The Emjoi Emagine AP-18 is the specialist for coarse, stubborn hair: 72 tweezers across two opposed heads, corded power that never fades, and a glide-and-lift action that catches flat-lying hairs. Here's where it excels, and why it is not for everyone.
Most epilators are designed to be all things to all people. The Emjoi Emagine AP-18 is not. It is a focused tool built to remove the most hair in the fewest passes, aimed squarely at people with thick, fast-growing or coarse hair who find gentler units slow and frustrating. Within that brief it is the most effective epilator we tested, and that is exactly why it earns a place on this list.
| Model | Price | Tweezers | Head | Wet and dry | Rating | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ★ Top pick Emjoi Emagine AP-18 Dual Opposed Head Epilator | £89.99 | 72 (dual opposed heads) | Two glide-and-lift heads, corded | No, dry use only | ★ 4 | View → |
£89.99
72 (dual opposed heads) · Two glide-and-lift heads, corded · No, dry use only
The verdict from Hannah Whitfield, hair-removal and skincare tester
The pick for coarse, stubborn hair. With 72 tweezers across two opposed heads, the Emjoi Emagine AP-18 simply removes more hair per pass than anything else here, and the glide-and-lift action lifts flat-lying hairs that other units skim over. Being corded, it never runs flat halfway through a leg. The trade-offs are real: it is dry-use only, the cord limits where you can use it, and it has the firmest feel of the group, so we would not point a beginner here. For thick, fast-growing hair, though, it is the most effective unit on the list.
Mows through dense hair in fewer passes; firm and businesslike rather than gentle.
The Emagine is the right epilator if you have coarse, dense or fast-growing hair and want raw effectiveness above all else. It suits experienced users who have built up tolerance, who epilate larger areas such as legs and want to be done quickly, and who do not mind a corded device in exchange for power that never drops mid-session. If your previous epilator felt too slow or kept missing flat-lying hairs, this is the unit built to fix that.
It is firmly not for beginners. The dense twin heads are very effective but have the firmest feel of the group, and it cannot be used wet to soften the sensation. A nervous first-timer should start with the gentle Braun Silk-epil 5 and only consider the Emjoi once their skin has adjusted. Knowing that boundary is the key to being happy with it.
This is the Emagine's whole reason for being, and it delivers. With 72 tweezers across two opposed heads it removes far more hair per pass than anything else here, so a coarse-haired leg that would take ages with a mid-range unit is cleared quickly. The results last the usual two to four weeks, and because it pulls so thoroughly, you are left with genuinely smooth skin rather than scattered strays.
The glide-and-lift action is the Emagine's clever touch. The opposed heads are designed to lift hairs that lie flat against the skin and feed them into the tweezers, catching the awkward, low-lying hairs that single-head units skim over. For people whose hair grows at an angle or sits flat, that is a meaningful improvement, and it is a big part of why the Emagine clears coarse, uneven hair so well.
Being mains powered, the Emagine never runs flat halfway through a session and never loses strength as a battery drains. For someone clearing larger areas with dense hair, that consistent full power is a real advantage, you get the same effectiveness on the last pass as the first. The trade-off is obvious: the cord limits where and how freely you can use it, and it rules out wet use entirely.
There is no getting around it: the Emagine has the firmest feel of the group. The dense twin heads remove so much at once that the sensation is sharper than a gentler, lower-count unit, and without wet use you cannot soften it the way you can with the others. Exfoliating well and going slowly help, but this is a tool that rewards experience and tolerance rather than easing you in.
The Emagine's drawbacks are the direct flip side of its strengths. The corded design that gives it relentless power also tethers you to a socket and prevents wet use, and the dense heads that make it so effective are what make it feel firm. For its intended buyer, none of these is a dealbreaker, they are the price of being the most effective unit on coarse hair. For anyone who wants comfort, convenience or a gentle introduction, though, a wet and dry cordless unit such as the Braun Silk-epil 9 is the better fit.
It is the best on test for it. With 72 tweezers across two opposed heads and a glide-and-lift action that catches flat-lying hairs, it removes more hair per pass than anything else here, which makes it ideal for thick, fast-growing or coarse hair.
Yes. It is mains powered, so it never fades mid-session and keeps full strength throughout. The trade-off is that the cord limits where you can use it, and it is not suitable for wet use in the bath or shower.
We would not start a beginner here. The dense twin heads are very effective but have the firmest feel of the group, and it cannot be used wet to soften the sensation. Newcomers are better off with the gentler Braun Silk-epil 5.
The Emjoi Emagine AP-18 is our pick for coarse, stubborn hair because nothing else here removes as much in as few passes. The 72 tweezers, the glide-and-lift action and the relentless corded power make it the most effective unit on test for thick or fast-growing hair. The trade-offs are real, it is corded, dry-only and the firmest feel of the group, so it is the wrong choice for a beginner or anyone chasing comfort. Know your hair type and your tolerance, and the Emagine rewards you. If you want gentler all-round results, the Braun Silk-epil 9 is the better everyday tool, and the Panasonic ES-EL9A adds versatility. Read our painless epilation guide before your first run, and our how we test page to see how we score.