The Philips Head Shaver Pro 5000 (about £60) is the best head shaver for most people in the UK. Genuine replacement heads are easy to buy, and at one head of about £30 every 6 months it costs about £60 a year to run.
Prices checked 28 September 2026 across UK retailers and the brands' UK shops. Some links go to Amazon UK, and TheBarberBoard may earn a small commission if you buy through them. That doesn't change the price or the picks. These shavers were not lab-tested. The picks come from manufacturer specs, replacement part prices and current UK availability.
Philips publishes a replacement interval for its heads, so you know the running cost before you buy. Spend more on the Pro 7000 only if you want the longer battery. The Remington and Skull Shaver models shave well enough, but Remington doesn't publish a head life and we could only find third-party replacement heads for it.
Head shavers compared
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Shaver | UK price | Runtime | Waterproof | Replacement head | Yearly head cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips Head Shaver Pro 5000 HS5980 | About £60 to £96 | 60 min | IPX7 | About £30, lasts up to 6 months | About £60 |
| Philips Head Shaver Pro 7000 HS7980 | From about £92 | 90 min | IPX7 | About £30 (same head) | About £60 |
| Remington Balder Ultimate (RX7, XR1600) | About £60 to £89 | 60 min | Yes | About £25 (third-party) | About £50* |
| Skull Shaver Pitbull Silver Pro SX5 | About £67 to £110 | Not stated | IPX6 | Sold by Skull Shaver | Not published |
| Freebird FlexSeries Pro | Varies by seller | Not stated | Wet or dry | Blade packs | See note |
Prices checked 28 September 2026 on the brands' UK shops and a UK price comparison site. *Remington doesn't publish a replacement interval, so this assumes a new head every 6 months, the same as Philips. Freebird's blade listing says to replace blades every 4 weeks, far more often than any other shaver here.
Verdict
Buy the Philips Head Shaver Pro 5000. It's the cheapest to run of the models with a published blade life, genuine heads are easy to get, and it's waterproof to IPX7, so you can use it in the shower. If you shave daily and hate charging, the Pro 7000 gives you 90 minutes instead of 60 for about £30 to £40 more.
Is a head shaver better than clippers?
For a smooth head, yes. Clippers with no guard leave about 0.5 to 0.8mm of stubble, while a rotary head shaver gets it smooth. For a "number zero" shadow, clippers are all you need, so if you already own clippers you might not need a head shaver at all.
| Method | How close | Time | Yearly running cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clippers, no guard | About 0.5 to 0.8mm of stubble | 5 to 10 min | Clipper oil, a few pounds |
| Rotary head shaver | Smooth to the touch | 3 to 5 min | About £50 to £60 in heads |
| Cartridge or safety razor | Closest | 10 to 15 min, wet | Blades, foam, and the odd nick |
A clipper with no guard leaves a visible shadow of about 0.5mm to 0.8mm (our guard sizes chart has the figures by brand). That's the "number zero" look. A rotary head shaver takes it down to smooth, and it's quicker than a razor because the round heads follow the curve of the skull and you can do it dry. Plenty of men use both: clippers to take the length off after a week away, then the head shaver every day or two.
What is the best head shaver?
The Philips Head Shaver Pro 5000 for most people, or the Pro 7000 if you want 90 minutes of battery instead of 60. The Remington and Skull Shaver below are decent alternatives, and the Freebird costs the most to keep going.
Philips Head Shaver Pro 5000 (HS5980/15) About £60
60 minutes runtime, 5-minute quick charge, IPX7 waterproof. Genuine replacement head about £30, rated to last up to 6 months. About £60 to £96 at UK retailers.
This is the current Philips head shaver range, which replaced the older SkinIQ Bald models. The same replacement head fits the 5000, 7000 and 9000, so you're not locked into a part that disappears. The 5-minute quick charge covers one shave if you forget to plug it in.
Pros: price, genuine heads easy to buy, known running cost, waterproof
Cons: 60 minutes is the shortest runtime in the Philips range
Check price on Amazon UKPhilips Head Shaver Pro 7000 (HS7980/15) From about £92
90 minutes runtime, IPX7, 360-degree head, rinsing station and pouch. About £92 to £132 at UK retailers, including John Lewis.
It uses the same head as the 5000, so it costs the same to run. The extra money buys 30 more minutes of battery, the rinsing station and a nicer box, which makes it the better gift. For your own use, the 5000 gives the same shave.
Pros: longer battery, rinsing station, same cheap heads
Cons: about £30 to £40 more, mostly for extras
Check price on Amazon UKRemington Balder Ultimate (RX7, XR1600) From about £60
5 rotary heads, 60 minutes runtime, USB charging, 100% waterproof. About £60 to £89 at UK retailers. Third-party replacement heads cost about £25.
It's a solid rotary shaver for about the same money as the Philips 5000. The drawback is parts: we could only find third-party replacement heads, not official Remington ones. The RX5 (XR1500 series) adds a pop-up trimmer but has a shorter 50-minute battery. Remington also sells a newer 2-in-1 head and beard shaver with an 80-minute battery and a 0.4 to 5mm trimmer attachment.
Pros: waterproof, USB charging, same price as the Philips
Cons: no official replacement heads found
Check price on Amazon UKSkull Shaver Pitbull Silver Pro SX5 About £67 to £110
4 rotary heads, IPX6 water resistance, lithium battery (runtime not stated). £69.98 at Skull Shaver UK (full price £110.99), and from about £67 elsewhere. Skull Shaver sells replacement heads directly.
Skull Shaver's "palm" design sits in your hand rather than on a handle, which some men find easier to steer around the back of the head. It's rated IPX6, so it copes with splashes and rinsing but isn't made to go under water like the Philips. The Gold and Platinum models (about £100 to £200 at Skull Shaver UK) share the same replacement head.
Pros: palm grip, replacement heads sold by the brand
Cons: usually dearer than the Philips 5000, runtime not published, IPX6 only
Check price on Amazon UKFreebird FlexSeries Pro
Wet or dry. Sold in the UK under a US model number, with replacement blades in packs.
Freebird has loyal users, but the running cost counts against it. The replacement blade listing says to change blades every four weeks, against six months for a Philips head, and the pack wording doesn't make clear how long one pack lasts, so check the blade-pack price before you buy. Buy it if you already like Freebird. If you're starting from scratch, the Philips is cheaper to keep.
Pros: well reviewed by existing users, wet or dry
Cons: high and unclear blade costs, US model sold in the UK
Check price on Amazon UKWe couldn't find a dedicated head shaver from Braun or BaByliss on sale in the UK; their ranges are foil shavers and clippers.
How long do head shaver blades last?
Philips rates its head shaver heads for up to 6 months; Remington and Skull Shaver don't publish a figure, and Freebird's listing says to replace its blades every four weeks.
That puts a Philips at about £60 a year (a head of about £30 every 6 months). Third-party Remington heads cost about £25. Whatever you use, don't stretch a head past its life: a worn one pulls and irritates.
How do you use a head shaver?
Take long stubble down with clippers first, then shave in small circles rather than straight lines so the rotary heads catch hair growing in different directions.
- Head shavers are built for one to three days of growth, which is why the clippers go first after a week away.
- Shaving wet with a gel is gentler on the scalp. Dry is quicker. The Philips (IPX7) and Remington (100% waterproof) models can go in the shower; the Skull Shaver SX5 is IPX6, which covers splashing and rinsing.
- Rinse the heads after every shave and replace them on schedule.
- Use sun cream on a freshly shaved head in summer. A bare scalp burns fast.