What’s the Best Safety Razor for Beginners in 2025?

First things first – why a safety razor? And does it work for women?

I looked at the $30 pack of refills for my cartridge razor for the thousandth time, and finally decided to look at other options. I hated how much it was costing me to shave.

I’d heard about safety razors, but I had the sense that they were mostly built for men. Also that it required more technique to avoid cutting yourself, so the idea of needing to practice to get better at it  – especially with the more sensitive areas – was something I didn’t want to do.

But when I saw that it’s only 5 dollars per year of ongoing costs, I knew I had to look into it, and see which would be the best for a beginner like me to buy that could be easy to use (and not have to learn with accidental cuts).

If you’re like me, and have heard about safety razors but not sure what they’re about or which ones’ the best choice for you, here are a few things to consider while thinking through what the best Safety Razor options are in 2025.

(Or you can just skip to the bottom to find my winning pick)

Pick Something Easy.

Safety razors come with different “aggressions”. An aggressive razor is like setting your lawn mower blades too low — you’ll get a super-close cut, but you might cut into the dirt if you’re not careful. So it’s easier to cut yourself if you’re not practiced.

A mild razor though trims just high enough to stay smooth and even, without digging in. 

This “aggression” level comes to two things:

• Blade exposure, which is how far the edge of the blade sticks outside the safety bar.
• Blade gap, which is the space between that edge and the bar underneath it.

Together, those two things decide how much of the blade touches your skin.

And “aggressive” doesn’t mean better — it’s still a good shave, but you need to practice your angles and how you use it. Or else you get cuts.

Beginners like me though, and those with sensitive skin, are probably best with mild razors because they’re more comfortable and don’t take as much practice.

So, if you’re shopping for a safety razor and trying to figure out how “aggressive” it might feel, look for words on the package like “mild,” “beginner-friendly,” or “for sensitive skin”; they usually refer to a mild aggression.

Should you buy a heavy razor?

A heavy razor is like driving a manual car — it gives you more control, but it also means you have to take longer to learn it and you’ll always be adjusting. 

A lighter razor is like an automatic — you just get in and drive.

Some people like a heavy razor because it carries more momentum in a stroke – so its weight helps the blade cut steadily through thick or coarser hair. The downside is that that same momentum can make it easier to get cuts if you press too hard or use the wrong angle.

A lighter razor puts you more in control; it lets you guide the stroke with your hand instead of needing to rely on its weight. That makes it easier to avoid pressing too hard – and makes it my preferred choice for beginners like me.

If you’re not sure whether a razor will feel light or heavy, look for something made of Aluminium. Zinc alloy (Zamak) might also work, but it’s a little heavier.

Which safety razors have the best grip?

You get the best grip from knurling. It’s a texture cut into the handle in a pattern. Deep, crosshatched knurling (like on vintage brass razors) locks into your fingers even if they’re slippery with water and soap.

The difference between an easy shave and amid-stroke cut can come down to just the surface texture.

Smooth-handled razors can also work, if the handle surface is bead-blasted or matte, or anodized instead of polished. These finishes make micro-textures you can feel even if you don’t see them.

So if you can’t tell from photos alone, look for words like knurling, matte, satin or bead-blasted.

What makes some safety razors hold the blade at a better angle?

Every razor has an angle that it shaves best at. Where it cuts cleanly instead of scraping.

The problem is when the angle isn’t consistent. Whether it’s because of some misalignment, or uneven casting, the blade doesn’t arrive at your skin the same way from one end to the other.

That inconsistency creates uneven cutting, constant correcting, and more redness or razor burn where the blade sticks out a bit more (and overshaves).

Vintage or mass-cast razors can vary slightly from unit to unit. So beginners will especially want razors built with modern CNC-machines, which make the most consistent build every time.

In customer reviews, if you see complaints about “uneven sides,” “one side feels sharper,” or “hard to line up,” that can be a sign the razor’s alignment might be off.

What’s the easiest safety razor to change blades in?

There’s three ways the razor head can be built.

1. Butterfly razors open from the top by twisting the handle.. The two doors spread out (like wings), you put in a new blade, and twist again to lock it down.
2. Two-piece razors separate at the base of the handle. You loosen a knob, remove the top cap, and replace the blade while the base plate stays fixed in place. It’s a little slower than a butterfly but more stable and precise.
3. Three-piece razors come apart completely — handle, base plate, and top cap. They take a few extra seconds to reassemble, but they’re the simplest to do, and there are no hinges or moving joints to wear out.

I think beginners need to look for something that is both easy, but will also last you a longer time. That’s why a three piece razor head is my pick.

The Best Safety Razor for Beginners in 2025

The best safety razor for beginners needs to be a combination of all the things that make shaving easier. A mild blade angle that isn’t aggressive. Lighter weight that lets you guide the stroke instead of pressing. A handle that has grip even when your hands are wet. A head that keeps the blade perfectly aligned so the angle stays consistent.

That’s what makes the Henson AL13 my winning pick. It’s different from every other safety razor on the market. They’re built by the same people that made aerospace parts for satellites!


It’s built so that the blade sits perfectly flat and centered every single time, with tight tolerances.

What this means is that there’s no blade “chatter” or flexing. You get that with other razors, which leads to tugging and irritation. It also makes it so that you don’t have to learn what angles to shave it – it just works.

You get the benefits of the safety razor, while being as easy to use as a cartridge razor. Take a look at their research section too, to see the effects of using their razor compared to cartridge razors.

Whatever you end up deciding to buy though, I hope you’ve been able to see that there are better options out there than cartridge razors. I’ll see you on the other side.