Since early adolescence when my face began sprouting fine black hairs, I’ve hated being clean shaven. Without a little growth I feel naked and exposed, my face puffy. My double chin may as well have a sign on it. On the other hand, I’ve never grown a beard because after a few days it simply becomes too itchy. For me, three-day growth (without the cheap wine) feels just right. I’m ashamed to admit it now, but in my early 20s I’d shave on a Tuesday in order to look my sharpest for Friday night. Now, 43 and with a young child, two things have changed: I don’t go out on Friday nights and my pores now produce more grey than black hairs. But I still prefer the so-called designer-stubble look. My hope with the i-Stubble Pro is that this might be the tool that allows me to perpetually maintain it.
Design
The i-Stubble Pro comes in a gleaming gold shell with diamond-sharpened stainless-steel blades, an ultra-flexing contouring head and movable comb guide. An easy-to-read LCD at the front of the unit indicates how much battery you have left, as well as the designated trimming length. The shaver feels light in your hand and is slim enough to slide into your jeans pocket, if, for whatever reason, you wanted to shave on the move (hey, no judgment).
Setup
The device features 15 precision motorised length settings, ranging from 0.4-2mm in 0.2mm increments and 2-5mm in 0.5mm increments. To adjust you simply press the + or – buttons underneath the LCD. As we’ve established, my preferred stubble length is three days, which I estimate to be roughly 0.3mm. I begin to panic that the missing millimetre means I won’t be able to reclaim my glorious ‘Friday night’ prime but discover that you can flip the comb guide to the back of the unit to shave with the exposed blade. Relief washes over me.
Charging is straight forward – you just plug the cord into the socket at the bottom of the device. After an initial charge of 3 hours, you then only need to charge for 90 minutes for up to 60 minutes of cordless run time. If you’re in a tight spot and have somehow let your battery life wither away, a quick charge of 5 minutes will supply 3 minutes of cordless runtime. I vow that’ll never happen to me.
Sound
When I switch on the unit, I’m expecting the kind of chalkboard-scratching buzz you get from the clippers at the barbers. Instead the device emits a subdued purr that’s quiet enough to allow me to shave with the bathroom door open without disturbing my sleeping toddler in the next room. I’m sure she’ll thank me later.
Features
I apply the shaver to my face anticipating a rough reception from my now six-day growth. Instead the stainless-steel blade runs smoothly up the contours of my cheek towards my sideburns with minimal resistance, my follicles wilting like the army of the Unsullied in the face of a dragon blast. Not that my face is a battlefield as such. At the same time, my basin begins to fill up with salt and pepper specks of hair. I like that I don’t have to apply much pressure to achieve a close cut and enjoy the way the contouring head hugs the curvature of my face, particularly my chin, a notorious blackspot where many previous shavers have come unstuck. Afterwards, despite the closeness of the shave my face feels fresh and unblemished, with none of the ‘burn’ you can sometimes get from an electric shaver.
Thumbs Up
- Gold shell feels premium
- Stainless steel blades offer precision and accuracy
- Contouring head easily navigates tricky sports
- Muted noise won’t disturb others
Thumbs Down
- No catchment space for shaven hairs means if you’re not standing directly over the basin they could accumulate on the floor.
- Instructions encourage you to oil the blades after every single use. There is simply no way I am going to do this.
The Final Verdict
The i-Stubble Pro offers a smooth, deathly quiet shave that allows you to achieve your optimum growth – and possibly reclaim your glory days – with surgical precision.
4 Stars
