Bald Buddy Shaver Review – It Could Be Better
Bald Buddy Shaver
The Bald Buddy is an ergonomically friendly electric shaver designed to make head shaving comfortable and easy. It has a nice style and ergonomics but failed in other areas.
Pros
Good ergonomics
Comfortable irritation-free shave
Simple indicators
Easy to clean
Quiet
A close enough head shave
Very convenient shaver for a quick head shave
Cons
A bit pricey
Expensive replacement blades to replace every 3 months
Could do with sharper blades
Just by chance, I came across the Bald Buddy Shaver made by the company – The Cut Buddy.
I’m aware of most of the shavers on the market, especially electric head shavers, so I was surprised I had never seen the Bald Buddy before.
I promptly and cheekily contacted The Cut Buddy and asked if they would like me to review the Bald Buddy, and within days, I had one to test and review. Thank you, The Cut Buddy!
Receiving a product to review for free like this does not influence my opinion. It’s very much about providing honest pros and cons and my findings after using it to give my readers the best advice possible.
Over some time, I have reviewed the Remington RX5, Skull Shaver Palm, and Gold Pro, and then the most recent head shaver used was the Skull Shaver Silver Pro. This lot certainly gave the Bald Buddy something to compete against!
In this review, we will take a good look at the Bald Buddy’s features, test it out shaving wet and dry (head & face), and recommend who it is best suited for and why.
Brand/Company: Joshua Esnard, the owner of The Cut Buddy, had his first product (an original Cut Buddy shaping tool) for sale in 2015 from his garage until a breakthrough in 2017, when he appeared on the Shark Tank show. Since the appearance on Shark Tank, the company and new product lines have grown.
The Cut Buddy offers discounts to VETS and First Responders.
Description & Features
The Bald Buddy unboxed comes with the shaver (blades attached), USB charging cord with a USA charging plug, instructions, blade cap cover, and a Free Bonus shave cream.
The Bald Buddy is primarily a head shaver, although the company states it’s a unisex shaver that can also be used to shave the face and body hair (body hair mentioned on website). The instruction leaflet that comes with the shaver states a warning — the shaver is only intended to remove hair from the head and face areas. I would not use it on my body hair, but I am sure women with fine leg hair could use it.
- Handle/Body – The body of the Bald Buddy has an ergonomically friendly patented slim design. The thumb and forefinger will naturally fit within the indentations on the sides of the shaver.
- Detachable Blades – The stainless steel rotary-type blades and head detach from the shaver and clip off and on. The head has five small rotary blades, and they are said to last for 3 months or more. The blade head and blades have a flex action to enable the blades to work with the various contours of the head and skin.
- Cordless and corded operation – The shaver can be used cordless and with the cord attached if needed. A full charge gives a user 75 minutes runtime, and fully charging takes 2 hours.
- Light indicators – The shaver has an LED light that lights up when the shaver is on. In addition, a battery indicator lights up while the appliance is charging and goes off when it is fully charged.
- Wet and dry –The Bald Buddy can be used to shave wet or dry and with shaving cream. It is not waterproof in the sense that you can hold it underwater, but the blades can be washed, and it can be used while wet shaving.
- Accessories –The shaver comes with a blade cap cover, charging lead and USA plug, and the bonus shave cream.
- Travel lock – The shaver has a useful travel lock. Hold the on/off button for a few seconds until the padlock indicator flashes, which indicates it is locked, and then hold it for a few seconds again to unlock.
Blades and Head
The blades flex system enables each of the four corners of the blade head to flex with the shape of a user’s head or face. Many shavers offer some flexibility or movement within the actual blades, whereas the Bald Buddy Shaver outer blade sections provide the flexibility needed.
The blade head is relatively small compared to a shaver like the Skull Shaver Pitbull Pro. However, they can cover enough area, and smaller blade heads tend to have an easier time moving around tricky-to-shave areas like around the ears and the chin.
The blade head’s flexibility moves or adjusts in the direction of where the shaver is used with pressure.
Build Quality and Ergonomics
The ergonomics of this shaver work very well. The slim design and indents at the sides of the body do make moving around various areas of the head, especially at the back of the head, easier.
The shaver’s body looks and feels like a sturdy build.
Holding & Grip
I covered the ergonomics of the body in the last section. The design makes holding the shaver a very comfortable and practical experience.
I guess they could rubberize the body’s sides to offer it more grip. However, it fits and holds in the hand well enough, as it is!
Cleaning and Maintenance
The Bald Buddy can be cleaned with running water from the tap over the blades with the razor switched on, or the blades can be placed within a small bowl or cup of water.
I use a few drops of antibacterial hand soap on the blades, which helps them clean up nicely and smell fresh.
The shaver is easy to keep clean, and the only maintenance to do is change the blades every 3 months (approximately).
Charging and Battery
The battery takes around 2 hours, which is quite long compared to many other shavers. This is fine as a slow charge seems to provide a longer runtime. If the battery is out of power, this shaver operates when it’s plugged in.
A full charge provides the shaver with 75 minutes of runtime. I used the shaver many times before needing to recharge it and too many times to keep count.
The battery’s longevity is a big issue with many head shavers. The good thing about the Bald Buddy is it can still be used with the mains if the battery dies.
Head Shaving Experince
I was really pleased to be trying out another dedicated head shaver after just using and reviewing the Skull Shaver Pitbull Silver. However, I was not expecting to get or see what I did with the Pitbull Silver, and this is because of the lower price tag of the Bald Buddy (not a fair comparison).
I used and tested the shaver while head shaving and facial shaving, wet (with cream) and dry, and with up to three days of growth and daily.
Facial Shaving
I found the shaver was not best suited for my face, although the first time I used it, I had 3 days of growth which was a bit too much for the shaver. It was useful to test it out, though with extra growth.
It was much better facial shaving (as expected) using it daily with much shorter stubble. I just could not get a very close shave, especially around the neck area with 2 or more days of not shaving, and I don’t usually shave daily.
I found the flexibility with the blades very good.
My expectations for any dedicated head shaver to make a great facial shaver is low, and I don’t mind. I mainly want to see if they can shave the head quickly, comfortably, and close enough.
If you shave daily and want a head shaver that will also shave the face quickly (not perfectly), then you may be okay with this shaver.
Head Shaving
I found I had very comfortable shaves with the Cut Buddy Shaver, and the style of handle helped to make this easier.
The end result was a close enough shave. However, I got left with small areas of light stubble around the sides and back. I can live with that, and it wasn’t a deal-breaker based on price.
Wet Shaving vs. Dry Shaving
I did manage to try out the free shaving cream that came with the Cut Buddy. It is a conditioner-type cream (non-foaming brushless shaving cream) that lubricates well and enables the electric shaver to glide over the skin easier than shaving dry, making it more comfortable.
You’ll need to like the cooling effects of eucalyptus on your skin after using the Cut Buddy Shave Cream, designed for coarse hair. I’m not a fan of the after-cooling effect, while many others are.
I have thin hair on my head and don’t really need to shave wet or with cream when head shaving. However, guys with thicker coarse hair would benefit from using a cream.
Overall Shaving Experience
The bottom line is that I get a comfortable head shave with close enough (not perfect) end results. It could definitely make a good travel companion when getting a quick electric head shave of convenience is required.
The Cut Buddy company states using the shaver on very short stubble provides the best results. I couldn’t agree more after my experience, especially if you also need to shave your face.
Value for Money
The Bald Buddy costs around $65 USD, which is not cheap for this type of head shaver, but it’s not that pricey either.
It’s not as expensive as the Skull Shaver head shavers, apart from the Skull Shaver Palm, which is cheaper and not as cheap as the many Chinese copies found on Amazon.
I have tested out two of the Chinese head shavers at Amazon, and they were fine for about 5 shaves, but then the batteries died. So, I decided to stick with brands that have some originality rather than the copied, unbranded products.
The Bald Buddy is available mainly in the US at the moment. It can be bought and shipped to other countries.
Final Thoughts – Verdict (Who’s It For?)
The Bald Buddy is an ergonomically friendly designated head shaver that is user-friendly for those who want to shave regularly without putting a razor blade on their head. The shaver has a unique design that is similar to other head shavers but still has its own style and some originality.
If I were to improve or change anything, I would improve the blades. I didn’t feel they were as high quality as some other head shaver blades I have used, which was more noticeable when facial shaving. However, I did find the blade head and blades had plenty of flexibility while shaving.
Those who head shave daily or every other day and gents with coarse curled hair will find the Bald Buddy an option to check out and compare with other head shavers.
