Cordless
     Rechargeable Shaver
Philips Norelco Arcitec
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Philips Norelco BG2020
     Men's Bodygroom
Philips Norelco
     Moisturizing Shaving
     Systems
Philips Norelco Speed-XL
     8140XL Men's Shaver
Wahl Hair Kits and
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Reviews

Norelco SmartTouch XL Shaver

Norelco – a brand of consumer electronics giant Philips – produces many different shavers. The SmartTouch shavers are among the company's top-of-the-line models.

In a lengthy and highly favorable review, DMN Forums commented:

Taking a look at this highest-end Norelco model, which I think is by far the best Norelco razor yet, it’s made of plastic, but doesn’t feel cheap. Its front has a shiny chrome-like plastic insert, which gives it an almost retro look, but its LCD screen shows that it certainly is up to date, with the blue background for the LCD also being made of a chrome-like substance. That LCD indicates how many minutes of shaving you have left on a battery charge, or you can configure the LCD to show a battery icon depicting how much of the charges left. Remarkably, after an initial four-hour charging period, this razor needs just one hour to charge, and as a result you get 90 minutes worth of shaves from that single charge. Given the speed at which this razor can finish up a shaving session, that’s well over a month’s worth of shaving without having to recharge. Wow.

Better yet, recharging this razor is an easy task, where you simply insert the razor into its included charging stand, and then plug the charging stand into an outlet. The charging stand has an unusual convenience, there’s a small analog clock in its base that’s surprisingly accurate. Often when one is shaving in a hurry, the time of day is a piece of information that’s sorely needed. Nice touch, Norelco. The electrical cord is also quite versatile, because you can either plug it into the charging stand or into the end of the razor, giving you the option of leaving the charging stand at home if you’re traveling—all you’ll need is the power cord.

…I’ve used a variety of Norelco razors, but this one takes electric razor shaving up to the next level. Some Norelco razors incorporating this tripleheader design miss some of the hairs, requiring multiple passes to get the job done. Not the 9190-XL. At $200, it’s not cheap, but it does exactly what it’s designed to do—it shaves you fast and close, but it doesn’t chew up your face in the meantime. This razor has accomplished the Holy Grail of electric razors: It actually shaves as close as a blade . Highly recommended. 9.8 out of 10 stars.

The Reviewboard online magazine wrote:

My favorite feature of the Norelco SmartTouch XL Dry Electric Razor is the cleaning system. This is the easiest razor to clean you will find. To clean the Norelco SmartTouch XL Dry Electric Razor you simply place it into the Jet Clean and Charge holder and press the clean button. The Jet Clean and Charge systems does the rest for you, ensuring that you have a fresh razor ready for the next shave.

The Norelco SmartTouch XL Dry Electric Razor also has Norelco's patented Reflex Action system to adjust to each users face for a better shave. The Norelco SmartTouch XL Dry Electric Razor also has a SmartTouch system that consists of little orange air bags at each corner of the shave head that helps improve comfort as well.

Using the Norelco SmartTouch XL Dry Electric Razor is great. It shaves closer than the other electric shavers I have used in the past. The Reflex Action and SmartTouch make for one of the most comfortable shaves I have ever had with an electric razor or a blade. Personally, I think the quality of the shave I get from quality electric razors such as the Norelco SmartTouch XL Dry Electric Razor is better than a blade.

Amazon.com used to have a useful "Shaver Shopping Made Easy" page, and it listed three “gold medal” shavers, one of them the Norelco SmartTouch XL shaver. About the gold medalists, it said:

These golden boys were selected as The Cream Of The Crop, Best of the Best, "It" Crowd contenders for most-requested and most-loved. Why? Because they feature the biggest and best technological advancements in shaving that make it easier (and faster) to get a close, clean, comfortable shave. Each shaver boasts features that go above and beyond traditional shaving technology, including self-cleaning systems, LCD displays, "smart foil" technology, oscillating heads, or systems that automatically recharge your shaver.

The Norelco corporate website contains considerable detail on the SmartTouch line of shavers.

* Get the Latest Price on the Norelco SmartTouch XL Shaver.

Note that as of October 2007 it was difficult to find the SmartTouch line still on sale, although Amazon.com was promoting an intriguing limited-edition model that, it said, was made from the "same materials used for the Williams F1 racing cars" and included a Certificate of Authenticity, carbon fiber charging stand, carbon fiber storage/travel case, a Williams F1 racing car replica and USB memory stick with Williams F1 video content

February 16th, 2006
Updated: October 5th, 2007