When I started this blog, I decided I would share as many of my thoughts as I reasonably could, including the very personal one. After dealing with a weighty issue of authenticity, it was time to test it out in my own writing by sharing something I feel strongly about. This is the story of loss and recovery, grief and joy, of having to let go before finding new directions.
Yes, you guessed it. This post is about my new favorite electric razor/trimmer.
I've been shaving my head for more than a decade, ever since I bit the bullet on dealing with hair loss. For anyone who uses electric devices for facial or head haircare, there are some common concerns:
Open rotary blade elements shaver vs covered or open side-to-side moving element. If you shave your head, the latter, side-to-side movement element with the optional guard that helps set haircut length is optimal.
Wet/dry vs dry: Chances are the wet/dry shaver is running off battery because generally speaking you wouldn't want to bring a live electric wire in the shower. The dry only shavers or trimmers are more likely to allow usage on both the battery as well as while plugged in. Generally speaking the wired power trimmers will have the most power as opposed to running off battery.
Collection of clippings: This is the one game changer that I discovered pretty early on when I started shaving my head. There are a couple of trimmers on the market that have a built-in vacuum based collection chamber that will catch all the clipped bits of hair thus minimizing the need for cleaning up the sink or shower area.
So the trimmer I am currently using was a serendipitous discovery. I had been so disillusioned with older vacuum trimmer that I was planning to buy a regular open, rotary blade elements shaver/trimmer again. But just on a whim, I searched for a vacuum trimmer one last time, and lo and behold I found...
Remington MB6850 Vacuum Stubble and Beard Trimmer
Why am I so gung-ho about this trimmer, enough to write about it? Simply, because it works.
My previous trimmer was a Philips BT7201 Rechargeable Beard Trimmer with Vacuum. I had been using that device for about a dozen years. Over that time, the trimmer went through several design changes, most for the worse. The trimmer was initially pretty affordable at about $45, had a functional vacuum, and had several removable elements that could be replaced. The company had a generous warranty where you could sign up for a 2+ year coverage. The cutting blade element was the most vulnerable part, which required replacements. I would call the company, get grilled by a staff member for a bit, promise to turn over my firstborn if the broken part didn't get to the company, and after some solemn oaths and such I would get a replacement trimmer. Over time I learned to not drop the blade while cleaning the trimmer carefully, and also closed all the delicate little plastic latches so they wouldn't break.
Over last three to four design revisions, the number of removable elements continued to decrease. Now the current iteration is still delicate, much more expensive, and without a better performance.
I was ready to jump ship.
Enter Remington. Philips Norelco is the leading company in the personal grooming sector. But Remington has also been in this business for a long time. I had never used the wired, regular models of Remington but when I stumbled on the vacuum version, I figured I'd give it a go.
The Remington model has everything that Philips gave up on, including removable/replaces shaving element, collection basket, and guard. It comes with two different shaving element groups, one broad for the scalp and one narrower for beard/mustache. It charges well and the clippings basket is easy to access, clean, and made of plastic that is not readily breakable. The smoothness of the cut is equal or better. Ultimately, the price to value comparison makes Remington the current leader in the ‘beard trimmer WITH vacuum’ category.
