It was back in 2016 when Philips debuted its OneBlade trimmer, marketed as a hybrid grooming tool that could trim, edge, and shave facial hair, making it a versatile companion for anyone with grooming needs.
Renowned for its fluorescent green and black branding, the shaver has had its fair share of revamps since then, however. While the blade itself hasn’t changed, there’s been new handle designs and attachment additions along the way that have resulted in various rebrands and spin-offs.
In 2017, we were introduced to the OneBlade Pro – an upgraded model of the shaver that featured a longer battery life, an adjustable comb with 14-length settings, and a more powerful motor. A year later, Philips unveiled the OneBlade Face+Body – a rework of the original that was designed for use on both facial and body hair, with body comb attachments for trimming more, er sensitive areas.
Then, a new and improved Pro landed in 2022. This was a souped-up version of the popular face and body trimmer but made with more premium materials and features, such as a brushed steel handle, charging dock and built-in display with battery life indicator.
Now, Philips has gone and launched the Oneblade 360. But what’s new this time round? For starters, the firm has put a whole new spin on the shaver’s detachable blades, which now sport an innovative 360 design that ensures fewer passes are needed to trim hair, resulting in more comfortable operation. This, Philips says, is unique in how it flexes in different directions to adjust to the curves of the face, reaching difficult areas. There’s also a whole new 5-in-1 adjustable comb included, which aims to give users a more efficient trim without clogging up – even on long and thick hair.
But does the new Oneblade 360 design offer a better trimming experience while delivering on all its promises? Could it make its way onto our list for the best body groomers? Let’s find out…
PHILIPS ONEBLADE 360 REVIEW: PRICE & AVAILABILITY
The Philips OneBlade 360 trimmer was released in March 2023 and is available to buy now with an RRP of £49.99 from Philips’ official website alongside your usual online retailers. However, you’re likely to pick it up a little cheaper if you shop around. Take Amazon, for example, where it's currently listed for just £39.99.
In the box, you’ll find the shaver handle, 360 shaver head, click-on skin guard, click-on body comb, 5-in-1 adjustable comb, spare shaver head and charging cable.
PHILIPS ONEBLADE 360 REVIEW: DESIGN
Since its design is what made the OneBlade so popular in the first place, it comes as no surprise that Philips has stuck with the same colourway of black with those eye-watering bright green accents for the trimmer’s latest iteration. Sure, it stands out, but I always felt this branding choice was a bit naff. Spoiler: it still is. The trimmer’s slim and lightweight design doesn’t help in making it feel less premium either. You’ve got to keep in mind though that, at around £40 a pop, the OneBlade 360 is still pretty cheap by electric shaver standards.
One positive thing to note here is that the trimmer’s slender profile makes the OneBlade 360 super comfortable to hold and easy to manoeuvre around your chops as well as any other body part.
So, what’s different design wise when compared to the trimmer’s predecessors? The main difference is the new 360 blade, which doesn’t actually swivel 360-degrees but flexes in different directions to adjust to the curves of the face as you trim. There’s also a brand new 5-in-1 adjustable comb that slots on the top of the shaver blade designed for longer hair, like more hefty beards or pubic areas. Although we’ll talk more about how well these work in the performance section, below.
PHILIPS ONEBLADE 360 REVIEW: PERFORMANCE
When shaving and shaping around hair and beard lines, we found it offered a surprisingly close shave, especially considering this groomer's RRP. Of course, it's not going to offer the closeness of a wet shave, but I was impressed by how well it chomped at shorter hair and stubble around the jawline and neck, all the while resulting in less irritation than a wet shave would.
The new flexing head design helped make shaping around the beard and neck more comfortable and effortless. You don't feel like you need to keep taking the trimmer away from your face to change direction. The upgraded design really does help improve the trimming experience over previous OneBlade designs.
As for trimming beards and body hair, the OneBlade 360 performs almost as well. You undoubtedly will feel it nick the skin here and there when ploughing it through longer, more dense patches of hair but, for the most part, it does a decent job. The new 5-in-1 attachment has helped there, elevating the trimmer's performance over previous versions, which relied on separate attachments that would easily break if dropped or knocked. This new attachment is stronger and more reliable, helping the trimmer to slice longer hair down in one go and with fewer tugs.
Unfortunately, while testing the OneBlade 360 I found that, after a few weeks of heavy use, the blades dulled significantly, and weren't quite as sharp as on first use. This is something Philips has been criticised for in the past, especially as the brand claims the blade technology lasts around four months. They cost about £30 for a pack of three genuine replacements, too, which is almost as much as the trimmer itself – so it could cost you a pretty penny in the long run if you're planning to use it regularly.
In terms of battery life, you can expect about 45 minutes of use per charge, which isn't particularly bad or good as far as electric shavers are concerned.
PHILIPS ONEBLADE 360 REVIEW: VERDICT
The Philips OneBlade 360 is a super nifty device that, now it has been upgraded with better quality attachments and a more ergonomic design, can offer a great shaving or trimming experience for a relatively low price. Its slender and light design also makes it comfortable to use and ideal for travel.
However, if you plan on using the OneBlade 360 regularly, especially for large sections of body hair or heavy beards, for example, you might want to prepare your wallet. The replacement blades do dull quickly and aren't exactly cheap. Overall, though, it’s an excellent shaver for the price.
