Philips Norelco Electric Shaver 8900, Wet & Dry Edition S8950/91

I have had been using a Braun Series 7 790 cc shaver for years. I liked it, but I never felt it was giving me as close a shave as it should. I decided to look for alternatives and decided I was going to try out one of the Norelco 3-head shavers. There are lots of different models at varying prices so I couldn't really tell which one would be the best one to try. After weighing reviews and price point I chose this one. I am so glad I did.I buy a lot of stuff on Amazon, and this is THE best purchase I have made this year. I never really believed that the strange 3-head style of shaver could give an effective shave. Well, now I have tried it and I have no more doubts about it. This shaves wonderfully.I'll start with the most important thing - The Shave:I am amazed at how well this shaver hits all of the different areas of my face, neck, upper lip, and jawline. I should mention that I only do dry shaves, not wet ones. Unlike my old foil shaver I do not need to press it hard against my skin for the blades to make good contact. They mention in the product description that it can take 21 days for your face to acclimate to the new shaver and get the most effective shave from it. I happened to get all of the benefits right out of the box on day 1. It's a night and day difference from my Braun. Moving it in a constant circular motion is intuitive, easy, and it works. The heads really do pivot enough to conform to all of the angles on my face. When I'm done shaving I brush my hand across my face and verify how close the shave is. So much better than my foil shaver. I have had absolutely no issues with this pulling any hairs or causing skin sensitivity. I am impressed.Cleaning:Cleaning is absurdly simple with this shaver. The heads pop right off and a quick rinse of the heads and the shaver under the faucet takes care of everything. Air dry and it's good to go. It doesn't come with a brush which annoyed me initially, but I have found that it truly doesn't require one. I have not had the unit long enough to have to replace the heads, but I have removed them (doing so individually is definitely best, as they recommend) and cleaned them. Removing the ring and the circular head and razor is easy, and replacing them back into the unit properly did not pose any type of problems. The engineering is very well done. I did not purchase the unit with the cleaning stand. I have no regrets about that. This shaver is far too simple to thoroughly clean without it and it would have been a waste of money in my opinion to shell out for the cleaning stand and cleaning solution.Construction and operation:I had read some peoples' remarks that the shaver feels light, and hence insubstantial or cheap. I disagree completely. This has a solid heft in my hand and feels well-built. Additionally, it is very quiet compared to the Braun. I marvel at the difference every morning. At first I thought that this quiet shaver couldn't possibly be powerful enough to give an adequate shave, but it is. The results prove it.I like the 3-light charge indicator. As soon as the charge drains down to only 1 light I plug it in and leave it charging while I'm at work. It holds a charge very well and I can get a couple weeks of shaves out of it between charges. I haven't taken it traveling yet, but I have no reservations about doing so. I know that I won't need to bring the cord with me and worry about charging while I'm on a trip. Here I will also mention that the travel case is very nice as well. It's not hard plastic, but it is firm and protective and fits the shaver well. No need to worry about it getting damaged while jostling around in my bag. Also, the travel lock mode for the shaver is simple to initiate. Hold the power button down for 3 seconds and it's ready for travel. The jostling will now not cause the shaver to turn on unexpectedly. Repeat the procedure to exit the travel lock mode and it's ready to go again.Extras:I like the included display indicator for when it's time to change the heads. Sure, I could find a way to keep track of when it's been a year, but this function is even better. As far as the 2-year warranty, when I opened the shaver it gave options to register my purchase. At first I wondered who does that anymore when I have my online proof of purchase in my Amazon account. Still, for some reason I did so anyway. After registration the Philips Norelco website informed me that it was tacking on an additional 6 months of warranty coverage. Not bad. I'll take it.The trimmer attachment - while dubious at first, I like the attachment quite a bit. I first thought that it should be a pop-out trimmer like what is found on many other brands of shavers. After using it I discovered that it is no hassle at all to attach to or remove from the shaver, and it has more than ample power. The comb that attaches to it adjusts easily with a built-in slider. And if I want direct contact with my face removing the comb is a piece of cake - just grab it in the center (not at the sides) and it pulls off with no effort.Minor disappointments (?):The only possible negatives that I have, and they are slight, are that it doesn't come with a brush and it doesn't come with a stand. As I stated above, I have found that a brush is unnecessary so in hindsight this is not a negative at all. As for the stand, I understand that I did not choose the product that includes the charging/cleaning stand, but some type of simple stand would still have been nice. It's not a big deal, but laying it down on my bathroom counter every morning reminds me of being a freshman in college with everybody having their stuff laying around the sink area. It's not a big deal, just a minor observation.In summary:I decided I was going to try a 3-head shaver for the first time. I chose this specific model because I didn't want to invest lots of money in case I came to regret my decision. Now that I've been using it for a while I really don't know what benefits a more expensive model could possibly offer. Racing stripes, perhaps? This model shaves so close that a different model can't possibly give a better shave. It cleans so easily that a more expensive model won't be any easier to clean. The value proposition of this thing exceeds all expectations. It's made all the better because it's a product that I use every single day.In my opinion this model is a worthwhile investment that I expect will give me many years of quality usage. I have no second thoughts about this purchase. If you're searching for a better shave I cannot recommend this enough. Try it - you may love it just as much as I do!

I have owned an old Philips Norelco Speed XL 8175 for about 10 years and it has served me faithfully. However, some of the plastic holding the shaving heads in place broke off and the head was no sitting tight against the shaver body, so I decided it was time to move onto a new shaver. I didn't even consider any foil shavers - I had one before but didn't like how I was constantly nicking myself - so I started looking at the current line of Philips Norelco shavers. I had read that for value, you really should choose your shavers based on the shaving heads used; i.e. pick the head first and then pick up the cheapest shaver that utilized the head. Good point, I figured, as that's the really part of the shaver that's actually doing the hard work! Everything else is just an extra feature. I wasn't big on cleaning stands since I have a small bathroom and I like keeping my shaver out of sight, so that's another "feature" I didn't need. All I wanted was the shaver, a hair trimmer, and a good battery indicator -- the rest wasn't so important.As I started shopping around, I first checked on Costco and saw that they were offering a deal on the Philips Norelco 9800 ($139.99 after a $20 rebate). I had researched this unit and saw that it used SH90 shaving heads and was the most advanced shaver in their collection. Okay, so I needed to find the cheapest razor that utilized SH90 heads. The Costco price couldn't be beat, so I was pretty set on picking that up. But... it was Amazon Prime day and that's when I saw the Philips Norelco 8900 (model S8950) on sale for $99.99. After a LOT of research (this unit seems to be discontinued - maybe it was a stop gap unit between their old 7xxx series and the new 9xxx series) I found out that this razor also used the SH90 razor heads. This model didn't have the fancy LED or the 3 shaving speeds like the 9700/9800 had (who needs that?) but I could save $40 and get the same quality shave - that was a no brainer!Got the shaver via 2-day free shipping and I've used it for about two weeks now. My face seems to have adjusted well to the new razor so it's been shaving nicely. I like how easy it is to clean as well - just lift the top and rinse under the tap. I'm careful not to wash the razor every day though because I don't want to unnecessarily wear down the plastic clip that holds the shaving heads to the motor.I've also used the clipper attachment. It's a little annoying that you have to remove the shaving head and attach this (I'm afraid of wear and tear) but I don't use it that often so it's not that big of a deal. The clipper attachment reminds me a little of the Oster hair clippers I used to have; the clipper has an adjustable depth and a removable plastic guard if you want a really close trim. I tried it out and it works very well. Shaves faster, closer, and quieter than the built-in trimmer that came with my Speed XL 8175XL.I'll update this review after a few more weeks, but so far so good!+ Light, quiet and close shaver which uses the most advanced SH90 heads like the more expensive 9700 series but at a must lower price point.+ Has an intuitive battery indicator that lets you know when it's time to charge+ Clipper attachment works very well- I'm not a fan of the little travel case. The zipper is pretty hard to open, and it feels like they skimped a bit on the material.- Dislike that you have to remove the shaving head to wash/clean. I'm afraid that the plastic will wear and I won't be able to clip the shaving head back on anymore- This model is impossible to find on Philips website. This is NOT the same series as the mediocre Philips Norelco 8900 (1280X) which uses the inferior RQ12+ shaving heads.4 stars!

This is an excellent shaver, in part because the beard trimmer that comes with it is ideal for keeping the back of my neck and ears from gaining too much stubble if I use it twice a week. In fact, I have purchased more than one of these shavers since I keep the extra for a second home or travel.In the prior review that I appear to have composed in my head, I thought that I had complained because after a year or so, the head kept falling off while I was shaving. By head, I mean the entire assembly that fits into the shaver body, not just the cutting blades. Worse, It turns out that neither Philips nor their fulfillment company stocks the part that they appear to refer to as a "bottom assembly." I had tried with moderate success to build up the junction with UV-sensitive "glue," but that held for only a month or so. Since this appears to happen shortly after the warranty period ends, my advice had been to steer clear of this unless you want to purchase a new shaver every year or so.BUT ... I have now found an external source on Amazon for the bottom assembly that fits perfectly and, so far, appears to stay on the shaver as if it was new. Yes ... it's possible that it too will start falling off while shaving in another year or so, but at about $35, I am willing to shell that out annually to keep an exceptionally good shaver going. The first time I ordered it, it took about two weeks to arrive; the second time only about three days. Here is the link to the bottom assembly:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0886GGJ3T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1So I hope to enjoy these shavers for many years and think those of you who find this part falling off will now be able to enjoy the shaver too.

I will put a huge asterisk on this review by saying I've only been using this shaver for a week and a half. But so far here are my thoughts:Pros:1. Extremely close shave (with multiple circular passes). It is closer than what I get with my Gilette Pro Fusion wet shaves.2. Charge holds for a LONG time. Haven't needed a charge in my use after 4 heavy shaves to date.3. Love the battery and clean out indicator. Makes it really easy to tell if you are running out of juice or need to clean, which is key as I bought this as a way to shave on the way to the office or at times when I'm not near a charging port.4. Ergonomic design way better than my older Braun shavers.5. The Norelco 3 whirling blade design does a better job of getting up near the nose and nostril areas, where shaving my Braun I had to finish the electric shave and then touch up with a wet shave and manual blade.6. This razor does a great job of getting the 2 hardest places where even my best and fresh-bladed flex fusion Gillette razor could not get - a) smile creases of my mouth and b) edges of my mouth above my teeth and edge of chin.7. Overall the shave is not perfect (see cons) but nearly perfect and I feel I can walk into work and the few misses are un-noticeable to anyone but me.Cons:1. As with nearly all electric shavers, it takes multiples passes to get the job done vs one pass with a wet razor.2. Does still miss a few neck hairs, especially those plus 40 year old grey/white neck hairs that may stick out. But those are few and far between and at the minimum shortened. The overall quality of shave makes these a non factor for me.Price - well this one is up the the eye of the beholder. But to me, Amazon's price of around 130 for this item, combined with the convenience factor, and the probability that this will hold up for 5 or more years, makes this thing a bargain. This is not the 9000 series, but I am plenty happy with the 8900 and am now using it even on my weekends, when I could use a straight blade. And if I feel like it will use the straight blade (Fusion) for a quick touch up.Tip - I have a heavy beard but the shave is so close I now sometimes shave the night before I go to work, and then just use a straight blade for a quick after-shower 1 minute touch up before I go to work. Shortens my old 5-8 minute shave to 1 minute and the overall closeness is better than just straight shaving in the AM.Hope this helps someone.

I got the model that didn’t include to smart cleaner, because I don’t really have anywhere to put it. The only other Norelco I have owned is the “click and style” that I got from target for $50, so that’s all I have to compare.Pros: First off the shaver looks nice, it’s blue face and mate black back looks great with the chrome accents. It gives a very comfortable shave I have sensitive skin and this left no bumps after a shave, the “click and style” left my neck covered in bumps It uses the top of the line blade system in a lower price package Includes a very nice case Trimmer works well, and compared to the one that came with the “click and style”, it seems better qualityConsNew blades (sh90) cost $50Didn’t include blade cover The heads are a little tough to attach, sometimes you have to play with it to attach, the “click and style” accels here Also removing the blade top to get to the hair trap is a bit of a hassle as well, guide shows pulling straight up and it comes off, but I’ve found that you have to start at one side and work your way around, the “click and style” has two little buttons that pop the blade top right off, others have had a front button that “unfolds” the top for easy cleaning. I have no idea why they didn’t make this easier for their best blade system.Yes I gave it 5 stars even will all the gripes. And that’s for one simple reason, this is first and foremost an electric shaver. And the quality of shave you get, with its ability to cut quickly and miss little to no hair, and leave no bumps behind makes this a great shaver. I highly recommend it, and if you have the room I would say to get the snark cleaner system, with that it avoids a bit of hassle.I also want to include that this is the budget/premium line. It compares to the $180 9300 model, all that you seem to loose is the speed settings. And this seems to be the body of a 7000 series shaver with the top of the line blades. I has able to but blades on the “click and style” and it worked with no issues.