I don’t like a noisy shaver yet I put up with it as a necessity, but my wife hates it especially when she’s still sleeping. It’s always an issue when the need arises for me to wake up before her and shave. So, I usually shave in my study in such situations. These days, technology is very advanced in electric shavers, but when will they learn to reduce the noise for foil shavers?
By the way, I’m a fan of foil shavers and presently own a Braun series 790cc, Braun CoolTec shaver and Panasonic Arc 4. I had a Norelco 3D shaver too in the past and liked it a lot, but as mentioned, I’m a fan of foil shavers for a reason or two. First, foil shavers cut and shave better with fast CPM (cycle per minute). As a result, foil shavers require less time to shave.
People also say rotary shavers are bad for sensitive skin, but I realized that is not always true. When I applied very light pressure with my previous Norelco 3D I got the same result as with foil shavers, and I do have sensitive skin. Usually, it takes some time for your skin and beard to adjust to any type of shaver and some people don’t wait long enough before casting their judgement on the new Shaver.
However, looking for a powerful linear motor drive is the best thing I can do for my thick beard, seeking quality and a quick shave. This is the reason I usually end up with foil shavers time and again. My Panasonic shaver has a higher pitch compared to Braun yet it shaves better with a powerful motor drive. But I like to use my Braun for a more comfortable shave. They are both great shavers.
I’m not saying rotary shavers won’t work for anyone with a thick beard. I know many people who are happy with rotary shavers. You need to really try it out to see if it works for you. Also, rotaries are a better choice if vibration noise is a concern. Rotary shavers are generally quieter but less powerful as compared to foil shavers.
The Philips Norelco SensoTouch 3D is extremely quite compared to Braun Series 7. They are both high-end shavers in their respective category. Overall, Rotaries are capable of delivering good quality shaves. Some people would vouch for rotaries as a better shaver over foil for faster and clean shaving. This is true depending on the type of beard and skin an individual has. You can read foil and rotary shaver comparison to check the type of shaver that will best serve your needs.
Keep in mind that quality and brand matters a lot when choosing your shaver. Less popular brands are likely to manufacture substandard shavers that can have a bad influence on your overall shaving experience regardless of the type of shaver you choose. I once used a Remington rotary shaver that created more noise than my present Panasonic Arc 4. But I don’t mean all Remington rotary shavers are that bad.
At present I’ll stick with foil shavers and sincerely hope they do something to reduce the noise very soon.Until then, the potential of waking up my wife still remains.
I’ve been using electric shavers for several decades (and currently buy/sell them on eBay). I agree. Foil shavers do shave closer but are noiser and vibrate more than rotaries. I have a few Norelcos, but only use them at the gym. My Remington Microscreens are the best. I just bought the very best of Remingtons…the XLR series. It is high torque and super fast as it runs on 60 cycles only (not DC like most today) and it goes roughly 60 oscilations per minute. I bought a new one in box plus a couple of lightly-used. I had some Brauns and they were OK but not as good as my Microscreens. I am phasing out battery shavers and only using electric, but they are hard to find. With pure electric, of course, there is no waiting to charge, no dying out while shaving, no replacing batteries or throwing out the shaver when the battery fails. I tell customers the major advantages of rotaries are 1) they are fairly quiet and don’t vibrate; 2) the hair falls in a chamber rather than on the cutters so they don’t have to be cleaned everyday like a foil, and rotaries seem to last as they don’t have a thin foil like a foil shaver. The combs on Norelcos are pretty thick, and some of the Norelco cutters (CloseCut) are self-sharpening. I do find the XLR Remingtons are noisy, but they give the quickest shave due to their torque, and they cut very closely due to the Microscreen design. Thanks for your article