If you are in a rush and just want to see the best electric shaver under $100 is then I’d recommend the Panasonic Arc4 (ES8243AA) as the best one.

Are you looking for the best electric shaver under $100 in order to finally build that morning routine that is both fresh and sharp? I hear you, man. I am also passionate about putting my best face forward.

Turning one hundred American dollars into a quality shaver really should be simple. Heck, with that kind of budget,  you should get a shaver that delivers both value and quality.  But, there are so many gadgets out there, what should be simple actually ends up requiring some time and expertise - I got you. 

I’ve sorted through today’s market for $100 shavers.  Heck, there is even some good news. Scroll down to find out.

Capiche? Sound good? Let’s Get it Going!

What is the difference between a  $100 shaver and "high end shaver"

It's been a while since I looked at electric shavers on Amazon, and wow the market has changed: every second item has a name that I’ve never seen before! What is this stuff? Is it private label or are the bizarre brand names somehow associated with the factory of origin, or maybe xyxyxyx is actually a huge brand in China (like Li Ning with that suspiciously Nike-esque logo) and about to takeover the world, like Huawei?? 

Then there are brands -- cough “Phillips” cough -- that have been partly or entirely licensed to .. somebody. It is not just Phillips, the same thing seems to be going on with an otherwise German-sounding brand called “Hatteker”. Then, of course, there are the still ‘respectable’ brands that mark-up shavers based on gimmicks rather than functionality. 

It should be easy to turn your $100 in to a shaver that delivers both quality and value. But, what should be simple actually ends up requiring some time and expertise - I got you. 

Actually, there is some good news: for $100 you can absolutely get a shaver that has one or maybe even more of the functions associated with a “high-end” shaver.

• Are you looking for a multi-directional, pivoting head? You can get that for less than $100 bucks. 
• Are you looking for sixty minute battery life and a three minute quick charge? You can get that for less than $100 bucks. 
• Are you looking for four, samurai-quality blades that will make quick work of your morning stubble? You can get that for less than $100 bucks. 

Here is the thing: you can absolutely get a device with one of those functions for less than $100, but you cannot get all of those functions. 

If you want all of those functions, then you need a “high-end” shaver, but if you are focused on what you need then $100 is a great budget.

You just need to know what you are looking for. 

Here are the questions you should be asking when looking for an electric shaver in the $100 price range.  

Quality Blades (and Motor)

It should go without saying that you want quality blades and a powerful motor. 

Looking at the blades, in this price range you are gonna get a proprietary technology that has been designed specifically for use at home. Stainless steel has the advantage of being relatively easy to take care of. Carbon steel blades on the other hand are going to be harder than stainless steel but they will not react well to water, so maintenance becomes more difficult. 

Multiple Blades and Shaving Elements

You also want to consider whether you specifically need four blades and four external shaving elements, or whether you are fine with three. 

Four shaving elements will enable your electric shaver to cover more real estate in less time and therefore make things faster. If you are a daily shaver and find yourself in a rush, then this may be what you want to prioritize.

Multi-Directional Head

A multi-directional head is a key feature you can and should look for in this price range. 

The head (sometimes called the ‘shaving head’) is a pivoting mechanism that fits between the motor and the razors blades. While there are stranglers that insist on churning out electric razors without a moveable head  (cough Wahl, cough);  all of the electric razors recommended below have at least a pivoting head, because it is important.   

To my mind, an electric shaver that delivers both quality and value should have a head that can go in multiple directions, i.e. a multi-directional head.  

Foil over Rotary  

This used to be a big debate on the electric razor bulletin boards and chat rooms. Some guys still swear by rotary, but i have got to be honest: you want foil. 

I appreciate that rotary shavers can be quiet, but I struggle to see any other advantage. Maybe, maybe, you might consider rotary a better choice if your facial hair is long. But, if your facial hair is long, what you really need to do is to implement the “Classic 1-2”, i.e. trim and then shave!

Ultimately, foil is the clear winner. Foil delivers the most precise and closest shave you are gonna get with an electric razor. Plus, almost all the electric shavers nowadays are foil. What you really want to watch for is micro foil.

Are you buying a shaver or a set of gadgets?

Some electric shavers are expensive for no reason other than that they come with a clean and charge station in the box, or some other accessories. But, do you really need that shit? Do you really need to pay some big company extra for a plastic stand or a pleather carrying case for your shaver?

Skip the gadgets and accessories, and focus on the core facial hair shaving functions. 

One Vital Shaving Secret You NEED to Know

You know about the 80/20 rule, right? Also known as the Pareto Principle, it states that roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes (the “vital few”). 

Think about it, just like there are three or four factors that distinguish a decent secretary (who you never want to see again) from a charming young executive assistant who you secretly want to marry, well there are also just a few factors that distinguish a skilled barber from a madman with too many scissors. 

It is a similar equation when it comes to shaving your own facial at home. What does that mean? It means that there are most definitely a vital few tips that you absolutely must know when it comes to shaving. We are working on a guide. In this post and for the time being, I am just going to drop a single piece of knowledge: it might not be what you want to hear, but i can guarantee that this is f*cking vital. 

Exfoliate Yourself

A lot of guys recoil when they hear the word ‘exfoliation’. 

You may be one of them?

You may be thinking that exfoliation sounds ‘girly’ or that it is ‘only for chicks’. Don’t worry Broseph, no is asking you to lay around with cucumbers on your face. 

Exfoliation does not need to be about checking yourself in to a rehab clinic / day spa. What exfoliation really is is nothing more than the process of removing dead skin cells.

There, doesn’t that sound better? When you replace the word ‘exfoliation’ with ‘removing dead skin from the surface of your face’, I bet it all sounds a lot more appropriate. (especially in this day and age, who wants to be going around w dead skin all over their mug, but i digress.) 

You need to clear that stuff off your face before you start shaving, because otherwise it is just going to get in the way. 

In other words, “ This [exfoliation] speeds up skin renewal and unclogs pores, which helps prevent blackheads and breakouts. Cells entering the top layer after exfoliation bring moisture and a natural glow.”

Exfoliating skin before shaving removes junk that will otherwise catch your razor blade resulting in irritation. 

We are going to be writing more about the right and wrong way of approaching exfoliation in our upcoming guides. For now tho just know that while it may sound ‘fu fu’ , exfoliation is actually essential for avoiding irritation and in-grown hairs.   

Panasonic Milano Arc 3 (ESSL83s)

I love American brands and made-in-America products, but I also respect the craftsmanship and excellence in engineering that goes in to *some* foreign products. Japan’s leading manufacturers, such as Panasonic, produce particularly polished and pleasing products. As an industry leader, Panasonic is also able to sell high-quality shavers at a price that make them excellent value. The best example is the Milano Series Arc 3. 

Your first advantage with the Panasonic Milano will be the blades. As the name suggests, it comes with three blades that are packed under three shaving elements - two foils and a trimmer. Panasonic describes its blades as ‘nanotech stainless steel’ and they are sharpened to 30°. The result is closeness that you are unlikely to find in any other brand. In fact, these are the same blades that are used in Panasonic’s more expensive models.

 As its Arc 4 name suggests, you are getting four (4) shaving elements: three slightly arched foil guards and a trimmer. More specifically, the three foils include two regular foils as well as a ‘finishing foil’ that is designed to cut especially close to the skin. This ‘extra’ foil is one of the major advantages you will get with the Arc4. 

The cutting is done by Panasonic’s standard 30° nano-steel blades, which are widely agreed to deliver a very close and clean cut.

Let’s look at the feel of this specific Arc4. It has a dual-plane shaving head that can pivot from right to left as well as depressing down. This should allow for smoother contact with your skin and  the contours of the face. The use of a multi-directional shaving heads in sub $100 models is unique to Panasonic and is definitely an advantage for the brand and for this specific model. (FYI: the shaver also has a button that allows you to lock the head in a fixed position, as desired, i.e. for precision.)

Additional desirable features include: a Popup trimmer; a 10 stage LCD display; a full 5-minute quick charge mode; Panasonic’s sonic cleaning mode; and wet & dry use. 

So, why and how does Panasonic  price this model so competitively, i.e. at less than $100? There are definitely a few aspects of the ES8243AA that have been scalled down from what you would find in other Arc4. 

For example, the linear drive motor hits 13 000 CPM (cycles per minute) rather than 14 000 CPM unit that is now used in more expensive models. realistically, tho, 13 000 CPM is equivalent or stronger than the motor in the Milano Arc 3 and Braun ProSkin. If you need a stronger motor, because for example you have very coarse, wiry hair, you are most likely going to need to spend more than $100

The Panasonic ES8243AA also does not have a travel lock, which is a feature found on more expensive Arc4 models. 

Braun Series 3 ProSkin

Braun is a beast in the electric shaver arena. For whatever reason, the guys at Braun just take facial hair removal very, very seriously.  Their budget shavers are called Series 3, which is actually made up of 3 product lines. The Braun 3 Series ProSkin is an especially excellent value at less than $50 bucks. 

Series 3 also refers to the shavers 3 blades. And, for sure, the stainless steel blades are going to be one of the advantages of going with Braun. (The blades and the foil guards come in a single unit.) 

A second advantage is that the external shaving elements, i.e. the foil guards are dynamic and mutually independent. This is going to make your shaving experience feel relatively smooth.

Another strong point of the ProSkin is external design. It gets high grades for the textured rubber sleeve, which delivers a good grip and ease of use. Although this is a budget trimmer, you are not going to feel uncomfortable while using it. 

The last big advantage of the ProSkin is the battery. Not only is the battery level indicator improved compared to older versions, the battery itself delivers a 45 minute charge. Considering that much more expensive shavers still only achieve a 50 minute charge, that is very impressive and is more than you would ever need for day-to-day shaving. 

Finally, a couple small advantages: Some models of the ProSkin - notably the 3040s linked below - have wet/dry functionality. And, some models of the ProSkin do have a basic slide-out trimmer. 

At budget of $50, it is hard to find a disadvantage to the Series 3 ProSkin. But, there are a few things you should note, especially if you a more generous budget. 

First, all Series 3 shavers use a “fixed shaving head” - what does that mean? A fixed shaving head means that the mechanism that holds on to the blades does not rotate - the blades stay in place while you move the shaver. The result? Your shaver is going to feel less ‘smart’ and the entire process is going to be more manual than a more expensive model.

Next, the Braun ProSkin is going to struggle with longer hair. So, I would not recommend using it on more than three days of growth. (Same rule of thumb will apply for any entry-level electric shaver.) And, if you have a patch where hair is growing in all different directions, then you are best off to trim before going in with the Braun ProSkin

Finally, almost by definition, a budget shaver is not going to come with a cleaning station.  For this reason, you need to think about how you are going to clean your tool. And it is for this reason that I recommend grabbing a model that is water-friendly. 

Braun Series 5 (5040s)

This is actually a bonus tip rather than a full review. 

As you can guess, Braun created the Series 5 to fill the gap between the entry-level Series 3 and its Series 7, which was once the company’s high-end product. You might not guess, tho, that the Series 5 has already gone through three product iterations. 

Philips Norelco Shaver 3500 (S3212/82)

You may know that the rotary shaver was invented by Philips and that as early as 1941 they were registering patents for “a shaving head consisting of cutters that cut off the hair entering the head of the razor at skin level.” 

There was a time when American men considered rotary shavers to be ‘new’ and ‘good’ but that time ended several decades ago. Why am I telling you about the birth and death of the rotary shaver? You deserve to know that the rotary shaver is a Phillips product. So, if you absolutely need a rotary shaver, do yourself a favour, and get it from Phillips. 

For less than $100, the S3212 is gonna be the best rotary razor around. 

It has 5D Pivot & Flex Heads which should help it follow your face's contours. According to Phillips, the 5-directional pivot, flex and floating movements  create smooth contact with your skin.

It has wet/dry functionality so you can use it in the showe or with shaving foam, or whatever you like.

Interestingly, phillips describes the blades as “ComfortCut” and claims that they are   “engineered to glide smoothly over skin”. I find it funny that the blades are not engineered to cut hair, but hey what do i know. 

• Pop-up trimmer for mustache and sideburns. Finish your look with the built-in trimmer. It’s ideal for maintaining your mustache and trimming your sideburns.
• 60 minutes of cordless shaving from a 1-hour charge Shave for up to 60 minutes on a 1-hour charge - that's about 20 shaves - with the powerful Li-ion battery. A 5-minute quick charge gives enough power for one shave. Operates in cordless mode only

Superliner T-Blade Trimmer

Most Andis trimmers are highly specialized instruments originally manufactured for professional usage. The Andis’ Superliner T-Blade Trimmer is your Swiss Army Knife of Andis Trimmers. 

The SUperliner T-Blade Trimmer has a number of significant advantages that you should know about.

Of course you have the blade, which is high-quality, carbon steel. The blade here is also detachable so that is gonna make cleaning the unit that much easier. You also have a powerful yet relatively quiet rotating motor. 

What I really wanna tell you about is the specific, added features of the Superliner that you may find very convenient and attractive. 

First, the Superline now comes with a bonus shaver head. At first, I did not understand what this means. I thought the guys at Andis were pulling my leg, or something. 

So, what does it mean?

You are basically getting two instruments for one. You are getting the T-Blade Trimmer  AND you are also getting a foil shaver. 

This is an attractive offer because if you know Andis you know that they make a great foil shaver. I personally use an Andis foil shaver every single morning to get my cheeks clean and fresh

The Superliner is also a made in America product.