I am not going to lie. I am not the kind of person who spends big bucks on personal grooming products. I was content with the shaving quality of my humble disposable razor until I had a terrible arm fracture one fine morning.
Maneuvering a super-sharp razor all over my body (especially below the belt) was no more an option for me since my arm lacked the precision and strength.
Despite my utter reluctance, I chose to opt for an electric shaver. Budget wasn’t an issue for me. I just need a quality shaver, something that would replicate the shaving precision of a razor without hurting my skin or tiring my arm.
After two days of meticulous searching, I found Philips Norelco Bodygroom Series 7100. I did a good bit of research on it and it seemed worth the investment, so I gave it a go.
Here’s my take on Norelco 7100, also known as Bodygroomer BG2040/49, hoping it will help you make an informed decision.
I will begin this by quickly listing out the main features, in case you have urgent meetings to attend or errands to run:
Table of Contents
Philips Norelco Series 7100 Specification
| Features | Philips Norelco 7100 |
|---|---|
| Head Design | 3 Dimensions |
| Length Settings | 5 |
| Using Area | Full body |
| Waterproof | Yes |
| Showerproof | Yes |
| Run Time | 50 Minutes |
| Charging | 1 Hour |
| Comb | 1 |
| Replacement Head | BG2000 |
| Warranty | 2 Years |
| Gaurranty | 45 Days |
| Price | Check price |
Key Features of Philips Norelco Bodygroom Series 7100
- Made for both wet and dry shaving.
- Shaving head and a built-in trimmer at the bottom.
- 3D pivoting shaving head that smoothly glides along the contours of your body.
- Built-in pre-trimmers on both sides of the foil head to ensure a quick, pain-free and close shave.
- Shaving head is made from hypo-allergenic materials.
- Self-sharpening blades.
- The trimmer has 5 length settings to help you clip your beard in different lengths without switching between multiple attachments.
- Runs on two AAA NIMH batteries which can be replaced if required.
- Sports a battery level indicator.
Unboxing Philips Norelco BG2040/49
There’s nothing flashy about the packaging of this equipment and I seriously couldn’t care less. What matters is what’s on the inside. So here’s what you’ll find inside the package upon unboxing:
- The BG2040 groomer with a built-in trimmer at the bottom.
- Charging adapter.
- Charging cradle.
- A small but handy cleaning brush.
The groomer feels solid in your hand and the handle ensures a tight grasp. You can tell from the very first look that Philips has put a lot of thought behind the build quality. The built-in pop-up trimmer with a 5-length adjustable comb has been smartly placed at the bottom of the handle. The trimming length of this clipper ranges from 3mm-11mm with 2 mm increments to help you get the desired look with ease.
Get Philips Norelco 7100 at Amazon
Who Should Buy Philips Norelco Bodygroomer 7100?
If you are looking for an electric groomer to keep your chest, abs, back, armpit, legs and groin hairline well-maintained without going dead broke, this is it. You can also clean shave your head in no time with its wide shaving head.
Although it’s chiefly designed for the manscaping below the neck, it does a decent job on facial hair as well. As long as your daily regimen only involves trimming and shaping the stubble, mustache, sideburns, and goatee, you will do just fine.
In-depth Feature and Performance Analysis
Series 7100 or BG2040/49 is one of the newest members of the elite club of Philips Norelco series. I did a thorough research on the earlier Bodygroom products such as BG2020 to compare the specs.
As it turns out, BG2040 has some serious upgrades over its previous versions. Here’s an in-depth look at the key specs of 7100 to give you a better idea:
Unique and Practical Dual-end Design
The sturdy plastic body of the groomer has a cool metallic finish with black rubber inserts on the sides. These rubber inserts go all the way to the bottom and provide a firm grip. What further ensures a great hold and balance is the curved design of the handle.
The device is fairly lightweight and this curved design makes it feel like an extension of your hand. You can shave your back and other hard-to-reach spots with ease with this sleek tool.
Now, even though the frame is sturdy enough, I won’t intentionally smash it on the ground as an experiment. But let me assure you that this stuff can take a good beating. It slipped off my hand twice, yet it survived and still going strong.
BG2040 is water-resistant and can be safely used in the shower. For obvious reasons, it only allows for cordless operation. You cannot use the device while charging.
Its special dual-end design comprises a foil shaver at the top and an integrated clipper at the bottom.
Robust Shaving Head
The foil shaving head flexes and pivots independently along the contours of your skin. This results in a smooth and close-cut shave on every ridge and crevice of your body.
The shaving head is made using hypoallergenic materials which help to keep razor burns, bumps and itching to a minimum. That’s why I did not hesitate to shave the most sensitive areas of my body with it. Ladies reading this, you can safely use it to clean shave your lady parts without worrying too much.
I loved the clever placement of two micro trimmers on both sides of the foil. It speeds up the whole process by easily clearing up the fine hair. Another major benefit is that it clips the long hair strands before passing them onto the foil, resulting in a closer shave without painful pulling or pinching.
However, if you have really coarse and dense hair, it might miss a few strands here and there in the first few passes. You might also struggle to switch the angles due to the constant flexing of the foil head. Don’t worry, though. It gets easier with time and a little practice.
For the delicate areas, I’d suggest prepping the skin well to minimize the blade friction. Just to be safe, avoid dry shaving in the nether region.
To put it bluntly, it doesn’t cut like a traditional straight razor. But as far as electric shavers go, it is probably the best you can get in this price range.
Conveniently Located Built-in Trimmer
I wasn’t very excited about this novelty item when I first read the description. During my search for the best body trimmer, I came across many products featuring crappy built-in trimmers. At least that’s what most reviewers said. It didn’t bother me much as I wasn’t planning on using it much anyway.
But when I held this tool in hand, the quality of the clipper took me by surprise. It felt solid and the attached 5-length comb made it even better. It features round blades and the adjustable length settings make styling my beard a cinch. The initial loud whirring sound of the trimmer intimidated me a bit when you dry shave, but I got used to it in no time. I use this trimmer frequently to keep my stubble 5mm long.
Battery Backup and Charging Station
Here’s the deal: the battery in this device is not the best you can get. Philips claims that one full charge can give 50 minutes of backup. But in reality, you get roughly 40 minutes. That’s not bad at all.
I have a huge land to deforest and I am pretty thorough. The battery packs enough juice to get me through the entire process on a single charge.
However, I’m sure you must have already read a lot of negative feedback about the battery, especially regarding the charging issue. I think the main reason for it is the wrong charging frequency.
The guideline clearly mentions that you should charge it only after the indicator shows low battery status (blinking orange light). If you put it on charge after every use, the Ni-Mh battery is going to suffer. Although, I do wish it had larger and stronger batteries along with a quick charge feature. But I guess I can deal with what I’ve got.
The charging cradle provided with it is pretty basic. It is too thin and has a cheap plasticky feel. The only good thing about it is the rubber feet underneath which keeps the cradle secure on slippery surfaces. I really don’t mind these minor drawbacks as long as the grooming unit functions properly.
Easy Breezy Maintenance
Self-sharpening blades on this device are one of the smartest pieces of utility I have ever seen. This simply means you never have to oil or sharpen the blades to keep them in mint condition. I also loved how easily the foil head, trimmer unit, and the comb attachment come apart.
I just dust off the hair residue with the cleaning brush included in the package. This is followed by a quick rinse under running tap water. That’s pretty much it.
Replacement and Customer Service
Philips recommends replacing the foil head every 12 months. It is easily available and doesn’t cost much either. I did some digging to find out whether I can replace the finicky batteries. Turns out, you actually can replace them. You can search for video tutorials to help you change the batteries if needed. I haven’t changed it yet but I might, in the near future. I would also like to note here that Philips Norelco has an amazing customer care service.
I bombarded them with queries every time I faced any minor inconvenience right after my purchase. I got prompt replies and thoroughly explained answers every single time. Glad to know there are still a few brands which understand that customer service is a part of the product itself. Kudos to Philips for this!
Pros and Cons of Philips Norelco Bodygroom Series 7100
Thanks for patiently reading along so far. To those who didn’t have the patience, it’s okay. Let me sum up what I have discussed so far to give you a clear picture.
What I Liked:
- Ergonomic and curved design.
- Quality of the integrated trimmer at the bottom.
- Forgiving blades, doesn’t nick unless you are being too reckless.
- Shaves without snagging or irritating the skin.
- Supports both wet and dry shaving.
- Easy replacement availability.
- Brilliant customer service of Philips.
- Low upkeep.
What I Didn’t Like
- This equipment deserves better batteries.
- The overall quality of the charging station.
What Makes Bodygroom Series 7100 a Worthy Investment?
BG2040/49 is primarily designed to clean up the hair below the neck, including the “nether” region. If you are a scary hairy dude like me, don’t expect your man-land to be buttery smooth with this shaver-trimmer combo.
At best, it can help you keep your body hair in a respectable shape without much hassle. However, if you don’t have a hairy manscape to deal with, you can easily achieve baby smooth skin with its foil shaver without troubling your skin.
Shaving down there with this tool is dead simple and risk-free. Shaving the area (that God only intended to be treated nicely) with a lethal sharp razor can be dangerous, you know? I know this for a fact because I had nicked my skin a couple of times while trying to get rid of the uglies around my junk.
Clean shaving the pubes with Norelco is a piece of cake, both with and without the guards. The fact that it has tiny trimmers on both sides of the foil makes your work easier by cutting short the shaving time.
You don’t need multiple passes to be completely hairless which helps to keep cuts, rashes, blisters, and ingrown hair at bay. The blades on this equipment are very forgiving, which makes the equipment all the more better.
Sometimes I would accidentally go rough on my skin but still manage to come out unscathed. Another aspect that impressed me the most is the easy clean-up.
The parts disassemble easily and a quick rinse with tap water gets all the gunk out. Yes, the battery could be better but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this electric shaver delivers exactly what it promises.
Final Verdict
As I said at the very beginning, I was never one for splurging on high-end, tech-rich grooming kits. I belong to the school of thought which believes in the power of simplicity.
Perhaps I would have never bought an electric shaver if I didn’t injure my arm. While I’m still kind of upset about the lost strength of my arm, I’m glad I got a taste of this advanced shaving technology.
This two-in-one grooming tool has become an essential part of my grooming routine today. I don’t miss my razor, to be honest. My skin loves this tool and manscaping with it just feels a lot safer than using disposable razors. Sure, it has its fair share of shortcomings but the positive aspects easily outweigh the negatives. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.
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