Philips Norelco Shaver Series 9000 Review: Your Shaving Partner

To shave or not to shave? Sometimes waking up on a Monday morning, still longing for a weekend lie-in, this question pops into mind. Whether you do or not is completely up to you, but what is essential is having a top-quality shaver. Why? Because having too long stubble is better than having half done, patchy job!

Choosing a shaver is another complex task, and after scouring the internet the best electric shaver for 2021 is the Philips Shaver Series 9000. Winner of the prestigious iF Design Award in 2015.

However, within these shaver series, are four different models/packages, therefore here is a breakdown and review of the Philips Shaver Series 9000.

Summary

The Philips Norelco Shaver in the 9000 series promises a new and advanced experience in shaving. With the Contour Detect technology, the shaver moves in eight directions, following the curves of every face shape, and this ultimately helps cut up to 20% more hair, giving a 30% closer shave.

The four models in the Philips Norelco Shaver series 9000 are not too different from one another, they all have a sleek design; with slight color variants, and as the Philips Norelco Shavers Series 9000 was the winner of 2015 iF Design Award, its credibility is validated.

More so, Philips is an established and well-known brand in this industry since 1891 and has survived many obstacles and catastrophes, such as World War II. Philips is one of the largest electronics companies in the world and created ‘The Philishave’ shaver in the 1930s which is Dutch for ‘Norelco’ in the US. Norelco, as it stands, is a part of their product line now, and front running for the best shaver to have.

Currently, the Philips Norelco Shaver Series 9000 is the latest, and most popular product to have entered the market.

This review will break down this product in detail to investigate its advantages and disadvantages.

Features:

The shavers in the Philips Norelco Shaver Series 9000 all promise the following:

These are the promises of Philips Norelco Shavers, but let’s look into them in more detail.

In the Box…

In the package comes the following items: 

A thoughtful design: Contour Technology

Recalling the benefits of this shaver, its highly functional design moves independently and smoothly in eight directions, allowing maximum contouring and minimal friction. This allows 20% more hair cut per stroke, giving a 30% closer shave.

The blades collect hairs and promise the closest shave that has been achieved by an electric shaver. In fact, the blades are V-track Precision which provides the optimal position for cutting and promise to self-sharpen due to their design.

What this means is that the blades last longer, which is an ultimate cost saver.

One complaint is that the Philips Norelco Shaver Series 9000 doesn’t work well on long hair, but for amateur shavers, this is the truth for all electric shavers. As they work on a rotating shaver head, the longer your hairs, they will get pulled in the rotary head as you move the shaver. Therefore, this cannot be labeled as a disadvantage or even a complaint as it is the truth with all-electric shavers.

Personal to you: AquaTec Technology

There are three-speed settings for personal taste, allowing those who want a more thorough shave, and it is also great as a learning tool for novice shavers as well as being perfect for experienced shavers.

Multi-faceted, this allows you to cater for your skin and hair type; sensitive or dry, or rough skin is treated kindly with this fantastic shaver. There is a low skin-friendly option, a medium option, and a high thorough option.

You can enjoy a dry shave, or a wet shave, with shaving gel or cream or foam! The choice is yours because the Shaver 9300’s AquaTec technology allows maximum versatility.

Quick and Easy to clean: SmartClean System

The SmartClean system cleans, lubricates, dries, and charges this shaver, which saves you time and effort cleaning it. It is alcohol-free, which means it is sensitive to skin, and its dual-filtration system gives it a thorough clean, and with each clean cycle it charges, so your shaver is ready to use, whenever you need it.

Lightweight & Quiet Design:

The running is smooth, quiet and the model is lightweight. This means that if you are spending some time shaving your beard, or head, or wherever, it won’t make your arms ache. A lot of people are using this shaver for their heads, and again, it is doing an applause-worthy job.

Smart Technology: LED Screen and User Interface

With all the smart technology around us, it is no surprise that the shaver comes with a Smart LED User Interface Display. It allows more control over the shaver and displays the battery level, the cleaning cycle indicator, the replacement head indicator, and the travel lock indicator.

This means that you are always ahead of the game when it comes to shaving, and gives you more time to focus on more important things rather than trying to remember the last time you changed your shaver head!

Lithium Powered Battery

The shaver is complete with a lithium-ion power battery, which gives you an hour of shaving with a full charge, and if you have forgotten to charge it, it charges for a full shave within 5 minutes.

The only ‘disadvantage’ and difference would be that the Philips Norelco Shavers 9700 display the battery as a percentage, whilst the Philips Norelco Shavers 9300 display in bars, not as a percentage. This is not a game-changer, because it is extremely clear when the shaver needs charging, and so we can write this disadvantage off as a design difference.

Replacement Heads need changing

Replacing heads is not unheard of in the shaving world, and it really comes as no surprise that new heads would be needed. However, if you regularly clean out the head and do the SmartClean, then the recommendation is to change the heads every year.

Smart Trimmer separate

The Trimmer is an accessory to clean up sideburns or for shaping, and in the Philips Norelco Series 9000 it comes as a separate Trimmer.

This means you have to pop the shaver head out and clock the Trimmer in to use it. This can be either an advantage or a disadvantage. Some people prefer that it is separate and easy to pop in and out, whilst being stress-free to clean. Others do not like having to click the trimmer in and out, but it is only a few seconds of the hassle of an otherwise brilliant design.

Cleaning solution needs changing

Cleaning wise, the system is clever and charges as it cleans, with a four-hour dry time, putting it on to clean in the morning before leaving for work, or at night before going to bed is the best option.

This way it also charges the shaver. To save on a new cleaning solution, it is easy to remove the head and clean it under a shower faucet after every shave and only use the cleaning system every month. This is guaranteed to double the life of each cartridge… But even then, purchasing a cleaning solution every 3 months does not work out to be that expensive.

You can also charge the shaver without a cleaning cycle, by connecting the cord to the shaver, and not the SmartClean stand.

Travel Case: Ventilation chamber

The Travel Case is a lovely sleek design and is compact, which means it is easy to pack and travel-friendly. It definitely would have been nice to have enough space for the charging cord, but for a few nights away, you won’t need it anyway. More so, the travel case comes with its own ventilation chamber which allows the shaver to sit without collecting too much moisture and ruining its functioning.

Colour Differences

There are two color differences between the 9300 and 9700 Philips Norelco Shavers. The Philips Norelco 9700s are Metallic Grey, whereas the Philips Norelco 9300s are Dark Grey. Whilst this isn’t at all a feature that changes the function, the darker design looks a bit more sleek and elegant.

This is another great option for buying as a gift and allows you to choose which color the recipient would prefer, or of course, which one you prefer for yourself.

Comparison between all models of Philips Norelco Shaver Series 9000

1. Philips Norelco s9721/87 Electric Shaver 9700

With all the amazing features outlined above, this particular model boasts a LED display of the percentage of battery with a User Interface. This is great so that you know when to charge.

It is an attractive darker gray color, which is preferable to some people.

Overall, the Philips Norelco s9721/87 Shaver 9700 is a fantastic shaver, and definitely worth the splurge.

2. Philips Norelco s9721/84 Electric Shaver 9700

After a lot of examination, this shaver seems no different in advantages, disadvantages, and design as the first shaver mentioned in this review.

The only difference seems to be the packaging – as it promises Frustration-Free Packaging. What this means is that there are fewer clips, tags, ties to cut and get through. Little as this may seem, packaging can make a huge difference in the feel of quality. Hence, if you are purchasing the Philips Norelco Shaver as a gift or perhaps buying it in a different place and traveling with it, the sturdier packaging may be better.

However, if you are buying for yourself then the Frustration-Free Packaging just makes it easier to unbox. From research, a lot of Army officers use this shaver and opt for the Frustration-Free Packaging as it is easy to get into and dispose of.

3. Philips Norelco s9311/84sp Shaver 9300

Moving onto the less expensive shavers, the Philips Norelco Shaver 9300s both boast the same qualities, features, and benefits as the other Philips Norelco 9700 Shavers. (Note: The 9300 to 9700 name difference here!)

One of the key elements and differences between the two is that the Philips Norelco s93111/84SP Shaver 9300 has the SP in the product code.

This means Special Pack – which in turn means, that in the box comes two additional cleaning cartridges for the SmartClean system.

This is handy and cost-effective because you will be needing those cartridges to keep your shaver clean and working efficiently.

4. Philips Norelco s9311/87 Shaver 9300

Finally, the last, and best shaver of the series. The Philips Norelco s9311/87 9300.

The reason it is the best is that it has all the quality characteristics of the Philips Norelco Shavers, but the difference and the advantage in buying this one is ultimately the cost.

Delivering all the amazing features of the Philips Norelco Shaver Series 9000, this shaver is over $100 cheaper in value.

With a $200 cost for this Philips Norelco s9311/87 Shaver Series 9300, and approximately $22/per year cost of replacing heads and cleaning fluid (special deals online) this is a cost-effective and quality product. In fact, it has a lifetime guarantee of over ten years if used and cleaned properly

The Final Verdict:

So, after a lot of research and investigation it is abundantly clear that for shaving, this year, the award goes to the Philips Norelco Shaver Series 9000. And the winner for Quality, Precision, Look, Feel and Cost is the Philips Norelco s9311/87 Electric Shaver 9300.

This is a must-have product for anyone who shaves.