An electric shaver or trimmer is a gift he will pick up most mornings for years. It is also easy to get wrong. A foil shaver is the wrong tool for a man who keeps a beard, and a close shaver can be the wrong tool for a man who gets razor bumps.
So start with what his face looks like now. Clean-shaven, bearded, stubble, shaved head or fighting bumps: each needs a different tool. This guide is sorted that way. Find the section that sounds like him.
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Quick picks
- He shaves clean every day: the Braun Series 9 Pro or the Philips Norelco i9000.
- He gets razor bumps: the Bevel Beard Trimmer or the Wahl Edge Pro.
- He keeps a full beard: the Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000.
- He keeps stubble: the Philips Norelco OneBlade Pro 360.
- He shaves his head: the Philips Norelco Head Shaver Pro 9000.
- Stocking stuffer: the Wahl Groomsman kit.
For the man who shaves clean every day
Daily shavers come in two designs. A foil shaver has blades moving behind a thin metal screen and shaves in straight passes. A rotary shaver has round spinning heads and shaves in small circles, following the jaw and neck. Neither is better for everyone; our foil vs rotary guide explains which suits which beard. If you do not know what he uses now, check the bathroom: most men stay with the type they know.
Braun Series 9 Pro
The Braun Series 9 Pro 9419s is from Braun’s Series 9 line. It has a 4+1 shaving head with Braun’s ProLift trimmer and works wet or dry, so he can shave with foam in the shower or dry at the sink. If he already uses a Braun, this is the upgrade that changes nothing about how he shaves.
Braun Series 7
The Braun Series 7 7127cs is the step down, with a fuller box: a charging stand, a travel case and a beard trimmer attachment with combs. Braun says its 360-degree head follows the face and its SmoothShave blade handles a three-day beard, which suits a man who skips a day or two. It has three shave modes (Turbo, Gentle and Standard), is waterproof, and runs up to 60 minutes per charge. It is made in Germany with a warranty of up to five years under Braun’s terms.
Panasonic Arc5
The Panasonic Arc5 is the other big name in foil shavers: five blades behind an ultra-thin foil, a linear motor, a pop-up trimmer for sideburns and mustache, and a sensor that adjusts power to beard density. It works wet or dry, charges in an hour, and runs on 100 to 240 volts, which matters for a man who travels abroad.
Philips Norelco i9000
For a rotary shaver, the Philips Norelco i9000 is the flagship: flexing heads, Philips’ SenseIQ system that adjusts to the face, and a sensor that reads the beard and adapts power. Philips says it handles beards up to seven days long. The box has a charging stand, a travel case, a nose trimmer and a cleaning brush; it is waterproof, and Philips covers it with a warranty of up to five years.
Philips Norelco 3900
For a smaller budget, the Philips Norelco 3900 is a rotary shaver with pivoting and flexing heads, a pop-up trimmer for mustache and sideburns, and up to 60 minutes of cordless shaving on a one-hour charge. It comes with a charging stand and a travel pouch and works wet or dry. Our guide to the best electric razors under $50 has more in this range.
For the man who gets razor bumps
Razor bumps form when a cut hair curls back into the skin. They are most common in men with curly or coarse beard hair. Many of these men stop shaving to the skin and keep a very short, even beard instead, cleaned up with a trimmer. A trimmer leaves the hair just above the skin, so the tip has less chance to grow back in. Our razor bump guide covers the rest of the routine.
Bevel Beard Trimmer
The Bevel Beard Trimmer, Black Edition comes from the brand built for men with coarse, curly hair. It is cordless with up to eight hours of charge, and its zero-gapped blade adjusts without tools for crisp beard and mustache lines. For travel or a smaller gift, the Bevel Travel Trimmer SE is 39 percent lighter with a four-hour battery and comes with a square blade for line-ups. Our guide to the best beard trimmers for Black men compares more.
Wahl Edge Pro Bump Free
The Wahl Edge Pro Bump Free is a compact corded trimmer with a zero overlap T-blade for sharp edges on beards, mustaches and hairlines. Wahl says the blade gives a close, clean dry trim without causing razor bumps. It comes with eight guide combs from 1/16 inch to 1/2 inch, so it also handles a short beard all over.
Andis T-Outliner
The Andis T-Outliner is the barbershop line-up trimmer: a corded tool with a carbon steel T-blade, a high-torque rotary motor and an eight-foot cord. Andis describes it as bump-free for dry trimming. It suits a man who keeps his edges and beard line sharp between barber visits.
For the man who keeps a full beard
A bearded man needs a trimmer with many length settings, not a shaver. The all-in-one kits below also cut hair, trim nose and ear hair and groom the body, so one gift covers his whole routine. Our guide to the best beard trimmers for long beards goes deeper. For oils, balms and brushes to go with the trimmer, see our beard gift sets.
Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000
The Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 is a 19-piece kit for beard, head, body and face. Its precision comb sets lengths in 0.2 mm steps from 1 to 3 mm, an adjustable comb covers 3 to 7 mm, and BeardSense boosts power on dense beards. The blades are self-sharpening and need no oil, it is showerproof, and the battery runs up to five hours.
The Philips Norelco All-in-One 7000 22-in-1 adds metal blades, fading combs for haircuts and a travel lock, with 28 length settings in all.
Braun All-in-One Series 9 Pro
The Braun All-in-One Series 9 Pro is the premium kit: a waterproof trimmer with dial length adjustment and up to 180 minutes of runtime, detail attachments, body combs, a nose and ear trimmer, a beard stencil, a storage case with charging dock, and a Gillette Labs razor.
Wahl Stainless Steel Lithium Ion 2.0+
The Wahl Stainless Steel Lithium Ion 2.0+ has four heads: a wide T-blade for beards and haircuts, a precision detailer, a rotary nose and ear trimmer, and a dual foil shaver for clean cheeks. It runs up to 3.5 hours per charge, includes ten guide combs, and works on any household voltage worldwide.
For the man who keeps stubble
Philips Norelco OneBlade Pro 360
The OneBlade sits between a trimmer and a shaver: it trims, edges and shaves with one blade that flexes with the face. The OneBlade Pro 360 Face + Body has a 14-length comb from 0.4 to 10 mm, a separate body blade with a skin guard, a 90-minute battery and a soft pouch. The OneBlade 360 Face + Body is the simpler version, with a 1 to 5 mm comb and a 60-minute battery. Philips says each blade lasts up to four months of use.
For the man who shaves his head
Philips Norelco Head Shaver Pro 9000
The Philips Norelco Head Shaver Pro 9000 has a fully flexible head that rotates 360 degrees to follow the scalp, 36 self-sharpening blades and a sensor that adapts power to hair density. It runs 90 minutes on a one-hour charge and comes with a rinsing station, a case and four extra replacement blades. Our guide to keeping a bald head smooth covers the aftercare.
Stocking stuffer
Wahl Groomsman Kit
The Wahl Groomsman kit is a rechargeable beard trimmer with 14 cutting lengths and up to 60 minutes of runtime, plus a bonus battery nose trimmer. It is a solid first trimmer for a teenager or a backup for the gym bag.
How to choose
Match the tool to the face he has, not the one you would like him to have. A clean-shaven man wants a shaver; a bearded man wants a trimmer with many lengths; a man with bumps usually does better with a trimmer than with anything that cuts below the skin. If he already owns a shaver he likes, buy the newer model from the same brand and type, because switching between foil and rotary takes a few weeks of getting used to. Our guide on how to shave with an electric razor helps with that.
For more ideas, see our shaving gift sets, our grooming gifts guide, sorted by hair type, and our cologne gift sets.
Frequently asked questions
Should I buy a foil or a rotary shaver?
Buy the type he uses now. If he has never used an electric shaver, a foil shaver suits straight passes and a fine beard; a rotary shaver suits a man who likes circular passes and has a curvier jaw and neck. Our foil vs rotary guide has the details.
Is an electric shaver good for razor bumps?
It can help, because most electric shavers do not cut as close as a blade. For men who get bumps often, a trimmer that leaves a little length is usually the safer gift. Our electric razors for sensitive skin guide covers shavers that are gentler on the skin.
How long does an electric shaver last?
With cleaning and head replacements, several years. The Braun Series 7, Philips Norelco i9000 and OneBlade listings state warranties of up to five years under the makers’ terms. Our guide on how long electric razors last covers when to replace the head.
Can he use these in the shower?
The Braun Series 7, Panasonic Arc5, Philips Norelco i9000 and 3900, and the OneBlade models are made for wet or dry use. The Multigroom 7000 is showerproof. The Wahl Edge Pro and Andis T-Outliner are corded, so keep them out of the shower.
