Do you prefer a wet shave or a dry shave? Most men favour one or the other, and the Philips RQ1180 Sensotouch 3D Electric Shaver leaves the decision up to you; an electric shaver which promises to give you a comfortable and close shaver either dry, or wet using a foam or gel. It’s always great to have options, and we have high hopes for the RQ1180. But how good is it really?

The Philips RQ1180 is rotary-type electric shaver which incorporates Philips’ dual-bladed Super Lift and Cut system. The first blade lifts hair from your skin and the second blade cuts it, providing a close and comfortable shave. The rotary system incorporates slots for long hairs, and small holes which allow the shaver to cut short stubble. The idea is that you can get a close shaver with this shaver not matter what level of stubble growth you currently have.

As I mentioned previously, the Philips RQ1180 includes Philips’ Aquatec technology which makes it fully waterproof. This means you have the option of using the shaver for a wet or a dry shave. If you prefer wet shaving with a gel or foam, then this electric shaver can handle it. In fact, thanks to the Aquatec seal, you can even use the RQ118 in the shower!

The Philips RQ1180 also includes Philips’ patented Gyroflex 2D technology, which is designed to help the shaver adjust to the natural contours of the face and neck. As the shaver adjusts to these contours of the skin, pressure and friction are greatly reduced, and as a result there is less chance of skin irritation. The RQ1180 is designed to shave close, but with less pressure than a normal electric shaver.

The Philips RQ1180 also has a precision trimmer built-in, which you can flip up and use to trim and shape your moustache (if you have one) or your sideburns.

The RQ1180 is rechargeable, cordless, and will last for up to 50 minutes on a single one hour charge, which should be plenty for around a weeks use without charging if you like to shave every day. The shaver also comes with a soft carry pouch, and a 2 year warranty. Philips have certainly packed a lot of features into this electric shaver, so it certainly looks like a good value package.

We found that most electric shavers were cheapest from amazon.co.uk, including the Philips RQ1180 which is currently available for 51% off.

Philips RQ1180 SensoTouch 2D Price Comparison

Philips RQ1180 Features and Specifications

Philips RQ1180 Customer Reviews and Feedback

The Philips RQ1180 is quite the best seller, and there are literally hundreds of customer reviews, comments, and feedback to choose from. Satisfaction seems to be very high, and some 90% of customer reviews found were extremely positive, 4 or 5 star reviews.

Almost all of the positive customer reviews noted that the shave provided by the Philips RQ1180 was very good. In fact, the overwhelming majority of reviews praised the closeness of the shave very highly, with several people pointing out that it gave them the best shave they’ve experienced from any electric shaver.

Mr P Tanner:

“I have used lots of electric shavers in the past. So is this worth the money? The short answer is yes. The shave is very close and very smooth.” Click here to read full review

Another often mentioned feature was the speed of the charging. In general, people said that the Philips RQ1180 lived up to the promise of a full charge in around an hour. They were also impressed with the amount of time they could use the shaver before it required another charge. Rechargeable batteries are often a major bug-bare in electric shavers, so the fact that this shaver has such a quick and efficient battery and charger is definitely a point in it’s favour.

A lot of people really liked the fact that they could choose a wet or a dry shave, and people  who moved to the Philips RQ1180 from a manual shaver particularly liked this feature. An equal number of people preferred to shave using the RQ1180 dry, so there was no clear cut answer as to which provided a closer shave. Customers noted that they were happy with the shave, both wet and dry.

Quite often, it was mentioned that the Philips RQ1180 was indeed easier on the skin, as promised. A lot of people mentioned that skin irritation that they had experienced with their previous electric shaver had died down quite a lot since getting the RQ1180. It did, however, take a few weeks for the skin to get used to the new shaver before this difference was noticed. There were enough customer comments praising the shaver for helping their skin, that we’re quite convinced that Philips’ claims are trustworthy. Another feather in the cap of the RQ1180; less shaver burn is, frankly, a bit of a god send.

Adam Baboolal:

“Afterwards, I can honestly say, it was THE best bloody shave I’d ever had! It was a much closer shave than my Gillette Fusion, to boot!” Click here to read full review

There weren’t a huge amount of negative comments about the Philips RQ1180. One of the problems that people experienced was they they found the head somewhat difficult to remove for cleaning, however we think this is relatively minor problem. Since the RQ1180 is waterproof, a good run under the tap should be all it requires to give it a clean after each use. For that reason, the head shouldn’t need to be removed too regularly.

Another point to note, is that you may need to adjust your shaving technique to get the best out of the Philips RQ1180. The recommended shaving motion is in small circles, and this is the motion that must be used in order to benefit from a close shave with the RQ1180. Several people mentioned that it took them a few tries to get used to this technique, but that the difference in results was obvious when they did. This technique also causes much less skin irritation, so it is habit well worth getting into. the same goes for all Philips rotary shavers, including the Philips RQ1280.

551% off at Amazon.co.uk

In conclusion, the Philips RQ1180 is a very good electric shaver. We like the fact it gives the user the choice of a wet shave, and customers seem impressed with the results of the shaver in lessening skin rashes and irritation. Also taking into account the excellent battery life and super-fast charging time, we’re quite happy to recommend the RQ1180 to anyone needing a new electric shaver – 4 stars.

Philips RQ1180 SensoTouch 2D Review Summary