Philips Norelco Speed Xl By cafn8me on Aug 16, 2008 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

As a member of an online word-of-mouth campaign site, I am frequently given the opportunity to try out products for free or at a reduced cost. Such was the case with the Philips Norelco Speed XL electric shaver. This system comes with a charging stand, a cleaning brush, and a travel pouch. The paperwork that accompanied the shaver system touted the individually floating heads and stainless steel blades of the razor, and its ability to give a close, smooth shave without the nicks and razor burns one can get from a traditional razor. It also offers indicator lights for battery level and a cleaning indicator. With all these nifty bells and whistles, I really wanted to like this item! Since it also boasts a 1-hour full charge, I was able to try it very shortly after it came in the mail.

Once the shaver was charged, I took it with me into the bathroom and used it to shave my legs. Well, maybe I should say that I tried to use it to shave my legs! Unfortunately, the claims of this razor's ability to give a close shave were greatly exaggerated. I tried going more slowly, using a bit more and then a bit less pressure, and shaving in different directions, all to no avail. Perhaps this razor needs the hair to be a bit longer and/or thicker in order to be fully effective, but I am just not willing to wait until my ankles have bangs to try out that particular theory!

I will say that the razor did a much more effective job on my husband's face. He used it on 2 day's growth, and when he was done, his face was as smooth as if he had used his shaving cream and a triple-blade razor. His conclusion is that this shaver is geared toward men's beards, and not the finer hair on women's legs.

At least I didn't have to pay full price for the chance to try it out. At an average retail of $99, this shaver is not all it's cracked up to be.