Like bald heads, the best head shavers for men come in a dizzying array of shapes, sizes, and styles. Which one you choose—the shaver, we mean—will come down to how you like to go about making your scalp silky smooth. Some guys want a dedicated shaver, while others want a single device for both scalp and face. Certain guys with tight schedules or short attention spans value outright speed over dolphin-skin smoothness. Meanwhile, others want a head shaver that will deliver the slickest, shiniest cueball possible—which requires a manual razor. In which case, do you choose a safety razor, a cartridge razor, or an alien-looking contraption with a surprisingly brilliant design?
The Best Head Shavers for Bald Heads, at a Glance
As GQ’s lead grooming product reviewer, I’m going to help you find the best head shaver for you by laying out the pros and cons for each category of shaver, and picking the winner for each category. If you know what style you love, you can jump right down to the best bald shaver in that category. But if you’re new to this chrome dome life—or not entirely happy with your current shaver—I’d really suggest you read up on a few options.
That’s because, after a quick run through the good and the bad, you might switch from being a foil man to a rotary king. Maybe you’ll realize that you’d avoided a manual razor unnecessarily.
What I’m saying is: go into this list of the best bald shavers with both a stubbly scalp and an open heart, and I’ll make sure you come out with the shave you’ve always wanted.
Best Head Shaver Overall: Remington Balder Pro Head Shaver XR7000
Sam Hurly
Why it’s the best: The top prize in this contest goes to the device that suits the widest group of people, causes the least amount of irritation, and features an ergonomic design that doesn’t just shave, but glides. The five rotary heads of the Remington Balder Pro XR7000 give any stubbly dome a honeycomb hug for bump-free polishing, no matter how thick or curly your hair. And clean-up is as simple as a rinse under the faucet. Of course, our lead tester (my bald brother) prefers to use the Remington in the shower because it’s fully water-sealed, and clean-up becomes a breeze.
The battery lasts for several weeks of every-third-day refreshes, which means you can travel on a full charge and know there’s enough juice for more than just a pre-best-friend’s-wedding blitz. That it needs four hours for a full recharge isn’t great, but the cost-to-quality ratio soars above any of the Remington’s palm-held rotary competition.
Even if you end up using a manual razor shaver on most days, I’d still suggest grabbing Remington’s palm-grip shaver. It’s a backup for the days you’re lazy or in a hurry (like a quick touch-up before a date or work dinner), or those times when your scalp’s irritated and the prospect of dragging a blade across it would be torture.
Best Multi-Purposes Rotary Shaver: Philips Norelco S9000 Prestige Rotary Razor
Sam Hurly
Why it’s the best: While you might think that any old face shaver can handle scalp duty, the S9000 shows what it takes to be a master of both domains. While it won’t provide quite the same ergonomic ease as Remington’s palm-held number, there’s a reason the S9000 took home top honors in our best electric face shavers roundup: this model has the most muscle of any rotary device, mowing through even the curliest and thickest stubble. Even still, it manages to be gentle on sensitive skin despite its six rotary blades. It’s definitely a superior crossover device compared to any electric foil shaver.
That said, our lead tester suggests using some skin lubrication while shaving, and staying out of the shower despite the S9000’s water-sealed build; it’s a bit slippery when wet, and a drop in the tub is probably a $300 loss.
Best Foil Shaver: Wahl Professional Vanish Foil Shaver
Sam Hurly
Why it’s the best: If your priority is the closest possible shave without the mess and hassle of a manual razor, the Wahl Vanish is your best choice. It earned a nod in GQ’s best electric face shaver roundup as one barber’s favorite device, but here it won over our tester for a design that offsets some of the pain points of using a foil shaver for your head. Though the ergonomics aren’t as friendly compared to rotaries, the Wahl’s tiered head can deliver relatively quick, ultra-smooth results just shy of actual manual razor blades, with much less irritation. With one asterisk: you need to work in steady, vertical strokes and prepare to hunt down patches in your blind spots (unless you have a roomie to help).
As an extra endorsement, Wahl’s Vanish shaver is the go-to for my trusted barber source, Dale Grinstead-Mayle, owner and barber at Goodfellow’s Tonsorial Parlor in Columbus, Ohio and White Salmon, Washington. He loves it for its endurance and durability, and cites it as a perfect pick for daily or every-other day usage.
Best Razor for Head Shaving: HeadBlade Moto Head and Skull Shaving Razor
Sam Hurly
Why it’s the best: Of all the times I’ve ever used the word ‘Zamboni’, the majority have been to describe the HeadBlade Moto razor and the way it just glides across the scalp to keep your dome polished. It’s long been my brother’s go-to head shaver, to the point that he can use it on autopilot—a real testament to how brilliantly HeadBlade has improved the mild terror of using a razor. The shaver’s single, wide-set sharp blade is also forgiving on a delicate scalp; you can get the most hairs possible in a single stroke without risking irritation from over-shaving (not to mention, without risking bumps from dull shaving).
The Headblade’s brilliance boils down to a combo of its ergonomics and, well, a little ball. The Moto razor rests snugly in the crook of your fingers, with a loop to ensure a no-slip grip. From there, the roller ball keeps the blade tracking smoothly across the scalp as you roll the Moto back over your head as if you’re running your hands through invisible hair.
Best Cartridge Razor for Head Shaving: Gillette SkinGuard Cartridge Razor
Sam Hurly
Why it’s the best: The masculine urge to stick with what you know best can be intense. If you insist on using a cartridge razor to shave your head, then take some advice and dial back the blade count—fewer blades means fewer bumps and ingrown hairs. Gillette’s SkinGuard razor only has two blades, nicely spaced so that they minimize skin irritation and stubble accumulation.
