Getty Images
A decade ago, if you needed razors, you headed to the drugstore. Now, there are many different companies that will send you new razors straight to your door, usually for less money than you’ll pay in-store.
And while you certainly can just set up Subscribe and Save on Amazon for your favorite name-brand razor, Dollar Shave Club, Billie and other shaving subscriptions hope to provide more value with lower prices, better quality and add-ons.
Interested in chucking your drugstore Bic for a monthly razor subscription? This guide will help you choose the best shave club to use.
These products and services are independently chosen by our editors. CNET may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
Dollar Shave Club
One of the original razor subscription services, Dollar Shave Club offers three razor options; two-blade, four-blade and six-blade. All are under $10 per month for replacement blades and for the one-time cost for the handle.
What started as just a razor subscription brand has now expanded into several lines of men’s grooming products, including skincare, hair care, fragrance, deodorant, shaving and oral care.
For your first order, Dollar Shave Club urges you to get a starter pack, which includes two cartridges, a handle and shave butter for $5. After two weeks, you’ll automatically get a restock shipment of four razor cartridges and shave butter for around $25 (or more if you add additional products). You can customize both your starter kit and restock shipments to include body wash, face wash, shampoo, toothpaste and a toothbrush.
Though the Dollar Shave branding is aimed at men, I’ve purchased and used Dollar Shave Club’s razors in the past and they’ve worked well for my legs and underarms.
Read more: Gifts for dads who appreciate life’s little luxuries
Harry’s
Harry’s focuses on simplicity, style and craftsmanship for its shaving and grooming products. There are just two handles to choose from, and one type of razor cartridge. Its Winston handle is metal with no-slip rubber grips for $20. For $9, you can get the Truman, which has a rubber coating throughout and comes in orange, navy and green.
Like Dollar Shave Club, Harry’s has starter pack for $8 that comes one razor blade cartridge and shave gel. Harry’s will send you eight new cartridges for $15 (plus shaving gel for an extra $6), every two, three or five months, depending on how often you shave.
Harry’s also sells face wash, post shave balm, soap and other body care items.
P.S. I’ve also used their razors with good shaving results. If you truly want a women’s razor, Harry’s owns a brand called Flamingo that sells them, but it does not offer a subscription service.
Read more: Banana Boat, Neutrogena, Supergoop: The best sunscreens for 2019
Billie
Billie’s ambition is to provide women’s razors and body care products that don’t cost more than men’s. Women’s personal care products are often subject to the “pink tax,” meaning they cost more simply because they are marketed to women.
The brand sells one style of razor, available in Instagram-worthy five colors. It has five blades and has a band of charcoal soap around the blades to help the razor slide easily for a comfortable shave.
Billie’s $9 starter kit includes a handle, two cartridges and a magnetic holder to store the razor in your shower. The company then sends you four replacement cartridges monthly (or whatever frequency you choose to get the blade refills), which also cost $9. Billie also sells body lotion, body wash and shave cream.
What I particularly love about this company is that it celebrates and normalizes women’s body hair, whether you choose to shave or not, with its Project Body Hair campaign. Anyone can submit a photo of their body hair, and you can see photos from others who’ve contributed. In a society that often demonizes any kind of physical flaw on women, this approach is frankly refreshing.
Read more: The best vitamin subscription services in 2019
Bevel
Coarse facial hair can be hard to shave, but kinky or curly hair is even harder. Bevel’s shave kit is designed with men of color in mind, to address their specific skin and shaving needs.
The shaving kit mimics what you’d see at a barber shop, with a shaving brush, skin oil, shave cream and an aftershave balm. All of those skin products have moisturizing oils to prevent bumps, razor burn and ingrown hairs on your face and neck.
When it comes to the actual hair removal, instead of a multi-blade cartridge, you use a single-blade safety razor. The kit is $30, and Bevel will send you refills of razor blades, oil, shaving cream and the balm.
Read more: The best meat delivery and subscription services in 2019
Supply
For men who love a straight razor shave, or who just consider themselves a bit hipster, there’s the Supply razor. This sleek single edge razor is made from aerospace-grade stainless steel and uses injector-style blades that are easy to change. Its unique design helps it stand apart from the typical safety razor. Oh, and the razor has a 100-year guarantee.
Why yes, of course there is a starter set. It includes the razor handle with six month’s worth of blades, the standard shave setting, a shave brush, shaving cream and aftershave for $129. For just the razor, it’s $79 and new blades are $10 for 20 — which the company says will last you six months.
Like Bevel, the Supply single edge razor is designed to minimize skin irritation, razor bumps, ingrown hairs and razor burn. Its unique, high quality design helps it stand apart from the typical safety razor.
Yeah, those prices are steep, but Supply offers you a 100-day trial. If you don’t like it after you try it, you can get a refund.
Supply sells a few extras too. For $30, you can get two metal pieces that let you customize how the razor shaves. One of these “shave settings” is designed for sensitive skin, the other for a close shave. You can also get a beautiful, though superfluous, leather case for $40.
Read more: The best wine clubs and subscriptions for your taste
Ah, yes, Gillette. I’ll bet you’ve used one of its razors in your life. In response to all of these razor subscriptions popping up in recent years, Gillette also offers its own.
There are three tiers for men:
- Sensor 3 — $7 for eight disposable razors, delivered every one, three or six months
- Mach3 — $7 for one razor handle and four razor cartridges + $10 for four refills
- Fusion ProShield — $17 for the handle and four cartridges, $17 for four refill razor blades
Those prices are actually competitive with Amazon, at least for some of the products, and not all Gillette refills on Amazon offer Subscribe and Save. If you really want to “set it and forget it” with your razor blades, Gillette On Demand isn’t a bad deal.
Oh, and for the ladies, you can get Gillette’s Venus razor on demand. For $10, you get a free handle, plus four cartridges. Refills — which also include four cartridges — cost $10 too. You can sign up to get those refills every month, every 3 months, or every six. For comparison, a new Venus handle with only two cartridges costs around $10 on Amazon.