Beard thickness is a big factor in choosing a shaver.
The best electric shaver for thick beards is one with lots of power, and a well designed shaving head.
I’ve always felt that the right choice comes down to how thick your beard is, and how much you’re willing to spend.
From what I’ve experienced, if you have thick facial hair, some of the cheaper models just won’t do a good job.
You really need to get an advanced system or you’ll probably be disappointed.
Here’s a quick video which reviews how to choose the right model for your specific type of facial hair.
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Another tip that I think applies is shaving frequency.
My facial hair is pretty thick and if I was in an office type of environment I would have to shave everyday.
I find I get the best overall experience when I do actually shave everyday. The longer it grows in, the longer it takes to remove, and the harder it is on my face, and my shaver.
So as a general tip, shaving more often will probably be more enjoyable for you.
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Here’s a perfect example on what to avoid from a recent review I did.
In this video I review the Braun M 90 which is very inexpensive, and runs off two double A batteries.
It’s convenient for people who have very fine and thin facial hair, but as you’ll see for me, it didn’t do so well:
Here’s another video demonstration which compares two well rated systems.
You can see that both do a really good job, but in this case the more advanced Braun Series 7 just outperformed the Panasonic ES 8249 S.
In my opinion it didn’t win by much, but for those with a thick beard you may notice a difference just as I did.
Finally here are two videos which demonstrate systems which do very well.
In these examples I actually have about three days worth of stubble and the shavers manage to do a really good job.
So I would recommend the Braun Series 7 or an advanced Panasonic model.
For this situation, more power is better.
If you want a cleaning station go with the Braun Series 7, and the Panasonic ES LA93 K if you want to shave wet with shaving cream. Also as a side note, the Panasonic does have a more powerful motor.
If you’re only interested in the razor itself, go with the Panasonic ES LA63 S which is the same as the ES LA93 K, just without the cleaning station.
If you want the most advanced model and you’re willing to spend the money, consider the new Panasonic Arc 5.
Those are my top picks if you need to tackle a heavy beard, and what’s great is they’re all currently on sale through those links.