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Geek Review: Philips Norelco Special Edition – Star Wars Poe Dameron Shaver

Like a T-70 X-Wing bursting out of hyperspace coming to the rescue of stubble growing out of control across the landscape of your cheeks, and much like how the First Order quietly spreads across the galaxy, this Poe Dameron themed shaver by Phillips may be the shaver the best pilot in the galaxy is looking for.

Unboxing

This shaver comes in a pretty light package, which is a sign that the shaver is lightweight. Opening the box, one can see reference pictures of Poe’s T-70 X-wing in different angles. The travel case the shaver comes with is also visible. The shaver itself is stored in the travel case, and opening the box flap reveals the manual, charger and the precision trimmer attachment. It would be great if there was a protective cap provided, just in case one decides to store the shaver by itself.

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Aesthetics

I wouldn’t be shy to admit that I purchased this shaver because of its Star Wars theme. The body of the shaver feels light, it is also solid and sturdy when gripped. It also has a matte finish, so it doesn’t slip off your hand easily. The shaver’s colour scheme is also one to marvel at. Emblazoned in orange and black with a weathered look, the shaver is designed to look like Poe’s customized T-70 X-Wing, the Black One. The sides of the shaver pays homage to the classic T-65 X-wing with its red stripe on grey panels. When I powered up the shaver, the humming sound blade’s rotation reminded me of an engine running. I wished there were playbacks of sound effects such as ignition sound when you power up or off the shaver, or perhaps the sound of a ship’s hyperdrive sound when you switch on the boosted mode.

The Shaving Experience

As this Poe Dameron themed shaver is modified from the higher end of Phillips’ range of shavers, one would expect quite a bit of features on it. The main razor head has 8 points of articulation. This allowed the razor to conform to the curves of my chin for a comfortable shave. The razor is designed to perform wet and dry shaves, depending on your preference. I used it for a dry shave, and was glad to see that the razor was still able to glide across my skin without any liquid or shaving cream.

The orange X-wing logo is actually the turbo button which toggles the shaver’s power boost feature. This reminded me of Poe’s X-wing in The Last Jedi trailer having a booster at the rear for more speed. The boost was really useful at the starting part of the shave, where the hair is usually longer.

This razor comes with 72 self-sharpening “V-Track Precision Pro” blades which are designed to position hair of various lengths closer to the razor for a closer cut. The default razor head is designed to cut facial hair with up to a 3-day stubble. Any stubble more than 3 days old will require the precision trimmer attachment, or you will risk the shaver tugging on your hair.

Using this shaver for the first time might irritate the skin for a while, but the manual recommends for the owner of the shaver to use it exclusively for 3 weeks for the skin to be conditioned to the razor’s blades for maximum comfort and a closer shave. However, despite this, I did not experience any discomfort using this for the first time as I was already using an electric shaver before this.

The Precision Trimmer Attachment

Changing the razor attachment to the precision trimmer is a breeze. I simply needed to yank out the head straight up to remove it, and snap on the other precision trimmer. The precision trimmer is really useful to shave off long strands of hair. I even used it to trim my sideburns.

Opening the razor blades for a wash can be quite challenging, you will need to use your nails to pull apart the top and bottom casing of the attachment. Although rinsing the attachments with water will wash most of the hair away, a small brush (sold separately) is still needed to remove some fine hair particles in certain tight areas. Replacing the metal part of the razor blades (the three “V-track Precision Pro” rotary heads) will cost about USD$50 for the SH90 replacement blades. Thankfully, you would just need to replace the blades instead of the whole attachment, allowing you to keep the aesthetics of the razor.  I also note that the blades have a self-sharpening feature, and should be able to last for a long while.

Battery and LEDs

As this charger is bought off Amazon, it came with a USA pin charger and an adapter is needed to charge the razer. Charging was quick. It takes an hour for the lithium-ion battery to be fully charged, and the LED indicator will turn itself off after 30 mins. A full charge will also allow you to use the shaver for 60 minutes. Although the shaver still operates while charging, it is not designed to work while it is being charged. There is even a removable sticker on the shaver to remind you not to shave while it is charging.

There are multiple LEDs on the front of the shaver for the status of the battery, turbo mode, travel lock and to remind you to unplug the charger before use. When you power up the razor, it is really cool to see the  LEDs running and lighting up.

This baby sets you back for US$117- $129 at Amazon. This is a great price as this razor retails for S$219 (US$160) in the malls, and is one of the few electric shavers models that has Star Wars themed. If you still find it too expensive, there are cheaper options available the R2-D2 Shaver at the First Order Stormtrooper shaver, both going on Amazon for about USD$50 each.

GEEK REVIEW SCORE

Summary

All in all, I was very satisfied with this purchase as it was really cool to own an X-wing themed shaver that both looks good and shaves well. Shaving was fast, comfortable and efficient, and the themed colours are subtle, yet still recognizable as Star Wars-themed.

Overall
9/10
9/10
  • Aesthetics - 9.5/10
    9.5/10
  • Build Quality - 9/10
    9/10
  • Performance - 9.5/10
    9.5/10
  • Value - 8/10
    8/10
User Review
0 (0 votes)