Philips Norelco 8240XL

The Philips Norelco 8240XL rotary shaver's simple design, decent portability and low price attract many owners. This shaver may be best for those who shave every day; we found a few user comments that if you let your beard grow for a few days before shaving, the 8240XL can tug at your whiskers.

Reviewers praise quick, close shave

Reviews praise the 8240XL's close, comfortable shave and its quiet, mess-free shaving experience. A good number of users report that this model reduced their shaving time by half or more, and that its three individual floating heads adjust to accommodate tricky areas; "it handles the hard to shave areas (e.g. my neck) with more aplomb," writes one Amazon.com reviewer. On the other hand, we found several comments from users at Amazon.com and Walmart.com users that this shaver tugs on whiskers, especially if you haven't shaved for a few days. Owners are mostly pleased with the Philips Norelco 8240XL's battery, which they say lasts for a week or more on a single charge (recharging takes about an hour).

Easy to clean

A good number of users note that this model doesn't have a cleaning system. They also say, however, that a cleaning system isn't necessary; a thorough rinse under running water is both easy and adequate. Some say this unit is small enough for travel, although there's no battery indicator to signal when it's time for a recharge. Opinions are fairly well split about whether having a battery indicator matters. Some users say it's not important because you can use the 8240XL with or without its cord, but as one Walmart.com user points out, no indicator means no way of knowing if you can get away with leaving the charger at home when you travel.

Quieter than comparable electric razors

Most users say the Philips 8240XL is very quiet in your hand -- in fact, one Walmart.com user reports wondering whether it was getting up to the appropriate RPMs because it was so quiet. "However the proof was in the shave," he writes. "I was extremely impressed with the end result." Although a few users say the 8240XL is so light that it "lacks heft" in your hand, one Amazon.com user sums up the consensus, saying that this razor is quieter, lighter and shaves faster than his previous model (in this case, a higher-end Philips).

A two-year warranty

The Philips Norelco 8240XL is covered by a full two-year warranty, and it comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee. We didn't find any comments about Philips customer service -- positive or negative -- from reviewers who own this razor, although not everyone's happy about the midrange cost of replacement blades (*Est. $36).

The bottom line

Although some say the Philips Norelco 8240XL tugs on whiskers if you don't shave for a few days, most of the 900-plus users who took the time to write reviews on Amazon.com and Walmart.com say this discontinued model offers a quick, clean, comfortable shave. Reviewers say that the best rotary shaver in production is the Remington SR9130 (*Est. $80).