If you want to save money on razors and get a good shave, try a subscription shaving service. Sharp razors and shaving products delivered to your door, when you need them, and cheaper than the store. It can be great, but with so many services, it’s tough to choose. Let’s start with the two big names.


The Contenders

Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s aren’t the only subscription shaving services out there, but they are two of the biggest, with some of the most widely lauded products. Here’s a rundown of our two competitors:


In many ways, the two companies couldn’t be more different. Dollar Shave Club uses humor in its ads and marketing and a laid-back, charming apothecary-bottle vibe to its product packaging. Its razors are very sporty, and have the same kind of chrome and plastic vibe you’re likely familiar with if you use Gilette or Schick razors (only much nicer.) Dollar Shave Club also markets their razors and products to women as well as men. Having tried them, I’ll vouch: They’re more than happy to bring their razors and shaving products to a market underserved at best, and upsold and gouged for pink versions of the same products at worst.

Harry’s on the other hand aims for an air of sophistication and modernity in its packaging and marketing, eschewing lightheartedness for a more classy vibe. Its packaging is simple and understated, and its razors have clean, modern lines with solid colors and styles reminiscent of razors of years past. Even the names of their razors—the Truman and the Winston—echo that “modern gentleman” feel. While they don’t market to women (men are, obviously, their primary target) there’s nothing about their razors that’s specifically gendered, so if you’re a lady looking for an affordable razor and shave products, they’re worth a look too.

Like we mentioned, these two aren’t the only ones in town. Dorco, Bevel, Wet Shave Club, they’re all other options that are worth considering (and we may revisit some of the others in the future), and that’s not even considering more traditional options like using a safety razor and even more affordable razor blades, or learning to use a strop and straight razor. We’re sticking to two because adding too many competitors to the rundown doesn’t give us enough room to give them all a detailed treatment—and there’s enough to say about just these two.

Everyone Has Flexible Options, but Dollar Shave Club Has the Most Where It Counts

The big issue with both Harry’s and Dollar Shave Club’s pricing and packages is that it’s not hard to get what you need, but it’s difficult to compare “X subscription will cost you Y per month” apples to apples. A lot of how much you’ll actually pay out of pocket depends on what you order. However, there are some basics to note.


Dollar Shave Club Has Tons of Products and Tons of Options


Dollar Shave Club offers three different types of razors. First is the “humble twin,” a simple two-bladed razor that will set you back roughly $5/month, plus $2 shipping for five cartridges each month. Second is the “4X,” a four-bladed razor with a pivoting head and lubricating strip that will set you back $6/month, shipped free, for four cartridges a month. Finally, there’s the “Executive,” a six-bladed, well-weighted razor with a lubricating strip and trimmer blade, which will cost you $9/month, shipped free, for four cartridges each month. When you start your subscription, you pick a razor type, and DSC will ship you the handle for free. DSC also offers monthly subscription bundles that include other products, like their shave butter and post-shave cream, at an additional cost. If you’d prefer to customize your subscription, you can add products to your monthly box from DSC’s a la carte store.

Harry’s Is More Flexible, but Ships Less Often and Has Fewer Choices


Harry’s offers two basic types of razors, both of which take the same razor head. The Truman is a soft plastic (but still grippy—and that has grips, more on that in a moment) razor that comes in orange, green, or blue, and The Winston is a heavier, chrome-bodied razor with textured grips for a firm hold while you’re shaving. Harry’s old blades didn’t include trimmer blades, but the new ones do, and are a little larger to improve wash-through and pivot along your face. When you sign up for a new subscription, you get a free “starter trial,” which includes a Truman handle in your choice of color, a small bottle of Harry’s shave gel, and a travel blade cover. After that, you’ll get shipments every two, three, or five months of eight blade cartridges, at $15/shipment (unless you choose the plan that includes shave gels, for $27/shipment.)

If that’s not right for you, Harry’s lets you create a custom subscription plan, that includes as many razors as you think you need, as many shave gels or other products as you want, shipped as often as you choose. It’s the most flexible option here and very noteworthy, especially if you don’t find any of either company’s plans a good fit for you. Prices vary, but if I just wanted four blade cartridges each month with nothing else, I’m looking at $8/month.


Of course, if you’d rather not use a subscription at all, both companies have stores where you can just buy the products you want when you want them, and have them shipped. For example, if you want Harry’s razors but DSC’s shaving products, or vice-versa, you can absolutely have that.

Both Companies’ Razors are Sharp, but Harry’s Gets the Edge


Both companies’ razors are sharp. Don’t be fooled by the razor designs: while DSC goes for sporty and Harry’s goes for sophisticated, both are easy to hold while you shave, well weighted (Harry’s makes slimmer handles with weighted cores while DSC features more grip and thicker handles) and easy to clean.

Dollar Shave Club’s cartridges are easy to switch, and there’s a thumb-button you can push up to slide the cartridge on or off of the razor head. They switch on and off easily, and their “Executive” razor specifically has a nice cartridge and a heavy, grippy handle. Harry’s razors don’t have the same switch, but the cartridges slide on or off with a thumb-press. Their newest razor design improves on the old style, where it was a bit more difficult to pop the cartridge off. It was a little tricky before (especially with wet hands) but now it’s much much easier, and one push means you’re ready to attach a fresh one.


As for the actual sharpness and steel of the blades, well, you probably won’t notice the difference. Harry’s acquired a German razor manufacturer to make their blades exclusively, while DSC sources theirs from Dorco (so you could always go to the source if you wanted.) In both cases, you’re getting razors that’ll get the job done and last a good long while. With both companies, I used their razors for well over the recommended week (like a lot of you do with your store-bought cartridges, admit it) and they were still sharp enough to get the job done.

On this front, Harry’s did have the edge though. DSC’s razors definitely got dull after about a week and a half of use, while Harry’s razors powered through with close shaves well past two weeks. Part of this may be because Harry’s travel blade cover is actually very good at keeping your blades dry when not in use (so use it, even at home!) and DSC’s razors either need to be stored blade up or else they’ll lay flat and retain moisture. Either way, at these prices and with regular shipments, you should really swap them out regularly—that’s the whole point of a subscription. Besides, the downside of using a dull razor, even if it works, is that you get careless when you pop on a fresh one and wind up cutting yourself.


DSC Razors Pack in the Blades, but Harry’s Razors Feel Like Precision Engineering


So how does each company perform when you actually put blade to face? Quite well, actually, but there are some differences.

Like we mentioned, DSC’s razors have a “sporty” quality to them, so if you love razors like Gilette’s Mach 3 line, you’ll be immediately comfortable with the grip, style, and bezel thickness of the blades here. Since DSC’s top-tier “Executive” razor comes with an edge trimmer (something Harry’s only recently added with their newly released razors), making sure your sideburns, lips, or other delicate spots are sharp and trimmed is a snap. That “sport” quality doesn’t imply lightness though—that same Executive handle is well weighted, while the 4X handle is a little lighter.


Harry’s razors, on the other hand, feel more like precision instruments. They’re more nimble in the hand, if that makes sense, and make you feel like you’re using a scalpel or a pen, as opposed to a knife or a marker. Their cartridge bezels are comparably thin, and don’t clog as easily with shaving cream or soap. Harry’s also wins the edge when it comes to wash-through: You know, when you shave, and your razor needs a rinse before you can use it again? You usually put it under running water and let the water rinse it clean before you take another pass.

DSC’s razors by comparison, since they have thicker bezels and broader moisturizing strips, just don’t wash through as well and don’t dry as quickly. You’ll need to slow down and hold them under the water for a while before you take another swipe at your face. Harry’s razors wash through pretty easily, and their newest razors improve on the design even more, making an already distinguishing feature even better.


Dollar Shave Club Has Far Better Shaving Products and Toiletries


Of course, your razor is only part of the shaving equation. The other big factor that defines how good and pleasant a shave you get are the products you use with it. Both DSC and Harry’s have their own lines of shaving products and toiletries designed for use with their blades. Right out of the gate, on this front DSC shines.

Harry’s foaming shave gel, daily face wash, and their post-shave balm and moisturizer are all good, but they’re pretty typical (which flips the script compared to their blades.) They smell great and stick to Harry’s modern, simple branding. The gel is your standard shave gel, squeeze out a little and as you rub it on your face it foams up. Their post-shave cream and moisturizer is standard too, spreads well, and makes for happy skin. The fragrances for both are inoffensive but certainly smell like the “guy section” of the health and beauty aisle. Luckily, it’s not so aggressive that someone will think you’re wearing an Axe product, or that you couldn’t use them if you’re not a guy at all.


However, Dollar Shave Club’s shaving products are more rich and varied. Many mix really interesting textures, scents, and ingredients that make your daily shave something you’ll want to slow down a little and enjoy. Their line of “Dr. Carver’s shaving products,” includes a “shave butter,” which spreads on thin but comes off clean and moisturizes, and “shave lather” which is more of a cream than a “lather” like you’d get from a bottle of Barbasol (goes on thick and comes off thick too.) They all harken back to the days when shaving was more of a relaxing, rejuvenating affair than “hurry up I have to go to work.”

I found that the Shave Butter was the fastest, since it goes on easily, rinses easily, and shaves off cleanly, but the Shave Lather requires you slow down, take deliberate, specific strokes, and then wash it completely after each stroke. That’s mostly because the lather is very thick, and will take some time to rinse off of your razor (especially the DSC cartridges, which as I mentioned earlier, don’t wash-through as cleanly as Harry’s razors do.) Now this is a good and a bad thing. If you’re trying to just shave and get out the door, that slowness can be maddening. If you allow for the time, it can be lovely, and gives you a chance to really treat yourself, take care of your face, and enjoy your shave.


Both companies also make post-shave balms and moisturizers. Harry’s version is good, it goes on clean and moisturizes your skin, with a pleasant scent. Dollar Shave Club offers two, a “Repair Serum” that goes on smooth and clean and lingers just long enough to moisturize your face, and a “Post-Shave Cream” that’s a bit thicker and heavier. The Repair Serum was incredible. One challenge African-American men face when shaving is our propensity to razor burn and razor bumps—short, curly facial hair can curl over itself and become ingrown—so a close shave and a good post-shave balm are essential. The Repair Serum was great for this, and makes me wish I had it when I had a bigger problem with ingrown hair and razor bumps many years ago.


In any event, DSC’s shaving product line is by far the winner here. Harry’s is good and gets the job done, but it’s plain, and nothing you couldn’t get at the grocery store, although I do like the scent. DSC’s toiletries are just a world apart though. The Shave Butter is soothing and makes for a perfectly clean and silky shave, the Shave Lather is cooling to the skin and rich, leaving your skin feeling moisturized. The reviews at DSC’s site rave about both—both from men who use each one on their faces, and women who use them on their legs, so that’s worth noting too.

The Verdict: Harry’s Razors Feel Like Fine Instruments, but DSC’s Shaving Products Are Superior

Part of the reason I wanted to do this comparison at all was because I was tired of my old razor, and with waiting entirely too long between cartridge changes because they were so expensive. I could have gone with a safety or straight razor, but I wanted the option to luxuriate and take a nice, slow shave if I wanted, but I also wanted the option to speed through my morning shave and get out the door and on my way. After putting these two to the test though, I have to say I’m a little stymied.


Harry’s blades and handles—especially their new ones, with the edge trimmer and wider blades—just feel more like you’re using a precision instrument to shave your face. It’s not a perfect win though—Harry’s old handles were longer and heavier than their newer ones, but their newer ones are easier to hold and grip, and the heads are more flexible and follow the shape of your face better. The new cartridges are an improvement over the old ones, but the old ones were still solid, so while it’s an improvement, they were already great.

On the other hand though, Dollar Shave Club’s wide range of toiletries are refreshing to use, last a long time per bottle or purchase, and make shaving fun when you want it to be, and soothing when you need it to be. They kind of roll shaving back into the self-care category, which I was pleasantly surprised by. Seriously, even if you buy their shaving products a la carte, you owe it to yourself to give them a try. Harry’s products, by contrast, are barebones, and while good, aren’t very inspired, even for the air of sophistication and simplicity that the company exudes.


At the end of the day, I may wind up going with Harry’s razors and DSC’s shaving products. You, on the other hand, will have to make your own choice, but hopefully you have more than enough information here to inform it. Both companies offer free trials, so it’s worth trying them both yourself. I’m willing to bet you won’t be disappointed by either—it’ll really just come down to style and comfort, as it always does.