7 best women’s razors to remove unwanted hair, from Estrid to Gillette and more

We put cult-favourite razor Estrid to the test first. Opting for the starter kid, which includes a steel handle, a holder and two five-blade razor heads (with a soothing, lubricating strip, which is vegan-friendly), we found this razor was gentle on our skin and resulted in a very smooth and close shave. Not only were our legs smooth for a long time but we had no consequential razor bumps or ingrown hairs afterwards.

If this is your first experience switching from a plastic razor, the metal handle will obviously feel different at first but you’ll get used to it in no time. In fact, we actually found it made us shave in a more controlled fashion, meaning less chances of nasty cuts.

While the razor’s pretty aesthetic made it a pleasure to put in our bathroom, the one slight downside was that the holder kept dropping from its spot on the wall.

For many of us, Gillette Venus was our first introduction to shaving and hair removal in general. So, it’s safe to say we have a soft spot for the brand. We’re also a huge fan of the fact Gillette has stepped up and ditched the jagged-edged plastic packaging in favour of a carboard box, with the brand having an all-round more sustainable focus than previously. It has also partnered with Terracycle, so you can recycle your old razors instead of just throwing them away.

Anyways, the deluxe smooth sensitive rose gold razor was a more aesthetically pleasing addition to our bathroom than some of the older models we remember. Featuring five blades for a long-lasting smooth shave and an elixir that protects your skin as you rid it of unwanted hair, we must say we felt zero irritation during and post-shave.

This specific razor boasts a water-activated seal of moisture to provide 10 times more lubrication to guard your skin against nicks, cuts and any other irritation. We also found it easy to get to harder-to-reach areas, thanks to the pivoting head.

This has long been our go-to travel razor, as it’s compact but still delivers the close shave we know and love. Featuring five razor blades to cut hair closer to the skin, we loved this product’s ability to get us smooth skin (that lasts), even when away from our own bathroom. The case is also really handy for when packing toiletries and wanting your razor to stay safe and sanitary. While the case itself is plastic (the razor, too), Gillette Venus has also swapped the plastic packaging here for cardboard.

We were really impressed at how smooth a shave this razor delivered, as well as leaving our skin bump-free afterwards. While there’s no special, lubricating strip, the razor’s blades still cut hair closely and with ease.

FFS is a subscription-based razor service that prides itself on being vegan-friendly, as well as animal-cruelty-free. The brand also champions sustainability, promoting a blade-recycling scheme and recycling packaging.

It was one of the first razors to be designed with a metal handle, and we were immediately drawn to the rose-gold look of this shaving tool. Not only does it look cute and trendy in our bathroom, it’s made from zinc alloy metal with a grooved grip, to allow for a more controlled shaving experience.

The razor itself features a vitamin E-infused conditioning strip, which was appreciated as we tested it out on our body. We have to say it left our legs feeling extra smooth and there was no irritation or any bumps afterwards.

This razor features six blades (the most among those we tested). We did find it a little harder than other razors to clean the blades on the razor head, as they were quite small, but we must say this did help deliver us a close shave.

Another OG in the shaving world, who hasn’t owned a Wilkinson Sword shaving device at some point? We’re going to assume the majority raised their hands.

The quattro razor for women claims it shaves so close that you can skip a day or two, which was certainly music to our ears. We did find, upon testing it out, that our skin was left smooth and spike-free, thanks to the thin blades and conditioning strips, which are infused with acai berry and jojoba extracts.

A key difference between this razor and others we tested is that there are only four blades (as opposed to five), but we didn’t see a hugely noticeable difference, with our shave still being long-lasting.

Flamingo is a hair-removal brand connected to shaving brand Harry’s, as they share the same parent company, Harry’s Inc.

The razor features a weighted, ergonomic handle, plus a flexible hinge with rounded edges to ensure you can achieve a smooth shave, no matter the angle. We found this particularly helpful when trying to get to those harder-to-reach and fiddly areas, such as the bikini line and around the knees.

Flamingo’s blades are made in its own factory in Germany, using high-quality Swedish steel to deliver the closest shave possible. Its five-blade cartridge delivered a smooth shave, too, with little to no irritation afterwards. We also enjoyed the accompanying razor holder, to make things neater and easier in the shower.

We don’t just get unwanted hair on our legs, of course, and if you’re someone who’s opting to remove some facial fuzz, too, this facial razor from Tweezerman could be your shaving saviour. The brand has positioned itself as a beauty tool expert over the years, and is known for its eyebrow tweezers. However, this facial razor is raising the stakes a bit. With an ergonomic design, you can angle the razor to the best position for you to remove any peach fuzz from your face.

Upon testing this razor, we found that it definitely worked in easily removing hair from our face, without damaging the skin there (which is typically more sensitive than that on our legs, for example). Make no mistake, this blade is sharp, to ensure a close shave, however, it glided across our skin with complete ease. In addition to removing unwanted hair, it left our skin glowing, as it gently exfoliated away dead skin in one swift movement.

The razor also comes with safety caps for the blades, which we appreciated when taking our facial razor on the move.