Hair removal device: Top 5
First came beards for men, then hair in the armpits, bikini line and on the legs celebrated their revival. But what works on Instagram is not always what we want in private. In fact, at least for the female sex, women (and men) still prefer bare skin - without stubble, without black hair. A hair removal device is the perfect way to get rid of unwanted hair permanently - whereby permanently means 6 months according to most manufacturers - and to banish annoying epilating, waxing or shaving from your calendar once and for all. Which hair removal device is particularly recommendable? We'll tell you in our test.
Hair removal device test 2024
Smooth skin is a sign of youth and thus automatically an ideal of beauty. No wonder Cleopatra shaved her entire body - or had it shaved in keeping with her status. But unfortunately, every common form of hair removal has its disadvantages. Shaving doesn't last long and irritates the skin at short intervals. Epilating and waxing? Both are extremely unpleasant. With one method, the hairs are pulled out one by one, with the other, all at once. Chemical creams? Better not!
The best and most permanent way to get rid of unwanted hair is with a hair removal device. They are not cheap, but they save you a lot of time, regular pain and red skin - and you can team up with a friend and share the device with her. Since an IPL hair removal device works with light pulses (IPL stands for Intensed Pulsed Light), which destroy the hair roots through heat, it is important to pay attention to high quality. You should be very careful, especially with cheap offers on Amazon! Products with thousands of reviews for less than 100 euros are often of poor quality or overheat quickly. So where do all the good reviews come from? If you read through them, you will notice that most of the older reviews refer to a completely different product - for example, a deodorant. That is not serious! For this reason, we only present products in our test that you can trust one hundred percent! So which are the best hair removal devices to get rid of your hair permanently? We present our 5 favourites in the test.
The 5 best hair removal devices
1st place: Braun Silk-Expert Pro 5 PL5137
Braun is an originally German company that was founded exactly 100 years ago (1921). For many years, Braun has belonged to the major US corporation Procter & Gamble - a real guarantee of quality in times when Chinese companies often buy German brand names. At a good 330 euros, the Braun hair removal device is not cheap, but it is at a competitive level. For the money, it also offers a lot. The Silk-Expert measures the skin tone 80 times per second and automatically adjusts the light pulse intensity in ten steps. The lamp lasts for 400,000 light pulses, the equivalent of about 22 years. Braun has therefore deliberately designed its hair removal device for longevity.
It is also very positive to note that Braun is realistic about the possibilities and limitations of use. For example, the device is not recommended for blonde, red-haired and grey-haired women, as the insufficient amount of melanin in the hair does not absorb the light. In addition, Braun states that it takes 4 weeks until all hair is really removed (realistically, about 5-6 passes at intervals of one week each). This prevents false expectations. For beginners and sensitive areas such as the bikini line, there is also a gentle and an extra-gentle mode with reduced light intensity. As with all IPL devices, the same applies to this one: Do not treat tattooed skin or areas with many moles.
- High quality brand product
- Very durable
- Automatic recognition of the skin tone
2nd place: Philips Lumea Prestige BRI954
Philips is also a company that has been established for many years, specialising in lighting technology to match the IPL hair removal device. At around 360 euros, the price of the Lumea Prestige is somewhat higher than that of the Braun model, and the ergonomics are completely different. Common to both devices is the automatic recognition of the skin tone and the corresponding adjustment of the light intensity. One of the other special features are the three attachments that allow the hair removal device to be used optimally on different areas of the body. There is a large body attachment for unproblematic areas, a face attachment with a special light filter and a precision attachment for hard-to-reach and sensitive body areas.
Philips states the lifespan of the device to be 20 years. Like Braun, Philips does not recommend the device for women with blonde, red or grey hair. In practice, success varies depending on skin type and body region. Particularly light facial hair (for safety reasons only below the cheekbones to protect the eyes) can be reliably removed with just a few applications; depilation on arms and legs also works very well and quickly. The only disadvantage is that you have to be patient and the device becomes quite heavy to hold.
- Three essays
- 20 years lifetime
- Serious functional description
3rd place: Philips Lumea Prestige IPL Hair Removal Device BRI956
Third place again goes to a hair removal device from Philips. A very good and well-equipped one at that. Why is it still not enough for a place further up the list? The price is very high at around 430 euros - even if the product is worth the money. In contrast to the BRI954 model, the higher-class version 956 (recognisable by the last digit) offers 4 instead of 3 attachments. Does that help? Yes, for those who want to treat their bikini area with the hair removal device, because the fourth attachment was specially developed for this area. It offers a specially developed transparent filter for hair in this area, which leads to even better results.
Otherwise, the products are very similar. There is an app that tells you when you should depilate again. With this app, you can only create one user, but that's not a problem; after all, each user usually has their own smartphone and can download the app themselves and register as a user. The power can be regulated in five levels. If you have problems with the highest level, it is advisable to lower it. In addition, it can help to cool the individual body parts with a compress directly before treatment to prevent burns. All in all, the Lumea Presige BRI956 hair removal device convinces us completely, only the price is a deterrent.
- 4 attachments (one for the bikini line)
- Five intensity levels
- App available
4th place: Beurer IPL 5800 Pure Skin Pro
Remington is also a well-known manufacturer in the shaver sector. The i-Light Prestige IPL6750 is a classic and is priced in the range of the test winner. What is immediately noticeable when unpacking: The Remington hangs on the cable. In contrast to places one to three, it cannot be operated wirelessly and is also attached to a base station. This is hardly a problem in practice - unless you want to wax in the bathtub, for which you need a waterproof battery-powered device. The results are convincing, especially since there is also a skin tone sensor and the light attachment can also be replaced on the Remington.
There is a large body attachment for quick depilation of unproblematic areas of the body, a specially shaped detail attachment for sensitive areas on the female face and a bikini zone attachment. There is also a multiple light mode for when you need to go fast, as well as a single light mode for extra detailed treatment. Like all devices without a battery, the Remington also offers the advantage that it can be taken out of the cupboard again after months without use and is immediately ready for use. Nevertheless, the Remington only lands in fourth place due to this limitation.
- Three attachments for face, body and bikini line
- Multiple and single light mode
- 5 power levels, integrated skin tone sensor
5th place: Beurer IPL 5800 Pure Skin Pro
If all our previous test candidates are too expensive for you, this device might fit the bill. Unlike Braun, Philips and Remington, Beurer is not a traditional company, but we have had good experiences with the brand in the area of facial cleansing brushes - and all reviews on Amazon refer at least to hair removal devices from the manufacturer. At around 130 euros and in the shape of an epilator (or an elegant computer mouse), the Beurer IPL 5800 goes different ways than the big manufacturers.
There is no replaceable head, no rechargeable battery and no storage pouch. The lifespan is stated to be a very respectable 600,000 light pulses, three power levels are available, and there is also a combined skin type/skin contact sensor. The main limitations compared to the more expensive brand-name products are obviously purely the features, because there is nothing to complain about in the application. The hair removal device appears to be cleanly manufactured, does what it is supposed to do and is easy to hold in the hand. In view of the large flash area, however, we would not recommend the device for facial applications. The app is not very inspiring, but we like the auto-flash mode, in which the device triggers automatically on contact with the skin.
- Inexpensive and handy
- Few accessories
- Practical auto-flash function
What is a hair removal device?
There are many ways to remove unwanted hair from the body, from shaving to epilation to exotic methods like sugaring. What they all have in common is that they either cut or pull out the hair. A hair removal device takes a completely different approach. It works with light pulses (you can read more about how exactly in the next paragraph) and thus destroys the hair root. The result: the hair no longer grows back. The device consists primarily of a powerful flash lamp, and there is usually also a skin tone sensor that measures the skin type and adjusts the flash power accordingly. There are devices with rechargeable batteries as well as cheaper or older models that are operated via the power socket. All devices are operated with one hand, although some variants are quite bulky, which can strain the hand posture in the long run. The design varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Braun relies on models with the look of an electric razor, Philips devices look more like a police laser pistol, while other manufacturers go for compact, curved shapes. Many manufacturers offer different attachments for different parts of the body, especially to avoid too much strain on sensitive skin areas.
How does an IPL hair removal device work?
In preparation, the manufacturers recommend shaving off the hair, but not epilating. Some users, on the other hand, write that they achieved better results if they epilated about a week before the treatment. It can also be helpful to cool the skin immediately before the treatment to avoid burns if the light intensity is too strong. During the treatment, the device is slowly pushed over the skin. The hair removal device generates a pulse of light that is transmitted through the hair (if it is dark enough) to the root. There, the light turns into heat (about 70 degrees Celsius) and obliterates the follicle, preventing hair from growing back. However, it takes several applications to reach all the hairs. Good results are usually visible after about three treatments, but since individual hairs are also disturbing, six to eight treatments at intervals of one or two weeks are usually necessary until the result is fully convincing. The body region then remains hair-free for up to six months, but for continuously hair-free zones, the treatment should be repeated every month.
What to make of particularly inexpensive hair removal devices?
If you enter the search term "hair removal device" on Amazon, you will come across many offers from unknown manufacturers for less than a hundred euros and with thousands of very good reviews. As already mentioned, you should not trust these offers! IPL technology is complex, works with high temperatures, and the devices are also often used on the face. Poorly manufactured devices can cause great physical damage to the skin and, in the worst case, to the eyes. Therefore, only trust renowned manufacturers and go for the best, not the cheapest offer.
Another reason to distrust these cheap offers are the reviews. Ten thousand reviews for a product from a brand you've never heard of? That in itself is strange. If you look at the (mostly foreign) reviews, you quickly notice that often completely different products have been rated here. In one case it is a deodorant, in another an electric shaver. In a diminished form, this problem also occurred with our 5th place from Beurer. However, all the reviews here referred to hair removal devices from the manufacturer, and both the device itself and another device from the brand were convincing in our tests. Nevertheless: Quality costs money - and in the field of laser or light pulse technology it is worth investing a little more. Our tip: team up with a friend, your mother, your daughter or your boyfriend and share a device. After all, you will only need it once a month after the initial phase.
Frequently asked questions:
Is the treatment with IPL hair removal devices painful?
Not if you follow the manufacturer's instructions. If you experience pain, you should reduce the intensity to avoid burns.
Can I use the hair removal device all over my body?
Especially devices with several attachments can be used for most relevant body parts. For safety reasons, you should only use the devices on the face below the cheekbones; with inexpensive devices, you should be careful in sensitive areas such as the genital area and start with low intensity.
Does hair removal work for everyone?
No, this is also emphasised by reputable manufacturers. For people with blond, red or grey hair, the benefit of a hair removal device is very low. However, they usually have thinner and less visible hair anyway.
Are the hair removal devices also suitable for men?
Absolutely! As described, however, the rule applies to proceed very carefully in the facial area. Due to the usually thicker hair of men, it usually takes longer until all hair is removed.