Review (3/5): Better than other electric shavers
My first impression of the razor was that it was overly packaged. In a day and age in which we're becoming aware of environmental hazards, I don't think there's a need for an outer box enclosing a couple layers of thick hard-to-open plastic wrapping. A strong pair of scissors cut through the lot, and eventually I got to the razor itself.
I was pleased to see that it comes with a hard-shell case for travel. This is definitely a good thing to have, though I would have preferred it were only one piece that swivels open and shut, rather than two pieces that have to be separated to open it.
The instructions indicate that the charging pod should be unplugged when the razor is fully charged (which takes about an hour). While hardly the worst thing in the world, I don't see why they couldn't have designed it so that it could remain plugged it but turned off. In general, I prefer not to have plugs lying around exposed, especially in the bathroom, where I think most people would tend to keep it. It does have a very clear indicator, though, telling how much longer it needs to charge before reaching the full 65 minutes, and, after a couple weeks of usage, it still did not need to be recharged, so it definitely holds the charge well.
The razor itself is stylish and comfortable to hold, and it has a trimmer on the back, which is good for sideburns and the awkward just-under-the-nostrils area.
My first shave felt like it took ages, and, half-way through, I seriously considered giving up and getting out my old blade and shaving cream. I decided to stick with it, and, eventually, I figured out that you can't just press it to your face, but press it rather firmly. With more pressure, it eventually got the job done. Subsequent shaves went much easier, and as I got used to using the shaver, the shave-time got less and less. It does a significantly better and faster job on only one day's growth rather than two or three, so it's much more ideal for everyday use than if you tend to go a few days between shaves.
Clean-up is easy and fast. Just flip the three razor bits up and rinse with hot water. I'm a little suspicous about using water to clean it each day - I would tend to think it'll rust - but time will tell.
After shaving, my face sometimes feels less comfortable than had I used a regular blade and shaving cream, but usually it feels all right. This is the third electric shaver I've owned, and it has been the case with all three that the shave is not as close as even the worst blade I've used. There's really no getting around it: you'll always get a closer shave using a real blade. I'd say this is easily the best of the three electric razors I've used, though, and did a significantly better job on the chin, due to its swiveling head.
Overall, I find myself liking this shaver, particularly for the traveling and the cold winter months, when I don't really want to deal with a wet shave in the morning.