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The Best Shave - Gillette Fusion RazorFor thousands of years, men have been trying to figure out the best way to cut or shave their facial hair - except of course those who are into the beard and mustache look. Straight razors were the only choice for a long time until the safety razor was invented in the 1800s. King Camp Gillette came up with the brilliant money-making idea of disposable razor blades, which no longer required sharpening or maintenance. Gillette began selling razors in 1904 and they have never looked back since, constantly innovating blade design while building a huge business and a loyal following. Even though Procter and Gamble bought Gillette in 2006, Gillette continues to make and sell razors under their brand name. Their latest product is the Fusion Razor, a 5 bladed razor that offers their closest shave ever. On the ladies side, the Venus Vibrance is Gillette's big seller, but we will look only at the Fusion in this review.
Using the Fusion RazorThe new Fusion costs about $10 for one razor and replacement cartridge. The Fusion is available in either a standard model or a "power" (Fusion Power Razor) model that is battery powered (using nothing less than a Gillette-made Duracell battery!) razor, both at the same price. The power model is supposed to vibrate slightly to help lift hairs and give a closer shave, but personally, we don't see any difference between the two in terms of shave results - both result in a good clean shave with a minimum of nicks and cuts. The Fusion replaces the older 3 blade Mach 3. The big innovation in the Fusion is the tightly packed 5 blades that cover its surface (30% more closely placed blades than in the Mach 3). Five blades means nearly twice the cutting power as the Mach 3 with each stroke, resulting in fewer strokes needed and fewer cuts. Five blades makes for a pretty big face of the razor, making it tough to get into tight places with any accuracy, like under the nose, around sideburns, or around beards or mustaches. Gillette addresses this shortcoming by adding yet an additional blade, the 6th(!), onto the back of the razor head. Simply turn the razor around and you have a very precise trimmer.
Like most disposables, Gillette includes a lubricator strip at the top with Vitamin E and Aloe built it -- it slowly changes color from green to white as the blade is used, supposedly indicating when you need to change to a new blade. There is also a flexible comfort guard built around the face of the blade, creating an overall large surface that almost feels like it is suctioned to your face as you shave -- takes some getting used to, as discussed below, but it works.
User Comments - Gillette Fusion RazorWhen you first use the Fusion, you will notice it pulls at your beard and face a little differently than other razors. It is hard to describe, but it takes a little getting used to how you have to hold the razor and how to get the best shave. On our first shave, we noticed significantly fewer cuts and nicks that with our standard double-bladed disposable we were using before. After a few days of practice, we found we absolutely preferred the Fusion to any other razor we had ever used. The shave was closer and cleaner, and our skin suffered less irritation and cuts than ever before. Even when working against 2-3 days worth of beard growth, the blades move in nice easy passes -- overall, no complaints here. Cleaning the blade is easy with hot running water - cold water just doesn't seem to go as a good a job at getting the gunk out.Cost is the one issue many people complain about when it comes to the Fusion. We were used to paying about $1.50-$2 for a disposable razor, and Gillette has now upped the ante to about $3 for each disposable cartridge. However, even for the higher price, we think it is worth it. You're talking about an extra $5-$7 a month or so to use the Fusion - you probably spend that each day on coffee without even thinking about it. So if you have not tried the Fusion, test it yourself for 10 days and see what you think. It is the only razor we use now. Gillette also sells a gel shaving cream under the Fusion name, suggesting it somehow improves the shave. We've tried it, but we have never been fans of the gel technique, where you basically have to create your own foam by rubbing the gel all around your face, trying to keep it from dripping off and falling through your fingers. We didn't notice any improvement over regular shaving cream, so we'd say skip the Fusion shaving gel and use your favorite foam shaving cream - it won't make any difference in your overall experience.
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