Wilkinsons Sword Hydro 5 Review - Vs the Quattro and Gillette Fusion
Let battle commence
Disclaimer. As it seems to be unclear, this review is a personal opinion, based on personal experience and may not apply to your past, present or future experience or experiences with this razor. This does not constitute an instruction not to purchase this razor or to use this or any other razor. It is entirely your choice.
I've used the Gillette fusion power pretty much since it came out and never found anything better. So when I saw the Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 I was about as exited as one can get over a razor. Despite having just bought a pack of twenty fusion blades I immediately bought one to try. I did a previous review if the Quattro energy versus the fusion power and found Wilkinson lacking in almost everything but price and ergonomics. Everything of substance the fusion did better. So when the chance to try the Wilkinson apple against the Gillette apple came along I expected a fair fight.
As an aside, just to make things confusing, Schick is the company name when marketed in America and Australia. When marketed in the UK the company is called Wilkinson Sword.

The first blood went to the Hydro 5 before I'd got it out of the shop. The price is still noticeably cheaper for the Hydro 5 cartridges than the fusion blades. The Achilles heel of Gillette has always been the ridiculous price for replacement blades. We pay but we aren't happy and the moment a comparable product comes along with a better price, I'd dump Gillette faster than you can say razor burn.
As the Quattro and the Hydro 5 are similar beasts, this is more about what’s better on the new model as well as a product review and comparison to the Fusion. I should point out that I'm using the Fusion Power and while there are two minds as to whether vibrations are gimmicky or not, I firmly believe they help and I see the results every day. Vibrating types give me less razor burn, a cleaner shave and less overall skin soreness. The reason I'm mentioning this is because it appears there isn't yet a vibrating version of the Hydro 5. I expect I'll get one just to try it out when it finally arrives but for now we're stuck with the lo-tech version.
For a fuller comparison between the Quattro and Fusion, see here:
The Quattro Vs Fusion
- The Best Vibrating Razor - Comparing Wilkinson Quattro Energy vs Gillette Fusion Power
I decided to switch razors a few months ago, just as a trial run. Previously Id used the Gillette Fusion Power and was determined to test the Schick Wilkinson Sword Quattro Titanium Energy and see which...
Firstly although I suppose whether it's an improvement depends, but they now have five blades in the cartridge. As such they've altered the layout, no longer have the strange wire in the back of the cartridge case and have a much more open design. Although it still clogged up, with hair and foam it's much better than cleaning was on the Quattro.

They've also improved the gel strip on the razor, turning it into a water activated reservoir, a solid lump of putty that turns into gel when you wet it. This actually does give a much better delivery of the gel, which is supposed to sooth the area you've just shaved.
It is quite bulky however, so they've made it to flip up to expose just the razor blades when you want to shave the area around your lips or trim around a beard with greater precision. This is a fantastic system and beats the single blade in the top of the razor as both Gillette and Wilkinson have tried before. The gel doesn't get used while it's in this position which is maybe a loss, provided the gel actually works, which is something I've never been able to discern.
There is a marked improvement in the smoothness as you are shaving. I always felt the Quattro tugged quite a bit when shaving and this was backed up by tiny cuts consistent with the razor bumping along on my skin. The tug is definitely gone with the Hydro 5 and for the most part, so are the cuts.

for a quick basic guide to shaving musts...
- Mens Shave - wet shaving without fuss & problems
Getting a comfortable, close shave is something Ive always had problems with. Annoyingly, although fair of hair, I have Italian genes and to keep clean shaven, Id need to shave at least twice a day....
I had a worse problem with my skin, worse than the Quattro even, and with a brand new blade! When I use a razor my skin doesn't like, I not only get razor burn but acne as well. Perhaps it's because I'm not using a vibrating version (I couldn't find one or I would have been using it) but I genuinely found the after effects of this razor to be one of the worse I've ever used. My skin was sore for days and I ditched moisturizer in favor of aloe gel an hour after shaving. I don't start seeing effects like that until I've accidentally used a fusion cartridge for a month! The verdict is quite simple: bleeding awful!

Wilkinson Hydro 3 and 5 Razors for Amazon UK Buyers
Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 Shaving Set - Includes 14 Blades
Wilkinson Sword Hydro 3 Razor includes 2 Blades + Wilkinson Sword Hydro Moisturising Gel 240ml.
As if to add insult to injury, they've changed the way the cartridge clips onto the razor so you can't use your old Quattro version with the new blades, you have to buy the razor. I mention this partly because examination of the two different heads shows them to be not dissimilar so only a small change could have made them compatible and also because I saw an advert from Wilkinson saying that all of their cartridges were compatible with each other. Of course, this was before the Hydro series.
My advice is think carefully, especially if you've had problems with Wilkinson products before. It is pretty cheap though so if you have the money... As a final word and the ultimate test, my girlfriend, who used the Quattro for about a week before giving up declared the "new one" a potato peeler after one try. We used a lot of Aloe gel that week thanks to to this thing. Frankly I'd rate the Quattro as slightly better at actually removing hair although feels more painful when you're doing it, but the after effects of this razor was a la Airplane! Neither are a patch on the Fusion, which gives me an even, relatively pain-free shave without a mirror.
I consider Gillette to be the Apple of the shaving world (you can see my views on apple here) but until somebody can match them, I'm sticking with them.
for a quick solution to minimising razor burn...
- Wet Shave with Oil for Reduced Razor Burn
Ever on the look out for tips that make my shaving routine easier with less abrasion and razor burn and taking less of my precious morning time, while still getting a good result, I jumped on the suggestion...
Questions & Answers
Comments
I think it's a great blade very comfortable shave great flip up design also and cheaper then gillette all round winner
to all those lads out there having problems with shaving ! just wait until you reach between 50 & older when you discover that you have a problem ? my beard is like steel & I would love to get more than one shave out of any blade ! blades ! I started with a safety razor over 50 years ago when you could buy blue star blades which my father always used & was able to get at least 4 -5 shaves out of one blade ! now it seams that the makers are driven by price only because its so lucrative now we are expected to pay a minimum of £20 to buy rubbish that don't last me for even one shave regardless of how many blades they put in the razor head its all just a con ? I bought an electric razor years ago & that's what I have used for years ! but they are doing the same thing with those as well the cost for batteries is extortion & replacement blades , so now I shave with electric & finish with a safety razor & get 3 shaves out of a double edge razor blade because the blades on the electric need renewing & you can buy a hundred blades for a fiver £5 --I for one refuse to pay the sums of money they are asking these days its a no brain -er ! I am thinking now is the time to go back to the cutthroat & to hell with them all & save at least £200.00 a year & remember we all get old & your beard gets tougher every year..............
Ive read this review with great interest, and I must say, I was a bit chocked by your shaving experience with the the Hydro 5. I too have a sensible skin, and i have managed to avoid soars and others bi effects by using another shave foam. The foam wich was delivered with my Hydro 5 wasn't good at all, I had burns and soars as well. Then I bought a cheapo gel foam from Lidl (Cien for sensible skins and I use a brush to apply the foam on my face) and it does the trick. Painless shaving, no problems at all! Now back to the Hydro 5: It is (for me) an excellent razor, buuut the Gillettes Fusion performs slightly better. I use less runs on my face with it. But I keep the Hydro, its cheaper! About your acne, I was thinking that maybe your bears grows inside your skin? My stepfather had the same problem, he couldn't use razor blades, he had to use an electric one because a blade razor shaved too close and his hair growed inside his skin... Sorry for my poor English!
Blogs like this are tricky when trying to assess products.
Classic has to be the King of Shaves blog where the designer/sales guy expresses the virtues of suspension technology....absolutely great on paper but anyone tried the darn things. Terrible. Wrong angle, massively cumbersome and will cut you to bits if you get it wrong.
I've tried Hydro 5 after 25 years of using Gillette products and this blade and entire design is so amazing! Best shave ever!!!
Get over it already.....they're just razors. Some better on others than some and vice versa. None of them worth more thean £5 for 4 though, so go for the cheapest
Recently swiched back to the Gillete Sensor Excel.
Still got my old handle from all those years back, cleaned it up and managed to get the blades.
Heck, why did Gillete ever try to improve on it. It just works so well, without all these strange ergonomic, weird color gizmos with 5 blades.
I had forgot how beautifully it handles and it does the job perfectly, allowing you to easily see where you are going.
Kevin i agree about the blocking. Its closer to 6mm per side bytheway but i have not found it a problem so far just that your shave becomes over less blade area as it fills up.
Hi all. I have discovered a major flaw with the new Proglide.The shave is good, the blades wash out easy but do they. They do partly. If you look at the edge of both sides of the frame where the blades join the sidewalls, there is about 4mm per side which is backed by plasic. Ive noticed that these edges to the blades clog up quite badly after a few shaves and there being very little one can do about it. It caused missed spots at the edge of the blade.
In all none are perfect, so i think it maybe best to go to centre point of good blade and reasonable price. Quattro Titanium none power maybe, or possibly mach 3. Cannot find a Sensor handle that lots of you are on about.
Ive just been using the Hydro 5 and are not very happy. It seems like a great idea to have this flip away strip which presents the first blade like a single blade razor. It works to give a perfect clean edge to the sideburn but leave it like it and it will cut you and/or leave you very sore. Agreeing with Lymond it left me sore even with the flip down in the usual shave position. I think it does not have flexible mountings to the blade.
Proglide too expensive so sticking with Mach 3 for the moment then.
Ive had them all apart from the earlier Sensor models. The Proglide is the best thing ive ever used but just cannot seem to bring myself to buy the blades when in the chemist. Theres always other things i need as well and end up buying blades in the £5 to £6 area.
My wife similarly thinks they are a silly price.
If only Gillete realised this im sure they would be onto a world beating product, capturing the entire market.
I have just received a Proglide for free handed out in a shopping mall promotion. Its just the manual version but has proven an incredibly good shave. The back trimmer really works well and i geniunely cannot knock it regardless of cost.I like the color with black cartridges because i hate the bright orange of the Fusion ones. Cost will have to be considered when i come to replace the 2 blades in the little kit.
I rule out the Fusion because the back blade does not work. Could be Hydro 3 then but i don't think it will better than this thing somehow.
Lymond i agree too. I purchased the std Proglide 3 weeks ago (i don't bother with battery power) Got it on offer for £6 in Boots Chemist. Its easily the best shave ive had. Anyone stating less is lying. Super, super smooth with accurate trimmer and undernose precsion.
However when i returned for spare blades this weekend, i was utterly shocked at the £9 for 3. Yes thats 3 Not 4.
The 8 pack requires a small mortgage and i just cannot justify it really, especially in the light of me just reducing the kids pocket money.
I may evaluate this Hydro 3 at £5 for 4 blades which is a shame.
Well i did purchase the Proglide. It probably is the best shave. Super smooth and the trimmer seems a little better than hopeless one on the Fusion.
It certainly takes some beating. However, everyone in my sports club all bring out Mach3s, Hydros and King of shaves stuff. Its just to expensive to replace blades and i think owing to credit crunch they are not chucking their money at it. Gillette need to think about it. We all no they make these blades for less than quid so how can they justify 9 quid for 3
Ive used the Gillette sensor, excel version for many years. Get xmas gifts of all these other contraptions but never get me to move on from my Sensor.
I almost believe the Mach 3 power which i was given over 2 years ago might just edge it but do i need batteries and slight extra cost. Worryingly none in Boots last time i looked , i wonder if they have stopped being imported or Gillette are winding them up.
I then added the std Turbo mach 3 blades to it and these fitted and worked the same, which is an ok cost for a close shave without a large shaving head. Is the set up better than the Sensor? no i don't believe it is but Sensor excel blades are very hit and miss to get hold of now.
I cannot understand for the life of me why anybody needs 5 blades in their razor. If you can't get a good shave with 1 or 2 blades is 4 or 5 really going to help? Like I said in my earlier post I tried the Fusion and found it uncomfortable and it even gave me an ingrowing hair a couple if times. Plus with the extra expanse of metal it can get uncomfortably hot as well, contributing to the burning sensation when using it. Two or 3 blades is perfectly fine for my needs. Any more than said number of blades is just marketing nonsense and a blatant excuse fir the companies to charge us rip-off prices.
Also I don't like the fact that Gillette has the audacity to market their Snowplough skinguard as a 'breakthrough feature' when a Tesco 2-blade disposable has a similar feature way before the Fusion cane out.
Always wanted to find a gillette alternative, Hydro is looking good so far! First shave but gillette can get blunt quickly if you let you stubble grow. First wilkinson sword product I have thought comes close. Really some of you guys, PR people get a grip. No real punter believes such bull sh$t!
Im still using the mach 3. Tried all but think the Mach is a good combo of everything.
Nobody has ever said the mach 3 was a poor shave which will do me without extra expence. Couldn't get on with Hydro 5, leaves me sore.
Ive now purchased a satin stainless special handle for my mach 3 blades off ebay
Tricky one. I tried the old Sensor Excel against a Fusion recently (not spending the dollars on a pro glide)
The Fusion does seem to have the edge in smoothness.
Yu can hear the Sensor cutting with the traditional shaving sound but not the Fusion. However, the Sensor is much more manouverable around the nose and much easy to handle. I think this is the oversight of Gillette. They have gone all out smoothness but forgot the other needs.
Sensor is fast manouverable and a real pleasure. The slight drop in smoothness didn't bother me at all.
Mach 3 is somewhere between the 2.
Agree on the Sensor excel.
Its a great traditional shave that is safer than a safety blade but more easily weilded than these big headed multi blade units. Its good under the nose and gives a good line at the boards.
No blades last time i went in the store though.
Maybe Gillette needs to listen to this post.
Don't get sucked into this new safety razor hype though.
These old blades are cool things but get your line wrong and your slice your face off. They are fine provided you use in straight lines up and down but move sideways slightly and your gonna get cut big time. Sensor was good, i remember it well Hydro 3 not bad. Wouldn't pay the price for the Fusion stuff.....silly money.
Im a bit of an old timer but also favour the Sensor.
Did swap for the MACH 3 when it arrived but found i just couldn't geta perfect edge on sideburns with the thicker head. It probably is a tad smoother but do we really need all this smoothness. I shaved for almost 10 years with a safety razor...no fins or anything with them.
The Sensor is a precsion machine, simplistic and does the job very well. Do fear they will drop the blades though.
Just for the fun of it, I tried the Fusion Proglide Power and found it the biggest load of nonsense in razor history. It felt like dragging a block of cheese across my face with the vibration on and the shave was no better than my Sensor razor and £20 for 6 blades? You have to be joking.
Just tried this Sensor this week, entirely based on what you guys are saying here. Available in Boots.
Superb. Its the Sensor Excel 2 blade. Smooth even and close shave. No thick fins,slim head and no emoilents.
Great under nose and no soreness. However, not as cheap as you would imagine. 10 year old technology almost same price as Mach 3. Ill keep mine though as long they keep supplying the blades. Tried the Hydro. Very smooth shave.
Not intending this hydro 5 discussions to turn into fan site for the old Sensor but i also agree with the comments about it. Its possible that 2 blades were quite enough, being an optimum between a closer shave than single blade with its lift and cut ability (do we need anymore) but then get into tight spots by not being too bulk.Its interesting that many Barbers like the Sensor, possibly being a good comprimise between price, easy handling and good shave. Ive certainly not been able to better it (great sideburn trimming too)and wont change provided i can still get the darn blades. Shop never had them last time i went in!
Yah agree with the old Sensor. Cannot help but feel 2 blades probably reached the optimum between multi blade closeness and being able to weild the darn things properly. No closer really with 3 or 5 blades but like weilding a log for a load of wasted extra cash.
My Sensor always felt a little light so i bought a custom stainless handle.
Got to be honest im one of 1000s of old timers who endorse the old Sensor Excel. There are a number of forums that back my view. Im kinda thinking that 2 blades proved close enough while balanced against the ability to get under the nose easily and act as a good enough sideburn trimmer without the nedd for any special adaption features and added costs.
It was declared the best razor in the world around 1992 and ive tried nothing since to better it for an allround shave. The head isn't too big niether, being my biggest complaint with these later models.
Did recently try this Hydro 3 though. Pretty good all in but still not better for the extra features.
I have used the Sensor, Mach3, Quattro, Fusion and now currently using the Hydro3.
For me the Sensor, Mach3 and Hydro3 all gave me an excellent shave. The Fusion let my skin sore and I didn't like the way my chin appeared to bury itself into the bank of blades on it. The Quattro was terrible.
All you need is two or three blades. You don't need something resembling a radiator grille to get a good shave.
Ok sorry. I suppose it is a personal opinion but yours is not shared with either the main collection of posts on here or friends who used the Hydro 3 when it was free trialed amongst the men who worked at my dept store.
None of us had patchy shaves at all and certainly no soreness after the 2 weeks or so of using the blade.
Ive tested it back and forth againsta Mach 3 for about 3 weeks now and it clearly edges it for less cost.
The Fusion or Proglide may well compare but double the price.....no brainer really.
Lymond cannot for the life of me figure how your having a problem with the hydro 3. Its just the smoothest shave ever and you simply have to be making this stuff up.
The 5 is a little more bulky and really cuts too close imho but i have numerous buddies using this 3 version and all have said it exceeds anything they have used.
Nobody has purchased the the Proglide yet though but agreeing with the above poster reg the cost of the blades.
Think the Hydro 3 should be compared against the mach 3 and here it wins hands down.
yeah gotta agree first the reviewer slags off the hydro 5 and then does the same to the 3 when comparing against gillette products which paints the picture. This is not to say that all Wilko products whip gillette ones which they don't but the 5 and 3 are completely different razors.
The 3 has a def edge on gillette stuff below the proglide which i just tried. Proglide is the best but requires a small mortgage to invest in the darn blades.
rumbled this Lymond.......the Hydro 3 is absolutely superb on jaw lines and anywhere else. Does it matcha Fusion...maybe...lacks the back trimmer but the back trimmer is pretty poor but heck of lot cheaper
Lymond thanks but gotta disagree regarding shave quality with the 3 when compared to the Fusion. Agreeing with some above, it really is quite exceptional, being smooth, even and burn free. I found it a staggeringly good shave. Maybe you are comparing against the Fusion poer version then?....where that would probably be an unfair comparison like for like.
Yes, if a power version of the Hydro comes avail then a comparison with the Fusion power would be fair.
Ok managed 4 more shaves without the cream but seems to have degraded to the point where i will now use cream for the next shave. Its suggests that you could take it for a weeks vacation without the need to pack cream which i suppose is quite remarkable and a first for such products.
I dumped the Mach 3 for the Fusion and more cost but will probably dump the Fusion now in favour of this and less cost.
Packed the Hydro 3 for a recent over night field trip with the mapping service. Figured with a brand new blade i could dispense with packing shave cream to keep bulk down. Worked out ok. Seems to provide enough emoilent for atleast 1 or 2 field trip shaves. I may test to find out how many it can handle but the for the fact it obviously is not as good as a shave with canned cream.
Only ever had the Hydro 3 and works perfectly. Had planned on trying the Hydro 5 next but may not bother now. I would say its marginally better than a mach 3 but one of the cheaper blades around and could shave you ok without shaving cream should you run out if out of town.
Ok tried the 3 head on my 5 model. Works beautifully.
oh nearly forgot, the Hydro 3 heads are perfectly color coded enough to match the Hydro 5 handle incase anyone was wondering. Some guy above mentioned it was the answer. Hes right.
Lymond no definitely not how i intended.
Im suggesting everyone on here who hasn't tried it to try it then write an honest review because clearly there are some inaccurate reviews around. As regard your review (if you want the feedback) yeah fair assesment. Wouldn't have critisised the heads not fitting other models especially when 3 and 5 heads ARE interchangable.
The 3 really is that good though. I defy you critisise it especially at the price. Its almost not like shaving. Cannot figure why they put all their advert hype into the 5 which frankly isn't a great shave.
Tried the Hydro 3 its about the best shaving experience you will ever have. Try it and write an honest review.
Hydro 5 did leave me a little sore. Flip away lube strips works very well but frankly not needed on the smaller Hydro 3 head. Its about perfect in every aspect. Beautifully smooth, small head, a lube strip and relatively cheap blades.
I absolutely concur with what some of the comments regarding false reviews are saying. One site (The baldy forum)citicises the back blade????....hey.
It don't have no trimmer on the back of the blade!
Clearly someone is bored at work and just wants to slate the product. If you've actually tried it for real you will know that it has no blade on the back but a completely different method of trimming by means of a flip out of the way lube strip and absolutely no blade on the back whatsoever.
Best thing to do is average 10 reviews. 3 might have not even held the darn razor!
As for this thing itspretty good like most say about like a Mach but with a trimmer aspect.
My teenage son had the Hydro 3 and i had the Hydro 5 off my wife this christmas. We have used our first blade for about 3 weeks but agreed to swap our second blade over to try the other. I drove the idea so that i might buy the cheaper 3 blades and he was happy because he got the 5s more novel blade system.
The 3 proved suprisingly easier to use and gave a more comfortable shave. Didn't find the lube strip any more inpractical around the nose area than other models out there. I would agree its better than a mach 3. Trouble is my son is now sold on the better sculpting feature of the 5s lube strip flick back system.
I guess you pays your money and takes your choice but i wont be purchasing the Proglide. Think shaving is expensive enough!
Ive reviewed both across about 10 review sites before buying. All point to Hydro 3 being very good and cheap.
Hydro 5 gets slight critisism for head being too big in normal mode.
Gillette products getting hounded for being just too expensive now. My Fusion blades are not being replaced this weekend. Probably go the Hydro 3
Schick and you lot on here have all missed it and i think lymond may well be right in part.
Everybody the Hydro 3 is the answer. Why.
Because the Hydro 5 when clicked into normal mode doesn't pivot on the hinge well and thus could cause sore shaving.
Sad really because the Schick pivot on the these Hydros is potentially better than Gillettes (as scientifically tested on the Hydro review site and far superior to King of Shaves ACER.
Try the Hydro 3 then. Voted better than the mach 3 in a controlled study of 100 users but then spoiled slightly by making it more complex for the 3. Ive just put 3 heads on my Hydro 5 (they fit) they're cheaper and are better than the mach 3 for quite a cheap price.
Its the 3 that you all should try. Yes ive tried the hydo 3 and it is comfortable. Lacks the flick back feature but doesn't present a big lube strip when compared to other models. About as good as a fusion std. without power but about half the price of the blades. Shave is smooth and even and lasts for atleast 2 weeks of shaving.
Give it try
Im not totally sold. Outstanding idea that the lube strip can be flicked back out of the way presenting the blades where they should be. Gee its only taken 30 years to get back to where my dad enjoyed his shaving without the bulky strip but not sure on the shave. I would say edged by a Mach 3 for comfort but then the Mach 3 has no flip away strip feature. Ive recently tried single blade safety razor with a high quality holder. Looks great and hefts beautifully but lose concentration and you bleed out for the morning. Fusion should be boycotted by all due to stuid price.
Lymond that does like a bad review of that Precision.
The review was as big as this one and the main one you get if you type that razor in. Just goes t show that not all review sites can be trusted.
As regard yours here i just cannot figure why you have rubbished this Hydro 5. Have you tried a 3rd shave to see if its still leaving you sore. It also washes stright out as easy as pie. Don't understand it doesn't make sense
James if you mean the Wilkinson sword Quattro precision, i hear ya.
Not a great shave but the trimmer never neede cleaning out or drying off like that review mentioned. Used mine for 12 months and never rusted once.
However recently purchased this Hydro 5 and it blew the Quattro precision out the water. Yeah the first few shaves do leave you a little sore but because its so damn sharp. Perfect even shave with no cuts and great trimming in with the head
Im struggling to find a difference on a typical shave between the Mach 3, Fusion, or this Hydro 5 and a Mach 3 power i have gained over the years. The outstanding feature for me is the Hydro flip head which presents the top blade of the group within a hairs breathe of the crease of your nose which no other blade can do because of their lubrication strip being in the way regardless of how thin.
It also creates a perfect clean straight finish to the bottom of your sideburn.
You must watch out for posts reviews as one remarkably similar to this mentioned cleaning required to the power trimmer on the Titanium freestyle or would rust.
I had one and so did friends at the Rugby club and they never ever managed to get the thing to rust no matter what they did
I think that post by ste with comments like terrible is really sad for review pages such as this, where 1 immature kid can cast doubt on a product by people trying to find out about a product which is probabaly quite good.
No, im not a salesman but the Hydro 5 is a very good product now into its 4th week since xmas with the same blade. Its more or less impossible for even the newbee shaver to cut himself with it but seems impossible for an experienced shaver like myself.
On the note of soreness mentioned by the original article here i would agree with one other poster who said he experienced soreness for the first shave. Its been suberb since. I would say just about as good as a Mach 3 with a trimmer and perhaps not quite as a good as a fusion but which has a lousy trimmer. I also agree that the old Sensor takes some beating.
terrible! the blades last hardly any time too!
lastime i had to use my girlfriends razor as i needed a shave bad and this couldn't even shave me
plus it cuts me and gillette rarerly does
-1 out of 10
Just a thought has anyone tried the Hydro 3.
No trimmer feature but easy to weild in tight spots, seems to clean out ok. better than a Mach 3 dunno not bad and cheaper and heavier
I would agree that the Hydro is about the same as a Mach 3 but with the added benefit of a good sideburn trimmer. Cant afford Fusion really.
I also liked the old Sensor as many often report, where maybe 2 blade shaving is probably good enough
it poor or "not rated it very highly" as u put it. Clearly there is something wrong there. Everyone who has ever used a mach 3 correctly knows its perfectly usuable and good razor. Perhaps you are comparing all these against some top professional single blade shave in a barbers.....which is not really what the review is about.
Nothings ever going to match a professional shave!
....but there in lies the problem. Your reply does answer the question of suspicion reg you being a salesman for Gillette because you have just also rubbished their Mach 3 ...so i will apologise there but it does point to the fact that you are not a useful tool for reviewing razors. Why?....because nobody in western Europe has ever critisised the Mach 3. It may well have been compared slightly less favourably to say the Fusion (debateably IMO and many)but no one who has ever used it has called
Lymond i think the problem is that you have seemingly rubbished an excellent product which is in direct competition with Gillette. This leads one (incl me) to believe that something dodgy is at work like say one of the Gillette sales team under pressure etc.
I had the 5 for xmas.Its a match for say the mach 3 in shave and wash out terms being very difficult to save the 2 but then has a huge advantage with the flip head for getting under the nose.
The suspicion for me is that your review is just too extreme to be real.....or you had a damaged blade.
thank you Lymond, you save my money, great review
ps. unfortunately I' don't receive money for promoting Gillette :(
Hi.....as a Black dude i do tend to suffer shaving rash whatever i do but found this Hydro 5 on par with the Fusion i have. Just tested against each other like for like for washing out stubble and both are more or less identical. Sideburns are trimmed far better with flip head of Hydro 5 where the Fusion may as well drop their version as its useless. Think his is mentioned on most sites as its flaw now. Cheaper blades will probably see me let the Fusion go and i really don't agree with the post views. Hydro has nice heft also which i liked.
Interesting review. I just got the hydro 3 and it's the most comfortable shave i've ever had, even more so than my previous Mach 3 Turbo. With the added gel strip, I don't see how ANYONE could have such problems with such a gentle razor. Then again i've never really had any problems with any sort of cartridge razor, and to be honest in my mind there isn't really much of a difference between any of premium ones. As far as performace and price goes, the best two razors I would recommend is the Hydro 3 and the Gillette Sensor/Excel. Cheers!
Interesting review. I found he Hydro 5 to be excellent.
The hinged head which you flip back wih the thumb to trim boards way better than the utterly useless single blade on he Fusion. That said, i agree wih he review that the first shave did leave me a bit sore...he second didn't though. No sure if it maybe just too sharp on first use bu shaving has since been fine. I disagree that i doesn rinse ou easily. It does his as easily as he Fusion and the head can be flipped back to rinse inside.
Inability to interchange with other model shaving heads (as a critisism)is probably the most stupid and unhelpful comment on here.
I have just bought the Hydro 5 after using my Dads Hydro 3. Got both in Wilkinsons, H3 being £2 something (57?) and H5 being £3 something (36?) Cant remember...But far cheaper than the Fusion or the Mach 3. I used the Gilette Sensor 3s for a while, which I thought were excellent (like the Blue 3s were).
I wanted a closer shave so reading all these reviews and knowing how the Sensor 3s performed, I took the bait and got the Mach 3. Rubbish, no two words. I definitely did not want to try the Fusion, or the ProGlide version of it. It just looked like it would be terrible (maybe Im wrong - But definitely would not like to prove myself by buying one - Just not worth that much - specially for vibrating kind, sort of looks gimmicky!).
I definitely Don't want to take the side of Wilkinson Sword Hydro for the minute since I only had one shave (can't say how long the blades will last) but Dad says not long (2 weeks - shaving everyday).
Hydro 3 was miles ahead of the Mach 3. Although I got the 5 blade Hydro for myself, as far as performance goes, I think the extra 2 blades could be a gimmick. I love Gilette for their Blue 3 and Sensor 3, but not their Mach 3 or (without trying - but already discouraged) Fusion. I have not tried Wilkinson Sword Quattro, which many fellow shavers say pulls the hairs but the Hydro systems are far superior to a lot of razors out there. For the price, Id say definitely purchase and try for thyselves!
Well, I raised to the bait because basically, and with all due respect, I wanted you to dig yourself deeper. You are mentally incapable of arguing back and you repeat that same asinine question about why you would be doing it as if it was up to me to find out, and maybe while at you you should have asked me to tell you why politicians lie.
But anyhow, it's interesting to see how your reply, while offering absolutely no sensible answers, digressed into the familiar childish insults about my paranoia and how I should seek help etc.
Your response is typical of idiots and lonely people. The former are always the least likely to recognise that reasoning is not their forte, and because they hate being seen for what they are, they evade responding to simple arguments by hurling insults and accusations. The latter, are prone to emotional reasoning because any opposition to them is considered an invasion to their cyber sphere which is the only place they can feel that they matter.
Your beginning by commenting on the size of my reply was foolish because I'm tearing apart your fake review which is several times the size of my reply. And your claims about google Chrome are lies because if you download it in the UK google will read your IP address and gives you a UK version download with a UK dictionary. That piece was written by an American my friend, and you were not smart enough to change into British spelling when you received/copied it to portray as your own unbiased experience ;)
You will probably delete this or you will keep it then hurl more hysteric hallucinations at me. But unfortunately I have real people around me with whom I want to spend a nice holiday :) So feel free to say the last word then scream "I WON" :D
Merry Christmas to you and have a great 2011 :)
Hey Mate,
I like the idea of a reasoned argument, so I'll bite and let's see how it goes:
I don't understand the point of your first question. This is the internet, the most powerful tool in advertising today. If you were writing these "reviews" on a virtual domain WWW.I-WORSHIP-GILLETTE.COM no one would care about it. But a seemingly sincere word of a mouth from some average bloke on a blog would be more effective. Don't ask me why you would be doing it because I have no idea what your affiliations are and it could be one of a million scenarios. You are writing what I consider rubbish, and that's something I know. Only you would know why.
As for your second question about why they don't have 100% of market if "they were so wonderful", can you please point out the part where I said that Wilkinson were wonderful? I actually believe that the fusion is every bit as good as the Hydro 5, which is a testament for Gillette considering that the fusion is the older product, but the H5 has an edge only because of the lower cost.
What I said is that your review was biased because you were not talking about subtle differences or a slight edge for a product. What you said was, and I quote you:
"it just doesn’t give an even shave"
"I had a worse problem with my skin, worse than the Quattro even"
"I not only get razor burn but acne as well"
"I genuinely found the after effects of this razor to be one of the worse I've ever used"
"My skin was sore for days and I ditched moisturizer in favor of aloe gel an hour after shaving."
"The verdict is quite simple: bleeding awful!"
I bet that now, even before I comment, you are thinking to yourself that maybe you went overboard with these comments. Right?
But anyhow, what you said means simply that the product is complete garbage that no one in their right minds would let our of a factory. For heaven's sake you call it inferior to their own Quattro! Do you know how that looks? It's like someone claiming that they did not like their new Rolex watch because it came from the factory without a dial or a movement and there was a used condom stuck behind the crystal. Doesn't make sense, does it?
Logic says that you are either making it up to promote the fusion, or that you really had these torturous effects coming straight from a slasher movie. I think it's the earlier, but if the later and you really had those effects, don't you think a reasonable person should have assumed that it was particular to their own skin or a faulty razor that escaped quality control? Would a reasonable person really think that something would leave their production lines with these major defects that makes it more of a medieval torture tool than a razor? I think I made my point clear enough.
A side question: Why would a Briton write "favor" and "moisturizer" in American spelling instead of the British "Favour" and "Moisturiser"? I think that even you agree that something stinks here.
Have a Merry Christmas my friend.
This is so transparent it's almost pathetic. Disguising a promotion for a product as an "unbiased" review is not a new thing, but you totally lack the skill required to make it able to fool anyone but the most naïve of readers. I guess the millions spent on R&D and hours of work by qualified engineers failed to spot the horrible after-effects of using the new razor.
haha
Razor burn?? When using the fusion (powered or not powered)my face gets ravaged and during the day it will start burning. Sure it provides a closer shave than the Quattro,but at the expense of a pleasant skin feel. Of course you cant use Hydro blades on a Quattro handle: ITS A COMPLETELY NEW RAZOR SYSTEM. Did you make as much fuss when you could'nt use fusion blades on the Mach 3? ????
Well great job promoting Gillette, my friend, Hope they pay you well....perhaps in form of free razors
I often let my facial hair grow around my beard and mustache for a day or sometimes two.
The Fusion won't even pick up a hair, and without the vibrator on it is near useless for me. I am going to change razors next visit to the supermarket.
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