Philips Norelco 7200 Review: Dream Sensitive Shaver

For shaving enthusiasts, comfortable shaving experience is often the priority while moving away from manual razors or even foil shavers in general.

In that case, you must pick what’s best for your skin and at the same time opt for a shaving experience that you actually look forward to.

Philips Norelco 7200 review article today is going to tell you exactly how this device meets all of these criteria from a regular groomer’s perspective.

From all the advanced AI features to the most basic ones, including the downsides you might face with this tool – I’ve covered everything here to help you make up your mind about the next purchase!

“Norelco 7200 from Philips is a pioneering rotary shaver excelling at comfortable and safer facial shaves. With all the perks it brings to the board, a groomer’s shaving experience could have never been more convenient!”

Unboxing the Philips Norelco 7200

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Unboxing the Norelco 7200 is pretty straightforward since there aren’t many things that this tool comes with.

The box opens from the wide side with a small crevice keeping things together. I’m not a fan of such packaging as it tends to open automatically if not fastened with a tape.

Inside the box there’s a leaflet from Norelco along with a user manual. Underneath, a holder keeps the shaver safe during the shipping.

As per accessories, you’ll only get a charging cable without the brick. The cable plugs into any USB Type-A brick which you used to have back in the day as a part of your mobile charger.

The only other accessory here is a plastic cap for the foil rings. It should help out if you choose to travel with the shaver.

What’s Inside the Box: One Norelco 7200 Shaver, One Charging Cable, One Foil Cap, User Manual, One Cleaning Brush.

Specifications: Philips Norelco 7200

Let’s take a look at the technical details for the Norelco 7200 to learn the basics before heading on toward a more detailed analysis of the product.

• Dimensions: 
• Weight: 7 Ounces
• Colors: 2 (Black, Dark Chrome)
• Accessories: 3
• Foil Type: Rotary Double Ring
• Blade Type: 45 SteelPrecision Blades
• Cutting Actions: 90,000 CPM
• AI Tech: SenseIQ
• Waterproof: IPX7
• LED Display: Yes
• Battery Runtime: 60 Minutes
• Pop-up Trimmer: Yes

Philips Norelco 7200: Standout Features

There are many features in the Norelco 7200 that need to be dissected, analyzed and understood, but let’s start with the basics first to climb our way up to the more advanced ones!

Futuristic Design

In the design department, Norelco 7200 has seen sophistication and futurism in its design if it’s compared against its predecessors. The aesthetic department and amount of grip it provides should tell you a lot about it!

Slim Aesthetics

Newly redesigned Norelco 7200 seems nothing shy of a sci-fi film prop! The V-shaped foil plates are draped in blue like the ice.

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From that point downward, the shiny neck reads the Norelco 7000 series text. In between these, the up-arrow button releases the rotary head from one side of the hinge.

The matte finish continues down the chest to the feet of the handle. There, the power button is square, tactile and sophisticated.

This button is part of the larger LED display, more on that later. At the sides as well as the back, gray textured rubber surround the rest of the handle.

One thing to add is, if you take a close look at the shaver head, you’ll locate the Dry/Wet text peeking out, so you know it’s an all-round electric shaver!

Guaranteed Grip

The handle in the Norelco 7200 is much slimmer now and it’s easier to hold on to, as opposed to the older models like the Norelco 3800.

 

With the narrower design and all the rubber textures encompassing the handle, grip levels are as firm as you could imagine!

No matter the condition, it never feels like slipping off of my hand – even if I’m shaving in the shower or the handle is all mixed with shaving lotion, foam or gel.

Also, the shiny area allows you to place your thumb and despite the texture, it rarely ever slips, so I’ll have to give full marks to Philips for thinking the ergonomics through!

What I Like

What Could be Better

Build Quality

The first time you’ll pick up the Norelco 7200, it might seem like an average tool built with plastic and rubber. But over time, you’ll realize the true essence of the quality.

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I regard Norelco 7200 as one of the finest rotary shavers and one of the reasons is its durability. No matter how you use this shaver, even if you make it a part of your barbershop, it’s going to serve you without any faltering.

Its cutting elements are self-sharpening but you’ll have to replace the blades every once in a while to keep things in shape.

But otherwise, it survives accidental drops, is not prone to water leakage, motor is a sustainable one and overall a great value for money that’s meant to serve you a long time!

What I Like

What Could be Better

Philips Norelco 7200: Additional Features

After the basics, I’ll now shift this discussion toward the more advanced features out of which you’re going to draw significant shaving benefits to your daily routine!

Very Light Weight

Rotary shavers are in general lighter in weight since they don’t demand a robust motor because of the technology, therefore smaller battery units can be installed.

 

Norelco 7200 weighs only 7 ounces and it’s much lighter than most other foil shavers with similar shaving outcomes.

Such a weight makes maneuverability a blissful experience as there’s no hint of fatigue in your arm whatsoever.

In general, rotary shaving consumes a little longer because of all the animation over your skin, and this weight class definitely helps you out in this regard.

Also, such a weight makes the Norelco 7200 the ideal travel companion and storing it safely in any container has never given me any trouble!

Sharp SteelPrecision Blades

The blades in Norelco 7200 are made of stainless steel and are trademark production from European manufacturers.

 

You’ll find 45 self-sharpening blades underneath the foil rings which actively perform to remove your facial hair from the roots.

With the combination of all these blades, you’d be getting 90,000 cross cutting actions per minute, which is much higher than what you’d get with something like a Braun Series 9.

If you want to check the blades out yourself, all you need is to unlock the shaver head and take a look at the bottom of the foils.

You should be able to see all these agile and small blade units that are capable of removing every hair texture from your face effortlessly!

AI-Engineered Quiet Motor

Norelco 7200 is an advanced electric shaver endowed with numeric features to aid in your shaving experience.

One such feature is its SenseIQ technology which is directly connected to the motor unit of this device.

In hindsight, Norelco 7200’s motor may sound feeble and the vibration might not be what you expected out of an electric razor.

But most of the rotary shavers are powered this way due to the technology. SenseIQ takes it further by reading the beard density 250 times per second to intelligently adjust power.

That way, your motor will boost up if the hair density is thick and slow down for fine hair. This ensures maximum skin comfort and poses Norelco 7200 as a prime candidate for sensitive skin shaving!

Dual Ring Foils

While most of the older Norelco shavers relied on a single ring design, the 7200 relishes with the dual ring system which is more efficient and effective.

 

These pressure sensitive foils are strategically placed and designed to pick up all sorts of hair including flat lying ones to feed the blades.

The three parts of the shaver head each contain one ring and these parts respond to pressure as well to allow better contour adaptation during the animation.

Each of these parts contain microbeads – a new hair funneling system that’s much kinder on skin.

So, a total of 250,000 micro-tech beads per square cm over the Nano SkinGlide coating ensures irritation or agitation free shaving experiences even in dry modes!

Wireless Operations

In the wireless operations argument, I’ll mainly discuss the battery life and charging time. On average, I could get around 60 minutes of battery runtime out of it.

 

But from this, around 50 minutes is usable as the last 10 minutes seem to drag on a little if my beard is longer.

For shorter or finer beard, the whole 60 minutes can be utilized without any trouble. The average charging time takes between 60 to 80 minutes if started from zero charge.

There’s room for a quick charge in 5 minutes to squeeze out a swift shave. However, I’d recommend recharging completely before using it again. And no, it cannot run with the charging cord connected and it shouldn’t be used this way.

LED Display

The LED display in Norelco 7200 isn’t just a battery level indicator, rather it tells you a whole lot more about the device and your shaving routine.

 

Three bars at the bottom shows battery status. An icon at the corner indicates whether the device is charging while plugged in.

The rotating icon suggests the animation you’re supposed to be doing with a rotary shaver and the SenseIQ icon is something that’ll pop-up once you pair the device to your smartphone.

Using the app provided by Philips, you’re going to learn how to animate the shaver on your face, how you have been doing in terms of efficiency and the ways you could improve that!

What I Like

What Could be Better

My Experience with the Philips Norelco 7200

Now would be the perfect time to shed some light on the Norelco 7200 rotary shaver from a user’s perspective and see if all of the fancy features are worth its value!

Shaving Closeness

I don’t mean to disappoint you, but a rotary shaver would never generate the refined results that you’d get with a foil shaver.

 

That said, I was actually surprised to see the prowess of the Norelco 7200 and its closeness because I expected much less out of it.

If used daily, Norelco 7200 can keep your beard in check and right after a good, wet shave, you won’t feel your facial hair growing out until the end of the day.

Also, it works with longer facial hair than foil shavers, so that’s an added bonus for this particular product from Norelco.

So, in short, Norelco 7200 CAN generate very close results that almost mimic a foil or manual razor, but the consequent shaves need to be more frequent to keep that going.

Comfort with Microbeads & Flex Head

How comfortable is it to shave using the Norelco 7200? I’d say it’s way more comfortable than the harsh cutting actions from foil shavers and therefore a go to companion for sensitive skin shaving.

 

It has to be noted that the newly designed shaver head beads work like a charm in preventing agitation even for dry shaves, which was never possible before with previous rotary shavers.

Also, the dual rings are hypoallergenic coated elements and you’ll barely feel their presence while grinding on your skin – rendering Norelco 7200 one of the finest from Philips Norelco.

This comfort is further enhanced by the multidirectional flex head as it adjusts your movement and lets you adapt your facial contour.

That way, your sensitive or tighter spots are comfortably cleaned out and your face would be free from redness at post shave phase.

Shaving Efficiency

Generally speaking, you’d be needing a few extra glides using a rotary shaver like Norelco 7200 than you’d have with premium products like Braun shavers.

 

If you notice, each of the elements in the shaver head are pressure sensitive and the V-shaped blade alignment offers a higher efficiency.

Also, the rings dip whenever you’re shaving over an uneven territory, so you’re allowed to press the Norelco 7200 hard against your skin.

As a result, this rotary shaver in particular delivers a higher degree of efficiency and the sharp blades powered by the AI partnered motor vows to clean up the facial hair within 10-15 minutes!

Additionally, the pop-up trimmer is great for lining up your hair or beard edges after a full shave. So there goes your need to utilize two different devices for one job!

Learning Curve

If the Norelco 7200 is your first rotary shaver, then I have news for you – it has quite a steep learning curve.

This applies to all of the rotary shavers as there are particular rotating animations you have to acquaint yourself with (thus the name ‘rotary shaver’).

But Norelco 7200 will be a great start even for a beginner since the razor has built in sensors to analyze your animations and guide you on improvement using the app.

Give it a couple of weeks because that’s the duration it took me to master a rotary shaver and render my shaving experience more efficient and comfortable!

Wet Shaving

With an IPX7 rated waterproof electric shaver, you’re encouraged to shave using the Norelco 7200 in wet conditions.

 

While it can shave in both dry and wet modes, wet shaves are my preference for comfortable experiences and elderly men should only stick to this method.

Water resistant shaver means you can take it inside your shower and shave while the water is coming at you with full force.

This way, you’ll have a softer beard that’s easier for the Norelco 7200 blades to pick up and the stray hair is likely going to wash away, leaving you free from a post-shave clean up job.

Cleaning & Maintenance

Cleaning the Norelco 7200 is quite a straightforward affair and a lot of the credit is due to the easy to open shaver head as well as its water resistant nature.

 

 

For a dry shave, you can simply remove the head and dunk out the stray hair from the storage underneath the blades. Use a cleaning brush if you think it’s necessary.

As per wet shaves, you must remove the head to rinse it under the tap, which honestly doesn’t take more than 30 seconds.

Once in a while, lubricate the blades and the motor heads. This keeps the razor efficient and enhances durability, so you’ll require replacement of the blades less frequently!

How I Tested the Philips Norelco 7200?

This answer is easy – I tested it on myself! As I have both coarse facial hair and sensitive skin under my neck, picking out an electric razor has never been an easy task for me.

When I got my hands on the Norelco 7200 for testing purposes, I opted to use it as my regular electric shaver for a month straight.

I solely relied on this device alone and it’s taught me a lot of things about rotary shaving that was unknown to me before, even though this isn’t my first rotary shaver.

On top of my experience, I tied up criticism from expert groomers and regular consumers of Norelco 7200 to make my review as objective and practical as possible!

What I Like

What Could be Better

Who is Philips Norelco 7200 For?

I’ll suggest the Norelco 7200 to three groups of people – one, those who have sensitive skin; two, those who are going to buy their first electric razor and three, those who want to enjoy their shaving experience.

For the first group, you already know how great the blades, shaver head and the AI-paired motor units are as they come together to take good care of your sensitive bits while shaving.

The second group may find it a little tricky to master the rotating animation, but once you’re skilled enough, you’ll realize that breaking your skin in for an electric razor is done effortlessly with the Norelco 7200.

As per the final group, shaving with the Norelco 7200 has been a joyous experience for me. It never tugs or pulls or burns, and I actually could feel my beard being scraped off as the motor delivered the precise amount of power I needed!

How to Use Philips Norelco 7200?

It’s very important to describe the shaving procedure for the Norelco 7200 as new groomers may find themselves lost amid the complexity of the procedure.

So here comes my step by step guide on how to use the Norelco 7200 rotary shaver. Using this, you’ll be able to pick up the basics and get to using it without additional support!

Prepare Your Skin

Preparing your skin usually means the pre-shave routine. It’s ideal to wash your facial hair using a cleanser to remove all the dirt so that the shaver head can glide efficiently.

If you’re looking for a dry shave, towel dry your face. For a wet shave, apply the shaving lotion of your choice to get going.

Turn on Your Shaver

Once you’re ready, turn on the Norelco 7200 using the power button. I’ll advise you to keep it fully charged before starting the shaving session.

Also, for additional safety, wear a bib around your neck. This will prevent stray hair or lotion from dripping on your clothes.

Start Shaving in Circles

Press the shaver head flat against your skin, preferable with the flat side of the ‘V’ being horizontally aligned.

You don’t have to press the shaver too hard, rather push it as far as you’re comfortable. Start gliding the razor in a circular motion on your skin to let it pick up all of the facial hair.

Don’t jump across one portion to the next. Rather, pick one, spend time there to make sure it’s fully cleaned before moving on. Use your thumb to check if you’ve missed a patch.

Go Over Problem Areas

Problem areas are your facial edges, neck and beard line. You’ll have to be innovative here since not everyone’s hair growth is similar by nature.

Stretch your skin out to give your shaver head a flat surface to work on. Norelco 7200 doesn’t require much trickster abilities as it can shave at tighter spaces efficiently.

Rinse Your Face

Once you’re satisfied with your shaving result, rinse your face with cold water to prevent any possible burning sensation.

Also, clean up your shaver at the same time before storage. Letting your Norelco 7200 sit idle with stray hair or foam can cause damage to its cutting elements in the long run.

Apply Aftershave

I don’t recommend applying alcohol based aftershaves since these can dry up your skin, which you honestly don’t need after a rigorous shaving session.

Instead, opt for a moisturizer and let your skin hydrate. This way, the end result of your rotary shaving can be a very comfortable one!

Following these easy steps, you’ll be standing on the first platform into rotary shaving. From here, there’s one way to go and that’s forward – into the journey of completely mastering the Norelco 7200!

Philips Norelco 7200 vs Norelco 7600: Is It an Upgrade?

 

The Series 7000 from Philips Norelco rotary shavers share uncanny resemblances in terms of looks, feeling and performance.

They’re so much alike that I could even pass any one off for the other as the identical variant, as the neck reads ‘Series 7000’ and not the precise model.

Both of the shavers utilize the ‘SH71’ blade heads that are interchangeable and none of the features stand out even remotely from one another.

Then why sell the Norelco 7600 as a different model? There’s an answer to it but you won’t find that answer if you keep looking at the shavers themselves.

Cleaning Pod: The major difference in Norelco 7200 vs 7600 is in the package where the latter includes a cleaning pod.

This ‘Quick Clean Pod Station’ lets you fill up the station with a cleaning cartridge and you can simply dip the shaver head for an automatic cleansing and lubricating session.

I reckon it’s going to attract professional consumers rather than home groomers. Because it doesn’t really take much time to do the manual one yourself after one shave.

Travel Case: While it was slightly trickier to travel with the Norelco 7200, Norelco 7600 gives you a solid travel case to stash the razor inside and take it anywhere.

Verdict: There’s an option to buy the Norelco 7600 as a single product and the price of it is the same as Norelco 7200. It means, even Philips believes these products to be identical.

So, there’s really no winner in the Norelco 7600 vs 7200 debate. It’s a matter of preference – whether you want a cleaning dock with your shaver or not!

FAQ

In this FAQ section, I’ve answered some of the commonly asked questions on the internet regarding the Philips Norelco 7200, so skim through this section to further solidify your knowledge.

Q: What is the Philips Norelco 7200 designed for?

Ans: If I have to answer in one word, I’d have to say – comfort. Norelco 7200 is specifically designed to bring shaving comfort in your grooming routine. The skin safe cutting elements, the automatically adaptive motor power and the advanced design on the shaver head – all of it come together to serve you with as much comfort during and afterward as possible!

Q: How often should I replace the shaving heads for Norelco 7200?

Ans: It depends on how frequently you use your shaver. A rule of thumb dictates that you’ll need to replace the blade unit of Norelco 7200 once every year. That said, the LED screen will tell you precisely when you’ll need to replace the blade head, so don’t stress about it.

If you’re going to replace the blades, first press the push button to open up the shaver head and pull it off from the hinges. Grab the replacement set and place it back on the hinges and close it down to complete the replacement!

Q: What should I do if the Norelco 7200 is not working properly?

Ans: There are a few things you can do if your Norelco 7200 is not working properly. First, check if it’s fully charged. Then, clean out the shaver thoroughly and give the head a good rinse by removing it from the hinges. Check if there’s any visible damage on the device. Read the user manual for further instructions.

If you still can’t get it running, then it’s probably time for you to contact Philips support to see what they have to offer for your case.

Final Thoughts

This marks the concluding point of today’s Philips Norelco 7200 review article. Thus far, we got to learn what are some of the strongest suits of this device, now let’s talk about pricing.

As electric shavers go these days, Norelco 7200 is priced slightly higher considering it’s a tool for home grooming and not for professional use.

That said, just assess all the automation features, skin comfort elements and durable build quality which are often absent in the electric razors priced lower than this one.

Personally, I think Philips has set the perfect price tag for all that we’re getting out of our money. There are tons of other local brands producing cheaper alternatives, none of which felt as premium as this Norelco 7200 to me.