Remington Vacuum Beard and Stubble Trimmer 6000 Review
Remington Vacuum Beard and Stubble Trimmer 6000
The Remington Vacuum Beard and Stubble Trimmer 6000 adds a unique feature that saves so much time it isn’t even funny. The Vacuum chamber sucks in cut hair to minimize the amount of time spent cleaning the sink after a good trimming session.
Pros
The vacuum chamber is powerful enough to get 90 percent of all cut hair
The trimmer is light and easy to maneuver
It charges fast and holds its charge
Switching out trimmer cutting heads is fast and easy
Cons
The vacuum chamber is difficult to clean out
Trimmer doesn’t rest still and rolls around
The charge light goes out when fully charged
The cutting edge requires multiple passes over the face
I’ve always had the same metaphor in my head comparing trimming my beard to mowing an overgrown lawn. To that end, I have always wondered how best to care for all the stray hairs that build up in the sink. No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get them all, and I have definitely caused a few sink clogs, much to my partner’s concern and frustration.
I’ve thought about if there was a way to collect the hair debris in a bag, like the mulch on a lawn mower, but that would look awkward and would get in the way while trimming.
Of course, then the mad lads over at Remington just went over and made a real vacuum beard trimmer! The Remington Vacuum Beard and Stubble Trimmer 6000.
Related — The last beard trimmers I tested and Reviewed were the Philips Norelco Series 9000 Prestige and Philips Norelco Series 5000 Beard Trimmer.
Does it work, or is it just a weird gimmick? Even if the vacuum works well, does it still work as a decent beard trimmer?
Description and Features
- Adjustable beard comb guide from 2 mm all the way to 18 mm (11 in total)
- 90 minutes worth of battery runtime
- Comes with: Trimmer, Adjustable Beard Comb, Charging cable, Detailing Blade, Instructions, and Cleaning Brush
- Made in China
- 7 oz or 198 grams
Models Reviewed – The Remington Vacuum Beard and Stubble Trimmer 6000 model purchased, tested, used, and reviewed here is the MB6850 (USA 7 Canada) — MB6500 (EU + UK). The model numbers are the exact same trimmer, sold in different countries.
Overall, the Remington Vacuum Beard Trimmer looks like any other beard trimmer, with an open area as a reservoir to hold the debris it trims off your beard. In that cavity is a filter to let air pass through, but not the beard hair. It is a superfine mesh that works really well to capture anything pulled out of your beard hair.
Below that is an open area the vacuum parts use as an exhaust for hair as you trim. Its position seems weirdly placed as I know how many guys would hold the trimmer, and it seems to be that they would cover those exhaust ports and cause stress on the motor, but they are wide enough that unless you have large hands, then it shouldn’t really be an issue.
It has one main power button on the front, marked with the normal circle and line. It is recessed slightly into the unit and covered with plastic, so you can’t actually see the button. I would worry that it would be easy to turn off the unit accidentally, but it requires a few pounds of pressure just to turn it on. No worries there.
How well does the Remington Vacuum Beard Trimmer Perform?
For the purposes of this review, I have been using this trimmer to keep my beard in check for close to two weeks now. If I notice anything important when using the trimmer in the future, I will come back and update you guys.
Every other day, after a long hot shower, I brush out the beard and give it a good trim. Overall, the process usually takes about five to ten minutes, making sure to go over every surface on about 4 mm of length. Then, I switch over to the detail trimmer to make sure to shape the odd angles on my face.
The first time I used this trimmer, it was on a much longer beard length that filled up the entire reservoir after just one pass. Since then, I have been using it on a shorter beard to get some idea of the difference.
Overall Trimming Experience
Overall, the experience of using this device is much like others. It works just like any other beard trimmer with the exception of reducing the time needed to take after cleaning up considerably.
The vacuum chamber captures about 90 to 95 percent of all the trimmed hair, which is more than I would have thought possible.
I went into this review expecting the vacuum to be little more than a gimmick, and it turned out to surprise me.
There is still some cleanup that needs to happen every time you use the trimmer, but it is nowhere near as much as before.
Quality and Design
The weight of the whole unit is nice and light. It feels easy to maneuver around your face without having to worry about any tight corners. Honestly, I figured the trimmer would actually be heavier, considering it is both a trimmer and a vacuum. However, it is relatively light.
The entire thing feels made of plastic, which always twinges off in my hands and feels like I will break it every time I pick it up. In addition, the hollow spaces inside the unit make it feel like it is even more fragile.
The outside of the unit isn’t really textured that well and feels like it will slip out of the hand too easily. Ensure you have a good grip, or this guy might slide away.
Finally, and this may be one of the most petty points I have made in a review, the rounded handle actually keeps it from sitting upright. It always feels like it is going to roll away from me.
Cutting Power
There is not a great deal of cutting power in this little guy. Be prepared to go back over places at least twice when you are trimming your beard. It will get the job done, but it takes some extra time to either go over some places a second time or maybe go slower when you are making your first passes.
If you have facial hair that curls less dense than mine, it will probably work better. Though, you might find yourself having to make touch-ups after your main pass.
Ease of Use
The lightness of the unit makes getting around the corners of your face very easy. Jawlines are easy to go over without having to hitch or change your grip on the trimmer.
It’s also very easy to swap out the cutting-edge for the trimmer. Just pushing on the blade pops it out without any complaint. You can hot-swap them very easily when going from the full trim to detail lines.
However, the guide for length on the back of the unit is calibrated very delicately. You will have to wrestle to make sure you get the beard comb set just right. It is easier for the longer lengths after 8 mm. Anything smaller than that takes a delicate touch to make sure you get the desired length you want.
Battery and Charging
When you first get your unit, according to the directions, you need to make sure to charge it for at least 3 hours to get a full charge. However, once it has a full charge, it can go for about 90 minutes of continuous use.
I don’t know who needs to trim their beard for a full hour and a half, but you would think that scissors would be more useful than a beard trimmer at that point.
Overall, that seems a good trade-off. 90 minutes should be more than enough to keep most beards in line.
My own complaint when it comes to the battery is how it indicates the charge. One green light to show it is charging. It doesn’t blink or go from red to green. It just turns on to a solid green and then shuts off when fully charged.
I suppose I have been spoiled by other beard trimmers that show me how much they need to be charged or how they are currently charging and then fully charged. Is it so much to ask for just a little nuisance?
Cleaning and Maintenance
Overall, the Remington is not too complicated to keep clean. You can run the blades under running water to get all the stray hairs out easily, and the brush makes it easy to get some of the more stubborn bristles out.
The one caveat to that is that you want to make sure you keep the vacuum chamber and filter dry. I have experience with filters that are so fine they won’t allow hair through, and if you let that filter get wet and run the vacuum portion, you can easily wear out the motor.
Unfortunately, the chamber is not very easy to empty at all. You really need to shake it over a trashcan to get all of the stray hairs out. Luckily it can be removed easily, but you may need to use the brush to get everything fully out of that chamber.
You can easily remove the blades and rinse them without any issues. The blade heads pop off with just a bit of pressure and can just be run under the faucet to keep them clean.
Remington itself also offers replacements for the blade attachments, as well as the vacuum chamber itself. This is really great if you are like me and are constantly losing small things in your apartment, so somehow forget them at a hotel while traveling.
The replacements are also pretty inexpensive (relative to the cost of a new beard trimmer) and can be bought straight from Remington’s website.
Value for Money
On Amazon, the Remington Vacuum Trimmer goes for around $60 USD. Though, from other sources like Walmart or Target it can go as far up as $85 USD or $90 USD from what I can tell.
Is that a good price for a Trimmer? It really depends on what you are looking for. Really, in this case, you are paying for the vacuum feature of the trimmer. It’s cool. Do not get me wrong. I like that I don’t have to worry about cleaning up as much every time I use it. However, I do have some other trimmers that have better features (like the Philips Norelco Series 9000), and I actually enjoy using those more.
However, many of those nicer trimmers are $30 to $40 dollars more!
If you are looking for a simple beard trimmer, then $60 USD is a pretty decent price.
Common Consumer Complaints, Issues, and Positive Reviews
The reviews on this trimmer are somewhat more mixed than our regular fair. The lower price point and higher ubiquity of beard trimmers mean more people have had a chance to look at this guy.
Positive Reviews
Starting off with the positive, you really cannot discount just how many guys are really big fans of this vacuum. The idea that you aren’t getting short and curlies everywhere over the sink when you trim is a huge time saver.
Guys also talk about how it is pretty useful for trimming hair on the top of the head as well as the beard. I suppose if you regularly keep your hair pretty short, then this is going to really help your hair-cutting routine as well as your beard routine. I wouldn’t know, as the last time I buzzed my hair off was about three years ago, and I’ve been threatened with death or worse to never do it again by my loved ones.
The other positive I have seen is people talking about how they really like the price point. For 60 dollars, it does the exact job it claims to, and that seems to be refreshing for most products on Amazon. Sad state of the world, huh?
Complaints and Issues
A complaint I see brought up a great deal is that the trimmer seems to be pretty noisy for some guys. Especially when compared to other similar trimmers that don’t have a vacuum function. Honestly, that seems to mostly come from the fact that so much of this trimmer is open and not muffled at all. Most trimmers are completely closed, so the motor is muffled and quieter.
I personally haven’t noticed much of a difference, but I suppose if you are trying to trim without waking someone else up it could be an issue.
Secondly, I have noticed some guys bringing up the fact that (like me) they have to go over their facial hair multiple times to get the trim they really need. Getting an even trim is important, and really, you are going to start asking yourself just how much time you are saving if you have to make multiple passes.
Finally, I have noted that people are also complaining about how difficult and delicate the adjustments need to be made to make sure to get a good trim with the beard comb. I can sympathize, as it really does feel like I need to make the most delicate of adjustments just to get things perfect.
Final Thoughts – Who is the Remington Vacuum Beard Trimmer 6000 Really For?
The million-dollar question!
Honestly, if you already have a good-quality beard trimmer and you like using it, there is no reason to abandon the one you’ve got for this one. Maybe when that one gives up the ghost or needs to be replaced, then give this one a shot.
Or if your significant other is tired of finding your beard hairs everywhere. Hell, if you ARE that significant other, then you can always grab this and insist your bearded companion use this one instead!
