The reference
What Harry’s costs and includes
Harry’s sells a five-blade cartridge razor and refills it on a schedule you pick. You start with the Original Starter Set, then add a blade subscription so fresh cartridges show up before the old ones go dull. Harry’s Plus is the newer, pricier system with its own handle and blades.
- Starter set
- $8 with free shipping: a weighted handle, one five-blade cartridge, a 2 oz foaming shave gel, and a travel blade cover.
- Refills
- Original blades run $10 for four or about $17 for eight. A subscription takes 5% off every order, and 15% off once you subscribe to three or more products.
- Delivery
- Every two, three, or six months. You’re charged when the order ships, with a reminder four days before, and you can skip, delay, or cancel from your account.
- Compatibility
- Original blades fit only the Original handle, once sold as the Truman and Winston. Plus blades fit only the Plus handle.
- On Cratejoy
- No. Harry’s sells direct at harrys.com, and none of the picks below are Harry’s products.
Harry’s also sells body wash, bar soap, and face and hair care, and any of it can ride along on the same subscription. The two Cratejoy picks below restock that side of the order.
Compare the options
| Box | Best fit | Cost and commitment | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry’s Original Reference |
A close cartridge shave on your schedule | $8 starter set, then $10 for four blades, 5% off on subscription. | Refills every 2, 3, or 6 months. |
| Dollar Shave Club | The closest swap, another cartridge refill club | $13 starter set, then refills from $8.50 for four blades. | Every 1, 2, 3, or 4 months. |
| Men’s Shave & Grooming Box | Natural pre-shave, shave, and after-shave products | $80 a box billed monthly, less on a 2- to 6-box prepay. | Recurring boxes ship by the 4th of the month. |
| Bevel | Razor bumps and coarse hair | $50 safety razor with 10 blades, then $9.95 for 20 blades, 15% off on subscription. | Blades every 1 to 4 months. |
| Henson Shaving | Buying one razor and skipping refill plans | $89 razor with five blades. A 100-pack of blades adds $9.99. | No subscription. Takes standard double-edge blades. |
| Men’s Monthly 2 Bar Handmade Soap Box | Handmade soap for the shower | $19 a month, less on a 3- to 12-month prepay. | Monthly, free shipping. |
Every subscription here renews until you cancel.
The alternatives
Closest swap
Dollar Shave Club vs Harry’s
Dollar Shave Club works the same way Harry’s does: a starter set with a handle, then cartridges on repeat.
Best for: Someone happy with a cartridge razor who wants more blade choices or a monthly schedule.
What feels familiar
A handle you keep, refills that ship on their own, and an account page where you skip, edit, or cancel. Dollar Shave Club sells its own shave butter, body wash, and face wash too.
What changes
You pick a blade count. The Classic 4 Blade is built for longer, thicker hair and body shaving, and the Signature 6 Blade targets everyday shaving and finer hair. Refills can come every month, which Harry’s doesn’t offer. Shipping is free on starter sets and on orders of $18 or more.
The full wet-shave routine
Men’s Shave & Grooming Box vs Harry’s
Best for: Someone who keeps their razor and wants the products around it upgraded.
Tranquil Rose builds each box around a three-step shave: pre-shave oil, shave cream, and an after-shave moisturizer, all natural and full size. Two or three extras fill it out, such as handmade soap, shampoo bars, or a travel tin.
What feels familiar
Your shave gel and post-shave care show up on a schedule, the way Harry’s add-ons do.
What changes
There’s no razor or blades, so you keep your handle and buy refills elsewhere. At $80 a box it costs far more than a Harry’s order, and one reviewer on the listing called it “a bit expensive for what was included.”
Razor bumps or coarse hair
Bevel vs Harry’s
Bevel makes a single-blade safety razor that cuts at skin level, which Bevel says helps prevent the nicks, tugs, and bumps some multi-blade razors leave behind.
Best for: Coarse hair that a five-blade cartridge keeps irritating.
What feels familiar
Blades still arrive on a schedule, every one to four months, at 15% off. Bevel also sells the pre-shave oil, shave cream, and balm to go with them.
What changes
You trade a pivoting cartridge for one double-edge blade in a brass handle, so the razor costs more up front than a Harry’s starter set. The $89.95 Bevel Shave Kit adds 40 blades, a brush, and the three shave products.
No more cartridges
Henson Shaving vs Harry’s
Henson Shaving machines an aluminum safety razor that holds one blade at a fixed 30° angle, with no springs and no moving head.
Best for: Someone done with refill plans who would rather buy one well-made razor.
What feels familiar
A metal handle, like the one on Harry’s Plus, built for a close shave.
What changes
There’s no subscription. The Henson AL13 takes standard double-edge blades sold almost anywhere, so you restock when you run low instead of on a schedule. US shipping is free on orders of $125 or more.
Better soap in the shower
Men’s Monthly 2 Bar Handmade Soap Box vs Harry’s
Best for: Someone who added Harry’s body wash or bar soap to the order and wants something handmade.
SUDuctive Soap sends two 5 oz bars a month, made with goat milk and shea butter, in two different scents, plus a mesh bag that helps the bar lather and last. Past boxes have sometimes traded one bar for a whipped soap that doubles as shave cream.
What feels familiar
A shower staple that restocks itself every month.
What changes
It’s soap, so it adds to a razor plan rather than replacing one. The scents change each month. Shipping is free, and the box also ships to Canada, the UK, Australia, and Switzerland.
The honest part
When Harry’s is still the better fit
Keep Harry’s if the cartridge already works for your face. The $8 starter set is a cheap way to test the shave, and Harry’s pitches its six-month refill schedule at people who shave three or four times a week. If comfort is the only complaint, Harry’s Plus keeps the same subscription with a spring-loaded pivot and cartridges rated for up to 21 shaves, though its blades cost more and don’t fit the Original handle.
How we chose these
We started with what a Harry’s plan covers: a cartridge razor, blades on a schedule, and the shave and shower products around them. Cratejoy doesn’t carry a razor or blade subscription you can order today, so the three razor picks are brands you buy direct. The two Cratejoy boxes cover the lather and the shower. The photo at the top is Harry’s own product image.
Questions before switching
What is the closest alternative to Harry’s?
Dollar Shave Club. It also pairs a starter handle with cartridge refills on a schedule you set, and it adds a monthly delivery option and a choice of 2, 4, or 6 blades.
Is a safety razor cheaper than a Harry’s subscription?
The blades are. Bevel sells 20 double-edge blades for $9.95, and Henson sells 100 for $9.99, while eight Harry’s Original cartridges cost about $17. The razor costs more up front: $49.95 for Bevel and $89 for Henson, against Harry’s $8 starter set.
Does Cratejoy sell a razor subscription?
Not one you can order right now. The Cratejoy picks here are the Men’s Shave & Grooming Box from Tranquil Rose, which sends shave products without a razor, and SUDuctive Soap’s monthly men’s soap box. Both work alongside any razor.
Do Harry’s blades fit other razors?
No. Harry’s Original blades fit only the Original handle, and Harry’s Plus blades fit only the Plus handle. A switch to another cartridge brand or a safety razor means a new handle.
Can I send one of these as a gift?
Yes. Both Cratejoy boxes have a Give as a Gift option on their listing pages. Check each listing’s ship date before you plan around a birthday.
