Review (4/5): Formidable competitor to Braun: The Norelco Arcitec
*** UPDATE, 11/15 ***
The razor is still going strong. I've used it regularly and it continues to performs well. It takes me a little more time than my Braun shaver to complete the shave, but it's not a deal breaker. I don't use the trimmer, as it is useless (I use my Braun for that). Still, the performance is good enough that I decided to keep it (rather than return within the 45 day period). One other thing: I timed the shaving duration off a full charge and the Arcitec can go for an amazing 77 minutes (that's more than 20 minutes longer than the Braun).
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I have been a Braun shaving customer for over 20 years. I find I'm able to get almost as close as a blade. So, why bother with any other shaver? Well, I'd always been fascinated by the triple-head design that Norelco pioneered back almost 30 years ago. The last time I tried one was about 10 years ago, and I wasn't impressed. With the latest Arcitec design, I figured it was time to give it a try.
The Arcitec Models
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Philips Norelco makes so many different models, I can't figure them all out. However, the Arcitec stands out by having a very distinctive slender look, the triple head surface on a flat conical piece that is affixed to a pivot, unlike the "neckless" other models. There are 3 main Arcitec models: 1050, 1060, and 1090. There are also two suffixes: X and CC. I think the 'X' means there is no cleaning station, while 'CC' means a cleaning station IS included. You may see some models shown without either suffix--this is the same as the 'X' (before they changed their naming convention). So, why is there a cleaning station if the heads can be rinsed under water? Competition. Braun provides one now... and with the scented alcohol solution, the shaver seems "fresher" after the cleansing bath. So, Norelco had to keep up. But in reality it's overkill; don't bother with one if you're thrifty. Rinsing the heads under water works very well.
Essentially, here's the difference: The 1050 has only 1 indicator for battery recharge needed, the 1060 has several LED indicators showing how much charge is left, and the 1090 has an LED double-digit display showing how many minutes of shaving are left. Quite frankly, the 1050 is just fine. When the battery gets low, you've got about 5 minutes left before the shaver will quit. Even still, for every minute the shaver is plugged in, that is how many minutes of shaving you get. Plug the shaver back in for 5 minutes, and you're ready to go for your shave. So... although this "early warning system" looks cool, it's overkill.
So, onto the shaver...
Appearance and Design
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Out of the box, it is a beautiful looking device. Very futuristic. Adorned in several shades of black, dark gray, and silver, with catchy real carbon fiber side panels and a matte rubber finish along the backside for good grip. The three silver shaving discs contrast the black theme nicely. The shaver is lightweight and the heads have a lot of flex to them. There is no socket on the shaver for the cord--it comes with a charging base that serves as a resting stand, which secures the razor magnetically--very tasteful. There is also a "travel pod" included for portability that allows you to charge the shaver while it is housed inside it. Certainly, the accessories are more impressive than what Braun offers. It looked to me like Braun has met its match.
Then, onto the shave.
The Shaving Experience
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This Arcitec 1050 is rather quiet, compared to my Braun 8595 Activator. I watched a couple of YouTube posted reviews of the latest Braun Pulsonic 9595, and that shaver sounded about as loud (if not louder) than my Braun 8595 Activator. So... Norelco certainly wins the prize for most quiet shaver. Actually, the sound is a low drone... it gives the impression that the shaver is a slow, antiquated device. The Braun sounds Bold and Busy with its Bounding Buzz. But in reality, the Norelco is formidable.
So, I touch the shaver to my face. I hear and feel the nibble of whiskers taking place. I begin to go through the motions... cheeks, chin, lip areas, then the neck. It feels comfortable. The discs are gentle. I don't feel anything like the reports of "heavy tugging" at the whiskers. I make a full double-pass across my face, then check the smoothness with my free hand.
Eh... not enough. Still rough. No immediate advantage over the Braun. So, I make another few passes. I pinch and pull at my skin as I would with the Braun. I do two more passes and check the smoothness again.
Pretty good! Just about as close as the Braun. Some places felt like I could make another couple of passes while others were better than what the Braun would do (like around the front neck area). So overall, I'm satisfied with the performance despite it taking just a little longer.
The trimmer? Awful. There's this little ridge on the backside of the shaver. A side switch partially extends and activates it, a small bank of cutting teeth. It's hard to get a nice smooth line. When you encounter a hair with it, there's a rather loud "click" sound. The Braun's trimmer is about twice as wide and zaps the hairs effortlessly. Although the Braun is a louder shaver, the trimmer does not introduce any added noise.
I do notice something else rather positive, though: no whisker dust on my clothes. The Norelco captures the whisker debris inside the heads and keeps it there, unlike the Braun which will dump a bunch of it on you if you turn it sideways or on a downward angle. For people who like to shave after they've gotten dressed, that's good news for Norelco.
Parts Replacement
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Norelco recommends replacing the heads every 12 months. Braun recommends doing so every 18 months. The Braun Pulsonic series tells you when head replacement is necessary; not sure how this is done (number of shaves?). The Norelco Arcitec has a little "head replacement" indicator. The Arcitec replacement heads are about 30% more expensive than Braun's Series 5, and 8000 series, although the new "cassette" system with the Pulsonic is about the same. So, cost of maintenance might be higher. Also, I've seen mixed opinions about how long they last. Some people have complained having to replace them at 6 months, while an acquaintance says he replaces the heads every 10 years--when he changes shavers! He was once told that the heads are "self sharpening". That sounds a bit unrealistic to me. In any case, I can't report the replacement time here just yet... I'll need to use this shaver for a while. But I'll have to give it to Braun for a longer time between head replacement and at a cheaper cost (because it is also said that you can get away with replacing just the cutter block, if the foil is still intact, which drops the cost by 50%... can't do this with the Philips).
Conclusion
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The Braun is a bit better, but not by a huge margin. The Norelco Arcitec 1050 puts up a very good fight. I really could use this razor in place of the Braun, day in and day out. Especially if the girlfriend is still asleep and I want to be super quiet. That's what impresses me the most about the Norelco--it is very quiet. And it is great about trapping the whisker debris (I shave before I get dressed, so it's not a critical factor in my case).
I'm going to continue shaving with it... Even though the manual says it takes a couple of weeks to get used to the razor, that's really for people who aren't used to electric shavers. My face is already well accustomed to the Braun, so if you're looking at switching to the Arcitec after using a different shaver, it won't take long for you to adapt.
Which shaver do I prefer? Well, at the moment it's still the Braun. It may be louder, but I find the foil design easier to control. It also achieves a pretty close shave in less time than the Norelco. I'm planning to keep both and will alternate between them from time to time. If I need to shave and make minimal noise, the Arcitec will be my choice. For travel, I prefer the sturdier Braun. The Arcitec looks better on the bathroom counter, no doubt about it.
In the final analysis
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Appearance: Norelco
Accessories: Norelco
Quiet: Norelco
Cleanliness: Norelco
Charging: --tied--
Run time: Philips (~75 minutes)
Weight: Philips (6oz)
Parts cost: Braun
Trimming: Braun
Speed: Braun
Closest: --tied--