- If you’re looking for a razor that leaves no hair behind while gliding smoothly over your curves, look no further than the Gillette Venus Extra Smooth Razor.
- This refillable women’s razor makes shaving quick and easy. It’s also a drugstore staple that’s super easy to find and affordable to boot.
There are several ways to achieve smooth legs, hair-free underarms, and a groomed bikini line, but the fastest, easiest, and least painful is generally by shaving. That’s why we gathered up our top picks for women’s razors based on research and testing.
Whether you prefer a subscription-based razor so you’ll always have one on hand or need a specially-designed trimmer for your bikini line, these are the razors that do the best job. They remove hair without irritating sensitive areas, leaving stubble, or making shaving more of a chore than it has to be.
You might also want to grab some great shaving cream and a good moisturizer once you’ve settled on the right razor for your needs.
Here are our top picks for the best women’s razors:
- Best overall: Gillette Venus Extra Smooth
- Best subscription-based razor: Billie Starter Kit
- Best with built-in shaving cream: Schick Intuition Sensitive Care
- Best bikini trimmer: Schick Hydro Silk TrimStyle
- Best for travel: Gillette Venus Snap
- Best facial razor: Schick Silk Touch-Up
Prices and links are current as of 5/16/2020. We removed our previous pick for the best bikini trimmer, the Noxema Bikini Shave and Trim because it has been discontinued. We replaced it with the Schick Hydro Silk TrimStyle. We also included the products we’re looking forward to testing.
The best overall
The Gillette Venus Extra Smooth has five blades for a super-close shave, but the “moisture ribbon” can protect your skin from nicks, cuts, and razor burn.
Admittedly, a razor isn’t a glamorous item, but the right one makes your grooming routine easier, faster, and more effective. With the Gillette Venus Extra Smooth, you get five blades for a super-close shave that won’t go all stubbly on you for at least a couple of days.
It also has a pivoting head that helps glide over knees and ankles and through the contours of your underarms. The razor's "moisture ribbon" provides a little extra slip to help prevent shaving mishaps and irritations, but it's very, very thin so I find that I still need to use a shaving cream.
This is a refillable razor, so you can throw out the blade cartridge once it's dull and slip a new cartridge into the reusable handle. Depending on how often you shave and the sensitivity of your skin, that could be anywhere from three to 10 uses. The handle initially comes with two blade cartridges, but after that, you'll need to buy more. Luckily, they're not terribly pricey.
The Venus Extra Smooth's handle fits comfortably in your hand, making it easier to reach those tricky spots on the backs of the ankles or under your arms. You can also use it around your bikini line, though you should proceed with extreme caution - or better yet, try out our bikini line razor pick.
Pros: Close, smooth shave, moisture ribbon fills in for shaving cream in a pinch
Cons: A few owners complained the moisture ribbon felt gooey once wet, ribbon is also quite thin so you'll need shaving cream
The best subscription-based razor
If you're always out of fresh razors, subscription-based startup Billie is a great one to try. The razors are high-quality for just $9, and they look more modern than the rest.
Millennials love a good subscription box and Billie's is definitely one of our favorites because it sends us the most useful yet least frequently replaced item - the humble razor.
The quality is just as good, if not better, than our overall pick of Gillette Venus Extra Smooth, and the starting price of $9 is surprisingly low. With an easy-to-grip handle, flexible head, and more space in between the blades than other razors, ergonomically-speaking, it's a quality razor. The aesthetics are also peak millennial with both pastel and punchy hues, and sleek design.
The downside of the subscription model is that you can't just get one at the drugstore in case of an emergency, so you'll be left using a new-to-you razor that you might not like. Thankfully, most of our other picks on this list are readily available at drugstores.
Check out our full review of Billie here, as well as a comparison post with Flamingo. We liked both startups, but personally, I'm always out of fresh razors and need to have a stash waiting for me in my bathroom. - Jada Wong
Pros: Regular shipments of razors and shaving products
Cons: Shipments are sent every one, two, or three months only instead of being able to order as needed
The best with built-in shaving cream
With the Schick Intuition Sensitive Care razor, there's no need for a separate can of shaving gel because it's built right into the razor cartridge. Ingenious.
I've been using the Schick Intuition Sensitive Care razors for many years now, and despite the fact that the refill cartridges are a bit pricey, I'm sticking with this razor for my shaving needs.
This is the only razor that never seems to nick or irritate my legs, and it does give a reasonably close shave. The built-in shaving gel is a huge plus for me since I'm far too lazy to bother lathering up every time I want to get my legs smooth.
The razor cartridge has four blades surrounded by a water-activated, soap-like shaving "gel." It definitely provides enough slip for a comfortable, close shave, but on the downside, the gel wears away within just a few shaves, so I have to either replace the cartridge while the blades are still usable, or use a separate shaving gel until the blades get dull enough to justify a new cartridge.
There are many different fragrances of cartridge available and several different colored handles. I've used all of them over the years, and truthfully, I find no particular difference between them, although I normally stick with the sensitive care refills.
Pros: No need for separate shaving gel
Cons: The built-in shave gel wears away fairly quickly
The best bikini trimmer
The two-in-one Schick Hydro Silk TrimStyle has a five-blade razor on one side and a battery-powered bikini trimmer on the other.
The battery-powered trimmer on the Schick Hydro Silk TrimStyle makes cleaning up your bikini line a breeze. I've used this razor in the shower on my bikini area for many months, and I've never experienced a nick or cut despite my tendency to be less than careful. I also never have to use shaving cream.
It comes with an adjustable comb that covers the trimmer blade that you can adjust to four different trim lengths, or you can remove it entirely for a closely-cropped trim. If you're looking for a completely clean shave, this isn't the razor for you, but for fast, irritation-free trimming and sculpting, look no further.
The gentle AAA-battery-powered vibration cuts through hair with ease, making a single pass of the trimmer incredibly effective. I can shave in two or three minutes what used to easily take me upwards of five with a normal razor.
On the opposite side of the trimmer, you'll find a traditional five-blade razor surrounded by a water-based hydrating serum that you can use on your legs, underarms, or anywhere else you want free of hair. No need for an entirely separate razor when this two-in-one will shave a variety of areas.
Pros: Specifically designed for the bikini area, two-in-one so you can shave your legs with it too, waterproof
Cons: Batteries tend to run out quickly
The best for travel
Despite its miniature size, the Gillette Venus Snap does just as good a job of removing hair as its full-size relatives.
Toss it in your gym bag, take it with you while traveling, or just enjoy a razor that takes up a minimum of tub-side space - the Gillette Venus Snap is a small but mighty winner.
The head of the razor is a regular-sized Venus Extra Smooth blade, so you'll get a super-close, long-lasting, and comfortable shave on your legs, underarms, and - if you're careful - your bikini line as well.
It's the diminutive handle that makes this razor so special. It's small, but shaped ergonomically for an easy grip, so you'll have just as much control as with a full-size razor.
I've used the Venus Snap while traveling and really appreciated not only the small size, but also the convenient plastic carrying case. This is also a refillable razor, so go ahead and replace a dulled cartridge with the Venus Extra Smooth refills.
Pros: Travel size, excellent performance
Cons: While the handle is easy to hold, you do need to angle your fingers just right for the best control
The best women's facial razor
Kiss peach fuzz, stray chin sprouts, and rogue eyebrow hairs goodbye with the Schick Silk Touch Up.
These teeny razors are a godsend for those of us blessed with more peach fuzz than we really want. They're also great for removing any hair on the chin, upper lip, and even patches of dry skin around the chin, nose, or mouth.
I've used these for years on my face. The Schick Silk Touch Up razors have a protective guard so they don't cut or irritate my skin, and there's even a little plastic cover that makes it easy to shape up eyebrows. But the best thing about them is that they leave my skin very smooth, so my foundation makeup looks much better.
The blade lasts a long time before going dull, and there's a small plastic cover to protect it when not in use.
Pros: Excellent for removing facial hair, cleaning up eyebrows, and getting rid of patches of dry skin
Cons: Those with sensitive skin may find the blade harsh
What else we're testing
What we're currently testing:
- Flamingo Razor ($9): The ergonomic, weighted handle with a rubber grip makes it easy to hold and control this razor for a close shave. It doesn't hurt that the razor comes in chic color combinations.
- Joy Razor ($8.97): This set comes with one handle and two 5-blade cartridges, making it a pretty good value.
What we're looking forward to testing:
- Dollar Shave Club Executive ($10): Dollar Shave Club may seem like it's geared towards men, but the products are actually unisex. If you want fresh razors around for whenever you need them, a Dollar Shave Club subscription is a great option. For $10 a month you'll get four 6-blade cartridges to refresh your razor.
Check out our other hair removal guides
The best women's shaving creams
There are amazing shaving creams to be found at just about every price point. Whether you're shopping drugstore brands or fancy ones, you should pay close attention to the ingredients before making a purchase - especially if you want to avoid dry, angry skin. These are the best women's shaving creams.
The best at-home waxing kits
When it comes to hair removal, it can be hard to find a happy balance between spending a ton of cash on long-lasting salon treatments or saving money by shaving your legs daily. Thankfully, an at-home waxing kit is the perfect balance as it's one of the easiest ways to remove unwanted hair for weeks at a time without breaking the bank. These are the best kits for waxing at home.
The best tweezers
All tweezers are not created equal - the size, shape, and grip all matter when it comes to getting an easy, relatively pain-free tweeze for hairs and splinters. These are the best tweezers you can buy.