Disposable razors

Aldi Carlton Fixed Head Disposable Razors

€1.19 for 14 (8.5 cent each)

Highs: These razors are the bargain of the bunch. Despite fears that something so cheap could leave the skin in ribbons, they're fine. Heavier than the competition, they come with an oversized gooey strip of aloe vera, vitamin E and tea-tree oil to help the blade glide over skin.

Lows: The spilled blood is a certain low, but it's not completely fair to blame this model, as all of the razors tested share the problem. The blades are cased in rigid plastic, so, no matter how much green gunk is deployed, nasty nicks are inevitable as you manoeuvre around tricky contours.

Verdict: Good - and cheap as chips.

Bic Twin Easy Sensitive

€3.75 for 10 (37.5 cent each)

Highs: While other razors exploit technological advances to bring us all manner of add-ons, Bic, like Gillette, turns its nose up at such faddiness and sticks to its simple formula. This is the Ryanair of razors: the cheapest of the big brands tested, it takes most of an incipient beard away.

Lows: They're hard work, though, and are unlikely to bring a smile to even the mellowest of shavers first thing in the morning. The handle and blade are alarmingly light, making nicks almost inevitable. And they look as if they have a working life of days rather than weeks.

Verdict: Painfully lightweight.

Gillette Blue II

€5.15 for 10 (51.5 cent each)

Highs: An old-school disposable that bravely eschews all modern frippery, such as moisturising strips and curved handles, to deliver a lightweight plain razor that does exactly what it says on the bag.

Lows: Neither the finest nor the cheapest disposable razor on the market. It feels too light, which may explain why it doesn't deliver as close a shave as the other razors tested, leading to Homer Simpson-style shadows arriving much earlier than the traditional five o'clock.

Verdict: Overpriced and ordinary.

Wilkinson Sword Extra II

€5.55 for 10 plus five free

(55.5/37 cent each)

Highs: They look great, and with the promotional pack's extra five razors they work out reasonably, too. (The shop where PriceWatch bought them also had the razors on a buy-one-get- one-free offer, which meant 30 blades for the price of 10.) The dots on the curved handle give a better grip, the razor has a slender aloe vera strip and it shaves as close as any of the razors tested.

Lows: It's not as easy to rinse clean as its rivals. Whether this was down to the goo or the closeness of the blades is hard to tell. Despite the natty handle, this blade also drew blood.

Verdict: Little to complain about.