Philips Series 9000 Prestige Review
If you can spare the cash, this is a great electric shaver
Verdict
The Philips Series 9000 Prestige offers a close shave for all kinds of users, from those who prefer to leave some growth between shaves, to those who like to keep their face smooth. All this is wrapped up in a super sophisticated and premium design that certainly looks worthy of its exorbitant price tag (although it’s a lot cheaper if you shop around). If you’ve got the cash, you won’t regret buying this model.
Pros
- Excellent shave
- Very simple to use
- Adjusts power automatically
Cons
- Expensive
- Charging dock takes up a lot of space
Availability
- UKRRP: £648
Key Features
- Battery lifeExpect an hour of battery life on a full charge (three hours).
- TypeThis is a wet and dry electric shaver.
Introduction
The Series 9000 Prestige is Philips’ top-spec shaver. If you want the best of what the Dutch brand has to offer when it comes to trimming your chops, then this is it.
And it’s hardly surprising; just look at it. With a suave satin finish and a matching wireless charging bed that the shaver elegantly reclines into while it receives a good re-juicing, the Series 9000 Prestige is certainly something to behold.
Not only does this shaver promise to elevate your level of bathroom swagger with its sheer presence. Philips claims the 9000 Prestige can tackle longer beard growth as well as shorter stubble during your shave due to its new and improved SH98 shaving head that boasts some innovative V-shaped blades.
But does the Prestige’s performance live up to its sophisticated aesthetics and high-brow branding?
Design and features
- Sleek and modern design that oozes style
- Comfortable to hold thanks to rubber accents
- Neat matching wireless charging pad
- No cleaning station
With a name like Prestige, Philips could hardly deliver anything that looked anything short of sophisticated. Fortunately, the company has surpassed my expectations with the Series 9000. The satin metallic finish, which extends across both the shaver and its boxy charging bed, not only looks good but feels great in the hand, too. This shaver is sturdy without being too weighty, which gives it that professional edge while making it easy to take with you on the go.
The shaver’s metallic shell is complimented by rubber accents alongside a grippier layer on the back, both of which make it more comfortable to hold while you’re buzzing away at your face. These are especially handy since the device is completely waterproof and can be used in the shower.
While I love the design of both the shaver and its slick Qi wireless-powered charging bed, there’s one major thing it lacks, and that’s a cleaning station. The Series 9000 Prestige’s main rivals, namely the Braun S9 Pro and the Panasonic Series 900+, both come with a dock that, once loaded with cleaning fluid, acts like a dishwasher for your shaver.
The Series 9000 Prestige is available in multiple versions. The one that I reviewed costs £649.99 and doesn’t have a cleaning dock; the model that does costs an extra £50.
Performance
- Impressive performance for long and short facial hair
- Anti-friction coating is great for sensitive skin
- 60 minutes of use per charge
This has to be one of the best-performing electric shavers that I’ve had the pleasure of testing. A few circular glides around and I was left with a very close finish with very few stragglers left in tow. And it’s effortless. This is thanks to the Series 9000 Prestige’s V-shaped blades, which have been designed to tackle longer growth,as well as shorter stubble.
The shaver is also able to detect hair length and adapt its power output accordingly (something most top-of-the-range electric shavers do these days). But if you’re a control freak and can’t bear to pass over all your power to an inanimate object, then you have the option of three speeds: sensitive, normal and fast.
Worried about irritation? The Series 9000 Prestige has a series of circular caps covering its cutters with a wider opening and an anti-friction “nano coating”. This means a smoother shave with more hairs caught per stroke. And, I could really feel it working during use. There’s no need to add oil either, thanks to the blades’ self-sharpening tech, which is another boon for those with sensitive skin.
The Series 9000 Prestige will last for a good hour or so on a full charge, depending on the speed you have it set to chomp through your stubble and the length of your growth. It’ll take about three hours to get it from empty to full once you’ve popped this shaver in its fancy charging bed, which annoyingly takes up more space than an upright dock.
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Should you buy it?
You want the best of the best: With the looks to match and you don’t mind paying for it.
You don’t want to manually clean: You’re on a budget and you don’t like manually cleaning your electric shavers
Final Thoughts
A fantastic electric shaver that tackles longer growth and shorter stubble for a close shave. Choose this if money is no object but you don’t mind manually deep-cleaning the blades every few weeks. Otherwise, the Panasonic Series 900+ is a good bet, as it’s slightly cheaper and has a self-cleaning dock.
How we test
We test every electric shaver we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Used as our main electric shaver for the review period
Used on a variety of stubble lengths to test closeness of shave
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FAQs
There’s a cleaning dock available but not all versions of the shaver have this.
It lasts for an hour on a full charge.
Full specs
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
