I purchased this to upgrade from it's predecessor by Philips Norelco, and am delighted with the differences. I learned to use the previous one to do what I needed to do, this refined device reduces time, improves the quality of the trim and in general, creates a more positive "experience". I'm hairy, men get more hairy, and some of that hair gets more wild as we age, and I trim to avoid looking like an ill-bred ape, and I need to do it regularly.
The two comb attachment allows me to adjust between how I trim broad regions (chest, legs) and tight regions (groin, butt), and yes, the comb design makes a difference in terms of the feel on one's skin in various parts of one's anatomy; I'm glad for the more calibrated instrument as I go "down under", but the other comb works well for the vast mowing exercise that my chest, arms and legs represent. The choice of five settings is useful, although I suspect that the plastic adjustment between settings may fatigue over time, given the relatively lightweight nature of the operating mechanism. That said, both combs work to capture the bulk of the hair and trim it consistently on the first pass. A second pass generally nails it for me, with the exception of heavily contoured areas, where I need to pay more attention.... In the past, using the detatchable combs with the preceding model, I needed to take multiple passes, particularly on my legs, and choice of three lengths was somewhat limiting. This design has really enhanced the comb design so that hair is properly corralled and funneled through the comb teeth, so that I get the overall "look" I want (trimmed for the most part, but not shaved, consistent length of hair, no "bald patches", no dense copses of hair leftover....). I found that the design of the new combs was less abrasive on my skin, frankly, a welcome change from the previous design. In addition, the combs stay in place during use, I had a problem with the combs falling off (usually with the head) during use of the predecessor model.
The design of the head seems to be the same, so for close shaving (which I may do less of than other guys, I tend to trim rather than shave) it works the same as the preceeding model. Careful attention to holding the skin taut solves the dreaded nicking problem.
So, trims more consistently with less repeat "sweeps', more choices, better comb design.... represents a win all the way around. Storing the accessories in the base is a neat trick, which keeps those accessories from wandering around the bathroom.
The instructions were limited, the pictograms tiny and the "how-to" process was not really spelled out. Given the elegant and witty video generated for the first personal trimmer by Philips Norelco, I am surprised that they haven't come up with a helpful "how to" guide tucked into the package. Male bodytrimming is a rather personal topic, it tends to be covered in the media only with snickers and embarassment, you don't talk tools and techniques at the coffee machine in the office or in the locker room at the gym - at least the one I go to - , so one learns by trial and error. A simple two/three page foldout with pictograms might aussuage fears about slicing and dicing so close to so many treasured parts.
I use this because, as an older hairy guy, I want a trim, comfortable, non-sweaty look, I want wild hairs to be trimmed, and I want a decent short "look" pretty much everywhere. This device, which I've now used twice, promises to be the most effective personal grooming appliance out there. now, if Philips could just find a way to magically clean the hairs up after!
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