Philips Norelco Series 5000 Beard Trimmer Review
Philips Norelco Series 5000 Beard Trimmer
The Philips Norelco 5000 Series Trimmer is a sleek beard trimmer that does the job without any major hick-ups but leaves something to be desired.
Pros
Extremely customizable to the beard length you want
Easy to clean
Easy to swap out guards
Charges Fast
Lightweight, Sleek design, and Small Profile make it easy to store
Cons
So many different settings, easy to get confused if you are not an expert
Flimsy-feeling plastic casing
Takes some experimentation to get exactly what you are looking for
Stepping waaaay out of our comfort zone on this one ‘Philips Norelco Series 5000 Beard Trimmer‘, guys. Those who follow my reviews in the past know I normally do razors, shaving soaps, and pre-shaves. However, we have something different for you here, a full-on beard trimmer!
Philips also names these — Beardtrimmer 5000 Series – Philips Norelco Beard Trimmer and Hair Clipper Series 5500. Phillips Norelco Series 5000 Beard & Stubble Trimmer. They are all the same trimmer.
Naturally, I had to take time to let my facial hair grow out, and then trim it multiple times to get a good feel for this trimmer before I could give you all a proper review.
Sorry for the wait on that.
Let’s get into it!
— Related: 6 Best Beard Trimmers in 2024 – 11 Tested and Reviewed
Description and Features
Unboxed I got the trimmer, 3 guard lengths, small cleaning brush and a corded plug with the BT5511/49 model I purchased.
- 3 Different Height Guards for controlling how close the cutting edge is to your face.
- 40 Different Length settings by the millimeter for getting the exact level of trim you are looking for. 20 of these are on the dial, and with the extra guides, this can give you ups the 40 different lengths to choose from.
- Beard length is step by using a dial or “Zoom Wheel” to premeasured lengths ranging from 1/64” (0.4mm) to 25/32” (20mm).
- Easy to Clean both inside and out! Just pop the top off and brush out the interior. Fully washable, so you don’t need to worry about keeping a certain part dry. I would recommend not using it in the shower though, and only keeping it by the sink.
- Fast Charging Lithium-Ion Battery. Can run cordlessly for around 90 minutes before needing a complete recharge. Only takes 5 minutes to charge for one shave, and only an hour to reach a full charge.
- Power light is bright and easy to see when it needs to charge, or when it is full of power.
- “Dual-Cut Blades” made of stainless steel cut quickly and easily through beard hair. Doubled up blades make the razor glide easily through even dense hair.
- Lift and Cut Pro system attempts to get really deep into your beard so it will evenly cut low-lying hairs.
- Lightweight unit with an ergonomic design that is easy to hold and move around.
- 2 Year Warranty with a guarantee that you will never need to oil the motor, and that the voltage levels will work internationally.
A Note About Model Numbers
The 5000 series has several different model numbers depending on where you are in the world. We can also call this trimmer the 5500 Series to remove any confusion between previous 5000 Series trimmers (i.e., 5100).
For this review, I am using the BT5511/49. It is also known in the UK as the BT5515/13 or in the EU as the BT5515/15.
Any models that begin with BT55xx/xx are the same trimmer, with the only difference being the attachments the trimmer comes with and the country it is sold. Of course in the UK and Europe they are also names Philips while in the US they are named Philips Norelco.
The 5500 series is a direct upgrade from the earlier 5100 series of trimmers which only had 34 length settings rather than the full 40 that the 5500 series does.
The 5100 also had a more limited battery life (70 minutes rather than 90 minutes), and lacked a battery indicator to show it had been fully charged.
How well Does the 5000 Series Perform?
My experience with beard trimmers is pretty hit or miss. I like to have a nice and clean trim, but I find my beard hair is very curly and thick. This can make most trimmers get gummed up and even stall out as I am attempting to trim.
Also, because the hair is very curly, it can easily just be rolled over without any blade even touching it. It takes a great deal of work to get the hair straightened out so it can be trimmed without missing anything. Even then, I will have to pass over it multiple times just to get a good cut.
So, how did the Philips Norelco BT5511 perform?
Overall Shave Experience
Upgrading from my old beard trimmer, this really felt like going from using an old push mower for a lawn to a nice riding lawn mower.
Honestly, strap in for that. Mowing a lawn is the closest metaphorical frame of reference. So, be prepared to think of facial hair as grass for this review.
The overall trim goes a great deal faster than almost any other trimmer I have ever used. Still had some moments when I had to go in and unclog the blades, but it was a dream compared to most budget trimmers you see on the market.
Quality and Design
I like the sleek design of this trimmer. It fits in the hand very comfortably, and the rubberized grips make it easy to hold onto. Even switching it over to an underhand hold was quick and easy.
My hands were slightly damp, and I found no slipping or sliding on the chrome parts. It is just easy to hold and manipulate, and the power button is easy to find without being easy to accidentally press when actually using the trimmer.
There is a dial on the middle of the unit that you can use to range the cutting guard for the exact length you are looking for in your beard. It displays in millimeters the length and clicks into place audibly. It also requires some force, so you can’t accidentally change length while you are trimming.
My biggest issue with the whole design is just how it feels in the hand. While it is comfortable, there is a flimsy plastic feeling to the trimmer. Like if I squeeze too hard something is going to pop or break. Maybe that is a “me” issue, but I would like for it to be heftier to actually feel like something that isn’t going to break if it drops out of my hand on accident.
The trimmer guards are pretty easy to slide in and out of the top of the cutting edge. They have posts on either side that fit into small groves. It’s this mechanism that the dial uses to give you the desired length. As you turn the dial, the posts raise and the guard gets further away from the cutting edge. It is easy to slot them in or out of the trimmer, feeling something like sliding a bolt into a rifle. If, for some reason, the posts were to snap, that would basically make the guard useless. Luckily, you can order replacements from Amazon.
Phillips advertises the guards having a “Lift-and-Cut Pro” system that is designed to lift the smaller hairs in the “undercoat” of your beard. I, honestly, do not see how the guards can do this or do anything more than other trimmers. I had to keep going back over my beard to get these errand hairs. Then again, my beard is very curly and thick. It might be that the hair in question is just too thick for the average hair this Life-and-Cut system is supposed to work on.
Cutting Power
The box and Amazon advertise this razor as “one pass even trim” and I will level with you all here and say that is an outright lie.
Maybe it is my beard, or maybe it is the trimmer, but I found myself having to make MULTIPLE passes to get the cut I was looking for.
The guards are supposed to “lift” low-lying hairs to make sure the razor gets even the deep hair of your beard and….yeah no.
Again, I had to make multiple passes over my face to get most of the hair I was attempting to trim. Even then, I missed a great deal of the edges and needed to go back later.
The razor itself did cut though, and I only needed to clean out the guard maybe twice to make sure that I didn’t clog it up completely.
Don’t think you are going to just be able to pass over your face and go. Expect to go back and do some touch-ups.
Ease of Use
Plug and Play, this trimmer is not that complicated if you are just wanting to trim back your stubble and keep your beard in check. In fact, if you are wanting to maintain a nice 5 o’clock shadow look, then this is probably going to be very easy for you to use.
The snag is when you want to specifically hold onto a beard length. The dial on the trimmer is easy to see and use, but you are going to need to experiment. Unless you know the exact millimeter length of your hair as you want it, you need to literally dial in just what you want.
For my own part, I have trimmed way too much off because I wasn’t sure exactly what length I wanted. Just means I need to take more time growing it right back out.
I could see this as being annoying for some guys. It’s annoying for me at least.
Battery Life
Show of hands, who needs 90 minutes of continuous use to trim their beard?
Now, show of hands, who WANTS 90 minutes?
That should be most of you. 90 minutes means you are not going to have to keep charging this guy over and over again. You are not tied to a wall outlet and can put this away without having to worry about keeping it charged.
I know most guys are just going to keep it on the charger because it is easier, but if you have a limited amount of counter space, then you can just charge it and put it in a drawer.
It is also fast charging, only taking an hour to reach full charge, meaning this thing is ready almost out of the box!
Most trimmers need you to charge them for about 2-4 hours before they can be used. Not so with this little guy.
If you are worried about making sure it holds the charge, it can easily be used with the cord plugged in as well as cordlessly. Though I prefer cordlessly, as I often find cords just get in the way.
Cleaning and Maintenance
I have always had a hard time cleaning trimmers. They have a tendency to just collect hair in the weirdest places and need to be carefully brushed out constantly.
This guy doesn’t really have that problem.
It’s easy to keep it clean, and even lets you pop off the blade to get into the works and keep hair out of it. Which is good, because there is a great deal of hair to get out.
The blade can be run underwater if you are worried about making sure it is nice and cleaned, and even allows for the use of light soap and water. I would recommend just water to rinse it out, then just leave it open to air dry.
Frankly put, this guy feels really easy to maintain with very low effort. Just clean it out when you can remember it.
Value for Money
Only really huge sticking point on this trimmer is the cost. You are looking at dropping $50 USD (75 British Pounds, or 65 EUROs) for this bad boy.
Not a bad price, but if you looking for something for a first-time trimmer or you are just getting your feet under you for sculpting a beard, you might want to look for something less expensive.
However, if you are a guy who knows exactly what they need in length and style, then this is a pretty good deal.
Any Common Consumer Issues, Complaints, or Positive Reports?
Most other reviews for the Norelco 5000-5500 are overwhelmingly positive.
Consumers have lauded the battery life, the adjustable levels, the guards, and the feel of the trimmer in their hands.
There are a few complaints though.
A few users have brought up the general flimsy nature of the attachable guards themselves. They are not really made of strong plastic and seem to break easily. This is not an issue I had, but if you are traveling a great deal, and you throw these into a back with other hard things, then they will almost certainly snap the moment they hit a hard bump.
Others have noted the very loud sound of the trimmer, and….yeah they have a point. My bathroom is small, and this razor ECHOS off the walls around me. You can tell when I am shaving with this guy. If you are trying to be subtle, this isn’t really the way to go.
Finally, there are some wide spaces between the guard teeth that could be an issue for some faces. Some users have reported getting slight cuts there. It wasn’t an issue I had, but I could see it happening if you were really pushing hard on the skin.
Final Thoughts – Who is the Philips Norelco 5000 Series For?
Overall, I really did like this trimmer. I think it has a good feel, and glides over the skin well enough. I did have to go back to touch up multiple edges and places where it just wouldn’t pick up the hair on the first (or second) pass, but that is normal for me. I would definitely give this trimmer an endorsement.
If you want to upgrade to a nice, good-quality beard trimmer that will last you a while, this is your bet. You could do much worse than the Norelco 5000 Series.
