Choosing the best epilator for you, depends on your needs. Every epilator comes with different features and accessories that are designed to meet the needs of different people. Some can be used under water and cordlessly. Here is what you should consider when selecting an epilator. To find the perfect epilator for you , see our detailed epilator reviews.
Wet Or Dry Option
Although we found that epilating works best on dry skin, the newest epilators can be used in the shower and under water. Braun, Panasonic, Emjoi, and Remington all make wet and dry models. Typically, these models cost more than their dry counterparts. Because this makes epilation less messy and painful, you might still like to have this option. Warm water helps to relax the skin. Under water your body is naturally less sensitive to the plucking sensation. After epilating, wet and dry epilation left our skin less irritated compared to dry epilation. Overall, there was less redness and bumpiness on the skin.
In our tests, we weren’t able to grab all the hair in the shower. In the shower, we were only able to grab about 40% of the hair since the hair tends to stick to the skin. It tended to make our showers much longer than usual. Most of the time we had to finish off out of the shower. We did find wet and dry models worked better in the bath when your legs are completely submerged under water because the hair tends to lift up off the skin, making it easier to grab.
Wet and Dry models are designed to be waterproof. All of them have a safety feature that shuts off the device when it is plugged into the wall. This means that you can’t use them while they are plugged. They must be charged before you use them. In our tests, using them under water resulted in a shorter battery life. This is something you want to consider before picking up a wet and dry model.
Corded/Battery-Operated
Some epilators operate on standard batteries. This means once the batteries run out you will have to replace them. If you are new to epilation, you might want to try one of these since they tend to be more affordable. However, if you plan on epilating often, you might want to upgrade to a corded or rechargeable model. Corded options are far more powerful than cordless epilators. Whereas cordless epilators tend to lose their power over the course of an epilating session, corded epilators maintain consistent power. If you choose a wet and dry cordless model, once the battery runs out you will have to buy a new epilator. Epilators last about 5 years on average, but cordless epilators can last much longer.
Tweezers
Epilators come with a different amount of tweezers. You can find an epilator with just 1 tweezer, but the Emjoi Emagine has the most tweezers with 72. Epilating can take a long time especially at first. While having more tweezers results in faster epilation, it can be more painful. At the same time, it means that the pain is not drawn out as long. Buying an epilator with more tweezers might not always mean faster performance if the epilator doesn’t pluck hair well. Most epilators come with metal tweezers but the Philips Satin Perfect has ceramic tweezers. The tweezers look like they are made out of white plastic. We didn’t find the Philips Satin Perfect to be any gentler on the skin. In fact, it was one of the most powerful models.
Amount Of Pain
It’s no secret that epilators can be painful since epilating involves removing hair at the root. Some companies claim that they have created special attachments to make the process less painful. Usually these models come with a vibrating massaging cap. We didn’t really think all the vibrating caps made much of a difference. The only thing they did was to slow performance, which meant the epilator was plucking out less hair. This can be less painful since you aren’t pulling out all the hair at once, but it is not as efficient. The only models that were significantly less painful were the Wet and Dry models, but even those have issues with efficiency..
Areas Of The Body You Want To Use It
Most women use epilators primarily on their legs. However, if you decide you want to use it in other areas, you might want to consider getting an epilator that comes with attachments for various areas of your body such as face, underarms, and bikini. These attachments cover the tweezer head, reducing the epilating area. Since the caps don’t really change the dimensions of the epilator, it doesn’t make the epilator easier to maneveur in tight areas. For more hard to reach areas, you may want to consider getting a smaller sized epilator.
We don’t recommend using a regular epilator for the face even with the included caps because it can be a little too powerful for the delicate facial skin. If you plan on epilating your face, choose a model specifically designed for the face since these model don’t rotate as fast. The downside to most facial epilators is that they are battery operated and not rechargeable.
Noise
Epilators can be noisy. Most can be as loud as an electric razor. Some are louder than others. The sound can be a little off putting at first. If you plan on using a epilator discretely, it is not going to happen since they are pretty loud.
Exfoliating Brushes For Ingrown Hair
Some of the newer epilators come with sonic exfoliating brushes to prevent ingrown hair. These models include a swappable exfoliating brush for the body. The brush must be replaced every 3 months.
Speed Settings
Some epilators come with different speed settings. Depending on your hair type, you might want to have this option available.
Price
The epilators we examined range from about 40 to 100 dollars. While spending more doesn’t necessarily mean that you get better performance, the more features you want, the more it will cost.