Philips Norelco 7810 Men's Cutting System Review. The new 7810 features the Precision Cutting System with slots to cut long hairs and holes to shave the shortest stubble. Also, the 7810 features an ergonomically-designed handle for comfort. Cleaning is simple with the 7810 as it is completely washable. The Patented Reflex Action System automatically adjusts to every curve on your face for flexible, smoother shaving. Super Lift and Cut technology features a dual blade system that lifts hairs to cut comfortably below skin level....
"Excelent shaver" 2009-01-03
By Descartes (Miami, FL USA)
I have been using Norelco electric razors since 1989. My last product was the model 6843XL that I bought in 2005, I replaced the cutting heads twice. Recently I bought this model 7810XL an it is awesome. It's very noticeable the closer shaving that you get. The speed of the cutting heads is higher and quiet. The design of the cover of the head has different patterns, lines as the former but also little holes that catch the shortest remaining stuble. The capability of to be cleaned with hot water under the faucet is an additional advantage.
I recommend to any that previously own an old model that try this one.
"Best of the electric razors" 2010-01-28
By Sank (Midwest)
I've used almost every high end electric razor on the market in the last 15 years. I've had the Braun, both the pulsonic and the 7 series. I've had the Panasonic and I've had several Norelcos. The only model I've not tried are any of the Remmingtons, based on their consistanly poor reviews.
In summary, if you looking to go to electric you have to choose between the foil shavers, like the Braun and Panasoinc or the rotery model, like Norelco. My experience with foil shavers is that they seem to cause more ingrown hairs on my face, than any other method of shaving. The Panasonic in particular almost cuts too close, and left me with razor burn. I tried shaving with it "wet" as they advocate, with cream.. this method left me with a 5:00 shadow at about 11:15.. and made a huge mess. If I was going to futz with shaving cream I'd use blade.
Which in the end, not one electric I've ever used does as good a job as a cheap disposable blade.. except this one.
Prior to this razor I had been using one of the 8000 series models with the "faster shave" heads, those have three rings of holes on them. The claim being it was 50% faster and X amount closer. I found those heads to be pretty irritating to my face, even after a year of using it, and it seemed to pull my skinn and missed more whiskers than I'd expect, leading to ingrown hairs or that super long solo whisker you missed all week that your wife plucks off with a tweezer right before you go out with her.. ouch.
The 8000 series is about $20.00 to $30.00 more than this model as well. Years ago my first Norelco was a 7000 series and I remembered it being very good. With that in mind, when my 8000's blades dulled and it was time for a new set.. rather than spend $40.00 on new blades I figured and extra $20.00 for a whole new razor. Not wanting to spend $200 on the top of the line, I stepped down this time, and I'm very glad I did.
The heads on this razor are better than the more expensive model, it shaves closer, comfortably, than any razor I've used.. which was too close, and it does so in a way that is very comfortable and easy to use. No pulling skin no missed hairs, no ingrown hairs, and no rash like the panasonic.. And, although I like the cleaning base for the Braun, it was like haveing a new razor every shave, it was still $6.00 a month just for the cleaning solution. This one is just about perfect.
The only complaint I have, as they've cut costs on these things, Norleco has eliminated the carrying case, very handy when you travel as the blade cover comes off easy and if you nick a blade.. you're screwed and they've eliminated the charger stand.. a very very nice place to store the unit when you're at home. I'd pay for those things to get them added back in the box.
This is a no frills razor that works fantastic, and the price is certainly right. Highly reccomended.
"Better than expected" 2010-03-29
By J. Lumpkin (USA)
I used Norelcos for 25 years and recently had to make the choice between replacing my older 4817XL or paying $55 to have someone put in the battery I already paid $15 to get. I figured I would try to put the battery in myself and if it did not work, I would buy a new shaver. Since you are reading this review, you know what happened. Nevertheless, this is a good time to note all folks considering a Norelco - unless you are good with a soldering iron, you are going to face the same choice I did when the battery eventually dies.
I was happy with the 4817XL because it did the job and was well built (obviously lasting many years). Reading all the reviews for newer shavers had me concerned because there did not appear to be any one shaver that people clearly loved. Every shaver had some serious detractors and the detractors made excellent points.
Norelco's web site is useless for comparing shavers. They have a nice comparison feature that is really slick, but not all the data populates for all the shavers. The data that is available does not clearly differentiate the shavers. Not only was it difficult to tell the differences between shavers in the same series, it was not easy to figure out why you would want to consider a shaver at the next higher level. Makes you wonder how much of a difference there really is. This left me with the hundreds of reviews on Amazon and other sites to figure out which one to buy.
The artic looked cool, but most of the reviews were average. Oddly, the complaint with the razor was that it failed to perform in the areas most important to the device - so I quickly ruled it out. Did not see much sense in paying a premium if there were issues with the basics. I also ruled out the 8245 from Costco because it had lower rating and lot of complaints. Same with the 8420.
This left me with the 8250, 8260, 7810, 7340, 7120 and probably a few others. The list was further narrowed to a comparison between the 8250, 8260, 7810, and 7340 by the fact that I now needed a razor ASAP and had to shop locally. The 8260 was not available at the closest store, but I was able to view it in the display case. I recall one reviewer commenting on the poor stand design and after seeing it, I agree. Maybe it the shaver was $10 more for the plastic stand then the 8250, but at nearly double the price, no thank you.
I really was not sure what the difference was between the 7810 and 7340, but two things struck me. First, the 7810 was the only shaver that got a 4.5 average star rating at Amazon. Nothing else was close. Second, it just felt better in my hand then the 7340. It was like someone actually thought about the fact that a shaver should fit a hand. Something my now dead 4817XL did not do.
The 8250 has the same basic feel, but it was $25 more. The $25 bought a pivoting head and 3 shaving heads. I just could not figure out why this was a good thing. Maybe this comes from using a shaver that did not have one, but I could not determine what this was going to do differently that simple moving my hand. Maybe it made the shave more efficient, but Amazon reviews seem to indicate shavers with the HQ9 blades were actually less efficient and less effective. I am not sure why that is, but it was a consistant complaint amongst folks that tried both series.
I went with the 7810XL. It actually had a charge out of the box, but to be on the safe side, I charged it and then I used it. Wow! It was definitely better than by 4817XL. Norelco's dynamic contour feature made a huge difference in the areas on my head that were curved - there was much greater surface to surface contact so the razor performed better with less effort. Not that the 4817XL was particularly heavy to begin with - especially in comparison to the earlier Norelcos I used, but the light weight of the 7810XL made it easier to work with.
The feature I like the most is the ability to simply flip the top and wash away the hair. It takes seconds to do it and it improves the shave. With the 4817XL, you just waited until the shaver clogged up and started spitting hairs back out to know when it was time to clean. It was like this looming penalty because when it was time to clean it, it was going to take some time and invariably, I would find myself having to clean it when I was pressed for time.
Reading the manual for the 7810XL suggests there is more maintenance to this shaver than I recall having to do with the 4817XL, but it is possible over the years I simply failed to perform all the steps I should have been doing. Still, I do not recall ever needing to oil the old razor, but then again, that kind of makes sense that one would do that.
The 7810XL is lighter because it uses a lot more plastic then metal and less parts. I am not sure it that equates to better or lower reliability. Certainly, now I could actually break a part that I could not break before. However, those older metal parts were no where near as easy to clean. It may not matter which one is better made because I will probably end up facing the choice again between an expensive battery replacement and a new shaver so it probably just has to last as long as the battery.
"Best Shaver I Ever Purchased" 2009-06-04
By Carlos Brewster
Usually I use these reviews as my guide as to whether or not i'll buy the product or not and let me tell you the reviews were all accurate on this shaver. It's really great. It makes very little noise which makes you think well is it really doing anything but trust me its doing everything.
If your wondering whether or not to purchase this shaver or not dont wonder anymore. Take it from someome who doesn't write a lot of reviews. I had to write a review on this shaver though because its worth every penny.
Oh one more thing. You can clean it right under the running water in your sink because its water proof. I mean what more do you want. Ok stop reading this review and buy the razor :)
"Norelco 7810" 2008-09-29
By Peter Oakes
I got my first Norelco in Germany in 1954 and have use them since. Got the 7810 model because it was made in Holland, not China and was a $20 off sale. It has Li-Ion battery but still needs to use until runs out and then recharge. When that happens you can wait a few second and turn on and use for a short time or plug it in, use and then leave pugged to recharge - take about an hour and has flashing light when done. First charge takes a long time. Hot water wash is nice - I rest mine on the heads so water drains off.
By Descartes (Miami, FL USA)
I have been using Norelco electric razors since 1989. My last product was the model 6843XL that I bought in 2005, I replaced the cutting heads twice. Recently I bought this model 7810XL an it is awesome. It's very noticeable the closer shaving that you get. The speed of the cutting heads is higher and quiet. The design of the cover of the head has different patterns, lines as the former but also little holes that catch the shortest remaining stuble. The capability of to be cleaned with hot water under the faucet is an additional advantage.
I recommend to any that previously own an old model that try this one.
By Sank (Midwest)
I've used almost every high end electric razor on the market in the last 15 years. I've had the Braun, both the pulsonic and the 7 series. I've had the Panasonic and I've had several Norelcos. The only model I've not tried are any of the Remmingtons, based on their consistanly poor reviews.
In summary, if you looking to go to electric you have to choose between the foil shavers, like the Braun and Panasoinc or the rotery model, like Norelco. My experience with foil shavers is that they seem to cause more ingrown hairs on my face, than any other method of shaving. The Panasonic in particular almost cuts too close, and left me with razor burn. I tried shaving with it "wet" as they advocate, with cream.. this method left me with a 5:00 shadow at about 11:15.. and made a huge mess. If I was going to futz with shaving cream I'd use blade.
Which in the end, not one electric I've ever used does as good a job as a cheap disposable blade.. except this one.
Prior to this razor I had been using one of the 8000 series models with the "faster shave" heads, those have three rings of holes on them. The claim being it was 50% faster and X amount closer. I found those heads to be pretty irritating to my face, even after a year of using it, and it seemed to pull my skinn and missed more whiskers than I'd expect, leading to ingrown hairs or that super long solo whisker you missed all week that your wife plucks off with a tweezer right before you go out with her.. ouch.
The 8000 series is about $20.00 to $30.00 more than this model as well. Years ago my first Norelco was a 7000 series and I remembered it being very good. With that in mind, when my 8000's blades dulled and it was time for a new set.. rather than spend $40.00 on new blades I figured and extra $20.00 for a whole new razor. Not wanting to spend $200 on the top of the line, I stepped down this time, and I'm very glad I did.
The heads on this razor are better than the more expensive model, it shaves closer, comfortably, than any razor I've used.. which was too close, and it does so in a way that is very comfortable and easy to use. No pulling skin no missed hairs, no ingrown hairs, and no rash like the panasonic.. And, although I like the cleaning base for the Braun, it was like haveing a new razor every shave, it was still $6.00 a month just for the cleaning solution. This one is just about perfect.
The only complaint I have, as they've cut costs on these things, Norleco has eliminated the carrying case, very handy when you travel as the blade cover comes off easy and if you nick a blade.. you're screwed and they've eliminated the charger stand.. a very very nice place to store the unit when you're at home. I'd pay for those things to get them added back in the box.
This is a no frills razor that works fantastic, and the price is certainly right. Highly reccomended.
By J. Lumpkin (USA)
I used Norelcos for 25 years and recently had to make the choice between replacing my older 4817XL or paying $55 to have someone put in the battery I already paid $15 to get. I figured I would try to put the battery in myself and if it did not work, I would buy a new shaver. Since you are reading this review, you know what happened. Nevertheless, this is a good time to note all folks considering a Norelco - unless you are good with a soldering iron, you are going to face the same choice I did when the battery eventually dies.
I was happy with the 4817XL because it did the job and was well built (obviously lasting many years). Reading all the reviews for newer shavers had me concerned because there did not appear to be any one shaver that people clearly loved. Every shaver had some serious detractors and the detractors made excellent points.
Norelco's web site is useless for comparing shavers. They have a nice comparison feature that is really slick, but not all the data populates for all the shavers. The data that is available does not clearly differentiate the shavers. Not only was it difficult to tell the differences between shavers in the same series, it was not easy to figure out why you would want to consider a shaver at the next higher level. Makes you wonder how much of a difference there really is. This left me with the hundreds of reviews on Amazon and other sites to figure out which one to buy.
The artic looked cool, but most of the reviews were average. Oddly, the complaint with the razor was that it failed to perform in the areas most important to the device - so I quickly ruled it out. Did not see much sense in paying a premium if there were issues with the basics. I also ruled out the 8245 from Costco because it had lower rating and lot of complaints. Same with the 8420.
This left me with the 8250, 8260, 7810, 7340, 7120 and probably a few others. The list was further narrowed to a comparison between the 8250, 8260, 7810, and 7340 by the fact that I now needed a razor ASAP and had to shop locally. The 8260 was not available at the closest store, but I was able to view it in the display case. I recall one reviewer commenting on the poor stand design and after seeing it, I agree. Maybe it the shaver was $10 more for the plastic stand then the 8250, but at nearly double the price, no thank you.
I really was not sure what the difference was between the 7810 and 7340, but two things struck me. First, the 7810 was the only shaver that got a 4.5 average star rating at Amazon. Nothing else was close. Second, it just felt better in my hand then the 7340. It was like someone actually thought about the fact that a shaver should fit a hand. Something my now dead 4817XL did not do.
The 8250 has the same basic feel, but it was $25 more. The $25 bought a pivoting head and 3 shaving heads. I just could not figure out why this was a good thing. Maybe this comes from using a shaver that did not have one, but I could not determine what this was going to do differently that simple moving my hand. Maybe it made the shave more efficient, but Amazon reviews seem to indicate shavers with the HQ9 blades were actually less efficient and less effective. I am not sure why that is, but it was a consistant complaint amongst folks that tried both series.
I went with the 7810XL. It actually had a charge out of the box, but to be on the safe side, I charged it and then I used it. Wow! It was definitely better than by 4817XL. Norelco's dynamic contour feature made a huge difference in the areas on my head that were curved - there was much greater surface to surface contact so the razor performed better with less effort. Not that the 4817XL was particularly heavy to begin with - especially in comparison to the earlier Norelcos I used, but the light weight of the 7810XL made it easier to work with.
The feature I like the most is the ability to simply flip the top and wash away the hair. It takes seconds to do it and it improves the shave. With the 4817XL, you just waited until the shaver clogged up and started spitting hairs back out to know when it was time to clean. It was like this looming penalty because when it was time to clean it, it was going to take some time and invariably, I would find myself having to clean it when I was pressed for time.
Reading the manual for the 7810XL suggests there is more maintenance to this shaver than I recall having to do with the 4817XL, but it is possible over the years I simply failed to perform all the steps I should have been doing. Still, I do not recall ever needing to oil the old razor, but then again, that kind of makes sense that one would do that.
The 7810XL is lighter because it uses a lot more plastic then metal and less parts. I am not sure it that equates to better or lower reliability. Certainly, now I could actually break a part that I could not break before. However, those older metal parts were no where near as easy to clean. It may not matter which one is better made because I will probably end up facing the choice again between an expensive battery replacement and a new shaver so it probably just has to last as long as the battery.
By Carlos Brewster
Usually I use these reviews as my guide as to whether or not i'll buy the product or not and let me tell you the reviews were all accurate on this shaver. It's really great. It makes very little noise which makes you think well is it really doing anything but trust me its doing everything.
If your wondering whether or not to purchase this shaver or not dont wonder anymore. Take it from someome who doesn't write a lot of reviews. I had to write a review on this shaver though because its worth every penny.
Oh one more thing. You can clean it right under the running water in your sink because its water proof. I mean what more do you want. Ok stop reading this review and buy the razor :)
By Peter Oakes
I got my first Norelco in Germany in 1954 and have use them since. Got the 7810 model because it was made in Holland, not China and was a $20 off sale. It has Li-Ion battery but still needs to use until runs out and then recharge. When that happens you can wait a few second and turn on and use for a short time or plug it in, use and then leave pugged to recharge - take about an hour and has flashing light when done. First charge takes a long time. Hot water wash is nice - I rest mine on the heads so water drains off.
