2023 Grooming Awards: The Best Head Shavers

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Shaving your head requires the same level of care as shaving your face but with a higher degree of difficulty given the various blind spots. And like a face shave, a head shave’s success usually depends foremost on the device you’re using. In this case, you need something that navigates the head’s contours efficiently and effectively, which means a smart ergonomic design and some sharp blades.

But not everyone wants to use manual razors up there; some will want to use electric shavers. To take the Baldilocks guesswork out of finding the best head shaver for you, we’ve put the most popular ones to the test to see how they stack up against each other.

Along with our picks for the best head shavers, allow us to offer you the best head shaving tips based on our testing:

• Go slow.
• Pull the skin taut.
• Layer on the lubrication if you’re using a manual razor—nothing a little pre-shave oil or slick shave cream can’t manage.

May we suggest HeadBlade’s HeadSlick shave cream? After all, it will pair well with our top pick, another HeadBlade staple, its Moto razor that simplifies manual razor shaving, blind spots be damned.

Related: 2023 Grooming Awards: The Best Electric Razors

How to Shop for Head Shavers

Here are things to consider when buying head shavers. Consider these factors and you should arrive at the best shaver for your needs.

Electric vs. Manual Head Shavers

This is perhaps the most important thing to consider: Do you want to shave with a bare razor blade (or multiple blades at that), or with a motorized device that handles the task faster, if not less precisely?

Here are the main things to know about each option.

Manual razors: Using a manual razor for head shaving will provide a closer shave, but will also increase the degree of difficulty as well as the chances for side effects (like razor bumps, nicks, ingrown hairs, and razor burn). Cartridge blades are your better bet since they flex more at the head as opposed to safety razor blades. But even then, it’s smarter to choose a blade head with fewer blades; you don’t need six blades gliding over your skin all at once. Use the more sensitive options, which tend to use two to four blades. Also, keep on top of your razor hygiene game: Swap those blades out after two to three weeks or after six to eight shaves to prevent them from becoming dull or accumulating bacteria. Also, store them in a cool, dry place between uses—not in the shower.

Electric razors: While some electric head shavers can cut very close, none will shave as closely as the manual blades. While that sounds less effective, it can be a good thing since it means you never really break the surface of the skin—thus, no razor burn, ingrown hairs, nicks, etc. You may have to shave more frequently with electric options since their results visibly grow out within a day or two, but you can also manage each cleanup in a minute or two. The more frequently you do it, the more likely you are to never have any stubble appear, whatsoever.

Some brands have designed ergonomic-friendly, palm-held electric options, while many facial shaving devices work perfectly well as head shavers with the proper attachment. In general, you’re going to have a better experience using rotary-based shavers (those with circular, honeycomb-like panels on the head) as opposed to foil options (which have long metal crossbars). Not only will rotary shavers handle thick hairs better, but they also hug the dome of your head better as you glide every which way with the device. We suggest using some shave cream or oil still with these, for more efficient gliding.

Dedicated Device vs. Multitasking Device

The other central point to consider is whether or not you want a tool that is dedicated to your head-shaving efforts, or if you simply want to use the same device on your head and face alike. In both scenarios, it is possible to find manual and electric shave options.

There’s not really a major pro or con to either route, except that dedicated devices offer some ergonomic benefits both for the vast curvature of the scalp as well as the natural grip of your palm instead of the sharp angles of the jaw and chin and a traditional trimmer’s stick grip. Beyond that, the technology is more or less the same: If they can mow through the coarse strands that comprise your facial hair, they can also barrel through the densest patches of hair up on the head, too.

How We Tested

At Men’s Journal, we’re constantly testing the latest products, some of our team with more than a decade of grooming coverage under their belt. Whenever something enters the marketplace, it’s also at our desks, and quickly being tested. Think of us as grooming lab rats; we get to enjoy the spoils when something is really great, and endure the agony when a product isn’t up to par.

The Best Head Shavers of 2023 The Best Overall Head Shaver: HeadBlade Moto Head Shaving Razor

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Tuck this shaving device in between your fingers, and guide it easily around the head; it’s like training wheels for head shaving—and you’ll never want to take those training wheels off, either. It’s led by a roller ball, along with a head that pivots two ways to minimize drag and resistance without ever missing a spot. Pair this device with the brand’s four-blade cartridges for a sensitive-friendly shave and supremely close results.

[$15; amazon.com]

The Best Electric Head Shaver: Remington Balder Pro Head Shaver

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Remington’s ergonomic, five-paneled rotary shaver fits in your palm and misses no hairs as it shimmies this way and that. It’s like running a computer mouse all over your head and makes it easy to do daily polishing in the shower (or at the sink ledge). It is 100 percent waterproof, whichever route you choose, and is also easy to rinse clean after each session, so those tiny clippings don’t build up any bacteria.

[$60; amazon.com]

The Best Electric Razor for Face and Head: Philips Norelco Shaver 9000 Prestige

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Here’s the current reigning rotary face shaver, which also doubles as a terrific head shaver. It catches even the thickest and coarsest hairs, and its flexible face bends with each angle of your head. There’s a trimming attachment, too, if you need to first take things down to a shaveable length or to mind the perimeter of your beard and sideburns. It is 100 percent waterproof, so use it in the shower or with shaving cream. It even has a sensor that adjusts its intensity every 15 seconds to keep up with the density at hand.

[$290; amazon.com]

The Best Manual Razor for Face and Head: Schick Xtreme 3 Sensitive

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Schick’s triple-blade cartridges are designed specifically for sensitive scalps—and really, we should all consider ourselves sensitive up there. But this Schick cartridge also has a flexible head that careens left and right so that it tracks the changing grade of your head. This allows it to remain sturdy at the neck so that you don’t get too much flexing as you shave your blind spots. You can get the suggested 6 to 8 shaves with each of these disposable razors. Though the brand says you can get up to 11, please just toss them after 8 to avoid dullness. Still, the pack of 12 should last the better part of a year or longer.

[$17; amazon.com]

The Best Full-Body Grooming Device: Philips Norelco OneBlade 360 Hybrid Electric Trimmer and Shaver

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There is no device quite like the Philips Norelco OneBlade. It mimics the cartridge shave but does so with a dual-ended shaver head—which also turns into a trimmer depending on the guard attachments you use. It’s great at drawing clean lines or managing styles with differing lengths. As a head shaver, it’s got the right amount of flexibility, minus any sharp blades that might nick the backside of your head. The trimmer teeth here are “glide coated” to prevent any loose skin from getting caught between them—which also makes it a great groomer for the entire body. If you want one head-to-toe grooming device for any possible needs, then OneBlade is it. Be sure to pick up some replacement blades; each one will last you a long while, though.

[$50; amazon.com]