Smoothest Shave I've Ever Had
Written: Feb 07 '01
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Pros: Close Shave, Easy Cleaning, Very Comfortable
Cons: Slightly Expensive
The Bottom Line: A very well build razor that shaves very closely much more comfortably than blades and is a snap to clean.
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| tx4x4's Full Review: Philips Advantage 5615 X Electric Shaver |
I consider myself to be a bit of a man’s man, and those who know me would agree. Pain tolerance has always been right up my alley; but, after many, many years of shaving with blades, my face was beginning to show signs of fatigue. Razor burn, dry skin, and cuts became commonplace, not to mention the price for replacement blades from Gillette. Well, I always swore that I would never use an electric, but finally broke down and begged for one. Needless to say I have been extremely impressed by it.
The Features
Shaving
The design and function of this razor are well thought out and planned. Two of the features Norelco base their reputation on are the Lift and Cut and Reflex Action systems. Lift and Cut is Norelco’s name for their staggered blades. As the blade encounters a hair one blade essentially grabs a hold of the hair, pulling it, while the second one cuts it below where it would lie normally. Yes, it sounds painful; but it’s not, you can’t even feel it happening and it results in a very close shave. Reflex Action deals with the positioning of the heads: each head on the razor floats on a spring which molds to the part of the face being shaved, and all three are on a different hinge which allows curvaceous facial features like the chin to be tackled very easily and comfortably. The biggest feature of this razor and the one which makes it the best cordless on the market in my opinion is the lotion dispensing. Two buttons on the side dispense lotion right above the heads which is convenient and less messy than dealing with shaving cream. The lotion smells great and is very soothing. The lotion also reduces friction between the blades and your face which aids in comfort. The heads of the razor are slotted which allows hairs to enter easily, and the blades themselves spin very quickly which makes short work out of the thickest hairs.
Convenience
The razor is ergonomically designed and will fit just about everyone’s hand easily. Simple directions: metal button in the middle for on/off and two on the side for lotion dispensing, that’s it. The body is textured so it grips well. Recharging time is officially eight hours for a full charge, and I usually get a half a month’s worth of shaving on a full charge. This is officially a wet/dry system, but the lotion and razor don’t work well unless your face is wet, a dry shave would be a sticky, painful mess. Cleaning couldn’t be easier, simply flip the head open, and run it under tap water, and you’re done! It is also recommended that once a year the heads be cleaned individually to remove all the grime that can buildup. The unit also comes with a clipper for trimming side burns which works well enough in a pinch.
The Results
The results are simply fantastic, after two years, my face has never been happier. It gives me a closer and more comfortable shave than blades ever have. One word of caution, like the commercials say, it takes time for your face to adjust to the electric razor, so give it time. No matter how tempting it is to go back to blades, stick with the electric and after a while you’ll see just how close it actually does shave. Also, since the blades never actually come in contact with your face, it’s important to exfoliate your skin regularly to prevent dead skin buildup or else ingrown hairs and stubble will be a problem.
The Costs
Aside from the $100 startup cost for the unit, I have used 25 Nivea cartridges at about a dollar a cartridge and replaced the blades once for $35. Not cheap, but probably cheaper than blades in the long run and my face has never been happier.
In Conclusion
If you’re tired of using blades and your face is showing signs of wear, give the Norelco a try, they have a trial period which allows for a full refund if you’re not happy, so you’ve got nothing to lose. My face has never felt or looked better!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 95.45
Noise Level: More quiet than most
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Epinions.com ID:
tx4x4
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Member: Kiran
Location: Houston, TX
Reviews written: 38
Trusted by: 19 members
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