Finally, an electric razor that cuts close enough without burning your face or have any other issues. This new 9000 Prestige razor is comfortable to shave with, is a lot quieter than the noisy buzzy Braun shavers. I received the closest electric shave ever with this shaver. Many times these days I don't have time to shave with my Feather blades and Merkur razor. This cuts close enough that I have been using it now every day for a month. Highly recommend. But yes, the Merkur and Feather does provide a closer shave still.
Philips Norelco Series 9000 Prestige Electric Razor is the best electric razor I ever used.
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Chandu
I Waxed The Badger.
I believe it. My best electric is my Panasonic Arc-5, but some find that too close. The airlines lost my luggage for a couple of days so I went and bought a Norelco 4100 for about $50. 1/4 the cost, but at least 80 to 90 percent the shave of the Panasonic. I have no doubt a higher end Norelco could be just as good. And yes, rotary shavers are quieter. You don't have something changing direction 14,000 times per minute.
A great razor - and one of Norelco's best heads IMO. You can actually use the top plate and heads for the Prestige on any of the 9000 Series bodies with a similar shave. The Prestige has the benefit of one of the most robust builds of any electric (rare to find a metal case these days), and is pretty sharp looking. Not quite as close as my foils (Braun Series 9 an Arc 5), but definitely quieter. The downside of the Prestige is no cleaning station (I realize some don't use, but at this price point you usually get one), and just a cord charger, although you can get the wireless charging model. Good choice.
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Im sure you can use the cleaning stations of the other 9000 shavers with their Prestige if you want to.
I am starting to think the cleaning stations are more of a money maker than actually something that is needed. I had the cleaning station on my older Braun. Very expensive to replace the cleaning solution. Rinsing the shaver under water seems to do it for me.
I agree the Braun 9 Series and Panosonic also cut really close. However I prefer the quieter Norelco than the loud buzzy foil shavers.
I am starting to think the cleaning stations are more of a money maker than actually something that is needed. I had the cleaning station on my older Braun. Very expensive to replace the cleaning solution. Rinsing the shaver under water seems to do it for me.
I agree the Braun 9 Series and Panosonic also cut really close. However I prefer the quieter Norelco than the loud buzzy foil shavers.
Those are the types of Norelcos I tend to buy. They are good values and the maintanence costs are low. I've never had to change the cutter heads on mine and it's over ten years old. It's mostly a self-sharpening design.
Chandu
I Waxed The Badger.
Yes. Aside from acquisition cost the ongoing costs of electric razors are quite low - if you avoid the cleaning station. The Panasonic has a special cleaning mode that you can just use soap and water with, works perfect. Norelco, take the heads of rinse out with running water and a little foaming pump soap and you are good to go. The Panasonic tells you when it needs to be cleaned. The Norelco I would do after a couple of weeks of shaves.
Aside from the cost of the cleaning station and running it is the space it takes up.
The Prestige won't fit in any current Norelco cleaning station, but a workaround some use is to remove the top plate and put it on a 9000 Series body, then place in the 9000 Series cleaning station - if you already have one) if you really want to use the Norelco cleaner. As many point out, it's fine to manually clean the shaver head - Norelco recommends a thorough monthly cleaning for the SH98 heads, which requires removing the cutters and combs and brushing/washing individually, a bit of a chore, but only monthly. I actually prefer a cleaning station for the convenience, especially with the Braun which has a cassette. You never completely clean all the nooks and crannies in a cassette manually, one of the downsides of an enclosed cutting assembly - but to be fair rinsing with hot water and soap is probably good enough. The Panasonics and Norelcos are much easier to get completely clean manually, with separate cutters and foils/combs.
I resharpen the cutters on my philips/Norelco's.
Clayton
Sent from my SM-A705U using Tapatalk
I’m sure the higher end Phillips Norelco shavers are excellent and run quieter than the screen type Braun or Panasonic shavers. Generally, Phillips shavers are gentler on your skin than foile types.
Just read a review of the 9000 Prestige at the ShaverCheck website and the reviewer agreed with everything you said. However, I can’t believe that Phillips doesn’t provide a cleaning brush. Braun also decided to eliminate the cleaning brush with their new series 8 shavers. I assume that I will have to hold on to the cleaning brush that came with my Braun 7893s shaver until I die.
Because all modern shavers are easily washable, a cleaning station IMHO is a waste of counter space, waste of electricity and a continuing waste of money on cleaning fluid.Some points, good and bad, about the use of cleaning stations for Panasonic, Braun and Norelco shavers:
- You don't need to disassemble the shaver head to clean it, potentially damaging cutters, combs or foils, and they do a better cleaning job, faster, than manual cleaning. More significant with a Braun cassette, because it is impossible to disassemble it. And no amount of rinsing will remove all of the debris in a cassette. In the case of the Panasonic Arc shavers, it's relatively easy to manually clean the separate cutters and foil, so a cleaning station is arguably less of an advantage with regard to cleaning. Damaging the cutters in a rotary shaver is much more of a concern, because they are more delicate and they are usually multiple, requiring multiple cleanings. And I've never heard an argument that touching or handling the live edge of a cutting blade is beneficial for either its longevity or sharpness.
- A cleaning station lubricates the heads uniformly, with just the amount of lubrication the manufacturer intended. The cleaning solutions also use some sort of fragrance additive to reduce any residual odors. You can of course lubricate the heads manually - a bit more messy and less uniform, usually with an excess of lubricant, and takes more time. Light mineral oil is recommended, best applied after each use, and the shaver head needs to be completely dry for the best protection, or there are several spray alternatives.
- The cleaning solutions disinfect the shaver head - more or less. In the case of the Braun, the most effective of the big three (and the only one that claims actual disinfectant properties, although detergent-based solutions are disinfectants) with a heated alcohol solution. Norelco uses a mild quaternary aqueous detergent solution which is a slightly less effective disinfectant but not as caustic or dangerous (flammable). Panasonic's is the least effective as a detergent-only solution, and must be hand mixed. The requirement or even the advantage of disinfecting a shaver head or even a DE blade has been argued to a fare-thee-well elsewhere, but the immutable fact is that disinfection kills some or most of the pathogens that might be present on what is essentially a surgical cutting tool. It may or may not have pathogens on it, they may or may not be your own, and you may or may not cut yourself with it (you essentially break the intact surface of your skin when you shave, with anything) - and even if you do, the consequences may not be significant. The significance of shaving with a disinfected, clean shaving instrument is a matter of personal preference and comfort level, but I've never seen a counter argument that it's a bad thing of itself (leaving out other considerations like cost).
- A cleaning station saves time, both in cleaning and recharging. Drop the shaver in the cleaning station and turn it on. That's it. May or may not be significant to you in your shaving routine, but I've never seen the argument that taking more time for a given task is better, all else being equal.
The disadvantages, also enumerated elsewhere:
- They use electricity. All of them. Not only do they require an available electrical outlet, but it's an added cost. Pennies per day, but an added expense. And they obviously don't work when the power goes out - for manual cleaning, see above.
- They cost money themselves - a substantial percentage of the shaver alone. 'Nuff said.
- They are not (easily) portable. If you travel, manual cleaning.
- They take up space, a fair amount of real estate on your bathroom counter. Panasonic with the smallest footprint of the three.
- They require maintenance. Actually, for the Braun and Norelco, almost none except to wipe off the unit every now and then. In the case of the Panasonic, you need to rinse and clean thoroughly with each solution change.
- There is an ongoing expense for cleaning solution, the most economical (but least convenient) again being Panasonic. Average expense can be around $5 a month (although there are cheaper third-party alternatives), from one perspective the price of a Starbuck's and from another $60 a year that you wouldn't spend otherwise.
My take, warts and all, for the most common cleaning stations. I use them, I like them. YMMV.
- You don't need to disassemble the shaver head to clean it, potentially damaging cutters, combs or foils, and they do a better cleaning job, faster, than manual cleaning. More significant with a Braun cassette, because it is impossible to disassemble it. And no amount of rinsing will remove all of the debris in a cassette. In the case of the Panasonic Arc shavers, it's relatively easy to manually clean the separate cutters and foil, so a cleaning station is arguably less of an advantage with regard to cleaning. Damaging the cutters in a rotary shaver is much more of a concern, because they are more delicate and they are usually multiple, requiring multiple cleanings. And I've never heard an argument that touching or handling the live edge of a cutting blade is beneficial for either its longevity or sharpness.
- A cleaning station lubricates the heads uniformly, with just the amount of lubrication the manufacturer intended. The cleaning solutions also use some sort of fragrance additive to reduce any residual odors. You can of course lubricate the heads manually - a bit more messy and less uniform, usually with an excess of lubricant, and takes more time. Light mineral oil is recommended, best applied after each use, and the shaver head needs to be completely dry for the best protection, or there are several spray alternatives.
- The cleaning solutions disinfect the shaver head - more or less. In the case of the Braun, the most effective of the big three (and the only one that claims actual disinfectant properties, although detergent-based solutions are disinfectants) with a heated alcohol solution. Norelco uses a mild quaternary aqueous detergent solution which is a slightly less effective disinfectant but not as caustic or dangerous (flammable). Panasonic's is the least effective as a detergent-only solution, and must be hand mixed. The requirement or even the advantage of disinfecting a shaver head or even a DE blade has been argued to a fare-thee-well elsewhere, but the immutable fact is that disinfection kills some or most of the pathogens that might be present on what is essentially a surgical cutting tool. It may or may not have pathogens on it, they may or may not be your own, and you may or may not cut yourself with it (you essentially break the intact surface of your skin when you shave, with anything) - and even if you do, the consequences may not be significant. The significance of shaving with a disinfected, clean shaving instrument is a matter of personal preference and comfort level, but I've never seen a counter argument that it's a bad thing of itself (leaving out other considerations like cost).
- A cleaning station saves time, both in cleaning and recharging. Drop the shaver in the cleaning station and turn it on. That's it. May or may not be significant to you in your shaving routine, but I've never seen the argument that taking more time for a given task is better, all else being equal.
The disadvantages, also enumerated elsewhere:
- They use electricity. All of them. Not only do they require an available electrical outlet, but it's an added cost. Pennies per day, but an added expense. And they obviously don't work when the power goes out - for manual cleaning, see above.
- They cost money themselves - a substantial percentage of the shaver alone. 'Nuff said.
- They are not (easily) portable. If you travel, manual cleaning.
- They take up space, a fair amount of real estate on your bathroom counter. Panasonic with the smallest footprint of the three.
- They require maintenance. Actually, for the Braun and Norelco, almost none except to wipe off the unit every now and then. In the case of the Panasonic, you need to rinse and clean thoroughly with each solution change.
- There is an ongoing expense for cleaning solution, the most economical (but least convenient) again being Panasonic. Average expense can be around $5 a month (although there are cheaper third-party alternatives), from one perspective the price of a Starbuck's and from another $60 a year that you wouldn't spend otherwise.
My take, warts and all, for the most common cleaning stations. I use them, I like them. YMMV.
Why does your electric shaver need to be disinfected? I disagree that it’s NOT a surgical instrument and whatever germs are in the shaver head are from your own body. Electric shavers work on the scissor principle rather than scraping the skin’s surface like a razor blade. The top layer of your skin is basically dead and flakes off every day including into your mattress. The only time I had ever cut myself with an electric shaver was when the foil developed holes on a Remington shaver. I guess you could make the disinfectant argument if you are sharing your shaver with your friends.Some points, good and bad, about the use of cleaning stations for Panasonic, Braun and Norelco shavers:
- You don't need to disassemble the shaver head to clean it, potentially damaging cutters, combs or foils, and they do a better cleaning job, faster, than manual cleaning. More significant with a Braun cassette, because it is impossible to disassemble it. And no amount of rinsing will remove all of the debris in a cassette. In the case of the Panasonic Arc shavers, it's relatively easy to manually clean the separate cutters and foil, so a cleaning station is arguably less of an advantage with regard to cleaning. Damaging the cutters in a rotary shaver is much more of a concern, because they are more delicate and they are usually multiple, requiring multiple cleanings. And I've never heard an argument that touching or handling the live edge of a cutting blade is beneficial for either its longevity or sharpness.
- A cleaning station lubricates the heads uniformly, with just the amount of lubrication the manufacturer intended. The cleaning solutions also use some sort of fragrance additive to reduce any residual odors. You can of course lubricate the heads manually - a bit more messy and less uniform, usually with an excess of lubricant, and takes more time. Light mineral oil is recommended, best applied after each use, and the shaver head needs to be completely dry for the best protection, or there are several spray alternatives.
- The cleaning solutions disinfect the shaver head - more or less. In the case of the Braun, the most effective of the big three (and the only one that claims actual disinfectant properties, although detergent-based solutions are disinfectants) with a heated alcohol solution. Norelco uses a mild quaternary aqueous detergent solution which is a slightly less effective disinfectant but not as caustic or dangerous (flammable). Panasonic's is the least effective as a detergent-only solution, and must be hand mixed. The requirement or even the advantage of disinfecting a shaver head or even a DE blade has been argued to a fare-thee-well elsewhere, but the immutable fact is that disinfection kills some or most of the pathogens that might be present on what is essentially a surgical cutting tool. It may or may not have pathogens on it, they may or may not be your own, and you may or may not cut yourself with it (you essentially break the intact surface of your skin when you shave, with anything) - and even if you do, the consequences may not be significant. The significance of shaving with a disinfected, clean shaving instrument is a matter of personal preference and comfort level, but I've never seen a counter argument that it's a bad thing of itself (leaving out other considerations like cost).
- A cleaning station saves time, both in cleaning and recharging. Drop the shaver in the cleaning station and turn it on. That's it. May or may not be significant to you in your shaving routine, but I've never seen the argument that taking more time for a given task is better, all else being equal.
The disadvantages, also enumerated elsewhere:
- They use electricity. All of them. Not only do they require an available electrical outlet, but it's an added cost. Pennies per day, but an added expense. And they obviously don't work when the power goes out - for manual cleaning, see above.
- They cost money themselves - a substantial percentage of the shaver alone. 'Nuff said.
- They are not (easily) portable. If you travel, manual cleaning.
- They take up space, a fair amount of real estate on your bathroom counter. Panasonic with the smallest footprint of the three.
- They require maintenance. Actually, for the Braun and Norelco, almost none except to wipe off the unit every now and then. In the case of the Panasonic, you need to rinse and clean thoroughly with each solution change.
- There is an ongoing expense for cleaning solution, the most economical (but least convenient) again being Panasonic. Average expense can be around $5 a month (although there are cheaper third-party alternatives), from one perspective the price of a Starbuck's and from another $60 a year that you wouldn't spend otherwise.
My take, warts and all, for the most common cleaning stations. I use them, I like them. YMMV.
You are correct that Braun series 7,8 and 9 shavers have a cassette instead of separate screens and cutters. However, how clean does the cassette have to be? If there was an element of bacteria or other pathogens from hair or dead skin in the cassette it would begin to develop an unusual or bad odor. I have never had any shaver develop a bad odor. I only use my Braun 7893s shaver dry and never rinse the cassette with water. I follow the instructions in the owner’s manual for dry shaving that only requires that you tap the cassette into tissue paper after each shave to remove the cuttings. After 8 months of daily shaving nothing has changed in the speed, odor nor quality of the shaves. If I was concerned with germs I would soak or rinse the cassette with isopropyl alcohol which is cheaper and probably the main ingredient in the cleaning station fluid.
Interestingly, Braun only recommends lubricating the screen on the cassette if you use the shaver wet or rinse it. Because I use it dry it doesn’t require any lubricants. I have been using screen type shavers for over 40 years dry and never had a problem except with a Remington shaver several years ago with holes in the screens. The Remington was the first shaver that I owned that could be rinsed and that probably led to the cutters corroding every few weeks which required more pressure on the screens which wore them out prematurely. My previous shavers were not waterproof and they ran for years by only brushing out the cuttings after each use.
I usually rinsed out my previous Panasonic ES8103 shaver weekly and couldn’t detect any difference in the quality of the shaves if I rinsed it or just brushed out the cuttings. Also, I never replaced the cutters or screens and never lubriated it bcause Panasonic didn’t mention it in the owner’s manual. I don’t replace the cutters or screens on a calendar schedule but based on the quality of the shave and the condition of the screens. There was no detriment to the shaves regardless if I rinsed the shaver or not. After five years of use the cutters began to get dull and the battery stopped holding a week’s charge and it was time for a replacement shaver. I replaced it with my current Braun shaver.
If you are overly concerned about cleanliness, or like the fragrance of the fluid or just enjoy automatic cleaning then get a cleaning station. However, over the last 40 or more years of electric shaver use I never needed a cleaning station and haven’t developed any ill affects by just brushing out the cuttings. Basically, it’s fast and cheap.
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Why does your electric shaver need to be disinfected? I disagree that it’s NOT a surgical instrument and whatever germs are in the shaver head are from your own body. Electric shavers work on the scissor principle rather than scraping the skin’s surface like a razor blade. The top layer of your skin is basically dead and flakes off every day including into your mattress. The only time I had ever cut myself with an electric shaver was when the foil developed holes on a Remington shaver. I guess you could make the disinfectant argument if you are sharing your shaver with your friends.
You are correct that Braun series 7,8 and 9 shavers have a cassette instead of separate screens and cutters. However, how clean does the cassette have to be? If there was an element of bacteria or other pathogens from hair or dead skin in the cassette it would begin to develop an unusual or bad odor. I have never had any shaver develop a bad odor. I only use my Braun 7893s shaver dry and never rinse the cassette with water. I follow the instructions in the owner’s manual for dry shaving that only requires that you tap the cassette into tissue paper after each shave to remove the cuttings. After 8 months of daily shaving nothing has changed in the speed, odor nor quality of the shaves. If I was concerned with germs I would soak or rinse the cassette with isopropyl alcohol which is cheaper and probably the main ingredient in the cleaning station fluid.
Interestingly, Braun only recommends lubricating the screen on the cassette if you use the shaver wet or rinse it. Because I use it dry it doesn’t require any lubricants. I have been using screen type shavers for over 40 years dry and never had a problem except with a Remington shaver several years ago with holes in the screens. The Remington was the first shaver that I owned that could be rinsed and that probably led to the cutters corroding every few weeks which required more pressure on the screens which wore them out prematurely. My previous shavers were not waterproof and they ran for years by only brushing out the cuttings after each use.
I usually rinsed out my previous Panasonic ES8103 shaver weekly and couldn’t detect any difference in the quality of the shaves if I rinsed it or just brushed out the cuttings. Also, I never replaced the cutters or screens and never lubriated it bcause Panasonic didn’t mention it in the owner’s manual. I don’t replace the cutters or screens on a calendar schedule but based on the quality of the shave and the condition of the screens. There was no detriment to the shaves regardless if I rinsed the shaver or not. After five years of use the cutters began to get dull and the battery stopped holding a week’s charge and it was time for a replacement shaver. I replaced it with my current Braun shaver.
If you are overly concerned about cleanliness, or like the fragrance of the fluid or just enjoy automatic cleaning then get a cleaning station. However, over the last 40 or more years of electric shaver use I never needed a cleaning station and haven’t developed any ill affects by just brushing out the cuttings. Basically, it’s fast and cheap.
Sounds like a cleaning station doesn't meet your individual needs or preferences. They're certainly not required in modern shaving systems, and many of the same shavers can be purchased without them. Good to have options.
If you think about it there’s not much that has changed in the basic electric shavers since the end of WWII. The development of flexible and additional heads or screens, rechargeable batteries, and waterproofing are the major improvements in the shavers. The manufacturers came up with a new device that complements the shaver purchase while generating a continuous revenue stream from the fluid. This is obviously is the cleaning station. I agree that choices are very good.
The cleaning station for my Philips I delivered for recycling within the first week as it took too much space. Also I was not interested in buying lots of fluid, not because of cost but it is so easy to just rinse it under the tap. Bacteria I do not know about. Knock on wood I have not had any infections that i know of from not using cleaning stations. Also skeptical to the shaver needing oil when dry shaving but have seen a certain site advocating it.
Some of the "innovations" are very gimmicky and are there for nothing more than being a bullet point in advertising. Being able to fully immerse a shaver in water, for instance, I rank as among the top gimmicks. It just adds needless complexity or expense.
Barbers use clipper disinfectant, and I have a can of that myself, but the main reason I have that is because I buy vintage shavers. If I didn't, I probably wouldn't bother with it.
If you are going to shave in the shower the shaver has to be fully immersible for safety purposes. My Braun 7893s has a switch to allow selection of three different speeds. This is supposed to change the aggressiveness for different parts of your face. I have tried selecting all three settings and can’t tell any difference in the speed of the motor, sound of the shaver nor of any difference in feel of the shaver on my face. I just leave this gimmicky feature set to the most aggressive setting. Both the Panasonic 9000 and the Braun Series 8 and 9 automatically adjust the speed of the motor by reading your beard as you shave and making the aggressiveness adjustments automatically. If the manual adjustment doesn’t make any difference in the speed why would an automatic version be better? The reviewer of the Panasonic 9000 Prestige did notice a difference in speed from the automatic function while using the trimmer but no difference after setting the speed manually.
Another feature that seems silly is a power switch lock. Both the Panasonic 9000 and the Braun series 8 shavers allow the power switch to be locked to prevent accidentally running the shaver down while it’s packed while traveling. Both shavers come with a hard sided travel case which should prevent accidentally pressing the power switch to run while it’s packed in your luggage. I just pack the power cord in my shaving kit in the event this ever happens. You could say that I’m like a man who wears both a belt and suspenders, a true safety expert.
In the end at every company revenue is king and everything else takes a back seat. Innovation and improvements drive sales which generate profits. Making an electric shaver immersible to two atmospheres seems silly. I don’t think anyone would shave while under water. However, if you liked shaving in the bathtub, that might be a selling point to get you to buy the shaver. Personally I think shaving wet with an electric shaver seems to defeat the speed and convenience reason for using an electric shaver. Panasonic was the first electric shaver I saw that could be used in the shower. The box depicted a man being shaved in the shower by a beautiful blond woman. I never tried using it in the shower because I’m still waiting for that beautiful blond woman to show up.
I bet that picture sold a lot of shavers some of which were actually used while showering.I agree that cleaning stations are a waste and belong in the recycling bin. However, some people swear by them while others swear at them. The shaver manufactures like them as they rack in the profits.
Having shaved with electric shavers for over 50 years I have never had any infections nor skin problems at all from pathogens by just brushing out the cuttings. Even rinsing my Panasonic shaver under water weekly never presented any skin issues or unusual odor which could be a sign of bacteria growth.
Braun recommends lubricating the foil with a drop of light machine oil weekly if you shave wet or rinse the shaver under water. I assume since this is not required for dry shaving, the main purpose is to prevent corrosion. One website reviewer recommends using vegetable oil rather than mineral oil. Everyone has an opinion and some are better than others.
Bob, they don't use that much electricity, or take up much counter space. Being that you can't take the shaving cartridge apart the cleaning unit does give it a more thorough cleaning. Cleaning solution is cheap if you make it yourself, heck you can even just use
Rubbing alcohol as the solution if you want too. Just remember to put some shaver lube on the foil, and cutters after the alcohol dries. As for brushes I agree they ought to include a cleaning brush. A soft toothbrush does work though.
Clayton
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Machine oil gums things up, and vegetable oil goes rancid and stinks. Braun supplies all their shavers with mineral oil.
Clayton
Sent from my SM-A705U using Tapatalk
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