Philips Norelco 1250cc/42 SensoTouch 3d Electric Shaver with Jet Clean System, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)If you're a (hairy) man, you're more than likely always trying to find the next best shaver, but hate to spend a fortune on one that may not do the job...

Enter the Philips Norelco SensoTouch 3D Electric Shaver with Jet Clean System (black!). Hopefully it does the job, because it sure as heck costs a fortune!

Firstly, this is without doubt one of the nicest electric shavers I've ever seen. It comes boxed very well (perhaps a little too well - annoying blister packaging for the shaver itself = argh!).

Inside the box you're greeted by a small charger, the Jet Clean system (which is also ANOTHER charger in of itself), the small bathroom-friendly plug, a little cleaning brush, instruction manuals, a little cover for the shaver's heads, and the cleaning solution for the Jet Clean System.

Charging the shaver is not your typical 16-hour affair as is normally the case with shavers. One hour will see your shaver from dead to full. Very nice. The instruction manual does recommend the shaver be removed from the charger when it is charged. I don't really know why, as most "intelligent" devices stop charging after the device is charged anyway to prevent overcharging and lessening battery life. I'm not sure what this Philips Norelco does in this regard, but again - it recommends removing the shaver from the charger when charged. I suspect it should be fine to leave it in the charger when you're done shaving.

So how does it feel?

Well, I have to say the first time you push the shaver against your dry face, it's like it's gently massaging your skin.... until you realize it's also removing hair at the same time. Woah! It's a really fun feeling, but it definitely takes a while to get your entire face shaved depending on how much stubble you have there. I won't lie - it's the absolute closest to a razor I've ever experienced from an electric. It really gets that close if you spend the time to be careful!

That's not say it's perfect. I definitely rubbed my face a little too much in the process the first time, and I did feel a tad sore at the end, but I suspect this will ease with time. In fact, the manual suggests you use ONLY this shaver for 3 weeks so that your face can get used to it. I'll update this review in a few more weeks!

When you're done with your shave, you can use the Jet Clean System, which I think is super cool. You fill (the first time) or empty+fill (subsequent times) the little tray in the bigger charging unit up to the marked line once every two weeks (if you use the shaver every day), and then when you're done shaving, you stick the shaver's head upside down into the Jet Clean System, hit the power button, and then the shaver automatically dunks itself into the liquid/foam/lubricant, runs some on/off clean cycles, and then lets itself dry over the course of two hours. It's definitely very futuristic, and saves having to scrape out hair and gunk like you would normally have to do.

So far I'm VERY impressed.

Pros:

1.) Slick-looking device
2.) Not too noisy
3.) Not too much hair debris everywhere at all - surprised by this!
4.) Very fancy-looking charging LEDs on the shaver itself
5.) Very fancy magnets hold the shaver in place when it charges
6.) Has a nifty slide-out trimmer for below your nose or straightening out your sideburns
7.) Comes with a nice, zipped carrying case for traveling with your state-of-the-art shaver!
8.) Visual indicator when you need to replace the shaving heads
9.) Two-year warranty

Cons:

1.) Definitely will take a bit of an adjustment period if your skin isn't used to such a close shave
2.) The mini-charger doesn't take up a huge amount of room, but the Jet Clean System is definitely not something that could be called subtle... so plan accordingly!
3.) When using the slide out trimmer, it can be tricky to see where you're trimming with the shaving blades in the way
4.) Have to buy Philips Norelco's special cleaning/lubricating liquid for the Jet Clean System
5.) Non-replaceable battery
6.) Just under an hour of use from a full charge (not necessarily a bad thing?)Despite the few cons, this really is a great electric shaver, and definitely the best I've used. I hope it gives me much joy and trimming for a good while to come!

4.5 stars out of 5!

***EDIT August 28, 2010***

So I've been using this all week, and just as the manual suggests, it's getting easier on my skin every time I use it.

ALSO, I have found it is safe to leave the device in the charger when it's charged. The unit actually shuts off the charging circuit when it's fully charged (all the LEDs go out). So despite what the manual says, it IS safe to leave the shaver in its charger when it is fully charged.

Loving this shaver. :-)

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Product Description:
Philips norelco sensotouch 3d provides our closest shave yet. combining gyroflex 3d, ultratrack heads and skinglide, results in an extremely close shave in fewer strokes. gyroflex 3d has three-dimensional-contouring. it pivots around,tilts inward, and flexes outward, to adjust seamlessly to every curve of the face and neck, minimizing pressure and irritation. the ultratrack heads combine channels to catch the longer hairs, slots to catch the normal hairs, and holes to catch the shortest stubble; catching every hair with fewer strokes. aquatec is a seal on the razor which allows for use with or without shaving cream. try half of your face with shaving cream and half without and see which you prefer.