worth the money? We tested Gillette's warming razor

Gillette's Innovation Lab has launched the new razor that comes with a heating strip this past year. Israel was chosen to be the fifth country in which the knife was launched. With a slightly high price tag, but with many promises to change the shaving experience, Mikey Levy tested Gillette's new knife and returned with impressions

Gillette's hot razor. (Photo by Mikey Levy)

Gillette razor (Photo by Mikey Levy, Walla System! NEWS)

Manufacturers of razors have suffered in recent years from the trend of "hipsters" who refuse to shave and maintain a bearded appearance. Many companies have recalculated the route, and "if you can't beat them, you better join them," the companies have tried to reinvent themselves in new areas such as grooming. Gillette is a world leader in razors, and in recent months Israel has been selected as one of the few countries in the world to receive the Gillete Labs Heated Razor. This is a razor with a heating strip designed to upgrade the shaving experience. As expected, the price tag is a bit high, but will it stand the test and deliver the goods?

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Proper Disclosure: I am one of those "beards" who cultivate a beard. I really don't like shaving "zero," and for the most part, my bi-weekly interaction with the razor is designed to groom the beard and make it look right. Unlike others, for me it is a chore that I do not enjoy very much, but in talking to colleagues, I was exposed to the fact that for them, it is a real ceremony. Even before the warming knife, there are those who have opened the shower water, just before the shower, at the highest temperature, in order to get steam in the room, and so the skin softens. There are also those who added and heated the knife manually.

Razors iPhone. (Photo by Mikey Levy)

Gillette razor (Photo by Mikey Levy, Walla System! NEWS)

Gillette has always been able to impress me with the prestigious designs, which sometimes also match the expensive prices in Israel and wrongly. The design of the knife is impressive, as is the razor stand on it and loaded wirelessly. It is a knife with five blades attached to the handle, and underneath is the stainless steel heating strip. More on the power button and the switch, one press will heat the stainless steel strip to a temperature of 43 degrees, and another long press to heat the strip to a temperature of 50 degrees. The Heated Razor will remember what last temperature you used, and in the subsequent session, you will receive your preferred temperature.

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In Gillette's innovation division where they developed the knife, it seems to have one purpose in mind: to make the knife "the razor's iPhone." This is how it feels in the hand, including the power on and off button, and the LED bar that displays the temperature by orange light and red light (43 and 50 degrees respectively). At the top of the knife is a circle designed to move right - left depending on the shaving direction. What further reinforces the feeling, is the loading and storage surface of the knife, which makes it a real jewel in the shower.

From zero to 50 (degrees) in seconds. (Photo by Mikey Levy)

Gillette razor (Photo by Mikey Levy, Walla System! NEWS)

Does the job: a more pleasant (and expensive) shaving experience

The knife takes a few seconds to reach 50 degrees, and thanks to several sensors on the stainless steel bar, it will keep the temperature constant throughout the shave. The process is very simple and the same as a regular shave, apply foam, light the knife, and begin to shave. The warming stripe is the first to meet the skin, and it will make the skin more pleasant, just before the blades meet the beard, and so will slightly soften it. Does the skin really soften for a moment before the blades cut the beard? It is not clear. But the shaving experience was much more pleasant than a knife and cold water. I tend to use a Gillette shaver with vibration, and the feeling of shaving without vibration was a bit weird, but mostly more pleasant.

Bottom line: Worth the money?

Gillette's new razor is not cheap, and the price is NIS 700 on the Super Pharm chain, which is even before buying the knives that are more expensive than the regular knives, even though they end up with the same razor blades, except for the space. This is a razor for the spoiled, or those looking to upgrade the shaving experience, especially if it is everyday. I definitely enjoyed the upgraded shaving experience.