Braun Silk-épil 5 Epilator, Wet & Dry, Lasting Smooth Skin, SE5-230

Why it's worth it

The Silk-épil 5 does the important things the 9 Flex does. It works wet or dry, its MicroGrip tweezers catch half-millimeter hair, and it ships with a shaver head and a bikini trimmer. You give up the pivoting head, which mostly costs you on knees and ankles.

Line the Silk-épil 5 up against the 9 Flex and the spec gap is smaller than the price gap. Both grab hair at 0.5mm. Both work in the shower. Both come with a shaver head and a trimmer comb for the days you'd rather not epilate. The 5 adds bikini trimmer attachments that the 9 doesn't include in the box.

The massage roller cap is the beginner-friendly touch here. It rolls over the skin ahead of the tweezers, and the idea is that the extra sensation crowds out some of the sting. The 9 Flex ships with a skin contact cap instead. If you're nervous about the first session, that roller plus a warm shower is the gentlest setup in this lineup.

From our review of 6 epilators

What we like

• +Line the Silk-épil 5 up against the 9 Flex and the spec gap is smaller than the price gap
• +The massage roller cap is the beginner-friendly touch here
• +It's also the Braun that owners seem steadiest on
• +The bikini trimmer attachments are the practical addition

What to know

• –The head doesn't flex
• –It has no light. Braun's cheaper Silk-épil 3 does, and a light genuinely helps you catch the fine, pale hairs you'd otherwise…