Here’s a common myth: Shaving is expensive.
Thankfully, there are ways to get cheap razors that can leave a close shave without paying high-end razor prices. And you can spend less than continuing to buy refill cartridges for your Gillette or Schick razor.
You already know that you get what you pay for. If you go too cheap, the frustration isn’t worth the money you save. However, always using a more expensive razor might not be in your budget — those refills get expensive in a hurry.
In recent years, a number of razor companies have been working hard to deliver quality razors and blades at lower prices.
Shaving is a personal care activity most of us can’t avoid. So you might as well spend less money buying the same razor blades that you do already.
In This Article
Check Online First to Get Cheap Razors
You can buy cheap razors from any local store. But you might find better razors online for a similar price.
Although you should always compare local prices to online prices, you can find replacement razor cartridges and disposable razors (handle plus razor) online at competitive online prices.
1. Dollar Shave Club
Online shaving clubs have been reshaping the razor market to make it easy to get cheap razors. If you like options, you might like Dollar Shave Club.
Its pricing is reasonable and straightforward. They mail you four new razor cartridges each month. But you can cancel penalty-free if you don’t replace your cartridge as quickly as they send them.
Dollar Shave Club Plans
Dollar Shave Club offers three different blade sizes, with an average cartridge costing between 80 cents and $2.50.
- 2 blades: Five cartridges for $4 each month ($0.80 per cartridge)
- 4 blades: Four cartridges for $7 each month ($1.75 per cartridge)
- 6 blades: Four cartridges for $10 each month ($2.50 per cartridge)
All three subscription service plans include free shipping. On your first shipment, you get a reusable razor handle.
If you enjoy Dollar Shave Club’s razor blades, you can also purchase (almost) all things personal hygiene. Some add-on products include shave butter (shaving cream), shampoo, cologne and toothbrushes. If you can’t decide which add-ons to try, you can choose one of the trial kits.
Don’t worry. You can choose to only get cheap blades at Dollar Shave Club if you prefer.
Dollar Shave Club is good for people who want:
- 2, 4 or 6-blade cartridges
- Free shipping for every subscription plan
- The ability to order shaving accessories plus razor blades
2. Harry’s
Harry’s is another monthly shave club sending razors to your doorstep. Its only option is a 5-blade razor. But you can choose between a weighted rubber or metal reusable razor handle. And you can add other shaving and hygiene supplies to your order if you desire.
What Harry’s lacks in razor blade sizes, it tries to compensate for by offering different handles and accessories. Plus, Harry’s tries to provide a more upscale-looking product. If you like a sophisticated yet modern look, Harry’s might be the best option.
If you want to spend the least money possible on quality razors, however, Harry’s isn’t the cheapest option. This is because Harry’s only offers 5-blade cartridges, which are more expensive than cartridges with fewer blades.
Dollar Shave Club offers razors with fewer blades that cost less. Your razor doesn’t have as many blades but you spend less as a result.
If you like a 5 or 6-blade razor, though, Harry’s can be the better deal. Especially if you like the handle and add-on accessories. Plus, you might prefer their more flexible shipping schedule. Unlike Dollar Shave Club, which mails new razors each month, Harry’s ships them less often. This is fine if you don’t shave frequently.
Harry’s Shaving Plans
Harry’s offers one-time orders and recurring plans:
- Choose a starter box (one-time cost of $15 or $25, depending on your razor handle)
- Then, get 16 cartridge refills every two-to-five months (as low as $1.75 per cartridge)
Harry’s will send you a starter set that contains a reusable razor handle, one razor cartridge and shave gel. You can choose either the rubber or chrome handle.
You can either buy cartridge refills once or enroll in an auto-refill plan for a 6% discount.
One-time razors costs are below:
- 4 cartridges: $9
- 8 cartridges: $16
- 16 cartridges: $30
Auto-refill plan costs are below:
- 4 cartridges: Not available as an auto-refill
- 8 cartridges: $15
- 16 cartridges: $28
How often you receive replacements depends on your shaving frequency. Harry’s asks this question during the onboarding process. Shaving once a week means new replacements every five months. If you shave daily, expect your next shipment in two months.
Like Dollar Shave Club, you can also purchase shaving accessories.
You can modify or cancel your shaving plan at any time at no extra cost.
Shipping is free on all orders above $10. Your starter order qualifies for free shipping, too.
Core Plan
Loyal Harry’s users can save additional money by joining the Core Plan. This loyalty plan costs $15 per year.
Core members enjoy these exclusive benefits:
- 10% discount on all orders
- Free engraving
- Early access to new products
- Exclusive Core member-only products
Harry’s is good for people who want:
- A 5-blade razor
- A chrome handle instead of a weighted rubber handle
- The ability to order shaving accessories, too
Tip: Join Harry’s using Rakuten to get cash back on your first Harry’s order. Spend $25 on your first Rakuten order and you receive a $10 cash bonus.
3. Gillette On Demand
Not to be outdone by online shaving clubs, razor-behemoth Gillette offers its own service plans. Maybe you only like to use Gillette razors and are hesitant to try another brand. Here’s your chance to stay loyal to your brand while saving money.
Signing up for a Gillette On Demand subscription means you get every fourth order free. You can also do one-time orders, but then you don’t enjoy the free order benefit.
As of October 2019, you can buy these Gillette razor series:
- Sensor 3 Disposable Razors ($7 first order then $10 for 8-pack refills)
- Gillette Mach 3 ($7 first order then $10 for 4-pack refills)
- G5 ($7 first order then $10 for 4-pack refills)
- Fusion5 ($12 first order then $15 for 4-pack refills)
- SkinGuard ($12 first order then $15 for 4-pack refills)
- ProGlide ($15 first order then $18 for 4-pack refills)
- ProShield ($17 first order then $20 for 4-pack refills)
- Gillette Styler ($21 first order then $24 per refill)
- Heated Razor ($200 first order then $25 for 4-pack refills)
For the Sensor 3 disposable razors, Gillette sends eight razors every three months. But you pay $2 shipping for each order. Even on the fourth free order, you pay $2 shipping.
Shipping is free for most reusable razor refills. Including the 25% discount, each Mach 3 cartridge costs $1.88 and each Fusion cartridge costs $3.75.
Gillette isn’t the cheapest shaving plan. But it can be a cheaper way to buy your Gillette cartridges. You save time by not having to drive to the store.
Gillette On Demand is good for people who:
- Are loyal to Gillette razors
- Prefer name brand razors to relatively new brands
4. Dorco
Another online company that sells reusable razor systems for men and women is Dorco. You can only buy their razors on Amazon. Until August 2019, you could buy them directly from their website.
You might like Dorco if you want one-time orders instead of signing up for a monthly shave plan. Their razors all qualify for free Amazon Prime shipping too.
First-time buyers can buy a reusable handle plus 10 cartridges. Your only refill option is a set of 16 cartridges.
There are several razor options regarding the number of blades. All Dorco razor cartridges fit the same handle. So, if you decide to switch between a 4-blade and 6-blade cartridge, you can use the same handle. Disposable Dorco razors are no longer available.
Dorco’s prices are competitive with the recurring shaving plans. But you might pay a few cents more per cartridge refill because you’re not on a recurring shaving plan like Dollar Shave Club or Harry’s. It can depend on which razor you choose.
Replaceable razor heads have as few as four blades and as many as seven. Four-blade refills cost $1.37 each versus $1.75 cents each at Dollar Shave Club. Dorco’s pricing is for the Pace 4 Pro 16-count refill.
Six-blade refills cost $2.08 each for the 12-pack refill Pace 6 Pro cartridge. Dollar Shave Club’s 6-blade plan costs $2.50 per cartridge for a razor that looks very similar.
Dorco no longer lists disposable razors on their official website. However, you can still find them on the Dorco Amazon store as of October 2019. These razors cost slightly more than the reusable handles.
Dorco is good for people who want:
- One-time orders rather than subscription plans
- To buy razors on Amazon
5. Dollar Tree
If you only need disposable razors, Dollar Tree is a good place to buy cheap razors locally. You can visit your local store, or shop online to see more inventory and find potentially better prices.
You can get name-brand disposable razors like Barbasol and Bic. Blade sizes for the different brands range between two blades and five blades. Each disposable razor might only cost between 20 cents and 50 cents.
You will have a hard time finding disposable razors at a lower price. But remember that these aren’t always going to be the high-end disposable razors.
When shopping online, see if there’s a minimum buy amount. For instance, to buy disposable Bic razors for 50 cents each, you have to buy a case of 36 (72 total razors) to get the best price.
Other brands aren’t as restrictive and might only require you to buy four 5-count packages to order online.
Depending on the product you buy, you might be able to pick up the item in-store for free. Otherwise, expect to pay shipping costs. Dollar Tree only ships the razors to the address of your choice. For the best deals, in-store pickup might not be available..
Besides Dollar Tree, you can also search other online dollar stores where you could get cheap razors.
Dollar Tree is good for people who want:
- Low-cost disposable razors
- The option of buying in-store instead of online
6. Shop Local Stores with Digital Coupons
Another way to save money on razors is by using digital coupons and shopping rewards. When shopping with the Ibotta app, your local store might have razor discounts. To capture the savings, activate the offer in Ibotta and upload a picture of your receipt.
You can read our Ibotta review to learn more about saving money each time you buy groceries.
In addition to these shopping apps, see if your grocery store or another digital coupon app offers extra savings on shaving razors.
7. Look For Free Razor Samples
Sometimes you can find free razor samples online at online freebie sites. Browse your local retail stores, including Walmart and Target, for free product samples, too. College students might find free samples at their campus bookstore each semester, as well.
If you like the sample, there’s usually a coupon to save money on your first cartridge refill.
How Much Do You Pay for Cheap Razors?
How much you pay for a razor primarily depends on two factors:
- Number of blades
- Whether the razor handle is disposable or reusable
Disposable Razors
Disposable razors are almost always going to be cheaper than cartridge refills. But the shave quality might not be as good and the razors will be less durable. Expect to pay as little as 20 cents for a 2-blade disposable razor at Dollar Tree.
But more upscale ones can cost closer to $1 at dollar stores and around $1.50 online.
Reusable Razors with Cartridge Refills
It can make sense to buy razor cartridges from one of the options on this list. You can enjoy a better quality shave while spending less than you might for your current razor refills.
Shaving plans can be cheaper than making one-time orders. To minimize costs, make sure you cancel or pause your shipping plan if you receive more refills than you use.
Two-blade refills are cheapest at Dollar Shave Club for 80 cents per cartridge. If you prefer at least five blades, plan on spending closer to $2 per razor head.
Summary
Buying cheap razors doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality. Thanks to shaving clubs and other online markets, you’re no longer forced to pay the high prices your grocery store or drug store charge for quality razors.
What’s your perfect razor blade? Drop us a line on our Facebook page.
JoeHx
I bought several razors from Dorco a few years ago during a black Friday sale (or maybe it was cyber Monday?) and I still have some I haven’t used yet. I enjoy these razors as much as the high-priced ones I used to get.
Oh, and I’m pretty sure you can use eBates at the Dorco site.
Melissa Brown
You can no longer buy from Dorco. You can only purchase those products from Amazon now and they don’t carry all of the products and I am finding the prices higher!?
Deacon
Thanks Melissa! We will get that updated.