The Braun Silk-epil 5 is built to ease nervous first-timers into epilation: massage rollers to calm the skin, a compact head that is easy to steer, and wet use that softens those first sessions. Here's why it is our pick for beginners, and what you trade for the gentleness.
The hardest part of epilation is starting, because the first session is the one that puts most people off. The Braun Silk-epil 5 is designed around exactly that problem. It keeps Braun's build quality but tunes everything towards comfort and control, so a beginner can build confidence without being overwhelmed. That focus is what makes it our best choice for a first epilator.
| Model | Price | Tweezers | Head | Wet and dry | Rating | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ★ Top pick Braun Silk-epil 5 5-620 Compact Epilator | £84.81 | 28 (MicroGrip) | Compact, with massage rollers | Yes, washable | ★ 4.2 | View → |
£84.81
28 (MicroGrip) · Compact, with massage rollers · Yes, washable
The verdict from Hannah Whitfield, hair-removal and skincare tester
The best choice for a first epilator. The Braun Silk-epil 5 is built to ease nervous newcomers in: the massage rollers calm the skin, the compact head is easy to steer, and using it wet takes much of the bite out of those first sessions. With 28 tweezers it is slower across a whole leg than the flagship, and it is not the tool for very coarse hair, but as an affordable, gentle introduction to epilation it is exactly right.
The rollers genuinely soften the sensation, which makes it the easiest unit here to start with.
The Silk-epil 5 is the right epilator if you have never epilated before, or if you tried once, found it too sharp and gave up. It suits anyone who wants to ease in gently, who values a compact, controllable head over raw speed, and who would rather spend modestly on a trusted brand than gamble on the cheapest unit available. The massage rollers and the option to use it wet make it about as approachable as a real epilator gets.
It is less suited to people with very coarse, fast-growing hair or to seasoned users who want to clear a full body as quickly as possible. There, the higher tweezer count of the Silk-epil 9 or the corded power of the Emjoi Emagine will serve you better. As a confidence-building first step, though, the Silk-epil 5 is exactly right.
With 28 MicroGrip tweezers the Silk-epil 5 removes hair cleanly, and the results last the usual two to four weeks. It has fewer tweezers than the flagship, so a full leg takes a little longer and you may make the occasional extra pass, but for a beginner that slower, gentler pace is part of the appeal rather than a real drawback. On standard leg and underarm hair it does a dependable job.
The massage rollers are the Silk-epil 5's defining comfort feature. They sit either side of the tweezers and gently stimulate the skin as you work, which genuinely softens the plucking sensation and makes the whole process feel less sharp. For a nervous first-timer that difference matters enormously, and it is the main reason we steer beginners here rather than to a cheaper but harsher unit.
The Silk-epil 5 is washable and works wet, so you can use it in a warm bath or shower where the water relaxes the skin and dulls the pull. Combined with the massage rollers, that makes it the easiest unit here to start with. The compact head is also light and easy to control, so you can work slowly and deliberately while you learn, exactly the approach we recommend for the first few sessions.
It is unmistakably a Braun: solidly made, neatly finished and built to last several years. The head detaches for rinsing, and the battery runs for around 30 minutes per charge, plenty for the leg-focused sessions most beginners start with. It feels like a proper appliance rather than a cheap trial gadget, which is reassuring at this gentle, beginner-friendly price.
The Silk-epil 5's compromises follow directly from what makes it gentle. Fewer tweezers mean it is slower across a whole leg than the flagship, and it is not the tool for very coarse, stubborn hair. Neither matters much for its intended buyer: a beginner working slowly and carefully is not chasing speed, and most newcomers do not have the coarsest hair to start with. If you do, or if you later want to clear a full body quickly, the Silk-epil 9 is the natural step up once your skin has adjusted.
It is our pick for beginners. The massage rollers calm the skin, the compact head is easy to steer, and using it wet takes much of the bite out of the first sessions. It is gentler and cheaper than the flagship, which makes it the easiest way to start epilating.
The Silk-epil 9 has more tweezers (40 versus 28) and a fully flexible head, so it is faster and better on short, fine hairs. The Silk-epil 5 is more compact, gentler and cheaper. Beginners or anyone on a budget are well served by the 5; the 9 is the all-rounder for regular use.
Yes. It is washable and works in the bath or shower, which is exactly why we recommend it to newcomers, the warm water makes those first sessions far more comfortable.
The Braun Silk-epil 5 is our best choice for a first epilator because it removes the very thing that puts people off epilation: the discomfort of the early sessions. The massage rollers, the compact head and the wet use combine to make it the gentlest, most controllable way to start, all wrapped in Braun's reliable build. It is slower than the flagship and not built for coarse hair, but for a beginner those are not the priorities. When you are ready for more speed and thoroughness, move up to the Silk-epil 9 or look at the Remington EP7035 if budget is tight. Start with our step-by-step guide and our painless epilation tips, and read our how we test page to see how we score.