With summer in full swing and mini dresses back in style, if you want smooth legs and underarms without the mess of waxing or the scrapes of shaving, an epilator may be a smart investment. An epilator is an electronic device that uses rotating discs to grip and pull out hairs from the root, giving longer-lasting results than shaving or depilatory creams—up to four weeks, depending on hair growth. Epilators also catch shorter hairs better than waxing. Once purchased, there is no need for razor blades or wax strips, and no last-minute salon appointments.
Our beauty journalist tested six of the best epilators, assessing speed, comfort, and results. Find out which left skin smooth and party-ready with minimal fuss and pain.
Best Epilator Overall: Philips 8000
The Philips 8000 Series BRE710/01 epilator is fast, effective, and almost pain-free. In tests, it took just three minutes to strip the front half of a lower leg, with little redness or bumps. The head features 32 tweezer discs and a slight contour that cleaves close to the body for one-pass removal. An LED light helps spot short, pale hairs. This cordless wet/dry model has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasting about 40 minutes, with two speed settings. The lower speed was perfect for quick and clean removal. Drawbacks include a fixed head that feels clunky around ankles and knees, but overall it is a great epilator, especially at the price.
Best Compact Epilator: Philips 4000
The Philips 4000 Series BRE247 is a fantastically compact basic epilator, ideal for travel. It is smaller than the 8000, fitting neatly in the palm, and its curved shape makes it easy to manoeuvre over legs and underarms. Being corded, it is lightweight. The head has 20 tweezers, so it takes longer—about seven minutes for half a lower leg—but offers better control around ankles. It features an integrated LED light and comes with a shaver head, massage head, exfoliating glove, cleaning brush, and carry pouch. The main downside is that it is corded, so cannot be used in the bath, and it is one of the noisier models.
Best Luxury Epilator: Braun Silk-épil 9 Flex
The Braun Silk-épil 9 Flex 3D SE9-041 has 40 rotating tweezers and a flexible tilting head that allows close contact with skin, making it fast and effective. It cleared the back half of a lower leg in just over four minutes. The head includes a built-in massage roller to hold skin taut for less painful treatments. It is cordless, wet/dry, and has a non-slip handle. Battery charge lasts 50 minutes. The kit includes a shaver head, trimming comb, cleaning brush, and carry case. However, it is the most expensive on the list, and comes with a German two-pin plug requiring a UK adapter.
Best Epilator for Speed: Panasonic ES-EY30
The Panasonic ES-EY30 features a wide head with two rows of tweezers totaling 60, and three speed settings. It took under four minutes to clear the back of a lower leg at the lowest speed, with built-in massage rollers for comfort. A sensitive cap attachment is included for underarms and bikini areas, but it is not recommended for the face. It works wet or dry, has an LED light, and a display showing speed. While powerful and effective, it looks faintly terrifying and is not a beautiful gadget.
Best Epilator for Face: Panasonic ES-EF10
The Panasonic ES-EF10 is a neat battery-operated device designed for stray chin, lip, and eyebrow hairs. It has just four tweezers and a rotating wheel for precise treatment. It quietly and efficiently tackled wayward chin hairs, and while delicate areas sting more than legs, it was bearable. It is only suitable for small areas, but for that purpose it is ideal.
What You Need to Know
An epilator removes hair by pulling it from the root, giving results similar to waxing but with less mess. When choosing an epilator, consider head width, tweezer count, swivel head, speed settings, and wet/dry capability. To reduce pain, exfoliate before use, take a warm bath, keep skin taut, and move the device slowly against the direction of growth. Start with a lower speed on fleshy areas. After epilating, hydrate the skin with aloe vera or a soothing lotion. Clean the epilator after each use by brushing out hairs and rinsing if wet/dry. With good care, an epilator can last about five years.
