Philips Norelco Shaver 9500, S9985/84

For most of my adult shaving life spanning some 40+ years, I have been a loyal Braun or Panasonic foil shaver user. I have intermittently tried rotary shavers from Philips/Norelco, but always returned them as they offered what I perceived to be a suboptimal shave. Panasonic Arc5 shavers shave very close, but sometimes irritatingly too close for my sensitive skin, and they often struggle to capture curly, flat-lying hairs requiring me to touch up with a blade. Also, I have never liked the high-pitched whine of the Panasonic shavers, which sometimes leaves my right ear ringing and I have feared over time may actually be causing damage to my hearing. I tried the Braun Series 9 Pro+, and it missed way too many hairs on my neck to justify the high price. Looking forward to my next 40+ years, and with my latest Panasonic shaver just having passed the two-year mark - which, in my experience, usually heralds the death of the electric motor - I figured let me try the latest Philips rotary shaver to see what they are offering. Enter this Philips S9979 Shaver, and consider me a Philips convert! I shave wet in the shower using just a nickel-sized amount of Bump Patrol Shave Gel (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079DXYZGN?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1), and this shaver gives me a very close, baby's butt smooth shave with zero irritation or cuts whatsoever. It is a closer shave than I get with a cartridge or safety blade razor. The shaver works best using slow circular motions, so I shave my entire face and neck in clockwise slow, circular motions, then repeat in counter-clockwise slow circular motions. I then give a few straight passes over my cheeks and under my chin and jawline. The Philips is so gentle that I can’t even feel it cutting the hairs, and it doesn’t miss hairs like my former Braun and Panasonic shavers did, especially those flat-lying hairs on my cheek, below my chin and on the sides of my neck, so I don't have to touch up with a blade afterwards. Shaving with the Philips, I haven’t encountered any problems with ingrown hairs either, which I often experienced on my cheeks with Panasonic shavers because of their irritatingly close shave. The Philips also has a light ring to indicate how hard you are pressing. I have it set to only light up if I am pressing too hard. It’s a great feature because pressing too hard is counterproductive and only tends to cause irritation. The shaver is also whisper quiet - so quiet that with the sound of running water in the shower, I have to look at it to make sure it is turned on. No concerns about it damaging my hearing long-term. The shaver also connects to a Philips app on my smartphone via Bluetooth to give me analysis of my shaves and shaving tips and keeps me updated on the shaver’s maintenance – not really necessary, but a very cool 21st-century feature to have. This model also came with a cleaning station and four cleaning pods, which is a great value. Since I shave wet and rinse the shaver after using every day, I only use the cleaning pod once per week. Also, the shaver comes with a 5-year warranty, which is the longest I’ve ever had on an electric shaver. I’ll update my review if I run into any problems, but for now, I am very pleased with this shaver and hope it stands the test of time.

One of the best shaves I’ve had with an electric razor. Works very well either wet or dry just as advertised. Holds a charge for a long time.

Bought this for my husband. He says it is the best shaver he has ever had. It glides across his skin and gives him a close shave. He is using the lighted ring around the the shaver to indicate if he is applying too much, not enough or just the right amount of pressure for the best shave. He feels like it really works for him. He appreciates the cleaning function, but most often he just rinses it under running water. He so recommends this shaver.

I used a Braun for years, but it was noisy and annoyed my wife. She got me this as a gift to both of us. It works well, even after a few days' growth and is substantially quieter than the Braun. I love that you can wet shave with it for a little closer and more comfortable shave. The cleaning unit works well and very quickly, and it comes with enough cleaning solution to last a lifetime for me (I only clean it about once a week). The only thing I don't love about it is that the trimmer isn't amazing. Seems to have trouble creating a crisp edge on sideburns. I usually have to square it up with a regular razor.

Item came and was not damaged. I use it for shaving and it definitley does the job well. Would reccomend.

My husband received this Norelco 9000 shaver last Father’s Day and he said it’s the best shaver he’s ever used. After nearly one year later, and after daily usage, the blades have become a bit dull, so will be ordering a replacement, so figure this in when you place the initial purchase. Pretty easy to clean and keep lubricated.

I previously had a Braun foil shaver and it could not get whiskers under my jaw bone. The floating heads of the Norelco can, so now my face is as smoothe as a baby’s bottom. I found it useful to use a pre-shave to get the whiskers to stand up. Williams lectric shave works adequately for this purpose.

I got as smooth, close shave as I did with my safety razor.

Reliable and high quality finish. Just not as close as a razor.