How Often Should You Replace Electric Shaver Blades? 

Electric shavers were conceived and developed for the practical man, the one who doesn’t have a minute to waste and needs to be impeccable at all times. However, not so practical and rather lazy men took advantage of this type of razor.

A methodical and organized man keeps all his hygiene tools well maintained and in working order. This type of man doesn’t think about when to replace blades, as he recognizes if that time has come with a simple shave. But since not all men are like that, here’s me to make it easy.

The most common type of electric shaver is the foil shaver. These are typically used by men who want to keep their facial hair neat and trimmed. In order to replace the foil on your foil shaver, you’ll need to take off the guard or cover on top of your blade. You can then use pliers or tweezers to remove the old foil and replace it with a new one.

Foil shavers are also referred to as rotary or circular razors since they have a motorized rotating head that cuts your beard in rows like a lawnmower blade. The most common type of replacement blade for this type of razor is an “open comb” style that doesn’t cause any damage during shaving because its design is meant to catch hairs at their base instead of just cutting them off at their tip.

The blades of an electric shaver should be replaced whenever you feel a rough shave, with jerks, cuts or redness. Although brands such as Philips recommend every 18 months and Braun every 24 months, depending on the use and type of beard, these frequencies may vary.

Replacement frequency of electric shaver blades

The simple fact that you are pondering the question of how often you should replace the blades on your electric shaver should be reason enough to do so. I’m sure your shave is not smooth and every time you shave you are damaging your face. However, I’m going to teach you here the most suitable replacement frequency to put your mind at ease.

Doing a little research I have found the frequency recommended by the best known brands for their best-selling electric shaver models. This table, with prices from Amazon, can serve as a guide:

According to the table above, brands like Philips are very optimistic about the frequency of replacement, with 24 months being common for all their shavers. With the exception of the Philips OneBlade which they recommend 4 months.

On the other hand, Braun recommends 18 months for all its models, and brands such as the Japanese Panasonic or the American Remington recommend between 12 and 18 months.

If the refills were not so expensive I’m sure we would change them every month, however, you have to find a balance between the expense and the final result of the shave. Although if you divide the cost of the replacements by the months it lasts, you will see that you only spend around 2.50$ per month, which is cheaper than disposable blades.

Of course, all of these numbers are relative, as wear will depend on the type of beard and frequency of use. If you shave daily and your beard is tough, instead of 24 months with a Philips, you may need to replace the blades every year. But if your beard is thin and you hardly shave at all, it could last 4 years without any problems.

How to Choose Replacement Parts for an Electric Shaver

In all shavers, their instruction manual will tell us what type of refills we should buy. But brands like Philips indicate the appropriate type of refill on the shaver handle. In addition, you can also see which shaver can use a particular refill by looking at the packaging of the blades:

Why do electric shaver blades need to be replaced?

Just like the knives you use in the kitchen lose their sharpness over time, the blades of electric shavers lose their sharpness over time. The difference is that a good kitchen knife can be sharpened, but the blades of an electric shaver cannot.

Just as a dull kitchen knife instead of cutting, and tears, electric shaver razor blades do the same. If they are not able to cut the hair cleanly and smoothly, pulling, jamming and cutting occur.

In addition to getting a closer shave and better skin health, it is good to change the blades to protect the integrity of the shaver and consume less electrical energy.

Worn blades make the shaver hotter as they rub against the screen, and shaves last much longer, with the consequent waste of energy and wear and tear on the internal parts of the shaver.

Why is it necessary to replace the screen of an electric shaver?

The refills for the most popular shavers such as Philips or Braun come with blades and screen, however, you may come across certain brands and models that sell blades on one side and screens on the other.

The ideal will always be to change the screen together with the blades, but as a general rule we can set the screen replacement frequency to twice as often as the blades. If the blades are changed every 12 months, the screen every 24 months.

Although these screens are made of highly resistant metal alloys, the passage of time, water, hair and personal hygiene products can damage the screen. Rust and other damage can prevent the blades from doing their job.

How can you extend the life of blades?

We have already said that you are only going to spend about 2.50$ – 3.00$ per month on spare parts, but as the expense is made at once, paying 40 or 50 dollars all at once is not pleasant. Therefore, if we manage to increase the life of the blades, it will be very important.

As mentioned in previous sections, friction between the blades and the screen, with the consequent overheating, is one of the main causes of shaver blade wear.

• Using a good lubricant specifically for electric shavers can greatly increase the life of your shaver. Even with relatively worn blades, using lubricants can make shaving more pleasant by reducing pulling and jamming.
• It is very important to clean the electric razor thoroughly after every shave (just use water and liquid soap, drying it very well before storing it). All the hairs, dead skin and other residues accelerate the deterioration of the blades and the razor screen.
• Avoid physical shocks by always using the guards provided with the razor. A strong blow to the head can make the change of blades and screen useless, having to change the entire head of the machine.
• Once the electric razor is dry, store it in a cool, dry place. Never expose it to excessive humidity or extreme temperatures, which can damage the blades and the battery.

Is it necessary to change a shaver’s blades?

It’s been more than 4 years since my mother gave me a Philips Series 5000 shaver that currently costs just under 100 dollars, while the original refills cost me just 20 dollars. Even having changed the blades twice, it still works out cheaper for me than buying a new shaver.

In two years, when I have to buy refills again, I may consider switching to a superior model, not because it is cheaper, but because it is more comfortable to shave with.

I have to say that I have also bought NON-original replacement blades, which cost me less than half of what the original ones are worth. However, I can’t say if they are worth it because I haven’t actually used them, I have them as a spare in case of emergency.