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Best epilators to buy right now
An epilator pulls hairs from the root, so results last weeks, but the first few goes sting. Braun's Silk-epil wet models are the easiest start: use one in a warm bath and the discomfort drops noticeably.
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Best overall
1. Braun Silk-épil 5
Wet and dry · Massage roller cap · Up to 1 month · 0.5mm
The epilator most first-timers should buy: a wet and dry Braun you can use in a warm bath. MicroGrip tweezers catch hair as short as 0.5mm, and a massage roller cap helps take the edge off. It comes with a 2-pin charger plug, so you need a bathroom shaver socket or an adaptor, which is not included.
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Best premium
2. Braun Silk-épil 9 Flex
360° Flex · Power and gentle, by pressure · Shaver head, trimmer comb · 0.5mm
For regular epilators who want fewer missed hairs in tricky areas. The fully flexible head follows tricky areas, and Smart Touch switches between power and gentle modes as you press. It has the same 2-pin charger plug as the Silk-épil 5, with no UK adaptor.
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Best for legs
3. Braun Silk-épil 7
Wet and dry · Wide · Massage roller cap · 0.5mm
For doing whole legs quickly. Braun says the wide head removes more hair per stroke than the Silk-épil 5, and it works in the bath or shower with a massage roller cap. The listing names no shaver head or trimmer comb in the box.
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Best for fewer passes
4. Panasonic ES-EY90
Extra wide, 90° flexible · 3 · Up to 30 min · 60, double disc
The non-Braun pick for thick hair or big areas. A second disc catches hairs the first missed, the 60 tweezers cover more in each stroke, and it works wet with foam or in the bath. Runtime is up to 30 minutes, enough for legs but not much more.
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Best budget
5. Philips Epilator Series 2000 BRE237
Corded · One · Shaver head, massage cap · Up to 4 weeks
A cheap way to find out whether epilating suits you. It pulls hair as short as 0.5mm, comes with a massage cap and a shaver head for touch-ups, and Philips says both lower legs take as little as 10 minutes. It is corded with one speed, and the listing does not mention wet use, so no warm-bath trick.
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Best for face
6. Braun FaceSpa 851V
Facial epilator and cleansing brush · Rechargeable · 0.2mm
For facial hair you want gone for weeks rather than shaved. It is a facial epilator that catches hairs as short as 0.2mm, with a cleansing brush on the same handle. It is for the face only, so legs need one of the body epilators above.
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Best for eyebrows
7. Panasonic ES-EF10
LED · AA battery · Pen-shaped
A pen-shaped epilator for shaping eyebrows and removing stray facial hairs without tweezers. Aligned tweezer tips catch short, fine hairs, and an LED light shows the ones you would miss. The head is tiny, so it is only for small areas.
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How we rank
Ordered by how well each sells in its Amazon UK category, what the listing confirms it can do, and price. We have not handled these products: the write-ups rest on what each listing states. Prices and stock are checked daily.
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