Mangroomer Lithium Back Max

In Electric by Jason SheildsApril 5, 2016

Mangroomer Lithium Back Max

Overview

The Mangroomer Lithium Back Max is a the latest version from Mangroomer and an update of the equally impressive Mangroomer Ultimate Pro. The handle on all Mangroomer shavers are adjustable and extendable, so you can easily reach any area on you back. The mangroomer lithium comes with a new and improved lithium battery, so expect a faster charging time and a batter that will last alot longer than the previous version. Same as on the Mangroomer Ultimate the Mangroomer Lithium comes with 2 shaver heads, one with a wide 1.8 inch blade to mass remove your back hair, and a smaller foil shaver head for getting that babe smooth finish.

Build

The build quality on the Mangroomers are outstanding. These are not light weight shavers, the adjustable parts solidly hold, and we didn’t notice any bending or flex when using the device. We felt the shaves on the new Mangroomer Lithium line are much better and faster then the previous versions, but that could be due to the age of the previous versions we had on hand as the internals are supposed to be the same, minus the new battery.

How to use

Since the unit is adjustable, both in length as well as the angle, you will need to find the right setting for your back, and the area you plan on shaving. You likely will be making adjustments to ensure your entire back is hair free. As for the shaving part it’s very similar to shaving your face, just make a few passes over the area or areas until the hair is removed. The blade itself is 1.8 inches wide, while it’s not huge, you will find that over time you will find overlapping passes will yield the best results, that and having shorter back hair (shave more often!) will also decrease the amount of time needed to shave your entire back.

Pro’s

We’s said before and we will say it again, we the Mangroomer line of back shavers. It’s evident the’ve cornered the market as there aren’t many other electric back shavers available. Time and time again we hear the reason for men to shave their own back hair is the convenience, privacy, expense, and embarrassment, and the Mangroomer Lithium helps in all of those areas. We especially like how portable it is as it compacts nicely, so it’s easier to take with you than the Razorba or baKblade that often look like weapons.

Cons

Same cons from previous versions of the Mangroomer line, only this time the battery is much improved. Since this device has moving parts and a battery, expect it not to last a lifetime. The shaver head will need to be kept clean, and you will eventually need to replace it, though most reviewers reported this happening after 2 years, it’s still something to keep in mind in comparing against the Razorba, for example. For the price the quality is quite good and we can’t recommend another electric back shaver that allows you to shave your own back hair as one does not exist on the market

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bakBlade Bigmouth

In Non Electric by Jason SheildsApril 4, 2016

baKBlade Bigmouth Back Shaver

Overview

The baKBlade Bigmouth is a fixed handle back shaver that can be compared with the Razorba, however unlike the Razorba, the baKBlade does not have the option to use any razor, it will only work with Bigmouths razors. Depending on who you ask this can be seen as a pro or con, the con in this is that their blades do not seem to last long, usually around 2-3 shaves before they become dull, and they aren’t inexpensive, others might see this as a pro as the price for a new blade is right around the price of a decent disposable razor, and these blades are quite large.

The handle on the baKBlade Bigmouth shavers is not adjustable or extendable but for our testers the design was good enough to reach the entire back. The unit itself is quite light, as it feels like a lightweight piece of molded plastic, but since it’s light it doesn’t strain your arms when using it on your back.

The design of the blade has a nice comb like feature that allows the device to essentially comb the hair into the blade and not matte it down, so usually a single pass will get the area stubble free.

Build

The build quality on the baKBlade Bigmouth is decent. As mentioned above the unit feels light in your hands, and appears to be an inexpensive plastic mold, but on the other hand we did not feel it would easily break. In comparison to the Razorba, which has more heft and feels good in your hands, the Bigmouth doesn’t give off the same impression.

Since this is a single solid design you won’t need to worry about moving parts like the electric shavers, and you won’t need to worry about batteries either, so as long as the handle doesn’t break, and you are able to buy replacement blades, it will likely last a long time.

Blades, as mentioned above, do not maintain their edge for very long, usually 2-3 shaves, though this is entirely dependant on the amount of hair, and how course it is. For those harry yetis that have a mountain of hair, you may want to trim it first to maintain the blades sharpness for a longer time, and shave a little more often when the hair is shorter. I’ve read that people have found off market blades at the grocery store, but I haven’t been able to locate any near me, so your mileage may vary with this. That being said the blades are nice and sharp the first few times you use them, and it feels like someone is scratching your back, in a good way.

How to use

For any back shave it’s always best to start with shorter hair, though with this blade it does a good job of cutting through an immense jungle of hair. We tried it both in the shower as well as dry shaving before and after a shower and found that we preferred to shave it before showering, that way we could shower off any of the stray hairs still on our backs. The shave was the same each time, so we looked for convenience and efficiency, meaning while the water in the shower heats up, shaving your back seemed like something good to do.

There is a guard on this shaver so the head needs to be in the correct position to shave the hair, but you do have a wide angle of options before you hit that guard, meaning a natural position will generally work.

It’s very helpful to use two mirrors if possible to check your work as you go, unless you are limber in your neck and can see your entire back, it’s easy to miss a few areas, or a few stray hairs.

I like to start in the middle and work my way to the sides and then to the top, using long strokes with overlapping paths. After my shower I’ll dry off and inspect again to shave the hairs I’ve missed, for some reason I always miss a few in random spots.

Pro’s

We really like the baKBlade Bigmouths blade for how easily it removes hair the first few shaves, and the design of the unit does allow most to reach all areas of the back.

Cons

The fact that the blades become dull quickly and the cost of replacements are high, this to us is a major con, if you can find generic blades that fit, then this becomes less of an issue. We also wished the unit had less of a plastic feel, but it didn’t seem to impact performance. Both of these should be kept in mind when comparing against the Razorba, since the Razorba allows most razors to be used, and the Razorba has more heft and feels more sturdy.

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Mangroomer Professional

In Electric by Jason SheildsMarch 31, 2016

Mangroomer Professional Back Shaver

Overview

The Mangroomer Professional is a lower cost option from the Mangroomer Ultimate Pro, but still is a quality electric back shaver. The handle on all Mangroomer shavers are adjustable and extendable, so you can easily reach any area on you back. With the rechargeable battery you will easily get many shaves before needing to recharge, this is a very nice feature so you aren’t tied to a cord, or hunting in a bathroom for a free outlet. The blade on the Mangroomer Professional is 1.5 inches wide, which is a good width to enable you to quickly remove large areas of back hair.

Build

The build quality on the Mangroomers are outstanding. These are not lightweight shavers, the adjustable parts solidly held for us, but a few reviewers mentioned that while it sounded like it locked in place, it did not hold the adjustment. We didn’t experience this, and we also noticed that the device doesn’t have any bending or flexing, which when having rotating blades on your bare back, you kind of hope it will perform as you want it to. Overall it feels like a solid shaver.

The blade quality has been questioned by some reviewers, though we haven’t seen any issues. Mangroomer does sell replacement shaver heads, so it might be wise to stock up just in case, as any electric shaver will eventually see wear in the shaver head.

The cutting action on the Mangroomer Professional is quite nice, the older model’s were known for having square edges that with even the slightest touch would give people severe razor burn. The Mangroomer Professional did not give our testers any issues with razor burn, and most said they even applied pressure and did not have any issues with the blades.

How to use

Since the unit is adjustable, both in length as well as the angle, you will need to find the right setting for your back, and the area you plan on shaving. You likely will be making adjustments to ensure your entire back is hair free. As for the shaving part it’s very similar to shaving your face, just make a few passes over the area or areas until the hair is removed. The blade itself is 1.5 inches wide, so it’s not huge, which means you may need to perform several overlapping passes to clear an area.

For longer hairs the recommendation is to go slow the first time, otherwise you will likely have hairs being pulled. Once your hairs are shorter, then the process is much simpler and you can shaver faster without this issue. On newer releases they’ve addressed this issue. So go slow the first time you shave not only to eliminate the pulling issue, but also to learn how to use the tool.

Pro’s

We love the Mangroomer line of back shavers for their versatility, the fact that they are electric which gives you a very smooth back, and the simple fact that this line of products makes it extremely easy to maintain your back hair in the privacy of your own home.

Cons

Like any electric shaver, or any item with moving parts and a battery, expect it not to last a lifetime. The batteries on the professional line are not Lithium like their latest release, so eventually you will see the device not last as long in between charges, as well the unit will not charge as fast as those with newer batteries. The shaver head will need to be kept clean, and you will eventually need to replace it, though most reviewers reported this happening after 2 years, it’s still something to keep in mind in comparing against the Razorba, for example. For the price the quality is quite good and we can generally over look some of these issues, in order to step up to the latest Mangroomer you would need to spend somewhere between $30 and $40 more, which might make it worthwhile to start with the best.

Another con that was brought up repeatedly was the expensive charger, meaning if you lose it, be prepared to fork over $27, unless you are able to find a knock off, or re-use a similar one from around the house.

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Razorba Back Hair Shaver

In Non Electric by Jason SheildsMarch 31, 2016

Razorba Back Hair Shaver

Overview

The Razorba is not only an interesting looking device with an odd name, but it’s also extremely well designed as a manual back shaver. It’s shaped like a hammer with a long arm, it’s quite hefty in weight, but a the end of the hammer part there is a hole with a filling that allows you to push in most off the shelf disposable razors. In order to put in a razor you do need to push hard, this makes sure the razor will not pop out while using. With this design you can buy most disposable razors, from the single blades all the way up to the insane multi blades, which are likely overkill when shaving the back.

Build

The weight of the Razorba at first seems like an unnecessary component, but when you first use it you realize the weight helps push down the razor onto your skin, to aid in the effective removal of your back hair. It’s quite large, and not adjustable, but for most it will be very effective. It’s not something you can easily hide in your luggage, unlike the Mangroomer, so that is something to take in consideration, though most men would likely be grooming their back hair at home, some may want to take it on trips abroad, especially to longer trips to beach locations when it’s warm.

How to use

Unlike it’s electric counterparts, the Razorba requires men to physically shave their back hair, of which we found that using a quick back and forth motion over the back yielded the best results.Back hair is typically soft like the hair on your arms, and not stiff like facial hair, so the results are even more impressive. Since back hair is usually thin unlike facial hair, we found that the use of shaving cream to not be needed, and dry shaving seemed to work the best. After a shave there was a little irritation, but at least with our testers skin, it would disappear quickly.

Pro’s

We liked the fact that with the Razorba we weren’t tied to a manufacturer, or tied to a shaver with mechanical parts that could break, and that when we wanted a new blade we could easily buy one at the store.

Cons

The negatives were that the device was heavy, not adjustable, and very large, though all three of those cons could be seen as needed to make the design work, it made it hard to hide the device in our closet if we were embarrassed about it, or take it with us on a trip.

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Mangroomer Ultimate Pro

In Electric by Jason SheildsMarch 31, 2016

Mangroomer Ultimate Pro Back Shaver

Overview

The Mangroomer Ultimate is the middle range option from Mangroomer, and like the rest of their product line it’s a quality electric back shaver. The handle on all Mangroomer shavers are adjustable and extendable, which means it should reach all areas on anyones back. With the rechargeable batter you will easily get many shaves before needing to recharge, this is a very nice feature so you aren’t tied to a cord, or hunting in a bathroom for a free outlet. The blade on the Mangroomer Ultimate is 1.8 inches, which is .3 inches wider than the Mangroomer Professional. The 1.5 inch seemed on the smaller side, so the extra .3 inches was a welcome addition.

Build

I’ve written about this before in other reviews, but feel the need to repeat myself in saying that the build quality on these Mangroomers are outstanding. I’ve never noticed any bending or movement once I’ve locked in my length and angle, and I’m able to adjust quickly on the fly as I often have trouble on my left side with my left shoulder (more of a personal flexibility issue than a product issue), so I adjust differently based on my reach.

This Mangroomer comes with 2 interchangeable attachment shaving heads, one is the 1.8 inch wide blade, and the other is an ultra wide blade which is great for larger areas and longer hairs. I was able to use the wider blade over most of my back, and switched to the smaller blade for areas with a lot of contours, like my shoulders.

Like mentioned in the review of the Mangroomer Professional, it would be wise to purchase a few extra shaving heads as, like any electric shaver, they will not last for ever.

How to use

Since the unit is adjustable, both in length as well as the angle, you will need to find the right setting for each area of your back, or the area you plan on shaving. You likely will be making adjustments to ensure your entire back is hair free. A few of our testers were able to use the same setting, while others needed to adjust based on the part being shaved, so this will be something you will need to determine.

As for the shaving part it’s very similar to shaving your face, just make a few passes over the area or areas until the hair is removed. The blade itself is 1.8 inches wide, so while it is larger than the Mangroomer Professional, you still will need to perform several overlapping passes to clear an area.

Pro’s

The Mangroomer line has been out for many years and it shows with their continual improvement over past years model. The Mangroomer Ultimate follows this rule and offers 2 shaving heads for different applications, a better batter that charges quicker and lasts longer, and maintains both the adjustability and build quality they have become known for.

Cons

Since this is an electric item, with moving parts, you should not expect it to last a life time. You should keep it clean to help it last longer. The batteries on the Ultimate line are not Lithium like the most recent release. Eventually you will notice that the batteries will not last as long in between charges. The unit will not charge as fast as those with newer batteries.

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