Many consumers out there are afraid of purchasing an electric shaver because the price points seem too high when compared to a manual razor.
But there are certain factors that the mentioned consumers fail to address, some of which are quite interesting in the debate of electric shaving costs.
For instance, electric shavers are one-time purchase options as opposed to the frequent refills of manual razor blades.
Also, there are factors like skin health, comfort and eco-friendly disposal that should be paid attention to.
So the question remains: is electric shaving the better deal than manual in the long run? Let’s find out!
Contents
Cost Information on Electric and Manual Shaving: Separate Insights
Initially, I’ll break down electric shaving costs in both short and long term. Then, the cost of manual shaving will be brought to light which should lay the foundation for the comparative analysis in the latter part of the article.
Electric Shaving Information
Time for us to break down the cost of electric shaving under two important categories of initial cost and ongoing cost.
While there are different shaving frequencies by each individual consumer, I’ve categorized them into two measurable groups of frequent and occasional shavers.
Initial Cost
Usually the initial cost is mostly about purchasing an electric shaver, be that premium or affordable. Also, there’s unique considerations for sensitive skin or black men’s coarse beard.
Electric Shaver Purchase
Before you go any further, you must account for the electric shaver purchase from the range of three distinguished categories. Their prices vary based on performance, brand, features and overall preference.
The cost breakdown can be found hereafter:
- Budget Shaver: $30–$50
- Mid-range Shaver: $70–$150
- Premium Shaver: $200–$400
Shaving Foam/Gel
Shaving foam or gel are most commonly required for wet shaving. Dry shaves are devoid of this additional cost, so that’s a win. Please make sure to check if youre electric shaver is capable of shaving in the wet.
Average price: $3–$6 per can (Gillette’s shaving foam or gel has been great for me)
Aftershave Lotion
While it’s not mandatory to use aftershave lotion once you’ve finished grooming with an electric razor, some men prefer to apply it anyway. I prefer splashing the face with cold water and moisturizing afterward. Still, I’m including this consideration for an average assessment.
Price Range: $5–$20 per bottle (Gillette aftershave is a good choice)
Total Initial Cost
Here you’ll find the total initial cost for electric shaving depending on which category of electric razor you’re opting to purchase.
- Budget Shaving Routine: $38–$76
- Mid-range Shaving Routine: $78–$176
- Premium Shaving Routine: $208–$426
This only tells you about the initial investment which can seem hefty in hindsight. But the ongoing cost will definitely tell you a different story for electric shaving!
Ongoing Cost
As there are both occasional and frequent electric shaving enthusiasts, the ongoing cost is split into two segments to assess the cost for these two groups. Most of the cost is dedicated to blade replacement and cleaning station fluid refilling (if applicable).
Frequent Shavers (shave 5–7 times a week)
A lot of the men out there prefer shaving on a daily basis and electric shaving routines are definitely going to serve them for the best. Let’s see how much it’s going to cost if it continues for a long time.
| Cost Category (Frequent Shaving) | Replacement Blade | Cleaning Cartridges | Electricity | Shaving Foam/Gel | Aftershave Lotion |
| Yearly | $40 | $60 | $10 | $40 | $60 |
Since there’s no monthly purchase required for electric shaving, the overall cost is measured by yearly purchase requirement. Therefore, the total yearly cost is somewhere around:
- Total Annual Cost (Frequent Shaving): $210
Occasional Shavers (shave 1–2 times a week)
| Cost Category (Frequent Shaving) | Replacement Blade | Cleaning Cartridges | Electricity | Shaving Foam/Gel | Aftershave Lotion |
| Yearly | $40 | $30 | $5 | $20 | $30 |
So occasional shaving with an electric razor costs much less than doing it on a regular basis. How much is the total maintenance cost for this? Let’s check it out!
- Total Annual Cost (Occasional Shaving): $125
So it seems, electric shaving should cost you between $125 to $210 depending on how regularly you shave your beard.
Manual Shaving Information
This section will provide you with a holistic information system about manual shaving that encompasses the basic purchase cost to the overall cost in the long run.
Note that this cost will vary based on your shaving routine, the outline I’m going to share is based on average habits of frequent shaving enthusiasts.
Initial Cost
There are two categories of shaving consumers – those who shave daily and those who shave occasionally. The initial cost encompasses both of these groups.
Razor Purchase
Your razor categories range between throwaway tools to replaceable cartridge razors. The cost breakdown is as follows:
- Disposable Razors: $5–$10 (any safety razor)
- Cartridge Razors: $10–$20 (something like Gillette Mach3 or ProGlide)
- Deluxe Razors: $30–$50 (premium tools like Gillette Labs)
Shaving Foam/Gel
For manual shaving, you’ll definitely need pre-shave accessories to smooth out the experience and get a closer result.
Average price: $3–$6 per can (same as before)
Aftershave Lotion
Aftershave lotions are important as a part of post-shave treatment. There are options to choose between alcohol-based solutions to non-alcohol based ones, the former tends to dry out skin.
Price Range: $5–$20 per bottle (same as before)
Overall Estimated Cost
Let’s see what your estimated initial cost would be if you choose to stick with manual razors for your regular grooming needs.
- Basic Manual Shaving Cost Range: $13–$36
- Luxury Manual Shaving Cost Range: $38–$76
Don’t be too happy yet because that’s only your initial cost. This will pile up as you keep using them and drain the refills. The following section will give you further insight on the continuous cost of manual shaving.
Ongoing Cost
The running cost of using manual shavers takes some toll as you’ll see the breakdown for both frequent and occasional shavers. This assessment includes the purchase of replacement razors or cartridges as well as replenishing shaving foam/gel and aftershave.
Frequent Shavers (shave 5–7 times a week)
If you shave at least 5 times per week, you can consider yourself a frequent shaver. This cost breakdown section is meant for those who fit this description.
| Cost Category (Frequent Shaving) | Disposable Razors | Cartridge Razors | Shaving Foam/Gel | Aftershave Lotion |
| Monthly | $10–$20 | $15–$25 | $3 on average | $5 on average |
| Yearly | $120–$240 | $180–$300 | $20–$36 | $15–$60 |
So the total yearly cost for frequent manual shaving is:
- Disposable Shaving Routine: $155–$336
- Cartridge Shaving Routine: $215–$396
Occasional Shavers (shave 1–2 times a week)
Those who shave a couple of times each week can relate with the occasional shavers. The cost may be lower than regular shaving, but how low is that in actuality? Let’s find that out.
| Cost Category (Occasional Shaving) | Disposable Razors | Cartridge Razors | Shaving Foam/Gel | Aftershave Lotion |
| Monthly | $3–$5 | $5–$10 | $1 on average | $1.5 on average |
| Yearly | $36–$60 | $60–$120 | $6–$12 | $5–$20 |
The overall yearly cost for occasional shavers is as follows:
- Disposable Shaving Routine: $47–$92
- Cartridge Shaving Routine: $71–$152
In the long run, the cost for both of these consumer groups in manual shaving isn’t significantly lower than electric shaving. And then there’s also the hassle of frequently purchasing replacements.
To find the most cost efficient system, the following section will give you a comparative analysis between manual and electric to see which one saves your money as time goes by.
Comparative Cost Analysis: Manual & Electric
Now we’ve arrived at the final assessment point regarding which type of shaving is more cost effective – electric or manual.
Based on our previous analysis, we can place the cost data side by side for these two shaving methods and find out the more efficient method if you see from a broader perspective.
I’ll have to measure with median values for both frequent and occasional shaving consumers when it comes to the graph, otherwise the data would be quite difficult to decipher the data clusters.
In numeric terms though, you’ll get a full side by side assessment that’ll help you see the reality of cost behind both types of shaving!
The graph above may show that the overall cost of manual shaving is less than electric shaving, but it doesn’t paint the whole picture.
Because once you’ve made a one-time investment on your electric razor, the yearly cost is what you should be focusing on.
The chart below will show you exactly how much an electric shaving system will save you when compared to a manual shaving routine.
So you can clearly see that, the yearly cost of occasionally shaving with manual razors may be less than electric shaving, frequent consumers are having to pay significantly more in this case.
The astounding amount of around $400 per year is often missed out by manual shaving enthusiasts because it’s broken down into many small pieces to notice.
On the other hand, the maximum of $210 per year is almost half the amount and an electric shaving routine is definitely bound to save tons of money in the long run.
Additional Factors to Consider
Apart from the cost, there are a multitude of considerations to pick between electric and manual shaving, a lot of which has been covered in this dedicated article.
In short, electric shaving is definitely kinder on skin, caters to your precise needs, safe for the environment and of course, costs less after the initial purchase.
As a whole, manual shaving would cost you between $170 to $450 a year including initial purchase and ongoing cost. Electric shaving would cost between $260 to $636 during the first year with both initial and ongoing cost into consideration.
After that, electric shaving would drain only $210 a year whereas manual shaving will still bleed money between $150 to $400, depending on your frequency and preference.
Since electric shavers last for around 5 years at the very least, manual shaving cost is bound to overtake the electric system after the first two years.
And I’m not talking about those cheap electric razors, rather premium devices worth $200-$300 are still going to cost you less than manual shaving and save you around $600 in a five-year run.
Is the Switch to Electric Worth It?
From the consideration of cost to the other benefits like health or skin safety or environment, everything points to the answer – yes, it’s worth switching to electric shaving.
You’re going to need less resources and the replacement purchases won’t be very regular. Electric shaver blades last for around 12-18 months, so you can guess how frequently you’ll need replacements.
Also, I’ve included shaving foam or gel cost in my analysis, which you could easily scrap from your cost. Because most electric razors do fine without such commodities.
If you want my personal opinion, I’d have to say I’ve been more pleased after shifting from manual to electric shaving, and a major reason behind has been the electric shaving costs!