Customer Reviews

Philips Norelco arcitec 1090 Men's Shaving System

5 star:		(93)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(32)
2 star:		(33)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

I have shaved exclusively with electric shavers my entire adult life. A bit of a ritual, but I always buy the new top of the line Norelco as soon as it becomes available. I currently have the 9195XL and the James Bond Spectra shavers. I pre-ordered this on Amazon and was anxious to get it as it clearly is a major departure from Norelco's typical styling. It arrived completely dead which I thought a bit odd, but charging it was the another first. No cord plugs into the bottom, it has two small round electrical contacts the size of ball bearings, one on each side. It charges in its stand or the travel case, a nice touch. The new head arrangement pivots FAR more than any prior model and it really hugs the contours of your face and neck. It is relatively quiet, shaves VERY fast and very close with no irritation. It is also extremely easy to clean. Each cutter/comb assembly hinges up, but remains attached to the head making it very easy to rinse out without worrying about the cutters and combs separating from one another. Since the whole head assembly must be replaced to get new cutters, I suspect that part will command a premium. The protective head guard will not come off until you physically remove it, another Norelco first.

Negatives? Price, depending on your perspective. The trimmer is worse than useless. it is quite small and mounted at an odd place in relation to the cutting head making it especially awkward to use. I use a separate beard and mustache trimmer as I have never found an electric shaver to have a good one.

Bottom line: this is Norelco's best shaver to date...at least for my face. It also comes with a 60 day money back guarantee, so you risk nothing by trying it....which you definitely should.

Intro:
My first electric was a Norelco. Once it died I switched to Braun and while the cleaning system seemed attractive at first I got tired of spending on the cleaning solution. I then got a cheap Remington which is pretty decent for the price (around $40 I think) and later got a Panasonic ES8097.
My favorite razor was the Panasonic. It offered a superb shave, cleaning was fast, easy, and cheap. The wet shave was pretty useless, though, and the battery was terrible. I have to recharge it once it indicates an 80% charge. This started a few months ago at 40% and keeps climbing each month. This is why I decided to get a new razor.

Arcitec 1090:
This is a good electric razor, but it has some notable drawbacks:
- Trimmer
- Only cordless use (although the battery is supposed to last long). For the price, I would have preferred the ability to keep on using the razor once the battery dies in a few years.
- Limited range of motion (as mentioned in other reviews). My older Norelco "hugged" my jawline and chin much better. Norelco boasts about "optimum skin contact in curved areas" but when shaving often there's not enough contact in some areas. Contact is great on the cheeks and neck.
- No wet shaving. I prefer dry shaving, but the option would have been a pleasing addition for such an expensive razor.
- Price. It's a nice razor, but not $240 nice.

On the positive side:
+ Great shaves with very little initial irritation. After using it for a few days there was no irritation at all.
+ Fast shaves
+ Comfortable
+ Low maintenance
+ Easy to clean. No need to purchase additional cleaning supplies. One can use the small brush provided, rinse under hot water, and/or submerge the head in hot water with a bit of soap and turn the razor on.
+ Nice display which is not ON all the time.
+ Charging stand and pod. The pod is a bit larger than the razor itself, but I did not find it inconvenient when traveling.
+ Fully charged in one hour
+ Seems to be well constructed. Originally I had purchased a Remington F-720 designed by BMW. As soon as I took it out of its box I was disappointed. It felt like a cheap toy. I returned it and got the Norelco instead.

The 1050x, 1060x and 1090x have slightly different features but the razor itself is essentially the same. One can download the manual and compare them. I chose the 1090 since the price difference with the 1060 was minimal where I bought it, and I liked the idea of being able to see exactly how many minutes of battery I had left. I was lucky to find a place that had them on sale, and additionally I had received a coupon for a 30% discount in my purchases. I am very happy with this razor, but I would never pay $240 for it.

Conclusion:
Overall I'm very happy with the Arcitec 1090X. For the price, I think that Norelco could offer a better product. I'm glad I found a great deal on mine, otherwise I would have chosen a different razor probably similar to my Panasonic.

This is my third high end Philips/Norelco shaver in the past 10 years. I bought this arcitec 1090 with high hopes that it would do an even better job than my previous 8894xl.

I'm sorry to say that after 3 months of using it almost every day... I consider this a step backwards from the 8894xl. In their quest for a really cool design, and I have to admit it does look really good, they have lost sight of the fact that it actually results in a worse shave.

I find myself having to cover the same ground many more times than in the past and have to concentrate much more to check for missed hairs and spots that I have to go over even more. Also, the statement that the new design improves the ability to shave your neck is not true, I think it is also worse in this regard.

My advice, dont bother with the cool Arcitec design, buy the top of the line traditional Philips/Norelco model instead.

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.

Be wary of this razor. It's a definite downgrade from previous Norelco razors in terms of function.

Pros:
- Looks cool
- Cleans easily
- Shaves stubble (and only stubble) close
- Can be returned to Norelco within 60 days for a full refund

Cons:
- Does not handle anything over stubble well for long. Has very shallow reservoirs for the hair to collect in and when you shave anything longer than stubble it gets gunked up and doesn't perform as well.
- Will spray hair everywhere if you tilt it off your face while running. This is a result of the shallow reservoirs. The hair seems to collect on top of the razor instead of inside it.
- Needs to be cleaned after each use. Hope you get all those stray hairs the first time!
- Head will shoot off and bounce around the room if you're not careful when drying it.
- Only has 65 minutes of shave time (compared to 85-120 on old models). It took about 10-15 mins per shave so I got 6 shaves in at best.
- Trimmer does not extend. It's pretty much impossible to see what you're trimming.

If you want a razor to shave stubble close and look cool then this is for you. Otherwise be prepared to stick the razor in it's coffin like carrying case and ship it back to Norelco.

Myself, I returned this and downgraded to the Norelco 9195XL (last year's model basically). It has none of the cons of the arcitec and it's 100 bucks cheaper new on ebay ... too bad amazon doesn't seem to carry it.

I was lucky to receive this pricey product via the Vine program. I am already entirely unsatisfied with this shaver and would be downright incensed if I had paid full retail price. Norelco has clearly put a lot of R&D into this shaver, which contributes to the high initial retail price. Interested persons should wait until the price comes down to much more reasonable levels, but I would recommend giving this shaver a pass altogether. This is sad because I enjoy Norelco's more basic electric shavers, various versions of which I've been using for years. The only good qualities I can perceive in this new 1090X model is that it's easy to clean, and the flip-top heads are a nice advancement. It's also pretty quiet with a fairly advantageous ergonomic design.

But otherwise, I see nothing but faults with this product. For starters, the shaver comes with many loose pieces with no way to store them efficiently, especially the proprietary power cord that some people are likely to lose. Older Norelco electrics often came in a carrying pouch in which you could store loose parts. The trimmer is awkwardly positioned and too small for usefulness. The triple pivoting action of the heads is potentially a groundbreaking advancement, but I find the actual shaving performance to be dismal. I looked on in the mirror disdainfully as the heads went clear over extremely obvious whiskers time after time. This might be due to the contours of my face, but I'm not that much uglier than the regular male in this product's demographic. I'm also not buying the product manual's stipulation that it will take my skin and whiskers time to "adapt" to this shaver, because I use my older Norelco electric regularly. Another problem is the charging pod, because when the shaver is ensconced within, it is rather difficult to remove. Next is the life span of the high-tech parts. The rechargeable battery is not accessible to the user, and the manual gives no indication of how long it is expected to last. Someday when the battery fails, your only options will be an authorized Norelco repair service or ditching the shaver altogether. Also, after a year or so you will have to replace the shaver heads with a new unit called the RQ10. This is normal of course, because the blades will get dull naturally, but the RQ10 is currently rather expensive itself.

And finally, I must note the ridiculous retail packaging in which this product is presented to the consumer. I actually cut myself rather badly while trying to penetrate the several layers of hard plastic blister packaging with a pair of scissors. Yes I'm a bit clumsy, but I still had to resort to a Swiss army knife in order to finally access this product, which then failed to satisfy me in so many ways. Not recommended. Not even close. [~doomsdayer520~]

I have used Norelco shavers for over 30 years. It is now a Philips Norelco and I have found it to be a great disappointment. Out of the box the shaves were impressive but using it over a six month period, my satisfaction with it evaporated. I recently ordered replacement blades for my previous Norelco model and have retired the Arcitec. The Arcitec blades seem to dull materially quicker then previous models. It does not work on cord and in my view does not travel well. The blades individually lift for cleaning and the stubble pit is too shallow. I have always owned top of the line Norelcos. Not sure they still exist,but if your choice is this or a more traditional Norelco...choose that.

This was kind of a last ditch effort to find a more comfortable shaving experience. I've tried several electrics with the hope of finding a more comfortable shave since I have sensative skin and am prone to razor burn. At the end of the day, I've found frequently replacing the Mach3 blades is the best I can do. It gauls me to keep spending on money on something I have to toss, but it's better than the alternatives to date.

The Norelco Architec 1090 looks great and shaves better on the neck than the foil shavers I've tried including the Panasonic Nano and Braun Activator. However, it still misses a critical area in the middle cheek just along where a goatee would start to back about 1.5 inches from there. The hair in that part of my face tends to lay down. The Braun seemed to get that area OK, but did not do well in the neck area.

When I push harder to get those hard to get whiskers, I end up with road rash and sporadic ingrown whiskers. This and other electric razors may work with people who have different types of beards or face shapes, but I've yet to find an electric that works for my whole beard.

In my opinion, a $250 razor ought to do the job quite comfortably. I think there are better ways to use the funds, like on three years worth of blades and shaving cream.

Sooo easy to move and cut, great flexibility and closeness as advertised. After cleaning (holding head under running water with cutting heads open) the instruction is to shake water from the head before laying aside to air dry. Shake vigerously and the whole cutting head pops off bouncing on the bathroom floor - this is not a good thing. With the cutting heads open prior to shaking water out, I suggest putting your index finger firmily on the head to keep it in place. I love it!
Pete

Somehow, calling the Norelco arcitec 1090 a "Men's Shaving System" seems to be a little pretentious; so I'll still call it a shaver... a very, very good shaver!

I got the aritec with the idea that it just might be time to adjust my look and rid myself of the beard I'd sported for the past two and a half years (long story, dull, boring and not germane to a product review). I played with it and the beard for a week or so and then got real with the scissors and trimmer one evening. Wow! This is great!

This represents my fourth (or fifth?) Norelco shaver over the past 40-odd years, so clearly I'm guilty of some serious brand loyalty. But while my previous Norelco shavers each represented a modest improvement over each predecessor, the arcitec is so far advanced that I'm really amazed. It's cordless (uh.. duh...), but the first appealing little techno-googah in its arsenal is a display that tells you how many minutes worth of charge remain. Nice touch! Another informational readout tells you when to clean the stubble from the unit, nice for absent-minded souls like me that can get in a rush some mornings and are left wondering days later why the razor sounds a little "off".

I'm kind of a "good design" junkie. I can't innovate myself, but I'd like to think that I recognize when the designers really, really sat down and looked for ways to make their product better. The arcitec delivers on that big time!

Cleaning the shaving head ensemble is absurdly easy. The heads just flip up so that you can blow, brush or rinse them out. Yes, I said rinse, as in the use of running water. This isn't the first razor that claims to be water friendly, however it is the first one to give me enough confidence to actually hold the shaving head under the tap. The only criticism that I have is that the trimmer almost seems like something of an afterthought. It's fine for trimming sideburns, however when I had the beard it was a little clunky to use while trimming around the edges etc. But with my newly clean-shaven approach, that's a very minor complaint.

In the end however, all of those lovely little features like numeric display of the remaining battery charge, maintenance and cleaning access, and other things would all fall by the wayside if the quality of the shave were substandard. So I will simply state that the arcitec leaves me with a smoother face than any other shaving system I've ever used... electric shaver or razor blade!

Nothing ticks me off more than paying a premium price for a product that doesn't deliver premium performance. And the arcitec delivers in every way... design, usability, reliability and performance!