Philips Prestige S9000 Head Shave Experience – Comfortable and Close
I used and reviewed the older Philips Prestige S9000 and then the latest 2024 Prestige with the angular style of head. As usual, being a balding gent, I also head-shaved with them.
The Prestige has a rotary-style blade system, just like the dedicated electric head shavers I use and review, which makes it more suitable than foil-type shavers (think Braun).
However, there are a few pros and cons and other factors I would like to share to give you the full picture of head shaving with a Prestige.
You can check out the full review of the Philips Prestige S9000 if you need to know anything about the features, performance during facial shaving, or anything else, besides head shaving.
Head Shaving Experiences
The Prestige is the best rotary-style shaver I have used thus far, which will facial shave while being a very good head shaver, too. The rotary-style dedicated head shavers could be just as suitable; however, the bulkier bodies and large head sections make them inadequate for facial shaving.
What I Like
The Prestige has a good amount of power, and coupled with lots of cutting actions (165.000, apparently), it shaves my head pretty fast.
The blade and head flex movement enables the blades to stay close to the scalp throughout the shave (no overlap business going on). Staying close to the scalp is important to me.
It moves along the back of my head very well, along my interesting skull lumps and shape.
It is better around the back of the head than head shaving with the Braun Series 9 Pro +, but not quite as good as the dedicated head shavers.
Shaving around the ear area can be tricky, and the Prestige and other rotary facial shavers do this better than any other shaver (including foil and dedicated head shavers).
It shaves around the ears very easily and leaves no hair behind!
It had no problem shaving four days of growth, and on daily shaving and two days, it took about 2 minutes to get the job done (head shaving frequently is what I have found best with electrics).
The closeness was better (closer) than all dedicated head shavers. It’s not quite as close as the Braun Series 9 Pro, though, when head-shaving.
The other aspects I like are all in the main review I have done for this shaver.
What I Did Not Like As Much
The shape and design (to be expected) are not as ergonomically friendly as a dedicated head shaver, so going around the back and sides area requires me to hold it with the fingers between the blade head and body (the video clip below will show that better).
I can hold the shaver as I normally would when facial shaving the sides of my head, which gives me a nice close and fast shave; it’s just the longer body design that is not best around the back of the head. The Skull Shaver Pitbull Silver Pro and other shavers from the Skull Shaver brand won me over years ago with being ergonomically friendly for shaving the back and sides.
I can’t say I had an issue with this, but some guys might not like having the smaller blade head area and fewer blades. Having at least four blades and an overall larger blade area is bound to affect the speed of shaving (at the cost of not being good facial shaving).
Then comes a big one, which is the price. It’s a top-end shaver with a top-end price tag of around $300, £300, or €300 (plus or minus some)
There is one other thing, and that’s the warranty. Philips does not state that this shaver can be used for head shaving–it’s a facial shaver. Now, if an issue occurs when head shaving and we report this to Philips, at a guess, we are not using the shaver for its intended purpose. I’m fine with that, as I am a bit of a bald daredevil, but you might not feel the same way and may be concerned about having warranty issues.
Final Thoughts – Verdict (Who’s It For?)
Guys who would get the most out of the Prestige are those who will facial shave and head shave (perfect–if other needs can be met by the Prestige). I can’t see it suiting most guys who will only use it for head shaving because of the cost (there will be exceptions, of course).
An alternative to keep in mind is the Braun Series 9 Pro, as this gives me the closest head shave that any shaver can give. It comes with pros and cons, though, and also pros and cons between the Braun Series 9 Pro and Philips Prestige that are most definitely worth assessing for yourself.
Suppose you have never used an electric shaver for facial shaving, and you do head shaving. In that case, I recommend first finding out if a foil or rotary shaver is likely to be best for you (then decide which shaver).
Another shaver worth mentioning is another Philips, the Philips 5000 Series Shaver. This gives a very good head shave, and it’s also a good facial shaver that I found ideal for those seeking a shaver well below the price of the Prestige.
Anything I have missed? Or do you have something to share? Then, do drop a comment below!
