Philips HQ8150 Speed-XL

...of, I plumped for the Philips HQ8150 Philishave Speed XL mains/ rechargeable rotary shaver. Costing £55, a claimed £45 off the recommended price, it seemed a reasonable compromise between a budget face sander and more exotic 'shaving systems' retailing at three times the price (no doubt Bluetooth-enabled and solar powered, but hardly credit-crunch-friendly).

Freed from its packaging, the razor was less substantial than I had expected. ...
...the body's metallic blue and silver plastic, if a little on the cheap side, looked classy enough.

The three circular shaving heads all move independently and are hinged together to follow the most rugged facial topography (or in my case, formless jowls creepily reminiscent of a young Christopher Biggins). An oval button on the front switches the device on. Given the clearly audible whirring noise the shaver makes, the blue LED surround ... more

Rash Decision

It started with a couple of small spots on my left cheek. Within two days, half my face was covered in weeping sores (pictures available on request from me, or on my wife's mobile phone if you're one of her ghoulish mates).

For the first time in 15 years, to the appalled fascination of young children in the waiting room, I had to seek the advice of my GP. "I've only ever seen this sort of thing on people's buttocks," he chuckled. Thus, armed with a prescription for weapons-grade antibiotics, The Man With an Arse for a Face slunk from the surgery.

Unable to shave for fear of spreading the sores, two weeks later I sported my first ever 'beard'. I use the word advisedly, for I am not one who can sprout Desperate Dan, or even George Michael, stubble in the space of a morning. In fact, you'll see old ladies in Morrison's with more luxuriant face fungus than I managed after a fortnight. But even allowing for the currently fashionable three-day stubble, I knew I wouldn't pass muster as the new Noel Edmonds or Brian Blessed. Some time, I knew, I would have to shave again.

Ever since I first scraped off my teenage bum-fluff at the age of 22, I had wet shaved. Despite the daily blood-letting, occasional rashes and the aforementioned plague, I had persisted. But now, I thought, my delicate skin would not stand such trauma. Forgetting to look on any consumer review web sites, I consulted Amazon in search of Depilation for Dummies. Imagine my surprise when I found that the celebrated online bookstore sells razors too.

Bristle Rovers

Aiming for something not too cheap and not too dear, by a maker I had heard of, I plumped for the Philips HQ8150 Philishave Speed XL mains/ rechargeable rotary shaver. Costing £55, a claimed £45 off the recommended price, it seemed a reasonable compromise between a budget face sander and more exotic 'shaving systems' retailing at three times the price (no doubt Bluetooth-enabled and solar powered, but hardly credit-crunch-friendly).

Freed from its packaging, the razor was less substantial than I had expected. Lightweight, its curvy contours fitted well into the hand, and the body's metallic blue and silver plastic, if a little on the cheap side, looked classy enough.

The three circular shaving heads all move independently and are hinged together to follow the most rugged facial topography (or in my case, formless jowls creepily reminiscent of a young Christopher Biggins). An oval button on the front switches the device on. Given the clearly audible whirring noise the shaver makes, the blue LED surround to the switch is purely cosmetic (though a more sensitive Ciao-er has rightly pointed out that this would be useful for people with hearing impairments). Three other LEDs light up to show either that the shaver is on charge, one flashing to indicate that it is full of electricity, and another to indicate the battery is running low.

Charging is amazingly quick: only five or 10 minutes on the handy stand gives enough power for four or five shaves before any noticeable slowing-down.

On the back of the shaver, a straight-edged moustache and sideburn trimmer flicks up to give a well-groomed look to those who aspire to resemble military dictators or late-period Elvis.

Shaving Account

On first use, I was surprised by how much repeated scrubbing it took to remove my longish facial hair. The unaccustomed snagging as the hairs caught in the whirring blades was a little uncomfortable but not painful. I managed subsequent use on a day or two's growth without undue suffering.

General advice for electric shaver newbies is to use a dry razor for a week or two to allow your skin to acclimatise. However I found little need to adjust, apart from occasional slight soreness. The shaving heads do get a little warm after a few minutes' use but not uncomfortably so. This was more than compensated for by the almost complete absence of blood and the close shave (not as close as a wet razor admittedly, and possibly unsatisfactory for those with heavy growth). I also enjoyed the novelty of being able to shave anywhere in the house, even in bed. Better still, I no longer had to wait an hour or more for Teenage Daughter to finish whatever she gets up to into the bathroom.

Cleaning is a doddle - simply flick open the hinged shaving head and hold under a hot tap to rinse out the accumulated bristles. Although waterproof, it is apparently not suitable for use in the shower. You can then shake out any water and leave to dry on a radiator.

If you don't have access to a tap, a little brush is supplied for cleaning, and to carry out the advised six-monthly maintenance. The blades are said to last two years before needing replacement. But given that a new set costs a staggering 40 quid, it would be more sensible to buy a whole new razor. 

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