In the big, wide world of online shaving resources and accessories, one company in particular has been cropping up lately that has gotten our attention (and those of others, as evidenced by all the Dollar Shave Club reviews we’re seeing online). In essence, they’re a subscription service where you pay up to $9 a month and get a series of razors, blades and shaving accessories in the mail that you can use at your leisure. They’re said to be high-quality, effective, and fun to use. Everyone and their dog is talking about them (though it must be asked why a) dogs are talking and b) why they need disposable razors), so we figured we’d give them a look too. Read on to check out what we found!
Pros and Cons of Dollar Shave Club
(c) Dollar Shave Club
First off, we will say that, as people who are normally into the routine of wet shaving and getting all of that complex shave kit stuff set up, we were initially wary of heading back to the halcyon days of disposable razors. Still, we went into our Dollar Shave Club reviews with an open mind, and we were pleasantly surprised. I used to shave with a Gillette Fusion Pro, which was okay if nothing special, and these certainly shave better than that.
The DSC blades are also way cheaper, too – remember when you had to pay about $12 for a pack of four replaceable blades for your razor? It was madness! Now, you can just get a 4-pack about every month for $6; at about a blade a week, that’s not a terrible deal at all. The initial package they send you gives you the handle for the blade, which is not that dissimilar from most disposable razors you’ll find on the market today. It’s pretty functional, but stylish, and the rubber grips are pretty nice for holding. The blades latch on pretty easily, so you don’t have to worry about fumbling around and cutting yourself.
Once you decide to give them a try, you find that they’re actually pretty refreshing to use. (We used the “Lover’s Blade” for reference.) One thing I missed about disposable razor blades was the shotgun style of shaving, which makes it pretty easy. Because there’s about four to six blades on these things, the shave gets right down to your skin and gives you a close shave without fear of nicking yourself. The Lover’s Blade certainly does that, and I thought it was pretty nice, though I had to use multiple passes to get around to my whole face.
The one con I can really think of lies in the ‘shave butter’ they give you in the monthly package; it’s just your generic shave cream that you rub on your face to lubricate and get a nice pre-shave going before you take to the razor. Don’t get me wrong, it got the job done, but it didn’t really wow me the way some classy shaving soaps and creams we’ve reviewed before do. All in all, I just thought it wasn’t anything to write home about, so you could probably just supplement it with whatever product you already buy and trust.
Who Would Use Dollar Shave Club?
I can think of a million different people who would use Dollar Shave Club, especially given all the satisfied customers I’ve seen in other Dollar Shave Club reviews. For one thing, I like the regularity of the packages, and the fact that it’s automated – I’m a tremendously lazy person by definition, so I like the idea of automating this one other thing. I don’t have to go to the store or do a tremendous amount of research before picking the right razor for me. All I have to do, instead, is wait for my next package, and use it. It’s really simple.
The low price is also a tremendous boon to value seekers who want to save some money while making sure their shaving experience is fairly high quality. The cost of a cup of coffee at Starbucks is all you need to pay for a month’s worth of shaving – I find that pretty incredible. It’s really something you should invest in if you treat shaving as a chore that you need to take care of.
A Few Final Thoughts
All in all, I don’t think I’ll fully transfer to Dollar Shave Club. As nice as the Dollar Shave Club reviews are, and as much as I liked the experience while I did it, I was more attracted to the convenience and price of the Club than I was about the actual shaving. In the end, they are still disposable razors, which just don’t hold a candle to the visceral and fun experience of actually engaging in double edged safety razor wet shaving. I love the rituals and traditions that I’ve already set up, so I’ll probably end up sticking with that.
That being said, if you’re not as fervent an acolyte of wet shaving, and are willing to try something new and exclusive, Dollar Shave Club will probably scratch that itch more than likely. It’s a tremendously good deal, especially if you don’t mind the modern style of disposable razors, and the packaging and corporate message has just enough personality to be charming without annoying you. All in all, I’d say check it out if you’re looking for a new ritual to your shaving.