Five electric epilators to have on your radar this spring

Spring is not all upside. We start showing a little more skin, invest in pretty skirts, a small bikini and a few light tops, and we know exactly what that means: the hunt for every last hair is on. And the eternal dilemma has not changed: razor for ease? Wax for longer-lasting results? Depilatory cream for zero pain? Or an electric epilator for the convenience of the device? Today we are putting our money on the epilator, which has been steadily gaining ground over the years: more effective, more elaborate, from pain-relief systems to pivoting heads, built-in lights to bikini heads. These high-tech epilators feel like something we are going to love, promising longer-lasting smoothness with minimum clutter. So we did the legwork to find the most popular models around, and here are five worth knowing.

Philips clearly has a good reputation when it comes to electric epilators, and the newcomer making its mark is the Satinelle Ice. Its selling point? Easy, less painful epilation thanks to a cooling attachment. That is the Satinelle's main argument: pain, or rather the lack of it.

The idea is simple: a small liquid pack goes in the freezer for a few hours, then once frozen you clip it onto the epilator and off you go. With the numbing cold, we are promised less sensitive skin during epilation, and in summer an ice-cold effect is no bad thing.

In practice? The epilator is a nice small size, easy to handle and rather pretty; it travels without any trouble. The design is well thought out, and so far, so good. The cooling attachment is removable, so you can epilate with or without it. On effectiveness, let's cut to the chase: the ice effect is there, and so is the pain. OK, it helps a bit, and you are definitely less sensitive, but pain-free epilation is not here yet.

That said, the device is rather effective: two epilation speeds, a ceramic head to stop it rusting, and although it is a little noisy, it epilates well and precisely. Of course, on really short hairs it is not infallible, but it remains a very good-quality device and genuinely delivers clean, longer-lasting epilation.

On price, expect around £70, though prices vary by retailer. A small investment, we will admit.

At Calor, the star of the moment is Fresh Extrem, available in more or less complete and versatile versions. The Fresh Extrem Platinium is the top of the range: plenty of functions to keep you neat every day, no doubt. UK stock can be patchy, so check before buying.

Here again, it is aimed at anyone who likes a gentler option, this time with a pulsed-air system supposed to reduce pain: the same cooling idea, but in the form of a powerful air jet.

Add a special bikini head for precise epilation, a shaver head for quick touch-ups, two epilation speeds and a Vision function that lights up the area to be epilated. Yes, epilation has gone properly high-tech.

In practice, it is a very comprehensive product for a full-on war on hair. We appreciate the many options, even if some feel a little gimmicky and undoubtedly account for much of the not-insignificant price: almost £90, no less. That said, fans of simple and effective can find a more stripped-back, cheaper model that still does the job.

On the pain-relief side, we come back to the point about the previous product's cooling pack: we will not deny there is an improvement. Pulsed air eases it a little, or even a lot, depending on the user's sensitivity - some people tolerate pain better than others - but epilation is not painless as a result. The finish, however, is impeccable. Epilators really are making huge progress.

Braun has its fans with the Silk-Epil Xpressive, which fights its corner on precision and close epilation. Here we note the HairLift system, which lifts hairs - even short or flat-lying ones - for more effective epilation in a single pass. There is also a pivoting head for contoured areas such as knees and ankles, and massaging rollers to prepare the skin.

Alongside that, there is a light beam to track down every last hair, plus a bikini head and a shaver head. In short, another multi-tasking epilator.

In practice, it holds its own against the previous two: careful and, above all, quick epilation. No pain-relief accessory, but no need for pass after pass to remove every hair. An effective, easy-to-handle device with precise epilation: it gets everything right.

Expect to pay between £70 and £90 depending on the options you choose.

Also having a moment is this cute little epilator from BaByliss. It gets straight to the point: it epilates well, and that is no small thing. Small, compact, easy to handle and take with you, the Miniliss offers excellent value for money. No pain-relief trick, but an exfoliating head for clearer, smoother skin and technology that, we are told, tautens the skin to catch the hair better.

Rather effective, it still has its limits and is only middling on short hairs, as many epilators are, you might say. However, when hairs reach the required length, it epilates, and well.

Expect to pay between £45 and £55, a fair price for a new, decent epilator.

We finish with the newcomer from the brand known for women's hair removal: Veet's Douceur et Liberté epilator. For all its very girly looks, it is a thoroughly professional device: standard size, a light to track down hairs, a special bikini head and a wide head - 42 tweezers - for legs, so more hairs are removed faster.

It has had good press, too, this pink-and-white Veet epilator, and it makes the jump from wax to electric with success. Expect to pay around £70 for the pack: epilator, two heads and pre-epilation spray.

Budget

On price, electric epilators now cover a fairly wide range depending on options and accessories. Expect around £25 to £50 for an entry-level model, £50 to £100 for a mid-range device with a flexible head, bikini and shaver attachments, and more like £100 to £180 for the most elaborate models, with pain-relief systems or pulsed-light technology. Prices also vary by retailer - supermarket, pharmacy, beauty retailer or specialist website - and by promotions, which are often worth checking in spring.