Perhaps, everyone made the choice between a conventional machine and its electric counterpart for himself based on his own conditions of use and usage scenarios, convenience and habits. I gave my vote long ago in favor of an electric shaver for several reasons: it does not require water with foam, which is why it is much more versatile when traveling; blades last much longer. In this regard, it was especially interesting for me to test a Xiaomi machine called Mi 5-Blade Electric Shaver: to learn about its operation both with and without foam, to check the declared autonomy of almost 1.5 hours and to try out such an ergonomically unusual handle.
Equipment and appearance
The razor comes in a hard black cardboard box, in which it will not be a shame to present the gadget as a gift. Inside the minimum necessary kit – a short cable from USB to Type-C, a brush for cleaning blades, paper documentation. The razor head has a protective plastic cover.
The tactile sensations from the razor are positive. The matte plastic of the handle is pleasant to the touch and does not slip in the hand, moreover, fingerprints and streaks do not remain on it. A considerable weight of 235 grams is added to the external massiveness (157 × 62.5 × 46 mm), which makes the Mi 5-Blade Electric Shaver feel much more serious compared to its competitors. The omnidirectional floating head is resiliently spring-loaded and does a great job of helping the blades follow the exact contours of the face.
There is only one button on the case, which is responsible for activating and deactivating the razor. Just below the power button is one light indicator responsible for displaying the charge (red, yellow and white). At the base of the leg on a flat surface there is a Type-C connector for charging.
Blades and motor
The Mi 5-Blade Electric Shaver has 5 blades in total. Those that are located as far as possible from each other are deep blades with a bionic grid. They have a thickness of 55 microns and are designed to accurately follow the contours of the face. Two closer – curved U-shaped blades that first come into contact with the skin and catch hairs of different lengths. The single center blade has a precision lift mechanism to help reach vines or close-to-skin vegetation.
The head with blades is attached to the body with magnets and does not play, although it can be removed with two fingers quite easily.
The blades are driven by a magnetically suspended linear motor capable of oscillating at up to 15,000 rpm. And despite the claimed lack of annoying sound, the machine is quite noisy at high frequencies. But, thanks to such a high speed during cleaning in the water, cavitation air bubbles are created inside the blades, which easily clean the holes in the nets, removing dirt and debris.
Autonomy and charging time
A 2000 mAh battery is installed inside, which, when fully charged, allows the shaver to work for 90 minutes. In my use case, with not very thick, but rather stiff bristles, it turned out to shave for about 4 minutes, which is quite fast compared to analogues. Thus, the razor lasted 17 days without recharging, taking into account insignificant self-discharge and cleaning sessions.
The battery was fully charged in 2 hours using a standard 18W power supply.
Testing in practice
I used the razor for three weeks. Despite the claimed absence of irritation, the skin took some getting used to the razor for the first three days and red spots sometimes appeared on the neck, but this was the case with everyone else. As for the cleanliness of the shave, I compared it with a conventional razor, as this is an ideal candidate for evaluating the smoothness of the shave. I liked the result even more than using a conventional machine – the skin does not dry out and there is no risk of abrasions or cuts.
I tried to use a machine with foam – skin irritation appears less, but without foam, shaving comes out an order of magnitude faster.
Review
Choosing the perfect electric shaver, given the current diversity, is not an easy task. It will take a lot of time to understand all the nuances and aspects. In order to attract the attention of the buyer to their product, manufacturers have resorted to tricks in the form of unusual design using quality premium materials, lamenting the ease of use and maintenance, and, in the end, using an innovative blade position for an even closer and faster shave. All of the above leads to a natural increase in the cost of the final product, which, in the case of the Mi 5-Blade Electric Shaver, is absolutely justified 6,990 rubles.
After testing the gadget from Xiaomi for three weeks, one thought did not leave me – this is a great option for both beginners and those who have never used an electric razor. Judge for yourself: elementary control in the form of just one button, ease of maintenance due to cavitation bubbles and a stunningly close shave thanks to unusual blades and a spring-loaded floating head that perfectly follows the contours of the face.
pros
- Good materials and high-quality assembly without squeaks and backlash.
- Unusual design.
- Easy cleaning of dirt and debris.
- Movable omnidirectional head.
- Floating mesh to contour the contours of the face.
- Excellent blade sharpness for a close shave.
- Long autonomy and fast charging.
Minuses
- During operation, it is noticeably noisy at high frequencies.
- No trimmer.
- There is only one mode of operation.
controversial points
- Not the most pleasant ergonomics (I would like cavities for the fingers or a slight curvature of the handle).
- No protective case included.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
