Today, we’re taking a look at the Philips RQ1280 SensoTouch 3D Electric Shaver. Philips are the giant of the electric shaver market, and their shavers are generally excellent. We were big fans of the SensoTouch 2D, and have high hopes for it’s younger brother, the Philips RQ1280 SensoTouch 3D. This is Philips flagship electric shaver, so it has a lot to live up to. Can it deliver? Let’s take a look.

The Philips RQ1280 includes their latest SensoTouch 3D technology. What this means, is that the three shaver heads are mounted flexibly, and are designed to move inwards and outwards, adjusting to the natural curvature and contours of the face. As the shaver adapts to your face, it’s heads cause less friction as they move over your skin. Less friction means less chance of skin irritation after shaving.

The Philips RQ1280 has three SkinGlide shaving heads, with a smooth surface which slides across the skin gently, again causing less friction and skin irritation that a normal electric shaver.

Another unique selling-point of the Philips RQ1280 SensoTouch 3D is it’s one-of-a-kind Ultratrack technology. Each shaver head has 3 specialised tracks, which are designed to catch different types of hair. Each shaver head has slots to capture and shave normal hair, channels which are designed to catch long or flat lying hair, and holes which help the blades cut short stubble. Philips say that this design means that you only need to go over each area of the face once, saving time, and minimising skin irritation.

Also included in the Philips RQ1280 is their patented Super Lift and Cut technology. This means that each shaver head has two blades. The first blade gently lifts each hair from the skin, and the second blade cuts. This dual blade action means that the hairs are cut as close as possible, giving a smooth and close shave.

As with all of Philips top of the line shavers, the Philips RQ1280 SensoTouch 3D includes an Aquatec seal, making it fully waterproof. This means that you can actually have a wet shave with a gel or foam, as well as an ordinary dry shave. It also makes the RQ1280 extremely easy to clean, by simply running it under the tap!

The built-in rechargeable battery is another impressive feature of the Philips RQ1280; it can be fully charged in just 60 minutes. On a full charge, it will provide 60 minutes of shaving time, make the RQ1280 an more than suitable for travel.

It also comes with a precision moustache and sideburns trimmer, an LED display which indicates the battery life, and a soft carrying pouch.

We found that most electric shavers are were cheapest from Amazon.co.uk, including the Philips RQ1280 SensoTouch 3D which is currently available for 26% off at the time of writing.

Philips RQ1280 SensoTouch 3D Price Comparison

Philips RQ1280 SensoTouch 3D Features and Specifications

Philips RQ1280 SensoTouch 3D vs Philips RQ1180 SensoTouch 2D

Quite a lot of people have been confused about the differences between the SensoTouch 3D and it’s cheaper sibling the SensoTouch 2D. They do look very similar, but you need to examine under the hood to see the differences.

The major difference, and the one that makes the most difference in terms of the quality of the shave you’ll get, is that the Philips RQ1280 SensoTouch 3D shaver heads have 3 tracks which specialise in catching and cutting different types and lengths of hair. In contrast, the SensoTouch 2D only has one track. In addition to the extra tracks, the SensoTouch 3D also has more blades on each track. This UltraTrack technology is the main reason that the shave with the 3D should be closer than that of the 2D.

You can see a video explaining the differences at this link.

Another difference is in the Gyroflex technology. The shaver heads of the SensoTouch 3D can adjust both
inwards and outwards, whereas the heads of the 2D will only adjust outwards. This means that the 3D should follow the contours of your face more closely than the 2D, causing less friction with the skin, and ultimately less irritation.

Phew! That’s a lot of features to talk about, and Philips have packed the SensoTouch 3D full of technology. But does that all translate into a better and closer shave? Next, we’ll take a look at what customers have been saying about the Philips RQ1280 SensoTouch 3D.

Philips RQ1280 SensoTouch 3D Customer Reviews and Feedback

As with most Philips electric shavers, customers appear to very happy with the Philips RQ1280 SensoTouch 3D. Over 91% of feedback and reviews are from enthusiastic and happy customers, so let’s take a look at what they’ve been saying.

The first thing we noticed is the the majority of the positive customer reviews of the Philips RQ1280 mentioned that they were very happy with the closeness of the shave. In fact, a significant number of people said that they felt it was approaching the closeness and smoothness of a wet shave with a razor. Although not quite at the closeness level of a we shave with a razor, a lot of people felt that it is as close a shave as they’ve ever had from an electric shaver.

S Walker:

“You certainly get what you pay for and this is no exception. An electric shaver with excellent build quality that delivers a smooth shave every time.” Click here to read full customer review

A lot of people also appreciated the fact that they could choose a wet or a dry shave with the Philips RQ1280. Whilst it doesn’t seem that it affects the quality and closeness of the shave, this is clearly a matter of personal preference and it’s good to have the choice. Everybody’s skin is different, and some people simply find a wet shave to kinder and gentler, so if you’re one of those people then the RQ1280 can handle it. If you prefer a dry shave, many customers reports a close, smooth and gentle shave that way too.

Also commonly appreciated, was the design of the Philips RQ1280 SensoTouch 3D. Many people mentioned that they found the design to be quite stunning, but also practical; the ergonomically designed handle being easy and comfortable to grip whilst shaving. In additional to the quality design and feel of the shaver, quite a few people also mentioned that it was sturdy and well made; a good thing for a tool such as a shaver that gets daily use.

There very very few negative comments abut the Philips RQ1280, and those that we did notice were relatively minor.

Bill:

“It was the best shave i have had from an electric shaver and i have had a few over the years. i have very sensitive skin but this left no redness or irritation and left my face smooth and soft” Click here to read full customer review

A fair few people mentioned that they weren’t very impressed with the included travel carrying pouch. The main complaint was that, as a soft pouch, it didn’t offer much in the way of protection and wouldn’t save the shaver if it were dropped whilst in the pouch, for example. This is a legitimate concern, for sure, especially considering that the long life built-in battery makes the RQ1280 suitable for use while traveling. However, a quick search online shows that a padded case can easily be picked up for just a couple of pounds, so this isn’t exactly a massive problem.

Another thing to note, is that you need to use the recommended technique in order to get optimum results from the Philips RQ1280. This means that if you’re used to moving the shaver backwards and forwards, you need to be prepared to change you ways. Philips recommend that you move the shaver across your face very gently, and in small concentric circles. However, the learning curve isn’t exactly steep; the majority of customers felt they’d got the hang of it after the 2nd shave, and we’re impressed with the results when using the correct technique.

All in all, the Philips RQ1280 SensoTouch 3D really is a great electric shaver. The customer feedback makes it clear; this is almost certainly the best and closest shave that you can expect from an electric shaver. The SensoTouch 3D is packed full of features to justify the price tag, and well built and sturdy. We’re going to give this shaver top marks, but appreciate that it may out of some people’s price range. If that’s the case, you might want to take a look at the Philips RQ1180 SensoTouch 2D, which is excellent but quite a lot cheaper. But if you are looking for the best electric shave on the market, whether you prefer a wet or a dry shave, you probably won’t be able to do any better than the SensoTouch 3D – 5 stars, if you can afford it!

Philips RQ1280 SensoTouch 2D Review Summary