Having exclusively used Norelco (and 1 Remington) shavers over the past 30 years, I can say that this is by far the best shaver I have used yet. Here's what I like:
* Gives a great shave
* Very quiet
* Charges quickly
* Alot less irritation than previous razors. I think the fact that the heads move to the contour of your face has alot to do with that.
* Alot easier to hold
* Looks stylish, alot slimmer than previous models
My previous top-of-the-line Remington had the cleaning kit (similar to the Norelco setup). I never really liked having to buy the cleaning fluid, and changing the filters, etc. (kind of messy). But, it was a gift, so I dealt with it.
While looking at these newer Norelco units, I was already biased into feeling that I "needed" a unit with the Jet Clean system. Today, while at Costco (sorry Amazon), my wife bought me the Norelco 1280x (no cleaning kit) as an early Xmas present (it's the "Premium Edition", $169.99 after Costco's current $30 off coupon - a good deal, I thought). After using the unit, I am very pleased with the shaving performance, as well as the cleaning.
The unit cleans very easily by running hot water on the blades for a few minutes (per the manual), after which you can open up the blades (they flip up) and continue to rinse. It's recommended that you do this after every shave, but who wants to do that every morning, right before work (not me, anyway)? I can see how doing this at least a few days a week will keep the unit very clean, without the hassle and expense of dealing with the cleaning fluid. Looking forward to more clean shaves with my new shaver. Philips Norelco 1280X/42 SensoTouch 3d Electric Shaver with Jet Clean System, Black
I have used several electric shavers in the past and always experienced irritation on my neck from the shaver. No matter how long I used these shavers (allowing for the adjustment) my neck would be irritated and burned after the shave. I can truly say that after using this shaver just a couple of times, I noticed the irritation became less and less noticeable. Now after using this shaver for over a month I have no irritation after I shave. I have used this shaver dry, wet and with shaving gel. I get the closest shave I have ever gotten with an electric shaver. I was kinda hesitant about spending $349.99 for an electric shaver but now I am glad I did.
I used Norelco's for years but 4 years ago tried the Braun 7 Series. It never shaved as close as my Norelco's but I was reluctant to try the Arcitec because of the mixed reviews. The 1280cc was on sale at Kohls so I thought I'd try it out. To begin with it's much quieter than the Braun 7. Both the razor itself and the cleaning system are much quieter. Additionally with the Norelco you add solution from a bottle to the cleaning chamber which is significantly cheaper than using the prefilled cartridges from Braun. My shave is much closer than I had with the Braun and as a result I'm able to shave faster. I also don't have to go over areas of my face to get as close a shave as many times as I had to with the Braun. Overall I think this is a great razor. Hopefully it will last through the years but only time will tell.
Over the years I have strayed from my linear foil shaver (Braun - currently a Series 7) for forays in to other ways of shaving. I've tried every razor Gillette has put out, an old-fashion double edge razor, and several Phillips Norelco rotary shavers. I always seem to end up going back to Braun as it has always worked best for me, despite having very sensitive skin.
When the Phillips Norelco SensoTouch 3d (1280cc) showed up last week, it had been about 4 days since my last shave (which means about 4.5mm hairs - or ~3/16in). I decided to shave half my face wet and half my face dry. I started with circular motions on one cheek with zero pressure, per the instructions, and was shocked at how easily this shaver cut the hair - not a single tug or the tiniest bit of irritation, although it takes about 10 circular passes over every inch to get all of the hair. I continued on to my neck. Here I noticed a bit of irritation, but it was much less than my Braun. I wet and lathered up the other half of my face and gave the SensoTouch 3d a try wet. In my opinion, the wet shave was much more irritating to my skin and didn't get any closer than the dry shave.
As with all other rotary shavers, sideburns and my upper lip are extremely difficult. For sideburns, this shaver has a pop-out cutter that does a good job - but it still leaves too much stubble and the round rotary head can't get close enough... making a clean line difficult.
Since my initial experience, I've shaved two more times (both dry). The shaver is doing great on my cheeks, but is still irritating my neck.
I've decided to give Phillips the 21 days they claim it takes to adjust to the razor, so I will update my review when I have made a final decision.
UPDATE: After giving this razor more than the recommended time, I've given up on it. The razor worked great on my cheeks, but was horrible for my neck. I sent it back to Philips for a refund, but they magically "lost it". I'm still waiting on my refund. - Mens Grooming - Shaving - Norelco - Phillips'
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