10/20/2009

Review of Philips Norelco HQ9 SpeedXL Replacement Heads

This product contains three replacement heads for the Norelco 9160XL electric razor. After 1 1/2 years of continuous daily usage the original cutting heads were no longer giving a good shave. I decided to replace the original blades with this set.

The good:

1.)Easy to following instruction for replacement on the package, and the actual replacement process was incredibly simple and easy to do.

2.)The new blades functioned perfectly; because the decline in performance of the original blades was so gradual, it was difficult to believe how much of an improvement these replacement blades provided.

The not so good:

Only one complaint; the packaging. The replacement blade were embodied in a package that made it extremely difficult to actually get at the blades. There were a series of 6 grommet eyelets surrounding the entire package making it very secure. I literally had to force scissors between the layers of cardboard to get around the grommets to eventually get to the blades inside. In a word...frustrating. Plus, a slight slip and a bad cut may have occurred (I think everyone has experienced trying to open one of these newer hard-plastic wrapped items and knows just how difficult it can really be to get at the product inside).

Conclusion:
An excellent set of replacement blades. (I just hope they'll last longer than the 3 months it took for the original blades to start to lose their sharpness). Time will tell; but up to now, so far so good.
However, getting the blades out of this package could be considered a potential hazard.
5 Stars for the product itself, with 1 or 2 Stars off for the needless obstructive packaging.

Addendum Feb 24/08:
Interesting to note that they've changed the packaging on this product (since my original review) making it appear that it's less hazardous to access. However, as I haven't purchase this specific product package, I can't comment on the ease of access (or safety) of the new packaging.

R.Nicholson

Product Description
SpeedXL Replacement Heads for all Norelco SpeedXL and SmartTouchXL Shaving Systems.SpeedXl provides 50% more shaving surface for a faster, smoother and closer shave.

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