8 best safety razors that will help you boss your grooming regime
While these cartridge razors dominate the shelves, they don't always represent the best options – particularly if you've got sensitive skin. More blades can mean more tugging and friction, which often leads to irritation, razor burn, and those dastardly ingrown hairs.
Enter: the safety razor – a simple, single-blade tool that's been quietly making a comeback. Originally designed more than a century ago (the double-edge safety razor was first patented by Gillette in 1901), safety razors, by their very design, come with less drag, making them ideal for anyone prone to redness or bumps.
Safety razors are also far better for the planet, with no plastic cartridges and fully recyclable blades. They can be easier on your wallet, too. Sure, they can take some getting used to, but, once you've mastered the safety razor, it'll be hard to go back.
We put a range of models to the test, from beginner-friendly razors to precision tools for seasoned shavers. Whether you're looking to cut down on irritation or just want a more sustainable shave, keep scrolling for the best safety razors worth adding to your grooming routine.
How we tested
For this review, our tester shaved with a number of different safety razors – mainly double-edge safety razors, although, they did find a rare single-edged safety razor to include (more on that later). Each razor was used at least twice, using the blade included, or a Shark blade if a blade was not packaged with the razor.
For context, our reviewer has thick, curly, dark hair, which makes them more prone to ingrown hairs. Therefore, they did not shave against the grain, as they find this increases the likelihood of irritation.
Nivea's shaving gel (£2.70, Boots.com) was used pre-shave, while Nivea's sensitive after-shave balm (£8.69, Boots.com) was used post-shave. While our tester would advise using a shaving brush and shaving soap for the full safety razor experience, he understands those new to using a safety razor might not have a full shaving set, which is why he used these easily accessible Nivea products instead.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Richard Jones has been writing feature reviews for IndyBest since 2022. Whether he's reviewing men's wallets, hoodies, joggers or safety razors, he prioritises high-quality products that deliver, and he will only recommend those be believes are worth your money.
The best safety razors for 2025 are:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Day 2 of federal investigation into fatal midair crash of Army chopper, commercial plane opens
The National Transportation Safety Board enters a second day of public hearings Thursday on the January midair collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger plane that killed all 67 people aboard the aircrafts. On the first day, investigators highlighted a number of factors that may have contributed to the crash and the warnings about helicopter traffic that FAA received years before the tragedy over the Potomac River. It's too early for the board to identify what exactly caused the crash. The board's final report won't be released until sometime next year. But it became clear Wednesday how small a margin of error there was for helicopters flying the route the Black Hawk took the night of the nation's deadliest plane crash since November 2001. The January incident was the first in a string of crashes and near misses this year that have alarmed officials and the traveling public, despite statistics that still show flying remains the safest form of transportation. FAA didn't add warning to helicopter charts, official says NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said an FAA working group raised concerns about all the helicopter traffic around Reagan airport and the risk of a collision in 2022, but the FAA refused to add a warning to helicopter charts urging pilots to use caution when this runway was in use. 'This is the very event that this would have been the cautionary note for,' she said. Video and animation presented during the proceeding's first day showed the helicopter flying above the 200 feet (61 meters) altitude limit before colliding with the plane. Investigators said Wednesday the flight data recorder showed the helicopter was actually 80 feet to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters) higher than the barometric altimeter the pilots relied upon showed they were flying. So the NTSB conducted tests on three other helicopters from the same unit in a flight over the same area and found similar discrepancies in their altimeters. Dan Cooper with Sikorsky helicopters said that when the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash was designed in the 1970s, it used a style of altimeter that was common at the time. Newer helicopters have air data computers that didn't exist back then that help provide more accurate altitude readings. Chief Warrant Officer Kylene Lewis told the board that she wouldn't find an 80 to 100 foot discrepancy between the different altimeters on a helicopter alarming because at lower altitudes she would be relying more on the radar altimeter than the barometric altimeter. Below 500 feet (152 meters), Lewis said she would be checking both instruments and cross referencing them. Army officials said a discrepancy of 70 to 100 feet (21 to 30 meters) between the Black Hawk's altimeters is within the acceptable range because pilots are expected to maintain their altitude plus or minus 100 feet. Concern about distances between planes and helicopters The greater concern is that the FAA approved routes around Reagan airport that included such small separation distances between helicopters and planes when planes are landing. 'The fact that we have less than 500 foot separation is a concern for me,' said Scott Rosengren, who is chief engineer in the office that manages the Army's utility helicopters. During the two minutes before the crash, one air traffic controller was directing airport traffic and helicopters in the area, a task that involved speaking to or receiving communications from several different aircraft, according to the NTSB's History of Flight Performance Study. The air traffic controller had spoken to or received communications from the Black Hawk helicopter, an airplane that was taking off, an Air Force helicopter, an airplane on the ground, a medical helicopter and an inbound flight that was not the American Airlines plane that would crash. 'All aircraft could hear the controller, but helicopters could only hear other helicopters on their frequency and airplanes only other airplanes,' the report stated. 'This resulted in a number of stepped on transmissions as helicopters and airplanes were not aware when the other was communicating.' Stepped on transmissions are those that are unheard or blocked because of other transmissions. The NTSB report provides a list of 29 separate communications between the airport tower and other aircraft during approximately the 1 minute and 57 seconds before the collision. Previously disclosed air traffic control audio had the helicopter pilot telling the controller twice that they saw the airplane and would avoid it. The animation ended with surveillance video showing the helicopter colliding with the plane in a fiery crash. Investigations have already shown the FAA failed to recognize a troubling history of 85 near misses around Ronald Reagan National Airport in the years before the collision, and that the Army's helicopters routinely flew around the nation's capital with a key piece of locating equipment, known as ADS-B Out, turned off. ___ Associated Press writers Leah Askarinam, Ben Finley and Rio Yamat contributed to this story.
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Pregnant sea turtle returns to the ocean off Florida after treatment for a boat strike
A huge pregnant sea turtle was returned to its home off the Florida coast on Wednesday after it had been injured by a boat. Pennywise, an adult female sea turtle weighing 302 pounds, was cleared for release into the wild after she received treatment from the Loggerhead Marinelife Center's veterinary team in Palm Beach County, Florida. The endangered sea turtle has been laid up and recovering since May, according to the Associated Press. It took six volunteers to get Pennywise back to the beach and dozens of others to show up and record the moment the reptile was set loose. The volunteers gently set Pennywise down and let the big lady crawl her way along the sand and back into the surf. The onlookers cheered when the turtle disappeared beneath the waves. The Inwater Research Group reportedly found Pennywise and rescued her from the beach before handing her off to the vet center for treatment, according to Loggerhead Marinelife Center. Marika Weber, a veterinary technician at Loggerhead Marinelife Center told the AP that boat strikes on sea turtles usually leave the reptiles dead, so Pennywise was fortunate to not only survive the incident, but to then be found and receive treatment. 'Sea turtle interactions with boats are fatal. So seeing Pennywise survive her injuries and being able to make it to our center was very, very special,' she said. 'It was something that we could fix, heal her up and get her back out into the ocean.' Treating Pennywise wasn't without some difficulty, considering her size. The team at the vet center had to transport the turtle to a horse clinic — the Palm Beach Equine Center — to perform diagnostic imaging on her due to her size. During her imaging, the team learned that Pennywise was pregnant. Sea turtle nesting season is in full swing, and thanks to the care she's received, Pennywise will have the chance to lay her eggs while she's at full health. 'It was a really exciting day,' Weber said. 'We had the community — our whole team here at the hospital, all the departments out there — to wish her well.' The vet center is asking boaters off the coast of Florida to remember that sea turtle nesting season is between March 1 and October 31, and asks boaters to slow down and watch for turtles heading for the beach. All sea turtles are considered endangered or threatened and are protected under federal law.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
F35 fighter jet crashes into California field near naval air station
An F-35 fighter jet crashed into a California field on Wednesday night, sparking a 10 acre fire and fears for the pilot's safety. The Naval Air Station in Lemoore later confirmed the pilot involved in the accident had successfully ejected and was safe. The 'Rough Raiders' jet went down about 6.35pm and crashed into a Fresno County field, a spokesperson said. 'Rough Raiders' is a Navy squadron which trains pilots to fly F-35s. 'NAS Lemoore can confirm an aviation incident on the Operations side of the installation,' the spokesperson said. 'At 1830, an F-35C attached to the VFA-125 'Rough Raiders' went down not far from NAS Lemoore. 'NAS Lemoore can confirm the pilot successfully ejected and is safe.' Deputies were called to the scene, but it was determined no other personnel were affected. The crash did spark a grass fire in the immediate surroundings and had spread to be 10 acres as of about 7.55pm, according to Cal Fire. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
