Philips Norelco S9000 Prestige Review

This unique rotary unit has somewhat of an odd shape, but it turned out to be a razor we preferred to use. Its greatest accolade is its irritation-free shave and whisper-quiet motor.

Performance Comparison

Shave Quality

The three rotary heads collectively house 72 self-sharping blades that spin with precision. We never felt them bog down, even on thicker, longer stubble. Three speeds allow for variable shaving power, so there was very little snagging or tugging on hair. We also experienced very little razor burn or any other irritation to the skin. Each of the pivoting heads is connected to a completely suspended head assembly that flexes in every direction. The result is a shaving system that stays flush against the skin.

In addition to its whisper quiet motor, we love the attachable trimmer blade that is unique to the Prestige. Most electric razors have built-in trimmers that slide or pop into place. The Prestige's system is a separate attachment that connects directly to the motor housing. This gives it greater power, stability, and reach. We felt this feature allowed us to touch up sideburns with greater ease and precision. To attach the trimmer, first remove the rotary cutting cassette by firmly pulling it upwards. Then, snap the trimmer assembly into place. Although we really like this feature, we don't care for the force required to remove the cutting cassette. Our feeling was that, over time, the aggressiveness of the process could potentially cause damage to the razor.

Run & Charge Times

Above-average battery life and quicker-than-normal charge times earned the Prestige its highest scores. It performed better in this metric than all of the rest.

On a single charge, the Prestige ran continuously at its highest speed for 2 hours and 9 minutes. Even more impressive, after having its battery drained to zero, it was completely recharged in just 59 minutes, one of the faster charges of the products we tested. In addition to its impressive ability to beat the clock, we also really liked this model's large control screen that displays the exact percentage of battery life available in large, digital numbers.

Ease of Use & Versatility

A useful trimmer attachment, ergonomic grip, stylish carrying case, and a top-notch control panel earned the Prestige very solid marks for this metric. Specifically, we really loved its many convenient digital icons that help, inform, and alert.

In addition to low battery and charging notifications, the razor also gives you cleaning reminders and tells you when the travel lock is engaged. Additional icons let you know when it's time to replace the cutting cartridge, remind you to unplug the device before use, and even tell you if the unit is overheating. Our favorite was the alert to let us know when there were blocked shaving heads. All of these friendly icons amazingly fit within a small two-inch screen that is only a half-inch wide.

The Prestige has a perfectly placed power button that sits opposite its uniquely shaped, notched finger hold. We loved this ergonomic touch and feel it really enhances the Prestige's balance while creating a very comfortable grip that allows for better maneuvering and precision. However, we didn't like the shape of the cutting head as much as other models in our testing group. We don't feel it affects this razor's overall shave quality, but it is an odd shape. We sometimes wondered whether it was completely blending into the shape of our face, especially the harder-to-reach areas. On a positive note, the Prestige can be used wet or dry. It can even be used in the bathtub or shower.

Ease of Cleaning

When it came to cleaning our Prestige, we really liked that we had a few options depending on the razor's needs. This ability to adapt our cleaning routine earned this model above-average marks for this metric. However, there were some things we didn't like.

The wet/dry Prestige can be dry brushed, rinsed under the sink, or docked into its cleaning pod for a deeper scrub down. The one thing we didn't like about the separate cleaning pod is that it doesn't have its own power supply. It's basically a plastic tub that houses the cleaning solution. In short, the Prestige is placed upside down into the pod, and the power button is then pressed. The razor itself provides all of the power needed for the cleaning process. Although better than nothing at all, we tend to prefer cleaning stations that run on their own electricity and that are specifically designed to provide a deep cleaning program.

For a basic rinse, you can't get better than the Prestige. A spring-loaded, hinged, cutting cassette pops open with the press of a button. Our testing panel felt rinsing this razor under the sink was a breeze because they weren't saddled with the extra task of carefully placing the cutting cassette in a safe place.

Should You Buy the Philips Norelco S9000 Prestige?

It's a little pricey, but fans of rotary razors will love the Prestige. It's built well and hardly makes a sound. This model's whisper-quiet motor is very misleading. It sounds like it's barely running when, in reality, it's sending oodles of power to three pivoting cutting heads that chomp through tough stubble with ease. It takes a while to master the nuances of its unique shape, but in the end, all of our testing panel really enjoyed using the Prestige and unanimously endorsed it as one of our favorites. This razor is great for light to thick beards, and its attachable hair trimmer is the best we've seen. We don't love the price, but we do think that you'll get what you paid for with this product.

What Other Electric Razor Should You Consider?

If rotary blades are your jam, but paying hundreds of dollars is not, take a look at the Philips Norelco 2300 or Philips Norelco 2400. Neither come close to the quality of the Prestige, but they are good, basic razors that a super affordable. We also like the Philips Norelco 9500.