Customer Reviews

Remington F4790 Pivot & Flex Men's Rechargeable Foil Shaver

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(50)
3 star:		(32)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

For the past twenty or so years I've bounced back and forth, shaving with a blade for a few years and then shaving with a Norelco-style rotary for a few years. I got this razor for Christmas last year, to see how I like a foil electric for a change. I wish I had known what I was missing! This shaver may not be perfect, but I've really enjoyed it so far and think I'll be sticking with foil for awhile. Here are what I've found to be the ups and downs with this shaver:

PROS
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(1) I had heard that the trade-off with foil shavers is that they give you a closer shave, but at the expense of more skin irritation than a rotary. Your face may vary, but I instead found the best of both worlds. I get ALMOST as good a shave as with a blade (the neck is still a difficult area), but after 4 or 5 months of use there's still no irritation.

(2) Supports cordless AND corded operation. This is a big deal for me because getting the best mileage out of a rechargeable battery means letting it run down as close to empty as you can. But if you let the battery completely drain, some shavers won't let you run off the wall outlet (the cord is only for recharging the battery). With this shaver you can treat the battery right and still not worry about getting stuck without a shave one morning. The battery life itself is awesome, by the way... I'm averaging around three weeks of use between charges.

(2) Good ergonomics. Not too heavy, but has some substance to it... feels great in the hand. Seems sturdy and well-built. I can't decide if the pivoting head helps or is just a gimmick, but for me at least it doesn't seem to hurt.

CONS
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(1) I don't expect the ultimate in frilly luxuries with a mid-range shaver, but I do expect it to come with at least a cloth or nylon fitted travel case. This comes with NOTHING... just the shaver, a cord, and a plastic foil cover that would pop off after 10 seconds in a suitcase. Those fitted nylon bags that Norelco shavers come with can't cost more than a few dimes apiece, so I was really disappointed to see them cut corners on this.

(2) I agree with another reviewer in that I prefer sideburn trimmers that pop-OUT, away from the shaver, rather than pop-UP right alongside the foil. I happen to have a separate beard and sideburns trimmer that I prefer to use, and that's good because I would never use the one that comes built-in with this.

(3) Apparently Remington revamped their men's shaver lineup last year, and it's still EXTREMELY difficult to find replacement foils and cutters for the new models! I cannot find replacement parts for this shaver in any local store. When I first got the shaver last Christmas, the only source I could find was an online store operating out of England. Now you can find them in a wider number of boutiques, one of whom sells through Amazon. However, even today (April 2010) Remington still hasn't updated THEIR OWN online store with the replacement parts yet! This isn't the dealbreaker that it was before Amazon starting carrying them, which is why I held off on writing a review. But it still a little irritating, even if the shaver itself has been irritation-free.

This is my first electric shaver. As such I cannot compare this to any other electric shavers, so I will be comparing it to is my experience using old-fashioned shaving gel (Sensitive Skin formulation) and a Gillette Mach 3 Turbo. I have been using the Gillette Sensor line since I was 18 - that's close to 22 years. Hopefully people considering the purchase of their first electric shaver can benefit from my experience. My star rating will reflect my overall opinion and can change over time.

Now that the 30-day trial has been completed, here are my final conclusions:

1 - This electric shaver does not irritate my skin at all. This is the main reason that I have switched to using it on a daily basis.

2 - The closeness of a blade is superior to an electric shaver, but this electric shaver provides a 'close enough' shave for most occasions. You may need to take a minute for a quick evening shave if you have a date and want a kissable face.

3 - The one caveat is that, once a week, I need to use a razor to clean off a small patch of hairs at the base of my neck that the electric shaver cannot seem to shave properly.

4 - The electric shaver is definitely quicker. It's also portable. Now I know why so many frequent fliers carry them around.

In short, I am a convert. I'm glad that I committed to taking a full month to try the product out, as I probably would have given up in the first week without that commitment.

A couple of these tips may be helpful to someone new to an electric shaver:

1 - Do not press too hard. Gently slide the shaver across your face.
2 - Do not lift the shaver from your face. It shaves whether it is moving forward, back or side to side.
3 - Try different angles and paths for different parts of your face. If you cannot effectively shave a particular part of your face with a standard motion, try something different - like a circular motion perhaps - and see what happens.
4 - Sideburns are actually pretty easy to handle. Just use the shaver right up to where you want the sideburns to end. You don't get any big gouges.

BELOW ARE MY DAILY NOTES

June 24, 2010 - Razor charged overnight. I used it after my shower. My first thoughts are that the electric razor did not shave nearly as close as my Sensor, and it took a lot longer to get a passable result. The electric razor worked especially poorly on my neck.

June 25th - This is an experiment. Experiments require variables that you can control for. I figure these are the variables, and these are the variables I will be controlling for: 1 - used before or after the shower. 2 - Amount of pressure applied 3 - The hand doing the shaving 4 - Amount of time devoted to shaving.

Today I shaved the right side of my face pre-shower, and the left side post-shower. The left side seems marginally smoother than the right side, though neither is as good as my Sensor.

June 26th - at the end of yesterday, the left side was smoother. Not smooth, but smoother. One point for shaving after the shower. Today I continue the experiment with the same parameters - left side after shower, right side before shower.

June 27th - The post-shower side continues to be smoother. I think that it's safe to say at this point that shaving post-shower with this electric razor work best. One problem I noticed today is that there are a few hairs located at the lowest part of my neck that I shave which have been allowed to grow for a couple of days. This razor doesn't seem to be able to deal with that part of my neck well. I ended up using the trimmer to get them.

June 28th - This morning I'm shaving using VERY gentle pressure. It seems to work well, though again, I'm not getting s shave that is nearly as close as that provided by a razor.

June 29th - I was feeling a little scruffy at the end of the day yesterday, but that's par for the course. I will say that I have had no problems with skin irritation so far. Then again, as long as I keep changing the blades on my Sensor a couple of times per week.

June 30th - I had a revelation today - I was using shaving habits that I developed in decades of using a razor. I would pull the shaver in one direction, lift it up and reposition it somewhere else on my face. With the electric razor, that's a waste of time. I tried not lifting the razor from my face today, and shaving time was greatly reduced.

July 1st - Continued with the new method. Keeping the shaver on my face the entire time seems to be working very well.

July 2nd - Best shave so far. My cheeks actually feel almost as smooth as I can get with a razor. A few hairs at the base of my neck still present problems however.

July 3rd - I think I'm getting the hang of this. Next week I'll experiment with changing hands to see if that has an impact.

July 4th - I skipped shaving today.

July 5th - This is the first time that I have had to recharge the shaver - that's almost two weeks. Having not shaved yesterday I was wondering if I would get an extra close shave today. I did. The only problem that I keep running in to though are a few hairs on my neck. This device doesn't seem to be able to get them, no matter how long or short they are.

July 6th, 7th - I tried using different hands when shaving. It does not seem to have made any difference.

July 8th - the rogue hairs at the bottom of my neck have not been a problem. I guess that I am getting the hang of it.

July 9th - I shaved about an hour after my shower today. I think I was rewarded with a closer shave.

July 10th - I tried shaving an hour after my shower today and the result was, again, a better shave.

July 11th - I had an event today so I shaved with a razor. Now that I'm paying attention to the shaving process, I noticed a couple of things. I noticed that after shaving with the electric razor that, if I looked real close, I could see a bit of the dark hairs just below the skin. It wasn't a five o'clock shadow, but I could see the hair. I assumed that this was ONLY the case with the electric razor. After shaving with a standard razor however, I looked real close at my skin and could actually see the same thing. Has my beard changed, or has this always been the case and I just didn't know it.

July 12th - Back to the electric. I trimmed the sideburns a bit with the pop-up trimmer. I found it awkward, but it works. Then again, when using a standard razor, I end up trimming the sideburns on a weekly basis. The electric razor seems to be maintaining the sideburns better than the standard razor.

July 13th - Nothing new to report

July 14th - Nothing new to report

July 15th - I noticed today that my face is much less irritated than has been the case for the past few years. I haven't done anything different other than use the electric razor for a few weeks. I also saw a television commercial from one of the major razor companies emphasizing how their new razors are 'less irritating' than their old products. Have I been irritating my face for years by using what I thought was a great product?

July 16th to 24th - My face is definitely less irritated. There is absolutely no redness, in-grown hairs or patches of itchy skin. I'm definitely a happy camper. Battery life continues to meet expectations.

I bought this to replace my old Remington Microscreen 2 (DA-307) because it was only a few dollars more than the replacement screens and the battery in my old one was finally going out after 3-4 years of constant use. Overall, I like the new F4790. It cuts about as good as my old one, but it doesn't do quite as well on my neck...it requires multiple passes and still leaves a fine stubble. I think it's because of the pivoting head. The old shaver didn't pivot, which allowed me to keep more pressure against the skin. Another minor minor irritation is the ergonomics...it's not as comfortable in the hand as the DA-307. The pop-up trimmer doesn't "pop up" very far. I like a pop up that projects away from the body of the shaver which makes it easier to trim around ears, etc. You can still do it with this one, but it's just not as easy. Overall, I'm satisfied with the F4790 since I only paid $29 (local retail store) but I'll probably look for something else when the screen on this one needs replaced.

I absolutely despise shaving. But even more than actually doing it I can't stand the sight of my face in the mirror having gone a few days without (and I'm not the only one). No one was happier to say goodbye to the facial hair-ethos of the 70's than I was. Look up straggly in the dictionary and there's my mug beside it. I was grunge before grunge was cool...

Those guys in the commercials all have chiseled, taught-skinned, square-jawed faces that allow the shaver to glide from plane to plane like some miniature all terrain vehicle. Me, I've got a doughy, oblong face and have to force the insides of my cheeks out with my tongue to get enough resistance against the razor - otherwise it's like mowing the lawn with the blade set too high.

After ten years my trusty and moderately-fashionable electric is no longer either, so
I decided to upgrade to a new Remington and see how far shaving tech has advanced in this still-new century.

According to the instructions, the 4790 is the entry-level shaver in the Remington's 790 Series, lacking only the fancy battery fuel gauge or the even fancier digital battery life gauge on their top of the line 7790.

The instructions recommend a 24-hour recharging session at first to optimize battery life.
(Naturally I didn't read this until after I'd tried the shaver but I trust it won't be a problem.) Normal recharge time is 2 hours with a shaving time capacity of 60-minutes.

There's a built-in feature called "5-minute Quick Charge" that I presume will go from dead to enough juice for one shave in five minutes.

(Of course, if you have the power unit in your possession just plugging it into the wall will have the same effect immediately, no? Reminds me of the time my car key battery died and I stood there for a moment with the keys in my hand wondering how I was going to get into the car. Duh.)

So how's the 4790 perform? Quite well I'd say after the first few days of use. The ergonomic design makes it easy to maintain a 90 degree angle of the foil to your face. One flaw however, in my opinion, is the position of the power button smack where I want to put my thumb.

A shaver isn't a power drill or a joystick: I press the button once to turn it on and don't want to touch it until I'm done. With this button's position, I have to consciously keep my thumb away from it else risk sudden power loss as I'm in the midst of a blissful shaving experience imaging myself to be one of those chiseled-jawed guys whose other half is just waiting in a towel outside the john to come in and caress my newly shaved cheeks...

Travelers and international customers take note: the power unit is rated "worldwide" and will work with any voltage between 100V-240V.

The Remington itself is noticeably quieter than my older unit and the designers have put some thought into cleaning the shaver. Aside from the standard blade brush, the exposed blade front of the Remington is said to be washable in tap water (don't fully submerge the razor in the sink!). The instructions detail a recommended monthly cleaning regime using liquid soap in coordination with the brush.

I confess I've never put half this effort into cleaning my old shaver, but that might partly explain the experience I've had until now. I pledge here and now to be a more conscientious shaver user with my Remington 4790.

Seen this at a few stores and never cheaper than $40. I travel alot and wanted something inexpensive that i could take on the road and get a quick shave when I needed one. This razor leaves my face feeling like I shaved with a traditional blade. Paid $29 for this here on amazon, and couldn't be happier.

I'm still using this thing even though it has a terrible design flaw. While it shaves OK and holds a charge well, the foil head has to be held on the body to work. The stupid little metal nubs that hold the foil head onto the shaving body don't stick out enough anymore to dig into the foil head holes, causing it pop off instantly. I have to hold the thing together with my thumb to use it. Bought from Target and within 6 months was a problem. Spend a couple more bucks and buy a Braun like I'm about to.

My teenage son has a bit more than the light peach fuzz, so it was time to pull out the razor! Instead of having him spend ten-fifteen minutes shaving with cream and a regular razor, I thought we'd try the electric razor. The Remington is perfect! It's easy on his skin, and easy to use. It recharges quickly and works great. No complaints. So glad we tried this route!

For many, many years, my father has refused to use an electric shaver, no matter how nice. He grumbled his way through many a holiday, saying he wanted "a soap and water shave, because nothing else comes close."

Sadly, Dad is enduring chemotherapy as I type this and is too exhausted to shave much of the time. He was telling me how much the act of taking a shower beat him up when I presented this gorgeous, sexy-looking sports car of a razor. If this didn't tempt him, nothing would.

He was enthralled. He turned the shaver over and over in his hand, and held it up to his face, saying how close it felt to a "real razor." He asked me why I thought of trying again, and I said that if showering knocked him out, taking ten minutes off of standing in front of a mirror couldn't hurt. He promised to give it a fair try and let me know.

The next morning, he called, all excited. He was able to shave in his recliner this morning, and he got a "terrific, close shave without getting too tired to need a shave." (hooray!) Furthermore, his face was now "Baby butt soft." (I could have lived without knowing that) He had a half hour of praises for the shaver, and that's shocking. Usually, I get a "hope you saved the receipt for this."

So, I would give this shaver ten stars if I could. Dad is happy, his face is happy, his wife is happy, and he has enough energy left over to do the crossword puzzle every day. Thank you, Remington!

Although he has not used this more than a few weeks, every time my husband uses this razor, he raves saying he has never had such a close shave from any razor ever.

His favorite razor is also a Remington but it has the round blades a la Norelco. He still likes that a lot, but every time he uses this pivot razor, he goes on and on about it giving a closer shave than anything ever.

The blade guard also snaps on very well-with most razors they fall off easily. That is the plastic cap that keeps the blades from damage.

The trimmer works well and comes up nicely for him. So far he likes that too.

He has found that by putting shea butter (100%) on his face the night before shaving, he gets a fabulous shave the next morning with no residue or anything and no raw or chafed skin at all.

The quick charge is another great feature. He likes that if you need to, you can charge it quickly for a shave. So far, he has not had to recharge it more than once and he has had it a few weeks, and shaves with it every other day.

Yes, I said smooth legs. I am not going to blow smoke here. I ordered this from Vine because I thought my husband would like to try it. I guess I should have asked him first, duh. He flatly refused. But I ordered it, and by golly I was going to review it. So I put him on probation and commenced grooming.

For the record, I've always loathed electric razors. Both electric and blade razors irritate my skin, and for the past 20 years or so, I've used an epilator to yank out the hair under my arms and on my legs. It doesn't hurt much, and it doesn't irritate my skin. I'm happy with the way epilating works for me, and had no intention of changing my habits.

But back to Vine. I had to use it to do a review, so I plugged it in to charge, and read the instructions. I noticed right away they state this razor is meant to be used on the face. So right off the bat, I broke the rules! After it charged, I set to work. I used the trimmer blade to get the longer hairs off and the foil for the finishing touches. I was pleasantly surprised! I got a good, close shave, and my skin did not get irritated. I spend a few minutes after I get out of the shower using the foil to maintain the sleek, smooth hairlessness of my legs and underarms. My skin is smooth and soft. I'm very happy with the results, and even though I'm not using this razor for its intended purpose, the face, I'm going to keep right on using it. Oh, and by the way, my husband regrets not trying it. The look on his face when I finished was priceless! He should know I'm always right. Now I have a nice new razor and he's still using those stinging disposables.

Great razor at this price point. I do think it's a bit bulky and heavy, though.