avaneesh's Full Review: Philips Norelco arcitec 1090 Electric Shaver
Previous experience:
My dad uses only Norelco shavers and he swears by them. On one occasion his good old faithful Norelco Reflex shaver died on him and he had to use a Gillette razor and not having used a gillette Razor, he messed up his skin with so many cuts that he swore he would never shave unless it is an electric shaver, a Norelco that is. (yes, he is my fussy old man) Coming from that background, it is no surprise I use and love Norelco and have always bought 2 of every one of the top of the line shaver in the model line. One for me and my dad. I tried the Braun to compare, and I was impressed, esp. since I was told every other brand was inferior. Well, Brauns are not as bad as my father claims, but not as good as the Norelcos nevertheless. When I found the Arcitec 1090X on Amazon, I pre-ordered it immediately. Got it a couple of weeks back and here is my experience with it.
In the Box:
The box is a cool looking Crystalline one and the packaging is the best I have seen on any Norelco. The Shaver is visible through the packing and I must say, I was impressed by it even before I opened it. The box contains:
1. Norelco Arcitec 1090X shaver
2. Power Pod
3. Charging stand
4. Protection Cap
5. Cleaning Brush
6. Power Cord
7. User manual
8. Registration information
That's a lot of accessories. The user manual is comprehensive and well laid out with instructions for every possible thing. The documentation has been one of the strong points for Norelcos and this manual does not disappoint in that aspect.
Design and Exterior Attributes:
The shaver itself is probably the best-looking Norelco ever, though my old-fashioned father does not agree with me. I like the modern and all-muscle-no-fat look of this new shaver. The finish is a beautiful amalgamation of Silver and Black. While the black is shiny - more like piano finish, the silver is toned down with a brushed aluminum finish. The sides are supposedly made of real carbon fiber material. I am not sure why carbon fiber was used apart from probably shaving off a fraction of an ounce in weight. However it looks good and adds to its overall appeal. It looks very modern, eye-catching and attractive. The shape of the shaver is very ergonomic and very comfortable in the hand. I suspected the shiny surface to be slippery but it is not. The included Charger stand is well made and looks sturdy unlike the 88XX series’ simple stand. The Power Pod, new to Norelco, is a travel charging system that works as a carrying case as well (more on this later). The Power cord included works with both the Power pod as well as the charging stand. The cleaning brush included too looks slightly evolved but has the same long-soft and short-hard bristles.
The shaver looks like it has shaved off some fat. The new design with the protruding shaving heads on a stalk looks odd and unusual (esp. since we are used to a certain classic design features from Norelco) but looks modern. The shaving head stalk seats onto the main body of the shaver and is extremely flexible and combined with the pivoting action of the shaving heads it translates to a smooth movement over the contours of the face. The charge indicator is a cool blue LED display that is also visible from the power pods semi transparent cover. Display is LED and not polymer display of the previous versions, meaning it is bright and highly visible.
Charging System:
The specifications claim it is a quick charge system, can charge to full charge in 1 hour and lasts for upto 21 days of shaving. The 2 weeks I have had it I had to recharge it after 12 days with 10 shaves, probably because I was testing it. Will update the battery performance later. Like all Norelcos, it has universal voltage 100 – 240 volts so can be easily charged even when traveling abroad. The specifications claim it has rechargeable “green” Li-Ion energy cells, not sure what the “green” cells stand for… no explanation about it in the user manual either.
There are 2 charging options with the 1090X model. The standard charging stand looks like the glorified older charging stand. But conspicuously obvious is the lack of the clock. That came with the 88XX and 91XX series models. The Shaver sits vertically in the stand. The back support is higher and makes it more stable. The power cord attaches to the stand base. The other charger is a hybrid between a carrying case and a charger and is called the power pod. It makes for a perfect travel charging case. It is a hard case so the shaver is safe inside it. The innovative part about this is that the included power cord can actually attach to the power pod so the shaver can be charged while in the pod. One downside to the power pod is that it is larger than the previous model travel kits. Both the charging stand and power pod charge the shaver via electrostatic/electronic induction. This is the same technology used in the toothbrushes to make them water-proof. Normally this Electronic induction makes the charging process long, but it is impressive the 1090X does a full charge in 1 hour. My Braun Triumph toothbrush takes 4 hours to charge a small AA battery in it.
Performance:
Per Philips spec sheet, these are the included technologies to improve shaving:
1. Flex and Pivot Action
2. Triple-track shaving heads
3. Precision Cutting System
4. Super Lift and Cut System
5. Precision tube trimmer
6. Vibration free
7. Pivoting shaving unit
All of the technologies are same as the ones used in the previous models except for “pivoting shaving unit”. This is the shaving head stalk that pivots. The rotary blades in the shaving head are the same triple blade heads. While most people argue these don’t offer substantially better performance, I like these better. The shaver is slightly louder than the older models. The louder sound does not add any vibration to the pivoting stalk. That’s good.
Now for the actual shaving experience…. I am very impressed by the way the shaver keeps up with the contours on my chin… it does a good job shaving all across the contours. The shave feels very close and clean and requires fewer strokes. But here is the SURPRISING FACTOR: The shave is no better than my Norelco 9170XLCC. That was quite surprising initially, but looking at the technologies used in both shavers – they are exactly the same. So basically is this new 1090X shaver the same as the older model with better clothing ? Well, there is a small difference – the shave needs fewer strokes over the shaving area since it contours so well. I always found the chin area to be the more challenging than the cheeks… often requiring a few more strokes at different angles over it to get the clean shave, but with the 1090X I was able to get the shave I wanted in just two circular strokes over it. Well, even if this shaver performs primarily the same as the older model, it still makes it worth it if I have to use fewer strokes.
Pros:
1. Innovative and state of the art design
2. High quality finish.
3. Pivoting shaving head stalk – a new design
4. Power Pod – travel case is unique and very useful
5. Requires fewer strokes, thanks to its pivoting stalk
6. State of the art features and attention to detail
Cons:
1. Essentially same technology as the previous model except the pivoting shaving head stalk
2. Price is high - it is essentially the same shaver in new clothes.
Conclusion:
Shavers are at the pinnacle of their design and they are probably as good as they can get. They are like an optical mouse. The technology has evolved and come to a stage where all mouse are the same; there cannot be any more advancement in its core technology (optical technology) and all that changes is the number of extra buttons, wireless, dpi etc. So, this shaver is good or maybe even very good and I would definitely recommend getting it. But considering the price factor, the decision that needs to be made is whether you want a fancy looking new shaver with very few benefits over the older model or if you want almost the same shave from a lower priced model. In my personal opinion I think the Arcitec 1090X is the one to have even if there is very slight improvement… but there is an improvement nevertheless. Why not get the best if you can get it? Considering a shaver is atleast a 2 year investment, a few extra dollars will not amount to much over a 2 year period.
PS: My old man thinks it is too fancy and not worth the extra money.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 239 Noise Level: More quiet than most
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