Customer Reviews

Philips Norelco BG2030 Professional BodyGrooming System

5 star:		(120)
4 star:		(44)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

**Norelco has come out with a new model, the BG2040. For a quick read on the new model vs this one, jump down to the bottom of this review. If you don't want to read any further than this paragraph, get the BG2040**

In this review I am going to cover the BG2030 and also compare it to the previous model, the BG2020. There are some big differences between the two models and just because the BG2030 is the newer model, it may not be the one for you. Also, this is a body groomer and as such, body anatomy will be discussed. If you are easily offended, stop reading this review now.

If you are like me, you saw this body groomer and wondered what the big difference between this and a regular electric razor was. Well, after having been in those shoes, let me explain. If you've ever tried to cautiously use an electric razor or an electric trimmer on parts of your body below your neck, then you probably had a mixed experience. On some parts of your body it works, whereas on other parts it was painful and simply not possible. Those days are now gone. Regular electric razors/trimmers were never designed to shave the entire body. However, body groomers have been designed to shave the ENTIRE body and have blades that are closer together to prevent pinching the skin, thus providing a pain-free experience.

For the sake of clarity we need to address the parts of the shaver. In the picture you will see that there are two different heads that you can attach to the handle. The attachment with the foil on the inside and the cutters on the outside will be referred to as the foil attachment. The other attachment that doesn't have a foil will be referred to as the trimmer attachment. Also, there are 2 trimming combs and each trimming comb has 5 different settings, allowing you to trim your hair from anywhere to .12in(3mm) to .43in(11mm). Those are just the length settings when using the combs; you can get a smooth shave when you use the foil attachment. Also, all the pieces can be stored in the back of the charging stand. Unfortunately, there is no travel case.

Underarm Hair:
Prior to the BG2030, the BG2020 really struggled here and it took a lot of time. Now however you can use the trimmer attachment to knock down most of the forest. However, once the forest is down, minor maintenance with the foil attachment doesn't take long.

Chest and Ab Hair:
No problems at all. I was a little concerned about the nipple area but both the foil and the trimmer attachment were able to be used without any pinching at all.

Groin:
In the words of another reviewer, the "Bodygroom" is Shaft, Beanbag, and Starfish safe. No nicks or any pain...no worries at all. You can trim the forest to any length, and then follow up with foil attachment if that is your desire. Because of the design of the groomer, you can shape things any way you would like. I experienced no skin irritation, however, I would imagine that most people will experience at least some irritation. I have used the shaver both in and out of the shower and have noticed that I get a smoother shave when I'm in the shower. This is due to the warm water relaxing the skin and opening up the follicles, which makes it easier to shave. Like any electric razor, there are going to be some hairs that lay flat that you're just not going to get no matter how hard you try. When it comes to effectiveness, I actually think that my Mach 3 does a better job in getting everything smooth, but the body groomer is more convenient, and also allows you to trim certain areas instead of going completely smooth if that is your desire.

Battery:
NiMH

Travel:
Come on, Norelco, no travel case? Why do you do this? And what's with not giving us dual voltage? This has to be the only Norelco razor that isn't dual voltage, and that makes no sense at all.

--------------BG2030 compared to the BG2020----------------

The most obvious difference is that the BG2030 comes with the additional trimmer attachment. Also, you now only have 2 combs with multiple settings vs. 3 combs that had fixed settings. Sounds like the BG2030 is perfect, right? Well, what isn't obvious in the picture is that the BG2030 trimming combs only attach to the trimmer attachment and DO NOT fit the foil attachment! This is a HUGE change because the BG2020 model allowed you to attach trimming combs to the foil attachment. Norelco, what were you thinking?

The reason that this is a problem is because if you want to do both a trim and a shave, then you have to swap out head attachments whereas before you just had to remove the combing attachment. If you keep the body groomer in the shower, then that means you also have to keep both head attachments in the shower. Personally, it's frustrating to have to change out the head attachment and now when I travel I have to take both heads instead of just the one.

If you plan on doing any traveling with your shaver (without the charging stand), you'll probably want the BG2020, mainly because you can put a combing attachment over the foil to protect it. Also, you don't have to take the additional head. If you want to travel with the BG2030, then you'll need to find a way to protect the foil or else you'll have to take the charging stand with the storage compartment to keep the foil attachment in.

-------------------------- Overall Opinion ----------------------------

This is a FANTASTIC shaver, but I'm rating it 4 stars because Norelco chose to do away with combing attachments for the foil head. If they'd provide that like they did in their previous model, the BG2020, then the BG2030 would be untouchable. They also need to add a travel case and a lanyard to it so you can hang it in the shower vs. having to lay it down and damage the foil. If you are looking for a groomer to just trim and shave your groin area and chest area, then I think the BG2020 might be a better fit for you. If on the other hand you're going to be shaving big areas that have a lot of hair to knock down and you don't mind switching heads all the time, then the BG2030 will probably work better for you.

--------------BG2030 compared to the BG2040 and New Opinion----------------

I have not tried the BG2040 however, it appears as though Norelco fixed many of the problems that were found in the BG2030 with the removable heads and attachments. After 2 years of using the BG2030 I can tell you right now that even though I only do weekly maintenance, it's incredibly annoying switching between the foil head and the trimmer head every time I use it (even though it does a GREAT job). Also, the BG2030 is just not practical to travel with, something which I frequently do. With a foil head on one end and a trimmer head on the other end, the BG2040 appears to be Norelco's best effort-to-date AND it's dual voltage. If I were to buy a new razor today, I'd absolutely go with the BG2040. The extra money you'll spend on it is well worth it, if only for getting rid of all the attachments that litter the bathroom counter or shower. Thank you Norelco for listening to your customers, but why did you design the BG2040 and the charging stand for easy travel but not throw in a travel case? The lanyard option was always nice for the wet/dry razors too. It seems like it's always easier to hang a razor in the shower than lay one down. So how about that while you're at it?

Ok, so I'm a pretty hairy guy. For the past 8 years I've tried about 10 different razor/clipper/trimmer products to clean up my chest/stomach area and I've yet to find one that I really, truly liked. Either it was a straight electric razor which cut everything down to zero (not the goal), or some sort of "trimmer" device which invariable failed to work properly.

The BG2020 was the closest I'd gotten to something useful...It would take me a solid 30 minutes and LOTS of back-and-forth over the same areas, but if you held it juuuust so, you could get the job done. It was a pain -- I'd have to dedicate some time, and because my bathroom lights are pretty hot, after standing there trimming for 20 minutes I'd start to sweat, so I'd have to take a break and come back and finish later. All-in-all, a process, but the job got done.

I got the BG2030 in the mail this morning and all I can say is that I'm *stunned* at how well it works. I hooked up the trimmer attachment and gave it a quick whirl before I got into the shower...just to see how it worked. I was so amazed at how quickly it trimmed everything down, that I just did the whole job right there in about 5 minutes. No exaggeration -- what used to take a solid 30 minutes took LESS than 5 minutes with the BG2030. Nothing more needs to be said -- if you want a quick, simple, easy way to trim down body hair, this is the best product I've ever used. Period.

Now, for other areas (the "nether regions"), it's not quite so miraculous -- that's not to say it doesn't work, and it does, but it's no better than the BG2020, which worked perfectly. So this will continue to work perfectly down there as well.

All in all, a 5-star product and worth the extra money over the BG2020 without hesitation.

I have been using this for almost 3 months now. I got this product because I wanted to groom my body hair while in the shower. Though, this product does work for that, it can take A LOT of passes before it finally cuts the hair to skin level when in the shower.

When I use this product dry it does an amazing job. The cut is both fast and close.

The fact that this product uses an NiCd is really a bummer because you cannot recharge the unit after every use. You have to wait for the battery to almost completely drain before recharging it. That means, there will always be one time you planned on trimming that you can't because the battery will die and you have to wait 11 hours for it to recharge. Also, the instructions warn to never leave it on the charger more than 12 hours or it can damage the unit. I hate things like that because it's easy to forget something you just do once a month and ruin your nice new trimmer.

The base stores the extra pieces while not in use, so that is nice except if you want to use this in the shower as the base is obviously not kept there.

This product has only cut me one time. (NOT PLEASANT, as it made at least a 1/8 inch long slice out of my skin, ouch!)

I had the old model of this trimmer, the BG2020, and that worked pretty good. The on/off button on my old got jammed so I had to trash it and get this one. This new one is a big improvement in features, comfort and usability over the last one. The two trimming heads are great for any amount or size of hair and everything stores in the base which is a great space saver. The only reason I have this 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the price. You do get more features with this one, but the old one was a bargain value.

I love this unit. It's got a great styling, lots of options for trimming (mowing) and shaving, and its battery lasts long enough to do my arms, pits, chest, and groin.

I was surprised at how well it did plowing through my thick arm hair. Don't use this unit if you, or it, are sticky or damp. The attached guides are shiny poreless plastic and will tend to stick, or hop across your skin, if you are sweaty or in a humid environment.

For the 'nether regions' (kiwis, banana, and starfruit), this thing does a knockout job. For trimming down there it's pretty easy and effective. For shaving, you have to spend a lot more time making sure to get all the hairs, but it's worth it. Doing several light, circular passes [AFTER "MOWING DOWN" ALL THE LONG HAIRS] with shaving cream works like a dream. You just have to make sure to shave down there every other day, or you'll have a not-so-comfy case of the prickles.

My two warnings:

1. Do not get this if you can't stand to plan your trim/shave. Because it has a ni-cad battery, it's much better for the battery life to let it completely run out before recharging it. Don't plug it in unless it's dead.

2. I got a slight, though disarming, nick on my kiwis when using the shaver head. It was working fairly well, as usual, but the wrinkles inherent in this part of a male's anatomy made for an 'uh-oh' moment that caught me off guard. The culprit wasn't the foil screen part of the shaver head, but the edge-trimmer section on the side of the shaver head.

To prevent #2 from happening, you need to:

A) make sure to hold the unit at the proper angle (head perpendicular to the skin surface at all times)

and

B) carefully chop down all hair on and around your "kiwis" with the trimmer head and attachment first.

and

C) strrrrrrrrretch your "kiwi" skin to be as flat and smooth as you can stand. Lumps and wrinkles might end up in the tiny teeth of the shaver head's side-mounted edge trimmers.

Aside from that, this thing is incredible. It does its job, and it does it extremely well! I can't imagine having the BG2020 model after this one. I'm now hairless down there and there are several hygienic and sexual advantages to this.

Thanks, Norelco, for helping me achieve new pleasures in the bedroom and new comforts in the boxers!

For years I've done my body hair trimming using a Wahl trimmer designed for facial hair. That worked okay, but the small comb meant that it took a long time to do. Since it was something I only did every few months (or for bathing suit season) it wasn't a big deal. But: I've told myself for years that rather than let my body hair get all gray and bushy and out-of-control as I grew older, I'd keep it trimmed. Well, at 41 I'm beginning to notice gray hairs on my chest, and an overall increase in body hair (why does that happen, I wonder?). I decided it was time to add "manscaping" to my regular grooming routine before things got out of control. It was also time to retire the beard trimmer and try something designed for the job.

Overall, I really like the Norelco BodyGrooming System. It took me awhile to figure out how the trimming worked. When using a beard trimmer, I went WITH the hair growth. The way this is designed, you set the length you want, and trim AGAINST the hair growth while holding the groomer at an angle I thought of as "upside down." Once I figured that out, though, I was able to quickly and easily trim my body hair. As another reviewer mentioned, I was surprised and pleased at how much more quickly the process went. The right tool DOES make a difference.

I have hair on my back, which is unstylish. I used to try to keep my back totally smooth, but frankly, anything that involves pulling out the hair (waxing, tweezing) means I have a back covered with red, infected, ingrown hairs, and I personally think that's a LOT less attractive than back hair. So, I'm satisfied with keeping the hair trimmed down to a level at which it's pretty much unnoticeable, hopefully without too much of a scratchy stubble feeling. It takes a bit of twisting and contortion, but it's not as hard as people seem to expect. The BodyGrooming system does an okay job there -- although it's no better than my Wahl trimmer on that particular job.

As far as shaving down to the skin, I'm a bit disappointed. It takes a few passes before the hair is shaved down to the skin, and it never is as smooth as the shave I can get with the cheap electric shaver I received as a gift several years ago. The shave is good enough, and I still recommend the system, but it's not as good as I was hoping. Also, as other reviewers have noted, it's a bit tricky having two trimming blades on each side of the shaving foil. I haven't cut, nicked or pinched myself, but I can see that it's possible, especially if you have more sensitive skin than I do. Yes, I have used the trimmer in my "private areas," and had no trouble at all.

I don't at all mind switching out the heads. That's easy to do. The storage system is ingenious, neatly tucking away the trimming head and combs into the back of the charging stand. I haven't had any problems with the battery life or charging system. Cleaning the system is easy.

Overall I'm satisfied with this purchase, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to keep his body hair under control. It's definitely a step up from the beard trimmer/electric shaver combo I was using. It's quick and easy to do some "touching up" every morning before I shower, and do more intensive grooming on the weekends. I haven't tried this in the shower yet, and don't really intend to -- I prefer to trim my body hair while I'm dry, so I don't know how this works in water.

UPDATE: September 4, 2010
I'm still happy with this trimmer. It's going strong, and I've recommended it to a couple of friends, both of whom are also quite pleased with it. Nothing has changed with the review above except for the fact that I did try using it in the shower a couple of times, and really don't see the point. It was more difficult, and a lot of hair didn't get trimmed at all because it was wet and stuck to my skin.

One slight annoyance is that recently I notice that the shaving attachment wants to pivot off if it's at an odd angle (for instance, if I'm twisted around to trim my back). It seems to have loosened somewhat over time. It's still a pretty minor thing, and is easy to work around, but can be annoying.

One reviewer mentioned something about the battery charging that had also bothered me. The instructions mention that if you charge the battery for more than eight hours (I think it was eight, maybe it was twelve), you risk damaging the battery. Well, who the heck wants to plan the charging time so that you happen to be around to unplug it in eight hours? I never noticed any damage, but it still bothered me. I finally had the idea of plugging the charger into a simple light timer and setting the timer to shut off in eight hours. Works beautifully.

UPDATE: December 6, 2011
The "slight annoyance" I mentioned in my last update has turned into a real pain. The stupid shaving attachment falls off every time now, unless I manage to keep a finger on it to hold it in place while I'm trying to shave. Yeah, that doesn't work so well. I'm going to have to buy a new trimmer. I belive the latest version of this has both the trimmer and shaver pemanently attached, so this must be a common problem. I no longer recommend this particular model, and I'm downgrading my rating to two stars.

This electric razor absolutely destroyed my nut bag! Half way through my hands were shaking and sweat was dripping off my balls due to the fact I was so afraid of making myself bleed again. The directions say to have the foil against the skin- ZAP!!!- an electric shock goes through my body and bloods starts dripping. So I put on the "sensitive" attachment- ZAP!!!- more blood, this time worse. After about the fourth or fifth time I drew crimson, my junk looked like Edward Scissor hands and Freddie Kruger doubled-down and gave me a cheap behind the drugstore handjob. I felt like I was once again playing the childhood game of Operation, as I tried to maintain a steady hand not to illuminate the patient's nose- which looks eerily like the blood spots around my coin purse. Once I learned through the school of hard knocks, I put on the guard attachment that controls the hair length. This works a lot better- but my nuts aren't shiny bald like I thought they would be. If I put the attachment on from the very beginning my twins feel like a couple of kiwis, which is ok, I guess. I wish the advertisements and/or directions were a little more clear, but most of all I hope my scars heal.

God makes some people short and some people tall, some people are born ugly and some people are born good-looking, some people are hairless and some are hairy!!!
God made me hairy (psss...I am tall and good-looking too) now to those who do not have this issue...you are truly blessed...but if you are like me...you really know the trouble and pain of maintaining the hair on your body. To this Philips Norelco BG2030 Professional BodyGrooming System is a blessing in disguise.
This was my first time buying a Philips electronic razor and I have to say...I am impressed by it. It removes the hair and makes your skin soft and looking as if there were no hair to begin with!!! I use it for my under-arm, groin area, stomach and facial hair trimming. It does not pain when you use it, it cleans well and looks great too!! All in all, it is a wonderful product.
The attachments are also very useful. The razor is also of good quality, no breaking or cracking as the other reviews for other models of Philips Norelco say.
I usually don't even write reviews, but for this, I had to...cause it has made my life so easy! Thank you engineers behind Philips Norelco BG 2030, you guys ROCK!

The product has blown me away, the several diffrent head attachments work well, The system works extremly well.

The big sell for me was the wet Dry application. I Actaully find myself shaving less than I did before becuase the razer gets so close & with no iritaion.

The price was nothing special, I paied $50.00 for it on Amazon & have seen it for the same amount in Target as recently as last week. But the shipping was free so no big deal, I just expect to save a few $$ when I shop on Amazon, Anyway, it's worth the money.

My old bodygroom had seen better days and it's third foil was due to be replaced. Instead, I got this on sale at Target for 36 bucks and it's much better then the original.

It's a much better built machine and it feels like it. It's also about half as quiet. Beware however, it's a bit narrower and can slip out of your hand much easier. The foil on this one is really tight and doesn't constantly fall out.

The tool holder works great and is really neat. You'd never know all that stuff was back there built into the base. The battery life is the same as the old one; meaning, GREAT! I tried the other head on someone else and it works fine. I can't use it on me, because I was constantly screwing around with the old one, so I said the heck with it and completely shaved all my body hair off. Now, I've come to prefer it that way and so does my wife.

Many people say this doesn't shave completely smooth, I have very fine hair which is the toughest on it and while there is a little stubble, it's barely noticable. In fact, it's probably better then any foil shaver out there period!

Obviously, there was much interest in the old Bodygroom that they took the time to build this one. And, it answers every complaint I ever had about the old one in spades.

Great Precision Machine! Hats off to the new Bodygroom.