Electric Shavers in Europe
 

My husband who has never used an electric shaver has now decided he wants one, so it seems like a great Christmas gift. He travels to Europe quite a bit. Who can tell me how a cordless works in Europe. Will he need a voltage converter or just an adaptor. I've noticed those &quot;shavers only&quot; signs in bathrooms, but do those apply to American shavers? <BR>I've blown out a couple of hair dryers in Europe, and I don't want a repeat with an electric razor.

Susan.. I would think that there would be dual voltage shavers available. ( Just as there are dual voltage hairdryers.) Then all he would need to pack extra for his charger is the correct shaped plug. <BR>

Depends on the shaver.Some will take any voltage so you only need an adaptor to make it fit the outlet, some need a convertor.There will be a notice beside the power inlet of the charger, or ask the salesman.

For our last trip to Europe, my husband bought a Braun Pocket Twist Shaver from Magellan's (www.magellans.com) for around $20 plus shipping. He loves it. And the batteries lasted well past the 2+ weeks that we were gone. Since it does use batteries, didn't have to worry about adapters, converters, etc.<BR><BR>Here's the description from Magellan's website:<BR><BR>Perfect for travel, this ingenious slim shaver takes up very little room in your toilet kit, yet expands in seconds to a full size shaver for quick touch-ups anytime, anywhere. The pop-out trimmer tames an unruly neckline, mustache or sideburns, and an automatic lock keeps the shaver in compact mode while traveling. Requires two AA batteries. (4 3/8 x 2 1/8 x 7/8&quot;; 3 oz)

Don't buy a travel shaver, just a regular one. Plenty of dual voltage shavers are readily available, several by Braun which my husband also uses. No need for convertors. I am not sure if adaptors are needed or not.

Vida, the reason my husband bought the travel shaver was its smaller size and weight. We were trying to pack light due to 4 of us traveling together in one car. He liked the shaver so much, he now uses it regulary.

If your husband's shaver is CORDLESS, he needn't worry about voltage, as long as he charges it before he leaves. My Norelco charge lasts about 14 hours, which is a lot of shaves.

Hi Susan,<BR> My razor is a Norelco rechargeable (cordless) razor that operates on both 110 and 220 V (dual voltage).<BR> Your husband will need a set of adaptors to fit the different shaped plugs in Europe.

I have traveled everyplace and still must ask this stupid question (sorry) . . . can only shavers be plugged into the outlet marked?<BR><BR>I've never known, don't have an electric shaver, and never had the guts to try anything else.<BR><BR>Thanks,<BR>Sandy

Interesting post. I once burned out a rechargeable in the UK, although it was plugged into a voltage converter and plug adaptor. I also once carried a plug in one and it simply wouldn't work on the outlets marked &quot;shaver only&quot;, so I've never figured those outlets out. I suspected that they were only for European 220 volt razors.<BR>I was also given a very expensive battery operated shaver but it simply didn't work very well on me. It seemed to take forever and two hours later I had a five oclock shadow.<BR>I still carry shaving cream and safety razor which works the best for me.<BR><BR>I also used to take my rechargeable Norelco (a good one) on trips, but it would run out of power in about three days without recharging, so I'm surprised about that 14 hour comment, but maybe that's a newer development.<BR><BR>Interesting to know there are now rechargeable dual voltage ones. I'd think that is the way to go.

<BR><BR>My Braun will charge on anything from 12v to 240v. I've charged it all over the world with no troubles at all. I did try to charge a laptop from the &quot;Razor Only&quot; plug once and it would not work. . although it did charge the razor . . no idea why.<BR><BR>I checked into a hotel in London once and noticed a large black spot where once was a plug. I called maintaince and the guy said someone must have plugged a hair dryer or something into it. It sure made a hell of a mess!<BR><BR>Rich

I also have a rechargeable cordless Norelco and have had no problems in Europe. Charge the battery fully before you leave and you should be okay for 2-3 weeks actually.

BettyK, I see your point. The main reason I suggested a regular shaver was because Susan says her husband wants to switch to electric and she wants to get one that'll work in Europe as well.

Thanks for the replies. I've been shopping this afternoon and missed a few of the last posts, but did buy him a Braun cordless. Is has dual voltage, and we have a drawer full of adaptor plugs. Now I hope he likes it.