Babyliss Pro Portofino vs Rapido: I Tested Both Foil Shavers for a Year and Here’s Which One to Buy

If you're stuck between the Babyliss Pro Portofino and the Babyliss Pro Rapido, here's the short version: get the Rapido if you prioritize a faster, closer shave for high-volume barbering; get the Portofino if a quieter, more maneuverable trimmer for detailed work is your top priority. I'm an office admin for a mid-sized barbershop in Austin, and I manage equipment ordering—roughly $3,000 annually across 4 vendors. After a full year of testing both, that's my clear conclusion.

I went back and forth on this decision for weeks. The Portofino looked sleek and had great reviews, but the Rapido seemed like the workhorse. Ultimately, I convinced my boss to let us buy one of each (Portofino model E975E, Rapido model E976E) to run a six-month trial, which we then extended for another six. Here's what I found.

The Short Answer: When to Choose Which

For our shop, the Rapido was the better all-rounder for 80% of our barbers. The hyper-foiling head (Babyliss Pro claims it has a 78-blade system) delivers a noticeably closer shave in a single pass. For barbers handling 20+ hot towel shaves a day, that speed adds up. One of our guys, Marcus, shaved a full head in 4 minutes with the Rapido vs. 6 with the Portofino.

The Portofino, however, was the clear winner for detail work. Its smaller, more maneuverable head (I don't have the exact millimeter measurement, but it feels about 30% narrower) is much better for shaping sideburns, beards, and necklines. It's also significantly quieter—something our clients definitely noticed in a unpleasantly noticeable way during the shave. In our 2024 vendor consolidation project, we kept the Rapido as our primary and purchased Portofinos for two barbers who specialize in beard sculpting.

Why My First Choice Shifted (And What I Got Wrong)

At first, I was leaning hard toward the Portofino. It's quieter, and on paper, the specs looked more than adequate. I figured barbers would prefer the less aggressive feel. I was wrong.

The first feedback came from our most experienced barber, Luis. He tried the Rapido for a few days and came back saying, "Don't take this one away from me." His reasoning? The speed and closeness. For a $400 run to a local supply shop (ugh, we had to cover last-minute stock ourselves once), the Rapido earned its keep.

Here's the data we tracked informally:

• Rapido: Average shave time (head + face): 8.5 minutes. Noise level: consistently louder. Blade replacement: every 3-4 months. Zero complaints on shave quality.
• Portofino: Average shave time: 11 minutes. Noise level: noticeably quieter. Blade replacement: every 4-5 months. One or two barbers said it felt like it left a little more stubble after a fast pass.

I don't have hard data on exact cost-per-shave, but based on our usage, the Rapido was about 25% more efficient. That might not sound like much, but in a busy shop, it translates to an extra shave per hour per barber. Over a year, that's significant revenue. I should also note: both are excellent tools. Your mileage may vary if you do primarily long, slow, luxury shaves vs. our high-volume barbershop approach.

Beyond the Shave: Total Cost of Ownership

This is where the total cost thinking really comes in. The initial price difference between these two is negligible—within $20-30 when I purchased in 2024. But the real cost is in maintenance and replacement parts.

Both use the same foil and cutter system (Babyliss Pro part E976F), so that's a wash. The Rapido's motor feels more powerful, and we haven't had a single issue in 12 months. The Portofino, in one unit, started making a high-pitched whine after 8 months (note to self: monitor this batch carefully). It still works, but it's a concern.

Where the Rapido clearly wins is in consumables. Its foils last a bit longer under heavy use. I'd estimate our annual foil cost for the Rapido is about $40 per unit vs. $55 for the Portofino, because we replace Portofino foils slightly more often to maintain that quiet performance. It's a small difference, but it adds up across 5 shaver stations.

The One Exception: When to Stick with the Portofino

I want to be fair—the Portofino isn't a bad shaver. It's actually a great shaver for a specific need. If most of your work is:

• Detailed beard and neckline shaping (not full-head shaves)
• A quieter experience (for a high-end spa setting or nervous clients)
• Shaving sensitive skin (its slightly less aggressive pass felt gentler on a few clients)

...then the Portofino might be your better choice. For those situations, the extra maneuverability and lower noise are worth the trade-off in speed. We actually kept one Portofino in rotation for just that purpose.

But for 90% of barbers who want to get the job done quickly, cleanly, and without fuss? The Rapido is the answer. I wish I had just bought two Rapidos from the start. Hit 'confirm' on that order and immediately thought: 'did I make the right call?' Didn't relax until the first month of positive feedback came in. (Pricing based on my distributor's invoice, January 2025; verify current rates.)