Review (5/5): Improved, and a great shaver
I have been using various shavers for over 40 years. I have tried most of the major brands. In the past, I preferred the Remington because it is powerful and fast. But the Remington irritates my skin. The Braun is less powerful and less irritating, but still irritating. I had previously used the Norelco Rotary, perhaps 15 years ago, but it was too slow and not close enough. However, although most shavers remain pretty much the same over the years, this Norelco is a giant step improved above prior models. It shaves faster, and is much easier to clean. The old Norelco was difficult to clean. This shaver can be cleaned very well just with hot water. However, I use soap as the lubricant. (If you use oily stuff, marketed as various pre-shaves, which basically puts a film of oil on your face, there will be a tendency for the gunk to accumulate under the blades. I recommend just using ordinary soap.) This new model of Norelco has larger blades, and better shape, allowing for a closer and faster shave. Also, it is much quieter than the back and forth models. Think of the inefficiency of ramming the blades of an ordinary shaver back and forth. The rotary energy here more efficiently and quietly goes to shaving the beard. As I have aged, my beard has become less dense. If you have a tough beard, and a thick beard, you may prefer an alternative. However, if you want a close shave, from a quiet mechanism, which is relatively easy to clean, I recommend this Norelco. You may not need the well designed cleaning bay, and may prefer just the shaver and charger. I hardly use the cleaning system because just hot water works so well, using soap as a lubricant. Interesting, the brochure recommends just a clean, dry face. I have found that soap works better. Anyway, I would recommend this shaver as one of the best available. And the long trial period suggests the manufacturer's own confidence in its product.