Philips NorelcoShaver Series 9000, Wet and Dry Electric Shaver, with Lift & Cut Shaving System and SenseIQ Technology, Pop-up Trimmer, Cleaning Pod, Charging Stand and Travel Case, Model S9987/85

For most of my adult shaving life spanning some 40+ years, I have been a loyal Braun or Panasonic foil shaver user. I have intermittently tried rotary shavers from Philips/Norelco, but always returned them as they offered what I perceived to be a suboptimal shave. Panasonic Arc5 shavers shave very close, but sometimes irritatingly too close for my sensitive skin, and they often struggle to capture curly, flat-lying hairs requiring me to touch up with a blade. Also, I have never liked the high-pitched whine of the Panasonic shavers, which sometimes leaves my right ear ringing and I have feared over time may actually be causing damage to my hearing. I tried the Braun Series 9 Pro+, and it missed way too many hairs on my neck to justify the high price. Looking forward to my next 40+ years, and with my latest Panasonic shaver just having passed the two-year mark - which, in my experience, usually heralds the death of the electric motor - I figured let me try the latest Philips rotary shaver to see what they are offering.Enter this Philips S9979 Shaver, and consider me a Philips convert! I shave wet in the shower using just a nickel-sized squirt of Aveeno Positively Smooth Moisturizing Shave Gel with Soy (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001H54TF4?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title), and this shaver gives me a very close, smooth shave with zero irritation whatsoever. The shaver works best using slow circular motions, so I shave my entire face and neck in clockwise slow, circular motions, then repeat in counter-clockwise slow circular motions. I then give a few straight passes over my cheeks and under my chin and jawline. The Philips is so gentle that I can’t even feel it cutting the hairs, and it doesn’t miss hairs like my former Braun and Panasonic shavers did, especially those flat-lying hairs on my cheek, below my chin and on the sides of my neck. Shaving with the Philips, I haven’t encountered any problems with ingrown hairs either, which I often experienced on my cheeks with Panasonic shavers because of their irritatingly close shave. The Philips also has a light ring to indicate how hard you are pressing. I have it set to only light up if I am pressing too hard. It’s a great feature because pressing too hard is counterproductive and only tends to cause irritation. The shaver is also whisper quiet - so quiet that with the sound of running water in the shower, I have to look at it to make sure it is turned on. No concerns about it damaging my hearing long-term. The shaver also connects to a Philips app on my smartphone via Bluetooth to give me analysis of my shaves and shaving tips and keeps me updated on the shaver’s maintenance – not really necessary, but a very cool 21st-century feature to have. Also, the shaver comes with a 5-year warranty, which is the longest I’ve ever had on an electric shaver. I’ll update my review if I run into any problems, but for now, I am very pleased with this shaver and hope it stands the test of time.

I fully expected to hate the "warning light" telling me when I'm using too much pressure, because I was certain it would be yelling at me all the time, blinking at me in bright red, telling me how to shave. Been shaving for 30+ years, I think I got this, I don't need a back-seat shaver. Turns out, it's actually quite useful. Almost pleasant. Pressing the razor harder to your face doesn't give you a closer shave, and the lights feel like they're gently guiding you. I quickly stopped noticing the lights, but subconsciously, when the glint of orange catches in my peripheral vision, I instinctively ease up on the pressure. I don't even think about it. I end up getting a better shave in less time, and my face doesn't burn afterwards. Go figure.The rest you already know. It charges fast, holds a very long charge, comes with a handy blade cleaner so your blades stay sharper longer, and is overall an excellent quality electric razor.Oh, also, it can apparently Bluetooth to your phone or some nonsense, but I'm never doing that - that's just silly.

I've been using a Norelco OneBlade forever, but decided to get a "real" shaver in the hopes that I would finally start a regular shaving routine.Since I've started shaving more than 30 years ago, I've never liked doing it, and never have done so regularly. As I'm getting older, I've realized that half crazed lumberjack is not a good look, and decided that I should try to find a shaver that I'd be OK using every other day or so.I've been impressed with this shaver. My facial hair is a like a cowlick -- it seems that the hair grows in every direction. That's why I chose this kind of shaver instead of a foil shaver.Does it shave as good as a straight razor? No. I don't think any electric shaver does. This shaver does as good as any, though, and importantly to me it's easy to use and doesn't require a lot of time.The little "flip out" trimmer on the side is a bit weak, though, and somewhat of an afterthought.Pro tip for the charging ... if you search on Amazon, you can find some adapters and cables that permit you to use a regular USB-C charger (20watts or more I believe), which is super nice for traveling instead of having to take along yet another charger.Daily cleaning is easy. I run the shaver under the faucet for 5-10 seconds. Then I turn off the shaver, pop open the top, and run that under the faucet.It comes with a cleaning pod that is dead simple to use. I used it for the first time today. You insert the shaver head first into the cleaning pod, turn on the shaver, and it does its magic for 60 seconds. I'm going to try using the pod once a month or so, which means (I think) I'll need to get a new pod every 6 months or something. They're pretty cheap, too.It does come with a travel case, which is good.They suggest replacing the blades every year. I'll try to assess how I feel the shaving quality is at 6 months, and decide whether to replace them sooner. They're a little on the pricey side, but that's expected.There is a lot of technology that is built in that thankfully you don't have to use. It can connect to an app on your phone via Bluetooth. I don't need yet another thing connected to my phone, thank you very much. That is, I don't need yet another inanimate object passing judgment on me. My watch already can tell me I'm not washing my hands well enough. I don't need my shave passing judgment, either.However, there is one tech feature that I thought would be gimmicky but that is wonderful. There is a light ring around the head of the unit that senses pressure. If you press the shaver too lightly or gently against your face, it stays blue. When you hit the "zone" where it's the right pressure for optimal shaving, it turns green. And if you press too hard, it turns yellow.Who knew that after all these years I wasn't pressing my shavers with enough force against my face?!? And guess what -- it works better when I stay in the zone. This is the type of technology I like.One last comment. I liked it enough that my wife got one for herself, even though the shaver doesn't seem to be marketed to women. She says it's the best shaver she's used as well.

Trimmer is garbage, but the razor itself gives a very close shave and it's comfortable. I think the bluetooth features with the app monitoring how well you shaved each session is gimmicky but might be worth it for some people. I use this when I need to get rid of my beard completely. If I'm just trimming around the beard, then the Norelco OneBlade or a razor is what I use.