Schick Hydro Stubble Eraser Review: A Pain-Free Shave?

Shaving can be dreadful, especially if you shave infrequently. Not only is your facial hair measurably longer, but when using a cartridge razor, clogging, tugging, and pulling can be both frustrating and irritable.

The Schick Hydro Stubble Eraser attempts to ease some of these common issues with its distinct design.

In this review, we will take a look at this razor and see if it provides a more pleasant and comfortable shave experience.

Let’s begin:

Note: This is a complimentary razor provided by Schick. Schick did not pay for this review – we don’t accept paid coverage on the site. This post contains affiliate links.

Schick Hydro Stubble Eraser Overview

First, we will look at the packaging:

Packaging

The packaging on razors has come a long way. Rather than being housed in a plastic blister wrap behind lock and key, many large companies have taken notice of Harry’s slick marketing and have worked to improve the presentation of their razor.

Here’s how the Schick Hydro Stubble Eraser looks:

It presents well and includes an extra cartridge head to get you started:

schick stubble eraser on black mat next to replacement cartridge

While the overall packaging is simple, it looks nice and makes good for a small gift.

Design

Now let’s look at the design of the Schick Hydro Stubble Eraser.

The lines are sleek and modern-looking. With touches of yellow, blue, and white, it is starkly bright compared to other cartridge razors.

Handle

The handle on this razor features a rubberized-grip:

This allows for increased control should you be shaving in the shower or have shaving cream on your hands.

Razor Head

What makes the Stubble Eraser so unique from other razors is the head design. Here’s a closer look at the razor head:

diagram showing different parts of the schick stubble eraser head

And here is more information on each of the features outlined above:

19 Gel Pools: These are smaller when compared to other razor heads from Schick. The Gel Pools contain green tea to help soothe and refresh after each pass.
3 Cutting Blades: Helps to lessen clogging. Each blade has been coated to reduce irritation.
Stubble Comb: The most distinct feature. It helps to guide facial hair into the razor blade.
Hydro-Fitting: You can use any of the Hydro heads with this razor. No need to get a new handle if you want to try out the Stubble Eraser razor head.

The Stubble Eraser contains a flip precision trimmer for detailed edging:

demonstrating the schick stubble eraser edger

For comparison, here’s how the Stubble Eraser looks next to a Hydro 5 head:

schick stubble eraser next to another cartridge razor head

Dimensions & Weight

The Schick Hydro Stubble Eraser features a standard length:

schick stubble eraser compared to gillette skinguard

The Schick Hydro Stubble Eraser stands at 5.75″. When compared to the Gillette SkinGuard we recently reviewed, the extra .25″ is hardly noticeable when held.

The razor blade width is 1.75″. The weight for this razor is also standard. The Schick Hydro Stubble Eraser weighs 1.5oz (43g).

schick stubble eraser weight compared to gillette razor

Mechanics

The Schick Hydro Stubble Eraser cannot tilt sideways unlike other modern cartridge razor systems.

Instead, it can only pivot. To provide you with a better understanding of the range of motion in this razor, here’s a series of pictures:

demonstrating pivot range of motion for the schick razor

As you can see, the pivoting motion is standard.

Schick Hydro Stubble Eraser Performance Review

Before we begin the performance review, here are a few important details to note:

Pre-Shave Prep: Warm shower.
Facial Hair Length: Approximately five days since the last shave.
Pre-Shave Treatment: Proraso Pre-Shave Cream
Shaving Cream: C.O. Bigelow Shaving Cream
Skin Sensitivity: Mildly sensitive
Facial Hair Type: Dense, mildly curly

Shaving

Here are a few pics of the Schick Hydro Stubble Eraser doing its work (performance summary covered shortly):

man shaving neck with schick stubble eraser

Post-shave

Here’s how the skin and facial hair length looked post-shave:

man exposing neck to demonstrate shave quality of the razor

Summary of Using the Schick Hydro Stubble Eraser

Here are some of the key takeaways that were learned when using the Stubble Eraser:

Reduced Clogging: Thanks to the reliance on only three blades, the Stubble Eraser didn’t clog at all. It was nice given the thickness of the beard growth.
Irritation: Although no redness was present in the post-shave pictures above, there was some mild irritation, particularly on the neck area. It wasn’t a deal-breaker by any means. However, if you have mildly sensitive skin, you may experience the same.
Razor Head Size: While the head does appear bulky, the Stubble Eraser had no real problems working the mustache area. The precision trimmer can also further help with details, especially if you have a goatee or sideburns.
Aggressiveness: While there are only three razor blades, the Stubble Eraser still is fairly aggressive. You can expect to get a close shave with very little stubble texture remaining.
Control: The rubberized grip is nice. There were no control issues when shaving with this razor.
Lubricating Strip: With each pass, you could visually see the gel pools leaving a lubricated and refreshing residue on the skin.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Schick Hydro Stubble Eraser did what it was set out to do – remove a dense stubble. While there was some mild irritation, the razor didn’t clog like other systems. The universal Hydro fitting does make it a great option if you shave infrequently and enjoy Schick razors.