Philips Shaver 9000 Prestige (SP9820/87) Reviews

Recently, a couple of friends at the gym were talking about the Philips Shaver 9000 I’ve been keeping my eyes out for a new shaver, so I asked the guys what they thought.

For a while now, I’ve been out of the electric shaver market. It’s not that I don’t like them. I love the convenience and cleanliness of an electric razor.

It’s just that my skin is dry on the best of days, and turns into the Sahara desert in winter.

A manual razor with shaving cream may not be convenient, but it’s kept my skin from getting red and irritated after a shave.

On their recommendations, I bought one the same night.

After two weeks with the Philips Shaver 9000 Prestige with Precision Trimmer, here’s what I think: Philips Shaver 9000 is the best shaving razor that does fare a lot better than other rotary shavers in its price range.

Philips Norelco Shaver S9000 Prestige With Precision Trimmer

Features overview:

The Philips Norelco Shaver S9000 Prestige is a top of the line, modern-looking shaver. Its shell is entirely stainless steel, and it has a slim, ergonomic handle that fits comfortably in my hand.

While it’s gorgeous and shiny, it’s a bit of a fingerprint magnet as well, as is the case with many stainless steel appliances.

Philips Norelco Shaver 9000 Prestige

Pros

• Non-irritating
• Close shave

Cons

• Quiet

Durable, long-lasting blades

All 3 blades on the triangular rotary head tilt independently. In addition, the entire head also tilts as one piece. This made the Philips Norelco Shaver 9000 Prestige a little tricky to handle the first few times, but I got used to it by the third or fourth time I used this shaver.

From what I hear, the blades are pretty durable. I can neither confirm nor deny this, but after two weeks the Norelco 9000 is shaving just as smoothly as it did on day one. A big factor here is going to be how well you clean the shaver.

I’ve had bargain-basement blades last for months as long as I kept them clean.

For what it’s worth, I’ve also had premium blades fail in a month when I didn’t clean them. This shaver comes with a 24-month warranty. While that’s not exactly a ten-year car warranty, it’s more than most shavers on the market.

Shaving performance

Runs wet or dry: Because I’m looking out for my skin, I’ve only ever used the Philips Series 9000 Prestige wet. My friends both use their dry and have no problems, but I haven’t worked up the courage to try a dry shave yet.

The first time I shaved with this machine, I was impressed by the fact that the blades don’t get hot. Not even at the end of the shave, when the shaver’s been running for a few minutes.

In the past, I’ve felt rushed to finish my shave before the hot blades made my skin irritation worse. With the Philips Shaver 9000 Prestige, I can take my time.

The shave itself is closer than I’ve gotten even with manual razors.

I imagine part of this has to do with running the shaver wet, but even so, it’s not often that you get a shave this close from an electric shaver.

Edging trimmer for mustaches and sideburns

One downside of the large head on the Philips Norelco Shaver S9000 Prestige is that it’s difficult to cut a straight line on sideburns or get your entire mustache.

Philips 9000 planned on this and included an edging trimmer with this shaver. Just press the release button, twist the head off, and twist the trimmer on in its place.

Both the shaver and beard trimmer are very quiet. They sound more like an electric toothbrush, and less like an old school hair trimmer.

User-Friendliness

In terms of user-friendliness, the Philips Norelco Shaver S9000 Prestige is very easy to operate. The power button is large and easy to operate even if your hands are wet. There are two smaller buttons underneath the power button that allow you to adjust the shave intensity.

Besides these three buttons, there are no other controls, so you won’t actually activate anything by mistake.

Personally, I run my Norelco 9000 Prestige at the lowest setting. This means it takes me a little longer to shave than it would on higher settings. On the other hand, it’s also the gentlest setting for my skin.

If you prefer a faster shave, you can run the shaver on medium or high. These speeds will get you a more powerful shave, at the cost of more potential for irritation.

Cleaning and maintenance

Cleaning is also a breeze. In the past, I’ve used foil style shavers with cleaning stations.

These can be a little more convenient than manual cleaning on a day to day basis, but they require cleaning solution refills and other regular maintenance.

To clean the Philips Shaver 9000 Prestige, I just pop the rotary blades off, run it under warm water to remove any hairs, and click the blades back on.

Included Accessories

Long hair trimmer: We’ve already talked about the edging trimmer. This is a nice add-on, but some shavers have the edger built-in. It’s unfortunate that Philips Norelco didn’t build their trimmer in as well since that would have been even more convenient.

The other attachment that ships with the Philips Norelco Series 9000 Prestige are a cleaning brush. This attaches the same way as the edging trimmer and is nice for cleaning away loose hairs.

I haven’t actually used it on my face, but my wife cuts my hair and she loves how quickly it cleans up the back of my neck.

The brush is soft, doesn’t tickle, and does what it needs to do.

Wireless or wired charging:

The Philips Shaver 9000 Prestige includes a Qi wireless charger. The cool thing about this charger is that it isn’t just for your shaver.

It will work with most cell phones, as well as any Qi-compliant devices.

This is a great addition, if only because it means you’ll have to bring one less charger when you’re traveling. Of course, you don’t have to use the wireless charger if you don’t want to.

Philips Norelco also includes a standard charging cord, so you can plug your shaver in the old fashioned way.

Travel case

This shaver also comes with a hardened traveling case. It’s tough and durable, with a fat, sturdy zipper that won’t fail easily.

Accessories Pros and Cons

• Pro: Edging trimmer and brush included
• Pro: Wireless or wired charging
• Con: Edging trimmer is separate rather than built-in

Ease of Use

The Philips Shaver 9000 Prestige is extremely easy to use. Because there’s no cleaning station, there are no other parts to maintain.

All you have to do is leave it on the charger when it’s not in use and clean the blades after using it.

Battery life: If you’re taking a weekend trip, you can leave the charger behind. A single charge is good for about a full hour of use, and the battery meter is easy to read.

I use about 10 percent of battery per shave, but I’m sure that will vary for different people.

The actual shaving experience is awkward at first but becomes easier after only a few shaves. Once I got used to the way the individual blades tilt, navigating my chin and cheekbones became very easy.

Ease of Use Pros and Cons

• Pros: Easy to read battery meter
• Pros: Individual blades rotate
• Pros: No cleaning station means fewer replacement parts
• Cons: No cleaning station also means no automatic cleaning

Philips Norelco 9000 Prestige Electric Shaver Price

Philips Shaver 9000

The Philips Shaver 9000 Prestige is Philips’s current flagship shaver so you can expect to pay a hefty sum for it. That said, it’s priced comparably to other manufacturers’ flagship products, and you get what you pay for: a great shaver.

Although the blades and foils for the Norelco 9000 Prestige are a bit pricey, Philips only recommends changing them about once a year.

Overall, this makes maintenance less expensive than most shavers so it will cost you less over time.

Pricing Pros and Cons

• Pro: Priced comparably to another top of the line shavers
• Pro: Blades and foils only need to be changed annually
• Con: Still very expensive

My Final Thoughts

I’m picky about my best electric shavers list, and there’s not much here for me to dislike. The Philips Norelco 9000 Prestige is on the expensive side, and the lack of an integrated edging trimmer is disappointing.

Still, those are small complaints considering the overall quality of this machine. The shave is close, smooth, quiet, and gentle, and cleanup is quick and easy. I travel a lot for work, so the wireless charger is also a huge plus.

I can charge my phone and shaver with the same Qi charger, which means there’s one less thing for me to pack. This is an awesome little shaver.

Final Verdict

Philips Norelco 9000 Prestige Electric Shaver is always the best shaver for sensitive skins. And this Philips shaver is the latest innovation from Philips. So you can use this razor without causing any kind of problem on your sensitive skin.

I love this shaver. It’s easy to use, easy to charge, low maintenance and gives a close shave. Best of all, it’s very gentle, enough to leave even my sensitive face feeling smooth and cool after a splash of aftershave. It’s also compact, and very comfortable to use. Suffice it to say I’ll be using my Philips Norelco for the foreseeable future.

If you finding a rotary shaver, undoubtedly the Norelco 9000 shaver really is the best choice for you.