If you’re the kind of man who can grow facial hair, you know upkeep is a daily or weekly task whether you like it or not. There are many of high-quality premium razor subscription services and electric shavers on the men’s grooming market, but what about the humble disposable? A tried and true option, the best disposable razors for men let you perform quick everyday touchups on the fly.
Thankfully, you can always head to the nearest convenience store to pick up a disposable razor. But if you’ve been through this before, you know every solution comes with new problems. In this case, which disposable razor should you buy? With established manufacturers like Gillette and Schick stocking shelves with slightly different options and subscription services like Harry’s, there are a ton of options to consider.
Now, let’s get into the best disposable razors. And if you’re generally in the market for new shaving tools, be sure to check out more of our coverage, including the best safety razors (and how to use them), great shaving creams, must-have aftershave balms, pre-shave oils, getting rid of razor burn and more.
Gillette Sensor2 Plus Disposable Razor
If you just want a simple, reliable, affordable disposable razor, the Gillette Sensor2 Disposable Razor will be the best disposable razor for you. It features two chromium-coated blades with a lubricant strip and a pivoting head. Though some other versions of the Sensor2 skip the strip and/or opt for a fixed body instead of a pivoting head, we like what this version has to offer. In our testing, it delivered a smooth, close shave with minimal cuts or razor burn. Plus, you can spend way more and get a worse razor than the Sensor2.
Schick Xtreme 3 Sensitive Skin Disposable Razors
We’ve been coming back to the Schick Xtreme 3 Sensitive Skin Disposable Razor for years because it just doesn’t ever let us down. The shave itself is shockingly smooth for a disposable: The head pivots and the three razor blades bend to better follow the contours of your face while the lubricant strip keeps things smooth. For us, that resulted in a surprisingly close, non-irritating shave.
This disposable is made well too. The heavyweight handle is no joke, with a rubbery textured grip you can actually hold onto that doesn’t feel flimsy like cheaper disposables.
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In short, this is one of the best disposable razors overall and one of the best disposable razors for sensitive skin thanks to its solid ability to follow contours.
Gillette Sensor3 Men’s Disposable Razor
The Gillette Sensor3 Men’s Disposable Razor strikes a great balance between quality and disposability and offers a similar experience to the Sensor2, just with an additional blade. In SPY’s tests, the three blades offered a comfortable shave without too much irritation or ingrown hairs thanks to Gillette’s water-activated Comfortgel lubricant strip and pivoting razor head. These are also heavier in the hand than more pared-down disposables and feature an anti-slip rubber handle for solid control.
As long as you’re not trying to shave off your whole beard, this disposable will more than get the job done.
Harry’s 3-Blade Disposable Razor
Harry’s may be better known for its Truman Razor, which SPY has named the best razor for men for three years running, but the subscription razor company also makes a pretty great disposable razor too. In our testing, we found the Harry’s 3-Blade Disposable Razor to be a lightweight and efficient option. It somehow manages to feel light but not cheap and still manages to include multiple useful features, like a pivoting head and lubricant strip.
Though the Harry’s disposable razor didn’t deliver the closest shave in our testing, it was still smooth, comfortable and left us with minimal skin irritation.
Slate by Gillette Disposable Razor
If the Gillette Sensor series isn’t working for you but you don’t want to use the more expensive Gillette Fusion, then the Slate by Gillette could be just the change-up you need. The heads of the razors are very similar and ultimately shave similarly, but the Slate’s design is much simpler than the Sensor3 or Sensor 2 Plus. It has a long straight body with a top-to-bottom rubber grip and a head that pivots a little bit less. If you prefer to have more control over your grip and shave angles, those two features can be the key difference.
BIC Twin Select Disposable Razor
The BIC Twin Select Sensitive Skin Disposable Razor has been our cheap go-to disposable razor for years. Sold at pretty much any big box store or pharmacy chain nationwide, this razor pretty much exclusively comes in packs of 10 or more, meaning the cost per razor is always low. In terms of testing, this razor is simple but competent in a pinch. You get two close-together razor blades stuck in a rigid, lightweight basic handle, with no lubricant strip or head swiveling. It’s better than the cheapest of the cheap, but it’s not ideal for handling more than minimal scruff. But for an affordable daily shave, this disposable razor won’t let you down.
BIC Sensitive Single Blade Shaver
Not everyone is comfortable with a single-blade shave, but if you prefer consistency, easy washability, and less irritation, BIC’s Sensitive Single Blade Shaver will deliver for you. Because these razors only have one blade, they tend to cause fewer razor bumps and skin irritation. That held true for us in testing and will hold true for you too as long as you’re not trying to shave too much hair at once. (On one dumb occasion, we tried shaving a full-on beard with this disposable and it did its best but was no match. It wasn’t our best post-shave experience.)
McKesson Twin Blade Disposable Razor
If you just want a big, cheap box of disposables to guarantee you’ll always have a fresh razor for home or travel, you can’t beat the price of the McKesson Twin Blade Disposable Razor. We were surprised that bulk razors like these made the cut when ranking the best disposable razors for men, but in SPY’s testing, we found that it got the job done.
We’ll be the first to tell you the shave is passable at best and you’re definitely going to want shaving cream to keep things smooth. But if you’re a pro and don’t have too much facial hair, you’ll find the disposable is easy enough to use with two sharp blades that don’t cause much irritation. There’s a reason this razor is a go-to for bulk providers like hotels or hospitals: It gets the job done and gets it done on the cheap.
Gillette Mach3 Sensitive Skin Disposable Razors
If you don’t mind spending a bit more on your disposable men’s razors, then Gillette’s Mach3 Disposable Razor is definitely another quality pick. Three blades work to shave more effectively with fewer strokes and the lubricant strip keeps things smooth the whole way. But what really sets this disposable apart is the spacing of the blades. The closer the blades are set together, the easier they will clog, but these blades are set just far enough apart to make it easy to rinse hair away from the blades.
Overall, the Mach3 is one of the best disposable razors we tried, but it definitely costs too much to be considered the best of the best.
Schick Xtreme 4 Disposable Razor
As we mentioned at the top, more blades don’t necessarily equal a better shave, depending on how you define better. But if you are interested in a four-blade razor, the Schick Xtreme 4 Disposable Razors will meet your needs.
Rinsing can be a problem here, but for the most part, these blades rinse out relatively easily. A heavy, non-slip, easy-to-hold handle means you won’t fumble this razor, even if you get some water on your hands from rinsing, and a pivoting head helps you achieve the shaving angles you need. Add in a lubrication strip for comfort and you’ve got yourself an excellent solid four-blade razor.
Best Cartridge Razors
The best disposable razors for men can simply be tossed in the trash when you’re done. However, they don’t offer the closest possible shave and aren’t great for the environment. So if you’re ready to upgrade to a cartridge razor system, then we recommend making the change.
SPY has tested a lot of men’s razors over the years, including the best cartridge razors. Here are some of our favorites.
Harry’s The Truman Razor
Razor subscriptions or clubs are great options to consider. These shave clubs give you premium tools for shaving, but they’re usually marketed toward men who are already skeptical of cheap disposable razors. Harry’s is a great place to start if you’re curious about the subscription route.
The Truman razor has five blades, a flex hinge, a lubricant strip, and a precision trimmer. The handle feels great in your hand, and you can choose between a few different colors to make the razor feel more personal to you. If you want to try before you subscribe, you can always buy the razor as a one-off to test it and make a final decision later. We love this razor so much, we’ve named it the Best Razor two years in a row for our end-of-year product awards.
Gillette ProGlide Men’s Razor
The Gillette ProGlide Men’s Razor stands out with what Gillette calls FlexBall Technology to help the razor pivot and swivel around the contours of your face. In our testing, that made following our facial contours much easier, including when shaving our chins and cheeks. And then there are the usual trappings of a high-quality razor: a precision trimmer on the back of the razor head, a lubrication strip, and a micro-comb on the bottom of the head to help guide hairs to the blades.
The Gillette ProGlide is the standard among semi-disposable razors, and you’ll find their razor cartridges in packs of 4, 8, and 12 in virtually every drug store in America. However, despite offering a smooth and precise shave, the ProGlide is overpriced and the cartridges are expensive. That’s why, if you want a more value-based razor, we’d recommend The Truman or, better yet, buying a safety razor.
BIC Flex 5 Hybrid Men’s 5-Blade Disposable Razor
Though not as well known as the Gillette ProGlide, the BIC Flex 5 Hybrid 5-Blade Disposable Razor system is significantly cheaper and offers a comparable five-blade shaving experience. One other key difference is the use of flexible blades.
While the ProGlide relies on its FlexBall for contouring, the Flex 5 Hybrid’s flexible blades bend ever so slightly, like those on the Schick Xtreme 3, as you press to address the contours of your face. Like many other pricier five-blade razors, this razor includes an aloe and vitamin E lubrication strip, a precision blade, and above-average anti-clog slots, so don’t let the lower price fool you. It’s got all the trappings of comparable razors, just at a much more competitive price.
How We Tested the Best Disposable Razors
To help you choose the best disposable razors for the job, we evaluated over two dozen of the best men’s razors. For our criteria, we considered the following factors:
- Disposability: Technically any razor is disposable if you throw it in the garbage, but we looked for one-piece razors with no removable head designed to be thrown out; handle and blades.
- Price Per Unit: Disposable razors frequently come in packs of six or more, so we considered the overall value per unit ranking higher for affordability.
- Razor Features: Features like a lubricant strip for additional comfort or a swiveling razor head for improved control could be the difference makers for you.
- Blade Material: Chromium and titanium help prevent rust on blades but they’re not as effective as stainless steel, and this can affect the price of the razors. But because these razors are disposable and generally won’t yield more than five shaves, rust isn’t a big concern.
- Blade Count: More blades generally mean more irritation and blade clogging, but they can also shave through more hair and offer a closer shave. Most disposables have one, two, or three blades and some have as many as six. The jury is still out on whether more blades equate to a better shave or not. Ultimately it’s a matter of personal preference and comfort more than anything, and you can find people who swear by both more blades or fewer blades. That said, we made sure to include the best disposable razors for as many blade counts as we could.
We also thought about the number of shaves you’re likely to get out of a given razor or cartridge, but the truth is that varies widely based on how often you shave and how coarse your facial hair is, so we didn’t weigh that factor heavily either.
We also reached out to Fellow Barber Senior Barber Soren Roi for his expert advice on disposable razors. Check out our FAQ below for our advice and his input on things like how often to replace your razor, his opinion on blade count, etc.
His most important advice? “Everybody’s skin and facial hair are different. What works best for one person may not be best for another. It’s always good to try things out and see what works for you.”
Some FAQs About the Best Disposable Razors for Men
What is the best brand for disposable men’s razors?
In SPY’s product testing, Gillette products consistently outperformed the competition. The shaving company makes several excellent disposables, so it’s easy to find a razor that suits your needs (and budget).
What are disposable razors good for?
“Disposable razors are good for the convenience of having fresh sharp razors on hand and ready to go with minimal preparation or setup required. They are best for people who shave their entire face rather than leaving a goatee or mustache,” Roi said.
What are disposable razors not good for?
Because of their construction, they’re not very good at getting clean lines, Roi said, adding, “They are also not very good for the environment as they tend to produce a lot of plastic waste.”
Does the number of razor blades matter? What are the pros and cons of more or fewer blades?
In terms of pros, Roi said that more blades can disperse the pressure as you shave and lead to less damage on individual blades. That can lead to less irritation for some people’s skin and a longer-lasting razor.
However, more blades can cause more irritation for some people because they remove a bit more of the top layer of your skin. “If your skin is sensitive, then more blades may not be right for you,” Roi said.
“I would look for something simple with one or two stainless steel blades that I could shave with once or twice and then replace. I find that the razors with too many blades make it harder to determine the correct pressure to apply to the face. Less blades gives me more control.”
How often should I replace disposable razors? How many times can I use a disposable razor?
There’s no “right” answer here for a lot of factors, but the short answer is you should be replacing your disposable razor often. (They are called disposable for a reason, folks.) Cheaper blades will likely only last one to two shaves while higher-quality blades could go as many as five, Roi said.
Can you bring disposable razors onto a plane?
Yes, as per TSA guidelines, you can absolutely bring disposable razors on a plane.
How do you sharpen disposable razors?
You shouldn’t sharpen disposable razors. Simply throw it out and use the next one in your pack. We have found some hacks online involving leather and other techniques, but as we said earlier, they’re called disposables for a reason. If you’re tempted to sharpen your disposable men’s razors, then it’s time to upgrade to a safety blade or cartridge system.
Why Trust SPY When Picking a Disposable Razor
The research team at SPY regularly scours the shaving industry to identify products that dermatologists, grooming professionals, and editors are loving. This includes shaving creams, the best body hair trimmers, and body washes for acne, among many other products that SPY readers want to read about prior to purchasing.
Over the course of six weeks, we tested what we found to be the best disposable razors based on reviews, word of mouth, and our own prior experience. Products were tested, ranked, and reviewed in predetermined categories to finally narrow the playing field to the options set forth above.
About the Author
Jake Cappuccino is a long-time contributor to SPY.com specializing in men’s lifestyle topics such as grooming, style, gear, and trending products. A native of Buffalo, N.Y., and a current New York City resident, he’s been writing and editing for both traditional print publications and digital news companies for the past 10 years, including stints with Popular Mechanics, Elite Daily, and Google.
When he’s not working, Jake’s usually browsing his favorite brands for their latest drops, testing out the latest grooming products and gear, or carving up city streets on a skateboard.