Ladies and gentleman – in this corner we have a $270 “high tech” chrome electric razor made by that company whose name rhymes with “dawn.” At in the other we have the $13 Gillette Fusion Power . Bit of a David and Goliath situation you would think right? Maybe not..
Both razors operate along the basic principles, using pulsating vibrations to help the blades slide across the face more easily resulting in a smoother shave and fewer nicks and scratches.
The expensive contender does this by blasting your face with high frequency sound waves. The idea is that skin ripples ever so slightly, hairs stand on end and are easier to cut. And indeed the big boy performs well, but it is, say our testers not so good when it comes to those tricky bits on the chin and neck. And at 6 ounces shaving with it is a bit of tiring experience after a while. Another of our guinea pigs complained that it left unsightly red blotches at his jawline, a bit of annoyance when you have a hot date in an hour.
The Gillette Fusion Power looks much like any other Gillette Fusion razor. It gets its power from a single AA battery (you get a free Duracell one with purchase) and Mr. Blotchy was pleased that the Gillette Fusion Power did not mar his mug.
Although it looks very simple the Gillette Fusion cartridge actually packs some pretty impressive technology. A little onboard microchip regulates the movement of the five blades as well as a ‘your battery is nearly dead” indicator. Our testers were on the whole as impressed with the Gillette fusion as they were with its expensive counterpart, and those with sideburns and mustaches raved about the handy sixth blade that is designed to keep such things neat and trim.
In the end, although both razors did a good job the Gillette Fusion came out the winner. Chalk another one up for the little guy.
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Gillette razors have been around for a long time – 108 years and counting in fact – but when the original Gillette Mach 3 was debuted in 1998 many men believed they had finally found the perfect razor (not to mention the many wives and girlfriends who borrowed it occasionally) The first three bladed razor, complete with its blue lube strip the Gillette Mach 3 has since become the bestselling safety razor ever.
So when in 2006 Gillette introduced the Gillette Fusion and its battery powered brother the Gillette Fusion Power Mach 3 fans had a possibly even more powerful grooming tool at their disposal – after all the Gillette Fusion has five blades – six if you count the single “precision trimming blade” – which has to be better right?
Gillette certainly want you to think so. The Gillette Fusion has become the flagship of their brand, with the likes of Derek Jeter, Roger Federer, Thierry Henry and Tiger Woods (although the company are not too fond of the latter right now) being paid millions to promote it around the world.
But are five blades really better than three? A quick poll of users seems to suggest that the extra blades cut down on the actual shaving time, which means less skin irritation and guys with beards, mustaches or sideburns seem to like that sixth blade quite a lot.
If you opt to go the Gillette Fusion route you have another decision to make – Power or not? Just like the Gillette Mach 3 before it the Fusion comes in battery powered and manual versions. Power fans say that the vibrations that are produced by the Gillette Fusion Power help the blades slide more easily over the skin.
Of course, with the introduction of the Gillette Fusion the prices of the blades for the Gillette Mach 3 fell, which is possibly the biggest reason quite a few users stayed loyal to the “old technology”. I have also heard the Gilette Mach 3 is still a favorite of the Red Sox Nation, as those guys could never bring themselves to use anything that Derek Jeter endorses.
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Soon we’ll be posting tons of information on how to get Gillette Fusion cartridges & razors for huge discounts off your local stores. Also we’ll help you spot counterfeit fusion cartridges and razor blades.