The Braun Silk-epil 9 Flex is, for us, the best all-round epilator you can buy: a genuinely flexible head, plenty of tweezers and the wet use that takes the edge off the pull. Here's what it does brilliantly, and where its limits lie.
Braun has been making epilators longer than almost anyone, and the Silk-epil line is the name most people reach for first. That reputation is well earned. The Silk-epil 9 Flex feels like properly engineered kit rather than a cheap gadget, and the flexible head it adds to the formula is the single feature that makes epilation faster and more comfortable. That combination is why it sits at the top of this comparison as our best overall pick.
| Model | Price | Tweezers | Head | Wet and dry | Rating | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ★ Top pick Braun Silk-epil 9 Flex Wet & Dry Epilator | £169.99 | 40 (MicroGrip) | Fully flexible, pivots 180° | Yes, fully washable for use in the bath | ★ 4.5 | View → |
£169.99 £169.99
40 (MicroGrip) · Fully flexible, pivots 180° · Yes, fully washable for use in the bath
The verdict from Hannah Whitfield, hair-removal and skincare tester
Our best overall pick. The Braun Silk-epil 9 Flex is the unit we would buy for ourselves: a genuinely flexible head that hugs knees, shins and underarms, plus 40 MicroGrip tweezers that catch the fine, short hairs cheaper epilators skate over. You can run it in the shower or bath, which takes a noticeable edge off the sensation, and the bundled caps make it a true all-rounder for legs and delicate areas alike. It costs more than the budget choices, but it is the one that turns epilation from a chore into a quick routine.
Glides over the skin smoothly, and the wet mode makes the pull markedly easier to live with.
The Silk-epil 9 Flex is the right epilator if you want one device to handle your whole body well and you would rather buy once and buy properly than save a little on a lesser unit. It suits anyone who epilates regularly, has tried and disliked the limits of a rigid-head model, or simply wants the most comfortable full-strength tool available. Because it works wet, it is also a sensible choice for people with a lower pain tolerance who still want flagship results, since a warm bath takes a real edge off the sensation.
It is less essential if you are a complete beginner who is nervous about discomfort, or if your budget is tight. In those cases the gentler Braun Silk-epil 5 or the cheaper Remington EP7035 are the smarter first step, and you can always move up later. For everyone else, the Silk-epil 9 is the unit we would point you to without hesitation.
This is where the Silk-epil 9 earns its place. The 40 MicroGrip tweezers catch short and fine hairs that lesser units skate over, so you make fewer repeat passes and finish with genuinely smooth skin rather than a scattering of missed strays. On legs it clears a strip cleanly, and the results last the full two to four weeks you expect from epilation, with regrowth coming back finer over time.
The flexible, pivoting head is the Silk-epil 9's defining trick. It bends to follow the contours of knees, shins and underarms, keeping the tweezers in constant contact with the skin. In practice that means it removes hair where rigid heads bounce off and miss, especially around joints, and it does so with less of the repeated, painful re-passing that contour hair usually demands. It is a real, everyday improvement that you feel from the first session.
The Silk-epil 9 Flex is fully washable and cordless, so you can use it in the bath or shower. Epilating wet, with warm water relaxing the skin, takes a noticeable amount of sting out of the process, which is exactly why we rate wet and dry units so highly. It is not painless, no epilator is, but as full-strength epilators go this is one of the more liveable to use, and the discomfort eases quickly over the first few sessions.
This is where the brand premium shows. The casing feels solid, the head detaches cleanly for rinsing, and the bundle includes caps for legs, underarms and the bikini line so you are set up for the whole body out of the box. The battery runs for around 50 minutes off a charge, which is plenty for a full-body session. Nothing here feels like a corner cut.
The Silk-epil 9's only real drawbacks are that it costs more than a budget unit and that, like every epilator, the very first session stings until your skin adjusts. Neither is a flaw in the machine. You are paying for the flexible head, the higher tweezer count and the build quality, all of which you feel every time you use it, and the first-session sting is simply the nature of removing hair from the root, eased greatly by using it wet. If you only want to dip a toe into epilation, a cheaper unit such as the Remington EP7035 will get you started for less. If you want the best, this is it.
It is one of the gentler flagships, mainly because you can use it wet, which dulls the pull. That said, a first-timer worried about discomfort may prefer the cheaper, gentler Braun Silk-epil 5 with its massage rollers, then move up later.
Yes. The Silk-epil 9 Flex is fully washable and cordless, so you can epilate in the bath or shower. Warm water relaxes the skin and makes the sensation easier to tolerate, which is the main reason we rate wet and dry epilators so highly.
It runs for around 50 minutes off a full charge, which is plenty for a full-body session. It is cordless for use anywhere, and it charges back up between sessions.
The Silk-epil 9 Flex is our best overall pick because it strikes the best balance of speed, thoroughness and comfort. The flexible head and 40 tweezers make it faster and cleaner than the field, and the wet use keeps the discomfort manageable. For anyone who epilates regularly and wants one device to do everything, it is the soundest buy here. If you would rather spend less, look at the Philips Satinelle Advanced for value, and if you are new to epilation the gentler Braun Silk-epil 5 is the kinder place to begin. Before your first run, it is worth reading our guide to epilating with less pain. To see exactly how we score each unit, read our how we test page.