We’ll now enter the budget end shavers that are kind to sensitive skins and I can never complete this list without mentioning the Andis Pro Foil shaver.

Much like the BabylissPRO FOILFX02, the Andis shaver is meant for dry shaves. Unlike other dry shaving units, this beauty has tons of features that cater particularly to irritable parts of your skin.

Andis TS-1 17235 Pro Foil Shaver Body

For instance, the foil portions are built with hypoallergenic materials and coated with gold titanium since these are proven to prevent rash or irritation after shaving.

The two foils contain octagonal holes instead of circular to feed all of the flat lying hair perfectly. It’s worth mentioning that this shaver works better with a stubble of 3 days at maximum.

Andis TS-1 17235 Pro Foil Shaver Foils Close up

Anything longer than this length should cause tugs or pulls since foil shavers aren’t meant to be used on longer hair.

Cutting elements on this shaver are really sharp. If you remove the shaver’s foil head with a click of the button at the side, you’ll see two independent drive shafts over the cutter blades.

Andis TS-1 17235 Pro Foil Octagonal Holes

These foils are adaptive, meaning they respond to pressure horizontally. But don’t expect perfect contour adaptation like the Braun or Panasonic shavers.

It means you’ll have to rely more on your skill and hand movement for pain-free glides. But it doesn’t imply that the learning curve is steep.

Andis TS-1 17235 Pro Foil Blades Underneath

Rather I’d say it’s a really great shaver for beginners who are planning on buying their first shaver to use on a regular basis.

The motor is indeed ideal – a turbocharged powerhouse performing at 9,000 RPM – perfect for effortless shave over sensitive skin.

Also, the ergonomics of the shaver helps out a lot and I’d say the grip level is better than the FOILFX02 due to the alteration of plastic texture allowing finger placement.

Andis TS-1 17235 Pro Foil Weight

Despite the plastic build that can be prone to damage, the lightweight of under 5 oz balances that out. You won’t feel any fatigue even after prolonged shaving sessions.

When all of it comes together, the shaving experience is not only pain, tug, pull or irritation free, but also the closeness is something I can live with.

If you want the closest shave possible in the quickest time, I wouldn’t say Andis Pro Foil is the best one in this regard as you’ll have to make more passes than the Braun or Panasonic shavers.

Andis TS-1 17235 Pro Foil Unlock Button

But to get away with a closeness that’s 90% as neat as the BabylissPRO FOILFX02 within 5 minutes, then I’d certainly urge you to grab this shaver.

Portability is further ensured by the battery life of over an hour. Mind you, it’s a very basic shaver without fusion of the latest technology, so forget about stuff like travel locks or auto cleaning.

Andis TS-1 17235 Pro Foil Grip

There’s no LED display but only an LED indicator light at the bottom of the shaver. It tells you when the battery is dying, when it’s charging and when the battery is filled to the brim.

You have to clean it by yourself with a brush to remove stray hair from the chamber. Since it’s not waterproof, I’d suggest against washing the entire shaver.

Rather, you can only wash the foil head once removed. I’ve done it and it turned out alright, so I’m giving you the green signal for that.

Andis TS-1 17235 Pro Foil Head Brushing

Lastly, it’s not a shaver whose sole purpose is to shave your beard since it can be used for fading your side hair or cleaning out the neck as well.

Again, the prerequisite is to have the hair a very short length for a tug-free experience. I can most certainly claim that the shaver is versatile.

Who should be buying this? Ones who prefer dry shaves on sensitive skin, want close results in a short time, are looking for a daily pocket shaver for their beard and want all of that without losing an arm and a leg.

What I Like

What I Don’t Like 

Braun Electric Series 3

No matter how many newer shaver designs you may present before my eyes, my heart will always remain with the looks of this Braun Series 3 shaver.

Compared to the latest Braun shavers, the Series 3 contains almost all of their basic features and the smart shaver head is renowned for offering comfortable shave over sensitive skins.

Braun Electric Series 3 Shaver Body

It excels at giving out the best possible outcome with a minimum number of shaving units. It has only 3 on the head – two SensoFoils like the Series 7 and one cassette down the middle.

These foils are oval shaped and the cassette covers slightly less area than the likes of Andis Pro Foil or BabylissPRO FOILF02.

While this particular design has proven to be of great comfort for sensitive skins, it also means you’ll have to take a little more time to get things done right.

Braun Electric Series 3 Foils Close up

Shaving closeness is still great, I’d say it’s better when done in wet conditions. Sharpness was never in doubt as well as the security of your skin from rigorous cutting actions.

For both wet and dry shaves, it’s one of the most agile shavers because of the ergonomics. The sides are covered in textured rubber that will never slip out of your hand, even if things are slippery with shaving gel.

Braun Electric Series 3 Ergonomics Close up

Another great thing is its waterproof nature. No matter where you shave, over the basin or under the shower, the shaver withstands it all!

Piled on top of it, cleaning is really straightforward. Brush out for dry shaves, or rinse under the tap for wet shaves. You can wash it regardless since it’s completely leak-proof.

Braun Electric Series 3 Foils Removed

There’s little risk of running out of juice since the battery life lasts around 45 minutes, long enough to get multiple clean shaves out of it.

Battery indicator is an increment of three lights and the design team has managed to make it look premium.

Braun Electric Series 3 Battery Indicator

Another win for sensitive skin is the existence of AutoSense technology, helping the shaver adjust to your beard’s density.

It prevents overworking the motor and spares you irritation on your skin, especially around the sensitive parts of your face.

Braun Electric Series 3 Floating Blades

The blades contain a floating system that adapts according to your pressure and certain extrusions over the skin.

But there are of course, certain limitations to the shaver. And one of the major limitations is that the shaver head is fixed permanently since there’s no pivoting neck.

Also, three cutting elements imply you’ll have to make a few more passes to get the closest outcome unlike the Series 9 or ARC5.

Braun Electric Series 3 Grip

But it’s also a great benefit in the sense that the two top shavers have really bulky heads. Whereas the Series 3 with only three cutting elements can adjust even to the thin shaving areas of your face.

As a bonus, it even has a built-in pop-up trimmer at the back! And would you believe it, the Series 3 supports EasyClick feature to purchase aftermarket trimmer heads!

You’ll be free to trim out your stubble longer than 3 days with it so that the foil units work perfectly and pain-free. So many features in one shaver is honestly like a dream come true.

Braun Electric Series 3 Pop-up Trimmer

Considering the price point, durable materials used for developing the shaver, portability, ergonomics, shaving closeness and of course, comfortable shaving experience for any skin type – it’s a budget killer in my opinion.

While the Andis Pro Foil may be the best dry shaver within budget, the Series 3 is the overall best budget electric shaver due to its versatility.

What I Like

What I Don’t Like 

Philips Norelco Shaver 3800

There’s only one rotary shaver capable of handling sensitive skin without making you feel like selling a kidney and that’s the Norelco 3800 Shaver from Philips!

The good thing about this rotary shaver is that there’s no skin to blade contact which is usually the prime reason to trigger sensitive skin into irritation.

Philips Norelco Shaver 3800 Shaver Body

Only downside is something that’s applicable to every rotary shaver – their method of circular animation on the skin that can prove difficult around tighter spots or under the neck.

You’ll find 27 self-sharpening blades under the three rotary foils running rapidly, all thanks to the motors. These aren’t over the top powerful, so the sound level is kept to a minimum for consumer convenience.

Philips Norelco Shaver 3800 Blades Close up

These blades have a tendency to dip inside upon pressure to prevent your skin from accidental disturbance. While it may compromise shaving closeness to a minute extent, this still remains as a comfort-giver on sensitive skins!

In terms of contour adjustment, the neck tilting is very limited and it’s nothing like the Braun Series 9, Series 7 or Panasonic ARC5.

Philips Norelco Shaver 3800 Blade Adaptability

You’ll have to rely solely on the flex heads that can pivot in 5 directions. Philips calls these blades ComfortCuts and they are much wider than most other rotary shavers.

To conveniently shave in wet conditions, the shaver must be waterproof and the Norelco 3800 is rightly so.

I won’t say dry shaving has given me the best outcome for my skin since the circular animation isn’t a very gentle way of treating irritable bits.

Philips Norelco Shaver 3800 Grip

But with some water and shaving gel, the Norelco 3800 glides like an airplane flying over a bump-free, smooth region.

This mode of operation wouldn’t have been possible without the smart housing design. A perfectly shaped device covered with textured rubber is the best possible way of going about it.

It prevents any sort of slipping and allows for firmer grip over extended periods of time. This contributes to the required finesse you’d be demanded to treat your sensitive skin delicately.

Philips Norelco Shaver 3800 Pop-up Trimmer

As I’ve mentioned, the rotary head cannot be accommodated to the narrower patches of beard, thus comes in a mini pop-up trimmer built into the shaver.

It does an average job at leaning out patches on crannies but that’s still better than having to struggle with your rotary head and ending up with razor burns afterward.

For shaving in the shower, a shaver must be portable and the Norelco 3800 is just that! A good li-ion battery runs the shaver for around an hour.

Philips Norelco Shaver 3800 LED Indicator

Usually, rotary shavers don’t take more than 10 minutes for a completely clean shave. So, the battery life is nothing to be worried about.

One thing to know beforehand is that rotary shavers don’t work with longer stubbles. Therefore it’s essential to keep your beard either trimmed before a shave, or to shave at least once in every 2-3 days.

There’s an LED battery level indicator in the body. It doesn’t show the percentage, rather the levels in bars. This is quite accurate and warns about low battery with some juice still left to wrap up.

Philips Norelco Shaver 3800 Blade Unlock Button

A charging stand is included in the package to enhance your convenience. Also, cleaning is much easier with the unlock button placed in the middle of the frontal blade unit.

With a press, you can rinse the entire portion of foils and hair storage portion. You might as well remove the foil head from the hinges for a thorough cleaning.

Philips Norelco Shaver 3800 Motor Underneath

You’ll find a couple of other variants of this shaver in the market. But from what I’ve experienced, this Norelco 3800 is the better variant than the others, especially when sensitive skin-friendliness is our prime concern.

What I Like

What I Don’t Like 

Is My Verdict on Best Electric Shaver for Sensitive Skin Credible?

You may ask this question and I’d appreciate it if you did. Because then I’d be able to tell you how I managed to get my data and reached a conclusion, starting from day 1.

I already owned a few of my listed products and ordered a couple more upon learning about them from authentic reviewers, first-hand users and a couple of my barber friends.

This journey began with a total of 18 shavers – which I personally tested on myself around the neck region and my friend who’s terrified of blades due to his sensitive skin.

After a 2-month struggle where I broke down the shavers into bits, undone the foil units to see the blades and tried out on stubbles at different growths in wet or dry conditions, I was able to sort down 10 shavers.

From the top 10, I had to disqualify two because of the lacking in their shaving closeness and one due to poor contour adaptation – which is highly important for sensitive skins.

Finally, I ended up with 7 of the most well-tested (up to the point of breaking them down or clogging them with water) shavers that I can most certainly certify as safe and ideal for sensitive skins!

‘2-Month’ Test Results for Sensitive Skin Shavers

My metrics for the assessment of the best electric shaver for sensitive skin is built upon a principle I developed and it’s called the “S5M” of shavers:

Sharpness > Motor Power > Material of Foils > Maneuverability > Mode of Shaving > Movement over Skin

Upon these six criteria, I managed to score each of the shavers and compiled those scores at the end to find out which one comes out on top!

Sharpness

3 Types of Shaver Blades

My sharpness assessment is solely blade on the blades and doesn’t consider aspects like foil or motor power. I’ve undone every blade from within the foils (yes, even the Norelco 3800) to check out their sharpness individually.

By my analysis, the Braun Series 9 and Panasonic ARC5 LV67-K have the sharpest blades of the lot. Don’t get me wrong, the gap between these two with the rest isn’t a huge one.

But still, their tiny blades that run rapidly underneath the foils and the one placed in the cassette slightly have an edge that the others just come a little shy of.

It also has to do with the number of shaving elements. Both consist of five – a landmark that none of the other shavers in the list achieved in their design.

Then comes the BabylissPRO FOILFX02 with some sharp and springy blades underneath the foils. I even accidentally cut myself when the shaver was turned off, so you can imagine how efficient it would be while removing your facial hair.

Third is the Braun Series 7 shaver in the sharpness ranking, followed by a tie between the Andis ProFoil, Braun Series 3 and Norelco 3800.

Since all of their blades are covered by some sort of foil, this sharpness is much appreciated while performing on sensitive skins!

Motor Power

3 Types of Motors

Motor power assessment consists of two aspects: how the numbers are advertised by the brands and how they sound/feel in real life against that stat.

I wasn’t at all surprised to find the BabylissPRO FOILFX02 at the top of the list. To make the dual-layered foil system to proper work, a weaker motor could never have sufficed!

Panasonic ARC5 LV67-K and the Braun Series 9 shavers are tied for second place. Both of them carry powerful motors, but the raw performance sees them slightly behind the FOILFX02.

I’d call it a draw between the Braun Series 7, Series 3 and Andis ProFoil shavers in this department, although the work they’ve done with the motors is commendable.

The least power generating motor in the list probably belongs to the Norelco 3800. Since it’s a rotary shaver, energetic motor power isn’t of utmost importance so that I can fully understand.

What a powerful motor does is, it properly utilizes the blade’s sharpness and reduces tendency to tug or pull.

Also, good motors get your shaving done much faster and you minimize the blade to sensitive skin contact by a large margin!

Material of Foils

Blades Removed side by side

The materials used for composing the foil system are equally important as the two categories I’ve just skimmed through.

Because it determines how your hair is going to be fed to the blades, how much distance you get between your sensitive skin and the sharpness and also, whether the materials are hypoallergenic.

While all of my listed shavers grant a very close shave despite being electronic units, Braun Series 9 and Panasonic ARC5 are the two top shavers with the most premium foil material.

Braun Series 9 foils are coated with titanium that’s kinder on sensitive skin and built to last for months!

On the other hand, ARC5 is built with premium Japanese stainless steel, something that glides over hair without irritating the skin!

Second comes the BabylissPRO shaver with its hypoallergenic foils shaped perfectly for irritable skin.

In terms of skin safety based on foil materials, Braun Series 7 and Norelco 3800 falls right behind the BabylissPRO unit.

Series 7 carries a similar titanium coating over foils while the Norelco 3800 walks the stainless steel path like the ARC5 – both of which should be preferable to sensitive skin consumers.

Braun Series 3 as well has that similar titanium coating but it’s still a little less comforting as opposed to its successors.

Lastly, Andis ProFoil comes home with a gold titanium coated double foil system which is kinder on sensitive skin but that requires some breaking in for the skin over the span of one month.

Maneuverability

Different Grips of Shavers

Maneuverability implies the ease of gliding over skin with your shaver and how much of the control is rested upon you.

Andis ProFoil, being the lightest and tiniest one, excels in this department! You won’t feel any fatigue even if you had to shave with it all day long.

Such precision aids you in the sense that you can input pressure according to your burning sensation (if any) unlike other shavers requiring a firm press against the skin.

BabylissPRO and Braun Series 3 shavers are next in terms of maneuverability. Despite being a heavy shaver, BabylissPRO is perfectly balanced and responds to the slightest of hand movement, much like the Series 3.

Braun Series 7 is a tad bit bulkier, especially if you consider the size of the head. Yet, it manages to get the job done with some stretching of skin around the sensitive bits.

Up until now, all of the shavers are capable of operating even at the tighter spots – be that your mustache, beside the ears or under the neck.

Braun Series 9 and Panasonic ARC5 carry two of the bulkiest heads possible. While they are great for your sensitive skin, there’s no denying that these shavers falter at narrower regions.

Lastly, the Norelco 3800 allows the least amount of freedom in this regard due to the massive shaver head and the circular motion demanded by the rotary system.

Mode of Shaving

Wet, Dry and Both Capable Shavers

This is very straightforward to assess: it takes into account which of the shavers are capable of shaving in dry/wet/both conditions and gives out a verdict on the particular mode you should opt for regarding precise shavers.

Among all of the shavers, the Braun Series 9 has performed in the best possible way over sensitive skin in both dry and wet conditions without any burn or irritation.

Second in the list is the Panasonic ARC5 which I’ll recommend using for wet shaves in this regard despite being capable of shaving in both conditions.

I’d say the same for the Braun Series 7 and Series 3 shavers as their wet shaves are more comforting on sensitive skin than doing it in dry.

The reason behind ranking them behind the ARC5 has to do with their efficiency. ARC5 handles wet shaves supremely well as opposed to these two.

Norelco 3800 was born to be used with shaving gel or lotion in wet conditions and that would be the best way to go about irritable skins with this shaver.

Lastly, BabylissPRO and Andis ProFoil are the two shavers reliant upon dry shaving alone. They’ll get a comfortable job done for most people with sensitive skins while some may want to seek refuge in the post-shave care routine to ease slight burning sensations.

Movement over Skin

Two Shavers Pressed against Neck

My last assessment takes into account how agile the shaver heads are over sensitive skin with the reinforcement of newer technology embedded in them.

Braun Series 9 and Panasonic ARC5 are the two shavers with the most dynamic heads, but the Series 9 is the prime choice in this category solely due to its SkinGuard within the shaving elements.

Otherwise, it tilts according to contour and adapts just the same as the ARC5. However, the latter is tied with Braun Series 7, Series 3 and Norelco 3800 for the similar amount of agility when gliding over sensitive parts of your skin.

Don’t misinterpret this – ARC5 has a better floating technology than the rest of the three on any given day. But when it comes to sensitive skin shaving, these four shavers seem to show a certain amount of similarity in their movement over skin.

Finally, BabylissPRO and Andis ProFoil shavers are the least adaptive in the list since their necks are rigid, floating of the foils is slightly limited and gliding over dry skin is less smooth than the rest.

Buyer’s Guide for Sensitive Skin-Friendly Electric Shavers

All 7 Shavers side by side

I’ll keep the buyer’s guide very simple for your comprehension because most of the major discussions have already been concluded up until this point.

So, if you want to grab yourself the best electric shaver for sensitive skin in the market without looking at the price tag, go for the Braun Series 9. It excels at every category and you’ll realize why even the barbers prefer it over most other devices once you use first-hand.

Secondly, if only wet shaving is your priority, grab yourself the Panasonic ARC5 LV67-K since this type of shaving on sensitive skin is one of its many strong suits.

Be that the adaptive head, blade elements, quality of shave or the ergonomics – I would never dare to pick any other shaver over this for wet shaves.

As per dry shaving, BabylissPRO FOILFX02 is a beast in this department. It’s portable, looks luxurious, has sharp blades, powerful motors and hypoallergenic foils to protect your sensitive skin.

For everything it has to offer except for the wet shaving capability, I’d say the price point is worth it as it’ll serve you for many years to come.

In the middle end of the budget, the Braun Series 7 stands alone in the foil shaver department. You can not only get good wet shaves on your sensitive skin, but also great dry shaves on any skin type.

Taking care of it is the least of trouble due to the Cleaning Station coming within the package and overall mimicking similar results as the Series 9.

If you have coarse hair, forget about all these foil shavers or trimming your beard before shaving and pick out the Norelco 3800.

Any density or thickness of beard will fail to stand in its way – just make sure you’re showing your sensitive skin the kindness by shaving in the wets.

Pick out the Andis ProFoil as your traveling companion due to its sleek shape, lightweight, firm grip and overall close shave even in the dry conditions.

The battery is good enough for a couple weeks of traveling where you might have to shave everyday and a splash of water afterward should calm your sensitive skin down!

Finally, the budget winner from my list is the Braun Series 3 shaver! It has every necessary feature required for sensitive skins as I call it the basic version of the Series 9.

And getting features like EasyClick, great blades, very neat shaves and superb ergonomics at this price point feels unreal to me.

Preparing Your Sensitive Skin Before Shaving

There’s nothing like having your sensitive skin prepared before a shave to make each of the glides feel soothing and not cause irritation afterward.

I’ll tell you 5 things you can do as your pre-shave routine for sensitive skin to retain skin health and ensure utmost comfort while shaving!

• Cleanse Your Skin: You should clean out your skin thoroughly before putting it through a shaving journey, because build ups can cause tugs, pulls or even nicks.
• Use Warm Water: No matter what you do with your skin before shaving, build this habit of using warm water. It breaks the skin tension and allows it to relax, which is highly important for sensitive skin.
• Apply a Pre-Shave Lotion or Oil: It doesn’t matter if you’re shaving wet or dry, apply a pre-shave lotion or something like aloe vera/olive oil lightly over your skin. This nourishes the skin, softens the beard and grants you a comfortable shaving experience.
• Exfoliate Gently: Sensitive skins are prone to any sort of scrubbing. So grab yourself a softer exfoliating brush and go about it very gently. Otherwise, you might end up with an irritation even before getting to the shaving part.
• Consider Using a Pre-Shave Cream: For wet shaves, do use shaving gel or pre-shave creams. There are specialized products for sensitive skins, so it’s better to check with your doctor before starting with one of them.

Following these 5 steps could ease the difficulty of shaving you had to face with your sensitive skin and your skin will be protected from any degree of agitation!

How to Shave on Sensitive Skin using Electric Shavers?

Remember that the general shaving rules don’t always apply when it comes to sensitive skin shaving. There are certain measures you have to take to ensure an irritation-free experience.

Why don’t I break it down to you?

• Prepare Your Skin: As I’ve mentioned earlier, always begin with a preparation phase of your skin before shaving. Following the pre-shave routine should suffice in this case.
• Trim Long Hairs First: You might not know this, but a big reason for getting tugged or pulled while shaving is operating on longer beards. It’s ideal to put electric razors on 2-3 days of stubble. Anything longer than that should be trimmed down with a safe trimmer.
• Pick a Section: Instead of going randomly, pick a section of your beard and start shaving. This way, you’ll know which sections have been done and minimize excessive blade action on your sensitive skin.
• Shave in the Right Direction: To shave over sensitive skin, always shave TOWARD your grains and not against. It might demand you to make a couple extra passes, but it’s still worth it for an itch-free shaving.
• Use a Gentle Touch: Don’t push your shaver too hard against your skin. Be close enough and gentle at the same time. Pressing firmly could arouse sensitive skin into burning or red patches.
• Avoid Pimples or Other Growth Areas: If there’s pimple or any other growth on your skin, make a light glide and leave that be. Overdoing could unsettle these and could even cause bleeding.
• Use Trimmer for Difficult Areas: You should use a separate trimer to treat difficult areas, even the pimples. Luckily, some shavers come with built-in trimmers for such precise tasks.
• Check for Patches and Glide Over: Once all the beard is removed, check if you have missed out on any unshaved patches. Run your shaver again over that area to clean things up.
• Post-Shave Care: Follow up your every shaving routine with a post-shave care. For your convenience, I’ve included a general routine in the following section.

This way, you’ll nail shaving your sensitive skin and not feel a thing once you’re done!

Sensitive Skin Post-Shave Care Routine

Taking care of your sensitive skin after every shaving session is equally as important as picking out a good electric shaver. Follow these 9 activities routinely to keep your skin healthy after all the tough bladework!

• Rinse with Cold Water: As the pre-shave routine begs you to use warm water, follow up the shaving with a rinse of cold water. It calms down any burning you might have on your sensitive skin and reduces blood clots under the skin.
• Apply Gentle, Alcohol-Free Toner: Instead of going for alcohol-based toners, settle for ones that don’t contain alcohol. Because alcohol-based toners tend to dry out your sensitive skin and cause itchiness.
• Pat Your Skin Dry: Don’t mop up your face rigorously after shaving, rather pat with a dry towel. This reduced friction helps to calm your skin down.
• Apply Alcohol-Free Aftershave: Same alcohol-free principle works on aftershaves. I’d rather say avoid aftershave lotions if there’s no nick or cut, which is probably the outcome you’d get with a good electric shaver.
• Consider Aloe Vera Gel: Instead of aftershave lotions, apply aloe vera gel. It’s good for sensitive skin, takes care of dryness and functions as an antiseptic after shaving.
• Fragrance-Free Moisturizer: If you must apply a moisturizer, pick ones that don’t contain any fragrance. Fragrant moisturizers contain ingredients that usually don’t suit sensitive skins.
• Avoid Products with Harsh Ingredients: Check for the ingredients in your facial post-shave products. If you see anything harsh listed there, don’t buy that.
• Skip Harsh Exfoliants: Many groomers prefer a post-shave exfoliation. If you think that’s applicable for you too, don’t make it a harsh one.
• Apply Cold Compress: Lastly, for burns and irritations after a shaving session, apply cold compress to ease your pain.

These methods have come in handy for me on separate accounts and my sensitive skin has never felt more relieved after shaving with an electric razor!

FAQ

Sensitive skin shaving is always a tricky area and it requires as much discussion as possible to make things comprehensive. I’m sure this FAQ section will be of much help!

Q: Is an electric shaver good for sensitive skin?

Ans: Yes! Electric shavers are probably the best way to go about shaving your sensitive skin. These shavers are endowed with features of the latest technology that cater to sensitive skins and cause as little agitation as possible!

Q: Is a rotary shaver better for sensitive skin than foil?

Ans: Rotary shavers are only good if you have coarse hair or you want one shaver for both your beard and your bald head. Otherwise, foil shavers are much better for sensitive skin due to the technology itself.

Q: What are the side effects of electric shavers on sensitive skin?

Ans: The most common side effect electric shavers have on sensitive skin is dryness. But if you make sure to follow things up with a good post-shave routine, this side effect can be easily mitigated.

Final Thoughts

I think as of this moment, you have gathered sufficient knowledge to know which of the products can be the best electric shaver for your sensitive skin.

Even if you don’t pick out a shaver from my listing, you can still follow the testing principles I did to know exactly what to check in a shaver and to analyze which one ideally caters to your needs.

Remember, your skin’s irritation is not a momentary aspect that merely fades away without any repercussion.

It’s essential that you take measures of protecting your skin any way you can. And for men, picking a quality shaver ranks really high in the priority list because clean shaves are something that’s performed daily.

The way you pick out a daily companion, have the same approach toward picking out your electric shaver – even if it costs a little extra, it’s worth the investment.