Harry’s vs Dollar Shave Club — The Top Choice for 2023

July 30, 2022

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We looked at Harry’s vs Dollar Shave Club to bring you a detailed comparison of the two top razor subscriptions.

Let’s explore what’s available and discuss the pricing, ordering, delivery, managing your subscription, and customer satisfaction.

Harry’s vs. Dollar Shave Club: An Overview

Founded in 2013, Harry’s began out of a personal need for high-quality and fairly priced shaving equipment. The founders, Jeff and Andy, worked tirelessly to find an affordable solution, and that’s how Harry’s was born.

Over 600 engineers, craftsmen, and designers made and tested the products to bring you the best of the best.

Dollar Shave Club was founded in 2011 with the goal of making shaving easier. No more overpriced shaving products or remembering to buy blades every month at the shop. The service has everything you’ll need for a shave, shower, and everything in between.

Dollar Shave reviews are good, particularly for the starting sets. The service ships to the US, Australia, Canada, and the UK.

What Do They Offer?

Harry’s includes shaving essentials, skincare, deodorant, and haircare. But since we’re looking at the shaving subscription, here’s what’s included in your starter kit:

Travel blade cover
Foaming shave gel (2oz)
Weighted, ergonomic handle
Five-blade razor cartridge

Harry’s razors are superior to others on the market because they use five German blades, have a flex hinge to help with hard-to-reach places, and distribute pressure equally on the skin to avoid any cuts.

Plus, they come in five colors, including:

Ember
Sage
Ocean
Charcoal
Graphite (Extra $10)

You can select a shade to match your bathroom aesthetic, which is pretty awesome and unique.

Once you receive your starter kit, you can choose your refill. Options include:

Eight blades
Eight blades and one gel
Family Plan (16 blades and two shaving gels)

If this sounds like a lot of products, don’t stress. You can select a frequency that works for you.

So, is Harry’s worth it? Yes! Especially if you join the premium membership (CORE) for an additional $15 per year. It grants you:

Access to a 10% discount on all orders
Engraving on your handle and razor stand
Faster shipping
First dibs on new products

Dollar Shave Club works a little differently and has lots of kits. Let’s check them out.

Shave Essentials Kit ($26):

Metal handle with a rubber grip
Razor blade cover
Six-blade refills
Shave butter

Ultimate Starter Kit ($18):

Prep scrub (trial size)
Post-shave dew (trial size)
Shave butter (trial size)
Metal handle
Two six-blade Dollar Shave Club razors

Buttery Starter Kit:

Four ($19) or six blades ($20)
Dollar Shave butter
Razor

Plus, you can also try the Gelly Starter Kit:

Four ($19) or six blades ($20)
Razor
Shave gel

The 6 Blade Starter Kit for $10 is another great option that includes two six-blade razor cartridges and a metal handle with a rubber grip.

The service offers affordable options for everyone.

Harry’s vs Dollar Shave Club Packaging

Harry’s is all about keeping its packaging ethical, and the handles and covers are also recyclable. The only thing that isn’t recyclable is Harry’s blade cartridges, as they’re made with various materials.

The Dollar Shave Club is just as eco-friendly while maintaining the products’ aesthetic appearance.

Pricing, Discounts & Options

Unlike other subscriptions, the Dollar Shave Club pricing depends on your order. The most common trial package includes three products, a blade cartridge, and a handle for $9.

The $18 Ultimate Starter kit from Dollar Shave Club comes with a razor, blades, and supplies, and the product quantity varies depending on the selected kit. Each full-size item costs between $8 and $10, but you can frequently get some items on sale.

The referral program is open to all members. You’ll receive a $5 credit to your account for each successful sign-up made with your referral link. Plus, you’ll get free shipping if you order blades. But note that non-subscription orders under $18 may incur a $4 fee.

Comparing Harry’s razors vs Dollar Shave Club, the former works a little differently. It offers one trial/starter kit for $5, which should last you about two weeks and let you try out the product. Then, you can select a refill option that works for you.

Harry’s includes shipping for all subscription items. There’s also an excellent referral program where you and your friends get a $5 credit to your accounts.

Even if you don’t subscribe to Harry’s, you can still get full-size products. The pricing ranges from $5–$24, and shipping is included for orders over $25.

Comparing Harry’s vs Dollar Shave Club in terms of pricing, the latter is slightly more affordable for full-size products. But Harry’s has the cheapest starter kit, so that’s the winner in this round.

Starter Kits

Both subscriptions offer a starter kit for a fraction of full-size products’ cost. But Dollar Shave inches out Harry’s as it has multiple kits to choose from depending on your needs.

Design

Looking at Harry’s blades vs Dollar Shave Club, both offer excellent designs when it comes to handles and how they work.

Harry’s aim was a design that could help men avoid razor burn and unwanted ingrown hair. This mission led to 600 designers and engineers working on finding the best possible razor materials.

Dollar Shave also focuses on superior razor design with a comfortable handle for hard to get to places.

This round is a difficult call, but we have to give it to Harry’s as the team is seriously dedicated to providing the best design.

Shave Quality/Cartridge

When we consider Harry’s vs Dollar Shave Club and the quality of the razors, we have to see what other customers think.

Unfortunately, things don’t look too great for Dollar Shave. Reviews from 2019 were excellent, with customers loving the razors and the sharp shave they provided. But now, many complain that the new handle designs and razors aren’t sturdy and don’t provide a close and clean shave.

Reviews on Harry’s razors are a bit better, with more customers finding them high quality and easy to use. Unfortunately, some reviews suggest the blade cartridges may not be a good choice for those with sensitive skin as the blades are super sharp.

Extras and Add-ons

Both subscriptions offer various extra products for personal hygiene, including face, body, shaving, and hair care.

So, we call this one a tie.

Managing Your Subscription

Whether you choose to go with Harry’s razors or Dollar Shave Club, you can make changes and update your subscription as you please. You can pause, cancel, or skip your order straight from your online profile, making it quick and convenient.

Are These Subscriptions Worth It?

Both subscriptions are certainly worth the price. You get a lot of bang for your back, and there are options for everyone.

Shaving is quite personal, so we can’t guarantee that either will be best for you, so try it out and see for yourself. And if you’re on a journey to level up your style, you can also benefit from our review on Watch Gang.

Reputation & Customer Satisfaction

Researching our Harry’s vs Dollar Shave Club review, we looked at what customers think of both services and how this has affected their reputation.

Harry’s customers mostly like the razors, finding the handle sturdy and the blades sharp. But some negative reviews suggest it’s difficult to get through to the service. Others complained about the blades being too sharp, leading to cuts.

Ratings for Harry’s range from 3.8–4.6 stars, with over 17,000 reviews on Trustpilot.

Dollar Shave Club has many reviews from customers who have been with the service for many years. Generally, they enjoy the subscription, especially the handles and the way they create a close shave.

But you’ll also find some negative reviews about the customer service. It has no direct phone line, making it difficult to get help. Other customers don’t like the new handles and blade designs, so the most recent reviews aren’t great.

Still, Dollar Shave has a 4.7-star from over 6,000 Influenster reviews. If you want some further insight, you can check out our full Dollar Shave review.

Alternatives — How Do They Compare?

There are many monthly subscriptions for men, so we’ve compared the top shaving options to give you a better idea of what to expect.

Harry’s Shave Club vs Dollar Shave Club vs Bevel

To avoid razor burn and ingrown hairs, Bevel creates solutions for men of color.

The service’s setup includes a shaving brush kit, shaving cream, and skin oil. To avoid cross-contamination between shaving sessions, safety razors are supplied with a single blade that you use once.

The whole Bevel kit costs $89.95. With additional shipping and taxes, the monthly fee is $59.95.

Dollar Shave Club vs Harry’s vs The Beard Club

Men who need help with their beards can benefit from a monthly subscription to The Beard Club. The service operates quite differently from the other two.

You purchase goods you want to test and receive them every month. You can choose between grooming, trimming, or growth subscriptions. Each offers various alternatives, including starting and advanced kits for your beard.

Which Is Better, Dollar Shave Club vs Harry’s?

Both subscriptions have some awesome aspects that make them worthwhile. Plus, they offer pretty similar products.

But they differ in pricing and customer feedback. Based on everything we’ve tried and read, Harry’s offers the best shave in terms of quality, pricing, reviews, and products.

If you’ve gotten this far and neither subscription is your cup of tea, there are other subscription boxes for you to try out.

What Should You Look for in a Reusable Razor?

You should consider a few things before ordering a reusable razor with companies like Harry’s. The crucial part is avoiding any rusting.

Using a rusty razor may not seem like a big issue, but it is. It can cause your skin to break out, cut it, and increases the risk of bacteria.

To avoid this, you should replace your razors frequently. Also, getting a razor holder will prevent the blades from sitting in a puddle and rusting away. A sturdy handle is another essential for getting a good grip and prolonging the time between replacements.

Convenience is key. Unfortunately, most of us end up using rusted old razors because we simply forget to buy more. A subscription can prevent this by sending you what you need at a frequency that works for you.

Our Final Thoughts — Harry’s vs Dollar Shave Club

It takes time to find the right blades and handle for you and your shaving needs. The same goes for the products that work for your specific skin and hair type. There are quite a few options available, but the most popular are certainly Harry’s and Dollar Shave Club.

If we have to pick between the two, Harry’s is our top choice in terms of pricing and quality.