Has more features than comparably priced models
First off, I received a free sample for providing an open and honest review of the product, which is a Philips Advanced Wet & Dry Epilator BRE630. I do epilate regularly, and have another epilator that has two speeds, a light, and has a detachable cord so I can use it in the shower. I cannot reveal the brand, nor how much I paid for it, so I cannot say if this epilator is a better deal. I do not epilate in the shower, so I cannot report on how it performs while wet.
When I received the epilator, I immediately opened the box and read the manual (!). The epilator comes with a massage head and a trimmer head, along with the epilator head. I have fine, straight leg hair, and I let it grow to about a centimeter in length so I could test the epilator.
The epilator is shaped like a shaver, slightly narrower, so it`s comfortable to hold for smaller hands. The light works well to illuminate the area that you are epilating, and as you have to hold it at an angle, the light worked better than my current epilator. As usual, it took several passes to remove the longer hairs on my leg. What usually happens is the epilator does not pull out the root--it just breaks off the hair at skin level. As a result I don`t get the red bumpies that others might get. This is because my hair is fine, rather than a function of the epilator. As far as pain is concerned, since any epilator doesn`t rip out the root of my hair, I feel very little pain, so I cannot attest to whether this epilator is less painful.
The epilator has two speeds. I did not notice a significant difference between the two either in sound or performance. According to the manual, the slower speed is for the long er hair (or maybe it`s for the shorter hair), but both speeds performed about the same. I also tried both speeds on my axillary areas (which has slightly thicker hair) but there was relatively little difference, and the epilator was able to completely rid the area of hair, both fine and coarse.
This epilator is lighter (smaller motor) and narrower than my other epilator, but performed just as well. It fit comfortably in my hand, and is shaped so that I can reach all the areas I need to epilate. This epilator has fewer ceramic disks, while my other epilator has gold and ceramic disks, and I did not notice any significant difference between the two.
Both epilators feature removable heads so that you can clean them. The Philips is also quieter than my other epilator. One thing I noticed is that the epilator head itself does not seem as sturdy, but as I'm not chipping wood, this may not matter. Just don't step on it.
I believe the Philips performed just as well as my other more expensive (I believe) epilator, so for the price, I would recommend this one, as it has all the features of the higher priced model, plus a few extra items, such as a trimmer, a massage head, and a mask. I've only had it for about 10 days, so I cannot testify as to its longevity.
