Chances are you may already have a product that is made by Philips. Specialising in all sorts of quality of life enhancing products, Philips is spread worldwide and they make all kinds of professional and home use products. They are very well known for their quality made hair grooming devices so we’ve had the pleasure of testing their 3100 series Norelco Multigroom hair and beard clipper.
FEATURES
With its sleek and all black futuristic looking body this certainly is one of the prettiest clippers that we’ve used. It is long and oblique so it was made to be ergonomic and we can say that it fits very well in the hand. This model is completely waterproof so it can also be used under the shower too.
Included in the package are five attachments for styling and trimming purposes. These accessories include a full-size trimmer, detail trimmer, nose trimmer and a moustache and beard trimmer attachment too. There is also a stubble comb included in the grooming kit. The blades are self-sharpening and made out of a precise ground steel and Philips guarantees long endurance and the same performance just like on the first day you started using this kit.
During our testing, we found that this claim was true and there were no signs of blade sharpness deterioration after extended use on various types of hair. The main blade head is a bit narrower than we would have liked although it doesn’t hinder the overall clean cutting and trimming performance. It got the job done in one pass, every single time. With a whopping 18 different length settings, anyone will find this trimmer great for their styling needs. A reliable and a great performing machine.
We liked the good grip of the device and the motor was strong enough to cut clean any type and thickness of hair we needed grooming. The battery autonomy is decent and at around 35 minutes per charge, it will satisfy the needs of even the most demanding users. The charging takes around 10 hours to fully restore the Ni-MH battery to full capacity.
DOWNSIDES
We do not like that it takes that much to replenish to full capacity but perhaps it is because it was meant to be used and afterwards left to stay charging. This was our usage scenario. What is also not so nice is that the on/off switch is really slippery due to the smooth texture finish so if your fingers are wet you won’t be able to switch it properly without multiple tries.
On the plus side – maintenance is easy too as the trimmer is completely waterproof it can be simply washed after each use. We have to warn users not to use the device while it is plugged in and charging!
CONCLUSION
We were pleasantly surprised with the Philips Series 3100 trimmer overall. The first cordless device on our test left a strong impression and also left us wondering how can the competitors do better than this. This model is currently priced at less than 20 US dollars and with a great feature set, this certainly makes it a Product of Our Choice.
It completely surpassed our expectation based on the low asking price and truthfully we were not expecting such rich feature set and all the useful accessories that came with it. This is an outstanding product with absolutely no competition at this price. Highly recommended.
- Design 95%
- Quality 96%
- Price 100%
PROS
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Nice qualityGreat performance5 different styling attachments includedCompletely waterproofGood battery autonomyWorks on 110 V – 240 V power outletsComes with self-sharpening blades
CONS
Noisy during operation
Slow battery charging
PROS AND CONS OF CORDLESS BEARD TRIMMERS
It all comes down to your habits when choosing whether you require portability of a cordless or the practicality of the corded beard trimmers. Say you need a quick trim while you’re out or perhaps you like
to carry your grooming kit with you at all times when out of the house. Then the cordless beard trimmer variants are the best choice for you. They allow almost identical power spec as their corded counterparts and give more freedom of movement when you need precise detailing work done on your facial hair.
The not so good side of owning a cordless beard trimmer is that you have to monitor the battery charge level if you tend not to leave it on the charging dock or cradle. It can be very frustrating to find out that the battery is empty exactly when you’re in a hurry to get a quick trim. Many models offer the possibility to be attached to the charging cord to recharge the battery and be used at the same time. Some models will not provide enough power for such use and if your cordless trimmer comes with a charging dock or a cradle then you will need to leave it there constantly after you finish using it.
Most of the cordless models come with plenty of battery endurance and they will easily last you for a decent number of shaving or trimming sessions. That is if your average grooming time is somewhere around 15 minutes. Even then, they require small amounts of time to get fully recharged so it all depends on your lifestyle and you daily routine.
When it comes to the strength of the mo tors they are virtually the same spec as their corded counterparts. We feel that the increased freedom of movement and the added portability at the same price makes cordless beard trimmers an excellent choice.
OUR VERDICT: WHICH ONE WE LIKED THE MOST?
Our choice of the best cordless beard trimmer comes down to the Philips Norelco Multigroom Series 3100 model. During our testing, we found it to offer great quality and a tough to beat feature set at the current asking price. In our opinion, this model performed so well and completed every trimming session effortlessly that we were confused about how can such a great all-rounder product come at an affordable price.
The most surprising fact was that we underestimated Philips seeing how some of the more well-known manufacturers were among the other competing models that we tested. Their products have great features too, however, they are more expensive than the Philips model and some of them do not offer the same generous level of included equipment.
The Philips 3100 model proved to be the most popular choice among plenty of users and seeing how much overwhelmingly positive feedback they give about it – it is well deserved. The endurance and longevity scores are rated with high marks too. The self-sharpening blades are a rare feature found in such a low-price product and we commend Philips for including it as standard. This model comes highly recommended for being the best performance for the money cordless trimmer currently available.
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