Gillette Fusion Power Battery Powered Shaving System, 1 System
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List Price: Our Price: $10.47 You Save: $2.06 (16%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Customer Reviews of Gillette Fusion Power Battery Powered Shaving System, 1 System
Customer Review: The New 5 Blade Fusion
Summary: 4 Stars
I had read about this razor and being a bit of a shaving fanatic myself, I waited patiently for my local store to get the razor in stock. When I finally spotted it, I imediately purchased it, took it home and tried it. So, does this razor live up to the hype?
When I came home and took the razor out of the package I was glad to see that the battery (1-AAA battery) was included but I was a little put off that it only came with one razor cartridge. I figured from past experience that there would be two but only one??? The razor itself has a decent weight and a nice shape so I quickly got over the fact that there was only one cartridge.
I brought the razor in the shower, washed my face and applied my shaving gel and was preparred to be wowed. I turned the razor on and it came to life with a solid hum. The power button on it seems to be better than the M3Power's because it protrudes a little less and it seems less likely to be accidently turned off while you're shaving. That being said, I began to shave. The first thing I noticed about the razor was the size of it's head. It seems rather large in comparison to the M3Power or even the Schick Quattro blades. Even though it did seem bigger, it didn't seem awkwardky big and I was still able to shave without it being cumbersome. The razor cut clean and smoothly though my beard and gave quite a comfortable shave. The blades easily rinsed under running water even though they are spaced quite closely to each other. I noticed on a few of my problem spots I still had to take multiple passes with the razor so in spite of having five blades, it couldn't perform miracles! There was the single trimmer blade on the back of the cartridge too but it really didn't seem to be very functional.
Overall I was quite satisfied with the quality and comfort of the shave. The question that I have now is that, in spite of a good shave, is this razor worth the extra price versus say, the M3Power or the Schick Quattro? Locally the refils go for about 30% more than the other "older" razors so, there is a signifigant price difference?
Personally, I'll continue to use this razor for a little while and look for the cartridges to be on sale but I honestly don't think the Fusion's shave is that far superior to either the M3Power or the Schick Quattro to justify paying that much extra.
Customer Review: Nice Shave But I'll Stick With The M3 Power
Summary: 4 Stars
I have been using Gillette's Fusion Razor for a few weeks now and it's a nice razor with some pros and cons compared to Gillette's other blades. Gillette has some of the nicest products on the market, and I expected the Fusion to blow me away, but unlike the jump that was made when the Mach3 came out, I was not as excited after my shave as I was for the hype beforehand.
The Good
- The 5 blades are very smooth and glides across the face easily.
- Shaving time IS reduced with this new razor.
The Bad
- With so many blades, I felt like I was shaving off layers of skin. I feel there is a limit to how many blades are realistic, and this felt like it was too big for my face and I could seriously cut myself if I wasn't careful.
- Shave isn't much better than the Mach3 Turbo. While shaving my skin felt really smooth, but my hairs grew back just as quickly as they did with the Mach3 Turbo (no noticeable improvement).
- This razor is SO big I found it hard to get around facial areas like I could with the Mach3.
- The lotion strips on the M3 Power feel better and seem to last longer than on the Fusion razor.
- Design and look of the Fusion isn't as slick or nice as the M3 Power.
- Blades are no longer interchangeable. They went with a new interface for putting blades in that seems to take a step back, and having to buy the new razor to work with the new blades was a sneaky move in my opinion.
- The single blade on the back is useless. It's very hard to get the angle correct, and it barely gets anything off. The M3 Power got in tight spots just fine.
In conclusion, I plan to stick with my M3 Power. 3 blades seems to be just the right amount for getting in all areas on the face. While it might take a shave or 2 more to get all the hairs off then it does with the Fusion (on the large surface area portions of my face mind you), the M3 Power just seems safer in general.
This is more like 3 1/2 stars. Yes it's a nice shave, but it's not worth all the hype or additional financial burden this new blade will put you back.
**** RECOMMENDED
Customer Review: Better than I expected
Summary: 4 Stars
Before trying this razor, I was using the Mach III (which was a good razor as well, although I never used the Mach III Power); and despite my best efforts not to get sucked into advertising, I decided to try the Fusion Power after seeing the commercials. But now I'm glad I switched.
I only shave every other day, and rarely on weekends, so sometimes I'll go 3 or 4 days without shaving. And the Fusion does a great job with the extra growth. I have somewhat sensitive skin, and the "comfort guard" helps make it a smooth cut. And the power part is a big help; once I'm done, it's a closer shave than the Mach III was. I also have a goatee, and the main blade of the Fusion can actually trim the edges.
There are only 2 minor negatives to the Fusion: Cleaning out the comfort guard is a bit of a hassle, and the blue guard makes it hard to see any hair (mine is dark brown) that's been caught in it; and the battery indicator is basically useless. It's been "low" for several weeks, and a brand new battery didn't make a difference. So I guess when the razor stops working I'll know the battery is dead.
Overall, a good step up from a simple razor.
Update (11/17/07): It seems I misunderstood the battery indicator, which I apparently didn't look at very closely when I bought the razor. I thought the battery symbol on the razor would indicate when the battery was low, and that's why I thought it was "low" for so long; I didn't realize that it was like that all the time! The entire area around the battery symbol and the power button will actually flash orange when the battery is low, as I discovered this week. So I apologize to anyone that might have read my review and was misinformed because of it. And now the only minor negative about the razor is still the issue of cleaning the comfort guard.
On the positive side, however, it seems the Fusion will last quite a while on one battery: Mine was still going strong in April when I originally posted this review -- and I had had the razor for some time then -- and despite the fact that I don't shave every day, the original battery (which I put back in after a new one didn't matter) lasted until now.
Customer Review: Gillette Fusion Power has pluses and minus over Mach 3 Power
Summary: 4 Stars
I have a thick beard. I shave daily. I have been using Gillette sensor-series products almost exclusively since the Gillette sensor debuted in 1990.
I graduated from Sensor, To Sensor II, to Mach 3, to Mach 3 power.
I normally shave wet, with no shaving cream, and with down strokes, although I use some upstrokes. I have tested the Mach 5 both wet and dry, with no cuts or major problems.
I have used the Gillette Fusion for 1 week, and here are my findings.
Pluses:
1) An overall great shave.
2) The Fusion shaves better dry than any previous Sensor model. (Although I rarely have a reason to shave dry).
3) More blades. More microfins!
4) The plastic handle, while bulky, is very nice. The plastic is gentle to the touch, aa nice departure from the rigid, cold metal of the M3.
5) Comes with a coupon for $2 off additional cartridges.
Minuses:
1) The confort strip wear out WAY too quickly. My Mach3 blades last 3 weeks, My Fusion blade needs replacement after 1 week. Hopefully, the replacement blades will be better than the original ones (if so, I'll edit this review).
2) Since there are more microfins with a larger area, and sincen the microfins become more imporant to the overall shave, the microfins trap more hairs than ever. Even washing the blade doesn't get rid of all of the microhairs trapped in the microfins.
3) The 5 blades make upstrokes more difficult and don't offer the precision of the M3 and previous models for the tough spots (e.g. under the nose). On the soft ares of the face (e.g., the cheecks), the larger footprint makes it harder to press close and cut hairs close to the skin. However, this problem is somewhat offset by the additional blades and microfins.
4) As always, the blades are more expensive than previous version. At this rate of inflation, Gillette blades will cost $50 each by the year 2030. =)
Overall, it is a great product. I am undecided if I will keep using Fusion or switch back to the M3 as my primary. I might use both together (as I previously did with the M3 and Sensor Excel).
Customer Review: Long-time Mach III user had to upgrade
Summary: 4 Stars
Disclaimer: I've used the Mach III for my barely-less-hairy-than-an-ape face since it came out in the early-90's. The Mach III served me well, but the head kept coming off, the result of dropping it about 4 dozen too many times. I've been a Gillette user for a couple of decades, now, but I'm open to anything which works. Hint: I consider any electric, as much as I'd like to have one, useless. I've had a few, it was a waste of money for me, but my friends got exceptionally good hand-me-downs.
I was *ULTRA-SKEPTICAL* about a 5-bladed razor, *especially* a "powered" one. I mean, my triple-bladed beast was still cranking along, and after 15+ years, I've become accustomed to having my facial hair more pulled out than cut. It's a genentic thing not many people seem to suffer from, which is good for the greater population. Put it this way, I have '5 o-clock shadow by 10 AM'. It's not a good thing. If I skip shaving for 36 hours, I start to look like a psycho-drifter who has been on the road for a few weeks.
Anyway, I sprung for the powered version, figuring I could use all the help I could get. Shockingly, no pun intended, the shave was not only *amazingly* close, but I didn't have the typical 2-5 cuts from having a new blade. To make matters better, I mananged to have even sideburns for a change.
I've been in Vegas about a year and the mid-to-late-70's fat Elvis has started to transchannel my sideburns. Not mutton-chops...yet, but they're obvious. ;-)
Anyway, after not my first, but third powered-Fusion shave, about six hours after shaving (at which point I'd ususally give my wife a rash if I gave her more than a peck on the cheek) I said to her, "hey, feel my chin." I got an immediate "WOW!" It's so nice to look normal for an entire day.
There are downsides. Blades are stupidly expensive and don't seem to last more than a week, but the behavior was similar with my Mach III. I've considered having a ton of cartridges treated with near absolute zero cold, as that appears to help longevity, but have never gotten around to it.