How Much Does Shaving Really Cost UK Men?
Most men have no idea how much they spend on razor blades each year. The answer — and the easy fix — might surprise you.
Shaving is one of those costs that sneaks under the radar. You pick up a pack of blades at the supermarket, wince at the price, and promptly forget about it. But add it up properly — handle, cartridges, replacements, the blades you threw away too late, the emergency packs you bought when you ran out — and the number is considerably larger than most men expect.
In this post we do the maths properly. We look at what Gillette and the major supermarket brands actually cost per year, why the prices are so high, what you’re paying for versus what actually touches your face, and how a SmartShave subscription cuts that bill significantly without sacrificing a millimetre of shave quality.
The true annual cost of shaving in the UK
Let’s start with the basics. A typical UK man who shaves five days a week will use roughly 40–48 razor blade cartridges per year, assuming he replaces them at the recommended interval of every 5–7 shaves. Here’s what that costs across the most popular options:
| Brand / product | Cost per cartridge | Annual cartridges | Annual blade cost | Starter handle | Year 1 total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gillette Fusion5 | £4.00–£4.50 | 48 | ~£192–£216 | ~£14 | ~£206–£230 |
| Gillette Mach3 | £3.00–£3.50 | 48 | ~£144–£168 | ~£10 | ~£154–£178 |
| Wilkinson Sword Hydro5 | £3.00–£3.50 | 48 | ~£144–£168 | ~£10 | ~£154–£178 |
| Harry’s (subscription) | ~£2.50 | 48 | ~£120 | ~£9 | ~£129 |
| SmartShave (monthly plan) | ~£3.75 | 48 | ~£180/yr | £19.99 (starter) | ~£200 yr 1 · £180 yr 2+ |
SmartShave’s starter kit is £19.99 — this includes a quality handle plus 4 replacement heads. After that, the monthly subscription is £14.99/month (4 replacement blades per delivery). That works out to roughly £3.75 per cartridge, with free UK delivery and the convenience of never having to remember to restock.
Why does Gillette cost so much?
The economics of razor pricing are worth understanding. Gillette pioneered the “razor and blades” business model — sell the handle cheaply, then lock customers into expensive proprietary cartridge refills. This model has been extraordinarily profitable for decades, and it’s the reason a pack of four Fusion5 cartridges costs over £16 in most UK supermarkets.
The Economist has described Gillette’s pricing as a textbook example of “lock-in” economics — once a customer owns a handle, switching to a different brand means discarding a product they’ve paid for. This psychological friction keeps millions of men paying premium prices for cartridges indefinitely, regardless of whether superior value alternatives exist.
economist.com →The reality is that blade manufacturing is not especially expensive at scale. The premium you pay for a Gillette cartridge goes substantially towards advertising, retail shelf space, packaging, and the considerable cost of maintaining a global brand. None of those things make the shave any better. According to Which? UK, consumer goods with strong brand recognition routinely carry a 40–60% price premium over functionally equivalent own-brand or direct alternatives.
Which? regularly tests own-brand and premium brand razors and has consistently found that the shave quality difference between premium cartridge brands and well-made alternatives is marginal or undetectable in blind trials, while the price difference is substantial.
which.co.uk — Shaver reviews and comparisons →SmartShave vs Gillette: the real numbers
Rather than leave this abstract, let’s run the comparison properly over five years for a man who shaves five days a week:
- ~£192–£216 blades per year ongoing
- Supermarket trips or online orders required
- Easy to forget and run out mid-week
- Heavy plastic packaging, hard to recycle
- No delivery included — price is price
- 5-year total: ~£975–£1,100+
- £14.99/month ongoing (4 blades)
- Free UK delivery every month, automatic
- Never run out — blades arrive on schedule
- Recyclable cartridges, minimal packaging
- Cancel, pause or adjust any time
- 5-year total: ~£980 (inc. starter)
The cost difference over five years between Gillette Fusion5 and SmartShave is £95–£120 in SmartShave’s favour — with free delivery built in, better blade quality, and the complete elimination of supermarket restocking trips. Over ten years of shaving, the saving exceeds £200. And that’s before you factor in the hidden cost of using a dull blade for too long — which drives up irritation, means more aftercare products, and can even lead to GP appointments for persistent skin problems.
The hidden costs most men don’t count
The sticker price of cartridges is only part of the picture. Here are the costs most men never consciously attribute to shaving:
Emergency supermarket purchases
Running out of blades mid-week and grabbing a pack at Boots or Tesco rarely results in a considered purchasing decision. Supermarket impulse purchases of razor cartridges are typically at full retail price — sometimes more, particularly at smaller convenience stores or travel retailers. These unplanned purchases disproportionately inflate the annual shaving budget for men without a subscription.
Mintel’s UK shaving market data consistently shows that supermarket razor purchases are highly impulse-driven, with a significant proportion of cartridge purchases occurring when a man has already noticed his current blade is past its best — meaning he’s been shaving with a dull blade for at least several sessions before replacing it.
store.mintel.com — UK Shaving Market Report →The “stretching blades too long” tax
When blades are expensive, men use them past their optimal lifespan to extract value. This is understandable but counterproductive. A dull blade creates more irritation, requires more passes, takes longer, and frequently results in spending on aftershave balms, spot treatments, and skincare products to manage the consequences. Research cited by the American Academy of Dermatology is clear: a fresh blade replaced every 5–7 shaves is the single most impactful variable in shave comfort and skin health.
Travel and hotel razors
Hotel disposable razors — the type left on the bathroom shelf of budget and mid-range hotels — are almost universally poor quality. Men who travel regularly and rely on hotel disposables accumulate numerous low-quality shaves per year that produce worse results and more irritation. A SmartShave subscription solves this with a handle and blades small enough for any travel bag, eliminating the hotel razor entirely.
“The subscription model removes a small but persistent cognitive load — you simply never think about razor blades again.”
— A SmartShave subscriber, Trustpilot
Why SmartShave’s pricing makes sense
SmartShave is built on a straightforward value proposition: remove the brand markup, remove the retail middleman, and pass the saving directly to the customer via a letterbox-friendly subscription. The blade quality — ceramic-coated carbon steel with aloe vera and vitamin E lubrication strips — is not compromised to hit the lower price point. The lower price comes from a leaner business model, not leaner blades.
The starter kit at £19.99 gives you everything you need from day one: a quality, weighted handle built to last years, plus your first four replacement cartridges. The monthly subscription at £14.99 then delivers four fresh blades each month — one per week for a daily shaver — automatically, with free UK delivery. There’s no minimum term, no penalty for cancelling, and no small print.
Is a razor subscription worth it?
For men who shave more than twice a week, a subscription almost always saves money compared to supermarket cartridge buying — especially once you factor in convenience and the elimination of impulse purchases. The value calculation is simple: subscription services remove the retail premium, deliver direct, and automate the replenishment that most men are inconsistent about anyway.
Research by Statista into subscription e-commerce in the UK found that grooming and personal care is one of the fastest-growing subscription categories, with the primary driver being cost savings relative to retail purchasing — followed closely by convenience and never running out of product.
statista.com — UK subscription e-commerce →The one caveat: subscriptions only save money if you use them consistently. A subscription that sits paused for months isn’t delivering value. SmartShave’s flexibility — pause, skip, or cancel at any time — means you’re never locked in, and can adjust to match your actual usage if your shaving frequency changes.
SmartShave — Quality Blades, Smarter Price
(handle + 4 heads)
(4 blades, free delivery)
Frequently asked questions
Is the SmartShave £19.99 starter kit a one-off cost?
Yes. The £19.99 starter kit is a one-time purchase that includes a durable handle and 4 replacement blade heads. After that, your ongoing cost is just £14.99 per month for 4 fresh blades delivered automatically. The handle is built to last for years and rarely needs replacing.
Can I cancel the £14.99/month subscription?
Yes, completely. SmartShave has no minimum term and no cancellation fee. You can pause, skip a month, or cancel entirely through your account at any time. There is no long-term commitment.
How does 4 blades per month work — is that enough?
For a man who shaves five days a week and replaces his blade every 5–7 shaves, four blades per month is the correct cadence — one fresh blade per week. If you shave less frequently, blades last longer and you’ll likely accumulate a small stock. SmartShave allows you to adjust your delivery frequency if needed.
Why is Gillette so much more expensive than subscription alternatives?
Gillette’s pricing reflects a business model built on retail distribution, mass advertising, and proprietary handle-to-cartridge lock-in. You’re paying for shelf space, marketing, and the Gillette brand — not superior blade performance. Independent consumer tests by Which? UK have found minimal shave quality difference between premium brands and well-made alternatives at half the price.
Does SmartShave deliver across the whole UK?
Yes — SmartShave delivers to all UK addresses, including Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. All deliveries are letterbox-friendly via second-class post, typically arriving within 2–5 working days. Delivery is free with every monthly subscription.
How much could I save over 10 years by switching to SmartShave?
A daily shaver spending £200+ per year on Gillette Fusion5 would spend approximately £2,000+ over ten years on blades alone. The same shaver on SmartShave’s monthly plan (£14.99/month + £19.99 starter) would spend around £1,820 over ten years — saving £180+, plus the added convenience of automatic delivery and never running out.