Gillette Fusion Power Battery Powered Shaving System, 1 System
|
List Price: Our Price: $10.47 You Save: $2.06 (16%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Health Care See more product details |
|---|
Customer Reviews of Gillette Fusion Power Battery Powered Shaving System, 1 System
Customer Review: The New 5 Blade Fusion
Summary: 4 Stars
I had read about this razor and being a bit of a shaving fanatic myself, I waited patiently for my local store to get the razor in stock. When I finally spotted it, I imediately purchased it, took it home and tried it. So, does this razor live up to the hype?
When I came home and took the razor out of the package I was glad to see that the battery (1-AAA battery) was included but I was a little put off that it only came with one razor cartridge. I figured from past experience that there would be two but only one??? The razor itself has a decent weight and a nice shape so I quickly got over the fact that there was only one cartridge.
I brought the razor in the shower, washed my face and applied my shaving gel and was preparred to be wowed. I turned the razor on and it came to life with a solid hum. The power button on it seems to be better than the M3Power's because it protrudes a little less and it seems less likely to be accidently turned off while you're shaving. That being said, I began to shave. The first thing I noticed about the razor was the size of it's head. It seems rather large in comparison to the M3Power or even the Schick Quattro blades. Even though it did seem bigger, it didn't seem awkwardky big and I was still able to shave without it being cumbersome. The razor cut clean and smoothly though my beard and gave quite a comfortable shave. The blades easily rinsed under running water even though they are spaced quite closely to each other. I noticed on a few of my problem spots I still had to take multiple passes with the razor so in spite of having five blades, it couldn't perform miracles! There was the single trimmer blade on the back of the cartridge too but it really didn't seem to be very functional.
Overall I was quite satisfied with the quality and comfort of the shave. The question that I have now is that, in spite of a good shave, is this razor worth the extra price versus say, the M3Power or the Schick Quattro? Locally the refils go for about 30% more than the other "older" razors so, there is a signifigant price difference?
Personally, I'll continue to use this razor for a little while and look for the cartridges to be on sale but I honestly don't think the Fusion's shave is that far superior to either the M3Power or the Schick Quattro to justify paying that much extra.
Customer Review: 5 blades? Not just a gimmick. I do notice the difference
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read some of the reviews here and decided to give one of my own. I have always been a Gillette Razor user since I started to shave over 25 years ago. I have sensitive skin on my face and neck so shaving is a difficult process for me. My job prohibits beards so I need to shave every 2 days. With razors I have used in the past, with a 2 day growth, my beard wasn't long enough to soften the stubble so it's like shaving sand paper. This always resulted in razor burns, nicks and cuts. Sometimes I looked like a victim of a masacre. My last razor was the Mach 3 Turbo. Very good razor but still got some nicks and cuts. Then I saw the commercial for the Fusion razor with 5 blades. My first thought was "gimmick" It will be just like any other razor, so I was reluctant to buy it. Eventually after seeing the commercials over and over again they stated with 5 blades there is less friction on your face and it will reduce problems, I broke down and bought one- the power version. The first time I used it I had'nt shaved for a few days so I had pretty thick growth. The razor was incredible. It hugs your face like no other razor I have ever used. Even on the curves. It feels like it's sticking to your skin. When I was finished, not one nick or cut, and no burning sensation. It was the closest shave I ever got. My face felt as smooth as silk. The real test would be 2 days later with a minimal beard growth. That's where most of my problems occur. So here I was looking in the mirror with shaving cream on my face and the razor in my hand. I turned it on and went to work. To my surprise and delight it performed with flying colors. No nicks, cuts or burns!! At last a razor that lives up to the hype! I am sold and will use it until Gillette comes out with a 10 blade version! hehehe. Please remember, everybody's face, skin, and beard texture is different so you may not get the same results as I did. The blades are very expensive but last a little longer than the Mach 3 blades. However for the shave I got, I'll pay it. The one thing that takes a little getting used to is the single blade up on top. Great for shaving under your nose or marking a sideburn line but takes some practice to use it. I cut the bottom of my nose with it the first time but have gotten the hang of it. All I can say is give this razor a try. If you don't like it you can always go back to your old one.Customer Review: When Greed Meets Engineering Gone Mad!
Summary: 1 Stars
For the longest time and for as long as I can remember I have been using Gillette razors. Recently, I have been forced by them to move to Schick. Not happy with being a virtual monopoly when it comes to men's shavers Gilette decides to over-engineer and to greedily get more profits by going so overboard that they have successfully made me give up on them after decades of being a loyal consumer. As other reviewers have alluded to I actually got cut a couple of times which has never happened before! I've come to realise that the battery operated vibrator is a gimmick that does nothing at all to get a closer shave except to cause more batteries to be consumed and to fill up our landfills. Thankfully, I've been using rechargables for years and hence haven't had to buy batteries for years. For people like me with sharper facial features, this 5-bladed "wonder" has such a large amount of rubber that it makes the overall blade area too high/thick (the breadth or height i.e. the vertical edge of the blade) to cover my chin area below my cheeks close enough without cutting my face. Quite clearly the economic concept of diminishing marginal returns doesn't dawn on them when clearly there is a limit to the number of blades before you actually start spoiling the product! For me it seems any "improvement" from going to 5 from 4 blades is so negligible to be non-existent in addition to giving me multiple cuts as the blades now do not contact my face as closely as before when I go from my cheek to my neck area.
Unlike Schick where all their blades fit on all their holders greedy Gillette makes us "upgrade" to various blades by having to buy ever new blade holders. Not content with profits from the blades alone, they have to insist on us buying the new holders to increase their revenues.
Sick with the blatant exploitation of consumers, I have tried for the first time I can remember the Schick Quattro and I am happy now to get a close shave without cuts for a lower price knowing that any future blade enhancements will still fit my blade holder.
Thanks Gillette for pushing me to your competitors; I didn't know what I was missing until now.
Definitely NOT recommended!
Customer Review: Nice Shave But I'll Stick With The M3 Power
Summary: 4 Stars
I have been using Gillette's Fusion Razor for a few weeks now and it's a nice razor with some pros and cons compared to Gillette's other blades. Gillette has some of the nicest products on the market, and I expected the Fusion to blow me away, but unlike the jump that was made when the Mach3 came out, I was not as excited after my shave as I was for the hype beforehand.
The Good
- The 5 blades are very smooth and glides across the face easily.
- Shaving time IS reduced with this new razor.
The Bad
- With so many blades, I felt like I was shaving off layers of skin. I feel there is a limit to how many blades are realistic, and this felt like it was too big for my face and I could seriously cut myself if I wasn't careful.
- Shave isn't much better than the Mach3 Turbo. While shaving my skin felt really smooth, but my hairs grew back just as quickly as they did with the Mach3 Turbo (no noticeable improvement).
- This razor is SO big I found it hard to get around facial areas like I could with the Mach3.
- The lotion strips on the M3 Power feel better and seem to last longer than on the Fusion razor.
- Design and look of the Fusion isn't as slick or nice as the M3 Power.
- Blades are no longer interchangeable. They went with a new interface for putting blades in that seems to take a step back, and having to buy the new razor to work with the new blades was a sneaky move in my opinion.
- The single blade on the back is useless. It's very hard to get the angle correct, and it barely gets anything off. The M3 Power got in tight spots just fine.
In conclusion, I plan to stick with my M3 Power. 3 blades seems to be just the right amount for getting in all areas on the face. While it might take a shave or 2 more to get all the hairs off then it does with the Fusion (on the large surface area portions of my face mind you), the M3 Power just seems safer in general.
This is more like 3 1/2 stars. Yes it's a nice shave, but it's not worth all the hype or additional financial burden this new blade will put you back.
**** RECOMMENDED
Customer Review: Better than I expected
Summary: 4 Stars
Before trying this razor, I was using the Mach III (which was a good razor as well, although I never used the Mach III Power); and despite my best efforts not to get sucked into advertising, I decided to try the Fusion Power after seeing the commercials. But now I'm glad I switched.
I only shave every other day, and rarely on weekends, so sometimes I'll go 3 or 4 days without shaving. And the Fusion does a great job with the extra growth. I have somewhat sensitive skin, and the "comfort guard" helps make it a smooth cut. And the power part is a big help; once I'm done, it's a closer shave than the Mach III was. I also have a goatee, and the main blade of the Fusion can actually trim the edges.
There are only 2 minor negatives to the Fusion: Cleaning out the comfort guard is a bit of a hassle, and the blue guard makes it hard to see any hair (mine is dark brown) that's been caught in it; and the battery indicator is basically useless. It's been "low" for several weeks, and a brand new battery didn't make a difference. So I guess when the razor stops working I'll know the battery is dead.
Overall, a good step up from a simple razor.
Update (11/17/07): It seems I misunderstood the battery indicator, which I apparently didn't look at very closely when I bought the razor. I thought the battery symbol on the razor would indicate when the battery was low, and that's why I thought it was "low" for so long; I didn't realize that it was like that all the time! The entire area around the battery symbol and the power button will actually flash orange when the battery is low, as I discovered this week. So I apologize to anyone that might have read my review and was misinformed because of it. And now the only minor negative about the razor is still the issue of cleaning the comfort guard.
On the positive side, however, it seems the Fusion will last quite a while on one battery: Mine was still going strong in April when I originally posted this review -- and I had had the razor for some time then -- and despite the fact that I don't shave every day, the original battery (which I put back in after a new one didn't matter) lasted until now.