Review: ShaveTech Portable USB Shaver

There are many things a gadget junkie such as myself takes along on their travels. Extra cables and battery packs are some of the most important. Outlet hunting/babysitting is never a fun thing. But every one can assume what a normal techie would/should bring with them. For guys, there’s another potentially important travel buddy for those longer trips – a shaver or razor. What happens when you combine the two? You get a USB powered and rechargeable travel shaver.

Let’s do this.

There’s no hiding the fact that this the Shavetech is certainly smaller and more compact than more high-end “real” electric shavers. But what this particular shaver lacks in size (and power – more on that in a bit) it makes up for convenience. There’s something reassuring and cool about not having to worry about how your 5 o’ clock shadow has progressed or if you’ll need to look for some outlet to charge your razor the next morning. With this thing in your bag, worries seemingly disappear – almost that is.

I’ve been using the Shavetech over the last couple of weeks and have found that while it’s highly convenient to bust out a quick trim session, it is inherently not meant for less frequent shavers or those who seemingly share facial hair genetics with Grizzly Adams.

Now make it known, I don’t have thick facial hair and can’t grow a beard to save my life. It takes a solid 1-2 weeks to get anything substantial. But even someone has challenged as myself found the Shavetech struggling after just 2-3 days since last shaving. Longer hair is definitely a no-go that at the very least, requires a pre-trim to make things more manageable. Furthermore, one thing that is slightly annoying (and painful) is that the Shavetech starts pulling on hair rather uncomfortably long before the battery is actually dead. Finally, there were many times that even with a fully charged battery I couldn’t get hairs trimmed. Multiple passes would be made and the sound of cutting hair was heard, but the hair remained on my face. On that note, I found a good ~5 minute shaving session would allow 3-4 solid shaves per charge (rated life is about 30 minutes continuous). For the best results, though, it’s best to just plug in the ShaveTech after each shave to make sure you have the most power you can get out of the tiny unit. Electricity aside, the ShaveTech’s head is rated for 1800-2700 minutes, and yes, it’s replaceable.

For those of you worrying about the USB-only charging, don’t. There is a $6.99 AC adapter available for purchase that can bridge the gap should you need to charge via more “normal” means.

By this point you’re probably thinking “pass”. Well, don’t quite write it off so fast. This little gem definitely isn’t for those of you out there with bushy beards, thick facial hair or for those of you that go many days to weeks between shaving. For that, a hedge trimmer is probably your best bet. But, if you’re the type that keeps up on daily shaving and doesn’t sport the Grizzly look and also travels a lot, the Shavetech is pretty sweet to keep in a spare suitcase pocket. And considering it’s only $39.99, getting experimental with your shaving routine isn’t going to break the bank either.

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