Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The Gillette Fusion ProShield Chill Razor with Flexball Technology (that’s a mouthful – let’s call it the “Fusion ProShield Chill”) is a solid men’s razor that provides a smooth shave and leaves your skin feeling refreshed and comfortable. Great – review over, right? Not so fast, buddy. While it does the job well, plenty of razors can cut your hairs at a lower price point, and offer similar results. Read on for my full take on the Fusion ProShield Chill. If you’re not familiar with the Fusion ProShield Chill, it’s the highest end offering from Gillette right now. Gillette has something silly like 30 different types of razors, including ProShield, ProGlide, Fusion, Mach3, and Body – each available in several versions with different features and trademarked and copyrighted technologies in the name. Let’s break it down real quick: - Mach3: 3 blades, no frills. Used to be the cool razor back in the 2-blade razor days. - Fusion: 5 blades! Technically, six if you include the “precision trimmer” on the front. - ProGlide: Same as Fusion, but with a crazy FlexBall for your contours. - ProShield: Same as ProGlide, but with extra…lubrication. Ok so basically, the Fusion ProShield Chill is a 5 blade razor (with a sixth precision trimming blade) with a FlexBall that shapes to your face and extra lubricating strips on the cartridge (with “Chill Cooling Technology”). This is the Cadillac of razors. If trademarks equaled popularity, this razor would be the coolest kid in the class. While the features may seem excessive, after using it a few times I have to admit that they work. I’ve been a Mach3 guy most of my life, and the five blades seemed to do a better job than the three blades. The extra precision trimming blade located on the front of the razor is handy for those hard spots (sideburns, bit of moustache below nose). The FlexBall looks odd and bulky, but it works. While the Mach3 razor basically pivots in one direction, the FlexBall lets the razor pivot in two directions, which helps it glide along the contours of your face. The lubricating strips seem to do a better job than the Mach3 ones, and my face did have a nice cooling feel to it (is there menthol in there or something?) after shaving. The handle of the razor feels solid, though it isn’t much different than any of the others. Overall, it’s a great razor that provides a smooth high quality shave. Just what the doctor ordered! But is it worth the premium? The price of the initial razor and blades isn’t all that high, but that initial cost is a drop in the bucket compared to the recurring cost of cartridge refills (once they have you hooked). For the Fusion ProShield Chill, the retail price of cartridges is $23.99 for 4 (or $6 each!!), or $39.99 for 8 (still $5 each!). The Mach3 cartridges are selling now for about $2 - $2.50 each online via Amazon.com. The price of the Fusion ProShield Chill blades could come down in price a bit, but I think it’s safe to say that they will be at least twice as expensive as Mach3 blades. Side not – Gillette did provide this razor for free (thanks, guys!) in exchange for an honest opinion. While the Fusion ProShield Chill gives a great shave, I doubt it will last twice as long as the Mach3 blades do – if anything, I think the “chill” part of the razor will wear off even quicker. However, I’ll keep this review updated as I get more shaves in with it, and will provide a long-term update. For me, the Fusion ProShield Chill is an excellent shaving option, but I don’t think it’s worth the price premium over the Mach3 or other cheaper and sufficient shaving options. Hope this review has helped your decision and drop a line if you have any questions!