Philips Series 9000 Electric Shaver – Product Review

It’s not very often that I carry out specific product reviews on this site.  This isn’t due to a lack of offers and invitations I receive, but rather the fact that many either don’t fit well with the content I try to feature here, or they simply don’t interest me.

This wasn’t the case however when I received an invite to review the latest battery electric men’s razor from Philips.  I have always been an electric razor user, and as far as I can recall, I have always used Philips or Norelco razors, so there was a natural curiosity associated with the invite.

I also know that using an electric razor is far better for the environment than using disposables.  A good reference point on this is an article published on Slate.com which takes a pretty in-depth look at the overall carbon footprint of the two most popular men’s shaving options.

So with the above considerations in mind, I agreed to receive and review the Philips Series 9000 wet/dry electric razor.

I decided that I would not conduct any research or seek out what others had to say on this product until after receiving it and using it myself. The result was that I had no idea what I was actually going to receive other than the fact that the PR associate who contacted me stated it was the newest and most advanced shaver that Philips has ever built.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

When the shaver arrived via courier in a much larger box than I anticipated, I had my first look and quickly realized that this was more than just a shaver that I was receiving. While the actual shaving unit was more or less along the lines of what I was expecting to receive, it came with a rather large unit that it turned out was more than just a charger.  One of the unique components of the new 9000 series, is a combination charger and cleaning system for the blades of your shaver.

The SmartClean system as Phillips calls it, involves placing the shaver unit upside down along a tower that secures it in place vertically.  The heads are placed into a holder at the bottom of the unit and when the cleaning system is on, a cleaning solution housed in a plastic cartridge below is utilized to provide a thorough cleaning of the cutting heads while it charges the unit as well.  It is suggested that this process be done monthly to ensure optimal performance and the cleaning fluid will need to be replaced periodically and replaced by a new cartridge that is purchased separately.

SHAVING

The unit itself is said to be the most advanced Philips has ever made.  The three independent rotating heads each move in 8 different directions for better contouring of your face.  Philips claims this captures 20% more hair in every pass. During the three or four times I used the shaver prior to writing this review I did find that the blades were more efficient at cutting than my previous Philips shaver which is less than 2 years old.

Another interesting and unique component to the Series 9000 is its ability to operate at 3 different speeds.  Offering slow speed for sensitive skin, a regular speed and a high speed for a quicker and more aggressive cut, this is the first unit I’ve owned with the ability to adjust speeds.  I’ve attempted to shave at all 3 speeds and while I felt the tugging of my facial hair a bit more when using the high speed setting, I did find that I was done faster than I had been used to with my old shaver and was the speed I preferred most.

Daily cleaning is relatively simple as the 3 shaver heads are housed in a unit that easily detaches from the main body and can simply be run under the tap.  More thorough cleaning requires a tool which is included that allows the blades to be unlocked and fully removed from the screen and is not too difficult to do.

The trimmer unit on the Series 9000 is a separate attachment that requires you removing the shaving head and replacing it with the trimmer unit before being able to use. I’ve never owned a shaver that required you to do this and admittedly I was initially a bit put-off by this.  Its saving grace though came from the fact that as a trimmer, it was a pretty good one.  It did take a bit of getting used but once I got the hang of how to use it best, I found it to be particularly effective.  It should be worth noting that the design of the trimmer attachment would make it suitable for trimming other areas of body hair as well.

Charging the unit when the battery is low can be done through either the SmartClean system or through a more traditional AC cord that plugs directly into an outlet.  Battery life is said to offer about 50 minutes of shaving time before needing to be re-charged, which is more than enough run time to meet my needs.

CONCLUSION

As someone who has used electric razors for essentially my entire shaving life, I am willing to concede that the Philips Series 9000 shaver is the best one I have used.  I found that the unit provided me with a closer shave, in less time than what I had been used to.  I also realized that it took about a day longer for my facial hair to reach the same length as it would with my previous unit.

Philips uses the tagline “Perfection in every pass” when talking about this unit, and while I am not prepared to give it such glorified adulation, I will say that each pass offered a pretty damn good shave.

Where I’m not sold though is with the SmartClean system. While the marketing department will try to tell you that using the system and the cleaning solution is the best way to maintain optimum performance, I keep thinking that in all the years I’ve owned electric razor I’ve never had any difficulty with using only tap water and some basic maintenance. The SmartClean unit is big and bulky and would be intrusive to be kept on any bathroom counter.  I also am not fond of the idea of having to continually replace the cleaning solution and I can’t see many people making the effort do to so once the original supplied cartridge needs to be changed.

The Philips Series 9000 is also not cheap.  In Canada the retail price is $269.99, however a recent online check found is as low as $210.  My guess is that anywhere from 1/3 to 1/4 of the price is associated with the SmartClean system.

My overall suggestion is that if you can find the shaver unit alone without the SmartClean system, go for it.  It offers a great shave and is generally easy to use and maintain.  I think the SmartClean system is more of a gimmick and really not worth either the counter space taken up or the extra money taken out of your bank account.

As for a rating, I would give the shaver unit itself a 9 out of 10, but if I had to review the entire unit as it was delivered to me, I would need to reduce my rating to 6.5 out of 10.  

Disclaimer: This product was supplied by the manufacturer for review without expectation of return, or of editorial outcomes. All thoughts and opinions remain entirely those of the author.