Customer Reviews

Philips Norelco 8020X Moisturizing Shaving System

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I had a Philips 8160XL, but it irritates so much my neck skin. After that I bought a Panasonic linear electric shaver. Again, a lot of irritation on my neck, so I gave up and returned to razor blades. After a while, I want to return to an electric razor, for the long run savings, because razor blades are expensive. So I start looking. Finally, I have 3 posibilities: Norelco 9160XL, Norelco 8020X and Norelco coolskin 7735X. I found that Norelco 9160XL shares the same cutting blades than the 8160XL, so I discarted. The Norelco Coolskin 7735X was a temptin option, but this shaver use NiCad batteries (this battery suffers from memory, and after some time, retain less shaving time per charge). Finally, I decided for the Norelco 8020X.

Shaver:
This shaver has a body very similar to the new line of Norelco: Arcitec. The shaver is build on light plastic, but feels sturdy. The body is slim and very confortable to handle. You can use this shaver on the shower. Norelco recommends that you only use the Nivea for Men shaving conditioner, but I tried with shaving gel, and I got better results in the confort and closeness department. This is the reason why I tooked one star: Norelco should tell you that you can use others products, not only Nivea (this little can cost $9.95 on amazon plus S/H).

Charging:
Is recommended that you drain the battery before charging. This will prolong battery life. Charginf take only 8 hours. You have check, because if you charge more than 8 hours, it can damage the battery. Philips should had designed a system that shut up the current when the battery is fully charged. One full charge gave 30 minutes of continuos shaving (according to manual). I used an entire week before I had to charge it again.

Cleaning:
Very easy, just rinse the shaving heads using hot water (you can easily do this while you shower, or in the sink). You don't need special solution to clean.

Confort:
This, pherhaps is the most important area. This razon doesn't irritate my skin. Inclusive, I can wash my face using a product with salicilic acid. My recommendation is that you use shaving gel. The shaving conditioner gave me good results, but is not so great to justify the cost. In some days, I shave twice, and cero irritation.

In conclusion:
This is the best shaving system I ever tried. It gave me no irritation on my skin, no matter how agressive my pre-shaving wash soap is. I highly recommend it to any men with sensitive skin. The closeness is similar to the one when you shave with a blade following the grain. Just skip the shaving conditioner and use shaving gel (but not too much, because you can choke the shaving heads).

This is the third of Norelco's waterproof series that I have owned.
The overall quality is just as good as previous models and other Philips/Norelco products.
The shaver is constructed well and is lighter and more compact than previous models. Charging and battery life also seem to be very good.

The main problem I find with this new design is that the heads/razors are floating and not encased as previous models and most other shavers. When using this shaver in the shower this is not a problem. However, when you use this shaver outside of the shower, the lack of casing around the heads means that all of the hair pieces fall from the shaver to the counter or wherever else you may be (I would not recommend using this shaver in the car unless you don't mind getting yourself and your car covered with hair pieces). To me this is a major oversight and design flaw.
In short, if you only plan to use this razor in the shower this is a great choice, but if you need to use the razor outside of the shower as well, you may want to choose something else.

A very good shaver. I use it in the shower as a completely wet system and it performs very well. The heads flex to accommodate facial contours just as advertised and overall I like the feel and operation of this unit. It is lightweight and easy to hold and use. The shave is very good, close without cutting or irritating the skin. I've been using electrics for some time so I'm well beyond the habituation period. I keep a three blade on hand to touch up the neck and nose areas, a good idea with any electric.

I have not used the built in moisturizer. I use a common shaving gel applied directly to the face and it works very well. This is just personal preference. The moisturizer they sell as part of the system is more expensive and not as readily available as common gel. You also are told to periodically replace the entire cassette that holds the moisturizer (sold together) for sanitary purposes. This seems a little wasteful and unnecessary. Also, use of the built-in system seems to mandate more frequent and elaborate cleaning. I may or may not use it at some point, but it is definitely not necessary, particularly when you're in the shower.

This is not a high RPM shaver like the Panasonic wet and dry units. It does not have the same sophisticated feel as those shavers although it functions very well. It has a red light that comes on when the built-in battery is low, but does not regulate the charge like the Panasonic does. You have to put your charger on a lamp timer for eight hours or you'll ruin the battery, which I do not believe is replaceable.

At $80 it's overpriced. It should have a built-in charging regulator to protect the battery as do the Panasonics (although this unit is lighter than the Panasonic). You CAN ruin this unit by overcharging. You will also have to replace the heads at some point, so actual life span under daily use is open to question.

It may be helpful to have a little background info first. For the last 6 years, I've have a closely trimmed full beard because I've always disliked shaving. I have sensitive skin and full beard, and could never shave everyday without significant irritation, blade or electric shaver, and I can't shave against the growth with a blade because of irritation. In the early to mid-80's, I tried using a Norelco and shaved dry with a pre-shave lotion (Williams Lectric Shave), but it never gave me a great shave.
This shaver is different and provides a great shave -- very close and comfortable with little to no irritation, and it did this from the very first shave -- no waiting the three weeks Norelco recommends for your skin/beard to adjust. I've used the shaver both in and out of the shower, and it works well both ways. But I find it works best in the shower using Nivea's shaving gel which you can get pretty cheaply (I bought a 7 oz. can of shaving gel for $2.50 at local grocery store). The Nivea shaving gel for my money works better than the Nivea conditioner and you don't have to keep dispensing the gel once applied to the face.
The only negative comment has to do with the battery and the 8-hour charge time. If purchasing this again, I would step up to the 8040X just to cut the charge time in half and get the quick-charge feature and indicator light when charge is full. Other than that, this is a great shaver for me and I can highly recommend it.

Now im not a specialist in this area but this is a pretty darn good shaver. I bought another brand 5 years ago, and I remember the first shave very clearly because my face was on fire. It last me for 5 years so I guess I cant complain. I never changed the blades on the old one so maybe thats why the 8020X could feel so much better.(they were too expensive). The 8020X shave is VERY smooth, the nivea stuff really does make your skin feel "extra special" afterwards. Now I did need to make a second pass on my neck area, but dont we all anyway? My shave was like that with a razor, and none of the burn and irritation, especially on the neck.
I could have bought the more expensive one (8060X), but the difference is that it has a stand, and it auto-fills the lotion into the unit. BIG DEAL!!?, im not that lazy, and it wasnt worth the extra $75 bucks. Also, to clean the heads it just flips open and you rinse underwater, as opposed to mine (8020X) which you have to manually twist of each individual head and put back together. The manual specifically says not to take off more than one at a time as mixing the heads, would diminish your shaving experience. That sounds like a bunch of bull, mumbo-jumbo to me, but I dont really want to find out if its true, since the put it in the manual in a very CYOA tone.
Overall I am very happy that I bought this razor. Its nice to have the option to jump in the shower and shave with it, but i havent found that necessary yet(the 8060X did not say anywhere on the box that you could do the same, though I am sure at that price it would seem ridiculous not to be able to).
Hope this helps someone make a decision, I say if you want a nice shave and dont want to spend a ton of money and dont want to spend too little, and get the equivalent of road rash on your face because you did, get the 8020X.

I purchased the Philips Norelco 8020X Moisturizing Shaving System as a replacement for my Norelco 5801XL Reflex Action Shaver. My decision for a new shaver was based on the need for replacement blades coupled with the NiCads no longer holding a good charge in the Reflex. Initially I looked at display shavers at Target and was considering a shaver in the Philips Norelco Arcitec line. Since the Arcitec's were the most expensive and wet, lotion dispensing shavers seemed gimmicky, I figured the Arcitec was the way to go. I never even considered a foil shaver as I have always believed rotaries are better. I don't know why but it's just like some people think Toyota is better than Ford.

I began to read some reviews on the various shavers. It seemed to me the common thread was Norelco's Moisturizing Shavers faired better than the Arcitecs. I thought I would give the 8020X a try. I believe shave quality is the same for the 8020X, 8040X and 8060X . Price difference is based on secondary features like auto lotion refill, shorter charge times and longer shave times. I made the decision to buy the cheapest in the line, based on parallel shaving performance between the three.

Instructions were simple and set up was easy. Out of the box I charged the shaver for the required 8 hours. I then filled it with the trial size Nivea for Men Shaving Conditioner supplied. This was simple and there was no mess. The back of the shaver is transparent and you can see when you have filled it to the max line. Wait a couple of seconds between pumps, as the lotions seems to expand inside the shaver's cartridge once dispensed (overfilling just wastes the lotion as it dispenses from two blade centers).

In addition to face shaving I also shave my head. I have very little hair on the crown and normal hair growth on the sides and back of my head. I was never able to get a good head shave with my previous Norelco and I used Schick Xtreme 3 blades for my head.

My first use of my 8020X was in the shower shaving my face and my head. I dispensed the entire cartridge of conditioner during this process. The shave was comfortable as I am already used to rotary shave. The closeness was about the same as the Reflex on the face and it did a fairly decent job on the head (it looked closer than it felt).

I contacted Norelco via live chat. I inquired about using a shave gel, which I can apply directly to my skin due to the amount of conditioner I used, dispensed through the shaver. My thought is this would be more economical. I was informed I can use Nivea for Men Shaving Gel, but other products might harm the shaver.

Upon my second use I figured out a pretty good system. I applied the shave gel to my head and shaved my head. I then moved on to my face using the conditioner dispensed through the shaver. Both products complement each other as they are scented the same. This worked well. Due to the gel and conditioner I was able to make more passes over the stubble for a closer shave without fear of burn or irritation. The result was the closest, most comfortable shave I have ever received with an electric shaver (this is my third electric).

Don't judge your shave right out of the shower. Wait until you have dried off and your pores close. Then feel your beard. Your shave will feel much closer than when you initially finish your shave.

If you're not interested in a wet shave or shaving in the shower I wouldn't recommend this shaver, even though I haven't tried it dry yet. It doesn't catch cut hair but this is a non-issue in the shower.

This shaver, partnered with Nivea for Men, is a shaving system I recommend if you want a comfortable and close shave.

I'll start out by saying "No, you will not get a razor close shave. Period." That being said, this does provide an acceptable shaving solution to those who would like to save money over the long haul and use a comfortable, lightweight shaving system.

A little about my shaving habits: Ever since college I have been in a habit of shaving literally once a week (Sunday morning) and then going "gruff" for the rest of the week - work doesn't mind, wife doesn't say anything, hate the nics & cuts, etc... Problem is, I am somewhat tired of looking like a bum. This launched my search for a new electric razor (previous one is over 10 years old). Let's say that I am happy I did.

I'll be short, sweet and to the point here; the razor is very nice, especially if you use it with traditional shaving cream. I have to be careful to rinse the heads out frequently when I do this, but the experience is easily twice as fast as a razor shave and nearly as close. I can shave like this over the sink or in the shower without making a total mess. The gel you can insert into it is a cool feature, but I see this as a way for them to get more of my $$ and I enjoy applying shaving cream and then using this razor better than using the gel.

Also, check your local Target because I found this product at the same price there AFTER I recieved my item from Amazon. I love these guys, but there is something to be said about buying local (easier returns, etc...) if it is the same price.

There it is - no horror stories about my face being ripped up, took about 3 shaves to adjust to this, found a method to make it work and I am happy enough to leave 5 stars.

I had a Norelco dry shaver and didn't actually like that one. But this 8020x is just amazing. I guess wet/dry shaver is the way to go. It's soft on my skin, compact, looks cool (i don't care much about the look, though). I don't feel any razor burn or irritation anymore and that's what matters to me.

The Nivea shaving conditioner that comes with it is great. You can use regular Nivea shaving cream but I would always use the shaving conditioner. This conditioner is so far the best thing I have ever put on my skin. It is less messy than shaving cream and feels good, even though it is little expensive.

Give the shaver 3/4 weeks time before you make your decision.

I have 8020x. 8040x comes with a travel case, 8060x comes with the travel case and a cleaning unit and I believe it takes less time to get fully charged. 8020x requires 8 hours to get charged, on the other hand 8060x requires only 90 minutes and you are also getting the cleaning unit. But you are paying almost double. Anyway, it's up to you. I am doing fine with my 8020x.

I might give Panasonic Pro-Curve a try. Just for the hack of it. :)

This shaver is half the size, and half the cost of my previous Norelco shaver, and yet, it's twice the product.

It is compact, comfortable and convenient. It is my first "wet" shaver, but I find I prefer to use it over the sink and not in the shower. The moisturizing shaving system works very well. Although it is not necessary, I find it makes the shave more comfortable. You dispense the shaving lotion by pressing a dispensing button (blue) above the power button (white) as needed. It takes a little time getting use to it.

I have a very rough beard, and the shape of the shaving head allows me to even attack those difficult neck hairs.

The only negative is that the battery does not sense charging, and I have heard users have trashed the razor by charging it too long. I use a wall timer (Radio Shack) to limit recharging to 8 hours

Amazon delived quickly and at an excellent price. Unfortunately the web site was confusing and it appeared that Norelco shaving gel packs were compatable with this system. They are not. Anyone need 2 boxes of Cool Skin Shaving Gel?

I just use regular shave gel in the shower and get a great shave. I like the styling and the performance of this shaver. Its pretty close for an electric
shaver and it works great in the shower. In fact I recommend only using it in the shower otherwise you get hair on you because of the open head design.