Welcome to our incredibly detailed review covering everything you could ever need to know about the Philips Norelco 9300 and 9700 (and now 9800) Electric Shaver. We give you all the information you need to decide if this is the right shaver for you.
Use the index below to jump to your preferred section.
- Unboxing – Everything that comes in the Series 9000 shaver box
- The Shaver – A detailed look at the Shaver
- The Shave – How well does this shaver do it’s job?
- Cleaning – A detailed look at the included cleaning system.
- 9300 vs. 9700 vs. 9800 – A comparison of Series 9000 Shavers.
Alternatively you can read the guide from top to bottom. By the time you have finished reading this guide you will definitely know whether or not this is the right shaver for you.
Disclaimer: This review is of the Philips Norelco 9300, which is IDENTICAL to the 9700 with the exception of three INCREDIBLY MINOR differences. We feel these differences do not justify the extra $100 price of the 9700. Use the index above to jump down and see just how minor these differences actually are.
Philips Norelco 9300 Electric Shaver
Unboxing
Out of all the electric shavers we tested, the Philips Norelco 9300 Shaver came in the biggest box.
Now as you know, bigger does not necessarily mean better. This is true of many things such as bills, hangovers and of course, penis size (unless you want to beat someone with it).
So is Philips compensating for something when it comes to it’s oversized packaging?
Apparently not. The Philips Series shavers are perhaps the best packaged out of all the major brands.
Ordering expensive products online is often a scary process. Delivery drivers are often known for their heavy hands and ability deliver packages squashed and misshapen.
But fear not…
The shaver and accessories are packaged so well that it could survive a tornado. So well done to Philips on that.
As you can see, the box holds quite a bit of stuff.
Let’s break it down!
First is the envelope with a “Grooming Club” membership card on the front:
Opening up the envelope reveals an instruction manual for your brand new shaver and a sheet to order replacement heads.
The membership card is little more than a credit card shaped piece of cardboard that prompts you to register your shaver online at the Philips Website.
Now this confused me somewhat. The card included in the box states:
However, Philips website says something completely different:
1 year additional warranty beats 6 months, but I could not figure out how to get my 50% off my first cleaning cartridge purchase as promised in the box.
Now it may be that I was given older stock (this was purchased from Amazon) but since the model number (S9311/84) is current according to Philips website, it is worth mentioning that this inaccurate information is likely found inside all 9300 boxes.
Okay, moving on. Next up is the star of the box. The 9300 Shaver itself:
Covering the display on the front of the shaver is a protective sticker.
The sticker serves two purposes:
- Protect the display from scratches.
- Show you the indicator locations.
After you have removed the shaver from it’s box you should peel the sticker off since it actually prevents you from viewing the indicators underneath.
I will be examining the 9300 shaver in much greater detail further down the page. Right after I show you all the other cool stuff in the box.
And one of those cool things is the trimmer head:
Your side burns don’t stand a chance!
Digging further through the box you will discover that you have the option of protecting your shaver with this funky travel case:
First impressions are that it is quite rugged and sturdy enough to protect your 9300 from even the roughest of hands.
Philips has decided to use mesh along the hinge of the case. This allows air to circulate through the case. I think this is a pretty nifty idea, especially if your shaver is still damp from a recent shaving session.
Unfortunately, there is ONLY enough room inside the carry case for the shaver. You will need to pack the charger (and any other accessories you want to bring along) separately.
The bulkiest thing in the shaver box is what Philips calls the SmartClean System
This fancy 2-in-1 dock not only cleans your shaver but charges it as well.
The Smart Clean dock uses disposable cartridges filled with a cleaning solution. One comes included in the box.
Unlike Braun, the cleaning fluid found inside the cartridge is not alcohol based.
This is actually important, as shipping alcohol in any amount often brings with it a hazardous materials handling charge, particularly when posted internationally. Just a tidbit I felt was worth mentioning.
Also included in the box is an unusual shaped piece of plastic:
At first it was not immediately clear as to what this is used for. Upon referring to the instruction manual I learned that it was a tool to assist with removal of the individual shaver heads.
This won’t be of much use to you until the time comes to replace the shaver heads (which could take a year or longer), so store this tool away in a safe space so that you do not misplace it.
Then finally, there is the power adaptor:
After all, this wouldn’t be an electric shaver without it.
And that is everything that comes in the box. Quite a lot huh?
With the contents of the 9300 box fully explored, it’s now time to take a closer look at the shaver.
Philips Norelco 9300 Electric Shaver
The Philips 9000 Series Shaver (9300 and 9700)
The 9300 (and 9700, they look identical with the power off) is a modern looking trimmer:
Do not be fooled by the chrome looks, the body of the 9000 series shavers are largely plastic. This is hardly a bad thing, plastic doesn’t weigh down the shaver and won’t ever rust.
The 9300 (like the 9700) shaver has just three buttons; located just above the display screen on the front of the shaver.
- Power button: Self explanatory; press this to turn the shaver on or off.
- Plus and minus buttons: Both cycle through the shavers speed settings.
Pressing and holding the power button for three seconds activates travel lock.
With travel lock on, your electric shaver will be unable to accidentally turn on at the bottom of your luggage. A handy little feature for those of you that travel frequently.
The buttons are seamlessly incorporated into the body of the shaver. If you were to slide your finger over them with your eyes closed you wouldn’t even be able to tell they are there.
Each button gives a satisfying “click” sound when pressed and are all within easy reach of your thumb. Perhaps a little too much pressure is required to press each button but this will entirely come down to personal preference.
Unfortunately this shaver ain’t so pretty from behind:
This is probably why you only ever see the front of the 9000 series electric shavers shown in Philips advertising.
Looking closer at the rear you will notice ribbed sections. One behind the neck of the shaver:
And one either side of the rear:
If you have ever tried shaving in the shower, you will know just how slippery things can get. These ribbed grips help stop the your brand new shaver from falling from your hand.
The grips seem to be in just the right places too, lining up perfectly with your fingers when held in your hand.
Hidden from plain sight; at the bottom of the handle, is the charging slot.:
When the battery runs flat simply connect the charger that is included in the box (or use the cleaning dock) to recharge the battery.
The shaver really is comfortable to hold. Not too heavy, not too light. In fact, the shaver only ways 5.9 oz (that’s just over 165 grams for you metric folk).
Despite being quite light, the weight is very nicely distributed, and feels comfortable to hold regardless of how you twist your wrist or position your fingers.
Yup; despite being light weight and having a mostly plastic shell, Philips have manufactured an incredibly premium electric shaver. But this is to be expected, given the price you are paying.
Now while all this is nice, the key selling point of an electric shaver is the shaving head itself. So what does Philips offer you for your hard earned cash?
The Philips 9000 Series features what is known as a rotary shaver head, unlike the foil head offered by Braun Series 9 and Panasonic Arc 5.
The shaver actually contains three individual shaving heads and each shaving head is made up of two pieces. A razor blade piece and a guard.
The guards are clearly visible in the above picture. Each guard has a pattern of angled slots.
If you look closely you will notice two distinct circular patterns. One around the rim of each shaving head and one towards the center of the disc. Each of these circular patterns is called a “track”
The outer track is designed for cutting longer hair while the track on the inner portion of the disc not only cuts shorter hairs but helps lift hairs that lay flat against the skin (such as those on the neck).
As you glide the shaver across the surface of your skin, hairs will stick up through the slots in the track and are cut by the spinning blade behind.
If you are having a hard time picturing this, here’s a diagram of a hair poking through the guard just about to be trimmed by the blade:
By pulling gently upwards you can split the shaving unit in half:
This is the method you will use when the time comes to change the blades on your series 9000 shaver.
Flipping the shaving unit over reveals that the blades are locked into position by orange retaining rings.
These rings can be undone with a simple twist, allowing you to remove the individual shaver heads.
Here’s where the shaver head removal tool comes in:
The tool makes it incredibly easy to twist and remove the retaining rings that lock the shaver heads into position.
Don’t worry if you have lost your removal tool. While it was slightly more difficult, I was still able to remove the retaining rings with my fingers.
With the retaining ring removed, the shaver head simply lifts up out of the shaving unit.
While the shaving head is out of the unit, I will show you a closer view of the blade piece:
This is a brand new blade design which Philips has named the “V-Track Precision Blade”, because of the V-shape of the blades. Not exactly creative, but then again Philips have a track record for boring names.
According to Philips:
The blades are angled at the optimal cutting position resulting in a more comfortable shave that is 30% closer.
If you ignore Philips’ sales pitch, this simply means each one of those angled pieces of metal you can see sticking up is a razor blade and sit incredibly close to the guard, resulting in a really close shave.
Philips recommends you use this method to replace your shaving heads once a year. Replacement shaving heads can be purchased directly from Philips, or major retail stores like Walmart or even Amazon.
From my experience, only frequent shavers will need to change the shaving heads yearly. If you only shave twice a week or less then you will see the heads last much longer.
Now this process revealed something of a concern to me. Each retaining ring is held in position just two tiny little plastic tags:
In the above image you may notice that the tag is somewhat sheared. This happened when I attempted to return the shaver head to it’s original position.
You have to be REALLY careful that you have the retaining ring in the correct location before twisting it back to it’s locked position, otherwise this tag scrapes along the wall of the shaver head and could potentially shear right off (it is flimsy plastic after all).
Unfortunately it can be difficult to determine what the correct location actually is. Especially if you have already removed the other two retaining rings.
My suggestion would be to pay attention to how the retaining ring locks into place before you start removing each individual shaver head.
Because if you slice off these little tags you will need to replace the entire shaving unit, which isn’t exactly cheap.
Since this is also the same way that Philips expects you to “advance clean” your shaver heads, this system seems poorly designed.
The retaining ring system is by far my least favorite thing about this shaver. Everything else about the shaver is so well engineered, yet it feels like the retaining ring system was implemented without much thought as to usability.
The shaving unit pivots at three different points for a total of 8 directions of movement:
- The whole shaving unit
- The tilt ring
- The shaver head
Now this is quite difficult to describe in writing so rather than waste both of our time trying to explain it, I am going to show how it works in a video:
If you pull upwards a little force you will be able to completely remove the shaving unit from the handle/body of the shaver.
Philips calls this quick action release “SmartClick”. No fiddling around with buttons or levers to free the head. A simple pull and it comes straight off.
Impressively, while the shaving unit did not require much effort to remove, it held on securely through every single shave.
With the shaving unit removed you are now free to clip in the trimming head:
Unlike Panasonic and Braun which include a “pop-up trimmer” in the actual shaving head, Philips has decided to include an entirely separate trimmer attachment.
Let’s get one thing straight; this trimmer head will NOT replace your every-day beard trimmer. It is designed to do little else other than detailing (which to be fair, it does well). So while it will work wonders on your sideburns, just don’t expect it to cut those long and thick beard hairs.
Despite being quick to do, swapping the heads around can become annoying and after testing both the Braun and Panasonic shavers, I believe that a built in trimmer is definitely the way to go.
It is also worth mentioning that the trimmer head will not fit in the travel case. If you want to shave while on holiday, you will have to pack the trimmer head separately.
Okay, now it’s time to take this shaver for a test-drive.
The shaver ships with just enough juice left in the battery to beep angrily at you when turned on, prompting you to charge it, so you can’t expect to use this shaver straight out of the box.
You are going to have to charge this bad boy up.
Good news if you travel for business. The 9300 and 9700 can be used anywhere in the world. The charger can run off any voltage between 100 and 240V.
USA, Japan, Australia, England… Wherever you travel you can be confident that you can be clean-shaven. The only thing you will need is a adapter plug, to fit the odd shaped sockets you will come across during your travels.
Philips claims the Lithium-ion battery of the 9300 and 9700 shavers offers 50 minutes of shaving after a 1 hour charge. I found this claim to be fairly accurate, getting between 47-49 minutes of use before needing to recharge.
Let’s face it, we have all had a shaver battery die on us. Maybe even halfway through a shave. I don’t need to tell you just how frustrating this can be. Fortunately Philips 9000 series feature a handy feature that you are going to just love…
If the battery runs flat on you, a 5 minute charge is all that is needed for 3 minutes of shaving. If you don’t mess around, that is plenty of time for a full shave.
You can either charge the shaver with the SmartClean shaving dock or just with the adapter. Whatever you prefer.
Since I am going to focusing on the charging dock further down the page, to get started with I will charge the shaver just with the power adapter:
It is here that we come across the first major difference between the 9700 and the 9300. The way that charge is displayed.
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9300 Battery displayed in bars, each bar representing around 20% of total battery.
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9700 Digital Battery display with an exact reading from 1-100%, providing an exact calculation of the battery.
Each time you plug in the shaver for charging, every indicator will blink on and off at once and a chime will sound, to announce that the shaver has entered charge mode.
You cannot use Philips shavers while on charge and the 9300 and 9700 are no exception. Pressing the ON button while the shaver is charging will result in the battery indicator flashing and two quick beeps will sound.
Fortunately this is not really an issue thanks to the 5-minute quick charge feature.
While I am waiting for the battery to charge I will take you through what each indicator means.
From top to bottom:
- Speed settings – slow, medium or fast
- Clean Shaver head reminder – Blinks after every shave
- Travel lock – Indicates travel lock is active.
- Battery Capacity – A visual guide to remaining charge
- Change shaver head – Lights up once a year to remind you to change the shaving heads.
- Error – shaver head is blocked and needs a clean.
During shaving, only the remaining battery and shaving speed indicators are visible.
Philips Norelco 9300 Electric Shaver
The Shave
Now for the million dollar question:
How well does it shave?
Pretty darn good.
I have annoying neck hairs that shoot off in every direction, right up to my jaw line. These hairs have always been problematic for me when using electric shavers that require up and down movements.
The circular motions coupled with the shaving head placement missed far fewer long hairs on me than the high end models offered by Braun and Panasonic.
But to achieve the perfect shave there is a learning curve that needs to be overcome. Admittedly my first shave was not all that great, which lead me to read up on proper shaving technique.
As I practiced the proper technique, I got better and better until I got to the point where I was shaving like a pro.
The trick is overlapping circular motions, both clockwise and counterclockwise (in areas where direction of hair growth varies).
I must point out that not a whole lot of pressure is needed for an effective shave. This is largely thanks to the head pivoting in various directions as it crosses the contours of your face.
Pressing down too hard or leaving the shaver stationary for too long (especially on the neck) will reward you with a nasty razor burn. A delicate touch is required which again requires practice.
Overall the shave was incredibly close. Not as close as a wet shave (you just cant get that close from an electric razor) but close enough for me to think “ooh, smooth” when I slid my hand over my cheek.
Now many experts say they rotary electric shavers have a habit of yanking out hairs because of the circular motion required instead of the more familiar up and down motion.
We did find that this was true of cheaper models but once you get to the higher end like where we are now, there is no pulling whatsoever.
The only time I experienced pulling was when I went too long between cleaning the shaver heads. The blades would coat with hair build-up and pull rather than cut. But that was laziness on my part rather than a fault of the electric shaver and a quick clean saw the problem fixed.
Now electric shaving does get used to as you are essentially dragging dry metal over a dry face. I personally use a pre-shave but because this shaver was waterproof I jumped in the shower to test it out.
Let’s get one thing straight. Shaving in the shower feels weird, particularly if you have never done it before. The shaver seemed to work just as well as it did dry, with the water adding additional lubrication.
Now I must admit, I did miss a few hairs from shaving in the shower but this is largely because I did not have a mirror in the shower. If you choose to shave in the shower, you will need to be mindful of the areas where you have and have not shaved.
The shaver is perhaps the quietest out of all the high end electric shavers we tested, even at the highest speed setting. The following sound clip is of the three speed settings. 5 seconds on each from low to fast.
More of a higher pitched whirring sound rather than a loud buzz.
Now there are a couple of quirks. One of which is the speed settings. Philips states:
Use slow for a more skin-friendly shave, normal for a thorough shave and fast for a high powered shave.
Now I am prone to skin rashes and blemishes but was just fine with shaving on high, in fact, out of the three settings fast seemed to be the one the performed the best, Medium was okay and slow, well it’s name definitely rings true. It adds minutes to your total shave time.
The other downside to the shave offered by the shaver is detail. There ARE areas that you will have trouble shaving with the shaving head layout on Philips shavers.
Under the nose and close to the sideburns.
If you want to get the tight areas you will have to use a SINGLE shaving head in circular motions. Under the nose was not too hard (simply suck your lips in) but going shaving near the sideburns is a scary experience.
All electric shavers have their flaws and with practice you will definitely learn to get the most out of your shaver.
Over all, I highly recommend the 9300 and 9700 shavers if your neck and beard hairs grow in all directions.
Cleaning
Properly cleaning your electric shaver is important. A major complaint leveled at this shaver is that the blades dull quickly. Very often, this “dullness” is due to hair, skin and soap build up coating the blades.
I experienced this first hand when I neglected to clean the shaver after three shaves. On the fourth shave, the blades were noticeably cutting worse than when I first got the shaver.
One cleaning cycle later and the blades were cutting as good as new.
The 9300 and 9700 both come with a SmartClean shaving dock. While you can still clean your shaver without it, the dock definitely simplifies the process.
I’ll be honest, I am not a fan of having a shaver dock forced upon me. I feel that they are a greedy cash grab by manufacturers to lock you into buying a disposable item (the cleaning cartridges) on a regular basis.
Putting my bias aside for the sake of this review, let’s take a closer look at exactly what the SmartClean shaving dock has to offer:
In order for the SmartClean dock to work, you will need to plug in the power adapter. The socket is located on the rear of the dock.
Now plugging the adapter directly into the shaver is an incredibly smooth process. On the dock? Not so much. While the cable was tough to push in, pulling it out required a good amount of strength.
This won’t be a problem for most of you, who will simply set the dock up in their bathroom and be done with it. But for those of you that travel and leave the dock at home, I recommend investing in a spare power adapter.
But there is one more thing required to make the smart dock work. That is a cleaning cartridge. Without it, the dock will only charge your shaver. But no cleaning will take place.
Pressing a button on the side of the SmartClean dock reveals a hidden compartment tucked away in the base.
It is here that you load in your cleaning cartridge. Simply peel the aluminum seal off the top of the cleaning cartridge and you are ready to begin.
Important: Set your dock up before you load up the cleaning cartridge. Moving the dock with a cleaning cartridge installed can cause the cleaning solution to spill everywhere.
The SmartClean dock itself charges, cleans, lubricates and dries the shaver without any effort on your part.
It does it’s job well and is incredibly quiet. Not like Braun’s louder cleaning stations.
Here we come across the second difference between the 9300 and 9700. The display. The 9300 simply shows you what stage (cleaning, drying) the SmartClean dock is up to with a indicator. The 9700 gives you a progress bar.
The whole process takes around 4 hours.
You read that right. 4 hours.
This thing takes it’s sweet time, that’s for sure. No wonder a progress bar is considered a “premium upgrade”.
So I must stress this, start the cleaning process AFTER you have shaved.
I made the mistake of starting the cleaning process prior to shaving before I realized just how long it takes. If you remove the shaver from the unit before the 4 hours is up you will be rewarded with wet shaving heads.
Not exactly what you want, particularly if you prefer to dry shave.
The shaver is dried with heat generated by induction. Similar to how an induction cook top works. The advantage of this is that drying is whisper quiet. However, I also have a hunch that this drying method is the culprit for the extra long cleaning time.
Philips claims the cleaning solution in each cartridge lasts for up to two months before needing to ben replaced. I found myself getting 6-7 weeks out of each cartridge with very regular shaving, cleaning after each session.
An indicator on the front of the unit will light up when the cleaning cartridge needs to be swapped out and you will be unable to begin a cleaning cycle:
It is worth mentioning that the SmartClean unit itself takes up an awful lot of space. Those of you with smaller bathrooms will be quite unhappy with just how much bench space is taken up.
And your choice of locations to sit the unit are limited, since it has to be close to a power outlet.
Overall the SmartClean unit did it’s job, however I definitely feel that 4 hours is a little too long to clean a shaver. It is worth mentioning that the polished black plastic of the SmartClean is a dust magnet.
Before too long; you will notice dust, watermarks and fingerprints surface of the cleaning dock. While this in no way affects the units operation, due to the size of the dock you are kind of forced to keep the darn thing on display, and it can quickly become an eyesore.
Of course you cannot expect to take the big and bulky smart cleaning system when you travel. Fortunately you can simply take the shaving unit head apart and rinse it out with hot water.
Philips Norelco 9300 Electric Shaver
Philips Norelco 9300 vs. 9700 vs. 9800
Now if you can afford a Philips 9000 Series shaver then you are going to want the best.
In this series there are three different shavers. The 9300 (S9311/84),9700 (S9721/84) and the 9800 (S9731/90). The 9700 is $100 more expensive than both the 9300 and 9800. So this must mean it’s better right?
Not necessarily so
Philips actually does an incredibly poor job at describing the differences. So what you are getting for that extra Benjamin Franklin?
The answer will surprise you.
1. The color
The plastic around the display is slightly darker on the 9700.
2. The battery display
9300: Shows the battery capacity with 5 bars, each bar represents 20% charge.
9700: Shows the exact battery percentage remaining with a digital display.
3. The SmartClean Dock Display
9300: An individual indicator flashes for each section of the cleaning process.
9700: A progress bar fills up as the cleaning process progresses.
But what about the Philips Norelco 9800?
You would think a higher model number would come with more features. The 9800 actually comes with less and is Philips Norelco’s budget 9000 series electric shaver.
The Philips Norelco 9800 is essentially a cheaper 9700 without the cleaning dock. It displays the remaining battery as a percentage. Instead of a cleaning dock you are given a multi-length beard trimmer, similar to the one found on the 5700, which isn’t all that great.
The 9800 is priced similarly to the 9300. Unless you can pick the 9800 up for considerably less, we do not feel that skipping the cleaning dock justifies the purchase.
And the winner is…
As you can see, the difference between three shaver models are simply cosmetic and will in no way impact your daily use of the shaver.
Out of the three I recommend the 9300 as it offers much more value for money with an included cleaning dock to boot. In my opinion you are much better putting the savings towards replacement cleaning cartridges.
Note: There is also a special edition 9700 available that includes a cleansing brush, but as of writing the special edition was not commonly available.
Philips Norelco 9300 Electric Shaver
Conclusion
Here’s the part where I tell you whether or not this electric razor is worth buying. Unfortunately it is not an entirely black or white answer.
There is no doubt that the shaver cuts incredibly close leaving you with a smooth shave that the majority of you will be more than happy with. But this comes with a learning curve that has to be overcome.
The circular shaving motion required was fantastic at cutting hair that grows in all different directions. Yet it required a steady hand and intense concentration for your upper lip and going close to your sideburns.
The build quality is amazing. A lot of thought has gone into engineering the 9000 Series shavers. But on the flip side, the retaining ring system is absolutely crap.
The Smart clean system is quiet and does it’s job well. But it requires 4 hours to do it’s work and runs on disposable cleaning cartridges.
And this is just a summary of some of the trade offs I went into more detail on in the review above.
Unfortunately, no electric shaver is perfect. At least not yet. What is a deal breaker for some is not even an inconvenience for others. Shaving is a very personal experience and opinions on what is best differ dramatically depending on who you ask.
This is why I have written such a long review on a single shaver. My goal is to arm you with all the knowledge needed to make an informed decision about whether or not this shaver is right for you.
So this might be the very best shaver for you. Or it might not. Only you know that.
Philips Norelco 9300 Electric Shaver
You know the drill: Leave us any questions, wisdom, love or hate in the comments below and until next time, stay awesome!
Further Resources:
- Support – Philips Norelco 9300 Support page
- Instructions – Philips Norelco 9300 PDF User manual
This post is extremely helpful, and spot on. I have a 7370 shaver, and although I’ve been happy with the razor’s performance, the peripheral factors are disturbing. You mention the slight differences in the 9300 and 9700 razors, and I’ll call out the difficulty I’ve had in buying replacement heads for my 7370. Turns out there’s a tiny tab that makes these cost $50, and prevents them from being otherwise identical to the cheaper ($30) heads that WalMart carries. When my charging station stopped working, and of course I can’t find the manual, I was ready to pitch the whole thing and go back to Braun. But, I figured out through your site that the red light means the cleaning cartridge needs to be replaced. I’ve not seen that light come on in two years. Philips, some words to explain these stupid symbols might be nice. I echo every other comment you have on this thing’s operation. Thanks for this, Ben!
The automatic cleaning system fails within a year or two of use. I have had two of them. After about 8-10 cartridges of use, they quit using the solution and clean nothing. I tried soaking the unit in water but that didn’t get them to work again. Any ideas greatly appreciated!
Well, I got the 9700 but it does not come with the progress bar on the SmartClean thing. The 9300 comes with SmartClean, the 9700 comes with SmartClean Plus but it’s the SmartClean PRO that has the progress bar. At least from what I’ve been able to gather. The Philips site kinda sucks. I have no idea what the difference between the SmartClean and the SmartClean Plus is.
Otherwise, the article is really helpful. Thanks for taking the time to do such a thorough review of the product.
Excellent review. Clarified the key differences between the various 9xxx models. Since I am getting the 9800, so I have to buy the cleaning dock separately, or can I just buy the HQ110 spray and clean the blades manually? As long as the spray won’t damage the blades, I am happy to not spend on the dock. Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks for a great review! I recently purchased the S9721 and it appears that this model now ships with the same SmartClean dock as the 9300. There is no “progress bar”, showing the progress or status of the entire process, only individual indicators for each stage. The manual that came with the shaver, as well as the online manual on the Norelco support-site, confirm this.
I tried chatting with the Philips rep and he was pretty clueless. Supposedly, they are sending me a new SmartClean Plus. There are a lot of reviews stating that the progress bar version of the SmartClean is included with the 9700. The Philips website for the 9700 states that it comes with the SmartClean Plus but the 9300 comes with the regular as well. There is a Pro version but the rep couldn’t tell me what the differences between the three actually were. He just stated the Pro version is new because I can’t find a shaver that comes with the Pro version and I can’t see where to buy the SmartClean separately either.
The 9700 user guide didn’t explicitly state the progress bar isn’t there but didn’t highlight that there was one either. Curious to know if the manual changed and they just didn’t update their website. There is still a $100 price difference between the two shavers and the website still lists the plus as coming with the 9700.
All in all, the shaver is good. The bait and switch on the SmartClean is kind of annoying however.
Hi Adam, thank you this was a great read and covered everything I need to know, one question though, I shave both my head and beard using wet shaver (Gillette); great shave, but exhausting and time consuming, and I want to get the Philips 9500, having read your review, I think I might have to get a hair trimmer too to cut my head hair short before jumping in with the Philips? I shave my head and beard twice a week, does the trimmer with the Philips 9000 cut hair head and beard hair before shaving?
Thank you
Hi Adam
Great review, I,ve been using Norelco razors since 1975 and they truly make an incredible product. Currently I have been using the 9300 for about 2 years, and so far no problems. Since you can use this shaver wet, I use shaving cream and notice a build up of soap film on the head assembly, any ideas? One last question, I sometimes just rinse the shaver out with hot water after I shave and than use the cleaner once a week to clean and lube the razor. Is this hurting the razor?
Thanks
Rinsing with hot water is an option Philips offers; however, reports online say that eventually the water can leak into electronic components and cause issues. Personally, with both foil and rotary shavers, I brush/blow out stubble and then once a month I take the cutters out and soak them in alcohol.. Alcohol cleans and doesn’t corrode steel like water does. So, to keep the cutters from getting corroded, and prevent water from entering the electronic components of the shaver, I avoid rinsing the shaver out
I bought a 9300 in Oct, 2014 when Series 9000 first came out. I buy a new Philips Norelco Top of The Line every time one is released. It did not shave worth a filp! It took 20 mins to get anything resembling a close shave and 2 hrs. after I shaved, I looked like I haven’t shaved at all. I thought to myself that it is a down right lie to say that this razor gives a better shave than SensoTouch 3d! Well I struggled with 9300 for a few months and bought some SH90 blades. They were awful too! Well, I bought a 5800 as an extra razor. It shaved like a dream! Finally, I decided to give Series 9000 another chance. I bought a 9800, as I already have a Smart Clean. I also bought some Rq12 Pro blades, which come with the whole assembly. The blades that came with the 9800 shave like a dream, sooo smooth and the Rq12 Pro blades are excellent! Blade close! Philips must have read all the many negative reviews concerning 9000 and decided to do something about their awful blades! I’m now getting the bet shave, I’ve ever gotten with an electric!
The 9800 has one difference you did not mention, it’s made of metal, while all others are plastic.
If true, that would seem to be a significant detail to omit… Is the 9800 metal construction?
Thank you for the great review, it was very helpful.
I was wondering what you think of the Phillips Norelco 8900 (available only at Amazon). It is close to the same as the 9300, using the same blades) , but it does not have speed settings. However, without the cleaner, the 8900 is considerably less expensive
Hi,
I find the razor is always cool and damp after cleaning overnight in the cleaning unit. Thoughts? Kind of expensive system but I think the wet will decrease life of blades etc.
Considering the blades and solution buying….
Hi, I’m from Italy. Could you tell me something about the n 9711 model that mounts the new heads VTrack pro? regards.
http://www.philips.it/c-p/S9711_32/shaver-series-9000-rasoio-elettrico-wet-dry#see-all-benefits
As usual, America is last to get Philips updates. We are currently testing the Australian model of the S9711/22 and hope to have a review finished by early Feb, which should line up with the American release.
What about the 9500 model ? What`s the difference with that one ?
Hi Tim,
I have not personally come across the 9500. However, looking at the Philips Norelco website it appears to be the same as the 9300, although the shell casing color is closer to the 9700. It also comes with the SmartClean PLUS cleaning dock instead of the standard Smart Clean.
Lots of good info in this review – Thanks.
I’m trying to decide between the 9300 vs 7530.
Does the series 9000 have a more powerful (electric motor/higher RPM) than the series 7000 ?
This was a great read! Thanks for this. I’ve used electric shavers for about 8 years now. I use to always use norelco, than decided to try foil and used Braun for about a year. I’ve decided to go back to rotary because it has always seemed like a quicker, more efficient shave for me. After reading this I bought a norelco 9300 last week and it has been awesome so far! Can honestly say it is the best electric shaver I have ever owned.
have you seen the 9400X,, found it at Sam’s for $100, Is it pretty much like the other 9000 Series shavers?
Hi Mike,
It looks like the 9400x is a gift box that also comes with a beard/stubble trimmer (and no cleaning dock). My experience with these is these add-ons is pretty poor. It looks like the shaver itself is the 9300. If you don’t need the cleaning dock then there is nothing wrong with the purchase, just don’t be suckered into buying because of the stubble trimmer.
Adam: Great review. Thanks.
I’ve had my Costco version (9321) almost a year and can report the following:
1. The unit does shave well, but, on balance is quite expensive given its high original cost, cost of replacement heads, and cost of cleaning fluid.
2. Cleaning system works well, but, as you say, takes up a lot of counter space. Is it that much better than using a brush and/or water? Not sure.
3. Separate trimmer works well, but is inconvenient, especially for travel. I prefer the built in pop up versions on cheaper Norelcos.
4. As you mention, the red plastic head retaining clips are complete and utter crap. They break easily if you do not carefully use the tool. Extremely dumb design compared to the simple, reliable retainer assembly of older, cheaper units. I cannot imagine why they would take this step back. Note that replace pieces are not available ….. must buy complete, expensive assembly. (I am a mechanical engineer and would fire whoever championed this design in my company.)
5. Although this is a personal preference, I find the ergonomics of the grip to be inconvenient. I must carefully locate and reposition my fingers to avoid accidentally turning it off in the middle of a shave.
Conclusion: If you like expensive gadgets, this can be fun to play with. It is a bit like owning a vintage sports car, but one you can only show off in your bathroom! What is the logic? But if you want a quick, inexpensive shave there are better choices …. like cheaper Norelcos.
Adam, again thanks for your excellent review and constructive advice.
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the shaver. Looks like your experience was inline with ours. Those retaining rings are awful, appreciate an engineers perspective on them. At least the 9000 Series comes with the retaining clip removal tool. If you drop down to the 7000 series, you are left to the mercy of your fingers, which is a poor experience to say the least!
great and very detailed review
I just got my Braun 9090 for 3 days, and it doesn’t cut as close as i think.
and when using the foil shaver wrong, it can cut your face : (
So, i jump to amaon and ordered Philips Norelco Electric Shaver 9700 with that clarisonic like cleaning brush.
maybe I’m more comfortable with rotating shaving since I’ve being using my old arcitec for almost 6 years. I’ll share my personal experience when i got my hands on new 9700.
<3
Great article . My S9311 is shown as 1250X with RQ12 head. What cleaning dock is available.. I have been using a 1255X for over a year and love it. I upgraded to the 1250X because of a crazy price I couldn’t resist.. Haven’t received the new razor yet. Would like a smart clean unit though.
Hi Kkal,
You will have to contact Philips customer service for this one. There are currently three different shaving docks available as spare parts, and while they all look near identical, only one will fit your shaver. Sorry I can’t help you further.
When you are shaving is there any timer that shows how many minutes are left on the battery life? What about when you stop or does it only show the percentage left but not the number of minutes?
Hi JW500,
The 9300 only shows the bars, the 9700 only shows the %. Neither shaver gives an amount of time in minutes left that you can shave for.
Great review. I wish I had seen this yesterday before I bought the 9700. I got a hell of a coupon from Amazon so I will keep it and not return it for the 9300. After reading, I m confident I will enjoy this razor. I am a military man and cannot do manual anymore. My neck gets so irritated after one manual shave. I can’t wait to see if this razor lessens the irritation and allows me to shave every day during the week (as needed)
Great review. I too learned a lot about my S9721. (I like all of the “bells & whistles” and found a great deal on Ebay) Have had mine for approximately 1.5 years. Certainly the best electric shaver I have ever owned.
After 1.5 years of use, was time to replace blades. I new it was time to replace when my shaving period went from a 5 minute shave to 10 minutes! $59.99 plus tax at Target. Box came with yellow removal tool. With new blades, shaves as close as a straight edge without the cuts. Original blades did not last the 2 years that Norelco suggested. Will probably replace yearly from here on out.
The cleaning unit eventually needs some serious internal cleaning as it seems to get clogged up or “gunked” up. Not made to be taken apart for cleaning, so not easy to clean. Does not seem to perform like it did when new. I use mine every day and will take your suggestion of replacing cleaning cartridge every 2 months vs. waiting for light to come on.
All in all very pleased with my Philips Norelco S9721.
I purchased the 9700 nNorelco and when trying to remove it after charging, I cannot remove it from the system. Why?
Hi Jim,
For future reference please contact Philips customer service. We are just a review site. In your instance we can help you, simply press down on the top of the connector on the charging station to have it pop back up.
Hi Adam,
Thank you for this extremely helpful review.
After an ultimately-frustrating experience with the Braun 790-cc4 (that lousy swivel lock button! It just popped the hell off during a shave), I decided to take your advice and see if another electric razor could do what the Braun could not, especially with my growing-at-random-angles neck/jawline hair.
My Philips 9300 arrived yesterday, and although I’m probably getting ahead of myself after just one shave and less than a full day of ownership, I’m crazy about this thing. It’s *perfect* for me. It shaves extremely close with basically no irritation whatsoever (!), it never gets hot or even warm like the foil razors sometimes can, it handles head and facial contours masterfully, it’s light and well-designed, and especially with a few drops of a nice, light shaving oil or a thin shave gel, it offers a shave for my whole head and beard that just can’t be beat. It’s an incredibly well-designed product. Couldn’t be happier with it.
It really goes to show how true your repeated advice, that there’s no one right shaver for everyone, really is. You’re providing such a valuable service here with your detailed reviews. Thank you again!
Hi Brobdingnagian,
We are truly excited that you were able to find the right shaver for your skin. I am hoping the amazing shave continues with further use! It’s a big step buying a new and unfamiliar product but it looks like it really paid off for you. Thanks so much for updating us with your thoughts on the 9300. It’s really appreciated.
I also found your review very helpful. Thanks for the time you out in on this.
I’m ready to upgrade from an older model that I open, tap out and rinse (along with having to rinse the sink) every morning and then leave to air dry. I’m ready for the convenience of the smartclean and willing to accept the expense that comes with it.
Bed Bath and Beyond apparently sells a model 9500 that appears identical (IMO) to the 9300. With one of their 20% off coupons thier slighky higer list price of $269 drops to $215.20 which is slightly better than I’ve seen shoping around for the 9300.
Hi Tom,
Thanks for the feedback, it encourages us to keep making detailed guides like this.
Reading the product description I couldn’t tell the difference between the 9500 and 9300. They appear identical in both features and functions although it does look like that the 9500 is a slightly different color but that wont affect performance. Interestingly I couldn’t find the 9500 stocked anywhere else but bed bath and beyond. If you do go ahead with the purchase I would love to hear your feedback on it.
Your review is outstanding and very detailed. Thanks for the hard work. I’ve had the 9321 for over a year now and enjoy the shave. I found that the shaving head for my beard, needed to be changed earlier than a year. I’ve changed them but in the past couple of days the “change head” light has come on. It’s stayed on. I’ve tried taking the head off for a while and seeing if that stops it but it hasn’t. I’ve even put the trimmer on and then replacing the shaving head but that doesn’t stop it. Obviously the shaver is saying the year is up and the head should be replaced. Does the light eventually go off or is there something else that I should do?
Thanks
Hi Michael,
Thanks so much for the kind words. The instruction manual should go into detail on how to get rid of the replacement light. If you have misplaced your manual we have linked to a PDF copy at the bottom of the review. Hopefully that helps.
Hi, fantastic review and site!
I want to change my old Philishave HQ8894. I have a difficult beard and sensitive skin, just like you with neck hairs that shoot off in every direction and I shave everyday. Shaving with any manual Gillette for me is a pain with many burns/irritations.
My 8894 lasted about 6-7 years and nou a small clip that holds heads is weared.
I looked at 9000 series as the top shavers from Philips and to my surprise:
– my old 8894 lasts about 140min on a charge (even after 7 years!), 9000 series only 50min!
– 8894 has Infolitium indicator (how many minutes until recharge), 9000 series only percent
– none of the current shavers has a vertical support like 8894 (occupies more space in my bathroom)
– a little worried about heads durability. Mine original heads lasted 2 years and changed, current heads are about 5 years. Of course shaving takes more time but to my surprise guards are well, so I not have any skin irritation.
– no popup trimmer, as you mentioned
– cleaning for current 9000 series worries me. I don’t think that dock station cleans very well (Panasonic writes in manual for Lv9N that internal parts cannot be cleaned with the self-cleaning
recharger) so every day I have to pull the shaving head holder off the bottom part of the shaving unit and rinse with hot water. But doing so every day will worn the clips that hold heads; at least my 8894 and Panasonic LV9N has buttons that stresses less those clips.
For now I lean more to Panasonic LV6N (less trouble with everiday cleaning) athought I am worried about my skin sensitivity and more expensive heads/foil.
Many thanks and sorry for my English.
Hi Mircea,
Shaving is very much a personal thing and unfortunately trial and error. Unfortunately I would only be guessing which shaver would be more appropriate for you. There is a reason why shaver manufacturers offer the return guarantee, so that you don’t waste your money on an unsuitable shaver. Panasonic’s return guarantee is 30 days And Philips Norelco’s is 45. Just make sure you do not pass the number of days required to return the shaver if you find it unsuitable, the time passes quick.
If you have such senstive skin as you claim then I would lean away from the Panasonic. While the shaver is less aggressive than the older model, it is still capable of irritating sensitive skin with the close shave it provides. Also, have you checked out the Philips Norelco OneBlade? It’s a new release that might be worth checking out and works wellf or sensitive skin. Just be mindful that shaver heads have to be replaced much more frequently.
Very interesting to note that not all changes made to Philips Norelcos electric shavers have been for the better.
Hi Adam,
Thanks for your quick reply.
Unfortunatelly in my country (Romania) there are no money return for shavers, except when… you don’t use it. Maybe there are too many fraudulent returns or maybe local distributors don’t want to bother with selling a used product.
About Philips Norelco Oneblade, of course I read your review but it’s a trimmer and I want a shaver.
I put a command on LV9N, it has a promotional price about 313USD, VAT not included. It’s still a steep price, Philips S9031 is half…
The oneblade gives you a shave equivalent to a rotary. It is a shaver until you add the combs which make it act like a trimmer. Think of it as a two in one. But the blades are only good for 16 or so uses before needing to be replaced. In any case it probably isn’t what you are looking for.
If you are used to a rotary shaver and enjoyed it then my thoughts would be to stick with what you know. The LV9n shaves very different to a rotary and is expensive because it has only recently been released.
The lack of a guarantee makes it extra difficult to choose a shaver. I was unaware that the guarantee is not offered world-wide.
Oh man, the 9984XL is still the best Norelco I ever owned. I am seriously looking at these though.
1) It’s odd and sad that the (rated) battery life is SO much less than it used to be….even with LiIon over older NiCd batteries. Local friends confirm this for me, not just websites. This makes no sense to me, I wonder why?
2) My SpeedXL 8170 had the cleaning/charging dock, and I will NEVER own one again. It’s just not worth the expense, space, and effort. After a few cartridges, I have to say, it’s more work to clean that goofy thing than the razor itself! I found a recipe online to “make your own” and it improved it significantly, but still it was just work work work to clean it. There’s no way they could have improved the new dock THAT much unless it connects to the faucet and drain permanently. (Think cat litter box, LOL).
BTW, the 9800 per Philips (chat session today) is still “metalized plastic” not “real” metal shell as some have suggested. However the 9800 is said to have the V-Track PRO heads, (I can’t see these on the 93xx/94xx/97xx models…maybe they did anyway)? Can anyone confirm this for me, or is it just one of those “Specifications subject to change without notice”?
Great Review! Amazing! Best I ever read on Internet.
I picked up Philips Norelco 9800 just yesterday at Costco for $129.99! It came out $150 with taxes but it’s still felt like a good deal to me.
I was looking for Smart Clean system on eBay to compliment my recent purchase. It is $39.99 just for the unit. However there are two models – JC5106 and JC5202. Which one is the one with progress bar?
It says in the bottom the smart clean dock, the model number is written.
Would you be able to help me out on what model is suitable for 9800?
Also charging cord comes with 9800. Can I use that for the smart clean system?
In your opinion, is worth buying the smart clean dock?
It is a bit bulky as I read in your review.
I expected it to perform very well in preventive maintenance. I will have to spend $50 dollars total to get smart clean system and cartridges.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks !
Hi John,
Glad you enjoyed the review.
Unfortunately your first two questions are better directed at Philips customer service. There are three different models of the SmartClean dock available, one for the 5000 and 7000 series and two for the 9000 series. I do not currently have any shavers on hand to advise you as to which is which.
Whether the smart clean dock is right for you all depends on a few factors.
Firstly your bathroom counter space. Because the dock is designed to be set up in a permanent location (The cleaning detergent spills easily when the unit is moved) it is going to eat up some of your bathroom space. It’s also going to take up a power outlet since for ease of use you will likely leave it plugged in all the time.
Then there is the idea of being locked into buying replacement detergent cartridges every few months which are an ongoing cost.
In terms of cleaning it is much easier to use the dock than take the shaving unit apart.
Why not try the shaver for a few weeks (remember, Philips has a 45-day return guarantee) and if you find the cleaning process difficult then drop the extra cash on the cleaning unit? And remember, lubricating your the blades with oil will go a long way in maintaining them. There are plenty of youtube videos around to show you how to do this.
Would love to hear your thoughts on the 9800 electric shaver once you have given it a few uses.
So I bought the Norelco 7300 with the cleaning dock. It is being returned today. The supposedly micro beads on the heads is bull. It’s just blue plastic not any soft material. I was trying to find what the difference between the two models were that the article is about and I kind of felt they were the same just small differences but I’m glad I came across your article to set it in stone. I will be returning the 7300 and purchasing the 9300. Thanks for writing the article.
Hi Cesar,
Glad to hear you our review helped you out. If you are a fan of Shaving with Philips Norelco shavers then you will not regret jumping up from the 7000 Series to the 9000 Series.
Wow, I am blown away with your review! I actually own the 9300 and learned more about my shaver than I ever knew. I always wondered what the little orange piece was for that came with the shaver as I did not read the manual. Your pictures and explanations helped me to know more about my shaver and how to use it.
Personally, I really like my 9300 and I switch between wet shaving and electric depending on my available time for shaving.
Hi Frank,
It sounds like you and I are very similar. To me the manual is a “last resort” when I can’t figure something out. Sounds like you made the right choice with the 9300. Out of all the Rotary shavers we tested it was by far our favorite. How long have you had your shaver for and do you have any complaints we didn’t address?
Keep being awesome!