I have the dubious privilege of trying out three electric shavers. This one, the Braun Series 3 340
Braun Series 3 340 Rechargeable Wet and Dry Foil Electric Shaver and the Remington F7790
Remington F7790 Flex n Pivot Foil Rechargeable Shaver Diamond 360.
The Philips I would probably rate as my second favourite after the Remington.
Positives:
* The idea of putting the Nivea Coolskin with this is more than just a marketing gimmick. It definitely helps with the shave and prevents any itching or burning right from the very first shave.
* It had the closest shave of all three of shavers that I tried.
* It comes with a lovely, padded travel pouch. The Remington has a very basic pouch and the Braun didn't bother.
* It is quiet in it's operation while the Braun was loud and the Remington loudest still.
* It looks cool and has comfortable contours.
* It can be used in the shower, which helps speed up the process first thing in the morning. The Braun can also be used under the shower, while the Remington can't.
* In terms of re-charge time and value, I felt this was the best out of the 8420 and the 8460. I would suggest staying away from the 8460 because you really don't want a giant re-charging stand taking up even more space in your bathroom!
Negatives:
* ALthough it had the closest shave of the three, I found the rotary system difficult to judge how close to the sideburns and chin-beard I was getting. This meant, I had to follow-up afterwards with my regular shaving blade, which kind of defeated the object!
* The trimmer is noisy and completely useless and requires you to remove the rotary blades and replace with a trimmer, which points in the opposite direction. Awful trimmer. Really.
* The additional expense of the Nivea Coolskin. They aren't cheap and a 28ml bottle lasts for roughly 5 shaves (depending on how generous you are).
* It really struggled with my mustache - again due the rotary system, and the fact that I had a chin beard, it meant I was in danger of shaving my beard while I was trying to shave my mustache. SO I had to follow up my mustache with my usual Gillette razor as well.
So in the end, in spite of spending all that money I actually stopped using it and went back to my Sensor Exel.
If I need to have a shave in the morning before a business meeting then I now use the Remington. It is noisy but overall worked the best for me and has an excellent trimmer. You should be able to read my detailed review of the Remington on the product page. I gave the Braun away as it also struggled with my mustache and butchered my face when I pressed down to get a close shave.
I think this Philips though is the cheapest of the three. So if you are looking for good value, don't have any facial hair and have sensitive skin and like to shave in the shower then this is one for you!