Has the best Philips OneBlade shaver alternative finally arrived?

Since 2016, manufacturers of male razors have been gnawing at each other. That year, Philips launched its OneBlade, the famous little yellow and black razor, which immediately met with resounding success. Rowenta’s Forever Sharp, Remington’s Durablade… in five years, razors freely inspired by the triumphant OneBlade have multiplied. The new “almost” clone is called Series X and it is signed Braun.

A thin blade with six face and body hooves

Disruptive with its mini-blade, suitable for new generations wishing to have smooth skin or to maintain their three-day beard and to style the contours, suitable for the face, body and … even “sensitive areas”, the OneBlade has opened a breach in the world of the male razor. And made emulators. In the start of the 2021 school year, Braun and its Series X shaver that we have tested are a serious opponent. Also small and compact, also running on a rechargeable battery, also waterproof, the Series X looks like its illustrious competitor but adopts a more classic design.

Gray and black, coated on its upper part with a non-slip ribbed plastic, it is surmounted by an interchangeable blade whose lifespan is given for six months. Supplied with six combs (1, 2, 3 and 5 mm for the face, and 0 and 3 mm for the body), the shaver can be recharged from the mains. And it is waterproof. But security requires, we can logically use it in the shower only on its battery.

Fast, efficient and without stretching

We tested the Series X (the XT5100 model) on our three-day beard. As a precaution, we first attacked our hair growth using the 5mm hoof. The longest hairs waltzed without delay, but it was with the 3mm comb that we were able to clean up and achieve the desired look. The razor does its job perfectly, even with thoroughness, and a proper cut can be made quickly. No feeling of stretch is to be deplored, and it is appreciable that the blade, like the hooves, are bidirectional.

It is thus possible to perform back and forth movements, from the bottom to the top, which offers good shaving flexibility. For the finishes (top of the cheeks, contours of the mouth, bottom of the neck), we have relieved the razor of its hoof. Again, the blade glides perfectly, but heats up a bit after two or three minutes of use.

On the lower neck, where the hair is naturally lying down and more difficult to catch, it took several passes to get the expected result. For comparison, we had fun using the OneBlade on this specific part of our face and the Philips razor seemed more comfortable for this particular exercise: the cut was instantaneous.

The OneBlade remains the cheapest

On arrival, the Braun Series X is an excellent product, efficient and fast, but above all the most serious competitor to our knowledge against the industry leader. The question of price remains: the Braun Series X does not shave for free, to say the least. It is sold from 60 euros, while its designated competitor costs only 39.99 euros in an almost identical configuration with four blade + body shoes (ref: QP2630 / 30). A replacement blade for the Series X will cost 17 euros, while two blades for the OneBlade (advertised lifespan of up to four months each) are worth 19.99 euros.