Review: ShaveMob vs. Dollar Shave Club
A few months ago, I shared my thoughts on Dollar Shave Club.
Apparently, the idea of selling shaving razors online has created a flurry of competition in the past few months – and so I happened to find myself behind the blade once again, testing out razors from an outfit called ShaveMob, who’s motto is “Shave Smarter”.
ShaveMob, while similar in concept to Dollar Shave Club (in that you can order razors online) has a few unique twists to its brand that make its service unique:
- With ShaveMob, there is no need for a membership and no recurring fees.
- One handle fits all. You can switch from regular to premium without needing a new handle.
- ShaveMob is clearly targeting its products towards both men and women.
- Longer lasting blades.
We’ll first look at ShaveMob’s offerings, and then I’ll stack them up side-by-side to see which company deserves your dollars.
ShaveMob’s review packet came in a neatly bundled tube. In the packet were two sets of razor cartridges (each containing 4 razors) and one handle. Side note: Aarti received a ladies’ razor and cartridges, but she hasn’t had a chance to try hers out yet.
The handle is solid, with ShaveMob’s logo at the base. The handle exudes class via its design and is easy to grip.
Size-wise the ShaveMob stainless steel handle is comparable to the Dollar Shave Club offering. Style-wise, I prefer the clean, classic look of the ShaveMob handle. Detaching the blade from the ShaveMob handle involves moving the small lever up on the end of the handle. It was easy to attach and detach blades. The handle contains a pivot head, which allows your razor blade to better track the surfaces of your skin.
ShaveMob sent me two sets of blades to review, “the Average Joe” (featuring 4 blades) and “the Caveman” (featuring 6 blades). Both blades come with a lubricating strip, and a non-clogging flow-through blade design. My review will focus on the 4-blade razor, as I have not had a chance to use the 6-blade model as of this writing.
My biggest question going into this review was: “How does ShaveMob’s razor compare with Dollar Shave Club’s own offering?”
The Test
Exhibit A:
This is me, sans shaving for 5 days. And this is my control: Dr. Carver’s Shave Butter. It doesn’t foam, and it provides a good lubricant to my face, preventing nicks and cuts.
For this test, I started out with two brand new blades, one from each competitor.
First up, I shaved one side of my face with ShaveMob’s razor. Shaving was smooth and pleasant. The contoured handle and razor pivot made for a very contoured and clean shaving experience.
Next, I shaved with Dollar Shave Club’s razor. Again, a very pleasant experience – recapped in more detail from my earlier review. Here’s my shaved face – after shaving with the DSC blade. (Yes, I’m holding the wrong razor in this photo – but cut me some slack – it was 5:30AM on a work day.)
Both razors felt comfortable against my skin. Both offered a close shave. After the shave, I looked at the blades. The Dollar Shave Club did a better job of wicking away hair compared to the ShaveMob unit, which collected hair on the blade’s surface. This is presumably because the spacing between the blades aren’t as tight on the DSC model compared to the ShaveMob model. Cleaning both blades involved a simple rinse in the sink.
The Two Week Test
I typically use my razors for two weeks before chucking them, so the real test in a blade’s quality is how well it performs after 14 days. In the interest of science, I replicated the test above (shaving half my face with the Dollar Shave Club razor and shaving the other half with the ShaveMob razor) for the past two weeks and haven’t noticed any anomalies. The lubricating strips on both models have held up. I have yet to experience a nick or cut from either blade. Both blades still provide a smooth shave, but the blades on both are at the point where they need to be replaced.
Apples to Apples
Given that the overall shaving experience was similar between both Dollar Shave Club and ShaveMob, the decision now comes to cost. Let’s use the Average Joe (mid-tier model for our cost comparison).
For that specific model, ShaveMob offers three price points (with shipping included in the price):
| Supply | Cost |
|---|---|
| (2 month supply) 1 handle + 4 cartridges | $10.99 |
| (6 month supply) 1 handle + 12 cartridges | $17.99 |
| (12 month supply) 1 handle + 24 cartridges | $29.99 |
ShaveMob’s pricing works out to $2.74/razor for the first option, $1.50 for the second option and $1.24 for the third option.
Dollar Shave Club offers its mid-tier model for $6 (includes shipping) which includes 4 cartridges per month. This works out to $1.50 per razor cartridge. A year’s subscription would cost $72. Both blades being equal, ShaveMob has the better price per razor for the 12 month supply.
The Verdict
I got a great shave from both razors. In my mind, I couldn’t find any significant differences between the two competitors. Given that fact, ShaveMob hands down beats Dollar Shave Club in pricing. You get the same quality blades at ShaveMob but pay only half of what you would pay at Dollar Shave Club. Another advantage: ShaveMob doesn’t require that you subscribe to receive its blades. Buy your year’s worth of blades upfront and be done – no subscription needed.
There is no contest here, folks. The winner, without a doubt, is ShaveMob.
ShaveMob gets 5 out of 5 Bob Weiners.
In light of its competition, Dollar Shave Club gets 4 out 5 Bob Weiners.
n9uxu
October 18, 2013 at 7:33 pmWell, Dollar Shave Club simply repackages blades from Dorco USA, so if you don’t want a subscription, you can buy directly through them. If you buy a 24-pack of the mid-tier blades, you pay $22.95 plus shipping. However, if you’d rather pay for blades rather than shipping, you can add an additional 4-pack for $4.50 which pushes your total above the $25 free shipping line. That puts you at 28 cartridges for $27.45 or roughly 98 cents a cartridge… which is a bargain.
Krishna M. Sadasivam
October 19, 2013 at 10:04 amGreat tip, n9uxu! That’s an even better deal!
will_right
February 8, 2014 at 1:35 pmI need blades that will compare to the Gillette fusion blades..why is there no talk about Gillette fusion blades..anyone can respond.
Tj
August 13, 2016 at 10:29 pmI personally did not like Dorco’s blades at all i wouldn’t say my skin is extremely sensitive either. Hey different strokes for different folks though.
That Guy
October 31, 2013 at 10:57 pmCould you direct me to which razors you were looking at? I looked at dorco’s website and could not figure out which one was supposed to be the “mid-tier” blades. Thanks!
n9uxu
November 1, 2013 at 12:44 pmSorry, the mid-tier in DSC terms. That would be the 4-blade system. I don’t see the benefit of 4-blades over 3, but I wanted to discuss the configurations available all at all three places. The four blades are at http://www.dorcousa.com/fra1040-6-pack-4-blade-system-for-men-cartridges/
I get the six blades simply because they have the single blade on the back end which still nets me a year of shaves for under $30, but would go to the 3-blade if I ever switch.
Jmichtate
October 22, 2014 at 10:40 amI have tried (and loved) the shave butter, but DSC won’t sell it without a subscription. Does anybody know who actually manufacturers the product, or if it is marketed by someone else under a different name? I get the recurring revenue strategy, but I don’t get not selling a product that has its own demand.
Mike Perron
October 19, 2013 at 5:53 amWell that was quite in depth well done K.
My skin gets is very sensitive so I don’t shave everyday, usually every 2nd or 3rd day. Even with that gap, the prices for razors are insane. I am always looking for cheaper, but I finally found one I like that doesn’t cause too many issues with my skin. I may give one of these companies a shot.
It’s funny, I can remember being a kid and seeing my dad shave. I couldn’t wait till I got a chance to do that and be a grown up. Now it is just time consuming. Oh well I grew the beard to help cut down on the sheer amount of shaving I have too do :p
Rick Morris
December 23, 2014 at 12:14 pmI also have sensitive skin and I got the DSC 4 blade razor. Worst shave I have ever had. Thought I might have just gotten a bad blade, but tried them all and sliced my face with each one. The blades don’t clean out well and it’s like shaving with a razor that someone tried to scrape paint with. If you haven’t done this I would recommend
you don’t.
Yankee Papa
April 8, 2015 at 11:10 pm.
…I used to have problem slicing myself to ribbons. “Floating blades” only made it worse, so I go with fixed blades. As to shave creme… I don’t buy any. Walmart generic Noxema.
Moisten with hot water, apply to beard areas of face. Wipe off with very wet (hot water) washcloth… Apply another amount, then shave. Cut myself less than once a year. Get very close shaves. Personal choice for blades, Schick Disposable, two blade fixed.
-YP-
Zach W. Randall
October 20, 2013 at 11:37 amThanks for the great review, Krishna. When you first order at ShaveMOB.com, you order will come with a handle. We’re sick of the traditional razor model that gives you a “free handle” just to lock you into refills. That’s why we’ve chosen to be 100% transparent, and when you’re ordering refills, you can simply remove the handle from your cart to save another 10 – 27% per cartridge. Give us a try and save even more on your initial order with the promo code INTHEMOB.
Krishna M. Sadasivam
October 20, 2013 at 3:58 pmGood to know that, Zach. Thanks!
Dave
October 20, 2013 at 10:21 pmWould you be able to compare them to other razors? Such as ones from Gillette, Schick, etc.?
Krishna M. Sadasivam
October 23, 2013 at 4:43 pmhi Dave:
I’ve used a Gilette Mach 3 – and both the ShaveMob and DSC models compare favorably to that model.
Brady
October 25, 2013 at 12:40 amOk, so you tried ShaveMob and Dollar Shave Club, what about Club ShaveMate? Same concept as the other two brands, but each razor has shaving cream inside the handle… I know you want to see it for yourself http://clubshavemate.com
Krishna M. Sadasivam
October 25, 2013 at 6:10 amHaven’t tried Club ShaveMate. How about sending over a few blades so I can give them a review?
Bull2152
May 2, 2014 at 10:51 pmClub shave mate only offers 1 blade to choose from with a cheap ass handle so they can say its a neat design with a shaving cream applicator in the handle. Club shave mate sucks . They aren’t even close to DSC, or shave mob.
Patrick Wilson
November 4, 2013 at 5:41 pmShaveMob blades look like Dorco Blades… Do you know, are they Dorcos?
XKCD
November 4, 2013 at 9:08 pmDSC blades are the same as Dorcos, and given that ShaveMobs do the same job, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were the same blades in different packaging.
Mark
March 4, 2014 at 8:23 amThey are. I bought both and the blades are interchangeable. The Shave Mob blades seem a little better. Could be my imagination. Moving on to Harry’s after this to compare all three.
Ferg
November 8, 2013 at 11:38 pmThe price isn’t that far off…$30 for ShaveMob only gets you 24 cartridges. $72 from DSC gets you 48. If you went with the every-other-month option, you’d get 24 cartridges (just like ShaveMob) and it would be $36.
Kyle
November 17, 2013 at 3:25 pmBut if the blades are the same quality and DSC provides double the # of blades… I think we should reconsider the algebra here.
Charles Tenant
January 15, 2014 at 7:48 pmYou throw out your blades after only two weeks? You must be pretty wealthy. I’ll be moving to safety razor when my current pack of blades runs out, they are much cheaper and you still get a great shave.
Krishna M. Sadasivam
January 15, 2014 at 8:07 pmLately I’ve been going three weeks on one blade (the high end model).
jimlouvier
February 28, 2014 at 2:14 amI’ve been using the same blade for 3 months.
Mark
March 17, 2014 at 1:01 pmI think this all depends on hair type, not all hair is created equal.
Michael Garand
February 10, 2014 at 2:48 pmThe blades performed the same because they are Dorco blades both of these companies just buy in wholesale from a company called dorco and market the blades as their own. It would be a heck of a lot cheaper to buy a dorco 6 blade razor with handle ($5.95) w/ 2 cartridges, and a 24 cartridge refill for ($31.00.) A heck of a lot cheaper if you ask me
akdouglas
February 11, 2014 at 8:16 pmThank you so much for doing this! My husband and I have been throwing money down the drain with Gillette for years! All the best, Aaron
charles
June 24, 2015 at 1:42 pmHave you tried RazorGuard? I get at least a month of GREAT shaves from a Gillette Fusion
Krishna
June 24, 2015 at 3:03 pmHaven’t heard of them before. Would like to give them a try.
qyna
February 24, 2014 at 7:24 pmI think you need to recalculate your costs. If you’re using 2 weeks as your cartridge lifetime, then DSC gives you 2 years worth of cartridges, & therefore a one year supply of cartridges is actually $36. If you’re using 1 week as the lifetime of a cartridge, then SM doesn’t really supply you with a year’s worth of cartridges, & a year’s supply would therefore be ~$60. Yes, DSC is still more expensive, but your figures are not really accurate.
Krishna M. Sadasivam
February 24, 2014 at 7:50 pmGood point. Thanks, qyna!
Mark
March 4, 2014 at 8:08 amAre you aware that the blades for both of these companies are compatible? They both fit each others’ handle. Interesting. I smell a rat.
Krishna M. Sadasivam
March 4, 2014 at 9:00 amVery interesting – thanks for the heads-up, Mark. I hadn’t tested that aspect. Good to know!
Mark
March 17, 2014 at 12:57 pmDSC and this ShaveMob are Dorco razors. The real winners here is Dorco, pretty smart to slap a different name on and let these start-up mail order groups use their products.
Mark
March 17, 2014 at 12:55 pmThese are Dorco Razors once again…why not order from Dorco it’s what I did. I have heard the Shave Butter is good but at $8, no thank you Gillette shaving Gel is what $4. The Dorco 4 blade I ordered last night came to $28.51 for 26 cartridges and 1 handle. That included Free shipping, and I found a 15% off code online to use at check out. Not bad at all…and will be an upgrade from the Gillette disposables I buy at Costco in a 52 pack.
Allan
April 20, 2014 at 4:08 pmI did not try Dollar Shave Club yet. I used Schick Hydro 3 for the past 3 years without any problems at all. During the first time I used Shave Mob Baby Face, I got cautious since I felt the harshness of the blade on my skin even with light touch. Second time I used it, I got 5 nicks on my skin. Shave Mob blades are a lot cheaper but if I will get nicks every time I use it, never mind.
Carrie
April 23, 2014 at 1:50 pmOk, I was looking for reviews to see if this would be something I wanted to get for my husband. BUT I see some major issues with your review. First, the ShaveMob razor pictured, and presumably the one you used, is the 6 blade head. Count the blades. I don’t know if you just confused the heads when you attached them or what….but with that being said, that means that the DSC 4 bladed head works just as well as the SM 6 bladed head. And that also means that the 6 bladed head you used from SM is at a more expensive tier. Also, if you used the razors the same length of time, it seems that you only need the every other month plan from DSC to last you a year…which is essentially the # of razors that SM is sending you also. So, the every other month plan from DSC- for the 4 bladed head- would cost you $24 (for 24 cartridges) for a year and the SM yearly plan is $29.99 for 24 cartridges for the 4 bladed head…but again you were using the more expensive 6 bladed head from SM. It seems to me that the better deal is from Dollar Shave Club!
Krishna M. Sadasivam
April 23, 2014 at 1:57 pmCarrie: To clarify, I tested both 4-blade models for an apple’s to apple’s comparison. The 6 bladed head in the photo was an error. Cost wise, your assessment is correct.
Eric Kirkland
June 19, 2014 at 10:33 pmI’ve been on Dorco for a year and love it. Amazing shave, amazinger price. Use this link to get 15% off their already low prices: http://dorcousa.refr.cc/TGHP9B5
Keith Schneider
August 15, 2014 at 5:02 pmPersonally, I went to the old-fashioned safety razor. The handle is a bit expensive but the blades are much cheaper. I buy the blades from Walmart online and have then shipped to my house. 10 packages of 10 blades each for about $30. I generally get 4-5 shaves on any blade whether it be the single blade razor (safety razor) or 3 blade razors. After 4 shaves the hair starts pulling. Why spend a lot for blades when the single blade works just a well.
R. Iyer
October 16, 2014 at 2:47 pmI endorse Mr. Schneider’s assertion.
The BEST shaves (without compromise) at the LOWEST cost are without question using a tried-and-true double-edge razor (Merkur or Edwin Jagger, for example) with a great DE blade (Astra, Personna, Feather, etc), for as little as a dime a blade.
You may want to get a sampler pack to decide which one you like best, as with http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Sample-Packs_c_1.html
Krishna
October 16, 2014 at 2:52 pmThanks, Ram. I’ll have to inquire to see if there’s a way I can test it out.