Review (1/5): Form but not function -- take a pass on this razor.
Be wary of this razor. It's a definite downgrade from previous Norelco razors in terms of function.
Pros:
- Looks cool
- Cleans easily
- Shaves stubble (and only stubble) close
- Can be returned to Norelco within 60 days for a full refund
Cons:
- Does not handle anything over stubble well for long. Has very shallow reservoirs for the hair to collect in and when you shave anything longer than stubble it gets gunked up and doesn't perform as well.
- Will spray hair everywhere if you tilt it off your face while running. This is a result of the shallow reservoirs. The hair seems to collect on top of the razor instead of inside it.
- Needs to be cleaned after each use. Hope you get all those stray hairs the first time!
- Head will shoot off and bounce around the room if you're not careful when drying it.
- Only has 65 minutes of shave time (compared to 85-120 on old models). It took about 10-15 mins per shave so I got 6 shaves in at best.
- Trimmer does not extend. It's pretty much impossible to see what you're trimming.
If you want a razor to shave stubble close and look cool then this is for you. Otherwise be prepared to stick the razor in it's coffin like carrying case and ship it back to Norelco.
Myself, I returned this and downgraded to the Norelco 9195XL (last year's model basically). It has none of the cons of the arcitec and it's 100 bucks cheaper new on ebay ... too bad amazon doesn't seem to carry it.