When it comes to shaving facial hair, many men look for a daily razor to depend on, without the stress of figuring out its bells and whistles. This Merkur Futur review look at this adjustable safety razor, a daily razor that’s simple in design, and boasts its quality through its craftsmanship. The razor has six different settings available, and sports a nice, modern look, with its brushed satin finish. It’s easy to clean, and doesn’t weight too much, which makes for a comfortable handling experience.
Merkur Futur Product Description
The Merkur Futur allows you to adjust its blade depending on your personal preference and hair type. The settings range from 1 to 6 with a turn of the handle, with one being very tame and more for sensitive skin, and six being very aggressive, for stubborn and rather thick beards. Because the razor is double-edged, it makes for a convenient shaving tool, and gives a quick and easy shave.
Changing blades is simple, for all you have to do is pull the razor’s duo clip head, place in the blade, snap the top, and push it down to lock it securely. It weighs around 4.25 ounces, for a comfortable and solid feel in your hand, which allows the razor to do the work, and prevents you from applying too much pressure, which can cause accidental nicks and razor bumps.
Its smooth satin finish gives the razor a sleek and simple aesthetic, and the razor itself measures about four inches long. While it has no knurling, there is an indentation near the top of the handle for a secure grip. Although the Merkur Futur can provide a quality shave, it’s not ideal for those new to using DE safety razors.
Merkur Futur Pros
The following section looks at the pros of the Merkur Futur, to show what users are most excited about when it comes to this shaver.
- Adjustable. The Merkur Futur comes with six adjustable settings, which show more of the blade with each level up. At the lowest setting, the razor can give a pretty tame shave, and the highest setting would give an aggressive shave.
- Ideal weight. The razor weighs about 4.25 ounces, which is a good weight that allows you to let it do most of the work. This prevents accidental cuts, which can result from putting too much pressure on the blade.
- Long handle. The handle is long enough for men with large hands, making for a comfortable grip.
- Easy blade loading. Loading a blade is simple, because this razor uses a clip rather than a screw.
- Indented handle. Although there is no knurling, the Merkur Futur has an indented spot near the top, for a sturdy hold on the handle.
- Aggressive. The razor is aggressive enough to tackle tough beards, but also tame enough for men with sensitive skin and thin facial hair.
Merkur Futur Cons
As great as the Merkur Futur is, there are also cons worth including in this Merkur Futur review. Here are the most important ones.
- Bulky head. The bulky head of the razor may make shaving near the nose and lip a bit tricky.
- No knurling. There is no knurling, so the razor might be a little less grip-friendly, although a towel can be used to avoid accidentally cutting your fingers on the blade.
- Not suitable for wet hands. It’s advised to be especially careful when adjusting the settings with wet hands, for you may cut yourself.
- Clip-on head. Although the clip-on head makes it easier to load the blade, it’s said to not be the best at locking the blade in place.
Accessories and Additional Pieces
You can buy the Merkur Futur adjustable safety razor blade on its own, or with extra replacement blades. You can also separately buy Merkur Futur stainless steel razor blades in packs of ten.
What Users Say
Being that the Merkur Futur is one of the highest-rated safety razors, there are many positive Merkur Futur reviews out there, which is no surprise, since Merkur has a reputation for manufacturing top quality razors.
A positive Merkur Futur review states that the shaver is ideal for those with thick beards or sensitive skin, since the settings allow you to find your preference, without being too aggressive. While the razor isn’t really made for beginners, but it’s said that those who are experienced in wet shaving can expect a clean and easy shave, since the handle is long enough to grip comfortably, and the settings give it more versatility.
A more neutral opinion notes that the size of the razor’s head is bulky, so it’s a bit difficult to shave around smaller areas like the nose/mustache area. Although the handle doesn’t have a knurling, the indented part of the handle makes it a bit easier to hold the handle without slipping, but many users shared that putting a towel on the handle and head protects your hands from the exposed blade.
A negative Merkur Futur review complained about the locking mechanism not being sturdy enough to clip the blade into place entirely, which can render the razor dangerous to use. There was also a concern pointing out that the handle is slippery, considering that there is no knurling, and the angle of the blade can cause cuts, but this depends on whether the correct wet shaving technique and setting is used. The handle might not be long enough as well, but this problem is only stated among a few users.
Final Word
Overall, the Merkur Futur can provide you with a good quality shave if you have an understanding of effective wet shaving techniques. With its six adjustable setting, it serves as a rather flexible shaving tool, and can be tame enough to handle sensitive skin, or tough enough to shave stubborn beards. Other than there being no knurling, and the clip-on blade load being dangerous if you’re not careful, the Merkur Futur is definitely an optimal choice when it comes to choosing a wet shaving tool that you can use daily, and we hope our Merkur Futur review has illustrated that.
