You might have seen Gruum, or grüum, whilst browsing around the internet.
They’re one of the more popular shave clubs that have popped up in recent years, and they offer a range of different skincare products, as well as their specialty – “seriously good razors”. So, it’s only fair that I checked out their bestselling razor model, the oska.
When I’m looking for a good cartridge razor, I’m just looking for something that will allow me to have a quick shave without any irritation whatsoever. Let’s look at how the oska performed.
The Brand
Gruum are a newer brand, and I hadn’t heard about them until fairly recently. They don’t have a ton of different products to choose from, but much of the brand values are centered around recycling and creating products that are environmentally friendly.
In an industry that’s pretty well known for producing a lot of plastic waste, it’s good to see a brand trying to do things the right way.
And although you can be forgiven for assuming that this is a Scandinavian brand, they’re actually based in the United Kingdom – Manchester, in fact. They also make most of their products there too.
The Unboxing
Honestly, I don’t even have a picture of the box that my Gruum razor came in. Usually, I’d upload a picture of it, but I threw it out pretty much straight away when I bought it.
If you’ve seen my other reviews, then you’ll know that I can’t be bothered with magazines and cool packaging anyways. But yeah, I’m sure the box was lovely. The razor itself is quite attractive, and you have an option of different colorways to choose from.
It’s easy to attach and detach cartridges to the head of the razor by using the simple button at the top of the handle. In terms of the packaging itself, all of it is recyclable – it comes in a box made of cardboard, which can be easily recycled.
The Accessories
Gruum have a few products that you can order in addition to their razors.
You can obviously get shaving accessories, but they also have a range of sunscreen too, as well as some exfoliating face washes. They also have a range of beard care equipment as well – all of it is made to be quite simplistic and minimalist.
They also have a range of shampoo and conditioner bars, as well as some post-shave balm that looks pretty good.
The only one that I actually tried myself was the danne shaving gel that I ordered with the razor. It wasn’t anything special to be honest, but it is a good enough gel that helps to provide a nice shave.
The Handle
The handle does take some getting used to. It’s much wider than any other brand of razor out there, and at first, it doesn’t feel quite right. However, after a few weeks of using it, it did feel a lot more natural by the end of it.
The handle is ergonomically designed to fit into your hand, however it is solely made of plastic on one side and metal on the other.
I personally prefer a rubber grip, but this might suit someone else. You can also personalize the handle if you wish too, which might make it a good gift for someone in your family.
Though the handle is quite unique, at the end of the day it’s just a handle. The most important part of any razor is the blades they use, and whether they can help to deliver a smoother shave.
The Blades
The blades themselves are quite good, and allow you to get a shave that’s very close to the skin.
They have two different blades that you can try – the Precision, which is a five-blade cartridge, or the Comfort, which is a three-blade cartridge. As you can see from the picture below, I opted for Precision.
The small roller at the bottom is intended to help the smoothness of your shave and replaces the typical aloe vera strip (the moisturizing strip is moved to the top of the razor cartridge instead). It’s also intended to help raise your hair up before it gets shaved, too.
The head of the razor is very similar to that of the Harry’s Razor – it’s very flexible, and it has quite a lot of spring to it.
These kinds of razor heads are best for those with sensitive skin, and they don’t tend to “push” against the skin too much and allow you to get a smooth shave without applying too much pressure downwards. They definitely tend to suit people with thinner hair more than those with thick, coarse hair.
I found that the blades tended to last a little longer than what I’m used to – I usually use a new blade after three shaves, but these Precision blades I used 4 or even 5 times before using a new one (yes, I use new blades very frequently!).
Gruum also have a good recycling plan in place, where you can return all of your cartridges in a brown box that’s been provided for you.
The Cost
The razor blades are expensive. I was actually surprised by how expensive they were when I first ordered them, as paying £2.50 per five-blade cartridge is honestly a bit much.
I don’t think that the blades offer anything better than any other major razor brands in all honesty, so I can’t really validate their price.
I would be interested in trying the three-blade cartridge, which can be bought for only £1.50 each. So, this might prove to be a better option for those looking for something cheaper.
The Verdict
All in all, I was pretty happy with my experience using the Gruum oska razor. The razor itself is fine, and just takes a little getting used to. And yes, it does provide a pretty clean shave too, with good reusability from the razor blades.
If they were cheaper, then they might be able to get me to consider switching over to use them full time. However at £2.50 a cartridge (more than $3 each), this is just too rich for my blood.
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