Everything You Need to Know About Harry's Shaving Products

Great Shaving Tools for Reasonable Prices

Harry's Razors

Getting a great shave used to be an expensive process. Blades for the better mass market razors (such as the Gillette Fusion ProGlide) tend to be expensive, while the less expensive blades just don't provide a great shave. When I came across an ad for Harry's, I was intrigued but skeptical.

With Harry's, Andy Katz-Mayfield and Jeff Raider are attempting to do the same thing for shaving as Raider did with Warby Parker and eyewear—make a high-quality product at a much more affordable price. And they have. After spending a week with Harry's Truman Razor, I'm impressed. Harry's offers a fine razor with blades at a very reasonable price. 

The Handle

I ordered the Truman razor (they also have an upscale version called the Winston) to test drive. The Truman razor was impressive for the price. It is certainly not the finest razor available, but for around $10 (in 2018), it's a real deal. It's also a fairly handsome razor (certainly more upscale looking than the mass market razors out there). The understated look of the handle makes it the iPhone of razors in terms of design—clean and uncluttered.

Harry's Truman razor is made from a polymer coated zinc alloy, and it feels nice in the hand. I wish it were just a little heftier, but that's a minor complaint (the aluminum Winston razor may be heavier). The blade cartridge was also very easy to replace. Early versions had a somewhat slippery handle, but current Truman razors have a texturized rubber handle and weighted core for a good grip.

The Blades

The blades are where the Harry's razor really shines. They do a great job and, if you order the 16-count pack, they're much cheaper than the similar Gillette Fusion ProGlide blades. The blade cartridge looks familiar—like the competition, the large head has five blades fairly close together. There is a lubrication strip on the top and little fins at the bottom to help lift the hairs.

The blades are very sharp and performed as well as both the Gillette Fusion ProGlide or the Schick Hydro 5. The shave I got from the Harry's razor was close, and I experienced very little irritation when I used the razor with my trusty Dreadnought Shaving Cream. The blades did tug on my beard a bit, and the large head was somewhat hard to maneuver in tight spaces.

Many early customers noted that the razor could benefit from a trimmer blade on the top of the head (as Gillette and Schick have done with their five-blade razors) to make shaving under the nose and edging sideburns a bit easier. Harry's took notice and now offers a precision trimmer blade as well. The blades do have a tendency to clog up a little easier than the Fusion and when shaving with the Truman, I also missed the power feature of my Fusion ProGlide, but I could live without that.

Blades come in packs of four, eight, 12, or 16, and they claim blades last for about six days (although if you keep the blades clean and dry, you can make them last longer). The main downside is that when Harry's first launched, the blades were only available on Harry's website, but now they are available online, a la carte or through subscription, and in Target retail stores. (Target sells a full range of Harry's products along with the blades.)

The Shaving Cream

While the Harry's shaving cream was as good (or better) than most any mass-market shaving cream I've tried, it's not going to replace my favorite shaving creams anytime soon. The shaving cream offered fairly good lubrication, and the formula is free of parabens and sulfates. I'm not real crazy about the menthol in Harry's, but I don't like mentholated shaving creams. They may feel good, but the menthol doesn't allow you to totally feel the drag of the blade on your face, which can lead to razor burn. The cream lathered fairly well, and it smelled pleasant. Harry's Shaving Cream is reasonably priced and certainly a step up from the typical supermarket shave gels. Harry's also offers a foaming shave gel and post-shave balm, among other skincare products.

The Bottom Line

The folks at Harry's get my full endorsement; they have managed a pretty remarkable feat in that they have produced a very high-quality product that is very competitively priced. The performance is solid, and the razor feels and looks great. While most mass-market razors have a very cheesy overly decorated look, the Harry's razor looks elegant and understated. Combine this razor with proper shaving technique and you'll get a fine shave at a great price. The folks at Gillette and Shick should take notice. Folks like Harry's and Dollar Shave Club are poised to change the way people purchase shaving tools.

I would recommend going top of the line and buying the Winston set (die-cast zinc and chrome handle, three blades, blade cover, and shaving gel). The less expensive Truman set includes the same blades and shaving gel; the difference is the razor handle with weighted core and texturized rubber finish.