Philips Norelco Shaver i9000 Review: a high-end rotary that finally makes daily shaving tolerable

I’ve been using the Philips Norelco Shaver i9000 (model X9001/91) for a few weeks now, coming from a mix of cheap foil shavers and manual razors. I’m not someone who enjoys shaving at all, so if a device doesn’t make the process quicker and less annoying, it ends up in a drawer. With this one, I actually started shaving more regularly, which already says something. It’s not magic, but it does make the whole routine less of a chore.

My beard is fairly thick and grows in different directions, especially on the neck and jawline. That’s usually where shavers struggle and where I end up with patches of missed hairs or irritation. I went for this rotary model specifically because my past experience with foils was mixed: they were fast but tended to give me more razor burn and didn’t handle swirly growth that well. I wanted to see if the i9000 lived up to the hype and the fairly high price tag.

From day one, the main thing that stood out was how comfortable the shave felt, especially dry. I didn’t get that hot, scraped-skin feeling I usually get if I go too fast with a manual razor. The shave isn’t as close as a fresh blade, but it’s close enough that I look clean and presentable for work, even if I skip a day. On a three-day beard, it handled things without tugging, which is usually where cheap shavers start to complain.

It’s not perfect. It’s expensive, the replacement heads aren’t cheap, and you can definitely find faster shavers if you’re obsessed with a razor-smooth finish. But in day-to-day use, it hits a good balance between comfort, closeness, and ease of cleaning. If you’re like me and just want to stop hating your morning shave, this thing gets pretty close to that goal.

Let’s be blunt: the Philips Norelco i9000 is not cheap. You’re paying a clear premium compared to mid-range shavers and even some other high-end models. So the main question is whether it’s worth the money for how you actually shave. In my case, because I have sensitive skin and I wanted something that reduced irritation and made me more willing to shave regularly, I’d say it was worth it, but it’s not a no-brainer for everyone.

Compared to cheaper rotary shavers, the differences are mostly in comfort, consistency, and build quality. You can absolutely get a basic Norelco that will remove hair for much less money. But they usually don’t glide as smoothly, they can tug more on longer stubble, and they often feel cheaper in the hand. This one feels more like a “buy once, use for years” type of product, assuming you’re okay paying for the replacement heads and cleaning cartridges.

If you’re coming from something like a Braun Series 9, it’s more of a side-grade depending on what you value. Braun foils tend to be a bit faster and can give a slightly closer, flatter shave in straight lines, but they’re not always as comfortable on swirly neck hair. The i9000 does better with hair growing in all directions and is quieter, but some people will still prefer the feel and speed of the Braun. In other words, this isn’t automatically superior; it’s just different.

For someone who shaves once a week and doesn’t care much about a perfectly clean finish, this is probably overkill. For someone who shaves daily or every other day, has sensitive skin, and likes the idea of a comfortable, quick shave with minimal fuss, the value starts to make more sense. It’s not a bargain, but it’s a pretty solid long-term purchase if you actually use it often and take advantage of what it does well.

Design-wise, the i9000 definitely looks like a high-end shaver. The blue/gray “Taubenblau” color with the metallic accents gives it a clean, modern look. It feels more like a tech gadget than a bathroom appliance. The handle has a mix of matte and slightly rubberized surfaces, so it doesn’t feel slippery, even when your hands are wet. In the hand, it feels solid and dense, not hollow or cheap.

The downside is that it’s a bit on the bulky side. Compared to older Norelco models or smaller mid-range shavers, the head is big and the handle has some heft. After a few shaves, I got used to it, but at first, it felt slightly awkward getting under the nose and along the corners of the mouth. The squared-off shape of the head housing doesn’t help with precise positioning either. You sometimes have to tilt and twist more than you’d expect to really see where the cutting area is.

The pressure ring light around the head is actually one of the more useful design features. It glows blue when you’re pressing too lightly, green when you’re in the right range, and yellow if you’re pressing too hard. I thought it was a gimmick, but it did change how I shaved. I realized I had been too gentle with past shavers, which probably explains some of the patchy results. With this one, keeping it in the green zone helped me get a more consistent shave with fewer passes.

The display is clear and simple: battery percentage, cleaning reminders, and a few icons. There’s some LED color stuff you can turn off if you find it pointless. There’s also Bluetooth to link it with the Philips app. I tried it once, it shows some shaving tips and habits, then I ignored it. You don’t need the app at all for normal use, which is good. Overall, the design is nice to look at and functional, but if you prefer compact, minimal shavers, this might feel a bit oversized.

The battery life on this thing is honestly one of the parts I stopped thinking about after the first week, which is a good sign. With daily shaves of around 5–8 minutes, I only had to charge it about once every 1.5–2 weeks. The percentage display is clear, so you always know where you’re at. Even after a long shave on a 5–7 day beard, the battery barely moved. For normal home use, you can just drop it on charge every week or so and forget about it.

Charging is done via a USB-A cable that plugs into the stand or directly into the shaver, depending on the exact setup you use. It’s convenient for travel because you can use most phone or tablet chargers, but again, there’s no adapter in the box. The shaver charges fairly quickly; even a short top-up gives you enough juice for a couple of shaves. I never managed to fully run it down during normal use; I usually recharged around 20–30% just to be safe.

On the cleaning side, you’ve got two options. Daily, I just pop open the head and rinse it thoroughly under the tap. Hair flushes out easily, and then I let it air-dry. This takes maybe 30 seconds. Every now and then, I put it in the Quick Clean Pod for a deeper clean. That cycle lasts about a minute, and the shaver pulls cleaning fluid through the head. When it comes out, it smells clean and feels a bit fresher. I don’t think you need to use the pod every day unless you’re obsessed with cleanliness; once a week or even every couple of weeks seems fine.

The maintenance effort is low overall. The blades are supposed to last around two years thanks to the self-sharpening design, but obviously that depends on how often and how hard you use it. Replacement heads aren’t cheap, so that’s something to budget for. Still, compared to constantly buying manual razor cartridges and shaving foam, it might even out over time, especially if you’re someone who shaves daily or every other day.

For me, comfort is where this shaver really justifies its price. I have fairly sensitive skin, especially on the neck, and manual razors almost always give me some redness or at least a tight feeling afterward. With the i9000, even using it dry, I had noticeably less irritation. The first few shaves, I was waiting for the usual burn to kick in, and it just didn’t. I might get a tiny bit of redness if I go over the same spot too many times, but nothing like with a blade.

The rotary heads glide pretty smoothly over the skin, and that coating they brag about actually feels like it does something. There’s less dragging and less of that “scraping” sensation. On a 2–3 day beard, it feels quite comfortable. On a 5–7 day beard, you feel more resistance, but it still doesn’t really tug. If you normally let your beard grow for several days between shaves, this handles that better than most cheap electrics I’ve tried, which often pull and complain once stubble gets longer.

I tried it both dry and wet (with shaving gel in the shower). Wet shaving is even more comfortable and slightly closer, but honestly, I ended up using it dry most of the time because it was already comfortable enough and much quicker. The neck area, which is usually my problem zone, came out fairly calm. The rotary system seems to handle hair growing in different directions better than foil, at least on my face.

One thing to watch out for: because it’s comfortable, it’s easy to overdo it and keep going over the same patch again and again chasing that perfect baby-smooth finish. That’s when you might start to get some irritation. If you accept that this is an electric shave, not a fresh razor blade, and stop when it’s “good enough,” your skin will probably thank you. Overall, if you have sensitive skin or are tired of razor bumps, this shaver is a strong option in terms of comfort.

The build quality feels solid from the start. There are no rattles, no creaky plastic, and the head mechanism opens and closes cleanly. The waterproofing is also reassuring: I used it in the shower a few times and rinsed it under running water almost every day, and there were zero issues. Buttons still click nicely, and the head doesn’t feel loose or flimsy. It gives the impression of something designed to last several years, not just one or two.

Philips advertises up to a 5-year warranty (depending on registration and region), which is more generous than a lot of competitors. That does make it easier to swallow the high upfront cost, because you feel like the company expects it to last. The blades are rated for about two years before needing replacement, and the self-sharpening system seems to help keep performance stable. I didn’t feel any drop in cutting power during the first weeks, which is obviously early, but still a good sign.

Where durability hits your wallet is on the consumables side. Replacement rotary heads for this level of shaver are not cheap, and if you use the Quick Clean Pod regularly, you’ll also be buying new cleaning cartridges every few months. It’s not outrageous, but it’s not a low-cost setup either. Over five years, between heads and cleaning fluid, you’re adding a decent chunk on top of the original purchase price.

All that said, the shaver itself feels like it can survive daily use, drops in the sink, and being tossed into a travel bag in its case. If you’re someone who prefers to buy one good device and keep it for years rather than swapping cheap ones every 12 months, the i9000 fits that mindset. Just go in knowing that you’re committing to a premium ecosystem with premium-priced parts.

Out of the box, you get quite a bit: the shaver itself, the 5+1 precision beard styler attachment, a travel case, the Quick Clean Pod with one cleaning cartridge, a small cleaning brush, and a USB-A charging cable. One important detail: there is no power adapter included, just the cable. If you don’t already have a USB-A charger (phone, tablet, etc.), you’ll need to buy one or use a computer port. For a product in this price range, that feels a bit stingy, even if it’s becoming standard.

The travel case is decent. It’s hard enough to protect the shaver in a bag and has room for the handle and head, but not really for the cleaning pod or the beard styler. So for travel, expect to just bring the shaver and maybe the styler in your dopp kit. The case does its job though: it keeps the power button from being pressed accidentally and protects the rotary heads from getting banged up.

The Quick Clean Pod is basically a small cleaning station. You put the shaver in head-first, press the button on the shaver, and it runs a quick cleaning cycle in about a minute. It doesn’t take up much counter space, which I appreciated. The downside is that you’ll eventually need new cartridges, and while they’re not insanely expensive, it is an ongoing cost on top of already pricey replacement heads. If you’re disciplined about rinsing the shaver after each use, you can probably stretch the cartridges quite a bit.

The beard styler attachment is a clip-on head that replaces the shaving head. It has different length settings for trimming. It’s not as refined as a dedicated beard trimmer, but it’s handy for quick touch-ups on sideburns or if you keep a short beard. Overall, the package feels pretty solid, but the missing power adapter and the ongoing consumables (cartridges and heads) are things you should keep in mind when you look at the real cost over a couple of years.

In terms of shaving performance, I’d put this in the “very good, but not perfect” category. On a 1–2 day beard, it gets very close to a manual razor from a normal viewing distance. Running your hand against the grain, you’ll still feel a bit of roughness compared to a fresh blade, but visually it looks clean. For work, meetings, and general life, it’s more than fine. You don’t get that five o’clock shadow look by noon like with some weaker electrics.

Where it stands out is how it handles different beard lengths. I tested it on a 1-day, 3-day, and about 6–7-day growth. On the 1 and 3-day stubble, it cut efficiently with just a few passes. On the 7-day beard, it took longer, and I had to move the shaver in slower, circular motions, but it still managed to clean things up without much pulling. That’s where the whole “7 million cutting motions per minute” and “Triple Lift & Cut” marketing stuff translates into something actually useful: it doesn’t choke as soon as the hair is a bit longer.

The hard-to-reach areas are a mixed bag. On the neck and along the jawline, the flexible heads do a good job of keeping contact with the skin, and I got fewer missed patches than with cheaper rotaries. Under the nose and at the corners of the mouth are trickier. Because the head is kind of big and the plastic around the cutters is wide, it’s harder to see exactly what you’re doing. You can get those spots clean, but it takes a bit of practice and some weird angles. I’ve had at least one small nick at the edge of the mouth when I was rushing, which almost never happens with electrics.

Overall, the effectiveness is strong if you’re realistic: it’s not a barbershop straight razor, but it’s a very capable daily shaver. If you already own a top-end Braun Series 9, you might still prefer the Braun for speed and ultra-close shaves in straight lines. But if your beard grows in circles and random directions like mine, the i9000 does a solid job getting everything down to a short, even stubble that looks freshly shaved.