Razors and blades are expensive. You pay a small fortune for them, after hunting down a store employee to unlock the store case they are usually displayed in, use them a few times and then toss. During the winter months I kind of “forget” about the cost of shaving (tights, pants, leggings, long-sleeves,) but with summer finally around the corner, I want the option of smooth skin without having to take out a small loan to pay for the razors.

Shaving clubs have been around for several years but I personally had never checked them out, just assuming that no matter what type of deal they were offering, I’d end up spending more than I would at the stores. I have a few friends who belong to various shaving clubs but these are friends who aren’t really on any type of budget so again, I assumed the clubs were for those who had the extra money to pay for the convenience of having razors and blades shipped directly to them.

With that said, I was hugely curious to read an article in the May 2016 issue of Consumer Reports we just received in the mail, which just so happened to have a review on the leading shaving clubs and their test results, along with price comparisons.

So what is a shaving club? It’s a subscription program that typically delivers a starter kit with a razor, blades, and either a shaving cream, shaving gel or shaving butter, followed by replacement blades that are mailed regularly. They also claim to save you money while offering you a clean, close shave.

Consumer Reports tested three of the more popular clubs which included Dollar Shave Club, Gillette Shave Club, and Harry’s. They tested four razors with staffers shaving their faces daily for eight days. Then they and their sensory experts judged the closeness of the shaves with price comparisons

• The average cartridge for all brands tested costs $3.24 at stores, according to market research firm, IRI.

Here are the results…

The Favorite –

The Gillette Shave Club Advance Plan’s Fusion ($18 quarterly) was the favorite of almost all of the testers. A few things they especially liked about this particular razor was the shaving closeness and comfort, along with the handle’s grip and the shaving head’s angle. It also was the most expensive one tested though, coming in at about $4.44 per five-blade cartridge.

https://www.gilletteshaveclub.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Gillette-Site/default/Home-ShavePlans

Least Expensive –

The Dollar Shave Club’s Humble Twin was the least expensive coming in at 60 cents per cartridge. This is a simple, two-blade razor and was the least favorite tested. (Those who used it to shave bald heads though really liked it.) Three dollars per month.

https://www.dollarshaveclub.com/blades?rel=header-blades

Good Results & Good Prices –

While not being the favorite, these two blades were judged to be good, with half the testers saying they would buy them. And the pricing came in at less than you’d pay in the stores.

Dollar Shave’s Executive, a six-blade cartridge, came in at $2.25 each. ($9 per month)

Harry’s Truman, a five-blade cartridge, came in at $2 each, $15 per month.

https://www.harrys.com/products

Each of these particular clubs also let you customize your orders to better serve your individual shaving needs and there’s no commitment required, allowing you to stop your orders at any time.

Consumer Reports Results –

Consumer Reports says, “According to our analysis, shaving clubs can save you time and money, and give you a close shave.”