Philips Norelco 2500 Shaver Review: How Powerful, Efficient, and Worth Buying Is this Philips Norelco Shaver 2500?

Philips Norelco 2500 and Philips Norelco 2300 are the new generation rotary shavers in the Philips Norelco inexpensive shaver production. Both models come with similar shapes but there are some differences in features where the Philips 2500 is a bit advanced model. The manufacturer declared that the Philips Norelco 2500 is the upgraded model of the older Philips Norelco 3100. Does the new version worth it?

In this article, I’ll share a detailed idea about the Philips 2500 shaver that will help you judge this new shaver.

Overview

The Philips Norelco 2500 is a corded/cordless shaver that can be used while charging. On the other hand, it provides 45 minutes of cordless performance with a 1-hour charge.
The shaver features 27 rounded ComfortCut blades for efficient and comfortable shaves.
It features one-touch-open head technology that offers easy cleaning with direct water.
It’s a dry-only shaver, so you are not allowed to shave with foam, gel, or water.
The manufacturer used self-sharpening blades in the shaver for consistently sharp performance.
The shaver comes with a built-in popup trimmer that is useful for final touches.
Shaver’s head flexes in 4 directions while shaving for efficient and comfortable shaves.

What’s in the Box?

The Philips Norelco 2500 shaver package comes with the following items:

The razor itself
A cleaning brush
A storage pouch
Charging adapter & cord
Manual

Features and Specifications Analysis

Since the Philips Norelco 2500 is a revamped model of the Philips Norelco 3100, they have some similarities. But most of the things have been upgraded in the new shaver. And moreover, the new shaver comes with some extra features that the older one doesn’t have. So, let’s have a look at the features and specifications to know about the new Philips 2500 shaver.

Self-sharpening Blades

The self-sharpening blades were used in the trimmers and hair clippers first. But now, some brands are using this blade technology to make their shavers more reliable. The Philips Norelco 2500 electric rotary shaver comes with 27 self-sharpening blades (9 in each head) that the older Philips Norelco 3100 didn’t have. However, the self-sharpening blades have rounded edges that stay sharper consistently until damaged. As a result, the shaving performance doesn’t go dull after a long time of use. I really appreciate the shaver’s self-sharpening blades for becoming more reliable than the predecessor.

ComfortCut Heads

The rotary shaving head of the Philips Norelco 2500 has been made with rounded ComfortCut technology. The predecessor Philips Norelco 3100, also has this technology that makes the shaving result comfortable. To clarify, the rounded ComfortCut shaving caps protect the skin from the blades and glide over the skin very smoothly. As a result, the skin doesn’t feel any irritation even after prolonged use. But the ComfortCut blades don’t shave as closely as the traditional blades or premium shavers since they are made with a bit thick metal. Therefore you may take 2-3 passes to get the closest result for the coarse beard or 2-3 days long beard.

4 Direction Flex Head

The shaving head of the Philips Norelco 2500 shaver is pretty flexible to adapt to facial curves. The head can flex in 4 directions independently for an efficient and comfortable shave. For being flexible, you do not need to do much wrist work for accomplished shaves. But many advanced models can give you better adaption and comfort if you intend to spend more. However, I think the 4 directional flexible head is enough useful shaver I think in this inexpensive budget.

Improved Battery

The Philips Norelco 2500 and the Philips Norelco 3100 both version comes with a Lithium-ion rechargeable battery that provides 45 minutes of cordless runtime. But the new shaver takes only 1 hour for a full charge whereas the older one (Philips 3100) takes 8 hours for a full charge. I found the new battery is pretty good and hassle-free than the older one since you don’t need to charge it over the whole night.

Cordless and Corded Shaver

This is the most hilarious fact I found in this new shaver. If the rechargeable battery goes fully drained, you don’t need to wait for a recharge since the shaver can be used while charging. However, it’s not a new feature in this shaver since the predecessor Philips 3100 also provides this facility.

Dry-only Shaver

It’s time to admit a downside of the Philips Norelco 2500 shaver it is not allowed to have wet shaves. If you are a fan of refreshing shaves with shaving cream, foam, gel, or water; this shaver is not for you. The predecessor Philips 3100 was also a dry-only shaver. However, while considering the price range, it’s not much rational to blame the shaver for being dry-only. This inexpensive shaver has been made for men who like to shave regularly and instantly without any moisturizer.

Although it’s prohibited by the producer to use the shaver for wet shaves, some users found it useful with shaving cream and gel in practical. Since it’s officially not a wet/dry shaver, you have to try it for wet shaves at your own risk.

Washability

The new Philips Norelco Series 2000 shaver (2500) is a washable shaver. The manufacturer recommends cleaning the shaver with running tap water. It has good housing for thorough cleaning with running water.

Popup Trimmer

I have to admit that it’s really a compelling fact that, this inexpensive shaver comes with a built-in pop-up trimmer. Although an affordable shaver, you do not need to depend on a separate trimmer for final touch or precision trimming since the popup trimmer takes care of these tasks. However, it’s not enough to trim your full beard but I found it’s ideal for what it had been made.

One-touch Open Head

The new shaver comes with the new one-touch-open head technology that is operated with a soft-touch button. The head housing of the shaver instantly releases after a simple press of the open button to clean the inner debris. While comparing with the predecessor, you need to use brute force to open the head. So, I think it’s really an appreciable technology to make the cleaning process much easier.

Built Quality

The new generation rotary shaver Philips Norelco 2500 comes in a completely new design where it apparently doesn’t match with the predecessor. The new design is a bit longer than the older one and moreover, it’s pretty lightweight that’s good for comfortable handling. The new shaver comes in a gray and black color combination appearance whereas the older one was fully black. To make the shaver lightweight, the manufacturer used thinner plastic to make the housing that I found very cheap in quality. My opinion is, the body building quality of the older one is sturdier than the new one. However, on the head of the shaver, there are 3 circular Comfortcut caps with 27 self-sharpening blades. I found the blades with Comfortcut caps to feel very reliable for efficient and consistent performance. At the front of the head, there is a small button to release the head to clean the inside. This technology deserves appreciation since an inexpensive shaver. The manufacturer engineered the shaver for cleaning with water or a cleaning brush. But you can not emerge under the water. The neck and the rare side of the shaver have been mostly made with sure-grip rubber, that’s really an up. The shaver comes with a built-in popup trimmer that is situated at the rare side that you need to slide up to release and use.

Replacement Part

The Philips Norelco 2500 comes with ComfortCut heads and the Philips Norelco SH30 is the perfect suite for a replacement head. The SH30 is widely available on the internet and the Norelco Store sells them on Amazon as well. The manufacturer recommends replacing the shaving heads once a year. But it may differ according to shaving habits. My recommendation is to replace the existing heads after getting damaged.

Pros

Comfortable shaver.
Cordless + corded use.
Dropless performance.
Powerful battery.
Inexpensive.
Pop-up trimmer.
Easy to clean.
Lightweight.

Cons

Dry-only shaver.
Takes several passes for coarse beards.
A bit noisy.
Cheap built quality.

Philips Norelco 2300 vs Philips Norelco 2500

The Philips Norelco 2300 and Philips Norelco 2300 come in identical shapes and designs. The built qualities are also identical. Only the visible difference between them is, the Philips 2500 has a lighter gray and black color appearance whereas the Philips 2300 has a deep grey and black appearance. The price ranges of both shavers are not much different. Then what is the main difference between them? The most significant difference in both shavers is, the Philips 2500 comes with a more advanced battery than the Philips 2300. To clarify, the Philips Norelco 2500 provides 45 minutes of cordless runtime whereas the Philips Norelco 2300 provides 40 minutes of cordless runtime. On the other hand, the Philips 2500 takes 1 hour for a full charge in the opposite of Philips 2300s 8 hour charging time. I think it’s a major difference that could influence one’s choice. Since both shavers can be used while charging, it may not be a major fact for some users who like to shave with corded shavers. However, I didn’t find any further difference between these shavers where you should choose your shaver wisely according to your desire.

Verdict

Not a deal-breaker and found, the older one (Philips 3100) had a better built quality but the new one (Philips 2500) comes with more facilities. This shaver is recommended for men who shave regularly and want to save their bank. I found it’s enough for a regular user and even better in some aspects since it’s a corded + cordless shaver. But it’s not good stuff for the versatile users who shave in both conditions (wet/dry).