Philips 7110X Electric Shaver

After spending the past two years nicking myself with regular razors (Mach3, etc), I decided it was time to return to the electric shaver arena. I did some shopping around but after spending $5 for new blades, dropping over a hundred for a new electric shaver was a little harsh. Do I really need a shaver that cleans itself? Do I really need a shaver to spit gel at me when I use it? Do I really need it to be cordless?

I did some comparisons and weighed the pros and cons of the features available. A cordless shaver would come in very handy, but spending extra money on a shaver that cleans itself or uses gel packs only increases my overall expense. I finally decided on the Philips 7110x shaver. I paid around $45 for it which was well under the sticker shock of other models and it was cordless. The shaver had a nice, sleek design to it and looked fairly ergonomic as compared to other shavers that look like a block.

When I got it home, I removed it from the box and plastic packaging and started reading the booklet that came with it. I know, you just push the button and shave. The shaver has a flip-top which not only allows you to replace the three heads but also to clean it out. Basic cleaning consists of flipping the top open and running water over the heads. A small brush is included for minor sweeping. The shaver also comes with the charging cord, but lacks a base to nicely hold it while it's on the counter. Further, it lacks a pouch to carry it when traveling. This may be minor to some, but trying to keep the shaver, small brush and charging adapter together on a trip can be challenging at times.

The booklet says to give your skin up to three weeks to get used to the shaver. This also allows the blades to get adjusted to your facial hair. It takes 8 hours to fully charge the battery and the charge lasts for approximately one week. The handle of the shaver has a green LED lit when it is powered on and a red LED to let you know when the battery needs charged. A rubber push button turns it on and off.

Since the shaver came with a charge, I turned it on and dragged it across my face. I've owned electric shavers before and expected a loud "rrrrrrr", but it's quiet motor was a nice surprise. It shaved rather close, but took longer than expected to cut all the hairs. When finished, I plugged the unit in to charge the battery and went on my way, only to return three times for touch-ups on hairs that I missed.

I've owned the shaver for about a month now. It continues to shave rather close, but I have a few thick hairs (wife calls them tree stumps) that won't fit into the screen to be cut. I get a little razor burn with it, but that's just a learning curve on not pushing the heads too hard against the skin. Overall, it's a good, close shave and I'm happy with my purchase. It's a good product for the money I spent.