If you’re in the market for an epilator, then you’ll already be aware that there are a massive variety of types to choose from. There are disc epilators, tweezer epilators, wet epilators, dry epilators and wet and dry epilators. It’s enough to make one go crazy!
Fortunately, we’ve compiled this comprehensive Buyer’s Guide to help you properly analyze what’s out there and end up choosing the best epilator for your unique circumstances.
It’s important that you understand what to look out for when buying an epilator, so that you can make an informed decision on what is the best epilator for you.
First we’ll help you understand the useful features that top epilators should have, and then we’ll show you a few of our top picks and recommend which epilators might be the right choice for you based on certain conditions.
*Notice: On mobile devices, scroll right to see entire table.
Product Name | Our Rating | Prices |
|---|---|---|
Best Epilator from Braun | ||
Winner | ||
Runner Up | ||
Best Value Epilators | ||
Best Epilator Under $50 | ||
Best Epilator Under $100 | ||
Runner Up Best Value Epilator | ||
Why It’s Important To Choose The Right Epilator
As most everyone knows, epilating can be painful. If you get one that is specifically suited to your skin and hair type you stand a better chance of minimizing that pain. More modern epilators are also created with specific settings to minimize pain.
Another reason to choose the correct epilator the first time around is that they can require a decent upfront investment. Even though they still work out cheaper than ongoing costs for say disposable shavers or wax strips, epilators can still be a big once-off cost.
You want to be sure the when you buy an epilator you are buying a high-quality item that will be a) safe to use and b) last a lifetime.
What To Look Out For When Buying An Epilator
There are a number of differences between epilators on the market today. Different epilators are suited for different purposes and you’ll need to understand the features incorporated in epilators if you’re going to make a good informed decision with your purchase.
The top five features to focus on when you are looking at an epilator are:
1. The Hair Removal Power
You can usually identify the hair removal power level of an epilator by the number of tweezers (weather disc, plate or springs) it has. The more tweezers an epilator has, the more hairs it is likely to be able to pluck out in each cycle.
Though epilation will probably never be as fast as waxing (which removes all hairs in one rip) it is a lot cleaner experience and getting a powerful epilation machine will undoubtedly make the whole process go much faster.
Currently the most powerful epilator on the market has a whopping seventy-two tweezers which is relatively extreme considering that even forty tweezers is considered powerful. Our advice, when searching for a good epilator, don’t settle for less than 20 tweezers!
2. Caps Inclusions
A decent retailer is likely to sell an epilator machine with more than one cap style to fit the body of the device. A cap is the top part of the epilator where the metal tweezers are located. Usually different types of caps can be attached to the same base device.
Some caps are better specifically included with facial hair epilators and other caps are made specifically to cover large surface areas like legs. Getting an epilator that has multiple caps will allow you to do more with your machine.
The other option is to buy separate epilators for separate areas of your body. This can end up costing more than one expensive epilator with multiple heads though so we’d recommend going for a single higher end epilator with multiple caps instead.
3. Wet Or Dry Usage
Epilators can come in one of three forms, either for only dry usage, or for only wet usage, or for wet and dry usage. Clearly the third option is the most versatile but that does not automatically make it the best option.
Because waterproof epilators can’t be plugged in while in use they generally have to be charged before a session. This requires some foresight and takes away an aspect of spontaneous convenience which dry epilators, which can be used anytime, provide.
Whether you prefer a wet or dry epilator is completely a matter of personal preference. It should be noted that many women prefer using epilators in the shower though as the running water can soother skin and minimize any pain caused by the epilation process.
4. The Corded Or Cordless Dilemma
As mentioned above most epilators designed for use with water are operated cordlessly. Often these are charged with a cord prior to use though. Some epilator designs run off batteries which are easily replaceable by their operators.
On average users can expect about forty minutes of life from a one hour charge. Clearly the more modern epilators are likely to have more advanced batteries and charging capabilities making them a more reliable and quick to use option than their older rivals.
5. The Pain Level
Depending on your own personal pain tolerance levels, this might be an incredibly important factor to you. It’s no secret that epilation is painful, but it might be a secret to some of you that certain epilator devices will be more or less painful than others.
Although it’s a myth that more tweezers mean it will be more painful, it’s not a myth that having two speed settings is helpful. If you’re able to select a slower speed setting on your device, this will definitely help to make epilation of your more delicate areas tolerable.
Another thing that can help with pain is the choosing of a wet epilator that you can use in the shower. Hot water will help to expand your skin and allow hairs to be plucked out more easily – reducing the plucking sensation/pain experienced.
Those are the five key things to analyze whenever you are looking at an epilator model. There are however a few other extra features/add-ons that may come in handy in an epilator though.
What Additional Epilator Features Should You Know About?
The importance of each of the below features will be largely based on where and how you want to use your epilator. Do keep in mind that the more features an epilator has the more expensive it is likely to be, so only opt for additional features that will really benefit you.
Additional features available with many market leading epilators are:
- Built-in light: Having a light built into the head of an epilator is incredibly useful as it allows users to clearly see the skin that is being worked on at any moment. Considering that hairs can be difficult to see in the best of lighting this is a great feature to have
- Washable heads: Some epilator heads clip off from the main body of the device and are able to be washed under a stream of water. This makes for easy and hygienic clean-ups post-session which will help ensure your epilator remains safe to use
- Trimming or shaving heads: Trimming or shaving heads can be swapped with regular heads and attached to the main body of the epilator device. These are usually small and specially designed to allow for epilating delicate areas of the body
- Cleaning brush: These are small brushes that come with epilators to help clean hairs out of the head of a n epilator after you’ve finished your session. Cleaning epilators if a very important thing to do every time you finish using one
- Cover cap: Most epilators will come with a cap to cover their head with when you’re not using the device. This will not only help to keep the head clean while it’s not in use but will also help to ensure nobody accidentally cuts themselves on the metal parts
- Charging stand: If your epilator requires wall charging then a charging stand can be a useful item to keep it out of the way and in a convenient location. Elevating the epilator off the ground while it charges will also help to keep it clean
The Top Products To Consider When Selecting An Epilator
Given all the features and add-ons that come with different types of epilators it can be hard to know which epilator to choose. We’ve decided to help you out by narrowing the market down to our absolute favorite epilators for you.
In our experience, there are two main factors people look for in an epilator – a trustworthy reliable brand/manufacturer, and good overall value for their money in terms of what the product can do. As such, we’ve divided this section of epilator recommendations up for you.
The first section contains our top picks from the Braun manufacturing range – a well-regarded name in the epilator industry. The second section looks at value for Monday in both the $50 and $100 pricing sections of the market. So, let’s get started.
Best Epilator from Braun
First we are going to take a look at best epilators by Braun.
WINNER: The Braun Silk-épil 9-579 Epilator
For a long time, Braun gave us the trustworthy Silk-épil SE5280 epilator model, and then they released the Epil 9 which was on a whole new level! Epilator reviews show this model towering above it’s companions.
The Epil 9 caught our eye because it’s wide head can tear out more hairs per revolution than most other epilators, meaning that it’ll speed up your epilation sessions. As no one really enjoys the process, we figure the shorter the better.
The MicroGrip technology of this epilator is another big plus as it helps to ensure that hairs don’t break off but are actually pulled out from their roots. By pulling hairs out by their roots you are extending the long-lasting effects of your epilation.
Our Rating
We’ll also mention the cordless wet and dry functionality. Not only can you use this device wherever you like (not attached to a wall socket by a cord) but you can even use it in the bath tub. How comfortable!
About one hour of charging should give you up to forty minutes of epilation time, which is plenty enough to get through your legs unless you’re a real gorilla. This is one of the many reasons this is the best epilator for legs on the market.
This Braun Epilator comes with an additional ‘extra’ accessory on top of the standard ones of a clean brush and a travel bag. The extra accessory is a facial cleaning brush designed to help you clean your face from all types of impurities.
Finally, our favorite part about the Epil 9 is that it has two different speed settings. One is slightly slower and works well on delicate areas such as the face and bikini line, while the other setting moves faster and is more efficient at removing large sections of hair like that on legs.
RUNNER UP: Braun Silk-épil 9-521 Epilator
The baby cousin of the Epil 9-579, the Epil 9-521 comes in a hot shade of pink on white and has some pretty hot features to boot.
The head of this epilator has a SmartLight built into it that illuminates the area you’re epilating and makes it easy to spot any small pesky hairs. Apart from this the Epil 9-521 also vibrates in order to help the whole experience feel a little more gentle for its users.
Our Rating
The pivoting head of the device helps to counteract its wideness and allow users to still reach across all the various contours of their bodies. The pivoting head helps to keep the rotating tweezers flush against a person’s skin and thus helps ensure hairs are pulled out properly not just tugged at.
As with the winning model, this epilator is also a wet and dry use device. It can be used in the bath or shower to maximize your comfort during hair removal sessions. The special built-in massage rollers will also help to keep things super comfy – or at least as comfy as epilation can be.
For those who aren’t interested in brand names and only want to find a good epilator for a certain price category, we’ve created the following list. Winning epilators were chosen for this list based on their value for money offered in the price tag shown.
Best Value Epilators
Next are the the best epilators for your money.
Best Epilator Under $50: The Epilady Speed Corded Epilator
With some products, you get what you pay for, but that rule simply isn’t true for the Epilady Speed Corded Epilator. This epilator manages to compete with far more expensive epilators on the market and offers incredibly value for money.
The Epilady Speed Corded Epilator has some of the best features in the market, all included in one device! It’s a true all-rounder in terms of functionality and has managed to incorporate some very modern technology.
The women buyers of this device seem very keen on it and it’s easy to see why, with its fastest setting of epilation doing up to 31,000 tweezes per minute. This high speed means that you can quickly get through all your hair removal with this device.
Our Rating
The slower speed setting is still a useful part of the device as well though, as it means the epilator can be successfully and gently used on more delicate parts of the body (making it a great bikini epilator.)
The whole design is very compact and could easily be kept in a travel bag for use when going on overseas holidays. The motor is noted to be rather quiet as well – which is great because you don’t need your neighbors to wonder what’s going on.
To avoid any painful mistakes, the creators at Epilady have designed this machine with a clever red “angle guide” clip on. This guide helps to ensure that you are epilating at the perfect angle in order to pick up the most hairs. How handy!
In summary, it’s quick, it’s easy and it’s practical, that’s why we’ve chosen the Epilady Speed Corded Epilator as the best epilator you can buy for under $50. Don’t let the price tag fool you, this is truly a good buy for anyone who wants smooth legs and is value conscious.
Best Epilator Under $100: The Philips Satinelle Advanced Epilator
Where to begin with this one. If we had to choose the absolute best epilator on the market the Philips Satinelle Advanced Epilator would probably be it. Let me tell you why.
For starters, the rechargeable lithium-ion battery can provide an amazing forty minutes of running time off only 1 charge. For anyone who’s done their first epilation session after a long winter, they know this running time is invaluable.
The machine works off of a battery because it’s not safe to use it corded in the shower. That’s right, this is another amazing wet AND dry epilator. So, you relax during your sessions and allow the hot water to temper any discomfort that might have been caused if you’d epilated dry.
Our Rating
There’s an awesome amount of detail in the design, much of which is very practically inclined. For instance, the anti-slip grip is definitely a big plus for those who do intend to use this in the shower.
The patented technology system incorporated into the head of the device has two speed settings which means it is perfect for use on both large areas like legs and delicate areas like underarms.
What makes this Philips Epilator really stand out though is the number of extra add-ons it comes with. Users can obtain up to 6 different accessories to complement this device – turning it into their one-stop hair removal solution device.
Attachments include a facial, delicate area and in-use massage cap to ensure users can easily navigate all the different contours of their bodies with this device. It’s definitely our favorite choice in the best epilator for faces category.
The travel pouch included in its packaging also make the Philips easy to take on holiday, and you don’t have to worry about it breaking if your suitcase bumps against anything, because this baby comes with a 2 year warranty!
Runner Up Best Value Epilator: The Emjoi AP-18 Emagine Epilator
There can be no list on best epilators on the market without at least giving an honorable mention to the Emjoi AP-18 Emagine Epilator. It is after all the world’s most powerful epilator – having a whopping 72 tweezers built into its head.
In addition to this unique offering to its users, the device also offers patented Glide Technology to ensure that those 72 tweezers are truly maximized for a fast and effective epilation experience.
Our Rating
As if that weren’t enough, there are also middle lifting fingers built into the head that raise up flat and short hairs so that they can be plucked out by the army of tweezers. With this epilator, you really are going to manage to get all your hairs!
It does appear to be all in the head with this device, as there’s yet another cool head feature to be aware of! The Emjoi AP-18 Emagine Epilator has a “dual opposed head” which is the first of its kind. These opposed heads help to capture even more hairs, leaving users silky smooth!
You can truly get professional results at home with this epilator, and not have to worry about any nasty surprises. The head has silver ion technology built in to provide home users with antimicrobial protection – a very valuable asset to have in any epilation machine.
It’s very easy to use at home too, as the machine has been ergonomically designed for user-friendly operation. The clear speed control buttons and curved handle means this epilator machine would be a great choice for first time users as it’s very beginner friendly.
The Hair Problem – Solved!
You may find it surprising that your hair care problems can be so effectively and easily solved (for up to 4 weeks at a time) by machines that cost so little. After adding up the cost of disposable waxing strips or razors you’ll quickly realize that epilation is a more cost effective alternative.
Epilation is also less hassle for users as it doesn’t need to be done nearly as often as many other hair removal sessions and can even be done from the comfort of a bath or shower if you opt for a wet and dry model. Picking the best epilator for bikini season should be a breeze now!
That our favorite epilators were all under $100 surprised us, but it was a good surprise. Sometimes it’s worth looking at the product and features that you’re actually getting, instead of blindly following a price tag to show you value.
References
