Philips Norelco 1280cc/42 Shaver Review

The Philips Norelco 1280cc/42 is one of the more recognizable rotary head shavers around, on account of its metallic blue and chrome coloring and its classic modern Philips Norelco shape.

Philips Norelco 1280cc/42 is one of the more recognizable rotary head shavers around, on account of its metallic blue and chrome coloring and its classic modern Philips Norelco shape.

If you’re after a high-end rotary head shaver then you’ll be interested in the many features of this unit, which is part of the SensoTouch range and comes complete with its own cleaning and docking station.

From its tapering ergonomic handle with easy-grip sides, up to the triple rotary heads that do the actual shaving, the Philips Norelco 1280cc/42 is a powerful and effective men’s shaver in every sense of the words.

Simply place it in the station and you can do all the maintenance and charging it needs at the press of a button, all on energy-saving settings. Periodically you will have to fill the station up with cleaning fluid.

The motor is powerful enough to make light work of most beards, complementing the blades perfectly.

Apart from the actual shave, maintenance is made easy with this model because of its JetClean cleaning and docking station. You are alerted when cleaning, lubrication or charging needs to be done by a 3-level display.

Another useful feature is its trimmer, which provides a skin-friendly solution to detailed mustache, goatee and sideburn trimming.

As well as the main features described above there are a host of other side benefits to the Philips Norelco 1280cc/42…..

For starters you get a great running time as it uses a lithium ion rechargeable battery. This means that it can be used cordlessly for around 60 minutes on a 1-hour charge.

Therefore, if you want to take it travelling without the cleaning and docking station it should be fine for short trips; it comes with a travel pouch for convenience too and its worldwide voltage function adjusts automatically and makes it suitable for international travel.

This electric shaver can also be used wet or dry – so if you prefer to shave in the shower or bath, with foam or gel added (as per a wet shave) you can go ahead and do that.

It is waterproof so you can clean it under running water too, which helps when traveling without the cleaning station.

You will find the Philips Norelco 1280cc/42 online for around $250, though its retail price is $100 higher than that. It sits at the top of the SensoTouch range and is backed by a two-year warranty.

Sure, there are plenty of cheaper shavers out there, but for sheer speed and quality of shave from a rotary head shaver, this takes some beating, according to most users. The extra head it provides from the two-headed Philips Norelco models seems well worthwhile.

It runs quietly and efficiently and most people who have forked out the extra have found it money well spent, so we can certainly recommend it in this review.