The short answer (prices checked 8 November 2026)
- Lowest five-year cost is the Philips Shaver 3000 Series S3241, the number one rotary shaver on Amazon UK this week. Philips says its blades last two years, so five years means two replacement heads: about £89.40 in all, or £17.88 a year.
- Best foil shaver is the Braun Series 3 ProSkin, at about £102.72 over five years with a new head every 18 months, as Braun recommends.
- The cheap handle is not always the cheap shave. The Philips OneBlade 360 has the lowest outlay of the picks with replaceable heads, but its blades last about four months each, so five years of blades cost about £81, close to three times the handle.
- Audit finding: of the fifteen face shavers in Amazon UK's top ten foil and top ten rotary charts, read on 8 November 2026, only three say how long the blades or head last, and all three are Philips. None of the three Braun shaver listings mentions the 18-month replacement that Braun's own replacement-head listings recommend.
An electric shaver is a gift that keeps costing. The blades or foil wear out, the maker tells you to replace them on a schedule, and a branded replacement head can cost half as much as the shaver. So we ranked these on the five-year cost of owning each one: the shaver plus every replacement head or blade its maker says you will need in that time, at prices read on 8 November 2026.
How this page was made
Prices and specs last checked by Look Into on 8 November 2026 · next check 1 January 2027 · how we picked
Prices in this table come from Amazon and are refreshed at least once a day, with the date of the last update under the table. The cost-per-use and running-cost figures on this page use prices Look Into read on 8 November 2026, so they can differ from today's price.
The five-year cost of a shaver
Each maker publishes its own replacement interval, and we used those figures as given. Braun's replacement-head listings say to replace the shaver head every 18 months, which means three replacements in five years (at 18, 36 and 54 months). Philips' SH30 replacement-head listing says to replace the head every two years, which means two in five years, and the Shaver 3000 listing itself promises two years of blade life. Philips says a pack of four OneBlade 360 blades lasts up to 16 months, or about four months a blade, which means fifteen blades over five years. The OneBlade 360 we picked comes with two, so you buy thirteen.
| Shaver | Maker's replacement interval | Replacements in 5 years | Replacement cost, 5 years | Five-year cost, shaver plus heads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips 3000 Series S3241 | 2 years | 2 heads (SH30) | £40.00 | £89.40 (£17.88 a year) |
| Braun Series 3 ProSkin | 18 months | 3 heads (Series 3+) | £47.73 | £102.72 (£20.54 a year) |
| Philips OneBlade 360 QP2724 | About 4 months a blade | 13 blades | £81.22 | £111.21 (£22.24 a year) |
| Braun Series 5 (51-B1000s) | 18 months | 3 heads (Series 5) | £80.97 | £140.96 (£28.19 a year) |
We have not costed the electricity. Recharging a small shaver battery is a tiny cost next to the replacement heads.
How we picked these
We read the top ten of Amazon UK's Men's Electric Foil Shavers chart and the top ten of its Men's Electric Rotary Shavers chart on 8 November 2026. Five of those twenty entries are not face shavers: a body trimmer, a Braun replacement head, and three head shavers for bald heads. That leaves fifteen face shavers, and we opened all fifteen listings. We picked five that cover foil, rotary and blade designs and a range of budgets, then priced each maker's own replacement head. We have not used any of these shavers.
As an Amazon Associate, Look Into earns from qualifying purchases. Product prices and availability are accurate as of 8 November 2026 7:55 pm and are subject to change.Compare live prices for every pick
The Braun Series 5 is not in the live price table above, because Amazon's product feed does not currently return it. Its card below links straight to the listing.
Philips Shaver 3000 Series S3241
Price: check the live price on Amazon · rotary, wet and dry · about £17.88 a year over five years · number 1 in Men's Electric Rotary Shavers, 8 November 2026
The best-selling rotary shaver, and the cheapest to own of everything we costed. Its listing says the self-sharpening blades last two years, the longest interval of any pick, and the SH30 replacement head that fits it costs less than half the shaver. It works wet or dry and has a pop-up beard trimmer.
The catch: rotary heads suit some faces and beard growth better than others, and you will not know which you are until you try. If you have only ever used a foil shaver, expect a few weeks of adjustment.
Braun Series 3 ProSkin
Price: check the live price on Amazon · foil · about £20.54 a year over five years · number 6 in Men's Electric Foil Shavers, 8 November 2026
A three-element foil shaver whose replacement head, the Series 3+ head, is one of the cheapest branded heads we found. Braun's head listing says it fits the Series 3 ProSkin and recommends a new one every 18 months, which keeps five years of heads under £50.
The catch: its own listing does not mention the 18-month replacement at all. You find out from the replacement head's listing, after you have bought the shaver.
Philips OneBlade 360 QP2724
Price: check the live price on Amazon · blade trimmer and shaver · about £22.24 a year over five years · number 3 in Facial Trimmers, 8 November 2026
Not a classic shaver but a single flexible blade that trims, edges and shaves, and this version is number 3 in Amazon UK's Facial Trimmers chart this week. This version comes with two 360 blades and three stubble combs, the lowest outlay of the picks we could cost.
The catch: the blades are the running cost. Philips says four last up to 16 months, so each lasts about four months, and five years of blades come to about £81, close to three times the price of the handle.
Braun Series 5 (51-B1000s)
Price: check the live price on Amazon · foil, wet and dry · about £28.19 a year over five years · number 1 in Men's Electric Foil Shavers, 8 November 2026
The best-selling foil shaver on Amazon UK this week, a step up from the Series 3 with three flexible blades. If you already know you prefer a foil shaver and want the more capable Braun, this is the one most people choose.
The catch: its replacement head costs about £27, so three heads over five years add about £81, more than the shaver itself. Like the Series 3, its listing does not mention the 18-month replacement Braun recommends. It is not in our live price table because Amazon's feed does not return it.
Remington R1 R1000
Price: check the live price on Amazon · rotary, dry only · five-year cost not calculable · number 2 in Men's Electric Rotary Shavers, 8 November 2026
The lowest outlay of our picks, with three rotary heads, a pop-up trimmer and a stubble guard. For a spare shaver, a travel bag or a teenager's first shaver, it does the job.
The catch: it is dry only, its listing gives 30 minutes of cordless use, and we could not find a replacement head for it on Amazon UK, so we cannot tell you what it costs to keep sharp. Treat it as a shaver you replace whole.
What the fifteen listings actually say
- Only three of fifteen say how long the blades or head last, and all three are Philips: the 3000 Series and 3000X each promise two years of blade life, and the OneBlade First Shave says its two blades are eight months' supply.
- None of the three Braun shaver listings mentions replacement. Braun's own replacement-head listings say to replace the head every 18 months.
- None of the fifteen gives the price of a replacement head.
- Fifteen of the twenty chart entries quote a time in minutes, usually battery run time, a figure that matters far less to your costs than the head.
- Five of the twenty chart entries are not face shavers at all: a body trimmer, a replacement head and three head shavers for bald heads sit in the same top tens.
Buying one as a gift or in the sale
Ask whether the person uses a foil or a rotary shaver now, and stick with it: switching takes getting used to. Then price the replacement head as well as the shaver, because over five years the heads can cost more than the shaver did. A Black Friday discount on a shaver with expensive heads can still lose to a full-price one with cheap heads. Our Black Friday deal checker tests a sale price against its 90-day low, and our tech gifts guide has more ideas worked out the same way.
Questions people ask
How often should you replace an electric shaver head?
It depends on the maker. Braun says every 18 months for its foil shavers. Philips says every two years for its Series 1000 and 3000 heads, and a OneBlade 360 blade lasts about four months. Those intervals are on the replacement-head listings, and often not on the shaver's own listing.
Which is cheaper to own, a foil or a rotary shaver?
Of the shavers we costed, the Philips 3000 rotary was cheapest over five years at about £89.40, because its heads last two years. The Braun Series 3 ProSkin foil shaver came in at about £102.72. The design matters less than the head price and how often the maker says to replace it.
Is a Philips OneBlade cheaper than a shaver?
Cheaper to buy, not to own. The OneBlade 360 handle is the lowest outlay of our costed picks, but its blades last about four months each, so five years of blades come to about £81. Its five-year total of about £111.21 is more than the Philips 3000 and the Braun Series 3.
Do I have to buy the maker's own replacement heads?
No, compatible third-party heads are sold for many models and usually cost less. We have costed the makers' own heads, because those are the ones the replacement intervals are stated for. If you buy compatible heads, check the listing names your exact shaver model.
Sources
- Amazon UK, Men's Electric Foil Shavers and Men's Electric Rotary Shavers Best Sellers, top ten of each, and the fifteen face-shaver listings, read 8 November 2026.
- Amazon UK listings for the Braun Series 5 replacement head and the Braun Series 3+ replacement head (both state replacement every 18 months), read 8 November 2026.
- Amazon UK listing for the Philips SH30/50 replacement head (fits Series 1000 and 3000; replace every two years), read 8 November 2026.
- Amazon UK listing for Philips OneBlade 360 replacement blades, four-pack (lasts up to 16 months), read 8 November 2026.
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