ProGlide Labs with Exfoliating Bar

For the man who considers a two-step shave routine an unreasonable imposition on his morning: the ProGlide Labs with Exfoliating Bar is essentially Gillette's acknowledgement that pre-shave prep works, but most men won't do it separately. The exfoliating bar — a textured warming strip built into the razor head above the blades — is designed to raise facial hair and buff away dead skin cells in the single pass before the blades arrive. It's aimed squarely at men with normal-to-combination skin who shave regularly and want a closer result without buying into the full nine-step Redditskincare routine. If you're already using a dedicated exfoliant and a multi-blade razor in sequence, this product is technically redundant for you. If you're not doing either of those things — which is most men — it's a practical upgrade.

What the exfoliating bar actually does is physical exfoliation via micro-textured material, similar in mechanism to a konjac sponge or a mild scrub, but integrated into the shaving motion so you're not adding a separate step. The warming effect is mild — closer to 'slightly above ambient temperature' than anything you'd call therapeutic heat — so don't expect the sensation of a hot towel at a proper barber. What it does deliver is marginally softer, more pliable skin going into the blade stroke, which translates to reduced drag and, for men prone to razor burn, a measurably more comfortable shave. The five-blade cartridge itself is identical to the standard ProGlide — well-regarded, broadly the best mass-market five-blade system available, roughly on par with Schick Hydro 5 with a slight edge in comfort on multiple passes.

In practice, the improvement in closeness is real but modest — users consistently report a reduction in post-shave redness and fewer nicks on the neck, which is where most amateur shavers suffer. It's not going to mog a DE safety razor in terms of actual closeness-per-pass, and anyone who's gone down the double-edge rabbit hole (Merkur 34C, circa £35 lifetime handle cost, £10/year in blades) will find the cartridge economics here mildly offensive. A four-pack of ProGlide Labs cartridges runs around $15-18, which is standard Gillette pricing — reasonable for a five-blade system, but a reminder that Gillette's real business is recurring blade revenue, not the handle. The Labs handle itself is sold as a starter kit for around $14-17, which is a fair entry point.

Compared to the Gillette Heated Razor (which retails for $150-200 and is the premium version of the warming concept with battery-powered heat up to 43°C), the ProGlide Labs is the budget expression of the same idea. The Heated Razor genuinely delivers perceptible warmth; the Labs bar is more of a textural upgrade with residual warmth than a heat delivery mechanism. Both are softer than a cold-blade shave. Neither replaces a proper pre-shave oil if you have coarse hair. Also worth noting: the SkinGuard variant, designed for sensitive skin, is a more focused product for men with persistent irritation — if ingrown hairs and bumps are your primary concern rather than closeness, that's the ProGlide you want instead of this one.

Jamie's verdict: the looksmaxxing community's obsession with jawline definition makes shave quality genuinely relevant — a clean, irritation-free shave is actual softmaxxing, not cope, and the Labs system delivers that for most men without requiring any behavioural change. It's not a hardmaxx tool, obviously. It's not going to restructure your mandible. But a closer shave with less redness is a legitimate aesthetic win, and Gillette has packaged one here at a price point that isn't insulting. If you're already buying ProGlide cartridges, switching to Labs is essentially free. If you're starting from scratch, it beats the standard ProGlide without costing meaningfully more. Just don't confuse 'clever product design' with 'transformative grooming technology' — this is a good razor with a useful attachment, not a paradigm shift.