Harry’s New Razor – Harry’s Plus

In all, I think Harry’s has done a great job of introducing a five-blade cart that compares to the best from Gillette, for less money. In my book, that’s a win.

Background

I didn’t need a can of “Foaming Shave Gel.” I’d never use it and probably throw it away. But I couldn’t figure out a way to try the trial of the new Harry’s Plus razor and handle without getting a travel-sized can of the stuff. The “travel” would probably be from the container to the trash can. That was fine with me. I just wanted to see what major improvements Harry’s had made in eight years. That’s when I wrote my first review of the company’s razor and handle. Overall, I gave it high marks. In a 2023 article for Sharpologist, I rated the “old” Dollar Shave Club razor as slightly better. That changed when DSC offered their “new” line of carts, which I believe are an utter failure in every form.

So that left my choices being Harry’s, which I didn’t lean towards because their carts come off too easily from, or Dorcos, which are pretty good, and Gillette, which are pretty good but pricey. I had gravitated to carts in the past couple of years, although I will still use my trust Fatboy on my face from time to time.

Harry’s Plus

[Editor’s Note: Harry’s and Wholly Kaw links are affiliate.]

So my interest was definitely caught when I saw an online ad for “Harry’s Plus Trial Set.” It came with a handle, one cart, and the aforementioned can of goo, all for $10. I’m a sucker for anything $10 and under, so I shelled out the bucks.

Before the package arrived, I went to their website to do a little research. It said “Our all-new Advanced Pivoting System more easily adapts to the curves of your face for a more comfortable shave* (*vs Harry’s Original razor).” That would be interesting to try out, because one of my criticisms of the original was I didn’t like how the head pivoted. It felt like at times there was too much give. The website did say it came with a trimmer blade, which is a must for me. But what did give me pause was the disclaimer: “Harry’s Plus blades are only compatible with Harry’s Plus handles.” The “bold” on the sentence is their doing, not mine. Were they going the route of DSC, with a “new” design so they could phase out the actual good one? I figured I’d find out once the package dropped in my hot little hands.

About a week later, I got to hold the new offering from Harry’s.

The handle is metal, with a rubber grip on the underside, which I always think is a good feature:

It is a much different handle than the original, in shape and material. The new one is metal, whereas the original was plastic-feeling:

The way the cart attaches to the handle is very different. I had complained the carts came off too easily on the old Harry’s razor, so I would have to see if this design is better:

While the handle is new, what about the cart?

It definitely is different, and looks more like I’ve come to expect from the rest of the carts on the shelves:

When put side-by-side with the old Harry’s carts, the difference is more pronounced:

Harry’s calls it a “Compact cartridge design” and it is smaller than the old-style. But is it better?

Trying The New Harry’s Plus

I didn’t hold anything back when I tried this new cart. I had a three-day growth on my head and my face. I used a synthetic brush and WhollyKaw Inizio tallow-based shave soap. I’m not using a scuttle or a bowl, just head and face lathering. So, not the big puffy, meringue-style lather, but more than enough slickness and product to get the job done. And that’s exactly what this cart did. It effortlessly glided through the hair on my head, leaving no irritation behind. The advertisement says it also has an “aloe-based lubricating strip for soothing comfort.”

Quite frankly, with a high-quality soap or cream, the strip is basically worthless, but it’s good to know Harry’s didn’t cut corners. They definitely didn’t when it came to the blades of the cart. There’s five and each is very sharp. There was no tugging or pulling on hairs, just smooth cutting with none left behind. I used the trimmer, what they call a “precision trimmer”, to trim up along my goatee. It cut very well and easily did the job of cleaning up where I didn’t cut straight. Unlike the original, the cart didn’t come off when tapping the head like the older style did. In fact, it never budged, which is an improvement.

I used the Harry’s “Plus Blade” for a week, shaving my head and face every day. I alternated between WhollyKaw, Noble Otter and Ariana & Evans and the performance of the new blades did not diminish until the 6^th day, when I felt just the slightest tugging while shaving. But it wasn’t enough to make me want to swap the blades. In fact, I shaved another 3 days before I decided I had given the cart enough of a field test.

Let’s talk about price. These new carts are more expensive than the older ones by $1.25 each for a pack of four, new at $15 and older at $10. The price difference then drops to $1 more for a pack of eight with the new costing $25 and the old at $17. Now, let’s compare prices with Gillette Fusion 5 carts, which I feel the new product can easily compete with on performance, and the new Harry’s is the cheaper choice. An eight pack of Gillette Fusion 5 runs $30 and Harry’s charges $25. Is it more expensive than the older carts? Yes, but I believe you are getting a better shaving product. Same with the Gillette, only you’re paying less.

Conclusion

Verdict? Harry’s got it right with the new razor handle and cartridge. Maybe their older cart wasn’t selling well but no matter the motivation, they designed and released a superior shaving product. In fact, their website shows all of the improvements over the original, so I would not be surprised if they phase out the older style and move on with this new cart as their flagship.