There are few things more refreshing than a hot towel shave – it’s one of the reasons we visit a barber when shaving is something anyone can get done very easily at home. The Gillette Heated Razor promises to replicate the experience every single time you shave in the morning.
Touted to “deliver the comfort of a hot towel with every stroke,” the razor comes with a heated strip that comes in contact with your skin, mimicking the sensation of a hot towel laid out over your face. Whether you regularly visit a barber for a hot towel shave, do it occasionally as a personal treat, or never experienced it a single time, this razor should provide a refreshing feel unlike anything you’ve used every time you shave in the morning. And while it won’t feel as great as a hot towel shave in a barber shop, the outfit claims adding heat will increase glide, reduce the tugging feel, and make the whole experience feel exceptionally comfortable
The Gillette Heated Razor looks like any traditional disposable razor, albeit with its own dock, where you can set it down to wirelessly charge the onboard battery when not in use. It has an onboard battery that can keep up to six shaves’ worth of power in a single charge, so you can pack the razor in your bag without the dock if you’re sleeping elsewhere for the next couple of days and still enjoy the same heated shaving experience. To use, pick up the razor from the dock, press the power button to start it up, and choose your desired heat level (either 45 degrees or 50 degrees Celsius). After that, start shaving. According to the outfit, it heats up to the desired heat within one second of choosing the temperature level, so you won’t be wasting any time while standing in front of the mirror.
It uses a special cartridge with five anti-friction blades and a “heat bar” right under the last blade, so while this looks like any ordinary cartridge from Gillette, it just won’t work with cartridges for any of their other razors. The entire surface of the special strip heats up to the same temperature, by the way, evenly imparting warmth to your face, so the entire area it’s touching is heated the same way. And like any of the outfit’s disposable razors, it uses cartridge refills that you can swap in whenever the blades start to deteriorate and can no longer be rescued.
The Gillette Heated Razor uses the outfit’s FlexDisc, which adjusts the blade’s angle to contour to the shape of your face, ensuring it provides the same clean shave regardless of your facial structure. It’s completely waterproof, too, so all the electronics are safely protected inside, even if you submerge it in water. Oh yeah, this thing contains magnets, so if you’re packing it in a bag, make sure to keep it away from any equipment that reacts adversely to magnets.
Since this is a niche product, Gillette using crowdfunding to sell the Heated Razor’s introductory run. You can reserve one from Indiegogo for pledges starting at $20.