I tried the Laifen P3 Pro: the electric shaver ideal for frequent travellers.

Harriet Pemberton • April 24, 2026 19:30

We tested the Laifen P3 Pro, a palm-sized electric shaver that slips into a bag with ease.

I still remember the teenage thrill of seeing the first hairs appear under my nose and on my chin-followed, inevitably, by a few rough shaves and some not-so-successful experiments with a moustache, a goatee and a chinstrap. Marketing did the rest: I wanted to try an electric razor to save time. Back then, that purchase didn’t exactly become a favourite.

Electric shavers often come with familiar compromises: a head that doesn’t really follow the contours of the face, a battery that gives up halfway through, or hairs that catch in the foil and get tugged rather than cut-leaving you with that grim feeling you’ve just plucked your chin hair with tweezers.

So, to be honest, I didn’t rush back. After years of sticking with the “perfect” three-blade cartridge, I settled into a routine that suits me far better: a neatly maintained beard using a trimmer and a safety razor. I’m not an electric-shaver specialist-if anything, I’ve got a bad memory of them… albeit one that’s nearly 30 years old. In that time, the category has moved on, and when I was offered the chance to try the Laifen P3 Pro, I thought: why not give it another go?

The story behind the Laifen P3 Pro

Laifen is a Chinese brand founded in 2019 by Hongxin Ye, presented as a “visionary creative tinkerer”. Its first headline technology was a high-speed brushless motor spinning at 110,000 rpm, introduced in 2020 in a hair dryer positioned as a more affordable alternative to premium names such as Dyson.

Six years and several products later (including electric shavers and electric toothbrushes), the brand’s compact newcomer arrives: the Laifen P3 Pro. It’s a three-blade electric shaver driven by a dual linear motor. Laifen’s three watchwords are: Power, Precision, Perfection-hence “P3”.

A Laifen P3 Pro electric shaver that genuinely fits in your hand

The first thing you notice is the format. Most shavers and trimmers are long and handle-like to give you a substantial grip. The P3 Pro takes the opposite approach: it’s so compact it’s closer in size to what would normally be just the shaving head on many rivals. For frequent travellers, that’s a real advantage-this is the sort of device you can drop into a wash bag without a second thought.

Despite the small footprint, it’s genuinely pleasant to use. It sits naturally in the palm and glides over the area you’re shaving without forcing you to change your grip. Rounded edges and a single-piece, machined aluminium body make it comfortable and secure to hold.

On the side you’ll find the only control: one button that cycles through three states-on, off, and a long-press travel lock (described as “airplane mode”). It’s a sensible touch, especially if you misplace the magnetic plastic cap and want to avoid the shaver switching on in your luggage and attacking something like a cashmere jumper.

A quick note for travel and daily carry (added)

If you keep a shaver in a backpack, briefcase or car glovebox, a reliable lock matters more than you’d think. Between pressure on the button and objects shifting around in transit, accidental activation is common on compact devices. The P3 Pro’s lock helps it behave like a proper travel tool rather than a gadget you hesitate to pack.

Daily shaving or nothing: beard performance in real life

Because I usually wear a beard, I wanted to see whether the Laifen P3 Pro could tackle thicker growth on its own-or whether I’d need to trim first. I let my facial hair grow out for a few days and then went in with the electric shaver.

First attempt: I started on my cheek, running the P3 Pro from the base of my neck hairline up towards the cheekbone. I worked bottom to top, then top to bottom, making several passes and varying pressure. The before-and-after was, frankly, underwhelming. The cheek looked less dense, but it wasn’t truly shaved. Thick patches barely changed, and even the lighter areas weren’t especially clean.

What’s more, I occasionally felt that old, unpleasant tugging sensation in certain spots-and it’s easy to understand why. To reduce pulling, you need to shave against the grain, which is straightforward where hair grows in a consistent direction. On my neck, however, hairs tend to grow wherever they please. Along the jawline it gets trickier still: some hairs follow the mandibular line while those just above grow more vertically, making it harder for an electric head to catch everything evenly.

After that failed run, I decided to clear the bulk with a trimmer and try again.

Second attempt (after trimming): much better, but still not flawless. Even after plenty of passes, I still had remaining hairs on my neck and at the corner of the jaw under the ear. Elsewhere, the finish wasn’t perfectly crisp either. And if you’re hoping to shape facial hair-whether that’s a goatee, moustache, sideburns or any other style-it’s difficult to get straight, sharp lines. You’ll need practice to avoid uneven edges, and you’ll likely end up correcting with a manual razor for a properly neat finish.

In short, the Laifen P3 Pro is best suited to people who are clean-shaven and want a daily maintenance tool. Once growth becomes longer, denser or grows in complicated directions, the result becomes inconsistent.

A pleasant surprise on the scalp

For my beard, the P3 Pro doesn’t match my personal needs-especially as it doesn’t let me have fun with precise, creative shaping. On my head, though, hair is generally less dense, more uniform and kept very short. In that context, I was genuinely impressed-even though this use case isn’t highlighted by the brand.

Yes, it still takes multiple passes, and you may want a few quick touch-ups with a blade around the ears, but the overall finish looks tidy. Better still, the Laifen P3 Pro is gentle on skin. Where a safety razor can leave mild irritation immediately after shaving, I didn’t feel discomfort here.

That comfort comes with a trade-off: you won’t get quite as close a shave as with a blade, the skin won’t feel as glass-smooth, and you’ll likely need to shave a bit more often.

Skin prep and technique tips (added)

Electric shavers tend to reward consistency: shaving at roughly the same time each day, using light pressure, and keeping skin clean and dry (or using them in the shower if designed for it) usually improves results. On areas with mixed growth patterns-particularly the neck-short, overlapping strokes from several directions often work better than repeated long passes in one line.

Maintenance and cleaning

Once you’ve finished shaving, it’s time to clean up. Here the Laifen P3 Pro has a significant advantage: an IPX7 rating, meaning it’s water-resistant. You can rinse it under the tap and even use it in the shower.

Cleaning is straightforward. The magnetic head unclips easily-even without fingernails-so you can rinse both the head and the body. However, to dislodge tiny hairs stuck in tight corners, you’re left to improvise because there’s no cleaning brush included-an accessory that’s normally standard with most shavers and trimmers.

Over the long run, there’s another downside: you can’t replace only the blade. Once it dulls, you’ll need to replace the entire head, priced at €45 (around £38).

Battery life and charging

On a full charge, the Laifen P3 Pro runs for roughly 1 hour 30 minutes. That time is split into 10-minute sessions, after which the device switches itself off automatically-helpful for preventing the battery being drained if it activates inside a bag.

Charging is via USB‑C, which is a welcome bit of standardisation. Around 10 minutes on the cable is enough to handle a complete shave.

Our verdict on the Laifen P3 Pro

The Laifen P3 Pro is a charming, genuinely compact travel electric shaver. It’s easy to use, easy to carry, and it’s effective for the kind of daily full-face shave that can stand in for a blade. Where it falls short is in accessories (a simple brush would help) and, more importantly, versatility.

For straightforward shaving, it does the job. As soon as you want to shape or define a specific style, you’ll need to go back over the lines with a manual razor. On its own, it struggles to deliver perfectly crisp finishing work.

For home use, unless you specifically want an ultra-compact form factor, spending €200 (about £170) is hard to justify when plenty of electric shavers cost half-or even a quarter-of that. The P3 Pro’s undeniable strength is its size: it slides effortlessly into a bag or glovebox, so you can keep a reliable tool close by to tidy up those unwelcome stubble sprouts on the morning of an important meeting.