Whether you want to get your loved one a gift or you intend to get yourself a nice shaving set, you can’t go wrong with purchasing a full shaving kit. In fact, buying a shaving kit can be an absolute bargain compared to purchasing each item separately. We have compiled 3 best men’s shaving kits to buy as a gift for you. But before we highlight them, here is some basic knowledge you should have.
What are the Components of a Shaving Kit?
Most shaving kits comprise of three to four distinct tools:
- Razor
- Shaving Brush
- Stand
- Shaving bowl (optional)
- Some manufacturers include a few other components as well.
What’s the Best Type of Razor?
Two types of razors come with the shaving kits: cartridge razor and double edge safety razor.
Cartridge razors
The market leaders in the cartridge razor category are companies like Gillette, Dollar Shave Club, and Schick Hydro.
Cartridge razors get lots of flack from some quarters of the wet shaving community, but they do serve a critical purpose. The biggest issue with cartridge razors is cost. A cartridge razor costs a few bucks in a month while the double edge safety razor costs only a couple of cents.
That said, the initial cost of cartridge razors is lower. If you’re a busy person and you can afford to spend a few bucks every month, the shaving kit with cartridge razors is a better choice. Plus, you can carry your cartridge razor into a plane when traveling, with a double edge razor, you’ll have to check the luggage.
Double edge safety razor
If you’re on a tight budget, a double edge safety razor is a better choice. However, double edge safety razors do present a steep learning curve. Unlike cartridge razors, which are pre-set at 30 degrees cutting angle, with double edge razors, you have to figure out the best angle.
What makes it trickier is that the surface of the face isn’t flat, you have to navigate around your chin, jawline, Adam’s apple, nose, etc. If you’re a novice safety razor user, you’re likely to nick yourself a few times before you get a grasp of it. So if you’re buying a shaving kit for a teenager who is new to shaving, you might want to start them off with a cartridge razor.
What’s the Best Type of Shaving Brush?
A shaving brush massively improves your shaving experience, especially if you’re using quality shaving cream. Here is what you should look out for when purchasing a shaving brush:
Fiber type – the most popular type of fiber is badger hair. The hair is sourced from various parts of a badger, and so it comes in different grades (from passable to top quality): pure, best, super, and silvertip
Shaving Brushes help you create a thicker cushion of shaving cream. This cushion enables you to have a more comfortable shave. When you apply shaving cream using your hands, you inevitably matt down your whiskers against your skin. Conversely, when you apply shaving creaming using a shaving brush, your beard stands up, leading to less tugging and pulling as your glide your razor; this makes for much a much more pleasant shaving experience.
Razor Stand – It keeps Your Tools Orderly and Dry
With the stand, you get a nice place to hand your brush and razors so that they get the moisture out at a fast pace. That’s way better than having them lie in a puddle of water.
When it comes to the quality of stands, metallic stands are better; they hold the ground better and are therefore don’t tip over easily. And, you can’t go wrong with chrome-plated or stainless steels stands as they are less likely to rust.
If you opt for a plastic stand, go for those with a heavier base that doesn’t tip when loaded with a shaving brush or razor on one side.
Shaving Essentials that Should Accompany your Shaving Kit
To make your shaving package complete, there are shaving products that you should include. Even with the best men’s shaving kit, you can’t have a great shaving experience without the shaving essentials like shaving cream, pre-shave oil, and aftershave balm.
Here is a breakdown of the shaving essentials:
Pre-shave Oils Work with Shaving Cream
When it comes to the overall comfort of a shave, pre-shave oils make a huge difference. Pre-shave oils moisturize and nourish not only your beard but also your skin.
The nourishment is thanks to the primary ingredients packed in the pre-shave oil; these include carrier oils like argan, jojoba, and castor seed oil. These oils mimic the sebum oil produced by the sebaceous glands.
Pre-shave oils are also packed with essential oils that have natural antiseptic properties, and that clear off bacteria from your pores as you shave. Some pre-shave oils also include vitamin E, which bolsters your overall long-term skin health.
All in all, the best shaving kit cannot deliver a great shaving experience unless the best supporting cast accompanies it. So your kit should be accompanied by the best pre-shaving oil, shaving cream, and aftershave balm.
What are the Best Men’s Shaving Kits to Buy as a Gift?
Harry D Koenig & Co 4 Piece Shave Set
This chrome-plated Harry D Koenig shaving set is terrific for any man who’s just starting their shaving journey. If you’re looking to buy one of the best men’s shaving kits for a teenager, this is the perfect entry-level set.
For one, this shaving kit’s stand is chrome plated, so it’ll most likely last for several years. And with its T shape, it allows you to hang the cartridge razors (that come with this set) with the shaving brush allowing for a clean and orderly environment.
Its universal fittings size allows many shave brushes and safety razors to fit into it should you want to upgrade down the road. The blades that come with the set work great for the first couple of shaves, but you’ll need to buy replacements. The popular Gillette Mach 3 razors fit perfectly into this set.
The boar hair shaving brush is a bit stiff, but it works great. The bonus feature of this shaving kit is its shaving bowl (shaving scuttle). Its shallow design makes it perfect for shaving soaps; however, you can also use it to whip up lather using shaving cream.
Edwin Jagger Shaving Set
Edwin Jagger’s reputation is staked on the premium quality of its shaving supplies. This shaving kit is part of their long line of superior shaving equipment. Its beautifully designed nickel-plated stand looks both sophisticated and smart without being overly overbearing.
Its stand is three-piece, and so it allows you to hang your shave brush, shaving bowl, and cartridge razor side-by-side. The razor’s weight is well distributed, which makes shaving a breeze.
The shave brush’s faux ebony handle comes in a perfect length, so you get the best control and speed when concocting shaving cream. The brush’s bristles are made up of pure badger hair, which works fine.
One of the standout features of this set is that its bowl can be set within the stand. You can, therefore, whip up lather while keeping the bowl steady and in place; this aspect shows how thoughtful the Edwin Jagger team was when designing this system – it’s oft-overlooked by shaving kit makers.
If, in the future, you choose to upgrade to double age razors, this stand is compatible with them. All these considered, this Edwin Jagger shaving kit makes for a fantastic gift for you or your loved ones, and it one of the best men’s shaving kits in the market today. To make it better, it comes in a sleek, classy black box that’s perfect for gift giving.
Maison Lambert Shaving Kit
The Maison Lambert Shaving Kit is one of the best men’s shaving kits out there. It has it all! Let’s start with the packaging; this case is packaged in a striking wooden cigar box, which makes it an excellent gift for Christmas or Father’s day.
The products in the box are equally impressive. The butterfly style razors are perfect for beginners. Safety razors with a shorter frame are easier to control and thus make the transition from cartridge easier.
With the set’s universal fittings, you can pretty much fit any razor into its safety razor’s handle. Maison Lambert has even thrown in 10 bonus blades into the kit. Their Gillette Wilkinson blades are super sharp and thus work well, especially for close shaves.
The set’s organic shaving soap provides impressive lather. The soap’s ingredients are top-notch, including organic shea butter, organic cocoa butter, and organic coconut oil. With this wide range of carrier oils, your skin will stay hydrated after all your shaves. The soap is also impressively packaged in an elegant wooden box.
This Maison Lambert Ultimate shaving Kit also includes a badger hair shave brush and aftershave balm. There is also a bonus body soap added, which it’s definitely a lovely touch.
So, What Shaving Kit Should You Get as Gift?
Well, there is a myriad of options, as you can see. Any of these three shaving sets make for a lovely gift for your loved ones. Whether it’s for Father’s day, birthdays, Christmas, or just for you, any man will be lucky to get any of these kits as a gift.
