Anyone else think electric shaving gets way too complicated these days?

C

CarlA

New member
I've been using electric razors for about 15 years and it feels like the industry keeps adding more and more features that nobody really asked for. My old Norelco from 2010 worked perfectly fine - turn it on, shave, rinse it off, done. Simple and effective.

Now I go shopping for a replacement and every razor has LCD screens showing battery life, cleaning reminders, travel locks, smartphone apps, automatic cleaning stations that cost more than my first car, and about 47 different attachments for every possible body part. Half the time I can't even figure out how to turn the damn things on without accidentally activating some "precision mode" or "sensitive skin setting."

Don't get me wrong, some improvements are useful. Better battery life and waterproofing are great. But do I really need my razor to connect to WiFi and send me push notifications? Does anyone actually use those little popup trimmer things? And why does every model now require its own special cleaning solution that costs $8 per bottle?

Maybe I'm just getting old but it seems like they're solving problems that didn't exist while making the basic function more complicated than it needs to be. Sometimes I miss when a razor was just a razor, not a piece of smart home equipment that needs software updates.

Anyone else feel like the electric shaver market has gotten a bit ridiculous with all the bells and whistles, or am I just being a grumpy old man who needs to embrace the future?

Carl
 
I think many would agree with you, Carl. I know when I went full-time electric shaving 40 years ago, it wasn't complicated. Many of us still manually clean and lubricate our shavers rather than by expensive cleaning fluids and pods. But I know what you mean. My basic Philips 1000 cord only which is the only shaver I can use at the gym, is pretty basic. But my top-of-the-line Phiiips Prestige Ultra has lots of bells and whistles that I tend to ignore, but I did get a model that didn't require the expensive cleaning apparatus, and it is the best-shaving of my rotaries.

When you mentioned your Norelco from 2010, it reminds me of why when I add to my collection, I only buy new vintage model shavers like the Remington XLR MicroScreen, or the DA/DF Remington models. They were, as you say, simple and easy to deal with. But I must admit I have several new rechargeable shavers that I like, despite the fact they require more work, and don't have as long a lifespan as cord models due to battery degradation.

As you say, "simple and effective" is good, and I guess that's why I have some early model shavers as well as current models. You can likely still buy those vintage models you mention, either new or used.
 
Carl, welcome aboard. I agree with you. I think the best thing to happen to electric razors was rechargeable batteries. Anything beyond that, I feel, are simply bells and whistles. Cleaning stations are nice, too, but I prefer to clean my razors by hand.
 
CarlA said:
Don't get me wrong, some improvements are useful. Better battery life and waterproofing are great. But do I really need my razor to connect to WiFi and send me push notifications? Does anyone actually use those little popup trimmer things? And why does every model now require its own special cleaning solution that costs $8 per bottle?
Click to expand...
If I want a deep clean I just use a sonic bath with water and a few drops of Washing up liquid
 
Thank you, gentlemen, for your feedback. I picked up a Philips Norelco 2400 (X3001/90). Just brought it home. I will post a review shortly.

Carl
 
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