Philips Norelco arcitec 1090 Men's Shaving System
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Customer Reviews of Philips Norelco arcitec 1090 Men's Shaving System
Customer Review: Nice electric razor!
Summary: 4 Stars
I owned one or two of the old Philips shavers with fixed (non-flexible) heads but always had problems with razor burn, rashes and some skin infections and I eventually decided to shave wet using a Gilette razor. Used the disposable razor blads for almost 20 years, until I just recently saw the Philips Norelco 1090 and decided to give electric one more try. I got the 1090 for Christmas and immediately started using it. The manual recommends to continue using the razor for a while even if irritation occurs since the skin needs to get used to it. I had a slight rash in my neckline on the first day, which was gone the next day. So far (1 week going) no problems. When I visited an old-fashioned barber shop in the UK once, the barber recommended cleaning the face first with some mild soap, drying thoroughly, and after shaving applying a good cream, no colognes, hydrogels, or 'shaving balm' which just dry out the skin. I've been doing this for years now and maybe it is part of the solution of keeping a healthy, non-irritated skin.
The Arcitec itself looks good, it has a nice shape and is easy to hold. It comes with two chargers (a stand and a pod) and a transformer. The stand is very nice, has some suckers on the bottom to prevent the whole thing from toppling over, with the power cord connection on the right-back side. I yet have to find a use for the power pod, the only thing I can think of is that it would be useful when travelling, it protects the razor and you can't re-charge the razor without the stand or pod. When shaving, the head flexes in all directions although I think it is less than is suggested in the commercials. After shaving, the razor is cleaned by opening the heads (they hinge on the outside) and rinsing it under hot water. Some people have complained about the small holders for cut hair. I don't have a problem with the size, since I immediately wash the razor after use as recommended in the manual and never leave waste in the razor. One interesting observation is that after rinsing out the heads, I shook the razor to get the water out and the whole head assembly came off. Better hold on to that next time! By the way, Philips recommends replacing the head assembly every year, and the Razor keeps track of this (undoubtedly it will do something annoying like beeping when it is time...)
So far, shaving performance is good. As mentioned before, I shave after washing my face/showering. I use a moderate amount of pressure and move in all directions to get all hairs. Immediately after shaving there seems to be a little bit of stubble, but this appears to go away after about 30 minutes or so. There are no spots that can not be reached. I just shaved my two-day beard and the razor did not have any problems with it. I used the sideburn clippers and they worked fine, although I wish they would extend a bit further; the shaving heads sometimes get awfully close to my (already receding) hair.
Overall, I am very satified with the razor. The design is amazing, particularly the display. Although many shops advertized the 1090, none had it in stock (although they had the older version). My wife tried multiple shops (including Amazon) before finally finding it in a store where it was not displayed - she needed to ask for it by name. At this point, Amazon does not have the razor available.
**** Update: One month later, and no razor burn at al. Shaving has become routine, no issues and I'm happy with my Christmas gift ****
**** Update 2: Well, it is the next Christmas and this will be my final update. Shaver still works fine, in fact it looks like the charge time has increased by a couple of minutes (I usually try to run it until the battery is somewhat empty, then recharge). Given the daily use and the extensive traveling that I do it has held up pretty well. I just received a replacement head for Christmas, and there is a notable improvement in shaving performance, although I had not really noticed the old head head's performance had been reduced. I still think this is a great razor, and would still give it a 4/5. Enjoy! ****
Customer Review: Overall a good shaver, especially at the price I got it.
Summary: 4 Stars
I have traditionally been a Braun shaver user, but have always wanted to own a rotary. In the past I have tried several of them, but have not been sufficiently satisfied with the shave they gave. When I recently decided to look at a new shaver I decided to look into the much touted Arcitec. Unlike most people, I didn't think the appearance of the shaver was particulary cool. (In fact, I would say it's just short of "weird" though the 1090X is better looking than the 1060X model generally seen in stores.) However, looks are less important than performance and valued features, so when I saw a promotional code available on the Internet that allowed me to pick up the 1090 for the same price as the 1060 at my local Wal-Mart I jumped on it. Here is the overview:
Shave and Handling:
The razor gives a good shave, especially if you give your beard/face the adjustment period (21 days) recommended. The only drawback is that can take a little longer to get a really close shave than would be ideal. (I believe it might actually shave a little closer/quicker if the heads were slightly LESS flexible.) Just as advertised, I find that the razor is easy to hold and that the flexibility of the heads gives you the ablity to rotate the shaver from almost any angle and while still keeping contact with your beard. Its new design allows me to cut around my goatee much better than any rotary I've ever tried before.
Indicator Lights/Warning Beeps:
I like the minutes of power left and low batery display features in particular. I find this really comes in handy as exactly when to recharge a shaver can otherwise be a bit of a guessing game.
Precision Tube Trimmer:
Not good. As many other posters have commented, the placement is awkward at best. This must have been the only place Philips/Norelco could place it and still keep the felixibity and ergonomics they wanted, otherwise it is simply inexplicable.
Cleaning:
Fairly easy. The heads are washable under water and there is a brush included if you want to do it the old fashioned way. I believe you can also buy a cleaning unit and use Norelco's cleaning fluid if you wish, but there is significant ongoing expense choosing that route.
Accessories:
The charging stand works well and (if I keep the surface of my bathroom counter fairly clean) the suction cups placed on bottom for stabiliy work fine. The power pod that the razor can be charged in or stored for traveling also works well, but it would have been better if it had been designed so that the razor could go in there with the protective razor head cap on the heads. As for the head cap itself, I don't leave it on the razor between shaves as recommended in the manual because I want to make sure the razor heads are thoroughly dried out. From past experience w/ other washables failure to so can eventually lead to a mildew smell coming from the razor blades and, frankly, I think the cap makes the razor look sort of "clownish" when it is on.
Other Observations:
The shaver is quiet compared to my Braun and seems to better conserve power too. It is also fairly light-weight and feels pretty sturdy.
Conclusion:
For some people this razor will not be worth the money even if they get a reasonable deal as I did. However, if you are not daunted by the price (which is lower than Braun's current premium "Pulsonic" model) and want a razor that combines good overall performance with the bells and whistles associated with an upper-end shaver, I believe you will be satisfied with the the 1090X model.
Customer Review: Robot in disguise?
Summary: 2 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
At first sight, this razor may cause some consternation to Transformers fans, who can't be faulted for thinking that the arcitec 1090 is really the Decepticon known as "Frenzy" in disguise. It stands at attention like a little bathroom sentinel on its silver base, proudly announcing the shaving time on its shiny chest, the three circular razor heads seemingly following your every move while waiting to transform when you least expect it.
Even when it's on the move, it can remain snugly in its futuristic-looking pod, which also has charging capabilities, and looks not unlike a cryogenic holding chamber from sci-fi movies.
From my (and my husband's) experience with this razor, it would be a much better piece of equipment if it actually did something as cool as transform into something else. Unfortunately, it's not much more than a pretty face, and isn't for all types of facial hair (or leg hair for that matter)
Pros:
- Cool looking with a sleek, modern, hi-tech style. Fits very comfortably in your hand.
- There's a display with BIG numbers to indicate how much shaving time you have left. If you ever get caught half way through your shave with no juice, then it's time to see your Optician right away.
- Easy and quick to charge (1 hour). The quick charge feature for a single shave is a nice feature for when you're pressed for time and out of charge.
- Aesthetically pleasing and efficient stand with suction cups to hold it firmly to the counter top. Razor and stand look great next to your expensive bathroom faucets.
- There's a safety lock feature to prevent it from accidentally coming on when travelling. Also useful to prevent your kids from trying to use it.
Cons:
- It gives a reasonably close shave on coarse hair, but you have to keep going over the same spot repeatedly to achieve that. Men's facial hair was okay, but the hair on the neck and chin was almost a mission impossible. (Ladies, forget trying to shave your legs with this razor.) My husband had to resort to a cheaper Norelco model to get those stubborn hairs, and the arcitec left the area under his chin and on his neck feeling irritated and sore.
- It took 12 minutes to shave, almost twice as long as compared to his other razor, even with the larger shaving area.
- The trimmer feature looked useful and functional, but proved to be in a very inconvenient position relative to the shaving heads. You'll need to remove the shaving heads entirely for the trim feature to do its job, and even then, it was not very effective.
- Washing/cleaning after use was easy enough though it meant having to open the three individual cutting heads separately. A simple mechanism to pop all three open simultaneously would have been nice. In addition, the area for catching hair isn't very big.
- The travel pod is a nice bonus feature, but on the big side if space is an issue. You probably don't need the travel pod anyway, since the razor comes with a safety lock.
- Very expensive, and not as efficient as cheaper models.
Norelco did recommend in the manual that you should use it for three weeks without using any other razor so that your skin would adjust to the razor, but at this price, I'm afraid I'll need instant gratification.
Amanda Richards, December 17, 2007
Customer Review: The best electric razor I've ever used
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
If you're going to spend this much money on an electric razor, it had better deliver one heck of a good shave. Every razor seems to promise a close shave of the hairs on your neck, and in my experience none of them deliver on that promise. That's one of the reasons I've always hated shaving. This Arcitec 1090 comes (and cuts) closer than any other razor I've used, though. The reason why it outshines the competition in this regard is, of course, the flexibility (in any direction) of its head. Pivot technology, they call it. Of course, you'd think someone would have come up with this idea long before the 21st century; it's not like it's a secret that there's some curvature involved when you move from your face down to your neck. In any case, this pivot technology, combined with the razor's Triple Track shaving heads, definitely makes this the best electric razor I've ever used. The Triple Track shaving heads really are a must in my opinion; I've used razors with the metal foil head in the past, and that metal foil always ends up tearing here or there, leaving you standing there one morning looking at a big scratch across your cheek.
Perhaps my favorite thing about this razor is its LED display, which shows you how many more minutes of shaving time you have left before the battery drains completely. That's another idea whose time has certainly come. There's nothing worse than having your shaver suddenly whir down to silence while you're halfway through shaving - that should never happen to me now. When fully charged, this razor gives you 65 minutes of battery time, which is pretty good. I can go almost a month without having to recharge this thing. When you do need to charge the battery, you actually have some options. First off, you can either charge it in its charging stand, or you can use the "luxury power pod" that comes with it. Either way, it only takes an hour to do a complete battery recharge. If, however, you're in a rush, and you're in some kind of weird hotel room that doesn't have an outlet in the bathroom, you can plug this razor up for just three minutes and get yourself three minutes of cordless time in front of the bathroom mirror.
I also have to say that I like the feel of this razor. It's not as bulky as the ones I've used in the past, and I'm able to hold it in comfortable ways I wouldn't think of holding my old ones - and I think that helps me get a closer shave in less time. You do need to clean this shaver fairly often, but all you have to do is pull up the three shaving heads and rinse the thing clean. It only takes a few seconds to do it, and you don't have to worry about the heads ever clogging up. I would also point out that this thing comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee as well as a full 2-year warranty.
If you're like me, you don't really enjoy shaving and won't bother to do it on days off. I went about a week without shaving during a recent vacation, so I got to see how this razor would handle a young beard. In the past, this was always a slow and painful process. I was surprised just how much easier it went with this razor, though. Not only did I get a close shave in record time, I got it without any real discomfort. I already liked this razor, and that just really sealed the deal - and so it is that I can definitely say I am most impressed with the Philips Norelco Arcitec 1090XD.
Customer Review: Just OK
Summary: 3 Stars
I have used Norelco shavers for many years and prefer them to all other models I have tried. This review comes from much experience with the brand.
This Arcitec design looks fancy and works well, but gets three average stars because it really works no better than the previous non-space-age, less expensive designs. The 1050, 1060, and 1090 all operate the same, they just have a different display: none is better than the other, and don't waste money on the Cleaner accessory. It is fairly comfortable to hold (I prefer the feel of the original model because this is one is smaller), and looks fancy sitting on the counter, but it does not do a better job. It requires cleaning after each use as there is no space for the hairs. I have always cleaned my shavers after each use anyway. Unless you just want the apperance, it is not worth the extra money.
Technically: The triple-blade per round head (each cutter has three spinning blade areas) does not do any better than a double cutting blade. Kind of like a Saturday Night Live skit in the 70's, Jim Belushi said, "Buy a triple bladed razor. For those that will believe anything". Lift-and-cut is a ridiculous concept and a marketing ploy, but Norelco's do a nice job. Norelco went back to more diagonal openings with this model, which is good. Many other newer models have lots of little pin-holes which are worthless, as the hairs have no time to enter a small hole with shaving motion. You would have to set it directly on a hair to cut it. The less pin-holes the better.
Feel: The head design feels better on the neck, and has not caused razor-burn if I do not stretch the skin tight like I need to with the original model. It takes the same time to shave as my older unit, and I get no better results, no faster. It takes the same time to get a smooth shave, and the same persistance in some areas.
Function: It is a little bit easier to shave under the nose, above my mustache, but not a major difference. It is much harder to trim my sideburns with this unit as the heads almost cut my hair on my head above the ears the way it is shaped. Very poorly designed trimmer, so I use my older shaver for that.
Battery: Early, new battery life is good, as with most new battery devices. But, it states to not over-charge. Meaning, you need to be around when recharging to unplug it after it is charged; not good for those that shave and must go to work. The other units would shut off after charging.
Cleaner/Charger: Again, one needs to be around when it is finished to not over-charge. The cleaner is not necessary and a waste of time, money, and chemicals. I use a razor brush from an older unit, brush it out quickly over the wastebasket (one can't blow it out without getting hair dust all over the bathroom, and it can't be shaken into the wastebasket as easily as the older models), and I spray it quickly with Remington Silicone Lubricant (I can only find it at Wal-Mart, which is the only thing I ever go there for, by the way).
Overall: Buy it for looks and keep your old one in the drawer for sideburns. Nicer on the neck.
I would return it, BUT, it was a gift, AND I like the look of it. I know, I know!!
Update 12-29-07
I purchased a Braun 9595 through J&R on Amazon, and it has a 60 day trial return guarantee. This is the first micro-screen razor I have used and it is better in all respects to the Norelco Arcitec except for the fancy styling. It is fast and comfortable, and my face feels razor smooth. I was able to return the Arcitec and am really happy with this Braun 9595 model.