Electric Shaver Review

Philips Norelco OneBlade Review

After receiving the Philips Norelco OneBlade and testing it out in various ways, I realized it’s one of the strangest shaving tools I have used.

It looks like a cartridge razor — well, the blade does; it operates just like an electric shaver, its handle is like an electric toothbrush, and it comes with various clipper or groomer comb lengths. But, on top of that, the blade looks like a solar panel without blades, foils, or cutters.

I was baffled as to how this thing could shave and bodygroom. However, the Philips OneBlade was both fun and challenging from the start, from opening to testing, using, and reviewing.

Description & Features

I purchased the OneBlade QP2630/30. It comes with four stubble combs, the face and body blades, a body comb, the travel pouch, and a charging cord with plug. A blade cover was also included for the face blade. 

It is worth mentioning the travel pouch is very useful, and if you purchase the model with a pouch, it is best to use something that can store the shaver and its attachment; otherwise, you might damage the blade, and there are just too many bits and bobs to not store them.

• Wet & Dry: The OneBlade is waterproof and can be used in the shower or dry like a regular electric shaver. It can also be used with shaving cream and other lubricants, including electric pre-shave lotions.
• Stubble Combs: The stubble combs allow users to cut their beards at various lengths. The sizes include 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, and 5mm. 
• Body Comb: The body comb can be attached to the face blade and can be used to trim body hair down to 5mm (3/16 inch).
• Replacement Blades: Blades last for four months and then must be replaced. Philips states this is based on two full shaves weekly, and results may vary.
• Handle: The ergonomically friendly handle has rubberized sides to promote grip.
• Rechargeable: The OneBlade Face (QP2520) takes 8 hours to charge fully and provides 45 minutes of runtime. The Face/Body (QP2630) models take 4 hours to fully charge and provide 60 minutes of runtime. They cannot be used when connected to the mains.
• Indicators: The OneBlade Face models (QP2520) have a battery charging indicator light on the plug that lights up when it is charging. The Face/Body (QP2630) models display a full battery, low battery, and charging light on the handle.
• Warranty: 2 years warranty for the handle only. 

Unique Blades and Operation

The blade on the OneBlade is the most unique blade I have ever encountered. When I first looked at it, the look and feel made it hard to believe it could cut anything. However, you can easily feel the blades tugging the whiskers when putting the blade on facial hair and moving it without switching on the device.

Philips does not tell us much about the blades apart from stating that it has Unique OneBlade technology. It certainly is unique when compared to other types of blades, including rotary and foil shaver blades or cutters.

The body blade provided is the same as the face blade and just has the black and light green protective casing attached, known as a skin guard. This casing came apart on one occasion, and I realized a user does not need to buy a body blade (unless the protective casing is damaged) and just replace the inner blades. 

The body blade and its skin guard do offer better protection when shaving those more sensitive or private areas, such as the crown jewels we wish to protect at all costs. This is because the casing mostly protects the two main side edges of the blade.

On closer inspection of the blade edges, you’ll find teeth, and when the OneBlade is switched on, these teeth move in the same manner as the blades of hair clippers or trimmers. These edges do a lot of the cutting and edging, which seems to be one of the reasons they work best when shaving against the grain.

Attaching Blades and Stubble Combs

Attaching a blade and switching over from the face blade to the body blade is easy enough. The blades just clip inside.

One thing that seems flimsy is the blade comes out easily without the need to unclip it with the button. I would try to use the button when possible — just in case the mechanism for attaching and detaching blades becomes worn. Philips could improve this and make the blades lock tighter.

The stubble combs may feel slightly tricky at times to attach or detach — which is mostly because the Philips OneBlade is a small device.

Blades Flex

I really like how the blades flex with the various contours of the face, body, or skin. It’s similar to the flexibility a user gets from a cartridge razor.

The blades flexible movement is an important feature that works well.

How Well Does the Philips OneBlade Trim, Shave, and Groom?

The testing and using of the Philips OneBlade took some time. It has various functions, including edging, trimming, body grooming, and facial shaving, to put to the test.

I spent about a month with this device grooming just about everything, and with various levels of hair growth to see what the results were and to find what it works with best.

Facial Shaving 7/10

Facial shaving was the original primary task for which the OneBlade was first designed, alongside trimming and edging.

I like that Philips states the OneBlade does not shave as close as a razor. A company being honest can’t be a bad thing, and, indeed, you aren’t going to get a baby botty smooth shave from this device.

On the first occasion I used the OneBlade I had a good four days of coarse growth. I trimmed it down, then used the shaver and shaved as directed against the grain. If you have coarse growth like me, then you’ll notice bits of debris flying all over the place, unlike an electric shaver that collects the debris inside the head. The shaving shrapnel flying everywhere was not an issue.

The shave I get is okay, and I am usually left with a very light stubble. It reminds me of the decent but cheaper electric shaver models that leave a slight stubble.

Shaving is comfortable and causes no irritation, which is well worth noting, especially for gentlemen with sensitive skin. 

It takes a lot of time to shave off a decent stubble and takes more time than electric shavers and razors. This is more so when the stubble is longer –say more than three days.

Shaving every two days or daily is completed much quicker naturally, but it’s still not the quickest shaving tool in the box. However, younger guys with much softer whiskers and stubble will get the job done much faster than my facial hair will allow.

I did get the odd flat-lying and straggler hairs that did not want to lift up and be cut. However, the OneBlade did remove them after some effort, and straggler or flat-lying hairs can still be an issue with some of the best electric shavers for men, so I did not sweat that.

Edging 6.8/10

Edging my sideburns was a similar experience I have with electric shavers I test and use; it was pretty hopeless. I tried turning the OneBlade around as advised by Philips to trim the sideburns, which did not work well and found it best to shave upwards with the device closer to a 45-degree angle. 

I did try edging after a good few days of growth to edge in a goatee beard style, even if a goatee does look rubbish on me. Again it seemed that turning the device around did not work well for me, and using it in the usual manner and finding the right angle was best.

I can see that the OneBlade would work fine when shaping a beard during a trim session. 

Trimming 7/10

Trimming facial hair with one of the stubble combs seemed to work fine. However, I don’t have long enough beard growth to really test the OneBlade enough as I would like. You might want to check out some YouTube videos as I did and watch the OneBlades beard trimming skills on a decent fuller beard.

BodyGrooming 7.1/10

Okay. More hair to mow down!

I tried the OneBlade on chest hair, armpits, crown jewels, and pubic area. 

I used the body blade attachment and tried the normal blade with stubble attachments. The armpits and chest were quite easy to trim down, and the hair was trimmed down to 3mm.

The benefit of using the body comb over a stubble comb is it will cut hair on both sides. So, you can use the OneBlade going up and down or in any other direction, and it will still catch and cut the hair, unlike the stubble combs, which only cuts on one side and in one direction — forwards. 

I started the chest, armpit, and pubic area project with a heck of a lot hair. The OneBlade does trim this kind of growth down, but it takes a while, and I did find I missed a lot of armpit hair. A larger hair clipper or trimming tool is best for this kind of job, but the OneBlade will do it.

After trimming chest, armpit, and pubic hair with the body comb, the blade with the skin guard can be used or a blade without the skin guard. The skin guard seemed to be helpful in protecting sensitive areas, like around the nipples and other places. The skin guarded blade cut the hair down to a bare minimum stubble, but it took a lot of time because I was shaving a lot of body. 

The OneBlade, when shaving the balls area with just the blade and skin guard, does not get close enough for my liking, as a cartridge razor does. You’ll be fine if you are okay with a stubble effect on your sack. Also, without the skin guard and just the blade, it gave me some minor nicks because I wanted a closer shave down there. If you go easy down there and don’t need a stubble-free shave, you can make the Philips OneBlade work for you and your balls.

The time it takes to use the OneBlade for body grooming is not great, and one reason is that the blade is relatively small compared to other trimmers and not as sharp as a razor –to be able to cut as quickly. A Remington palm-held clipper I use covers a lot of body hair very quickly (See Remington ShortCut Review), which is a good example of having plenty of blade.

Wet & Dry 7/10

Most of the shaving I did with the OneBlade was dry without water, shaving cream, gel, or soap. However, I tried out the device with shave cream on my face, chest, armpits, and privates to see if it helped make the shave more comfortable.

The shave was slightly more comfortable on all areas with a small amount of cream, and the chest area was quicker as this is such a large area of shaving to cover. In addition, the balls were happy about the extra lubrication and protection between the skin and blade. However, if I wet shave with cream, I still prefer to get the cartridge razor out as electric shavers are much about saving time and the convenience of no lather and mess.

Build Quality and Ergonomics – 8/10

The OneBlade is a plastic device that feels and looks like a solid enough tool that should last a few years.

The simple design is ergonomically friendly for holding, and the rubberized side panels provide plenty of grip.  

Charging and Battery Life – 7/10

Charging up the OneBlade does take longer than most electric shavers. The Face model (QP2520) takes 8 hours to charge fully, providing 45 minutes of runtime, and the Face & Body model (QP2630) takes 4 hours to charge, providing 60 minutes of runtime. 

Some users may have an issue with the lengthy charge time, while others like me are fine. It would only be an issue if I were traveling and in mid-facial shave the battery died. If the charge time is an issue, a buyer should go for the Pro OneBlade version.

I definitely get 60 minutes or more runtime out of the Face & Body OneBlade I am using.

The Philips Face & Body device does indicate when the battery is getting low in charge, which is useful, but the Face model does not. The charge time is 4 – 8 hours, so I think a low charge indicator is essential. 

The Face and Face & Body battery is not a Lithium-ion battery, and you will find most electric shavers and the OneBlade Pro have a Lithium-ion type. This is why these NIMH batteries have to be trickled charged, and they will, after time, hold less charge, giving less runtime.

Cleaning and Maintenance – 8/10

There is not much to do in terms of cleaning the OneBlade; it’s not like an electric shaver in that way. It also does not require oiling the blades, which hair clippers, trimmers, and electric shavers require.

To keep the blades clean, they only need to be rinsed in warm water.

What it does require is regular blade replacements that can get a little pricey, and Philips suggests that users replace the blades every four months — Based on two full shaves per week. 

There are so many variables to consider, like how often a person shaves, if they shave their body, and the coarseness of hair, for anyone to pinpoint the exact lifespan of the blades.

The blades have a wear indicator. They will begin to show a light green color to indicate the blades are wearing, and more green will appear as they wear more, which is a helpful feature.

Value for money – 8/10

I would go along with these unique shave, trim, and edging devices being a good overall buy and not too pricey for what we get. 

The Face model sells for around $38 USD (£21 – €28 ++ *), and the Face & Body retails for approximately $50 USD (£59 – €59*).

*varies in different EU countries

The higher costs — like with many other shavers and cartridge razors is in the blade replacements. Two facial blades cost approximately $24 USD, a Face & Body kit costs around $30 USD, and 1 – 3 and other blade options are available.

Any Common Consumer Issues, Complaints, or Positive Reports?

As expected, there are reports and reviews galore for the OneBlade as it has become a very popular shaving and trimming device bought and used by many. 

Some typical comments about the OneBlade include the length of time it takes to shave or trim –it shaves close enough but not baby butt smooth, and it does not cut or nick easily.

Some users have also picked up on hair flying all over the place I mentioned while shaving, but on a positive note, how sensitive and skin-friendly it is. 

Many gents love this little device for its intended use- trimming, edge-shaving, and shaving (remember, it’s not as close as a razor, as advertised).

Final Thoughts & Who is the Philips OneBlade best suited for?

The Philips OneBlade has been one of the most interesting reviews I have had to do for some time. A very unique trimming and shaving tool!

It’s not going to be a great tool for those who want the closest shave they can get or even the best trimmer. I have tested many dedicated trimmers, razors, and shavers, with many of these doing a better job. 

However………

For someone looking for a lightweight, easy-to-use beard grooming device, the OneBalde is worth considering. 

The OneBlade is a decent product for men to add to their shave rotation when switching over different shaving or trimming tools from day to day. I also see younger guys with less coarse hair getting on very well with this.

The other use that comes to mind is for travel. It’s a good all-round tool that can trim and shave just about everything, so you won’t need to pack various razors, shavers, and trimmers. It packs away nicely in a small travel pouch!

See you on the next trim up and shave down!