Philips Norelco 8825XL Spectra Rechargeable Cord/Cordless Men's Shaving System

by Philips

Product Features

• Personal comfort control dial adjusts heads to specific skin type
• 2-stage cutting action/contour control for closer shave
• Lift & Cut technology shaves below skin level for exceptional closeness
• Fully charges in 1 hour; 6-minute quick charge feature
• Full-width pop-up trimmer; 60-day money-back guarantee plus 2-year limited warranty

Product Description

Amazon.com

Users switching from another dry electric razor to the Spectra will notice the difference at first shave. A plethora of features contribute to the comfortable shave that this model of the Spectra provides. First, there are three round floating heads that rotate in multiple directions to move with the contours of your face, and align the blades closer to your skin for a smoother shave. Each razor head offers two stages of cutting: slots to tackle the longer hairs and round holes to cut the stubble. Equipped with Norelco’s Lift & Cut technology, the blades even cut below skin level so not a hint of stubble is left on the face. Using the comfort control dial along the side of the shaver, users can personalize their shave by choosing from nine different settings to accommodate all skin conditions from normal to sensitive. For men with beards, sideburns, or mustaches, a full-width pop-up trimmer flips up on the back of the Spectra for specialized grooming. When shaving is complete, the Spectra simply rinses clean under the water tap. This rechargeable cordless razor is ideal for travelers, automatically adjusting to any voltage throughout the world, from 100V to 240V. Just one hour of charging on the included cord produces 45 minutes of uninterrupted shaving time, and a 6-minute quick-charge feature is helpful for sneaking a fast 3-minute shave. Battery indicators show when the razor is fully charged and when recharging is necessary. The 8825XL includes a storage pouch for travel, a coil cord, a protective cap for the razor head, and a cleaning brush. Norelco offers a 60-day money-back guarantee on this shaver in addition to a two-year warranty. --Cristina Vaamonde

Product Description

The Spectra Shaving System is Norelco's newest most innovative dry shaving technology for superior shaving performance.

Product Details

Product Manual [608kb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00006K0X1
• UPC: 075020208996
• Item model number: BB8825XL
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #179,796 in Health & Personal Care (See Top 100 in Health & Personal Care)
  • #84 in Health & Personal Care > Personal Care > Shaving & Hair Removal > Electric Shavers > Men's > Rotary Shavers
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

104 of 105 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Norelco replaced my old Braun, January 1, 2004

By 

® (West Coast) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Philips Norelco 8825XL Spectra Rechargeable Cord/Cordless Men's Shaving System (Health and Beauty)

I just got my first Norelco model 8825 XL, after 7 years using a Braun 4501. I considered these two brands the top in the electrical shaving industry. In some aspects I founded the Norelco reigning over the Braun and in other aspects the Braun is much better. So, the question you should ask yourself is what type of hair are you trying to shave?

Let first look at the Norelco series:
The different between the Norelco's Spectra (8000 series), Quadra (7000 series), Advantage (6000 series), and the Reflex (5000 series) is one major feature added to each series. The Reflex sports the basic "Lift & Cut" system. The Advantage is the same but include a lotion dispenser. The Quadra's "Lift and Cut" system has two types of head with a slot and hole. The Spectra series has what the Quadra does, but include a comfort control. Both the Quadra and Spectra don't have lotion dispenser. There are also more special features that can be found in each series by looking at the 2nd digit. For example the Spectra 8894 have a digital screen where the bare-bone lower number Spectra 8825 have just a green light.

The performances, Norelco vs. Braun:
I have soft hair in the beard area and thicker hair around the lips (mustache and chin area). The Norelco does a superior job in the beard area; it cut it clean with a couple of strokes. When using the Braun (older model 4501), I sometime have to use a long trimmer and then go back over with the coil. The Norelco three individual heads move over the sides of the face a lot better. Braun does do a superior job over the mustache area. It coils has more and bigger holes then Norelco. The Spectra with it dual slot and hole head is good but takes longer time to cut down the thicker stub. The old Braun battery (NH-) is dying on me. Norelco battery (NiCd) is replaceable and you use it charged or just plug and play, which the Braun could not do. Overall, I prefer the Norelco's design.

The features I like:
I am still playing with the Personal Comfort Control and am not sure if it is necessary. The more sensitive the level is the long it takes to cut so far. The long hair trimmer is great, but that is almost standard in most models, but not the Advantage's Series. Plug and play is great, since I don't travel every day. Cleaning is simple; just rinse it in the sink. I like the solid construction the Norelco's design is, the rotating machine is fun to use and is very smooth.

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth paying the extra money over the 7000/Quadra Series?, May 18, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Philips Norelco 8825XL Spectra Rechargeable Cord/Cordless Men's Shaving System (Health and Beauty)

Definitely an excellent shaver, but I don't know that it has enough superior features over Norelco's 7000 series "Quadra" models to warrant paying so much more for it. The differences between the two are as follows:

(1) The Spectra system has a dial that adjusts how easily the three razor heads move in line with your face. I can't see that this is anything more than bells & whistles. The normal/maximum setting (which is what the Quadra would be on all the time) allows plenty of flexibility, even for my pointy chin, so I don't imagine that most people will have any need of the "higher sensitivity" settings.

(2) The lower half of the Spectra system model is not as wide as the Quadra models--purely an aesthetic feature: it doesn't make the razor fit any better into your hand.

(3) The last difference, and perhaps the only one that counts, is Norelco's assertion that the Spectra system has an "improved" lift-and-cut system. The improvement is that each head has nine blades rather than the 15 of the Quadra. The reason, says Norelco's website, is "to give the shaving system a more open structure. This allows faster cleaning. Increased blade width and a sharper blade angle lifts whiskers sooner and higher for a closer shave." It would be nice to try both the Quadra and the Spectra to see if this really makes any serious difference.

Several final notes about this particular model (the 8825 XL):

(1). The charging light is steady while charging and blinks rapidly once fully charged.

(2). The blue finish is a bit lighter than it appears on Amazon's web picture. In certain lighting the razor almost looks purple.

(3). In agreement with a previous reviewer, if you decide on the Spectra system it's better to try and get the 8831 XL model, which costs the same as the 8825 XL and comes in a off-white color. Its Nickel Metal Hydride battery keeps its charge for longer longer (70 minutes vs. the 45 of the 8825 XL, which has a Nickel Cadmium battery; the 8894 XL, Norelco's "top-of-the-line" model, has a Lithium Ion battery that gets 100 minutes on every charge--obviously the model to get if money is no object). The 8831 XL also comes with a car charger (handy if you need that sort of thing).

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a good shaver, July 1, 2004

By 

BT "Snowman" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Philips Norelco 8825XL Spectra Rechargeable Cord/Cordless Men's Shaving System (Health and Beauty)

I had been using a Norelco Reflex series razor for about 1 1/2 years when I decided to advance to the 8825XL Spectra. First thing I noticed was that the Spectra shaved my neck area much better than the Reflex...and my neck hair is really tough to shave close, since it sort of grows sideways.

I also LOVE the fact that I can just rinse the Spectra under warm water to clean the blades and heads...it's so much more convenient than using a brush with the Reflex.

The comfort control is a nice feature...it doesn't really seem to affect the shave per se, but the more sensitive settings do make the shave more comfortable, which I like since I have pretty sensitive skin.