Electric shaver companies are constantly upgrading their products to stay ahead of the competition and capture more market share. The Philips Norelco 9800 is the latest model in the company’s high-end Series 9000 lineup. The manufacturer engineered this shaver with the latest features and technologies that promise a next-generation shaving experience, but is it right for you?
In this article, we’ll take a comprehensive look at the Philips Norelco 9800 shaver and everything you need to know to make an informed decision.
Pros
- Close shave: the shaver ensures the most possible close shave quickly with its super sharp self-sharpening blades even in the 4-5 days stubble.
- Comfortable: the shaving process is very comfortable even without any shaving cosmetics since it features advanced SkinGlide coating technology on the blades and ComfortGlide rings.
- Wet/dry shaver: it never compromises with shaving off the beard whichever method you apply (wet or dry).
- Easy to use: the functions are pretty easy to use even without any previous experience.
- Powerful battery: it comes with a powerful battery to provide 1-hour continuous cordless power backup.
Cons
- Expensive: it comes with a premium price tag that may disappoint some users.
- Bulky shaving head: the angular heads make the shaving head bulkier than the circular heads, which may feel cumbersome for some new users.
Insights
The Philips Norelco 9800 is a premium electric shaver that comes with intelligent features, technologies, and attachments to make shaving convenient and effortless. It’s engineered with innovative technologies unavailable in previous rotary shavers, including previous Philips Series 9000 models.
Here’s a closer look at the insights of the shaver:
Next Level Shaving Sensor: Philips Norelco 9800 has a pressure guard sensor that is a game-changer for men who want to avoid skin irritation and improve their shaving performance. This innovative feature uses smart sensors to measure the pressure you put on your skin while shaving and then gives you real-time feedback through a light ring at the base of the shaver. The light ring changes colour depending on the pressure you apply: orange means too much, blue means too little, and green means just right.
This visual feedback helps you find and keep the ideal pressure for a smooth, comfortable shave. And because you’re not over-stressing your skin, you’re more likely to prevent irritation.
Advanced Shaving Blades: The Philips 9800’s self-sharpening dual steel precision blades are a marvel of Norelco’s advanced technology. They’re designed to give you a close, comfortable shave without causing irritation, and they’ll last up to twice as long as regular blades.
The blades have a special nanotechnology coating that reduces friction and wear. This coating also keeps the blades sharp for longer, so you can enjoy a smooth, effortless shave every time.
ComfortGlide Technology: This shaver’s ComfortGlide ring feature is one of the things that sets it apart from other electric shavers. This innovative feature helps to make the shave more comfortable and less irritating, especially for men with sensitive skin.
The ComfortGlide rings are coated with a special SkinGlide technology that allows the shaver to glide smoothly over the skin, reducing friction and preventing irritation. This results in a closer, more comfortable shave with less nicks and cuts.
Flex Head: It comes with 360-degree flex head technology allows the shaving head to move in all directions and adapt to the contours of your face, even in difficult-to-reach areas like the chin, jawline, and neck.
The angular shaving heads consist of three circular blades that can flex and rotate independently. This means that the blades can follow the curves of your face closely, capturing more hairs in one stroke and reducing skin irritation.
AI Based Sensing Technology: The new generation Philips Norelco Series 9000 shavers come with auto-sense technology. But the Philip 9800 takes things a step further with its AI-based SensIQ technology.
It uses advanced sensors to read your facial hair density, skin type, and shaving technique, and adapts the shaver settings accordingly. For example, it can adjust the cutting power, the blade speed, and the pressure feedback to suit your beard and skin.
Battery and Cordless Power: The Philips Norelco 9800 shaver has a longer battery life than its predecessors, the 9700 and 9300, providing 60 minutes of cordless shaving power on a single charge. This is enough for most men to get multiple shaves from a single charge.
It also has a quick charge feature that can give you enough power for a single shave in just 5 minutes, making it a great option if you forget to charge your shaver or need a quick shave before leaving for work or a social event.
Wet/dry Shaving: The Philips 9800 shaver is designed to give you the best possible shave, no matter how you choose to shave. If you prefer a wet shave, you can use the shaver with shaving gel or foam to get a smooth and refreshing shave. And if you prefer a dry shave, the shaver’s SkinGlide coating technology will help it glide over your skin easily and prevent irritation.
Whichever way you choose to shave, the Philips 9000 series shavers are a great option for men who want a close and comfortable shave.
OLED Display: The Philips Norelco 9800 shaver’s OLED display is a sleek and informative feature that shows you everything you need to know about your shaver and shaving technique. It’s located on the front of the shaver handle and features dynamic and fluid animations.
The OLED display shows the battery level, cleaning reminder, travel lock status, pressure guidance, and more. I found the OLED display of the Norelco 9800 to be more advanced and useful than those of the other Philips Series 9000 shavers. The LED display’s appearance, animation, and functionality elevate the shaver to the next level of sophistication and user-friendliness.
Precision Trimmer: To trim and shape your moustache and sideburns with ease and accuracy, the Philips 9800 electric shaver comes with a built-in pop-up trimmer. The trimmer is conveniently located at the back of the shaver handle, and you can pop it up by sliding the button below it. The pop-up trimmer has a narrow and sharp blade that cuts hairs smoothly and evenly, giving you the perfect finishing touch for your shave.
Controlling with Mobile App: The Philips Norelco 9800 electric shaver lets you connect to an app called GroomTribe that gives you personalized tips and feedback on how to improve your shaving experience. The app also allows you to customize the shaver settings according to your preferences and needs. The app also tracks the battery level, the use time, and the blade quality of the shaver. I think this shaver excels all the competitors with this latest feature.
What’s in the Box
The Philips Norelco 9800 electric shaver comes with the following items:
Travel Pouch: It comes with a deluxe travel pouch for storing the shaver insight, keeping it safe while carrying and not in use. I found it pretty hard to protect the inner items from outer hits.
QuickClean Pod: One of the best items that comes with the Philips Norelco 9800 shaver is the QuickClean pod, which is a device that cleans, lubricates, and dries your shaver in just 10 minutes without using any cords or water. It uses a solution that contains alcohol, which is much more effective than water in removing dirt and bacteria from your shaver. It also helps to keep your shaver in top condition for longer. The shaver itself powers the QuickClean pod, so you don’t have to worry about plugging it in.
The QuickClean pod is a smart and convenient way to take care of your shaver and ensure it delivers the best performance every time.
Cleaning Cartridge: The is a cleaning cartridge with the shaver package to use it in the QuckClean pod that is used to clean the shaver hygienically.
Stylish Charging Stand: Another important plus of the Philips Norelco 9800 shaver is that it comes with a charging stand that you won’t find with other new-generation Philips Series 9000 shavers.
The charging stand lets you charge your shaver safely and easily on your bathroom counter or anywhere else in your home. It also makes your shaving routine more stylish, compared to charging the shaver with the cord directly.
Power Cord: A universal power cord comes with the shaver to charge the shaver directly or connect the charging stand to the electrical outlet.
Other included in the package are the user manual and a warranty card that contains 2 year warranty agreement.
Personal Experience
The Philips Norelco 9800 shaver comes with a sleek and modern design that feels very appealing, and the shape fits perfectly in my grasp. As said before it features advanced dual steel self-sharpening blades that deliver maximum sharpness and shaving performance. The three SkinGlide coating heads have 72 precision blades that capture and cut more hair and shave very quickly. I was impressed by how close the shave was with this rotary shaver, which was one of the closest I ever got with a rotary shaver.
Since it is a versatile shaver, it makes it a great choice for men with different skin types and shaving preferences. If you have sensitive skin, you may want to use a shaving cream or gel to help reduce irritation.
This shaver gives me the same results as the premium Series 9000 shaver Philips s9000 Prestige when I use it for wet shaving. I noticed it performed even better than the Prestige when I used it for dry shaving. So, for a man who prefers shaving without any lubrication and needs a fast dry shave, this is the best rotary shaver for him.
The Philips Norelco 9800 shaver is gentle on the skin for its ComfortGlide coating on the blades and its pressure sensor that prevents excessive force. The ComfortGlide coating reduces friction and irritation, while the pressure sensor warns you when you press too hard, so you can adjust the pressure and avoid any discomfort.
The shaver also follows the contours of the face with its contour detect technology that allows the blades to move in eight directions. As a result, the shaver can reach and cut hairs even in difficult areas, such as under my chin and along my jawline.
The pop-up trimmer is easy to use and sharp. It is suitable for precision trimming sideburns and mustaches after shaving, but it is not powerful enough to trim a full beard. Most users are happy with its detailing capability.
In other words, the pop-up trimmer is a good option for detailing, but it is not a replacement for a dedicated beard trimmer.
I shaved 18-20 days on a regular basis with a full charge, that is really a great battery backup for me and I’m fully satisfied with it. So, I can say it would be a great rotary shaver for you if it meets your budget and it won’t be a bad investment at all.
Comparison with Alternatives
Philips Norelco 9500:The nearest alternative to the Philips 9800 is its own sibling, the Philips Norelco 9500 which comes with identical technologies. The only difference between the two is the 9800 comes with a charging stand for safe charging, but the 9500 doesn’t come with it, and that is why the 9500 is a bit less expensive. So, if you think you do not need the charging stand but want to have the 9800 shaver, you can buy the 9500 which will save a bit of cost. By the way, Philips Norelco said the 9500 is an older model, and the 9800 is their latest model. So, if you do not need to save some cost, the 9800 is my recommendation.
Philips s9000 Prestige: The premium alternative to the Philips Norelco 9800 is the s9000 Prestige. According to Philips, the Philips s9000 is their most advanced and most prestigious shaver ever. I found the built quality of the s9000 is sturdier than the regular Series 9000 shaver (9800), and the shaving performance of both are pretty interchangeable. The new prestige shaver comes with a smart charging pad, whereas the 9800 comes with a charging stand, in this fact, the prestige shaver is smarter. But the S9000 Prestige doesn’t come with a cleaning system(except the new version), and you need to clean it manually. Moreover, the manual cleaning process of the prestigious shaver is much more troublesome than the regular 9000 shavers. On the other hand, the 9800 comes with a QuickClean pod to clean, lubricate, and dry the shaver automatically and hygienically. So, it saves you from maintenance difficulties and keeps the shaver hygienic. But the cleaning process needs a cleaning solution that is an extra recurring cost after one gets drained. However, you can also clean the 9800 manually, and I found the manual cleaning process of the 9800 is easier than that of the prestige shaver. So, you have to consider all the things I mentioned before picking the right shaver.
Verdict
The Philips Norelco 9800 comes at a premium price tag, but it’s worth every penny. It gives you a close, smooth shave without any irritation and comes with superior features that make it easy to use.
Should You Buy The Philips Norelco 9800 Shaver?
- Yes, if you’re looking for an electric shaver that will give you the best shave without hurting your skin.
- Yes, if you are fond of the latest and advanced technologies in your rotary shaver.
- No, if the price tag doesn’t meet your budget
- No, if you like foil-type shavers and need cleaning and charging facilities on a single device.