Being the hairy bear that I am, when GayCalgary was sent a hair clipper to review, I was originally not too excited about it. I have owned several different hair clippers and they were all pretty much the same. They have power cords that are not long enough, they tug my hair because my hair is too thick, or they feel that they are no longer sharp. Additionally, they come with too many comb heads and sometimes no carry case so, in the end, you have them all over the place in your bathroom cabinet. I had actually resorted to using the Philips Body Groomer we got last year for testing to trim my beard, since it seemed to work the best out of what I had in my collection.
When I first opened the box, I was amazed to see that the Philips Hairclipper series 7000 actually comes in a hard-shell carrying case. Finally, everything will be together in a case when not in use. If I do leave it out, it will be for the one-hour charging, since the clipper is cordless, which is what I have wanted for quite a while. It comes with a Lithium-Ion battery and it provides up to 120 minutes of use, which is like the batteries used in smart phones, controllers for the Xbox and most high-end new technology. If you use you clippers longer than the charge will hold, you can still use it with a cord too. For those that travel, the clippers also are able to accept power from around the world, as long as you have the right adapters with you.
The other great thing is that it only comes with two comb head attachments: one marked for beard and the other for longer length. This is because the shaver has a dial built in so that you can easily access 25 length settings – from .5 to 23mm. This makes it very easy to adjust your beard style without constantly popping on and off comb sizes or trying to remember which one you use where.
Once I got the unit all charged up I noticed another great feature: the turbo power button. With the thicker hair I have, it boosts the cutting speed so that even on battery power it can handle the longer lengths without any problems. It was also nice to see that it has a double-sharpened cutting element and self-sharpening titanium blades, so I know that I will not need to run out a couple years later to find another shaver to replace it. The shaver is built to be durable and last. You will never need to oil it. Clippers I had in the past needed to be oiled constantly, and once you had run out of the oil supply it came with, it was not easy to find more in store. Philips provides a two-year guarantee with an additional three years if you register the product on their website. This is a worldwide warranty; it does not matter where you live, you know you are covered.
When I do trim my beard, I usually do it in the shower before I run any water, so having it cordless is great for that. Doing it in the shower also makes it easier to wash away the hair clippings. Just remember that the clippers are not water proof. The head comes off easily and they can be washed, but the body is not designed to be wet. It was a little tricky figuring out what length I should set the clippers to for the start, but I recommend starting with the longest setting first, and then working in from there. This way you can make adjustments and reduce the size as you go. The clippers easily handled my beard – especially under turbo mode. The way the comb attachments are designed made it easy for the hair clippings to fall out as you trim, instead of bunching up around the head. I did notice that your hair should be totally dry when using it and free of any hair product.
After using the clippers several times, I am very happy with them. The only thing I wish that it came with was a manual on how to use specific features of the product. It does come with a simple generic sheet, with the standard warnings, cautions and environment information, but nothing explaining what comes in the box, or how to use the features of the clippers. Either you figure it out yourself, or you have to check out the Philips website. It should be pretty simple to figure it out, but sometimes it is best to know all you can with something that puts sharp blades in such close proximity to your face.
Even though I used it for trimming my beard, it should work well on trimming hair on one’s scalp. Although most purchases of this product will be made by guys, it would work fine for girls who want short hairstyles too. Other versions are available: the lowest end one, which is corded, starts at about $35. You can purchase this series 7000 model for about $55 to $60, depending on where you look. This model is really new, so it might take a bit to find a store that has them, but worth it if you want a cordless trimmer.
