For many, an electric shaver is enough. But recently, body trimmers have become rather popular too.
The Norelco Bodygroom 7100 BG2040 body shaver by Philips is one of the best-known products in this category, mostly because it offers a premium experience at a fairly moderate price.
When you compare it to all the products on the market it really does seem to stand out from the crowd. This is why I needed to see for myself and now I’m sharing my experience with you.
Table of Contents
The Quick Facts
As the name suggests, this shaver is meant to be used for grooming and shaving any part of your body.
The Philips Norelco Bodygroom 7100 BG2040 has a 3D pivoting head which makes it easy to follow all your body contours for the most comfortable shave.
Also, it’s designed so that it’s a two-in-one gadget because opposite from the 3D pivoting shaving head it features a trimmer.
You can choose between five different lengths. If you prefer shaving under the shower, fear not, this little guy is fully waterproof!
The Philips Norelco Bodygroom Series 7100 shaver features a cordless design for easier and safer use, and it only takes one hour for a full recharge. Once it’s recharged, you can use it for 50 minutes, which should be enough for all your body hair removal endeavors.
The blades are self-sharpening so there really is no need for any lubrication or other types of maintenance. Its shaving head is made from hypo-allergenic materials, so you shouldn’t expect any skin irritation or allergic responses.
The BG2040 comes with a full two-year warranty and a 45-day money-back guarantee, so if you don’t like it, you can simply return it and get your money back. I don’t think that will be the case, though.
- Excellent build quality
- Good for wet and dry shaving, fully waterproof
- Two-way design features a trimmer and a shaver in one product
- Virtually no maintenance and inexpensive, long-lasting replacement shaving heads
- 3D pivoting head makes for a very comfortable shaving experience
- A bit hard to put the foil and cutters back in place
- No quick battery charge feature
- The shaver doesn’t match the trimmer in terms of performance
- The pivoting head may require some time to get used to
Who Is It For?
If you're on the hunt for a reasonably priced electric body groomer to take care of all your body areas, look no further. The Philips Norelco BG2040 will probably be the solution to all your problems without actually breaking the bank.
Let's get down to the details.
The Key Features
Once you open the package, you'll find the next items:
- Philips Norelco BG2040 groomer
- Charging stand
- Charging adapter
- Cleaning brush
Design and Ergonomics
Obviously, the first thing you notice is that it is a two-in-one body groomer that has a shaver at one end and a trimmer at the other. This is a very convenient feature, as it saves money so you don't have to buy two different products or keep switching between them.
Once you take it in hand, you will realize that it feels very solidly built and there's no doubt about the quality of materials used. When compared to the previous model, it is a big step forward.
Philips Norelco Bodygroom 7100 features rubber inserts on the sides for a better grip and its curved design makes it easy to maneuver around your body areas.
Its shaver has a 3D pivoting head which is designed to follow closely the contours of your body and makes for a much more comfortable shaving experience.
On its other end, the trimmer is equipped with an adjustable, integrated comb.
The groomer can be used for dry and wet shaving, which means that you can use it with shaving cream. Another excellent feature of the BG2040 is that it's 100% waterproof, so you can groom yourself while showering.
It can only operate cordless, for obvious safety reasons and it charges via its charging stand. When fully charged, it can run for 50 minutes, and it only takes an hour to charge it.
I should point out that it cannot operate while it's charging. On the plus side, the charger feels solidly built, it's got spring-loaded charging plates and small rubber feet which provide it with a much firmer grip.
The Shaver
As mentioned earlier, the shaver of the Philips Norelco Bodygroom 7100 BG2040 features a 3D pivoting head that follows all the contours of your body. This may seem like an excellent thing at first, but it really takes some time to get used to.
When you drag it over your body areas, the angle relative to the skin keeps changing, so you have to constantly readjust the angle at which you hold the groomer. As an outcome of this, you'll often experience pulling on the hairs. It is no major issue once you get used to the autonomy of the pivoting head's movement.
Make sure you're extra careful when shaving your underarms and the groin area, as these are the most sensitive parts.
The shaving head is made from hypo-allergenic materials which reduce the risk of skin irritation or any other type of allergic reaction. The blades themselves are self-sharpening and require no lubrication or any other maintenance.
The shaver works like a breeze, but at this price range, you can't really expect it not to leave a few hairs here and there. Yes, you will have to make additional passes over some areas, so better get used to it.
The Trimmer
The trimmer is actually one of the most appealing features of the BG2040 body groomer. It has a built-in adjustable trimming comb and rounded blades. You can easily select from five different length settings -- from 11/25 inch to 1/8 inch.
It works much better when used dry, but if you simply can't make it without any shaving cream or you prefer shaving and trimming while showering it works that way, too.
Other Alternatives
Quite often people compare the Philips Norelco Bodygroom 7100 BG2040 to another model – the BG2034 from the 3100 Series line. The Norelco Bodygroom Series 3100 is more affordable but it doesn't come with the 3D pivoting head. It has only three trimming length settings and it takes EIGHT hours for its battery to charge.
I don't recommend it as the money you'll save on purchase is really nothing compared to the time you'll spend waiting during the battery charging process.
Final Verdict
After countless hours spent searching for the perfect body groomer, I have to decide whether the Philips Norelco Bodygroom 7100 BG2040 really is the best body groomer out there in this price range.
Once you take its price tag into account, it definitely is. Sure, there are more expensive products, but in this price range, nothing really comes close to the BG2040. I would recommend it to all the guys out there who want to enter the realm of electric body groomers without going dead broke.
If it tickles your fancy, you can purchase it.
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Design
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Features
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Battery
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Performance
