OneBlade Pro 360 Review: Worthy Upgrade vs OneBlade?

There are so many models of Philips OneBlade that I often lose track of these shavers and keep trying to separate one from the other in my mind.

However, through so many devices, I was able to pair up my grooming routine with the OneBlade Pro 360 shaver because it’s so darn good!

Such a shaver belonging to the budget end is actually surreal and I believe I’m honor-bound to write this OneBlade Pro review for general consumers.

As an added bonus, you’ll figure out if it’s better than the older OneBlade face+body shaver by the end of the article and whether you should really go for an upgrade!

“OneBlade Pro from Philips is a complete electric shaver with a very affordable price tag! There aren’t many who can do what this Norelco shaver does and it can easily replace your older shavers convincingly!”

Norelco OneBlade Pro: What Does ‘Pro’ Mean?

With the ‘Pro’ branding tag, Philips intends to mark a class of its own with this shaving unit. It’s a reflection of its looks, quality and appeal for the general consumers.

Don’t misunderstand it though, this isn’t really a professional grade electric shaver, rather something for personal use.

Why am I calling it a personal shaver, you may ask? It has to do with the features, flexibility and overall functionality.

Go through the rest of the articles and you’ll realize exactly what I’m trying to say about the OneBlade Pro line!

Unboxing OneBlade Pro 360

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I like the overall packaging of the OneBlade Pro 360 way more than the previous OneBlade 360 (Face+Body) unit.

The box is neat, it’s not prone to tearing up or damage with regular use and the slots inside aren’t tricky to put back.

Upon lifting the lid, you’ll find the OneBlade Pro handle lying on the right side, the 360 blade encased at the left right underneath the 12-length setting guide comb.

It also comes with a charging adapter and cable stashed inside a box underneath, adjacent to the user manuals inside another box.

What’s Inside the Box: Norelco OneBlade Pro handle, 360 blade, blade cover, 12-length guide comb, charger, user manual.

Specifications: Philips OneBlade Pro 360

Here are the technical aspects of the Philips OneBlade Pro 360 electric shaver. From this information, you’ll map out the basics of many qualities embedded within this device!

• Dimensions: 16.7 x 3.4 x 3.1 cm
• Weight: 4‎ ounces
• Colors: Lime green and charcoal gray
• Wireless: Yes
• Accessories: 2
• Guide Combs: 12-length setting comb
• Blades: 360 facial blade
• Waterproof: IPX7
• LED Indicator: Yes
• Battery Type: Li-Ion
• Battery Runtime: 80 minutes
• Warranty: 2 years

Physical Aspects of OneBlade Pro

Before looking into the performance aspects of the Philips OneBlade Pro 360, it’s better if we check out the outer qualities aka the physical aspects of this magnificent electric shaver.

Great Design

Whether you take a look at the sturdy handle or the minimal, charcoal black color scheme with a hint of Philips colors, everything seems fanciable for myself and I’m sure, for many other grooming enthusiasts.

Premium Aesthetics

Right from the start, the aesthetics of this shaver looks premium and professional. It’s a solid win for home groomers who want a little extra from the looks department.

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The overall handle follows the same charcoal black aesthetics but the release lever up top is draped in a lime green, standing out from the rest of the features.

Other than these, the only exception from the darker colorization is in the Philips Norelco OneBlade text down the bottom of the handle and the glossy LED indicator area.

The power button is made apparent with the similarly light gray toned power icon and it’s not the most tactile thing on the device. I had to press all the way down for a response, so keep that in mind before making a purchase.

Firm Grip

This shaver is another ergonomic beauty from Philips. With all the minimal grip points placed perfectly and enabling the maximum level of grip, I’m very happy with the result in all states.

I have large fingers, so I believe the bulkier shape suits my parameter of grip as opposed to the older OneBlade Face+Body shaver.

This wider handle may pose some discomfort to people who prefer slimmer electric shavers. Then again, if you consider the width of something like a Braun or Panasonic, this Philips shaver is significantly slimmer than those.

Most of the textured ergonomic spots are placed at the back of this shaver. Remainder of the handle carries out a matte finish, making it very easygoing to hold on to.

Such a technique works on both wet and dry conditions, even if your fingers are slippery with all the shaving gel or foam, more on that later.

But as a whole, I’ll definitely give a thumbs up for the grip on this OneBlade Pro 360 shaver!

What I Like

What Could be Better

Solid Build Quality

The first time you lay your hands on this OneBlade Pro shaver, you’ll gain a boost of confidence from the robust handle.

It carries on to the LED display that’s neat and tidy, so teeny tiny cracks that can cause any sort of leakage.

I tested the motor head upon removing the blades and saw it’s quite solid, although built with plastic.

But considering the blades are very light for the Norelco OneBlade series, this shouldn’t be a matter of concern to any of us.

Only downside in build quality is in the hinges of the blade head that keep it attached to the handle.

Since OneBlade and OneBlade Pro share the same blade system, the issue persists as I’ve highlighted it in my previous review articles.

There are times I was able to undo the blade head without even having to release the lock lever. It doesn’t come off randomly, you have to put in some force – but still, this shouldn’t happen.

What I Like

What Could be Better

Additional Features: OneBlade Pro 360

Other than the looks and housing, there are plenty more features in this OneBlade Pro 360 shaver that requires elaboration. We’re heading that direction right now!

Weight Class

The weight of this OneBlade Pro shaver is only 4 ounces. I expected it to be slightly more than this number and it’s definitely something I appreciate with open arms.

This weight class reached the 4 ounces threshold because of the more durable plastic utilized in the handle and the larger battery unit installed inside.

For contrast, some of the finest ball shavers with ceramic blades weigh around this gradient and are feather-weighed units to come across in the grooming industry.

Also, such weight is undoubtedly liberated from arm fatigue yet doesn’t compromise the precision in shaving.

So overall it’s a balance between both and I don’t think Philips could have done anything better in this sector precisely.

Two-Way Blades

Many people claim that the ‘face’ blade in the OneBlade Pro doesn’t cut both ways, I’d like to strongly disagree with them.

The two-way cutting actions are my favorite feature in this shaver as it saves time by reducing the number of times I have to lift, readjust and glide.

Also, this ensures all the flat lying hair is being picked up by going different directions with hair growth.

Since it’s a 360 blade, the head adjusts to the facial contours. It’s nothing like the top-tier electric shavers but it gets the job done.

Sufficient Motor Power

Shavers such as OneBlade or OneBlade Pro are not the powerhouse electric devices and you can’t expect the motor’s RPM to rise above 4,000.

Despite such low torque, Philips managed to make it work using the face blades since these blades aren’t bulky and don’t require much raw strength to make them work.

This method has worked wonders in terms of energy efficiency and increases the durability of the motor unit.

Such gentle motor power is generally friendly for sensitive skin without compromising any performance.

My coarse beard with a 7 day growth could be snuffed out quite effortlessly, so I’ll have to appreciate the motor unit Philips implemented in this shaver.

Long Battery with LED Battery Indicator

One major upgrade in this shaver is the inclusion of the LED battery level indicator. It’s a small display placed right underneath the power button, giving you a general idea of your battery life.

This indicator doesn’t work with numerics, rather a 3-bar LED system showing the battery level with increments of 33%.

I know it’s not that much of a great reader of levels, but this is still better than having nothing and your shaver dying mid-shave.

At least you’ll have a heads up long before your juice runs out and be prepared at all times! But I reckon that won’t be a major factor because the battery itself is huge in this shaver!

With a li-ion battery installed inside with fast charging technology, the battery fills up within an hour and delivers at least 80 minutes of usable runtime.

After that, the motor feels a little lacking and that happens when the indicator reads one bar – you’ll know it’s time to recharge at this point.

All-in-One Guide Comb

I personally don’t like having to deal with tons of accessories because I’m not the most organized person in real life.

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There have been countless occasions where I either lost an accessory or mixed up guide combs between shavers or clippers (which I am not proud of).

OneBlade Pro seems to have understood the struggles of people like us and incorporated an all-in-one guide comb with 12 variable length settings.

It’s similar to the ones found in electric trimmers but the best part is that you can fully detach the mechanism.

I found it a little tricky to attach it at the beginning but you’ll get the hang of it over time. Latch on, turn the dial to your preferred length and shave on!

But remember, such all-in-one guide combs don’t always produce accurate results when it comes to beard lengths and it’s something you’ll have to live with for the OneBlade Pro as well.

Waterproof

As Philips never fails to disappoint in the waterproofing department – the Norelco OneBlade Pro is an IPX7 rated waterproof device!

The rating is etched upon the back of the handle toward the bottom end and it’s made things from wet/shower shaving to rinsing under running water much more comfortable!

Even though it’s waterproof, don’t try things like getting it wet while the device is connected to a power outlet.

There are plenty of benefits to this waterproof feature, rated with IPX and I’ll be discussing them individually in the following sections.

What I Like

What Could be Better

My Experience with Philips OneBlade Pro

I’ve been using this Philips OneBlade Pro 360 for the past few months and I believe what I’ve experienced will certainly help you out on making up your mind about this shaver!

Shaving Quality/Closeness

Disclaimer: don’t expect the shaving outcome with this OneBlade Pro to resemble something like a Braun Series 9 shaver – you have to look at the gap of price and technology between the two.

There’s bound to be a slight degree of stubble if you shave without the guard attached. Let me phrase the degree of outcome in a more comprehensive way.

If shaving with your manual razor gives you a very clean outcome, the result from the OneBlade Pro will make it seem like you shaved 9-10 hours earlier.

Of course, it depends largely on your beard’s density, hair strength and overall growth rate, but it can be generally perceived in this way.

With the guard on, you’ll get the minimum of 0.5 mm length setting and without it, it’s somewhere around 0.1 mm – not a silky skin in short.

Is it Comfortable?

The degree of comfort is a valid concern before buying an electric shaver because a large number of consumers like myself want to mitigate the accidental cuts from manual razors, other than time consumption.

To start off, shaving with the guide attached has been a very pleasant experience for me. No cuts, no burning sensation afterward.

I’ve even utilized it on my couple week’s growth and the shaver seems to have handled that with grace.

But to get a neat outcome, there’s no alternative to going without the guards, and this raw mode does leave you with some burning sensation if your skin isn’t thick.

I endured this especially around my neck region – these aren’t any cuts or bloody mess, just some burning feeling that goes away with cold water application.

Wet & Dry Shaves

To test out the capacities of the OneBlade Pro, I utilized it in both wet and dry modes as it can solidify my take on this unique device.

Dry shaves are good, cuts close and doesn’t add any additional burn to the skin. But this can get messy since there are tons of stray hair flying around in every direction.

I then tried moisturizing my beard with water alone and the results have been similar – dealing with stray hair by the end.

So I’ll suggest taking it inside the shower to walk past this issue and it works like a charm. You won’t even have to rinse every now and then – simply shave, shower and walk out.

Things get interesting when you apply shaving foam or gel into the mix. The shaving experience gets slightly more pleasant since the beard is softened down and allows for closer cuts.

If you’re not in a hurry or don’t shower in the morning, I’ll advise you to apply some form of shaving lotion. Why not utilize the waterproof feature properly!

A Travel Shaver?

This question kept popping on my mind while I purchased this shaver. Since it’s light, portable, has a good battery life and very straightforward to use, I find it to be ideally placed for traveling.

The disappointing factor is that – this shaver has no travel lock. I think Philips knew this shaver to be a traveling companion for the consumers, so they proposed an alternate solution.

Remember I was complaining about the power button for not being tactile and responsive? This is when it comes handy for us.

Such a depth in the power button prevents it from accidental turn ons, even when you bury it deep within your clothes or stash it in a compartment inside your luggage.

A battery life of 80 minutes renders carrying the charger redundant. You can simply pull off a two-week trip with the shaver alone, and it’s magnificent to think about!

Is OneBlade Pro a Body Shaver?

If you want to use the OneBlade Pro as a body shaver, no one’s going to stop you from doing so – although there are better alternatives for this cause.

Philips tries to separate the 360 blade with their generic one by calling the former a face blade while the latter a body blade.

From what I’ve experienced, there’s no difference in performance between the two apart from the contour adaptation feature.

So if I want to go in manscaping with my OneBlade Pro, I’ll probably go in without any guide comb, otherwise there’s no point in doing so.

However, the body comb seems to have a certain appeal to many consumers. If you’re among them, you’ll have to make a separate purchase because the 12-setting guard you’ll find in the package isn’t equipped for body grooming.

How I Tested the OneBlade 360 Pro

Most of my tests have already been mentioned up until this point in the article. Additional things I did was to clock the charging time, relentless runtime and checking for water leakages.

For the last one, I dipped the shaver under 5 meters of water for 5 minutes and there was no sign of leakage whatsoever.

My shower dispenses heavy flow of water, so if a shaver can survive that flow I’m sure it’s going to withstand any degree of water you throw at it (unless of course, you prefer shaving deep underwater).

I closely inspected the blade elements, hinges and every little thing possible for me to test out so that I can conjure a very precise and accurate verdict by the end.

What I Like

What Could be Better

Who is the OneBlade Pro 360 For?

Let me cut to the chase – if you’re tired of scrubbing a manual razor on your face, don’t want to spend extra on expensive electric shavers and can settle for an averagely close shave, OneBlade Pro is definitely the one for you.

However, if your skin is very sensitive, then I’ll probably urge you to buy a shaver from this lot instead of something from the Norelco OneBlade series.

It’s a shaver that can make your life easier, cut down on shaving time and isn’t demanding when it comes to maintenance.

For the price point, I can’t think of any other shaver to perform like the OneBlade Pro or coming with the durability level, unless it’s a manual one and then we’re back to square one again.

How to Use, Clean & Maintain the OneBlade Pro Shaver

Since using, cleaning and maintaining the OneBlade Pro 360 is quite straightforward, I’m covering all three aspects under one banner for your convenience.

Using OneBlade Pro

It’s simple, truly. You need to situate yourself over a sink or inside the shower. Turn on the device, start from the top and climb your way down.

Make as many passes as you want but try to be cautious because the blades are indeed very sharp! It won’t cut you but may easily leave you burning after the session.

If you shave using gel or foam, you might want to rinse the shaver’s head after each couple of glides.

Cleaning the OneBlade Pro

Cleaning isn’t hectic at all for the Norelco OneBlade Pro. You can either keep the blade head attached while rinsing under tap/ dipping it inside a pot of water or do the same after detaching the blade.

Since it’s waterproof, I don’t remove the head for the cleaning part and rinse it directly under the tap.

Maintenance

Maintenance of this shaver means to mop up the blades and handle before storing, although I give it a day to dry up completely before stashing inside a moisture-free box.

The blades generally last 4 months and progressively gets dull to the point of discomfort from that point onward.

If you shave daily or every other day, make sure to replace the blades at this interval to keep the shaver sailing smoothly over your skin.

Philips Norelco OneBlade VS OneBlade Pro: Should I Spend Extra?

What is the difference between Philips OneBlade and OneBlade Pro? This is a legit question you can ask someone who has used both of these shavers.

Is it worth the upgrade, or should you even upgrade if you have a basic OneBlade unit? I’ll hold these two shavers side by side to make it easier for you to find the answer!

Difference in Blades

Basically, if you pick the face shave variant of the OneBlade, there’s no difference with the OneBlade Pro unit in this department.

The two blades are of the same model and can be interchanged without a fuss. However, getting the face+body variant of OneBlade will land you an extra blade for body grooming with unique attachments.

But you can easily purchase the OneBlade Pro and order the body blade among a few other alternatives from the market.

This way, you’ll get the latest features and make the best out of your shaver any way you like.

If you’re considering the oldest variant of OneBlade, I’d urge you not to go for that since it’s fused with an Ni-Mh battery and it lasts significantly less than the two shavers in concern.

Blade Guards

I won’t discuss the minor body comb or blade guard in this discussion, rather focus more on the 5-in-1 guard for the OneBlade and 12-length guard for the OneBlade Pro.

The 5-in-1 guard does what it tells you – it adjusts between 5 variable settings which I found to be quite unpleasant to use.

This difficulty has to do with the quality of the guide itself and it’s significantly unimpressive. But then again, I have to look at the price point of the OneBlade shaver and agree to disagree.

On the other hand, the guide in the OneBlade Pro is much better at setting the length, although Philips failed to shed off that cheap feeling from the attachment.

If I have to pick a winner, I’ll definitely go with the guard from OneBlade Pro. It’s worth mentioning – these two guards aren’t interchangeable.

Weight Class

Both OneBlade and OneBlade Pro from Philips are very lightweight and the gap is very feeble to make a big deal out of them.

Lighter of the two is the OneBlade, weighing 3.4 ounces with the 360 blade attached. Its competitor, the OneBlade Pro, weighs 4 ounces evenly.

The reason for such a weight is located in the handle and the battery capacity. If you hold the two shavers side by side, you’ll realize what I’m talking about.

Despite the difference in bulkiness of the handles, I’d say OneBlade Pro managing to keep the weight locked at 4 ounces is indeed impressive.

If such miniscule margins of weights influence your purchase decisions, you certainly have all the facts presented before you now.

Battery Runtime

OneBlade Pro has seen an upgrade in the battery department and has gotten fatter on this account.

It contains a fast charging technology, fills up the battery bar in an hour and lasts somewhere around an hour and a half.

On the other hand, OneBlade shows a clear lack with the battery life of one hour. Also, charging time is around 2 hours, so you’ll have to wait twice as much as the OneBlade Pro to squeeze out a lower duration of battery life.

Battery Indicator

This aspect also leans the verdict toward the OneBlade Pro since this shaver is endowed with an LED battery level indicator.

As discussed before, the indicator is a three-bar visual element that gives you an idea about the battery life, both in terms of usage and remaining health.

On the OneBlade, it’s just an LED light that fails to show you any status of where you are in your battery life.

It simply indicates charging status that’s handy but not as convenient as the indicator in the OneBlade Pro shaver.

Size & Ergonomics

Sizewise, both of these shavers share a similar height. The difference starts to form in their width since OneBlade Pro is definitely the wider shaver of the two.

Ergonomically I wouldn’t call any of them better than the other. These are uniquely designed shavers that don’t seem to slip in any given conditions.

However, the width of the handle leaves the grip level to preferences of consumers as some like narrower handles while others like myself choose wider ones.

Verdict: My verdict on the OneBlade vs OneBlade Pro is simple – if you already have a OneBlade 360 shaver, you don’t need the upgrade to be honest.

But if you’re making a new purchase, then I’ll definitely urge you to pick the OneBlade Pro 360. It has all the latest features and is meant to last longer than its predecessor!

FAQ

A little curiosity never hurts, thus I’ve included this FAQ section to answer some relevant questions about the OneBlade Pro review!

Q: How long does OneBlade Pro last?

A: This question is quite vague so I’ll try to make it precise with my answer. In general, the OneBlade Pro can last you for years and the 2-year warranty period certainly speaks for the durability of the device. If you mean the blades, they last around 4 months with regular use and the battery lasts 80 minutes with a full charge.

Q: Is the OneBlade Pro more powerful?

A: If you consider OneBlade Pro motor power against the OneBlade 360, then no. Both of these contain motors that are similarly powered, just OneBlade Pro has a slightly durable one that can prolong the life of the shaver.

Q: Can I use OneBlade Pro while charging?

A: No, you cannot and should not use the OneBlade Pro while charging. There’s a built-in feature in the shaver that prevents you from turning on the shaver when it’s connected to a running power outlet.

Final Thoughts

So I’m about to conclude my Philips OneBlade Pro review. Let me reiterate, I’ve covered the 360 variant out of the many other models out there in the market.

What I loved about it? The solid handle, slip-proof grip, ability to shave effortlessly in both wet and dry, long-lasting battery life and portability.

What could be better? The blade could’ve been a little closer and more durable but it’d still require the technology to advance further to grant my wish at this price point.

Between the OneBlade vs OneBlade Pro, the latter costs almost twice as much and it’s only worth it if you’re buying a new one, not going for an upgrade.