Razor blades are meant to be changed frequently, which means waste quickly adds up, not to mention the handles, too. Opting for a razor that lasts a long time (and actually looks nice enough that we want to hold onto it for years), and one that can be recycled, ideally blades and all, is a great alternative.
While multi-blade razors are easy to use and tend to deliver a closer shave than single-blade razors, if you have sensitive skin or skin issues, consultant dermatologist Dr Angela Tewari recommends sticking with a single-blade razor (these are often called safety razors).
“Safety razors require a little more patience and skill, even though the technique can be acquired quite quickly”, says Dean Harries, co-founder of plastic-free shaving brand Shoreline Shaving. They’re weighted, which means they “give you a smooth shave without the need to apply your own pressure, as long as the blade is sharp”, he explains, and recommends short, slow strokes when shaving. And, only “shave against the grain once you're confident.”
After testing lots of razors, some from brands you’ve heard of, and some you may not have, I’ve chosen my favourite (the Mühle companion unisex safety razor, thanks to its beautiful design and sharp blades). But, I’ve also found an adjustable razor, one with a bikini line trimmer, and a blade subscription.
Many of the brands in this review have recycling take-back schemes. You should also be able to recycle metal blades as scrap metal at recycling centres, too, but check whether your local centre will do this.
How I tested
I’ve been testing these razors over several months. A lot of the brands have their own shaving soaps and shaving oils, but I used the same shaving cream with every razor to keep variables to a minimum. It’s also worth noting that most of the brands I tried send blades with their razors, and most of the razors were compatible with any double-edged blades, so you can choose a different blade if you so wish. I assessed each of the razors using the following testing criteria:
- Ease of use: I acknowledged how comfortable and ergonomic the handles were, assessing their texture and width. I considered the weighting of the head and the handle and how balanced this felt in use. I also changed the blades of all of the razors to assess how easy this was.
- Shaving results: I made a note of which blades arrived (if included) with each razor, and how gentle and close of a shave I was able to achieve.
- Environmental considerations and credentials: I asked all of the brands where their razors were made, what materials they’re made from, and if and how they could be recycled. I also asked them to confirm whether their razors arrived in 100 per cent plastic-free. I assumed the durability and expected longevity of the razors, looking at the materials and sturdiness of the design.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Lois Borny has years of testing experience to call on, having joined The Independent’s IndyBest section in 2021. She has a particular interest in finding the eco-friendly changes you can make (from waterless shampoo to plastic-free shampoo bars) to better the planet. Beyond this, Lois is conscious of greenwashing and makes sure to fact-check the claims that brands make to ensure that you’re getting the best advice possible. All of the products that feature in this review have been tried and tested by Lois
The best eco-friendly women’s razors for 2025 are:
- Best eco-friendly women’s razor overall – Mühl companion unisex safety razor: £39, Muehle-shaving.co.uk
- Best budget eco-friendly women’s razor – Shoreline Shaving matte black safety razor: £17.99, Shorelineshaving.com
- Best customisable eco-friendly women’s razor – Leaf triple blade razor: £89.99, Healf.com
- Best bamboo eco-friendly women’s razor – Jungle Culture bamboo safety razor: £18.99, Jungleculture.eco
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Mühle companion unisex safety razor
Best: Eco-friendly women’s razor overall
Made in: Germany
Materials: Handle is zinc alloy and stainless steel, the head is zinc alloy, all coated with matt chrome
Suitable for: Body (underarms, legs, bikini line)
Why we love it
- Very close shave
- Unique, premium design
- Recyclable
Take note
- Cord gets wet in the shower
- Expensive
This is a refined and extremely effective safety razor from German shaving company Mühle. The head is tapered, and the edges are rounded for a smooth feel. The brand's own blades provided a seamless and gentle shaving experience and worked excellently – I’d go as far as to say that my legs have never felt smoother.
It has one of the longest handles of the bunch, which I liked as it sits well in the hand. It also features swirling contours (like a fingerprint), which makes for a premium, distinctive design. It has a cotton cord attached to the end, which is helpful if you hang your razor in the shower, but I found that it got wet and soggy.
The blades can be recycled, and the brand told me that the handle is also recyclable (but check if your local council and recycling facility will accept it). Mühle’s production and website run on renewable energy, and it takes part in shipping carbon offsetting. The brand is also currently working with the children's aid organisation World Vision on a reforestation project in Uganda.
Buy now £39.00, Muehle-shaving.co.uk
Shoreline Shaving matte black safety razor
Best: Budget eco-friendly women’s razor
Made in: China
Materials: Brass alloy from copper and zinc
Suitable for: Face and all parts of the body
Plastic-free packaging: Yes
Why we love it
- Most affordable of the bunch
- Lifetime warranty
Take note
- Weighting takes some getting used to
Plastic-free shaving brand Shoreline Shaving’s safety razor is budget-friendly and effective, boasting a sturdy design that feels like it’s built to last. It has a textured grip for ease of use but is heavier than most, which was intimidating at first. It felt less nimble in contoured areas at first, but I quickly got the hang of it.
Blades aren't included, but the brand’s travel kit comes with blades from Shark, and a travel bag (£24.99, Shorelineshaving.com). These were sharp and effective – I couldn't fault the smoothness of their glide.
The blades are recyclable, and the brand said that the handle can be recycled as scrap metal at recycling centres. They’re shipped by sea freight to reduce carbon emissions and arrive in plastic-free packaging. It’s reassuring that there’s a lifetime warranty for replacement parts, too.
Buy now £17.99, Shorelineshaving.com
Angle allbody razor
Best: Seamless blade changes
Made in: China
Materials: Aluminum
Suitable for: All areas of the body
Plastic-free packaging: Yes
Why we love it
- Looks great
- User-friendly
Take note
- Not cheap
Angle’s razor features a beautiful gold metallic finish. Effective and easy to set up – twist the handle to open the head where you place the blade. Unlike razors with twist-off heads (take Shoreline Shaving’s razor above, for instance), you don’t need to dismantle this one manually, which makes blade changes less time-consuming, and also means there’s less handling of the exposed blade.
The handle is a few hairs thicker than others I tried, and feels secure in the hand and easy to control. The blade exposure is mild-to-moderate, so it’s suitable for all areas of the body and on sensitive skin. The horizontal blade guard features straight ridges rather than a scalloped comb. This is intended to feel smoother against the skin, but, in truth, I didn’t feel it was dramatically smoother.
Blades aren’t included, but there’s a bundle with Derby professional, premium, Feather or Astra superior platinum blades – I received the latter. However, I tried Shark’s blades (the razor is compatible with all standard double-edge blades) and got much better results.
Made from aluminium, which can easily be recycled repeatedly, the handle can go into metal recycling. Although the brand said you’ll need to check your local recycling guidelines to see if it needs to go to a specialist site for scrap metal or small hardware. It’s quite expensive, but if you keep it for a long time, it should be worth the investment. And the packaging is plastic-free, too.
Buy now £44.99, Anglerazor.com
FFS razor subscription
Best: Eco-friendly women’s razor for the bikini line
Made in: The UK
Materials: Not specified
Suitable for: Legs, armpits and bikini area
Why we love it
- Good for precision
- Lubricating strip
- Blade recycling take-back scheme available
- Blade subscription available
Take note
- Looks a bit cheap and plasticky compared to the others here
The USP here is the built-in bikini trimmer. FFS’s is a multi-blade design with a lubricating strip like Estrid’s, but we found it more nimble around intimate areas, owing to its compact and narrow head and lightweight feel. It has six blades (one more than Estrid) and delivers a comfortable, close shave, thanks also to a moisturising vitamin E lubricating strip and a slight flex in the head for a more seamless glide.
Changing the razor’s head is easy. You push a button on the handle, and it releases. As with any multi-blade design, you won’t need to handle sharp double-edge blades, which some may prefer, as far as safety goes.
The razor head subscription is £9.95 for four refills every week, two weeks or three months, which is handy if you shave regularly, but you can buy them separately if you don’t. FFS makes its razors in the UK, uses recyclable packaging, and has a blade recycling take-back scheme.
Buy now £12.95, Amazon.co.uk
Leaf triple blade razor
Best: Eco-friendly women’s razor with customisable blades
Made in: Primarily China and Taiwan, blades are manufactured in Vietnam
Material: Zinc and stainless steel alloys
Suitable for: Body shaving, under arm shaving, leg shaving
Plastic-free packaging: Yes
Why we love it
- Beautiful and truly unique design
- Seamless and comfortable glide
- Can swap between one, two and three blades
Take note
- Changing blades is fiddly
- Exorbitant price
Is any razor really worth nearly £90? Arguably, this one could be, with its state-of-the-art looks and seamless glide. I was seriously impressed with the way the flexing head moved effortlessly over my body contours, working especially well in uneven areas like knees and ankles.
This razor uses single-edge blades instead of double-edged, and you need to load them one by one into the razor head, which is a little bit fiddly. You can load one, two or three blades, depending on how close you want the shave to be – three blades deliver the closest shave. I experienced no pulling, and results were silky smooth and irritation-free, even when using all three blades. You don’t even need to lift it off the skin between each stroke – just glide up and down for a seamless shaving experience.
The handle can be recycled as scrap metal, and the blades can be put in the provided tin and returned to the brand, or recycled as scrap metal. The brand also told me that it does an annual audit of its climate impact and takes part in eco initiatives, such as carbon offsetting.
Buy now £89.99, Healf.com
Clear Confidence plastic-free safety razor, adjustable
Best: Adjustable eco-friendly women’s razor
Made in: China
Materials: Copper and zinc alloy
Suitable for: All areas of the body
Plastic-free packaging: Yes
Why we love it
- Adjustable for different uses
- Portable size
- Cool design
Take note
- Handle is comparably short which doesn’t sit as comfortably in the hand
This sonic screwdriver-esque razor from vegan and plastic-free brand Clear Confidence is the only adjustable design I tried. It has six settings, the lowest being for sensitive skin, everyday use and sensitive areas like the bikini line and underarms. While I’d have liked to achieve a closer shave than I managed while using the lowest setting, it did feel gentle on my skin. Results after using the highest setting were much smoother (I didn’t notice much of a difference across the in-between adjustments). However, I like that I can opt for a less aggressive setting when prioritising reducing irritation over an ultra close shave – people who shave every day might find this particularly useful.
The chunky design of the handle is really grippy, but I’d have liked it to be a bit longer. Its small size is ideal for travel, though. The head is similar to that of the Angle razor, so changing the blade is quick and easy – you can choose to have Shark blades included. It arrives in plastic-free packaging, and the brand said that the razor can go in standard household metal recycling. It also offsets its carbon emissions and plants a tree for every order, which is a nice touch.
Buy now £29.97, Clearconfidence.co
Jungle Culture bamboo safety razor
Best: Bamboo eco-friendly women’s razor
Made in: China
Materials: Inside is brass alloy, outside is chrome
Suitable for: The whole body
Plastic-free packaging: Yes
Why we love it
- Wide handle
- Natural look
Take note
- Missing a textured grip
- Removing the blade could be easier
Jungle Culture’s safety razor has a robust, distinctive look, with its bamboo handle, high-shine hardware, and streamlined silhouette. The handle is thicker than all the others I tried, which did go some way to making it easier to handle. But bear in mind that the smooth bamboo isn’t as grippy as textured handles.
To set up, you put the blade between the two parts of the head and screw in the handle. Removing the blade is a bit clumsy, though – you have to unscrew the head and let the top half of the head and the blade just fall onto a surface, most likely your palm, rather than lifting it out.
Jungle Culture sells Shark and own-brand blades, but you have to buy these separately. I tried the former and achieved a smooth glide and a close, comfortable shave.
I liked knowing that the brand would take care of recycling if I sent the razor back, but you do have to buy the brand’s blade recycling tin (£6.99, Jungleculture.eco).
The brand told me that it visits each farm, factory and workshop in person, ensures that its supply chain is ethical and low waste, and ships its razors by sea to reduce carbon emissions.
A quick note on the design. The photo used on the brand’s site shows a slightly different head design from the one we tested.
Buy now £18.99, Jungleculture.eco
UpCircle plastic-free safety razor
Best: Matte eco-friendly women’s razor
Made in: China
Materials: Metal chrome
Suitable for : Face and body
Plastic-free packaging: Yes
Why we love it
- Matte surface looks chic and is easy to hold
- B-Corp brand
Take note
- Shows scratches easily
Straight off the bat, I noticed that the construction of UpCircle’s razor is practically indistinguishable from Shoreline Shaving’s – a textured handle grip and a twist-off design. But I liked its matte finish, which felt secure in the hand.
The beige with subtle branding looks pleasingly minimalist and chic, but the light colour shows scratches quite easily, so you’ll want to handle it with a bit of care.
The brand starts you off with two complimentary blades from the brand Supermax. I achieved a close and comfortable shave with these, and the brand said that it will always send Supermax, but the handle is suitable for all standard double-edged blades thereafter.
UpCircle has been a B Corp-certified brand since 2022, so it’s safe to say it takes sustainability seriously. The certification covers aspects of the business, including waste and water usage, and whether everyone in the supply chain earns a minimum wage. There’s a take-back recycling scheme for its blades, and the handle can go in household recycling. Plus, there’s no plastic lurking in the packaging.
Buy now £24.99, Upcirclebeauty.com
Estrid starter kit
Best: Eco-friendly women’s razor for comfort
Made in: Blades are made in the US, handles manufactured in China
Materials: Handle is steel with rubber on top, blades are plastic and steel
Suitable for: Whole body, including bikini area, not suitable for face (a version for the face is available)
Plastic-free packaging: No
Why we love it
- Stellar ergonomics
- Blade subscription available
- Head flexes for seamless glide
- Lubricating strip works really well
Take note
- Not recyclable
With bold colour options and a blade refills subscription, it’s easy to see why Estrid is now nearly synonymous with modern women’s razors. The razor is comfortable and intuitive in use, with five blades for a close, nick-free shave. Flex in the head means it glides over body contours, and the large, rounded hydration strip feels gentle. In fact, I didn’t even need to use shaving cream.
The ergonomics of the handle are superb. The rubber cover feels secure in the hand, and the wide silhouette means more room for the pointer finger to rest than when using the thin cylindrical handles. Owing to the fact that it’s the most lightweight razor in this review, you'll need to apply pressure when using it.
However, while the handle has a lifetime guarantee, it can’t be recycled, nor can the blades, which is really disappointing from an eco-friendly standpoint. The packaging isn’t plastic-free, either. On a better note, Estrid says it offsets the carbon footprint of every shipment by investing in sustainability projects.
Buy now £7.95, Estrid.com
Your questions on eco-friendly women’s razors answered
What is the best eco-friendly women’s razor?
Delivering a close and comfortable shave and a distinct and beautiful look, the Mühl companion unisex safety razor was my favourite. It’s plastic-free, arrives in plastic-free packaging, and can be recycled. For a more affordable option, Shoreline Shaving’s safety razor feels built to last. FFS’s razor is great for precision around the bikini line, and I love that there’s a blade take-back scheme.
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