HeadBlade Moto Review – We’ve Tested, Shaved, and Share Our Findings
HeadBlade Moto Head Razor
The HeadBlade Moto is a dedicated head razor that’s just like a cartridge razor, but designed specifically for head shaving. It should provide an ergonomically pleasant head shave! I still prefer a standard cartridge razor, but I can see why some guys love it!
Pros
Great ergonomic design
It fits perfectly within the fingers
It's not expensive
The head section is flexible and works well with the various contours of the head
It can shave at the back of the head easily
Cons
Cannot shave well with over 3 or so days of growth
The adapter is an annoying feature
Have to shave the same areas multiple times
The blade/cartridge is low quality
The HeadBlade Moto Head Razor was a product I had very high hopes for and was looking forward to testing out, and I even guess I believed this head shaving tool would be a product that beats all else, hands down.
I had such high hopes because the product makes sense in terms of design.
I have used and tested all sorts of razors and shavers for head shaving, including safety razors, cartridge razors, and many electric shavers, including the famous Skull Shaver brand of dedicated head shavers.
So far, cartridge razors have won hands down in closeness, and the electric shaver (especially the dedicated ergonomically friendly types) win based on speed, convenience, and other factors for head shaving.
The Brand: Todd Greene, the founder of HeadBlade, the company first designed the HeadBalde Razor in 1997, which was introduced in 1999 after further development. Unfortunately, Todd the founder passed away in 2020 after battling Cancer. HeadBlade has grown its range of head razors and other bald grooming products.
In this review, we will look closely at the all-important features and then test how the HeadBlade Moto head shaves while also testing out facial shaving. Then, finally, recommend who the razor would be best suited for — within the closing thoughts.
Description & Features
The HeadBlade was a revolutionary design for balding gents that was made to fit perfectly within the hand and fingers of users to make head shaving much more effortless.
- Blades: The cartridge has four blades, a lubrication strip above the blades, and a rubber guide added below. It looks just like any other cartridge razor blade.
- Rolling Ball: The moveable plastic ball on the underside of the razor moves in all directions and should enable a user to shave around the ears and the back of the head more easily. Vents at the side of the ball make for easy rinsing to prevent clogging.
- Dual Active Suspension: This suspension is basically a plastic section behind the blade that flexes when pressure is made on the blade. The razor will also lean left to right when pressure is applied.
- Not Just for Head Shaving: HeadBlade states the razor may also be used for facial and leg shaving.
- Editions: Various editions, which are the same razor but a different color only, are available.
Using The HeadBlade – Technique
Using the HeadBlade is very different compared to standard cartridge razors. It’s not just a long stick/handle with the blade at the end and requires some practice and technique.
The middle finger is placed inside the finger ring, and the first and third fingers are used to hold the back and front of the razor. Any size finger will fit into the ring because it opens wider to various sizes.
The razor is then used like you are kind of rubbing your head and going backward and forwards with the razor and the roller ball following behind.
Design and Build Quality
The HeadBalde Moto design seems perfect, with its ideal ergonomics and method of holding. The build involves some complexity when looked at more closely in terms of the suspension and blade attachment.
However, it is all very plasticky and has no metal components or rubberized sections like you can find on Gillette and other razors. I could be expecting too much, though.
The HeadBlade was much smaller than expected, which surprised me; however, who needs a razor that is cumbersome?
How Does HeadBlade Moto Razor Perform and Shave?
As mentioned, I had high hopes and expected this product to wow me and never need to shave my head with another shaver or razor again.
I shaved on the first occasion with a decent amount of growth but nothing much above the level of a hair clipper or trimmer length without a clipper comb. It took a long time to shave, and I had to go over all the patches left so many times.
Okay, I thought maybe this razor was not very good with a decent amount of growth, so I gave it a shot with just enough stubble growing through to need to shave. This was when everything changed, and I could get a good close shave pretty quickly.
It took me until about the third shave to get familiar with using the HeadBlade Moto, and on the first occasion, I thought it was a very low-quality product until I found out it just dislikes longer hair growth above three days or so.
I did find it challenging to line up the hair to the sideburns if I was planning to grow a beard. I tried this out!
I also found the blades are of lower quality than some of the Gillette razors, like the ProGlide and others. However, the HeadBlade replacement blades are cheaper, so the makers could be keeping costs down.
How About Facial Shaving?
HeadBlade states that this razor can be used to shave your legs and face.
I was about to try a face shave, and then after holding it, it just did not make sense even to try.
It has the wrong design for facial shaving. However, if it were the only razor I was carrying or had, then I would get the job done with it.
Removing Blades
The HeadBlade Moto blades are the most difficult I have ever seen on a cartridge razor to remove, and I had to turn to a YouTube video to learn.
The blade cartridge has to be pushed or pressed at the side to unclip.
Once a person learns, it seems pretty simple but still a little odd compared to the simplistic design it could have.
Replacement Blade and Adapters
HeadBlade states in their FAQ that the HB4 (4 blades) and HB6 (6 blades) blades should last 6-10 shaves per cartridge depending on hair thickness; this is only a guide.
I used mine five times with this razor, and the blades were still okay.
An adapter is also part of the blade section, which the blades click on. Unfortunately, these adapters also have to be replaced and sold separately in packs of three, but there does not seem to be any guidance about how often to change them. I guess we would change an adapter if it became faulty.
Value for Money
In the US, the HeadBlade Moto is priced up at around $12.99, which I would say is a fair price. The razor comes with one blade only.
A pack of four replacement HB4 (four blades) costs $12.99, and the HB6 (six blades) costs $14.99. That’s a fair price, but I think HeadBlade could improve the quality and increase the price.
Consumer Complaints, Issues, and Overall Reviews
If we were to follow the reviews and comments on the HeadBlade official website, then I would be led to believe this was the best razor made since sliced bread. One common comment that makes sense on the HeadBlade site is that it takes some time to get used to, which I agree with.
There are some mentions from other sources about this razor not shaving so close, the blade changing is difficult, and as mentioned on the official site, it takes time to familiarize oneself with using it — and get the technique right.
Plenty of users agree it gives them a perfect head shave, very close, and it is the best razor they have found for head shaving.
One comment that caught my attention was that I wondered how authentic many of these reviews are. I thought the same!
Final Thoughts – Who do I recommend buys and uses the HeadBlade Moto?
As stated above, I was disappointed at first, and it turned out to be that my hair growth needed to be shorter (about 3 or 4 days max).
I can get over the blade-changing aspect, but I do think the design could be made more user-friendly and the adapter part of the HeadBlade body.
I guess anyone could try it out, as some guys love the razor and have bought more than one.
For now, I still prefer to use a cartridge razor (even a Gillette Mach3) or a dedicated head shaver like the Skull Shaver Pitbull Gold. The reason I prefer the cartridge razor is I want to shave my face at the same time, and I don’t want to changeover with two cartridge-type razors (i.e., ProGlide and HeadBlade Moto). And then, a dedicated electric head shaver can be used to shave dry before or after shaving with a cartridge or safety razor, which seems convenient to me.
The HeadBlade journey does not end here. Next to test out is the HeadBlade ATX model, which has two wheels.
