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Illustration. Generic foil-shaver depiction, not the exact Andis model.
The Andis ProFoil Lithium is a gold-foil finishing shaver with a specific job: taking down short stubble. It is a finishing tool, built to take stubble, necklines and fade lines down to skin at the end of a cut. This review pulls together what Andis claims, what owners and barbers actually report after months and years of use, and who should buy it.
- What it is: a pro finishing shaver for short stubble: skin-close fades, necks and head shaves
- What one owner loved: genuinely skin-close finishing, per owner reports
- What to watch: foil heads are consumables and one historical owner reported early failures; buy from a seller with real returns
- Price: Andis sells it direct; check the linked listings for the current price
The quick picks
The Andis ProFoil TS-2 is currently unavailable on Amazon.
In this guide
What the ProFoil Lithium actually is
The current ProFoil Lithium (Andis item 17235, the TS-1) is a cordless double-foil shaver with hypoallergenic gold titanium foils and a 9,000 SPM rotary motor, per Andis’s own listing. The current Andis specification rates the battery at 80 minutes of run time. Use that manufacturer figure when comparing models rather than treating conflicting retailer numbers as a tested result.
Understand the job before judging the tool. A foil finisher works on short hair only: the finishing stage of a haircut, taking a bald fade’s bottom half to skin, cleaning a neckline, edging around ears, or maintaining a shaved head between razor sessions. As ShaverRatings’ summary of the TS-1 puts it, it is designed for finishing work, not intended to replace a beard trimmer, and longer hair should be cut down first to reduce pulling. If you want one machine for a full beard, our electric shaver guide is the right starting point instead.
Watch a barber’s comparison
Garrick Dixon’s June 5, 2025 video compares the BaBylissPRO FOILFX02 with the Andis ProFoil Lithium. The video has separate specs, shaving and conclusion chapters. Watch the shaving segment to see the tools in use alongside the written specs above.
What owners report: the good
The reason this shaver has a reputation at all is the finish. In a March 2021 r/bald post, a member who had been shaving his head with a double-edge razor and then a Pit Bull electric described what happened when his son gave him a ProFoil (generation unstated):
This electric shaver blew me away for head shaves. It was both closer, quicker, and more comfortable that the Pit Bull by a significant amount.An r/bald poster, March 2021; model generation unstated
He rated a fresh ProFoil head shave as nearly indistinguishable from a fresh razor shave. On durability, u/Tru8088, replying to the 2020 longevity thread, reported: “I’ve been using mine almost daily in the shop for 3 years now. No real issues.” (His unit’s generation is unstated.) For the barber use case, our foil shaver guide puts it in the same conversation as the BaByliss and Gamma+ finishers, and our foil-fade technique guide shows how barbers actually use it.
The honest complaints
One historical owner report raises two ownership issues: foil replacements and a motor fault. In a December 2020 r/Barber thread, a poster who bought the Plus version (the black one, per his post) for head shaving on the subreddit’s recommendation, then came back a year later:
In that year, I’ve replaced the foil head 3x so I’m on my 4th foil head, and I’m now having issues where the motor is jumpy, slows down frequently, and can stop altogether until I bang the shaver against something to get it started again.An r/Barber poster, December 2020; Plus version, exact item unstated
The same owner’s update matters as much as the complaint: after some back and forth, Andis sent him a replacement unit. A respondent suggested it might be a faulty unit. That exchange is one owner’s history, not a failure rate or evidence about every current unit. The practical takeaway: buy from a seller with painless returns.
The current maintenance reference is more useful than a forum estimate: Andis’s TS-1 manual recommends replacing the foil assembly and cutters every six months for best performance. That is a maintenance recommendation, not a promise that every foil lasts exactly that long.
The more useful buying tradeoff comes from Ovidiu Nicolae’s ShaverCheck review, updated March 2024. His older TS-1 review praises the closeness but describes a less forgiving neck shave, difficulty with longer hair and dry-only cleaning. The review covers his older TS-1 unit rather than current item 17235. The lesson for a buyer is to separate a close finish from an easy all-purpose shave.
Do NOT run shaver, foil assembly or cutters under water.Andis, TS-1 Use & Care Instructions
TS-1 vs TS-2: what is actually different
Andis currently lists two versions: the ProFoil Lithium (item 17235, the TS-1, in gray) and the ProFoil Lithium Plus (item 17255, the TS-2), which one owner described as the black version. Per the TS-1 and TS-2 manufacturer listings, the headline specifications match: both pair gold titanium foils with a 9,000 SPM rotary motor, an 80-minute lithium-ion runtime and a two-year warranty. These matching figures do not establish identical shave performance; they show that the Plus does not buy a higher published motor speed or longer rated runtime. The clear difference is the dock: the TS-2 ships with a snap-in premium charging stand, while the TS-1 comes with a dual-voltage charger and adapter. If you want the stand, that is the reason to pick the TS-2.
The replacement part to know
The six-month cadence has concrete parts behind it. Andis sells the ProFoil Lithium titanium foil assembly (item 17285) and the foil-and-cutter assembly (item 17280), both listed for the TS-1, and the TS-1 manual says to always fit a fresh foil assembly when you replace the cutters. When an owner says the shaver stopped cutting like it used to, worn foils are one place to start: not the only one, as the motor complaints above show.
Check Andis TS-1 Foil and Cutters on Amazon
Check Andis TS-1 Foil Assembly on Amazon
The same manual is blunt about cleaning, and it is dry work only: do not run the shaver, foil assembly or cutters under water. Unplug the shaver before cleaning or removing parts, then pop the foil assembly off with the side lock button, tap its base on a flat surface so the hairs fall out, then brush the cutters lightly with the small brush that comes in the box. Leave the foils themselves alone; the manual warns they damage easily.
Who should buy it, who should skip it
- Buy it if you cut hair: it is a finishing tool with long-term reports on both sides: one barber reports three years of daily shop use without issues. The owner who reported four foil heads in a year bought his Plus for head shaving, not shop work.
- Buy it if you shave your head: one head shaver we read rated it nearly indistinguishable from a fresh razor shave, and our bald-head shaving guide covers the alternatives if you want to compare.
- Skip it as your only shaver for a full beard: per ShaverRatings’ summary it is built for short-stubble finishing, not beard trimming: longer growth needs a trimmer or a full-face machine first.
- Skip it if you cannot stomach consumables: replacement foils are a running cost, and one historical owner reported early failures. Keep the receipt.
Also worth a look
If you want another finishing-foil option, the Wahl 5 Star Vanish is worth comparing with the ProFoil. Our foil-shaver guide covers the wider category.
The Gamma+ Boosted foil shaver adds an integrated micro trimmer, per Gamma’s product description. That is a different feature set from the ProFoil’s dedicated foil head, not proof of a closer shave. Compare the layouts and cleaning instructions before choosing.
FAQ
Can the ProFoil Lithium shave a full beard? Per ShaverRatings’ summary, it is a finishing shaver for short stubble, not a beard trimmer replacement: cut anything longer down with a trimmer first, or use a full-face shaver.
Is it good for head shaving? One head shaver we read called it nearly indistinguishable from a fresh razor shave, with the caveat from other owners that foil heads wear and need periodic replacement.
How often do the foils need replacing? Andis’s use-and-care manual recommends replacing the foil assembly and cutters every six months, for best performance.
TS-1 or TS-2? The published motor-speed and runtime figures match. Listed differences include the housing color (the TS-1 is gray and the Plus is black) and the TS-2’s snap-in charging stand. If you want the stand, that is the reason to pick the TS-2.
What if mine fails early? The owner quoted above reported a motor fault and repeated foil replacements, then got a replacement shaver from Andis after contacting support. Buy from a seller with easy returns and keep the warranty paperwork.
