Philips Norelco HS8420 Nivea for Men Razor Review

Philips Norelco HS8420 Nivea for Men Razor

Retail Price: $79.99

The Philips Norelco HS8420 Nivea for Men Razor is actually the exact sort of thing I’d usually neglect as a gimmick, what with it’s built in lotion dispenser that you have to refill continuously. But, shaving has never really been a pleasurable experience for me and always more of a chore, so I thought “what the heck”, may be this is exactly what I need!

And the result? I actually really like it! My initial impressions were that it felt quite cheap and was nothing special in terms of design. It’s very similar in styling to many other Philips rotary shavers which I guess is a proven design. Obviously, what I really cared about was how it performed.

It’s best used for a wet shave. In fact, although it’s technically possible, you wouldn’t want to attempt a dry shave at all. It’s not comfortable. For a wet shave however, this is the most comfortable shaver I’ve ever used in my life. The level of cut is extremely close and rivals that of a regular manual blade. With the push of a button it dispenses the Nivea lotion and this really helps in allowing the blades to glide over my face.

The instructions say it takes a good 3 weeks for your face to get “accustomed” to the razor, and I’d definitely agree with that. On my first use it wasn’t all that good but I persisted, and after a good 4 weeks it was fine.

My favorite thing has to be the fact that the entire device is water proof, as I often use it in the shower. It also makes it a cinch to clean. You just keep it running whilst putting it under running water.

The main downside is an obvious one. While the Nivea lotion dispenser is a nice feature to have and really makes the shave a comfortable one, it can get pricey having to keep refilling it. It costs about $7 for a refill which lasts me about 1 month. One way that you can reduce the amount of Nivea lotion you use is to first apply a thin layer of regular shaving foam to your face. This ensures the shave is still smooth but reduces the amount of lotion that has to actually be dispensed from the device.

Here’s a summary for the Norelco HS8420L:

Pros:

Extremely close shave
Completely water proof – can be used in the shower
Very comfortable shave with the Nivea lotion dispenser
Easy to clean
Very affordable to initially buy

Cons:

Refills can get pricey
Can’t use for dry shaving (not comfortably anyway)
Build quality could be better

Overall, I am a lot more impressed with the Norelco HS8420 than I thought I would be. I like it and I’d definitely look to replace it with a similar model when this one eventually dies. It obviously has it’s downsides, but for the quality of the shave along with the amazing comfort, it’s one of the best shavers I’ve ever owned. Highly recommended if you don’t mind buying lotion refills.

Click here to get the Philips Norelco HS8420 Nivea for Men Razor from Amazon.com

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