Well I’ll Be, Dollar Shave Club Is a Good Deal

Most people – both men and women – agree that razor blade prices are out of control.

I wrote a piece, “Razor Blade Prices Are Ridiculous,” in which I decried the recent price increase of my razor blades, as well as provided a few tips for extending the life – and thus value – of your razor blades.

That price increase was a motivator for me finding a more economical option for my shaving routine.

Now, I had already reduced my razor blade costs by purchasing blades at Sam’s Club – although, those prices, too, had increased, just not as much as other retailers.

But, blades purchased at Sam’s Club were still pricey. My search for a less expensive option was on.

And, surprisingly, it landed at Dollar Shave Club.

Why surprisingly? Well, because I had been staunchly opposed to even looking at Dollar Shave Club in the past. I’m a subscriber to the belief that if a deal sounds too good to be true, it very likely is. And $1 for a pack of razor blades – when they typically run $10+ – sounded like a marketing gimmick to just “get you in the door.”

For years, I passed on even looking at the site.

Until, one day last summer when I was watching a report on the company and how well it was doing. The story discussed how its business had grown over the years and its customer base seemed satisfied with the products it offered.

If its business is growing and it has satisfied customers, it must be doing something right, I thought.

I, finally, gave them a look.

And sure enough, I really could get razor blades for only $1!

I was even more intrigued, and decided to take that next step and give the product a try.

My thinking going in, current customer reviews aside: Well, yeah, I’ll be getting blades for a $1, but they can’t be any good, right?

Here’s what I found.

My Dollar Shave Club Experience

To begin, my experience is based on purchasing The Humble Twin razor/blades.

Many years ago, during a visit to my dermatologist, the topic of shaving came up. It was related by the doctor that two blades are more than enough to get a good shave. Razors with more blades can possibly lead to skin irritation and in-grown hairs. Three, four or more blades is simply a marketing ploy to sell upgrades and more expensive razor blades, was the docs bottom line view.

So, since then, I’ve only used two-bladed razors, and thus my Dollar Shave Club review will only be on The Humble Twin.

Dollar Shave Club does offer 4-blade ($6/month/4 cartridges) and 6-blade ($9/month/4 cartridges) options that you can learn more about here if you so desire.

Initial Order

Dollar Shave Club lets you try any razor for just $1 the first month with free shipping. My deal was for a $2 initial charge, so the current deal’s even better. It’s a great way to give the razors a try, and was the nudge that ultimately got me to give Dollar Shave Club a try.

 

I ordered The Humble Twin, and in about 7-days received my initial package which included The Member Book, a handle (which is specifically designed for Dollar Shave Club’s 2-blades) and a package of 5 two-blade cartridges. All for only $2!

A funny aside regarding the shipping of my Dollar Shave Club items…the shipping facility is located about 2.5 hours from my house, and in the same state in which I live. Yet, it took seven days (as have subsequent blade shipments) to get delivered. And the delivery route – you can track via an emailed link – took it out of state to ultimately come back for delivery.

I’m not complaining at all, just an interesting anecdote to pass along. And when shipping, on regular orders, is only $2, the roundabout way of delivery’s to be expected, I guess.

The Shaving Experience

Here’s where the rubber meets the road – or in this case, the blade meets the skin.

If the shave stinks, I don’t care how inexpensive the blades are. A bad shave – irritation, nicks, etc. – is just not worth it.

I went into my first shave with my skeptics view still firmly in place.  And, as it turned out, I was pleasantly surprised that my first shave with a Dollar Shave Club Humble Twin blade was pretty good.

Let me hit some specifics.

I’ve used disposable razors, and the handles are clearly flimsy and cheap. The blades – at least from my experience – are tugging with the first shave, not smooth and nick-free as you’d expect from a new blade.

And I’ve used, for many years, the Gillette Sensor Excel blades and accompanying handle. The handle is sturdy and the blades give a solid, smooth shave for at least the first few shaves.

Those are my comparisons for the Dollar Shave Club Humble Twin.

The Humble Twin’s handle is somewhere in between a disposable razor’s and the much more solid Gillette handle. It’s solid enough, but still is made mostly of plastic which gives it a disposable feel.

In fact, there are a number of complaints about the handles breaking. I’ve not had that experience, but see how it could happen if you’re not careful. Replacement handles for The Humble Twin are $3, so it’s not overly expensive to replace or to order as a backup.

The blades are good. I’ve switched between my Gillette Sensor Excels and The Humble Twins a couple times to see if I can discern a difference, and while the Sensor Excels seem a tad better, the distinction might be nothing more than my bias for a long-used, more expensive blade.

I get a close, smooth shave from The Humble Twins, and the blade life is comparable to what I’d get with the Sensor Excels. About day three to four of use I start feeling a difference, and if I don’t use my blade sharpening technique, day six and seven could involve tugging during the shave if not nicks. That would be for both the Sensor Excels and The Humble Twins.

My heavy beard can do a number on blades, I guess.

I use The Humble Twins for 7 shaves and then grab a new blade cartridge. With the price so low, I don’t feel any need to try and get more time out of a single blade cartridge.

And with The Humble Twins providing 5 cartridges each month, unless you use the extra for some reason, you’ll reach a point in your membership where you can suspend delivery for a month, saving that month’s charge.

Ongoing Orders

Which brings me to the topic of continuing the membership.

Once your trial month is up, the payment method you provided during sign-up will be billed each month on the same date and your new set of blades will be automatically mailed.

For the Humble Twin membership, the ongoing charge is $1 for the blades, $2 for shipping and a minimal amount for taxes. My total each month comes to $3.07.

Each month, a few days before your next order of blades is to be shipped, you’ll receive an email reminding you of the shipment. If you want, you can use the reminder to suspend the shipment, or cancel altogether if you’ve decided to go a different direction.

And then you’ll receive an email on the day of shipment alerting you that your blades are on the way.

About 7-days later, your new pack of blades will arrive in your mailbox.

In addition to your blades, each month you’ll receive a “newsletter” called The Bathroom Minutes, which is a quirky compilation of information that can be…ahem…read in the bathroom.

The Catch

Well, there really is no catch. You truly can get a month of razor blades for only $1 – plus shipping.

You can spend more if you want a 4 or 6 blade shaving experience, but even then I’m betting the price is better than what you’d pay at a typical retailer.

Dollar Shave Club does offer a variety of shaving and hair care related products, such as shaving creams, shampoo, etc., which I’m sure is where they make up some of their money.

But those are optional purchases, completely separate from the blades. Don’t want ‘em, don’t buy ‘em.

Bottom line, for the money, you really can’t beat Dollar Shave Club’s shaving experience.

Give Them a Try

As I mentioned earlier, Dollar Shave Club is currently offering your first month of membership for only $1. You can cancel anytime, for any reason. So there’s really no reason not to give Dollar Shave Club a try.

For me, using Dollar Shave Club as compared to buying blades at Sam’s Club cut my razor blade expenditures by more than half. Roughly $85/year for Sensor Excel blades compared to $37/year with the Humble Twins.  And the price difference is even greater if you’re talking regular retail pricing – Target or Walmart – for blades.

So if you’re looking to reduce the amount you spend on razor blades, here’s your opportunity.

Visit Dollar Shave Club to get started.  You’ve got nothing to lose, and only cold, hard cash to gain.

 

Are you a Dollar Shave Club subscriber, or did you subscribe as a result of this review? Tell us your experience in the comment section below.