Customer Reviews

Philips Norelco 1050CC arcitec Men's Shaving System

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I bought the new Philips Norelco 1050cc Arcitec Shaving System, returned it for a refund after 30 days, and then purchased a the new Braun Pulsonic 9595 Shaving System. Since I've had experience with both now, I thought my experience might be of value to others. I've had 3 Norelco shavers over the past 20 years. The 9595 is my first Braun shaver.

Shaving Closeness - The Braun definitely gives a closer shave and in less time, although the Norelco is acceptable. One reviewer commented about getting nicks from the Braun but I have not had that problem at all, even around the chin.

Comfort - The Braun feels heavier (I didn't actually weigh them) but I found the Braun more comfortable to hold.

Noise - The Braun is noisier, especially during the cleaning cycle.

Status Indicators on the Shaver - The indicators are better on the Braun; however, I've since learned that's mostly because I had the 1050 model. I now see that the 1060 or the 1090 models would have been better and probably would equal the Braun.

Charging/Cleaning Stand - The Braun is more convenient to replace the cleaning fluid but about the same cost (about $1.00 per week). Both seem to clean equally well. The charge and cleaning status lights on the Braun are easier to see and give better status information. But the big difference here is the way the charging system works. With the Braun, you simply place your used razor in the stand, push a button, and the cleaning & charging are taken care of. However, with the Norelco, there are a number of warnings in the book to unplug the unit after it completes its cycle. This is a major inconvenience if you have to hang around and remember to unplug the unit. Also, the lack of an on/off switch seems a poor and cheap design.

Trimmer - To even off my sideburns, I found the Norelco somewhat difficult to use because the trimmer did not stick out far enough beyond the shaving head. This was not a problem with the Braun.

Cost - The Braun cost about $20 more.

Return Policy - 60 day money back with Norelco; only 30 days with Braun.

Bottom-Line - I started with a bias toward the Norelco because of my past experiences but in my opinion, this new Braun definitely surpasses the Norelco in terms of shaving closeness and convenience. Braun is clearly worth the extra $20, although the Norelco is a decent product.

I have owned this product for 2 weeks. Works great and gives a close shave. The only thing I don't understand is the cleaning system. It is the same as the Braun shavers, but the instructions tell you to unplug the power after the cleaning stage so it will not affect the battery life. If you look at the instructions it takes 2 hrs for the cleaning and drying cycle to finish then your instructed to remove the power. After the cleaning cycle if finished it automaticly goes to the charg cycle. If you are like me I am at work by then in the morning. Come on Norelco, whats with this. Poor design on Norelcos part. The shaver does give a nice close shave and is great looking.
I'll only give this product 4 stars because of the cleaning/charging system. How many of us are going to remove the power after cleaning. Are you going to stand there and wait. I don't think so.

It's one of the coolest electric razors I've seen. I bought the 1060 which is the same thing as this one except the display. I couldn't wait to get this one. I love Norelco's products. I bought this shaver and tried it for a couple of weeks and found it delivers a really harsh uncomfortable shave with lots of razor burn which I never got from my other Norelco. I think one reason for the harsh shave is that it doesn't have the floating heads anymore that easily give to the contours of your face, this seems to plow into curves instead and you also don't get the range of pivoting that the previous models have (I noticed this didn't surround my Adams Apple like my 9160XL does it sits flat on it). It gives a decent shave but not a great shave like I was hoping and you have to go over areas many times. I think who ever designed this razor just went for how sleek and cool they could make it look and the function came second. You can get as good of shave with a 8140XL SpeedXL which has the same cutting head technology and gain the comfort and save $120. It just won't look as cool on your counter. I've sent mine back and I just bought a Braun Pulsonic 9595 and it's the best shaver I've ever owned. Sorry Norelco but when I spend $200 dollars I just don't want something that looks good I want it improved too.

Before purchasing the Norelco Arcitec, I read reviews on Amazon and on various review websites I found with a simple Google search. Some of the criticisms I've seen regarding the Arcitec are somewhat true, and many are not (at least in my case). All people are different, and as such so is our facial hair, so please keep that in mind when reading any of these reviews including mine.

The Arcitec is my 2nd electric razor. I tried a Braun foil-type razor about 6-7 years ago. Basically the problem I had with the Braun razor is two fold:
1) It didn't shave hair with any consistency, if at all. Getting a close shave was impossible.
2) Absolutely tore my face up. Irritated my skin more than it shaved.

At that time I decided to go back to a standard razor and gel and let technology catch-up to my "dream razor". I have zero problems with using a standard razor and gel - I'm able to get a close shave without any noticeable razor burn or irritation. I just like not having to pick up a pack of razor heads and gel all the time, my schedule is simply too busy to even make it to the store, hence I buy things online and have them shipped to me. I like having gadgets and hoped one day I could have a razor that worked well, looked great, and would provide a great shave for a long time to come without constantly needing to go get something for it or special maintenance.

Fast forward to today and I'm overly surprised at just how good the Norelco Arcitec is. I'll go over the basics of the particular model I have (1050CC), the differences between the models, and what things I would consider pro's and con's.

The Arcitec Razor
First things first, this is an absolutely beautiful razor! It looks and feels even better in your hand than on pictures on the Internet. This is now the 4th day I've had and used this razor and feel I'm at a point where I can accurately describe my experience. My first shave took about 10 minutes with 2 days of growth. After my 4 day, I'm in and out in just a couple of minutes. Each day the shave is truly better and faster.

+Pros+
1) I'm able to get an extremely close shave. Easily rivals what I am able to do with a standard razor and gel.
2) The hardest area to shave is the neck/jaw line. With a few days practice I have been able to get these areas quite easily.
3) Norelco recommends using this razor by itself for 21 days for your skin and beard to become accustomed to using the Arcitec. I've had ZERO razor burn and/or irritation since the first day I've used it and yet somehow, everyday the shave is better, easier, and faster. It's ADDICTING.
4) The trimmer on the back is not near as useless as other reviewers are making it out to be. Simply, the trimmer works well. The only downside is that the shaving heads can get in the way of being able to see what it is that you're trimming at certain angles. I have a separate cordless Norelco trimmer, but honestly as long as you're not doing ridiculously-extravagant facial hair, you should have no problem pulling out the trimmer on this product and cleaning up your sideburns, mustache, or other simple facial hair. It IS NOT a toy like some reviewers are saying, it makes a nice clean line and cuts real close.
5) The Jet Clean system is absolutely awesome. I have no idea why other reviews have said to not get this. Keeps the razor looking and feeling brand new, everyday, with no effort. What is not to like? I went on an Amazon subscription for the Jet Clean solution, so they send me a new bottle for like 3$-4$ shipped each month and I don't have to do anything. This is reasonable. Unit does ship with 1 bottle of solution which will last a month if you follow Norelco's suggestion.

-Cons-
1) It's relatively expensive compared to most of the market. Amazon's got a decent price on it, I personally picked mine up on Ebay for a fantastic price from a well-rated seller.
2) The only criticism, other than price which is completely subjective, that I have read on reviews that holds any truth is the charging method. Here's the deal if you haven't read this before: The Arcitec comes with two methods of charging. One is a travel case/charging pod. I have yet to use this, however I can say that it is a well-made plastic case that the Arcitec fits inside. On the outside of the case is a plug so it can be charged without having to take it out. Other users were somewhat disappointed that the case is somewhat large and takes up a bit more space that older models. Non-issue for me, honestly it's not that big at all and would easily fit in any bag I own except maybe my quite small Kenneth Cole laptop messenger bag that I use for work, in which case I'm working and not shaving. The 2nd charging method is the Jet Clean/charging dock. As mentioned previously the Jet Clean system works great, however the problem is that you CANNOT leave the unit plugged in. What happens is you shave, either blow/wash out/brush out hairs in the Artitec (very easy by the way), then you place it on the Jet Clean system/charging dock and push power. This initiates the cleaning cycle. It takes only about an hour to clean, then a 2 hour dry-time. PROBLEM: you cannot leave it in the Jet Clean system without unplugging the unit from power after the cleaning cycle is done because it will start charging automatically as soon as the cleaning cycle is done, and it will decrease the life or affect the health of the battery because you're supposed to completely charge, then use until completely dead (similar to other small electronic devices like cell phones, MP3 players etc). Why Norelco didn't fix this problem is beyond me. I plan on buying a power-timer that will allow me to finish shaving, put the timer to around 2 hours and then I'm free to leave without worrying about my Arcitec investment. I have the same problem with my Norelco trimmer, luckily both shave and trim well, which is what they ultimately need to do for me to be a happy customer.
3) The 1050CC model does not have the minutes left of charge on the display of the Arcitec as the other models that don't come with the Jet Clean system do. Why is this? I would have liked to have had that, but I knew this prior to the purchase and I'm happy no less.

All in all, I find no reason to not recommend this product. The Arcitec is the best shave I've had, it looks great (can easily be left on the bathroom counter, it's a work of art), the Jet Clean system and charging dock are well designed and work excellent, comes with everything you need, and Amazon's always looking out for me with great things like their new subscription service that will allow you to automatically receive things you need routinely around the same time frame, such as the Jet Clean solution. Something like $3 or $4 will have it automatically sent to you each month with no hassle and no time wasted. I think YOU will be happy with the purchase of a Norelco Arcitec as well!

I've been shaving with Norelco Electric Razors for almost 40 years and this has to be the closest and fastest shave yet. I do not shave every day so I have a bit of stubble going on when I do shave. With a 2-3 day growth all my past Norelco's would have taken 4-5 minutes for a shave and I'd still need a steel-blade razor on my neck for it to be as smooth as my face. The 1050CC had my face and neck shaven smooth in about 2-3 minutes and that was with a 3 day growth. My last Norelco was a Spectra 8865XL, which I purchased 2 years ago and is still working fine (I replace the cutting combs-heads every year) but it could never get the neck area as close as the face. If you are a user of electric shavers then the 1050CC is the shaver for you!

I've had Norelco's since I first started shaving many many many years ago. My last Norelco was huge disappointment, as I had to take a good 15 to 20 minutes to get a mediocre shave, often having to decide between irritated skin from endless shaving or settling for sandpaper skin. After reading the other reviews for the Norelco 1050cc Arcitec, I decided I had nothing to lose. First, the shave is FANTASTIC. No more than 3 minutes gets me a fantastic shave. Second, the head design is much more flexible which makes it easier to follow the natural curves of your face. Third, the ability to wet the heads (lightly dampen them) and shave makes for an unbelievably smooth shaving experience. Norelco, my skin thanks you. This shaver was done right.

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.

The Arcitec 1050cc is essentially the 1050 plus a cleaning station (hence the 'CC' suffix). This review is basically about the shaver portion of the product.

I have been a Braun shaving customer for over 20 years. I find I'm able to get almost as close as a blade. So, why bother with any other shaver? Well, I'd always been fascinated by the triple-head design that Norelco pioneered back almost 30 years ago. The last time I tried one was about 10 years ago, and I wasn't impressed. With the latest Arcitec design, I figured it was time to give it a try.

The Arcitec Models
===================
Philips Norelco makes so many different models, I can't figure them all out. However, the Arcitec stands out by having a very distinctive slender look, the triple head surface on a flat conical piece that is affixed to a pivot, unlike the "neckless" other models. There are 3 main Arcitec models: 1050, 1060, and 1090. There are also two suffixes: X and CC. I think the 'X' means there is no cleaning station, while 'CC' means a cleaning station IS included. You may see some models shown without either suffix--this is the same as the 'X' (before they changed their naming convention). So, why is there a cleaning station if the heads can be rinsed under water? Competition. Braun provides one now... and with the scented alcohol solution, the shaver seems "fresher" after the cleansing bath. So, Norelco had to keep up. But in reality it's overkill; don't bother with one if you're thrifty. Rinsing the heads under water works very well.

Essentially, here's the difference: The 1050 has only 1 indicator for battery recharge needed, the 1060 has several LED indicators showing how much charge is left, and the 1090 has an LED double-digit display showing how many minutes of shaving are left. Quite frankly, the 1050 is just fine. When the battery gets low, you've got about 5 minutes left before the shaver will quit. Even still, for every minute the shaver is plugged in, that is how many minutes of shaving you get. Plug the shaver back in for 5 minutes, and you're ready to go for your shave. So... although this "early warning system" looks cool, it's overkill.

So, onto the shaver...

Appearance and Design
=======================
Out of the box, it is a beautiful looking device. Very futuristic. Adorned in several shades of black, dark gray, and silver, with catchy real carbon fiber side panels and a matte rubber finish along the backside for good grip. The three silver shaving discs contrast the black theme nicely. The shaver is lightweight and the heads have a lot of flex to them. The shaver comes with a charging base that serves as a resting stand, which secures the razor magnetically--very tasteful. There is also a "travel pod" included that allows you to charge the shaver while it is housed inside it. Certainly, the accessories are more impressive than what Braun offers. It looked to me like Braun has met its match.

Then, onto the shave.

The Shaving Experience
========================
This Arcitec 1050 is rather quiet, compared to my Braun 8595 Activator. I watched a couple of YouTube posted reviews of the latest Braun Pulsonic 9595, and that shaver sounded about as loud (if not louder) than my Braun 8595 Activator. So... Norelco certainly wins the prize for most quiet shaver. Actually, the sound is a low drone... it gives the impression that the shaver is a slow, antiquated device. The Braun sounds Bold and Busy with its Bounding Buzz. But in reality, the Norelco is formidable.

So, I touch the shaver to my face. I hear and feel the nibble of whiskers taking place. I begin to go through the motions... cheeks, chin, lip areas, then the neck. It feels comfortable. The discs are gentle. I don't feel anything like the reports of "heavy tugging" at the whiskers. I make a full double-pass across my face, then check the smoothness with my free hand.

Eh... not enough. Still rough. No immediate advantage over the Braun. So, I make another few passes. I pinch and pull at my skin as I would with the Braun. I do two more passes and check the smoothness again.

Eh... not enough. Better, but not as close as the Braun. I continue... I probably ended up shaving about 2-3 minutes longer than with the Braun. I found that after using the shaver for a couple of weeks and getting used to how it works, I'm able to match the Braun in closeness. It just takes a little longer. But the trimmer on the Arcitec? Awful. There's this little ridge on the backside of the shaver. A side switch partially extends and activates it, a small bank of cutting teeth. It's hard to get a nice smooth line. When you encounter a hair with it, there's a rather loud "click" sound. The Braun's trimmer is about twice as wide and zaps the hairs effortlessly. Although the Braun is a louder shaver, the trimmer does not introduce much added noise.

I do notice something else rather positive, though: no whisker dust on my clothes. The Norelco captures the whisker debris inside the heads and keeps it there, unlike the Braun which will dump a bunch of it on you if you turn it sideways or on a downward angle. For people who like to shave after they've gotten dressed, that's good news for Norelco.


Parts Replacement
===================
Norelco recommends replacing the heads every 12 months. Braun recommends doing so every 18 months. The Braun Pulsonic series tells you when head replacement is necessary... not sure how this is done (number of shaves?). The Norelco Arcitec has a little "head replacement" indicator. The Norelco replacement heads are about 30% more expensive than Braun's Series 5, and 8000 series, although the new "cassette" system with the Pulsonic is about the same. So, cost of maintenance might be higher. Also, I've seen mixed opinions about how long they last. Some people have complained having to replace them at 6 months, while an acquaintance says he replaces the heads every 10 years--when he changes shavers! He was once told that the heads are "self sharpening". That sounds a bit unrealistic to me. In any case, I can't report the replacement time here just yet... I'll need to use this shaver for a while. But I'll have to give it to Braun for a longer time between head replacement and at a cheaper cost (because it is also said that you can get away with replacing just the cutter block, if the foil is still intact, which drops the cost by 50%... can't do this with the Norelco).


Conclusion
============
So, the conclusion? The Braun is better overall, but by a slight margin. The Norelco Arcitec 1050 puts up a very good fight. I really could use this razor in place of the Braun, day in and day out. Especially if the girlfriend is still asleep and I want to be super quiet. That's what impresses me the most about the Norelco--it is very quiet. And it is great about trapping the whisker debris (I shave before I get dressed, so it's not a critical factor in my case).

Which shaver do I prefer? Well, at the moment it's the Braun. It may be louder, but it has a nice weight to it and is easier to grip. It also achieves a very close shave in less time than the Norelco. I'm planning to keep both... and will alternate between them from time to time. If I need to shave and make minimal noise, the Norelco will be my choice. For travel, I prefer the sturdier Braun. The Norelco looks better on the bathroom counter, no doubt about it.


In the final analysis
---------------------
Appearance: Norelco
Accessories: Norelco
Quiet: Norelco
Cleanliness: Norelco
Charging: --tied--
Parts cost: Braun
Trimming: Braun
Speed: Braun
Closest: --tied--


One other note: If you are concerned about the cost, do not bother with the cleaning station. In reality, it is overkill. These shavers clean quite easily under running water. Norelco introduced the cleaning station because Braun introduced it about 9 years ago, and marketing research discovered that this was a selling factor. Norelco had to "keep up"... but in reality, it isn't required. Save your money!

I've used Braun shavers for approximately 30 yrs. The quality has been dropping over the past 15 yrs, and the last one I had was just plain junk. I decided to try rotary this time around and after doing a lot of research, decided to go with the 1050CC.

Initial thoughts were that compared to the several Brauns, it felt and sounded like a toy. It's extremely light and the sound it makes while cutting beard hairs sounds like a kid's toy shaver. Not that this is anything of substance, just a little strange for this first time rotary user.

I have a long, thin face with a large Adams apple so the rotary is a much better fit than the straight Brauns. I took my time shaving the first 5-6 times to get used to the difference and it was worth the time invested. I am on week 2 of shaving with this and have received only one nick and a much closer shave than the last two Brauns gave me.

The cleaning action works well; leaving no hairs and dries fast.

The trimmer is very small and doesn't have a lot of cutting power, so I decided to buy a separate mustache/sideburns trimmer. To be fair, the trimmers of my last two Brauns were the first thing to break.

The only thing I can think of to improve beyond the trimmer is to add battery monitoring to the charger. It will continue to charge the batts to the point of killing them unless you unplug it. It's a small pain, but most owners won't bother to read through the instructions to learn that they should keep the shaver constantly unplugged.

I give this shaver two thumbs up!

very nice get my neck close would be 5 star but it recharges every time after its done cleaning and the manual says run it down then charge or will shorten batt life amazing how the new head can move in all dirrections
please note you cant take out the cutters in this model you have to replace the entire shaver head