When Jacob Schick patented the world's first electric razor he couldn't have imagined just how sophisticated today's shavers and beard trimmers would go on to become.  With new technologies arriving every year, the male grooming market has become awash with innovation and it can be hard to tell the wood for the trees, so we've clustered together a few of our favourites.  1) Braun Series 9 - 9260s (£299.99, Boots) Rome wasn't built in a day, and the Braun Series 9 wasn't designed overnight. In fact, it took a team of sixty scientists and engineers from ten different disciplines over five years to arrive at the finished product.  The end result is an immensely quick and gentle shave. The sonic technology allows the blade to shave so fast skin does not have time to get irritated, and the shaver is able to read facial contours and remain in contact with the skin, thus greatly reducing the risk of cuts to the top layer of skin and any ensuing irritation.  Perfect for trimming a three-day stubble or beard.   Buy now 2) Philips Series 5000 (£82.94, Amazon) Philips are considered by some to be the godfathers of the rotary shaver. Philishave became a byword for rotary shave in much the same way Hoover did for vacuum, or Sellotape for sticky tape, before the name was phased out by the company in 2006. Since then, the brand have brought their prowess in rotary shaving to this reliable model that boasts precision blades and a waterproof capability.  Buy now   3) Panasonic ES-LT6N (£119.98, Amazon)  Dan Gregory of Man Made London recommends this reliable foil shaver. "Foil shavers generally don't cause any skin rash or irritation", he says.  He points to the multi-flex 3D head as a key feature because it allows the shaver to work around the contours of the face, chin and neck. Gregory is also a fan of the lock feature, which can help define clear lines.  Buy now 4) Panasonic ES-LV65 (£244.04, Amazon) The Panasonic ES-LV65 is a great choice for anybody looking for a close shave: the inner blades cut at an acute angle of thirty degrees to cut hair right at the base.  What's more, while you might not associate stainless steel with comfort, the hypoallergenic steel guards prove soft against the skin, helping achieve an extremely smooth shave.  Buy now 5) Philips Series 9000 Laser Guided Beard Trimmer BT9280/33 (£77.97, Amazon) Ideal for those with a keen eye for design and an obsession for detail, the Philips Beard Trimmer 9000 is one of the most advanced ways to keep your stubble in order. Trimming with a laser guide, the Philips helps you achieve perfectly straight lines - even when attempting more complex styles.  Featuring 17 LED displayed lengths from 0.4mm to 7mm, the Philips offers good versatility, and its steel blades are also 100pc waterproof - perfect for quick cleaning. What's more, a dual-sided trimmer also makes it easier to shave those hard-to-reach areas.  Buy now 6) Remington XF8505 Capture Cut (£39.99, Amazon) Shave in the shower or in front of the mirror with this handy foil shaver designed to catch even the most stubborn of stray hairs.  With blades designed to lift pesky hairs, and a grippy handle, this compact shaver follows facial contours with ease and achieved a close shave. As simple, usable and efficient as it looks.  Buy now 7) Babyliss iStubble (£39.49, Amazon) Dan Gregory recommends the Babyliss iStubble to many of his clients. "It's awesome because you don't have to attach guards to it or anything like that", he says. "It has a guard on it that's already attached, you can pull the guard back, it clips back and allows you to shape it all the way down to zero if you want a short stubble or a line. "It's like a digital size guide - you just press up to go higher. It tells you in millimeters as well which is useful because it allows you to say, 'on my Babyliss iStubble I'm a 4.8 millimeters', so we [barbers] can use that as a reference. It's fantastic."  Buy now 8) Braun Beard Trimmer 3040 (21.99, Argos) If you don't mind overnight charging, the 3040 is a solid choice at an affordable price, and can achieve anything from sorting out designer stubble to maintaining a full beard.  It has two detachable trimming combs and 39 length settings between 0 and 20mm. The eight-hour charge is a bit of a drawback, but it can also be plugged into the mains, and adjusts to any voltage between 100V and 240V. Buy now 9) Remington MB4040 (£92.67, Amazon) With nine trim settings the MB4040 allows the user to decide between stubble, short, medium or long, or anywhere in between. It's a good call for anybody looking for a quick shave in the morning because it's best used dry and emits only a quiet hum, ideal if you're the household's earliest riser. With its titanium-coated blades, the MB4040 is a trust trimmer that's build to last, both in terms of lithium battery life and long-term durability.  Buy now 10) Wahl 9916-1117 Groomsman Rechargeable Hair, Beard and Moustache Trimmer Set (£12.49, Amazon) Wahl's professional-grade products are a favourite with barbers and their commercially available kit is top notch too.  With durable blades that can cut to various lengths from 0.5mm to 13mm, and an hour's usage free from cords, the Groomsman can tackle necklines, sideburns, beards, stubble and just about any kind of facial hair you could dream up.  Buy now 11) Philips OneBlade (£33.49, Amazon) In a market full of whirring gadgets, flashing digital displays and multiple blades, the Philips OneBlade is a refreshingly simple option.  Foregoing the usual foil or rotary shaver route in favour of a single blade with a pivot, the OneBlade still benefits from the latest technologies, boasting a blade that moves 200 times per second beneath a polymer protective shield.  Designed for those who want to style regularly rather than clean shave, the OneBlade can trim, edge and shave, depending on what you fancy.  Buy now