The only times in life that we do genuinely desire a close shave is when we're talking non-metaphorically. Just about every brand out there promises to shave us back to pre-puberty smoothness, but Remington is one of the few names that we know we can usually trust. So here at GearCulture, much to our wives and girlfriends' consternation, we allowed our facial hair to go wild in order to test three of Remington's latest electric offerings to see if they cut the mustard – and facial hair, obviously.
Remington F3 ($30)
The Smooth: Like cell phones, electric shavers have thankfully come a long way in terms of size and not to mention maneuverability. The F3 boasts an independent flexing foil and pivoting neck which should ensure that it covers every contour of your face, and the speedy motor means a cleaner shave with less passes. Less passes means less irritation, which is not only great for those with sensitive skin, but it'll save you a fortune in moisturizer too.
The Stubble: Though the flex and pivot feature should have covered each and every contour, it didn't. Points are lost because it struggled around the neck and jaw lines, and there were a few stragglers left behind. The battery takes 16 hours to recharge too, which is not ideal if you're late for work.
The Final Verdict: For 30 bucks, you can't fault the F3 too much. Even though there were a few missed whiskers, the shave was close and smooth.
Remington F4 ($40)
The Smooth: All the features of the F3, with a cherry on top, the Remington F4 comes equipped with a pair of independent floating cutting heads which are extremely precise and hold the lines of the face admirably, definitely out-performing the F3 around the jaw.
The Stubble: The battery only lasts for a half hour which means lots or recharging, and though the shaver handled shorter whiskers well, it did miss a few of the longer hairs about the neck.
The Final Verdict: It's better than the F3, but personally we'd rather splash that extra bit of cash on the F5 (below). Ten dollars gets you a whole lot more.
Remington F5 ($50)
The Smooth: The F5's battery is by far the best of the three, and even Remington has undersold themselves here. They claim it takes a couple of hours to fully charge, but we always hit optimum energy in less than two. The built-in Interceptor Shaving Technology – that's the trimming blade for longer hair – ensured that no hairs were missed and that the shave was without a doubt the smoothest out of the three.
The Stubble: There's a five minute quick charge which is ideal for touch-ups, but needs to be longer for that motor to be whizzing at full capacity.
The Final Verdict: The absolute daddy of the Remington F series, even with a few days' worth of beard growth, the F5 delivers a smooth shaving experience and doesn't miss a hair. Fully charged, it'll even run for a whole hour which makes it ideal for those always on the go. F5? High Five!
Christian Zaguirre is the founder and curator of GearCulture, an online gear magazine for guys.