Philips Norelco BeardTrimmer 5100, for beard stubble and mustache

I have only owned one other beard trimmer...a Remington from Costco. I had nothing to compare to, and thought that making multiple passes through my moderately thick beard and mustache were normal, and that pulling hair, particularly on the mustache was normal. When the Remington gave up I had no idea the number of choices out there!.....and multiple ones from the same brand. There are so many reviews where people say they would never own a Norelco, Panasonic, Wahl etc again, and many more who said it was the best trimmer they ever owned. Reviews from Men's Health and other sites were also all over the map. So here is a review to help you decide.I finally decided on this trimmer based on moderate price, well over 55% 5 star reviews and not too many 1 star reviews.I'M GLAD I took the chance! This little beauty is great!PROS1. The obvious..a great one pass (maybe two in a couple places), very even, non pulling shave. (I mean, isn't that the real test?)2. Simple simple simple! I really like a narrow detail side for above my lip, over my ears (no I don't use it for haircut, just a little touch up before the regular haircut) so having the head rotate into position smoothly and securely, without having to CHANGE heads is great! (The two heads are on the same non-removable end--very secure)3. Also on the simple side---ONE comb! I was forever trying to read the small length markings on the TWO double sided combs on the old one, and they didn't snap on and off easily. You just put the one ONE comb on and adjust from a half inch or so beard, all the way down to a 1 or 2 day stubble look depending on how fast your beard grows. There are 17 selections, with many short selections.The rotating dial is smooth to operate, with detentes that let you know that you are "on" the setting. Once there it stays put.4. The comb only has to be removed when you rotate the head....not to change lengths. It looked too rounded at first, and the combs too thick. Not so. because of the design it doesn't poke, and separates the hairs nicely. The comb attaches firmly into the trimmer, and comes on and off in such a way as to not stress the plastic.5. There is a charge indicator, and the charger charges fast. The razor CAN be used while it is charging.6. Slender, ergonomic design, but not lightweight- just the right weight in the hand---really well made.7. It's washable--not important for me, but might be for some.8. Blades don't need oil9. It's AMAZON...no my name is not Jeff Bezos, and I own no stock. I had finally decided to return to Costco and buy whatever they had...It was a Norelco 7500 which they had at least 10 of the day before. In it's place were TWO Norelco electric razors (not capable of beard trimming) and a Wahl multipiece, in case you want to go to work for Supercuts. Ah, the old Costco curse--buy it when you see it--it may not be there by the time you circle the warehouse! BUT, I went home, ordered from AMAZON about 8PM and it was (no joke!) on my doorstep at 10AM the next morning with free shipping.CONS1. No stand---not a con for me---I like an uncluttered counter. My old one HAD to charge in the stand, so I left it out sitting. This one I just put in the drawer.2. No multiple attachments--again, not a con for me. I didn't want a combination can opener- beard trimmer, or a bag of attachments, or a stand where they always fall off. I suppose a nose hair trimmer would be nice, but I don't need one. And then, you would lose the simplicity of the rotating permanently attached head. Just pick up a nose hair trimmer guys. Amazon has them for as low as $7.75 (Wahl) and Hammacher Schlemmer has what looks like an amazing one for $20 if you have barbed wire growing out of your nose. I was just genetically blessed with no back hair or nose hair--but I can empathize!3. No laser. Really guys, a laser! I'm a gadget guy, but even I couldn't see the use of that! Well maybe if I had multiple weird beard/goatee angles. But then I'd feel like keeping it in my tool box, and who wants to run to the garage every time you need a shave?In conclusion---are there better trimmers out there? I don't know, maybe, but I can't imagine a simpler one that does such a great job---oh did I say it was powerful too? I do have to say I was a little curious to see what Norelco's $200 beard trimmer must be like, but not curious enough to lay out that kind of money. this one is just perfect.

I'm not sure, but I think this thing runs on dilithium crystals. Or possibly cold fusion. I bought one of these in December 2015. I lost the power cord in July 2016. I've used it at least once a week, often twice, since then without charging it. And the damned thing just keeps running. I trim my goatee with it with the comb gauge on it, then remove the comb and trim my mustache. I keep expecting it to stop working. It never does. It doesn't even seem like it's slowed down. I'm a little worried about where to dispose of the spent fuel rods when it finally does stop working, but so far so good.Today I broke down and actually ordered a replacement power cord from Amazon... something I've been going to do since last July. By October I decided I didn't WANT a power cord around for fear I'd accidentally plug it in and dash any hope of the blue beauty making it into the Guinness Book of World Records. By the way, it also does a fine job on the beard.

Great unit but could be better.Pros:-Plastic guard is flimsy and actually broke (Philips stood behind it and sent me a new piece that didnt work so they eventually replaced the entire razor)-Manufacturer support is top notch (see above)Cons:-Doesn't get as close as I would expect -- it states it goes down to 0.4mm but I do not believe it. My last electric razor got closer. If you are buying this for stubble look you may want to try a different option. You will definitely need to remove the guard.-Does not come with a case. It seems all the other Philips models do but this one doesn't.-Only comes with one guard, single style. Not a fan of it as it pinches skin in certain parts of the face (over lip)Overall very good build quality, excellent battery and does what I want it to do so it is perfect for me.

This is the best trimmer I have ever owned, and I've owned a few. I have been using it for a couple months now and couldn't be happier.It's much quieter than the other trimmers and electric razors I have had, and feels very smooth. There is minimal vibration transferred to the hand while using it. The length adjustment works great. I've finally found a trimmer that allows me to get the exact length of stubble I want.I would highly recommend this.

I've tried half a dozen body and beard trimmers, and this is the best yet, and I use it primarily for body grooming. If you're deciding between the various Phillips Norelco trimmers, the 5000 series and the 9000 series share a blade design that's superior to the design of the 3000 and 7000 series when used for body grooming. The 5000/9000 series have rounded steel blades that allow for a close cut with far less chance of drawing blood. The 3000/7000 series (and trimmers from all other manufacturers I've tried) have no such rounding and tend to cut the skin more often. I highly recommend the 5000 series.

It works fine for the intended purpose, but six months later the battery is dead, meaning I charge it overnight, I trim my beard, sits in the drawer for 5 days, I take it out to shave and it's dead. It's not the first trimmer from Norelco (it's actually my third one, I still have all of them to prove) they all died in less than a year of light use (I only trim 2-3 times / week). Very disappointed with the brand for the crap batteries they use.