Review (4/5): Is it as good as a Mach 3?
That depends on what's important to you.
Cons:
1. You can't really skip a day or your face will feel like asphalt. Maybe I have a light beard, but I could do this if I did a good job with a razor.
2. You will waste alot more water in the shower. Any environmentalists out there? How about people with a small hot water tank and other people that need the shower in the morining? I'd say using this adds at least 5 minutes to the act of showering. Fortunately they're 5 minutes of standing under the water, kind of spaced out, and shaving. I personally would waste 5 minutes standing under the water being spaced out and trying to wake up anyways, so at least now I'm being productive.
3. The gel packs are stupid. Pressing the button does release a pea sized drop of gel, but you're already all wet, so who needs it. I personally shave without a mirror most times, and at first I couldn't even tell when the gel was coming out (you don't get the sensation of, "ooh, that gel feels so good." It just seems to provide a little extra lubrication). I went through one of the packets in about two weeks and now I hardly use any at all.
4. Some minor design flaws. I for one could not figure out how to get the clipper attachment on. The directions don't do a wonderful job explaining, and I thought I was going to break something (To those who haven't figured it out, you press the button to open up the shaver head and then pull straight out away from the shaver. After this you'll see how to put the clipper in the same way.). Also the recharger is pretty weak. The shaver rolls around in it and you have to make sure it's positioned right so that the connection is made.
4. You have to get used to it. I used it for about a month before I stopped giving myself wicked razor burn on my neck. Now I'm as proficient as I ever was with a blade.
5. It's never as close as shaving up or against the grain with a blade. That is definately the closest shave, but I for one could never do that two days in a row without being in severe pain.
6. It's expensive. I never thought I'd pay more than $40 for shaving equipment.
That might seem like alot of cons, but now for the
Pros:
1. It takes the same time to shave as with a razor and the experience is much more pleasurable. You don't have to stand, shivering, in front of the bathroom mirror waiting for the sink water to get warm, you're already nice and comfortable in the shower and you just rub the thing over your face while you stand there.
2. It's a remarkably good shave. Once you get used to it you'll notice it's just as good as shaving down or with the grain.
3. You'll shave more often. I for one always skipped days. Now there's no point. Whenever I shower the thing is staring me in the face so almost always use it.
4. Really good piece of electronics. This thing has a demo mode and about 12 different signals it can tell you. How many other shavers have you seen with a demo mode?
5. Really easy to clean. All you do is rinse it out under the water ever time you use it. It doesn't have that little compartment that fills up and you have to dump it out (this is open and the water rinses it out. It doesn't get all gummed up with hair and shaving cream like razors do. It always looks pristine.
So that's it, aside from not being as close as shaving up this thing is more than worth the $100 or so that it costs.