Harry’s Plus Razor review: One month with our new favourite manual shave

Manual razors are a bit like bank accounts — your Dad sets you up with one, and then you basically just stick with it for life, whether it’s ‘the best a man can get’ or not.

So it takes something special to make you reconsider the blades taking care of that 5 o’clock shadow each day, once you’ve been in the game for a few years. But the Harry’s Plus Razor manages just that. Delivering a close shave at an everyday price point, it’s ready to stake its claim on your bathroom counter.

Here’s five reasons your chin n’ cheeks will love the Harry’s Plus razor:

1. Pivoting precision

It’s all in the pivot. The biggest difference between a Harry’s Plus and the brand's other razor heads it offers is the way the cartridge is able to glide over the angles and contours of your face.

That’s thanks to Harry’s new ‘Advanced Pivoting System’, letting you move quickly over stubborn stubble areas without nicks as you twist and turn the blades across your skin. The cartridge can feel a bit wobbly in the heavyweight metal grip, but that’s intentional, allowing all the movement needed to glide across those awkward parts of your face.

2. A super-close shave

As it’s moving over your face, it’s getting really close to the roots of your stubble, too. Harry’s has five separate blades squeezed into a compact head for its new ‘Progressive Blade Architecture’, each positioned and angled to get closer to the follicle as each passes the hair.

It’s a longer and thinner cartridge than it is tall. With little pressure, you’re able to get baby-smooth results with the first pass, and a second upward glide for any stragglers. A precision blade sits on the top rear too, letting you tidy up lines for ‘taches and sideburns.

3. Careful with your skin

With little need to return to patchy passes, the Harry’s Plus razor is very kind to your skin. The positioning of each blade helps to reduce irritation, and a conditioning, lubricating strip infused with aloe keeps the surface of your skin protected and prepared for those second upward sweeps.

Though I rarely get razor rash anyway, I saw no sign of it when using the Harry’s Plus, which is a good sign for those with particularly sensitive skin.

4. A non-slip grip

The Harry’s Razor Plus handle is sturdy, weighty, and well-balanced. Metal elements have a matte finish, and the reserved colouring of the rubber grip on the shaft means it won’t clash with your sleek bathroom decor.

Replacing cartridges is simple thanks to a push-to-release button near the top, while the finger rest is positioned well to keep you from losing grip. If you want to go all-in, there’s a metal stand you can buy that matches the shaft, too — it’s a tenner.

5. Affordable and widely available

It’s all well and good getting a new blade handle, but if you can’t actually find replacement cartridges — or afford them — you’re going to bounce back to your go-to set out of convenience if nothing else.

Thankfully, the Harry’s Plus is both widely available and affordable enough to make it easy to stay well stocked in cartridges. All good supermarkets and pharmacies stock Harry’s, and an entry shave set (which includes the blade handle, three cartridges, shaving foam and a blade protector) costs just £19. Packs of four replacement blades will set you back just £11 too — a few quid cheaper than a four-pack of Gillette Fusion 5 ProGlides.

They trim for a good, lengthy lifetime too — Harry’s estimates you’ll get 21 shaves per cartridge before needing a replacement.

Final verdict

The Harry’s Razor Plus proves you don’t have to break the bank to shake up your shaving routine for the better. With a smooth, close shave and a pivoting system that lets you get full coverage without bleeding out, it’s a premium-feeling razor at a value-oriented price point. Definitely worth a try, even if you’re set in your manual-shaving ways.

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