EFTM Review: Phillps AquaTouch wet and dry electric shaver

Believe it not today’s modern man is  seeking  tools that help look their best, unless you’ve decided to completely let yourself go (look no further than EFTM’s Trevor Long.) To the rescue come the good people at Phillips who’ve launched the AquaTouch range of electric shavers with the added benefit of wet or dry versatility.

Ask any clean-shaven bloke how to get the ultimate shave and you’ll likely get a multitude of different suggestions.  From shaving cream, blade quality, technique and even post shave care the seemingly simple task of achieving a close non damaging shave appears quite a skill to master.

Personally I’ve always turned to a good quality blade which is an expensive habit, particularly given my weakness for gimmicks. The number of buzzing, vibrating, moisture infused, titanium, diamond encrusted,  ergonomic , cutting edge, super-duper, state of the art blades I’ve fallen for is quite ridiculous.

So when Phillips new AquaTouch electric shaver arrived at EFTM headquarters I was the first to knock it off.

I’ve tried the odd electric shaver over time, but always a dry one.  The AquaTouch can be used wet or dry. It’s fully waterproof when used in conjunction with your favourite foam or gel, even in the shower.

It provides a nice shave, albeit a little more time consuming than a traditional blade. It takes several attempts to get an adequate result; I found it particularly struggled with the neck area.

One of the advantages of an electric shaver is the near impossibility of nicks and razor burn.  On more than one occasion during my typical 5am stupor I’ve inflicted  a Norman Gunstan type haemorrhage. (The chances of this increase 10 fold if you use Aldi branded blades, trust me I’ve been through that phase)

To use some Phillips marketing jargon the AquaTouch provides a shield from such calamities due to its;

“rounded low-friction cups that adjust automatically to the curves of your face, as we’ll as a Super Lift & Cut feature that helps to lift hairs away from the skin before cutting them to guarantee a close shave”

Overall I was happy with Phillips little creation and reckon it’ll remain a mainstay of my morning routine.  It negates the need for regularly replacing costly blunt manual blades. Although only time will tell how long the Phillips blade system remains’ effective.

It’s user friendly and uncomplicated.  50 plus minutes of cordless shaving is possible on just one charge. There are 2 models available, the AT890 model retails for $199 (as tested) and its cheaper sibling the AT750 for $99. The only real difference between the 2 is a pop up trimmer on the pricier model and longer charge.

But to all blokes out there a cautionary warning! It’s indisputable a decent razor is far more likely to ward off the 5 o’clock shadow. With the Phillips AquaTouch those annoying little bristles may rear their ugly heads instead at 1530 hours.

Over and out.

Price: $199

Web: Philips