Philips Norelco 8140XL SpeedXL Men's Shaver
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List Price: Our Price: $128.00 You Save: $11.99 (9%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Customer Reviews of Philips Norelco 8140XL SpeedXL Men's Shaver
Customer Review: A quiet and close shave, with caveats
Summary: 4 Stars
The 8140 SpeedXL model is the first time I've tried using a Norelco shaver in almost a decade, and the results have been superior to earlier models, equaling the closeness of shave seen with midrange foil models from Braun or Remington. There are some caveats however, as the head is less well suited to going over any given area of the face a single time, and has more difficulty with the areas above and below the lips. Unfortunately, the attached trimmer is one of the worst designs I've seen unless you use it exclusively for thinning out your beard hair.
This particular unit is very quiet for an electric, and is possessed of a NiMH rechargeable battery making it less apt to developing a crippling "memory-effect". This is a plus, and while the battery capacity is not the absolute best, the shaver does seem to recharge rather rapidly. The NiMH battery also reduces the mass of the shaver; the seemingly low-powered motors add little more, making this a very light shaver for it's size.
While the closeness of shave is quite comparable to pivoting foil-head models from Braun and some of the dual-foil Remingtons, the Norelco seems to require going over the same 'section' of skin more times. The area of the head of the shaver is of course larger, so there are fewer total 'sections' to shave, but the Norelco does seem to take a bit longer, with plenty of touch up needed above and below the lips, the top of the chin, and the neck. Overall however, a very close shave is possible without using a mirror. Beware of shaving with only one of the heads however (as on curvy area of the upper lip), as skin can get pulled uncomfortably.
Norelco touts this shaver as being directly washable, but I would not wash the razor more than monthly, rather mopping up the inside with a piece of tissue three or four times a week (if you have thick, quickly growing hair). Also note that the head section dries rather slowly, and should probably be shook vigorously dry before reattaching.
The pop-up trimmer is a disappointment as it seems much lower-powered than Remington or Braun trimmers, requiring more attention in use than it should. Much like the head of the shaver, the trimmer must go over the same section multiple times to get the job done. It's not possible to do precise trimming with a corner of the trimmer, and it is also definitely wider than is preferable for precise trimming. Still worse, the trimmer has even more of a tendency to fold back into the main unit than the competition. The sole saving grace of the low-powered trimmer is that it is probably the best design going for trimming and thinning out large areas of beard, mustache and sideburn.
Barring the trimmer, and using care when shaving the upper lip, this is a high quality design that should stand the test of time. Since it does not have an easily tear-able foil or a bendable head that require replacement, it should also be cheaper to maintain over the long term unless one washes it daily. Finally, the percieved level of irritation induced by the shaver seems comparable to Remington/Braun and less than the thin-foil Panasonics.
If you can get around the trimmer and the trade offs inherent in the head design, this shaver is one of the better units on the market, and should serve you well for many years.
Customer Review: Love this razer, just like I loved the previous model (same razer)
Summary: 5 Stars
Summary: Nothing not to like!
Background: Previously, I owned the earlier model of this razer. It was the same exact razer except it used to be blue. I loved this razer, but it was eaten by a dog! I didnt want to cough up the full cost of this direct replacement, so I used a lower-end Norelco. As you may know, the lower models do not feature the "Speed-XL" shaving heads (which have 3 concentric rings of blades (per head)). Instead it had the single outer row of blades, which is pretty typical of any non-high-end razer.
Why this razer is good:
The point of my background story is that there is a SIGNIFICANT difference between the Speed-XL models, and older style heads. In fact THERE IS NO COMPARISON! With the cheaper razer I had to go over my face at least twice as much, and usually more like 3x as much as with this razer. As with all electric's, you're not going to be able to make a single pass and get everything, but as electric's go, this razer (and all the Norelco's with Speed-XL) works great. Both myself and my dad (who is used to foil razers) agree that Speed-XL is the best electric we've used!
Some niceties of this razer are that its VERY easy to clean. Usually you can just pop the top and tap most of the hair out, maybe use the brush real quick. I dont feel like I have to do a deep cleaning (taking the heads out and apart) very often because it doesnt seem to trap a lot of hair in the heads. But if you want to, its very easy to access everything.
The body is waterproof, so you can clean it out with water as a middle ground between just tapping hair out and dissassembly.
The charger is now VERY small, and takes up only a single plug (even on a strip), and the base is also small.
Battery life: lets me shave for multiple days (at least 4) before it needs charging.
That said there are some minor quibbles. Like most Norelco razers, the charger doesnt shut off automatically, so you need to be careful with leaving it plugged in all the time. My solution: leave the charger in a draw, keep the stand on my countertop to hold the razer all the time, and then just get the charger out (and plug it into the stand) when the razer actually needs charged, which for me is only ever handful of days. this also has the added benefit of saving some small amount of energy by not having the wall wart plugged in while you're not charging.
This razer now comes with a form fitting travel case, and you cant put the razer in it with the hair gaurd on it :( so make sure you clean it before you travel with it. You also cant fit the charger in the case...its really a case JUST for the razer, to protect it in your regular toiletries bag.
All in all any of the speed-xl razers will cut the same, so just buy the model that has the accessories you want. I think this model represents the best value because its the cheapest :) personally i dont care about a multi-step battery readout, or a cleaning station...but if you do buy those versions.
Customer Review: Junkola--and DON'T Buy from Target!
Summary: 1 Stars
I was very, very disappointed in this shaver. I've always been one of those people with a sandpaper beard that's hard to shave closely, and sensitive skin. So every few years, I begin the quest for a new shaver. Sometimes I have to go through a few of them. I've been using both a Norelco Spectra and a Panasonic Pro Curve linear, and was intrigued by the new design. I've used Norelcos since I was 16.
First, because of the reviews, I tried a Spectra, before this discontinued model was all sold out. Got a super close shave, but it really gave me a sore neck. Took it back to Fry's, no problem. That night, I saw an 8151 (an 8140 with a stand) on sale at Target for $77.00 and grabbed it. What a mistake!
First, it seems to be less powerful. It's lighter and quieter and doesn't seem to be as strong as the Quadra or Spectra. I had to go around my face in circles for 10 minutes to get it remotely smooth, and I can still feel some stubble. It really wimped out on the upper lip, and could not get that slope between the lower lip and crease of the chin smooth. I tried it for a day or two and the same results. Forget what they say about needing 30 days to get used to it -- I was already conditioned to rotaries.
Also, the flex resistance was too weak. I barely pushed and the cutters were pushing in, with very little resistance. This also prevented me from getting a close shave.
So I packed it up and took it back to Target. The girl in line tells me they don't accept used items for refunds. No satisfaction guaranteed clause. Tough luck, sorry, get out. I finally got my refund after tracking down a manager and arguing with him and threatening to small claim them. It was more trouble than it was worth. Yeah, I could have read the back of the receipt, but because most other stores have a satisfaction guaranteed policy, I just assumed.
Next up I'm either going to try the new Panasonic Vortex or Braun Activator -- not sure yet.
UPDATED: Well, a few more comments, with nearly a month having elapsed. First, to "anonymous" who said I shouldn't blame a product for the fact that I don't like Target's return policies, if the product had been adequate, I wouldn't have been aware of Target's return policies -- obviously! My point was that the lesson of my experience is that, with this or any electric razor, you should familiarize yourself with return policies as everybody's beard growth and facial configuration is different, and you can't know if a razor will work without test driving it first.
Next, while my experience is not unique, in having spoken with some friends and coworkers, the new Norelcos are a hit or miss proposition for you -- if it works for you, it works very, very well. If it doesn't, it doesn't. It depends on the variables. My problem was based in the fact that there was too much resistance in the floating heads. Now I'm using a 9190, with adjustable resistance, and it works much better.
Customer Review: Overall great razor
Summary: 4 Stars
This is my first new razor in several years, so it's basically being compared to a 7+ year-old Norelco. Also, I have never shaved using traditional blades, so I can't compare it with that experience. With this said...
Pros: There's a lot I like about this razor. It gives a really close shave. Much closer than I've gotten from previous electrics. It still could be a little closer, though, but not by much. It's cordless, which is very convenient, and the charge seems to last quite a long time. So far, one charge seems to last about 4 weeks for me, with shaving every day for about 3 minutes or so. Pretty good. It also is very ergonomically designed -- very comfortable to hold. I like that it is so quick to charge -- only takes about one hour. You also have the option of cleaning it with either water, or with an included brush. The water does a great job of cleaning out all the little hairs. I still worry about getting it wet too frequently, though, so I usually clean it with the brush and just clean it with water about once a month.
Cons: The biggest con is that while there are "charging" and "done charging" LEDs on the razor, there is no "Battery Low" LED. This means you only know when the battery is dead when it dies while you are shaving. Once you've gone though a couple charge cycles you will learn about how long it goes between charges, but nonetheless it'd be nice to have a warning. It's really only because of this that I knocked off one star. But one other con is that the power adapter is somewhat large, as opposed to older Norelcos, so if you choose to use it as a corded razor, it might be inconvenient to store the adapter near the razor if you keep in, for example, a medicine cabinet.
Other thoughts: Worth noting that you don't need to use the included stand if you don't want to -- the cord can plug directly into the razor for charging. Also, it can operate as either a cordless or corded razor, although the manual warns that using it as a corded razor too often will hurt the battery, so you pretty much have to choose one or the other. Comes with a very small travel pouch, head protector, and brush. Great razor overall. Only knocked it one star because there's no Battery Empty LED... some other Norelcos have this feature, but many of them are more expensive than this one. This is a great value for the money.
Customer Review: Pretty good rotary shaver
Summary: 4 Stars
When I was a teenager I got a Norelco as a gift and at first I got a really good shave, I really liked it over a razor. Then, I started to get such bad rashes that I finally had to give it up and went back to a razor for about 25 years.
I was too dumb to know that you had to periodically replace the heads. I just assumed that they lasted forever. Oh well.
My first new electric was a Remington, and I'll say that their adverstisements, for me, were true; It gave the closest electric shave.
The problem was my beard grows at a steep angel to the skin and electrics have a hard time getting all of the whiskers. If you missed a whisker on day one, you might get it on day two, but after that, forget it.
I went to a Braun after the Remington wore out, and it has a coarse cutter on the inside that can get those errant whiskers. It was not quite as close as the Remington, but was a lot faster because it would find the longer hairs.
This has all been to give background to the Norelco.
I've had it for over 2 months now.
It falls somewhere in between the other two. It is not quite as close as either, but very close to the Braun.
It will get those stray whiskers usually, but every 4 or 5 days, I need to use the trimmer to get ones that have gotten away.
As far as irritation goes, it borders right on the edge of a problem on my neck. The cause is obvious. The screens on this rotary are a lot rougher that a foil shaver. That is to say that you can feel the grid of depressions and holes. Be careful in pressing too hard or using repeated passes, to avoid irritation.
Because of the large surface area of the heads, I find shaving to be about 1/3 faster now, as long as I don't try to get a blade quality shave.
This razor is extremely quiet, with only a very soft whirring versus the loud buzz of any foil.
The trimmer works adequately with my only complaint that it does not lock in the up position. If you push it the wrong way, it folds back down.
The batteries last 3 to 4 weeks on a charge. If it starts to get low I just plug it in and continue shaving. To get around the lack of a low battery indicator I will charge it up before a trip so that I don't need to take the charger with me.
I consider the lack of an indicator to be a non-issue.
Overall I like the shaver a lot