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Philips PT730 PowerTouch
by Nibelung
I've tried all sorts and makes of electric razors during my shaving 'career' if you can call it that.
From memory, these have included Ronson, Remington, Braun and Philips, and I learned fairly early on that the fixed flat foil shapes of Ronsons and Remingtons didn't suit me, although obviously, Victor Kyam liked Remingtons ... 'so much he bought the company'!
I found Braun's approach of curved foils to be a big improvement, but even so, there is always this tuft of hair under my chin which seems to grow 'against the grain' as it were, which defied the cutters needing special attention, usually with one of my wife's throwaways.
Then I started using the Philips rotary system razors, and these seemed to do the trick, coming as they do from all directions at once, and this is where I've put my money ever since.
Something else I've done for ages is to buy rechargeable razors, for the simple reason that it saves messing the bathroom up whilst fitting a specific shaver socket, and so my last three electric razors have been Philips rechargeable jobs.
The problem with only buying the 'budget' or entry-level versions, i.e. the ones without fancy balm dispensers and electronics to monitor battery usage is that replacement heads then cost a disproportionate fraction of the cost of a new one, bearing in mind that the rechargeable cells don't last forever either. For example, new heads for my previous razor would have cost me £24 just to get something three years old costing £50 back on the road to facial sartorial splendour, when in fact its batteries could start failing to hold their charge during that time.
Sadly, this is the way of many things today, hence the reason for buying a new Philips PT 730 when there's not much wrong with its predecessor.
There are several ways in which the PT 730 differs from its older bigger brother.
Firstly, is uses low voltage, having an AC/DC adapter built into its mains plug, rather than a coiled mains lead feeding all the way to the razor. I assume that this is to keep down the weight of the razor, freeing it from needing a transformer/rectifier built in.
Secondly, it's washable, well the head end is anyway. Under no circumstances should it be baptised with full immersion! Another good reason for keeping it low voltage!
Thirdly the heads hinge up for cleaning rather than come off completely. Good feature? The jury's out on that one but at least you can't forget where you put the cutters down!
Fourthly, and definitely on the down side, it has no separate side-burn or moustache trimmer, so if you have some kind of face furniture, this isn't the razor for you.
USING IT
The razor is commendably quiet, and the batteries last........well, as yet untested, although I used it recently on a one week holiday without resorting to the charger.
The three heads are set as a triangle, initially with a convex curve to them, but pressure on the spot in the centre turns this concave, thus it adheres to facial contours very well. Whether that would be enough to negotiate the hairpin bend of Brucie's chin is another matter. The extra-thin foils on the rotary heads are peppered with slots and holes, the latter designed to lure longer hairs to their death, and the smaller holes for the final 'chop'.
I find that around five minutes is all it takes, although working without the safety net of a mirror takes a little longer as you find yourself turning it back on after discovering a 'bit you've missed'.
I've never regarded an electric shave as the only one of the day, and if going out in the evening I'll always top it up with another. For all other occasions, i.e. the ones with no prospect of a snog, one shave is enough. It doesn't cope well if you've decided to go native for a day, and it baulks at clearing a two-day growth without a trifle of snatching but that's to be expected if you leave shaving until hair clippers are really what's needed.
Generally, it doesn't make my face sore, and applying after-shave is no more of a shock than it is with a wet shave.
Pleased with my purchase?
Yes, at around £50, it does the job, or at least until the next time I need to buy new heads when the statistics will no doubt be stacked against it.
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Philips RQ1150 Senso 2D Touch
by blissman70
Shaving? Not the type that you do with a piece of wood to make it smooth, but the type that men do to get rid of the stubble on their faces or women may do to neaten up their 'sensitive' areas... (and before you raise your eyebrows I mean arm pits... honest)
Anyway. Shaving can be a delicate thing, no matter where you have to shave, ... be it the face, neck, chin, arm pits or even you bottom, there's always a risk of things such as cuts, nicks, rashes or even burns, which on some parts of the body can be very painful.
So finding the right shaver to give you the least painful shaving experience is well worth taking some time over, maybe even trying a few shavers before settling for the one that leaves you smiling instead of wincing.
One particular shaver that I used to use, one of many to be honest, but one of the better ones, was in fact made by a well known electronics company called Philips, with the device I am talking about being the Philips RQ 1150 senso touch, (which should not be confused with those of a similar name).
* So what does this shaver offer then..?
Well. It offers exactly what a shaver is designed to offer. It offers a close shave whether you're near a mains socket or whether you're in the middle of the jungle, as long as the battery is charged of course. As you've guessed by that last comment this shaver is battery operated with the built in battery being fully rechargeable.
* And what features does this shaver have to offer..?
It has several features, such as what is called the GyroFlex 2D system which helps the blades guide gracefully around the contours of the face and neck.
It also has something called super lift & cut technology, which basically means that the blades are designed in such a way as to lift the hairs from the skin, including the shorter ones, then the next blade cuts the hair so that it leaves you with smoother feeling skin.
Then there's the waterproof 'aquatic' system which means that this shaver can be used wet or dry without fear of breakages or short circuits. It can even be used with gels and creams as you would with a disposable razor.
It has a quick charge feature just in case you are desperate for a quick shave when you're mates phone you up and told you he's coming round in ten minutes for a night out at the local as there's a stripper on.
Then there's the fact that it has a floating head, but that doesn't mean that it floats on nothing. It means that the heads all seem to bounce about independently of each other so that they are all able to get around the contours more smoothly.
* What does it look like then..?
It is made of a blue moulded plastic which feels quite sturdy and very comfortable in the hand.
So what does it look like then..?
To be honest it looks like something that you may have seen on Stargate SG1, but it's not, honest, it's a shaver so don't be trying to shoot someone with it, and don't expect it to blast a hole in the Stargate manifesto compulsive radiation trapster either.
The main body, which includes the handle, is designed in such a way as to contain all the working parts whilst keeping all those little pieces of electronics safely away from the water that can be splashed all over this.
On the front of the body, looking at it a certain way, there are the controls and the display, if you can call it that of course. Then there's the on/off switch which is above the displays???
The displays show such things as battery power level, whether you have it plugged in to the mains and whether the lock is on.
* How long before I can have a shave then..?
If you've got a totally drained battery then you will have to charge this up for at least twenty minutes, which will give you what is called in the shaver world as a quickie... (shave that is, not what you're thinking ladies, so let's behave now)
But for a full charge, which will give you a good forty minutes of shaving grace, you'll have to leave it on charge for about an hour.
To actually charge this you simply have it resting in the cradle that come with it, making sure that you have the mains lead plugged into the cradle of course. Then the shaver will charge up, telling you by means of little lights just how much charge is in the battery.
What I mean here is that when it is plugged in and charging the battery symbol flashes. When it is fully charged the same light stays on constantly.
During this full charge process when the plug and the battery symbols light you now know that you can get a quick shave out of the power that the battery has gained.
But when the plug symbol flashes on its own then it is letting you know that the battery is running out of power, hence the plug symbol telling you to plug it in.
* Then there's the trimmer...
This shaver, as with most shavers, has a trimmer which is helpful for those sideburns and designer moustaches.
The only thing about this trimmer is that it takes more than the flick of a button to pop out the trimmer blades. In fact, to get the trimmer blades in motion on this shaver you have to actually take off the triple blade head and shove in the trimmer head so that you can use it...
Sounds silly, and it is a bit, but it's easier done than said... (I think I said that the right way round, done than said, yes).
What I mean by that is that all you have to do is gently pull the triple head upwards, without twisting it at all, and the head pops out of the hole that is gripping it into place. Then you simply slot the trimmer into the hole, still without any twisting, and away you go.
Then it's the opposite way around in order to out the triple blade head back onto the shaver.
As I said, it's easier done that said.
So is it easy to keep clean..?
Of course it is, like many other shavers of its type.
To keep this one clean you can either run the head under a running tap, which can clean away a lot of the stubble, but it can also leave a few clumps of wet stubble in the gaps.
But I find the best way to clean the heads is to take off the cover, which is a matter of pressing the clips on the side of the cover, revealing the triple heads. Then, with the brush that comes with this shaver, give the dry hairs a quick brush out, maybe blowing any loose bits out with your mouth. Then, if you really want to, you can run it under the water tap to clean it out properly.
As I said, it's easy to clean and, if brushed out every day, the heads and blades should last quite some time.
* And what do I think..?
Well, thanks for asking as I have a few things to say about this shaver, which are mainly positive to be honest, but I have a few niggles to get off my chest, (and I don't mean the hairs either...)
The triple rotating head system is a delight to use and gives such a smooth shave that I sometimes feel as if I've used a top of the range razor with all the gadgets attached to it. The triple heads bounce up and down like a gerbil on a trampoline which add to its ability to caress your face like an Italian gigolo.
Some of these types of head can be a little dangerous for me, with them sometimes managing to snag more of my skin than I ever thought I actually had. But this one is different. It's more, well, enjoyable to be honest, feeling smoother across the skin, managing to lift the hairs without taking my delicate skin with it.
The indication lights are simple to understand so that it is very difficult to let the battery run completely dry, unless you're like me and a bit forgetful.
It doesn't take an age to charge the battery up fully and as it offers a quick charge function there's no real hassles about fretting about not having enough power to get a shave in the mornings, or evenings, or when ever you decide to shave. The quick charge does give a fair few minutes of shaving power but as the power drains away it can slow the heads down a bit and can make shaving more of a hassle than a pleasure, although who ever thinks shaving is a pleasure seriously needs some therapy.
It is designed pretty nicely too, albeit a little on the standard side with it's looks. It has a non slip grip handle, (that's easy for me to say...!!), making it easy to keep hold of even with wet, soapy hands.
And there's the clever sounding 'Travel lock', which is posh wording for a locking action that stops the shavers being accidentally turned on when it's in a bag or somewhere like that. This locking system is a simple matter of pressing and holding the on/off button for a few second until the light comes on for locking and goes off for unlocking.
And as for the cradle, which doubles up as a charging stand, this seems to have been cleverly designed and really does look the part, having two arms which almost surround the shaver, seeming to hug it in a comfortable way indeed whilst it sits on top of the charging area.
* So how much would one expect to pay for this blue face smoother..?
This shaver sells on the open market for about £80.00, which may sound a little on the pricey side for a shaver but as it can give a nice clean finish to your face without scratching away the few layers of skin that hold you face together, then it could be money well spent.
* So would I recommend this shaver then..?
Well, this may just make a rather fine Christmas present for the one you love, as long as they don't mind being told that they have 'hair' issues. I mean, some women take offence when I tell them that they have a dashing moustache... I don't know why as some of them are better than mine when I try and grow one.
It may be a bit on the costly side but as it's the festive period coming up, then the customary sales following straight after, there's bound to be a bargain in there somewhere.
So if you can get it cheaper then go for it. A close shave is a close shave either way.
©Blissman70 2012
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