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Philips i9000 electric shaver: two-minute review
Before I splashed out on the Philips i9000 electric shaver, I was putting up with a generic $35 / £30 one I picked up at Amazon. Forking out 10x the worth for a premium mannequin was a painful concept, however not as painful as my shaving experiences with a budget mannequin, so I went for it. (By the way in which, that shaver at Amazon had a 4.5 star common score over a whole lot of person evaluations, lots of that are clearly bogus. That is a threat in trusting unknown person evaluations.)
Six months later, my face continues to be thanking me that I spent additional on the Philips i9000, particularly for the 50% off sale value that pushed the bottom mannequin nearer to $300 / £230. (There are additionally pricier ‘Status’ fashions within the sequence, which I have not examined.) The i9000’s agile triple-head electrical shavers simply navigate difficult contours, together with the jawline, sustaining an in depth shave alongside the way in which. It feels nice within the hand, too.
This is the first electric razor I’ve used with pressure indicators, which are a genuinely useful feature: if the shaver lights up green then you’re applying the right amount of pressure, if blue you’re too soft, while orange is too hard. I’ve generally found that following the pressure indicators delivers an effective shave while minimizing irritation – this feature is no gimmick.
Battery life is decent, too. For an average shave, I’m seeing a 3% reduction in battery life on the digital display, and that’s even six months down the line. I’d say the i9000 is good for 30 shaves before needing a recharge, for which Philips provides a wall mounted USB-A charging base (a minor complaint is that USB-C would be more convenient for travel).
The razor is waterproof so can deal with moist and dry shaves, whereas the flip-out trimmer on the razor’s underside is an inexpensive answer for tidying beard edges and exact cuts, which is one thing I repeatedly do (and cope with stray nostril / ear hairs – apologies for the overshare).
I reckon the i9000’s heads have regularly misplaced a few of their slicing effectiveness over the 6 months, however they nonetheless lower advantageous, simply with a little bit additional effort than was required on day one. Alternative heads can be found for a not-too-unreasonable value, however I think I am going to must swap mine yearly fairly than each two years, as Philips suggests.
Do not buy into any person evaluations on the model’s web site in regards to the i9000 being nearer than a correct moist shave with a security razor – it is merely not true. If you would like the closest shave doable, with fewer missed hairs, old style is the way in which. Nevertheless, I have been tremendous pleased with the i9000. I am unable to recall switching to a moist shave ever since, which undoubtedly wasn’t the case after I was utilizing that low cost various.
You actually do get extra to your cash with the Philips 9000 sequence, and my shaving routine has been a happier expertise since I made the swap – for my cash, this is likely one of the best electric razors available on the market.
Philips i9000 electric shaver: price & availability
- List price is $240 / £479.99 / AU$600
- Regularly on sale for less than half the list price in the UK
- Replacement heads available
I’m not sure anyone in their right mind would buy the Philips i9000 at full cost, but thankfully it’s almost always available for less than half the list price, which is palatable. At the time of writing, I’m seeing the shaver for $240 / £225 on the Philips site. Even then, I’d hardly call it superb value, but then again you do get the better shaving experience versus a generic sub $45 / £35 model.
Replacement heads are available at the Philips site for $65 / £40 / AU$106 – prices will likely vary at independent stockists. The guidance is to replace the heads every two years, but on my experience I reckon every year is ideal, given 6 months use has seen a slight reduction in cutting efficiency. The product comes with a 5-year service warranty.
- Value for money score: 3 out of 5
Philips i9000 electric shaver specs
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Waterproof: |
Yes |
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Battery life: |
50 minutes |
|
Charge time: |
1 hour full, 5-min quick |
|
Charger type: |
Shaver/USB-A |
|
Accessories: |
Quick clean pod, charging stand, travel pouch, plus GroomTribe app |
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Suitable for: |
Face or body |
Philips i9000 electric shaver review: design
- Ergonomic handle and handy pressure LED indicators
- Pop-up trimmer for edges, or dedicated beard trimmer head
- Charge dock and hard case for travel, but the latter only fits the razor
From the ergonomic handle to the agile heads and digital display plus LEDs, the i9000 is a premium shaving experience. Rightly so, given how pricey it is.
I’ve no real complaints in any area: the three heads pack what Philips dubs a triple action lift and cut system up to precisely 0.00mm skin-level, without the risk of cutting skin that comes with wet shaves – you’ll certainly get a close shave, even if I found a few months down the line that the shaver regularly missed individual hairs.
The shaver integrates an LED light ring around the base of the shaver head. With the shaver active, those LEDs emit a blue light if the pressure your applying is too soft, orange for too hard, and green for the right amount of pressure.
Below that, an small non-touch color screen displays battery life and cycles through features such as the Philips app. I’ll be honest, I didn’t see the need to pair the shaver with my phone and explore the app, which Philips says will give you ‘an even-better routine and technique’ by offering ‘real-time guidance and personalized shaving insights to help you look and feel your best every day’.
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There’s a pop-up trimmer on the shaver’s underside, which is pretty basic but works well enough for quickly tidying up beard edges. If that’s the main task though, the main head can be removed and swapped with a proper beard trimmer, which is much more powerful and effective.
Practically, I’d like to see a USB-C port which would make on the go charging much more convenient than lugging the charging base, which uses the proprietary shaver connector, on a trip. Although Philips supplies a hard travel case for the shaver, this will only fit the razor itself, and not any of the shaver or trimmer heads.
- Design score: 4.5 out of 5
Philips i9000 electric shaver: performance
- Around 30 shaves from a full charge
- Triple flexing shaver head and trimmer head options
- Modest pop-up trimmer
One cutback made versus the pricier Philips S9000 Prestige is within the charging division – the i9000 options the proprietary shaver connector (USB-A) solely, whereas the Status mannequin gives handy wi-fi charging.
Nonetheless, a full cost ought to ship round 30 shaves, so it is no actual inconvenience to position the shaver within the dock at residence when you’re again from being away. And it will cost shortly too – simply 5 minutes returns the lion’s share of the ability, or it is an hour to totally juice it up.
There are two heads provided with the razor: the triple flexing head with what Philips says is 360-degree precision, plus a trimmer head to neaten edges. A fundamental pop-up trimmer within the shaver’s underside dietary supplements that trimmer head.
General, I have been actually impressed with the efficiency of the i9000 electrical razor. The flexing heads glide easily over each contour and have delivered shut shaves, even when I am getting stray hairs 6 months down the road, particularly on my neck.
And the trimmer head is correctly highly effective, for doing the primary stage of tidying edges, whereas the tiny pop-up trimmer care for the ending touches for a neat beard.
Philips says the flexing heads are good for 2 years use earlier than being changed (you should purchase alternative heads on the Philips web site). I am not so certain – greater than six months down the road and after common use, I am already pondering of changing them. After all the numbers rely on how repeatedly you shave, however I reckon the common individual would wish to substitute the heads after one yr for the very best efficiency.
General, the Philips i9000 has given me the perfect electrical razor expertise I’ve ever had and the proof is within the pudding – I really feel good after a shave and my moist razor has been left unused your complete time.
- Efficiency rating: 4.5 out of 5
Should you buy the Philips i9000 electric shaver?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Design |
Ergonomic handle, waterproof, pop-up trimmer. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Performance |
Agile heads, powerful trimmer head, handy pressure indicators. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Value |
Make sure you get it on sale – it’s regularly available for less than half the list price. |
3 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Philips i9000: also consider
How I tested the Philips i9000
- My primary razor for six months
- I’ve used it most days, whether for shaves or trimming
- Tested in both wet and dry environments
I used the Philips i9000 as my only shaver a few times a week over the course of six months. I generally tidy my neck and cheeks with the triple shaver head and trim beard edges daily with the trimmer head or pop-up trimmer, while full shaves are less frequent.
I have been able to use the razor in wet and dry shaving conditions, assessing how it performs in both scenarios and how effective its water resistance is. In general, I store the shaver in a wash bag and run the battery down to zero before docking it in the charging base to recharge. I have also used the supplied cleaning pod to give the device a deep clean.
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