Electric Shavers/Trimmers

I'm not a very hairy person by nature and I'm willing to sacrifice the closeness factor of blade shaving if it means putting a stop to the outweighing negative side-effects of it. So I've been looking at electric shavers/ trimmers as an alternative because of their ability to shave/trim hair above the skin to avoid the problems (in-grown hair, irritation, sensitivity, cuts, etc.) associated with shaving the skin at/below the surface. I am wondering how many of you out there have or are using electric shavers/trimmers and what you have to say about them. What seems to be the best brand/type? Any considerations and/or negative side-effect of it, other than the closeness issue? Trimmers may not provide the closest possible shave and I've seen some female electric shavers with closeness settings that might allow for the closest shave without ever touching the surface of the skin [with a blade] so they might be the best choice. But these are all assumptions so any info on the topic is appreciated. Thanks.