Philips Norelco Beard Trimmer 5100 Review: Flagship Trimmer

Did you know that the Dutch technology company first started in 1891? We’ve grown accustomed to the fact that Philips always delivers when audio equipment and home appliances are concerned, especially their Norelco line of products.

Since you can’t really escape the fact that Philips Norelco shavers and trimmers are everywhere, have you noticed the Philips Norelco 5100 series BT5215/41 trimmer? This model tends to outsell all other trimmers on the market and we couldn’t help but wonder why that’s the case.

Is it Really the Best?

Read our Philips Norelco 5100 review and check out if it’s really the best trimmer at the moment. We’ll cover all the features in detail, but let’s start off with a brief pros and cons list:

Who's Going to Love It?

If you've grown tired of searching for the perfect hair trimmer that won't break the bank, you should really give the Norelco Beard Trimmer 5100 a try. You can use it to trim your hair, beard, and body hair, and frankly, we had a really hard time finding any major issues with it.

Now, let's dig into the features of this amazing little piece of machinery.

Unboxing

Once you open the Philips Norelco Beard Trimmer 5100 box, you'll find the trimmer itself, along with 4 different combs - one for the beard, one for body hair, and long and short hair-clipping combs. A cleaning brush is also included.

Philips Norelco Beard & Head Trimmer series 5100 is mid-range, but this Philips Norelco BT5215/41  model still looks like a really serious piece of kit. All the materials look and feel top-notch, and once you take it in the hand, it feels solid, well-built, and durable.

Right out of the box it looks promising, so let's move on to what it can do.

It Cuts, Alright

When performance is concerned, the first thing we need to point out in this Philips Norelco Beard Trimmer 5100 review is that it comes equipped with what Philips refers to as the Dynamic Beard Guide System.

This gimmick is meant to help to feed your hair into the comb and it's supposed to prevent long hairs from being left behind once you're done.

Does it really mean you don't have to make multiple passes? You can adjust the integrated hair-lift comb to –achieve the effects of the long beard, short beard, 3-day stubble, or something in between. There are 17 built-in precision length settings in all.

The main feature of the Philips Norelco 5100 beard trimmer is actually what the manufacturer refers to as Dual Sided Technology. This is what sets this Philips beard trimmer apart from other products on the market.

One side of the trimming head looks like something you'd find on any other hair trimmer, as it can handle all standard duties such as shaving and trimming.

The other side of the trimming head is the key. It's smaller and much more detailed, so it's meant for all intricate trimming, shaving, and shaping adventures. Combine this with seventeen precise length settings ranging from 1/64 to 1/2 of an inch, which you adjust very simply via the zoom wheel, and you’ve really got yourself a winner among hair trimmers.

There are two clipping combs for short and long hair which can handle hair length from 0.4 to 7mm and 7 to 13mm, respectively.

If you want to trim your body hair, there is another comb specially designed for that.

Most hair trimmers tend to tug at your hair here and there. This simply isn't the case with the Philips Norelco beard trimmer 5100. This is mostly due to the locking mechanism of the integrated comb that engages after you've set the preferred length on the zoom wheel.

When it cuts, it cuts with ease, as its oversized motor can handle with aplomb any hair length or thickness you throw at it.

Unlike the pricier trimmers in the Norelco range, this one doesn't come with a vacuum feature that sucks up the tiniest hairs, but that's really nitpicking and trying too hard to find a flaw on a fine product.

Battery Life

This is another shiny and bright aspect of our Philips Norelco 5100 review, as the trimmer comes equipped with a fairly advanced lithium-ion battery which takes only 1 hour to charge fully. Once it's filled up with juice, it provides 70 minutes of performance for all your trimming endeavors.

If that isn't enough, it can still be used while you charge it.

Maintenance and Cleaning

Another thing we want to point out in our Norelco 5100 review is that the blades are made of steel. They prevent skin irritation and they are also double sharpened to cut more hair on every pass. This also means that the blades are self-sharpening.

Unlike some other trimmers that require a drop of oil here and there, these blades require virtually no maintenance at all.

The Philips Norelco 5100 is fully waterproof so it can be used in the shower, and it's also very easy to clean. Once you're done trimming, simply rinse it under running water and that's about it. If there are hairs and debris clogged in the trimming head, make sure to use the cleaning brush that comes with the package.

Once rinsed, simply leave it out to air dry.

The Final Verdict

All things considered, the Philips Norelco 5100 beard trimmer is a tough trimmer to beat. It comes jam-packed with cool and handy features, it has excellent battery life, it's easy to clean, it's waterproof, and on top of that, it's very competitively priced.