Philips QC5570 DIY Easy Reach Review – Does It DIY Very Well?
Philips QC5570/13 DIY Easy Reach Hair Clippers
The Philips QC5570 is a palm-held type of hair-cutting clipper that aims to enable men to give themselves a quick cut at home. It’s a DIY hair clipper worth comparing with others on the market.
Pros
Good ergonomics that make cutting easy around all areas of the head
Very comfortable to hold and use
Ideal for self-cutting and easier to use than longer handle types
180 degrees blade that turns makes cutting the back of the head easier
An easy and different way of changing combs and only 2 combs to change
Ideal for balding guys to keep their hair trimmed down to 0.5 mm and all over (same length) cuts
Great travel companion
Cons
Not quite as close as high-quality hair clippers
Mainly suitable for cutting hair at one length all over and would not be easy to use for edging or tapering
Blade width is slim
A bit pricey
As a man with receding hair and a preference for keeping his hair (what’s left) very short or bald, any type of product that gets the job done comfortably, efficiently, and in a DIY style is well worth checking out.
Next on the DIY palm held hair clipper list to check out, test, and review is the Philips QC5570/13 Do-It-Yourself hair clippers. Also known as the Philips QC5570/13 HeadGroom and DIY Easy Reach; however, the QC5580/13 model is really the HeadGroom, and the QC5570/13 is the DIY Easy Reach.
It’s worth mentioning right from the start that these are best suited for getting a kind of buzz cut and using the clippers to get an all-around cut at the same length that the clipper combs (or no comb) will allow. They’re not best suited for variable lengths and fades.
Philips QC5570 vs QC5580 – These two models are the exact same hair clippers, also named Philips Headgroom or DIY Easy Reach, with the only difference being the QC5580 has an attachable foil head for close shaving. The issue when companies try to make one product do more than it should is that they rarely do and that shaving foil head will just shave okayish, not great.
In this Philips QC5570 review, I will outline the key features, present the results of my testing, and suggest who it is best suited for.
Description & Features
Unboxed, a buyer gets the hair clippers, two comb attachments, power lead, oil, cleaning brush, and instructions. If you purchase the QC5580 model, it comes with the foil shaver head. Some may, and others may not have a travel bag.
- Handle/Body – The QC5570 is a palm-held device with a shorter but wider handle and body than standard hair clippers. The whole hand needs to hold onto the whole body when cutting.
- Blades – The stainless steel blades are narrower than standard hair clippers, measuring 41 mm in width. Phillips states the blades are self-sharpening.
- Combs and settings – Two combs come with the Philips, which can be adjusted with a dial. The precision comb cuts from 1 mm to 3 mm, and the larger comb cuts from 3 mm to 15 mm. A total of 13 length settings.
- Cordless/Corded – Can be used with or without a cord. Not to be used corded near water for obvious safety reasons.
- 180° Rotating Head – The rotating head is one of the key features that sets this hair clipper apart from others. Users can adjust the head to four different settings to suit the desired cutting angle.
- Charging and Battery – It takes an hour to charge for a full charge, and an indicator that shows the battery light glowing white when it’s full, and then it blinks orange when 10 minutes remain. Users get up to 60 minutes of runtime from a full charge.
- Washable – The blades are washable. Rinse under the tap after using the clippers.
- Warranty – Philips offers a 2-year warranty period. Register your hair clippers with the Philips website for your country to ensure everything is registered for the warranty.
More About The 180° Rotating Head
This is one feature of these hair clippers that makes them different from others and should enable them to help users do it themselves more easily.
The rotating head does, in fact, help make cutting easier, in my experience. At first, I used the clippers with the blades facing forward, as I couldn’t connect with rotating the head. However, when I adjusted the angle for shaving the back of my head, I found it made it a heck of a lot easier.
Why Are There Only Two Combs?
Typically, hair clippers come with a variety of clipper combs that are suitable for cutting at different lengths. The Philips QC5570, however, only has two; one is a precision comb, and the other is a hair comb.
The two interchangeable combs that come with this hair clipper are adjusted via the dial. The dial changes the distance of the comb from the blades to give a closer or longer cut.
As shown in the picture above, each size is indicated on one of the clipper combs when adjusting the dial to achieve the desired length.
How well does the Philips Headgroom perform?
It was not so long ago that I used, tested, and reviewed a similar type of DIY hair clipper, the Remington HC4250 Quickcut, which went very well. The Philips QC5570 was a good choice for reviewing and comparing with the QuickCut.
It took a few haircuts to get used to using these clippers, and I only really use the lowest level of cut without a comb attached. I initially tested the precision comb, and it worked well.
Turning the blade 90 degrees to cut the back on the head and up from the back to the sides is a clever feature that makes head shaving much easier. The size of the clippers and how they fit in the hand also make DIY hair cutting much easier.
One thing I found which may have stood out for me more after using the Remington Quickcut (which has a very large blade area) is the blade width is pretty small. It’s not really a deal-breaker; however, it was noticeable!
I was able to cut evenly around my head and ended up with a good, close cut, without any problems.
Bottom Line – The Philips DIY Clipper makes cutting hair to a single length for a personalized DIY style quite easy. The blade-turning ability, size, and build make this possible.
Build quality and ergonomics – 8/10
The Philips QC5570 is an all-plastic unit that looks and feels like it will last, although I don’t expect it to last more than a few years.
It’s a hand-held clipper that aims to fit within the palm, or rather, the whole hand. The rubberized sides provide grip, and because the head can be rotated 180 degrees, the ergonomics work very well.
Holding & Grip – 9/10
I think we’ve covered handle and grip pretty well. Being large in size and having a rubberized section covering the top and side makes holding these clippers while in use easy enough. There are grooves all around the sides that also help with grip.
Ease of Use – 9/10
Nothing seems difficult to operate. The clipper combs attach and detach easily, the blade can be easily attached and detached, and, as mentioned, the primary features enable these clippers to make a DIY buzz cut easy enough for anyone to do.
Cleaning and Maintenance – 9/10
The Philips Headgroom can be cleaned with the small brush provided. Because it is washable, a user can run warm (not hot) tap water over the head while it is switched on to clean out debris. This all works very well.
It will help maintain the blades and keep the clippers running smoothly if the user also regularly oils them. A small bottle of oil is provided; adding drops in about three areas of the blade head will suffice, then switch it on. You can see the three spots advised by Philips to add the oil in the small manual provided.
Replacement parts, including the cutter and shaving foils, when required, can be purchased separately when needed. Parts are all quite affordable.
Charging and battery life – 8/10
Being able to use these clippers, corded or cordless, is useful when a user might forget to recharge their batteries. The clippers come fully charged and can be recharged once the orange indicator light turns on.
Because my hair remains short, I only spend about 3 minutes trimming it down to the minimum again. I get a lot of shaves before I have to recharge again, and too many to count.
Value for money – 7/10
In the US (approx $109) and other non-European and UK countries, these QC5570 clippers are a bit pricey for what a buyer gets. In the UK and Europe, they are much better priced and more affordable (approximately £70 in the UK and €80 in the EU).
Recently, I have been finding that the QC5570 model, which is available without the shaving foil, is becoming unavailable, and it seems Philips is pushing the QC5580, which is a bit more expensive. I will keep an eye out to see if they phase out the QC5570 model.
Final Thoughts – Who is the Philips QC5570 best suited for?
Guys who are balding, like me, or those who frequently cut their hair very short, will get along very well with the Philips Headgroom clippers. They are easier to use than standard types, even if they are not as high-quality as some.
The best things about this product are how easily it cuts the hair at the back of the head and how it transitions from the back to the side. Additionally, it is easy to hold in the hand due to its ergonomic design.
A nice hair clipping tool and the future of men’s grooming DIY style.
