Customer Reviews

Conair GMT900 iStubble Facial Trimmer, Gray

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I thought this would be a fully adjustable trimmer. It's very cool looking, with digital programmable adjustable length (from .4 mm to 5 mm). Trimmer functions great out the box, & very cool-looking.

But it doesn't replace *anything* in my medicine cabinet because the "comb" is not functional. I still have to keep my other trimmer for upper lip, sideburns, neckline, eyebrows, etc.

The head is just too big. With the comb feature, you can't get stubble as short as in the video (which is a bit misleading). His stubble is 0.2 to 0.3 mm ... to get that close, you need to flip back the comb head, and trim with just the metal blades against the skin - much like using Wahl Hair Clippers (or similar) to shave, without the guard.

Additionally, when you flip back the head, you get a much shorter (uneven) finish, and the "comb" part is huge and bulky so you can't really get too close to the upper lip, etc. Just a clumsy design.

The worst feature on the iStubble (design oversight) is there is no "catch" for the hair. It just jams up the cutting blades until it falls on the floor (or worse, all over your shirt). No compartment to empty. Makes a mess every time.

But it does have it's perks - the comb head doesn't irritate the skin AT ALL. No need for soothing aftershave lotions. It's very quick, easy, and painless to use (do my whole face in say 30 seconds). But they seem to sacrifice function & versatility, and opt for cool looking design (neon glow-in-dark display, etc).

I'd recommend the iStubble to someone with a longer goatee, who has other products for the rest of the face (i.e., if you shave with a razor, but want to keep a short or medium goatee).

If you're looking for a all-in-one trimmer/groomer for goatee or stubble, I'd recommend something more versatile, such as (Norelco All-in-1 Grooming System (I've owned for years, and works great). No digital glow-in-the-dark display, though. But it comes with about 10 attachments for everything you need, including nose hair trimmer. For stubble, simply use it without any attachments for a perfect .2mm to .3mm stubble. The Wahl Groomsman Trimmer is similar, also for around $15, and probably just as good.

The iStubble looks cool, and it works great for trimming chin & cheeks. But I just don't want a drawer full of electronic grooming devices. Not versatile enough for me.

Overall this is the best product that I have tried to date for stubble management! It's multiple settings are great!

My only complaint is that the adjustble comb on the head doesn't allow one to work the upper lip area below the nose.... The comb teeth are too long

* About the product
** Inspection and Use
*** 4 stars or 5? Conclusion

* It's funny how Steve Jobs has influenced our lives! From renaming a portable computer to products that bear the "I" prefix, you can't go anywhere without someone paying homage to his genius.

"i-Stubble" is a trendy name for a battery/ electrical charged facial hair trimmer. Although it's marketed here in the US as a "Conair For Men" product, it's actually just a product leased to Conair and to several companies around the world. In the UK, the product is called, "i-Stubble by BaByliss For Men" and has been on the market for about a year now.

** Nevertheless, this is both a handsome and functional device. The i-Stubble is light-weight, maybe about 2 lbs and it comes fully charged. There's an AC adapter included as well as a cleaning brush and blade fluid. The main retractable blade is surrounded by a dual-guard that sits on a pivot-head.

I normally wear a "modern" goatee, so I had to let the hairs on my cheeks grow out a bit to see how well the product would perform. And it worked amazingly well. If you're working with two different areas of growth, it might be a good idea to start off with the closest-shave area with the lowest number, i.e., (.4mm). And, with the thicker growth start with the highest, which is 5mm, and adjust as needed. The digital display makes it very easy to remember what is the ideal cutting length.

Trimming my ...cough...cough...grey beard...cough... was painless. I've used trimmers that literally pulled and yanked the hair from my face. Ouch! So, I resolved some years ago just to use my regular clippers and a disposal razor. This seems to bridge the two.

Clean-up was fairly simple. There's a small latch in the front of the guard that when unhooked gives you full access the blades and the screws that hold it in place.

*** The cost. This is a product that works very well. It's nicely designed and should last for several years with good care. However, $50 seems to be a tad bit expensive for ANY beard trimmer. Considering the quality, and the dozens of different models you can find online or in Target, I'd say a good price would be about $25- $30.

So, 4 stars if you see it at $50....5 for around $30!

This may be the only trimmer/clipper you need - even if you hate chronic stubble.

Full disclosure: I'm a blogger who was offered a trial of the iStubble. However, I was under no obligation whatsoever to give it a positive review, and in fact I found some flaws.

I don't normally grow my facial hair grow out. It's not a good look for me. But some guys can rock the perpetual five-o-clock shadow and look great doing it, and they need a better answer than simply shaving every third day. Regular clippers don't trim precisely enough to keep that stubble in the "sweet spot."

Enter the iStubble, which does just that, and a lot more.

PROS

It may like a normal electric trimmer, with a plastic guide and metal blades, but the iStubble's magic is its precision: it's adjustable in 0.2 mm increments, from 0.4 mm all the way up to 5 mm. Press the up or down buttons and the guide moves into the precise position. You don't have to guess at the correct angle in which to hold the iStubble: just press the guide flat against your face.

The instruction sheet recommends shaving against the grain for best results, and I agree. For the neck and chin, I found it necessary to go over the area another time or two in a different direction - I later found that the instructions recommend that as well.

If you've got more than just stubble, that 5mm setting can keep your beard, mustache or goatee from fuzzing out. I use it on my little soul patch these days - 10 seconds and I'm done.

Because the guide folds back completely, you can use the naked blades to shape your beard or sideburns, trim your neck hairs between haircuts, and even clip stray body hairs.

CONS

My facial hair grows right up to within about 1/8 of an inch of my nose. Unfortunately, the iStubble's guide bumps my nose and makes it a bit of a task to trim the stubble on my upper lip. If Conair could flatten the rounded sides of the guide, the iStubble could pass under my nose with minimal contact.

Also, the trim length resets each time I turn the iStubble on. While it's fun to watch the motorized guide move back and forth, I wish the iStubble could just remain at the last setting.

If you're a stubble farmer, the iStubble should be your implement of choice. It's also useful even if you're clean-shaven or beardy. I'm not a big fan of non-Apple products using names that start with "i-", but this one has earned at least a pass.

I bought the GMT 900 and have used it now several times. It has a good cutter and no trouble catching the hair. However I keep making mistakes as the comb design is very clumsy. It can get stuck or suddenly slip, and the result is that I can never be sure to get the right length, and now I have a few bare spots where it cut to the skin. And the cutter scratches the skin. I think conair made a mistake resorting to this digital length setting, it looks nice, but is much more ocmplicated than needed -- I am now purchasing a trimmer with mechanical length setting.

Best electric razor I have ever had. The battery lasts long (so long as you charge it the full 16 hours before you first use it), it is easy to use, it comfortably glides over your face and neck. It is absolutely worth the money!

I look much better with a 5'oclocker than I do with a full beard. I was looking for something that would deliver without being too expensive. I feel bad spending $50 on a groomer but this definitely delivers. I was surprised when I bought it I had grew out my beard for only a day that the 0.4mm actually trimmed anything down but it did. This is definitely a must buy for all who like to rock a 5'oclock shadow. When I started trimming against my face I noticed no tugging or pulling at all. Just smooth all over. I even have real fine hair.

I ordered the Istubble because it seemed to have decent reviews and I wanted an accurate beard trimmer. When I got it I plugged it in and, started to shave. By the time I was done I had blood dripping down my neck, and I had to finish with my regular old Wahl hair trimmer. The trimmer is just not meant for people with thick tough hair. Then I returned the trimmer via post and never recieved a refund, so all in all the purchase was a loss for me. I just wanted to let people know not to buy it if you have a thick "russian" hair folicles. Good luck -Eric

This trimmer is perfect for my needs. I like trimming by facial hair rather than shaving it, because my skin is very sensitive. I often get acne due to irritation when I shave. With this trimmer, I get great results without the irritation. On it's lowest setting, the trimmer cuts hair very close to your skin and gives you a very light stubble look, which is nice. I personally use it on the 1.4mm setting where the stubble is a bit more visible. I really like the electronic mechanism that raises the the trimmer to your desired setting. Not only is it a cool techie feature, but you actually get to know the exact length of your facial hair and at the same time this allows you to be more picky in terms of how long you exactly want your facial hair. In other words, the traditional manual adjustments with other trimmers usually won't give you as many adjustments as this one (in terms of the different mm settings).

The battery life on this is great as well. I've had a Norelco (Phillips) and a Remington trimmer in the past, and those have run out of battery while I was using them, which was frustrating. You would think they would last at least 2 trimming sessions! I had to wait for them to charge before I could go out (I didn't want that half-trimmed look haha). With this trimmer, I don't have that problem anymore. It comfortably has enough battery life to last at least 2 sessions of trimming.

Lastly, the contoured shape of the actual trimming attachment is excellent. It really molds to your face and reduces irritation even further.

I got this trimmer on a lighting deal for around $26-$30, but had I known it was this good, I would have bought it a long time ago for the normal price.

Thanks.
Hope this helps.

I purchased the i-Stubble following a reasonable amount of research on the web for a trimming device that would allow for detailed trimming as my current clippers leave something to be desired for facial trimming, i.e. I would either be very closely trimmed or have a short beard.

Following this research, the i-Stubble appeared to be the obvious solution at a reasonable price to boot. I paid $45 US.

However, upon using the i-Stubble, after not shaving for a week, I was not overly impressed...

For starters, the measurement increments (0.4mm, 0.6mm, 0.8mm, 1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm etc up to 5mm) are not accurate. I started at 3mm and actually took off most of my 'short beard' which I thought was no more than 3mm long, the result being a lot shorter than 3mm. I then decided to test further and at the 2mm setting it is pretty much the same effect as clippers with no attachment on. At 0.6mm the actual trimmer sits proud of the plastic attachment so not sure how it could be 0.6mm?!

I found the trimmer to be similar to rough grading, i.e. after going over my face several times and then inspecting, I found many facial hairs still there at the original length. I note that it was used on dry facial hair, as per the instructions.

It is not easy to use for detailed trimming, due to the design of the head of the device.

In addition to this, it is poor for trimming facial hair beneath your nose, again based on the design of the head of the device. And no, I do not have some sort of huge crow like nose like the Wicked Witch of the North. I had to use my clippers to trim my moustache area down.

As for the overall design, it would be nice if it came with a stand, like products that Phillips offer, which are neat and tidy and allow for the power supply cord to essentially be hidden. Otherwise it is straight forward to use and automatically switches off after a minute or so of non-use.

For this price on Amazon, it is an OK deal. I am in Canada, and this product at the likes of London Drugs is actually $95 CAN which I would consider far too high. For $45 US, it is in the right price bracket.

Overall, a great idea but some small improvements would result in a far superior product. B-