8 best safety razors that will help you boss your grooming regime

Best: Overall

Thanks to a uber-cool matt black finish, Barbarossa Brothers’ P1R8 brass razor looks like something Kylo Ren might use to keep errant stubble in check. The “butterfly opening” makes blade swapping simple (you just twist the base of the razor and the “doors” of the blade casement open to allow access to the blade), while the weighty, textured handle ensures a firm grip and it delivered a superb shave from several different angles. It’s great value for money given its stylish appearance and is perfect for beginners and experts alike.  A matching matt black stand is available too which really makes it look like something from Star Wars.

Best: For butter fingers

This is a bestseller from British brand Bluebeards Revenge – who specialise in no-fuss, barber-grade grooming gear. It’s a solid, reliable safety razor featuring an open tooth comb on the edge of the head to help align whiskers for cutting, a beautifully knurled handle (along with the Barbarossa Brothers’ razor below it offered the best grip of all the razors we tested) and the brand’s cool skull and crossbones logo laser etched on the head. The unusual gunmetal finish and a lifetime guarantee seal the deal.

Best: For traditionalists

Fans of cult skincare brand Aesop will love this beautifully weighted British made razor with its faux ivory, lathe-turned handle. Smooth, polished and beautifully weighted, it exudes old-fashioned barbershop charm and offers a completely different tactile feel to the other razors here.

Instead of traditional knurling, grip is provided by the curvaceous ergonomic handle design and the metal collar, and it turned shaving into an almost sensual experience. Well, as sensual as shaving can be anyway.

Best: For travel

Simple, sleek and compact, Percy Nobleman’s take on the safety razor sees a brass handle given a chrome and black acrylic coating, while the razor’s head is made of durable zinc alloy. The shave is close and smooth but the lack of a textured grip means it’s a little slippier in the hand – especially when covered in water and shaving cream. Looks the biz, though, is a great size for travel and comes at a great price for beginners.

Best: Entry-point razor

Great value and from a trusted brand, Wilkinson Sword’s elegant offering delivers everything you need from a traditional safety razor – and for a great price. What’s more, the slightly longer handle (it’s a full 10cm) means it’s particularly good for those with larger hands and men with sausage fingers, while the butterfly opening mechanism makes blade changing a cinch. Perfect for safety razor virgins and for those on a budget.

Best: No-frills razor

Taking things back where they all began – the first commercially available safety razor was launched by King Camp Gillette back in 1901. Gillette’s homage to the razor that revolutionised how men shaved is simple by design (it’s not as fussily patterned as some of its competitors), is nicely weighted and its closed combed head minimises the risk of nick and cuts. It delivered a great shave but feels a little more basic than similarly priced competitors.

Best: For bigger budgets

For tradition with a twist you can’t beat this slimline British-made razor, which manages to look super traditional and modern all at once. It’s a combination of craftsmanship and eye-catching design, made of the finest Sheffield steel and the fluted handle comes in a host of cool colours – from metallic blue to pink, orange, red and yellow.

Best of all, it’s designed to be used from a variety or angles and a subtly ridged outer guard gently stretches the skin in readiness for the blade. It provided the quickest shave of the razors we tested and was unbeatable for ease of use.

Best: For experienced users

The daddy of safety razors in every way (it’s thicker, heavier and pricier than the others featured here) Muhle’s new R41GS is the “grande” version of their best-selling R41 razor. Made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel it’s been specifically designed to tackle thick, dense growth. It’s beautiful to hold and slices through stubble a treat, but because its “open comb” design facilitates a slightly more “aggressive” blade-to-skin shave you’ll need to have perfected your technique to get the most out of it. One for safety razor aficionados.