- Norelco Series 9000 Owners Manual
- Norelco 9000 Series Manual
- Norelco 9000 Series Reviews
- Philips Norelco Shaver 9000 Series
- Philips Norelco Series 9000 Manual
- Philips Norelco Shaver 9300 Manual
The Norelco 9000 series is the latest in Philip’s line of Norelco electric shavers. In this review, we will focus our attention on the Philips Norelco 9300 model, but you can consider this as a review of all the 9000 series shavers.
Dec 07, 2015 Philips Norelco Shaver 9300 Philips Norelco Shaver 9300 is our most advanced shaver yet. With the unique Contour Detect Technology, each shaving head independently moves in 8 directions to follow your face's every curve. This improved contouring helps cut up. Buy Norelco series 9000 shavers with sensotouch, smartclick precision trimmer, 5 level battery indicator, super lift & cut technology and ergonomic design. For customers with special needs, we have provided a customer support phone number reachable 24 hours a day, 7.
We would’ve reviewed the Norelco 9700 instead of the 9300, but you’ll realize later in the review how identical the two shavers are. The differences between the two are so minute that we didn’t think it will be worth paying extra for the 9700 (it costs $100 more than the 9300), but if you are interested you can find it here.
The aim of this review is to inform you of our experiences with this shaver so you can make an informed choice as to whether this is the right electric shaver for you or not.
We have divided this review into several sections to make it easier for you to navigate through it. You can click on a section below to be taken directly to that section.
Box Contents: This is where we tell you what came in the box of the Norelco 9300 we purchased.
The Electric Shaver: In this section, we take a closer look at the electric shaver itself. We discuss all of the features and take a critical look at the appearance of the shaver.
Shaving Test: This is the section where we put the shaver through its paces and reveal how it performs the task of shaving
Cleaning: This is where we take an in-depth look at the cleaning dock and how it works.
Even though you can jump straight to a section that interests you, we recommend that you read through the entire review so you can make a more informed decision.
Box Contents
The box of the Philips Norelco 9300 is the largest of all the shavers we have reviewed. However, we also believe the 9300 has the best packaging out of the rest. No amount of mishandling from the postman is going to damage the contents of this box.
The image below shows the contents of the box.
Let’s now examine each item in a bit more detail.
User manual: When you open the box, you’ll discover an envelope with the words “Grooming Club” written on.
This envelope contains the user manual, a replacement head order form, and the club membership card. The membership card is nothing more than a card with instructions on how to register your product at the official Philips website.
We noticed a bit of a contradiction between the message on the card and what you see on the Philips website. The message on the card is shown in the image below.
You then see the message below when you visit the Philips website.
The card promises an additional 6 months warranty if you register your product online, but the website says you’ll get an additional 12 months warranty. Now we are not complaining, but we just want to point that out, so you can claim the extra 12 months warranty on top of what you already get from purchasing the product. However, we were unable to figure out how to get the 50% off extra cleaning cartridge purchases as promised by the card.
The user manual is very well laid out with easy to understand instructions supported by plenty of illustrations. You can click here to download an electronic copy of the user manual.
The Shaver Itself: The next item from the box is the Norelco 9300 electric shaver itself.
When you take the shaver out of the box, you will be forgiven if you thought the power was on. This is because there’s a protective plastic wrap covering the LED display. This wrap has the LED display icons printed on them and so you might think the screen is on when it isn’t. You’ll have to peel the plastic off to use the shaver.
We discuss the shaver in more details in the appropriate section below.
Trimmer: The trimmer is the next item in the box. Philips calls the trimmer “SmartClick Precision Trimmer,” but we’ll simply refer to it as the trimmer throughout this review.
The trimmer clicks onto the shaver for styling sideburns and mustaches. We’ll take a closer look at the trimmer later in the review.
Travel Pouch: Also included in the box is a travel pouch.
The travel pouch for the Norelco 9300 is a hard-shell case which we liked a lot because it gives better protection to the to the shaver than the soft-shell cases that come with the Panasonic Arc 5. It also has ventilation holes to help the shaver dry and prevent mold from growing.
The travel pouch only has room for the shaver and no other accessories. We had no issues with that, but some people would’ve preferred that it carries accessories such as the charger and the trimmer.
Cleaning Dock: Also included in the box is the cleaning dock, which Philips refers to as the SmartClean system.
The cleaning dock for the Norelco 9300 is rather bulky, and this might explain the rather large size of the box. The cleaning dock cleans and charges the shaver. We’ll talk more about the cleaning dock in the “cleaning” section later in the review.
Cleaning Solution Cartridge: Another item included in the box is the cleaning solution cartridge. This contains the cleaning detergent and goes into the cleaning dock to clean the shaver.
Head Removal Tool: At first glance, we had no clue what it was, but after reading through the user manual, we discovered that it was for removing the shaving heads from the shaver.
You’ll use this tool when it comes time to replace the shaving blades. It is not an absolute disaster if you misplace the tool, but we recommend that you keep it in a safe place because it can be a very useful tool to have.
Power Adapter: The last item in the box is the power adapter. The adapter is used to charge the shaver or power the cleaning dock.
The adapter is a multi-voltage (100 – 240 V) adapter which means that you can use it in almost any country you visit.
So that covers everything that came in the box of the Philips Norelco 9300 electric shaver. Let’s now take a close look at the shaver itself.
The Shaver (Philips Norelco 9300)
The shaver has a modern look and is mostly made of plastic despite its chrome metal appearance. The chrome gives it a shiny finish if you like that sort of thing. The plastic body means a reduced weight and corrosion resistance. The Norelco 9300 is one of the best-looking shavers of all the shavers we’ve reviewed. It looks and feels premium.
When switched off, the 9300 and the 9700 are practically the same shavers. We’ll talk about the differences between the two shavers later, but for now, you should know that the only difference between the 9700 and 9300 is the way the shavers and the cleaning docks display information on their LED panels.
Front of Shaver handle
Norelco Series 9000 Owners Manual
You’ll find three buttons located just above the display screen on the front of both the 9300 and the 9700.
The three buttons are:
Power button: This is the middle button and turns the shaver on and also used to activate the travel lock mode.
Plus & Minus Buttons: These are the two buttons marked with a “-” and a “+” icons and are located either side of the power button. They are used to select the preferred shaving speed.
The power button is also used to activate the travel lock mode. The travel lock mode prevents the shaver from being accidentally turned on. You’ll press and hold the power button for approximately 3 seconds to activate the travel lock mode. There’s more information about the travel lock mode in the user manual.
The buttons are almost flushed with the body of the shaver, so much so that you’ll almost not feel the buttons when you run your fingers over them. However, it is still easy to press the buttons with your fingers. The size and location of the buttons are thumb-friendly, and you’ll hear a click when you press the buttons, just like the sound you hear when you press your computer’s mouse.
Back of Shaver
There isn’t much to impress you on the back of the shaver. The back is made of a grip-friendly rubber material. There are small ridges cut into the rubber to help give you a firm grip. We got a firm grip on the shaver even when we handled it with wet and foam covered hands. The grip-friendly rubber and the ridges cut into it were a plus in our books.
The charging socket is located at the base of the shaver’s handle. This is where you plug the adapter to charge the battery. It is also the socket that plugs into the cleaning dock to charge the shaver during cleaning.
Note: You cannot use this shaver with the power adapter plugged in.
The shaver feels very comfortable when held. It is not too heavy and not too light, and the weight is evenly distributed. It weighs a total of 165 grams.
The shaver has a premium look and feel, even though it is light weight and made mostly of plastic. But we should expect this given the high price we are paying for it.
The biggest selling factor in an electric shaver is the shaving head. So what does Philips Norelco 9300 has to offer when it comes to shaving head? Let’s take a closer look at the shaving head.
Shaving head
Like all Philips Norelco shavers, the Norelco 9300 is a rotary head shaver. The Braun Series 9000 and Panasonic Arc 5 are foil head shavers in the same class.
There are three individual shaving heads mounted on the shaving head block. Each head is made up of two parts, a razor blade, and a guard.
You can see the guards clearly in the image above. A pattern of slots is cut into each guard.
You will see two circular patterns on each guard on closer inspection. There’s one circular pattern around the rim of the guard and another located towards the center. Philips refers to these patterns as “tracks.”
A closer examination also reveals two circular patterns on each head. One located towards the rim of the head and one near the middle of the guard. These are referred to as tracks.
The outer track captures and cuts longer hair while the inner track cuts short hair and lifts and cuts flat-lying hair such as those around your neck area.
Hair passes through the slots in the guard and is then cut by the spinning blades underneath each guard as you pass the shaver over your skin.
Now let’s take the shaving head apart and see what is inside of it. To do this, hold the shaving head with one hand and pull gently upwards with the other hand. It’ll come apart easily.
This is how you’ll change the cutting blades when they need to be replaced.
You can remove the rings by twisting them in a counter-clockwise direction. You can then remove the individual shaving heads after removing the rings.
Remember the shaving head removal tool we mentioned earlier in the review? Here is where it becomes useful.
The retainer removal tool is the best way to remove the retaining rings. It fits perfectly on the retaining rings and makes it easy for you to twist them open.
If you lose the retaining ring removal tool, don’t panic. We were still able to twist and remove the retaining rings with our fingers. It was simply a bit harder to do without the tool.
The individual shaving heads fall out of the unit after you’ve removed the retaining rings.
The image below shows a close-up look at the cutting blade of the Norelco 9300.
Philips calls this blade the “V-Track Precision Blade,” and it is a new blade design for the Norelco 9000 Series of shavers.
Here is what Philips’ marketing team has to say about the “V-Track Precision Blade.”
The blades are angled at the optimal cutting position resulting in a more comfortable shave that is 30% closer.
That is what their marketing gurus came up with but in layman terms, what it means is that each of the metal things you see sticking out is a cutting blade. And they sit at an angle that is very close to the guard which enables the blade to cut very close to the skin.
Philips recommends that you replace the shaving heads of your Norelco 9300 once every year. You buy a pack of 3 replacement heads on amazon.com for $60 (at the time of publishing). They were also available on the Philips website for $69.99.
But our research has shown that you’ll only need to replace the heads once every year if you shave daily. For those who shave less frequently, the blades can last several years before a replacement is needed.
We have one major concern with the way the cutting head is locked into the shaving head unit. The image below shows that the shaving head is secured in the unit with two flimsy looking plastic tags.
We have one major concern with the way the cutting head is locked into the shaving head unit. The shaving head is secured in the unit with two flimsy looking plastic tags.
You should be careful when attempting to lock the shaving head in place. Make sure that the retaining rings line up properly in the right slots before you twist them in place. It is possible to break the tags if you are not careful.
We recommend that you replace the shaving heads one at a time. This is so that you can use the other two as references to determine the right position for the retaining rings.
There are no replacement retaining rings if you break them. Unfortunately, the retaining rings are not included in the replacement heads you purchase.
Giving that this is also the process you go through to “advance clean” the shaving heads, we have to say Philips has failed in the design of the retaining rings.
This is such a let down from Philips because everything else about the shaver is well-designed and well-built.
The Norelco 9300 pivots in eight different movements. The entire shaving head unit, the tilt rings, and the individual shaving heads all pivot independently of each other.
We will love to take the time to explain the various movements to you, but we will only succeed in confusing you further so we will just show you a video of how it works below.
Trimmer
You detach the shaving head unit from the handle by pulling gently on the shaving head unit with an upwards force. The image below shows the two separated units.
Philips refers to this as the “SmartClick” action. There are no buttons to press, but just a simple pull, and the shaving head unit comes right off.
You might think that because not much effort is needed to remove the shaving head unit from the body, then the connection is not strong enough. However, we found that the shaving head unit block held very strong during shaving. We never felt that the shaving head block will come off during shaving.
The “SmartClick” action is used to attach the trimmer that comes with the shaver onto the handle. You simply line it up and push it onto the handle as in the image below. You’ll hear a clicking sound when the trimmer is locked onto the handle.
The Norelco’s trimmer system is completely different from the system used by Panasonic and Braun. Whiles the other two spots trimmers that are attached to the shaver, the trimmer for the Norelco is included as a separate accessory. There are pros and cons of both systems.
For one, we were not great fans of having to remove the head and then attach the trimmer each time we wanted to use it. We preferred the quick release trimmers that come with the Braun and Panasonic shavers.
The trimmer that comes with the Norelco 9300 or the other 9000 Series shavers will not replace your everyday stand-alone trimmer. However, it does an excellent job of shaping and trimming sideburns and mustaches. If you need to trim down an overgrown beard, you better get a proper beard trimmer.
That just about covers all you need to know about the Philips Norelco 9300 ( or 9700) electric shaver itself.
Let’s now move on and put the shaver to the test and reveal how it performs the task it was built to do. Which is how well does it shave?
Shaving Test (Philips Norelco 9300 (S9311/84) Review)
The shaver arrives with very little battery juice in the battery. It beeps at you when you turn it on so we recommend that you charge the battery fully before using it for the first time.
The charging adapter of the Norelco 9300 and the 9700 electric shavers is multi-voltage (100V and 240V). What this means is that you can use it in any country you travel to.
You only need to get a travel adapter to fit into international power sockets (which are shaped differently from USA power sockets). This is our favorite travel adapter, but you can select from a wide range of travel adapters on this page.
According to Philips, it takes about 1 hour to charge the battery fully, and that a fully charged battery provides you with about 50 minutes of shaving time. We averaged about 48 minutes of shaving time on a full charge so we can say this claim is mostly true.
We all know how frustrating it can be when we run out of battery juice just when we need a quick shave. It is even more frustrating when the battery runs out in the middle of a shave. The folks at Philips are clearly just like us because they’ve included a feature that takes care of this problem.
There is a quick charge feature, just like in the Braun Series 9 and the Panasonic Arc 5 electric shavers, which lets you charge the shaver for 5 minutes and get a quick 3-minutes shave. Three minutes is enough time for a full shave.
There are two ways to charge the shaver. You can use the cleaning dock or the power adapter. For a first charge, it was more convenient for us to charge it with the power adapter. Just plug it in, and 1 hour later, you have a fully charged shaver.
Remember when we said there were a few minor differences between the 9300 and the 9700? We have now arrived at the first difference between them, and it has to do with the way the LED screen displays the battery charge status.
Norelco 9300: The screen displays the battery charge status as a series of five bars with each bar representing approximately 20% of charge. When the fifth bar stops blinking, then the shaver is fully charged.
Norelco 9700: The screen displays the battery charge status in a digital format. This means that it tells you the exact percentage of charge from 1% to 100%. If the battery is 77% full, it displays 77% on the screen.
We show you images of both displays in the direct comparison between the Philips Norelco 9300 and 9700 below this review.
The moment you plug the power adapter into the shaver and turn on the power, all the indicators come on at once and then go off. You’ll then hear a chime which tells you that the shaver is being charged.
As we mentioned earlier in this review, you cannot use the Norelco 9300 or 9700 while plugged in. When you press the power button whiles the shaver is plugged in and charging; you’ll see the battery indicated flash followed by two quick beeps.
Let’s take a look at each of the indicators (refer to the indicators from top to bottom on the image below) while we wait for the shaver to charge.
- Shaving Speed Indicator: 1 bar = slow; 2 bars = normal; 3 bars = fast
- Clean Shaver Head Reminder: It basically comes on and blinks after every shave
- Travel Lock Indicator: Indicates that the shaver is in the travel lock mode
- Battery Status Indicator: 1 bar = 1-19%; 2 bars = 20 – 39%; 3 bars = 40 – 59%; 4 bars = 60 – 79%; 5 bars = 80 – 100%. This displays as a percentage on the 9700.
- Change Shaver Head Indicator: This indicator comes on once every year to remind you to replace the shaving heads. You can ignore it and follow the instructions in the manual to reset it if you do not shave daily.
- Error Indicator: This usually means that the shaver head is clogged and needs to be cleaned. But it can also indicate some other error.
The battery status and shaving speed indicators are the only indicators visible during shaving.
Now that we’ve got the charging stuff out of the way, let’s now see how the shaver performed based on the results of four weeks of testing.
Shaving With The Shaver (Performance)
Let’s now evaluate how well the shaver performs the task of shaving.
The short verdict on this electric shaver is that it is excellent at shaving beard.
The shaver performed well when tested on long hair that grows in different directions such as hair around the neck and jawline area. This type of hair proved a challenge for most of the foil head shavers we tested in previous reviews, but the rotary heads of the Norelco 9300 captured and cut more long hair in one pass than the foil head shavers of Panasonic and Braun.
The circular movement of the rotary heads combined with the arrangement of the shaving heads ensured that it missed fewer long hairs than the foil shavers.
However, it does take some adjusting to achieve a perfect shave. You’ll have to learn the proper shaving techniques associated with rotary head shavers.
When shaving with a rotary head shaver, use circular, clockwise and counterclockwise motions to shave. This is especially the case when shaving areas with long hair that grow in different directions.
After a few shaves, you should get the technique down and start shaving with more confidence.
Because of the pivoting movements of the individual cutting heads and the cutting head unit as a whole, we did not require much pressure on the shaver during shaving, to achieve a close shave. You simply glide the shaver gently over your skin as the head pivots to adapt to the contours of your face.
Overall, the Norelco 9300 and 9700 both provide a very close shave. It isn’t as close as a traditional razor but it was close enough, and your skin feels smooth when you run your fingers over the shaved area.
Some people say that rotary head shavers have a reputation for yanking and pulling hair because of its circular cutting motion. Most of us are used to the up-and-down motion of a straight razor, which is also the shaving motion of foil head shavers.
We found that cheaper models of rotary head shavers did pull hair, but this was not the case with the Norelco 9000 series. We did not experience a single case of hair pulling when we used this shaver.
If you ever experience hair pulling whiles using this shaver, it is most likely because of clogged shaving blades. A quick clean and the shaver returns to giving you a clean, smooth cut.
Because the Norelco 9300 is 100% waterproof, we decided to give it a go in the shower. The shaver worked as it should in the shower without any issues. However, shaving in the shower did felt weird to us but this is because we are not used to shaving with an electric shaver in the shower.
The wet shave felt a little bit more comfortable as the water adds an extra layer of lubrication between your skin and the shaving heads. You probably don’t have a mirror in the shower, so you are likely to miss a few stubble here and there when shaving in the shower. This is not a performance issue but rather the fact that you can’t see where you have or have not shaved.
The shaver is probably the quietest of all the electric shavers we have reviewed. It is quiet even when operating on the highest speed setting. The sound clip below is the sound of the shaver operating on the slow, normal, and fast speed settings.
Norelco 9000 Series Manual
https://www.shaverinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Norelco-9300-sound.mp3We have a few quirks with this shaver, and one such quirk is the speed settings. Here is what Philips says:
Use slow for a more skin-friendly shave, normal for a thorough shave and fast for a high powered shave
One of our testers have a very sensitive skin, but even he was ok shaving with the fast speed setting. To be honest, we found the fast speed setting to be the most effective. Normal was alright but slow just added a couple more minutes to our shaving time. If you experience skin irritation when shaving with this shaver, then shave on the slow setting until your skin gets used to the shaver.
Overall, our shaving experience with the Norelco 9300 was a positive one. The shave was comfortable, close and smooth. This is a shaver we will recommend to anyone with long, thick beard growing in different directions.
We’ll give it 4.6 out of 5 for shaving performance.
Cleaning the Shaver
Let’s now take a closer look at the cleaning dock that comes with the shaver.
It is important to clean your shaver regularly to maintain optimum performance. Hair, dried skin and other impurities can clog the blades. When this happens the shaver will not give you a smooth clean shave. It will feel like shaving with a dull blade. You might think that you need to replace the blades when all you needed was to clean the shaver head.
We tested this theory by refusing the to clean the shaver for three shaves. When we tried shaving with it for the fourth time without cleaning, there was a noticeable drop in the cutting ability of the blades.
We cleaned it with the cleaning dock and it was back to giving a clean and close shave.
Fortunately, both the 9300 and 9700 shavers come with a cleaning dock. Philips refers to their cleaning docks as the “SmartClean” system but we are going to refer to it as just the cleaning dock.
Although you can clean the shaver manually, the cleaning dock helps simplify the process.
The image below shows the cleaning dock that came with our Norelco 9300 shaver.
Let’s examine the cleaning dock a bit more closely.
You’ll find the power socket located at the back of the cleaning dock as in the image below. This is where you plug the power adapter into to power the cleaning dock (you will use the same adapter that comes with the shaver).
We have to say that removing the adapter cord from the socket on the back of the cleaning dock was not as smooth as we would’ve liked. It does require using a bit of force to remove the cord. It’s almost like they made it such that when you plug it in, you leave it and never unplug it again.
In fairness, most people will set the dock up on their bathroom counter and never unplug it until they have to move it. So we don’t expect this to be a problem for most users. If you travel with the shaver a lot, it’ll be best to buy a second power adapter. You can buy a generic power adapter of the same power rating as your current adapter.
In order to clean the shaver, the cleaning dock needs detergent. A cleaning detergent cartridge is supplied with the shaver. You’ll insert the cleaning detergent cartridge into a hidden compartment that pops out of the base of the cleaning dock when you push the button on the side of the dock.
Peel the foil that covers the top of the cleaning cartridge, insert the cleaning cartridge into the hidden compartment and push the dock down to close it.
Caution: It is important that you position your cleaning dock where you want to leave it before inserting the cleaning solution cartridge. If you move the dock after putting the cartridge in, the cleaning liquid can spill all over your counter.
The “SmartClean” system charges, cleans, dries and lubricates the shaver at the touch of a button.
The cleaning dock does an excellent job of what it was built to do. It is quieter than the Braun and Panasonic cleaning docks.
We come across the second difference between the 9300 and 9700 in the way the cleaning dock displays information.
The cleaning dock for the 9300 simply shows you what operation is currently being performed by the dock. That is, it tells you whether the shaver is currently performing the task of cleaning or drying.
The cleaning dock for the 9700 shows you a progress bar of the entire cleaning and drying process. It is such an unimportant difference that we are still struggling to see where the $100 in the price difference between the two shavers comes from.
Note: We talk a bit more about the differences between the two shavers below this review. You can see pictures of the different ways the cleaning docks display information. Scroll down to see the comparison between the two shavers.
It is worth mentioning that the cleaning dock is a bit bulky and takes up a lot of space on your bathroom counter. It also has to be placed close to a power outlet because the adapter cable isn’t that long.
The cleaning dock takes four hours to complete a clean and dry cycle, but you can just set it up and go about your business. The cleaning dock will automatically turn itself off once it has completed the cycle.
If you start the cleaning process and then take the shaver out of the dock before the 4 hours is completed, the shaver head will remain wet. This is not ideal for those who prefer a dry shave.
The cleaning dock uses a heat induction system (similar to the induction system of an induction cooker) to dry the shaver. The visible benefit of this is that, the drying process is silent. However, we suspect this system has something to do with why it takes so long
The polished black plastic finish on the cleaning dock easily attracts dust. You’ll have to wipe it down with a damp cloth regularly to keep the dock looking beautiful.
Overall, the cleaning dock is user-friendly and did its job effectively. If we have any complaints, it is that it takes too long to complete a cleaning and drying cycle.
Philps Norelco 9300 shaver vs Norelco 9700 shaver
According to the Philips, the cleaning cartridge should be able to last about 2 weeks of daily cleaning before being replaced. But it lasted about 6 weeks when we tested it. If you don’t shave daily, then 6+ weeks is easily achievable. You can pick up a pack of 3 cleaning cartridges for $12.88 (at the time of writing) from here.
The cleaning dock has an indicator that lights up when you need to replace the cartridge. You won’t be able to use it for cleaning until you change the cartridge when this light comes on.
If you travel and are unable to carry the cleaning dock with you (It is not made to be traveled with), you can clean the shaver head manually. Just separate the head like we did earlier in this review and rinse under running water.
That is basically all you need to know about the cleaning system of the 9300 Norelco.
Philips Norelco 9300 VS 9700 (Comparison between 9300 & 9700 electric shavers
Now one question you might be asking is, should I choose the 9300 or 9700 model? When it comes to shaving performance, they are on par. There are other differences between the two, but the most obvious and visible ones are the color of the shavers and the way their LED screens and cleaning docks display information. The table and images below compare their main features. You will see that there’s virtually no difference between them.
The 9700 has a slightly darker color than the 9300
The 9700 displays battery status as a percentage and the 9300 as a series of 5 bars
The dock of the 9700 displays progress as bars but the 9300 does not have this feature
So it all comes down to a matter of choice. If you prefer the color and the display interfaces of the 9700, then, by all means, go for it if you have the money. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. But if you go for the cheaper 9300 model, it does the same job that the 9700 does.
Philips Norelco 9800
If you are even more budget conscious, there is a third member of the 9000 Norelco series you might want to consider. It is the Philips Norelco 9800. It is essentially the same electric shaver as the Norelco 9700. Except this one does not come with a cleaning dock. It costs slightly less than the 9300 but is an equally great shaver. So if the cleaning dock is not necessary for you, then the 9800 the best option for you. You can buy it from here.
Our Verdict
In our opinion, this is one of the best electric shavers on the market, in terms of performance, look, and durability.
This shaver produces a very close and a more thorough shave than a lot of the shavers we’ve reviewed. While some other shavers missed hairs around the neck and jawline areas, the 9300 made easy work of them.
It shaves close to what you get with a traditional shaver.
While it does give you a close, smooth and comfortable shave, you will need some time to get used to the circular shaving technique. So don’t expect everything to go smoothly at the first shave. But we promise you that after a couple of shaves, you’ll not regret getting this shaver.
Norelco 9000 Series Reviews
Our one real negative with this shaver is the trimmer. It is not attached to the shaver and has to be manually attached each time you want to use it. We don’t like that you have to remove the head each time. This leaves room for possible damage to the shaver. We never actually felt like we were going to damage it, but we just don’t like that we had to do this every time.
Overall, this is a very good electric shaver to buy. We highly recommend it. But at the end of the day, we wrote such a long review of the Philips Norelco 9300 ( and practically the 9700) so you can determine if this is the right shaver for you or not.
It may be the best shaver for your needs or not. It’s your decision in the end.
You can visit this page and scroll to the buttom to read reviews of those that have purchased and used this shaver in the past.
Our Rating: 4.4 /5
User Rating:4.2 /5
Rank:4thin Men’s Electric Razors
Pros
- A smooth and close shave
- Comfortable to hold in hand
- Easy to clean with and without the cleaning dock
- Variable shaving speeds
- Almost silent operating noise levels
- Delivers a gentle and thorough shave without skin irritation.
- Very well built and looks premium
- Long lasting battery
Cons
- Blade retaining rings are flimsy and must be handled with care
- Detachable trimmer might be a pro or a con for people. If you hate having to detach and reattach it every time you need to shave, then it is a con for you.
Verdict:
The Philips Norelco 9300 electric shaver offers a much closer shave than the previous Norelco 8000 series and a much closer shave than the Braun series 7. We will only rank the Braun series 9 and Panasonic Arc5 slightly higher than the Norelco 9000 series. However, for a close, fast and comfortable shave, we highly recommend this shaver to anyone who can afford it.
User Reviews
Here is what a couple of people who bought this shaver have had to say about it.
A great shaver for thick beard. I got this shaver for my boyfriend as a gift. It is worth the amount I had to pay for it. My boyfriend has a thick hair shaft and a thick beard. The Norelco 9300 is the closest shave he has ever had with an electric shaver. He does have to work a bit more in the neck area to get a close shave. He loves the pivoting head feature. A full charge lasts a long time, several days before he has to charge it again. It is very easy to clean, even without the dock, but the dock makes things much easier. Awesome shaver. …Cindy M
Close shaves. The Norelco 9300 is the best rotary shaver ever made. I like everything about it …Amazon customer
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Perfection in every pass, Cuts up to 20% more hair* in a single pass
Philips Norelco SHAVER
Series 9000
wet and dry electric shaver
with SmartClean System
and Aquatec Wet & Dry
V-Track Precision Blades
Contour Detect Technology
SmartClean System
S9321/88
Perfection in every pass
Cuts up to 20% more hair* in a single pass
Our most advanced shaving system, the Series 9000 cuts hairs up to 30% closer to skin with
its V-Track precision blades*. The shaving heads, with contour detect technology, move in
8 directions to cut up to 20% more hair in a single pass*.
Designed for perfection
• Newly designed shaving system cuts hairs up to 30% closer*
• Heads move in 8 directions to cut up to 20% more hair*
A Comfortable Shave
• For a comfortable dry shave or a refreshing wet shave
• Personalize your shave between three speed settings
• Dual-blade design lifts hairs to cut comfortably close
Get the Most of Your Shaver
• For travel and safe-keeping
• Cleans, lubricates, dries, and charges your shaver
• Perfect for trimming sideburns and moustache
Easy to use
• 50 minutes shaving time, 1 hour charge
• Built to last, the shaver comes with full 2 year warranty