Although a stroll through the hippest part of your town might make you think shaving is a thing of the past, most men still opt for a clean shave every day. Some see it as a chore to be endured, while others relish the free time. But whatever your opinion on shaving, no one likes to go to the supermarket to stock up.
That’s because razors are expensive and, at times, impossible to understand thanks to the space-age technologies that are seemingly stuffed into every blade. Then there’s the time and emotional cost of going to a store. No no no no no. There must be a better way.
There are. Shaving subscription boxes are here to save the day. Register online, then sit back and relax. All the shaving supplies you need will arrive at regular intervals and it will probably cost you less than buying it from a store. At least in the emotional sense.
Here are the best shaving subscriptions to consider, in alphabetical order.
Bearded Colonel
There are two design elements on the heads of the Bearded Colonel that promise to minimize chafing. The first is a roller on the leading edge of the head so that more shaving cream reaches the blades, acting as a lubricant. The second is wider blade spacing so they don’t clog. There are two levels of Beard Colonel membership. The standard costs £10 to start, then £10 per delivery after that, and for that you get your handle and four five-blade heads in each delivery. The VIP tier gives you a fancier stainless steel handle and a box to store it next to the blades, but this is currently invite-only. So you need to contact the colonel himself (or an inbox trainee) to request a spot.
Slide box
Besides the cheapest option from Dollar Shave Club, Blade Box offers the best value shaving subscription we’ve come across. Subscribe to the three-blade razor service and it’ll only cost you £4.49 a month, and if you just need to have five blades on your razors, that subscription still costs just £7.49 a month. You can change the frequency of your deliveries to four, six or eight weeks, depending on how often you shave, and of course the handle is free with your first order. The three- and five-razor blade heads both feature a lubricating strip with vitamin E and aloe to minimize skin irritation and, while lacking some of the marketing bluster that comes with many blades on this list, they will do the job in terms of a close shave.
corner stone
If you want Cornerstone to take care of almost every part of your grooming routine they can do that, as in addition to razors and blades they will provide shampoos, soaps, hair loss treatments, toothpaste and even condoms on a schedule you set. We will, however, focus on the shaving stuff here. You can get six five-blade cartridges plus a handle with free engraving for £14; subsequent deliveries also cost £14 and can be spaced one, two or three months apart. The head has a cutting blade and an aloe vera strip, but its coolest trick is that it will stand on its wide, flat base.
Dollar Shave Club
This shaving subscription service has proven extremely popular in the United States and has now made its way to good old Blighty, where the motto in its title makes no sense. It’s not as simple as the brand suggests – it took a bit of research on the website, but we unearthed a very cheap option.
Dollar Shave Club offers a starter pack for £5, which includes DSC’s “executive” razor handle, a pack of four six-blade cartridges and a travel-sized tube of shave butter. Thereafter, you have the option of getting four or six blade razor refills for £6 or £8 (both work on the executive handle), but you lock yourself into the more premium cartridges. If you want the cheapest plan possible, skip the starter kit and opt for the two-bladed ‘humble twin’: you’ll pay just £3 a month for five cartridges, with the handle included free in the first delivery.
If you happen to be a big spender, DSC is keen to sell you more. If you add additional grooming products from DSC’s very extensive range, you – sound the upsell horn – get a bigger discount applied to all your purchases.
Subscribe to Dollar Shave Club
Gillette Shave Club
No doubt eager to see competition from all those upstart blade sellers, the granddaddy of shaving products has gotten into this new subscription craze. After a slow start, it looks like Gillette is now in business, offering a starter kit which includes a handle, cartridge, travel shaving foam and travel head case for just £3.95 fee Delivery. You can also choose between three razors in this kit – the Fusion5 ProGlide, the SkinGuard or the Fusion5. Once you’re up and running, you can also set the frequency of refill deliveries, with each pack of four new heads costing between £10 and £11.50.
Subscribe to Gillette Shave Club
by Harry
Harry’s makes everything you need to enjoy a top quality shave and is keen to have it delivered to your door whenever you choose. A trial set of razor, shave gel and blade cover costs just £3.95 (pictured above), and from there you choose what you want – cartridges and gel, or simply cartridges – and whenever you want. Getting your blade heads and gel from Harry will cost you £19 per delivery, while eight heads will cost £14.
Subscribe to Harrys
The personal barber
These guys have no time for your four/five/13 blade razors – they believe you only need a sharp blade to enjoy a great shave without irritation. TPB will send you this blade as a safety razor with a fancy shaving brush and soap or cream in your first box, which also includes step-by-step instructions for the perfect shave. Then your next box keeps things fresh by including different shaving creams and before and after shave products. The wet shave subscription box, complete with blades and mystery items, costs £24.95 every six or 12 weeks.
Subscribe to The Personal Barber
