Dollar Shave Club Review

When you’re looking for a new razor, there are a ton of different options out there for you to choose from. All most of us want is a simple and quick shave, without any horrible aftermath of irritation and rashes.

One of the most popular shave clubs that you can buy nowadays is the Dollar Shave Club. Everyone’s heard of them, and they’re the original shaving subscription service. But just how good is the Dollar Shave Club, and is it worth you signing up to their service?

Well, I ordered the Dollar Shave Club set and tested it out for a few months. Here’s how I found the service, and what I thought of the product as a whole.

Dollar Shave Club Review

In a few words, I like the Dollar Shave Club as a whole, and the 6-blade razor they offer is perfect for avoiding razor burn and ingrown hairs. The Executive razor handle it comes with is heavy without being overbearing, and with the right shave cream, it makes for an easy process.

However, like any piece of shaving equipment, it’s not perfect. So, if you’re looking for a new razor for your daily shave, then keep reading to find out why I think it’s a good choice – and what you can do to reduce costs.

The Brand

The Dollar Shave Club is one of the biggest success stories of last decade. Two guys who started their business through seed funding, and ended up selling it back in 2016 to Unilever, for a reported billion dollars. However, the founder Michael Dubin still serves a the CEO of the company, and they have millions of users across the world. Whilst they was once just located in the US, they’ve spread across Europe pretty successfully too.

So, they’re definitely the biggest brand when it comes to shaving clubs. However, there are a ton of other contenders out there nowadays too, so it can be difficult to know which one to choose.

The Cost

No, you’re not the only one who’s wondering why the Dollar Shave Club costs significantly more than a dollar. Whilst at one point in time you could have gotten replacement cartridges for a dollar, this is no longer the case.

Nowadays, they offer their cartridges at a cost of £2 each. This is actually a bit cheaper than the US at the current rate, but still pretty expensive at the end of the day. Usually I try to get blades at well under the $2 mark, and the closer to $1, the better.

There are occasions that you can get them cheaper than this, and you might get offered a 10% discount in your account from time to time. However, this is the average price of the Dollar Shave Club razor cartridges.

The Unboxing

When you order your Dollar Shave Club subscription, it comes with 4 razor blades, the handle, some shaving cream, a magazine and a welcome note.

I took a quick browse through the magazine and read the welcome note, then threw them in the bin. However, far more interesting that the stuff packed into the box was the shave butter which I hadn’t used before, and a pretty nice looking razor handle, with 4 blades to match.

Honestly, as you can probably tell from my lack of enthusiasm, I’m not really one for reading these kind of cheesy magazines that are included with subscription services. However, it was well presented, but there wasn’t any information of great help in there.

The Accessories

Like many other shaving subscription services, they also offer a ton of other accessories that you can use for personal grooming. Probably most well known out of all of these is the Dr Carver’s Shave Butter. It’s a nice, luxurious alternative to shave gel.

I’ll be first to say that this “easy” shave butter is.. well, pretty easy. When you’re using it with the razor, it glides over the skin pretty well and helps to get a closer shave, too. So, I’m definitely a fan of the shave butter in general, and it’s much better than the cheap shaving gels that you’ll find in the majority of supermarkets nowadays. The only thing I will say is that it’s pretty expensive, at around £7 for a large tube.

They also offer a ton of different accessories, from stuff like toothbrushes to beard oil and aftershaves. Some of it is well overpriced (£4 for a basic toothbrush is ridiculous) but there are some good items there too, like the Dr Carver’s Shave Butter. Plus, a lot of the shaving accessories have little trial sizes that you can order for £2, which can give you an idea of whether they’re for you or not.

The Handle

The Dollar Shave Club’s main seller is the Executive handle, which is the one that I ordered. It has quite a thick handle, and it’s fairly weighty too. The gel grips help a lot if you’re planning to shave in the shower, as otherwise it’d slip out of your hands very easily.

I’m probably being a little bit picky, but this definitely isn’t one of the best razor handles that I’ve used. It feels a little bit clunky in comparison to some others, but I guess this is part and parcel of the “Executive” design. However, I will say that the head of the razor handle is pretty firm, which is great if you have thick and coarse hair.

Plus, if you’re looking something that you can use to shave pretty much everywhere, then this would be a good choice.

The Blades

I’m particularly impressed with the blades that come with the Dollar Shave Club. I ordered the 6-blade option, which is definitely worth it if you’re looking for a quick and competent shave. The blades will make it really easy for you to shave quickly, and you can be done in just a few minutes. Plus, I found it quite easy on the neck, which is an area I usually have problems with.

One thing I will say about the Executive is that it’s not good for shaving your head. In the DSC’s “package builder”, they ask you want you want to use your razor for. You say what you need it for, and they’ll give you the most appropriate products for it. And if you say shaving your head, they offer the Executive. Well, it might be the best fit that the Dollar Shave Club have, but it’s not good for shaving your head at all. 6 blade razors are too rough for this job, so don’t use this razor for your head.

Dollar Shave Club vs Dorco Pace 6

It’s definitely worth me adding that the Dollar Shave Club actually outsource the production of their razors to the company Dorco. They also sell razors and handles both wholesale and directly to consumers like us.

Here, you can see the Executive handle next to the Dorco Pace 6 Handle. And guess what? They’re exactly the same product. Not only are the handles exactly the same, but the Pace 6 Plus blades are the same as the DSC razor blades as well.

At first, I assumed that the DSC was just marking up the Dorco products and making a profit. However, to be honest most of the time, the Dollar Shave Club Executive and blades don’t actually cost much more than the Pace 6 does (in fact, sometimes it’s more affordable to go with the DSC).

However, if you like the Dollar Shave Club but don’t want to be in a subscription service, then you could opt to buy the Pace 6 Plus razor blades separately yourself. If you do want a shaving subscription, then check out my guide to the best shave clubs.

The Verdict

In all honesty, the Dollar Shave Club Executive is a pretty great razor, especially for those with thick and coarse hair. The handle is firm and easily gripped, and it enables you to get a really good shave. It’s probably worth picking up the starter kit to see how well it works for you.

The only thing I would say is that if you have very sensitive skin, then I think there are better options out there for you. The handle of the Executive is big and bulky, and the 6 blade system is great for those who want to get a super clean shave. But this isn’t the best for sensitive skin, who would probably benefit from a razor with less blades.