Picture of the Gillette Fusion Blade Cartridges, showing the blue lubrication strip.

Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor Review

We chose the Gillette Fusion Proglide razor shaving system as our first five-blade manual shaver.  This is a true advance in shaving performance.  The five blades along with the flexball technology give this razor a real edge, so to speak, over the competition.  It really shaves closely.  Yet it does does so with less effort, less skin irritation, and less blade replacement.  We like it!





Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor Intro

We often hear how five blade razors rank better than those with fewer blades.  But we didn’t believe this UNTIL we tried the Proglide.  We found that all that good news was true, at least with the Gillette Proglide razor.  It shaves more closely than any razor we’ve ever used.  This shaving system irritates less, and lasts longer as well. This design works so well in fact, that there are lots of knock off blades and handles.  So be careful when buying, to avoid these counterfeits.  So many fake it because it’s indeed an awesome shaving system.

Picture of the package front of the Gillette Fusion Proglide Shaving System.
Gillette Fusion Proglide razor, package front.

Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor Benefits, Features, Advantages, and Pros

Handle has Great Balance

The sure-grip razor features genuine chrome-metal parts that give it a substantial feel; neither cheap nor paper thin.  It looks classy, with its silver, black, and deep blue colors.  With its ribbed gripping surfaces, it does not easily slip from even soapy hands in the shower.

The Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor Follows Facial Contours

The “FlexBall” technology in the handle features a pivoting hinge. This allows the blade to pivot to many more angles.  This way, the blade can better track the “hills and valleys” on the male face.  It shaves quite close.  You get smoothness  even around those “problem” areas beneath the jaw and around the Adam’s apple.

Fumble-Free Cartridge Changing

To release the spent cartridge, you press the release button near the top of the razor.  This forcibly ejects the cartridge.  So aim at the waste can before pressing.

Then, to load a new cartridge,  push the razor top tip into the new blade.  Then once it latches, pull the new blade out of the package by simply tugging the razor handle.  No need to touch the blades prior to loading.  Nor need you handle them when throwing away.  Big safety gain here.





Long Lasting

With our fine beards, these blades last us through fifteen shaves, or approximately one month, before requiring replacement. They’d probably last a week or more longer.  But we like to start each new month with a fresh, new cartridge.

Advanced Blade Coating

The low-resistance coating reduces partial whisker cut-throughs and the resulting blade dulling.  Thus, added durability of the cutting edges is typical.  So the blades themselves can be honed to thinner, and sharper strips that remain sharp through more shaving sessions.

The Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor Does Not Clog When Rinsed

They space the blade strips closely.  Yet they are still far enough apart to allow quick rinsing of even the thickest whiskers.

Low Skin Irritation

Very little pulling, tugging, and whisker snagging, even after ten to fifteen shaves with the same blade, enhancing comfort.  The five-blade approach seems less likely to cut pimples, moles, and other bumpy protrusions on facial skin.  Even sensitive skin rarely turns red or is left “bumpy” after repeated passes.  But splashing on the aftershave still burns a lot.   *smile*

Fewer Nicks and Cuts

Five blades, while cutting whiskers more efficiently, nick your skin way less.  We rarely if ever draw blood these days while shaving; even near the end of the month when it’s time to replace the current razor cartridge.

Less Effort for Close Shave

Five blades, as compared to two or three, need fewer passes over the skin for the same shaving closeness.  You don’t have to press as hard during those “final pass” phases.





Lube Strip on Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor Blades

Each cartridge has a blue skin lube strip above the blades.  With each shave, the blue strip color fades to white.  This tells you that you’re almost out.  This “lubrastrip,” helps make this razor system safe and effective for even the most delicate skin areas.

Edging Blade Included

On the top back of each cartridge, is a single blade strip.  This part of the blade trims sideburns and those pesky crevices under the nose.

Beard Takes Longer to Grow Back

Up to now, many of you may feel that you must shave every day to avoid five o’clock shadow. But this Proglide system may change your mind. Yes, it’s true that for a real smooth face we still must shave seven days out of the week. But because this razor shaves much closer per stroke than those with fewer blades.  So we often can get away with semi-weekly or bi-daily shaves.  Ans shaving less often lengthens cartridge life.  Plus it further cuts the irritation many get from shaving too often.

Razor Position Less Critical

The pivoting cartridge automatically aligns itself at the correct cutting angle when you press it against your face.  Thus you needn’t fuss so much with holding it the right way.

The Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor is Easier for New Users to Learn

The five-blade approach is about as safe as an electric razor.  So beginning shavers needn’t worry as much about cutting themselves.   Yet they’ll likely get  a professional-looking, closer shave than with most any powered, vibrating or spinning razor.  Make your strokes perpendicular to the blade strips.  That way, you will not cut yourself with the Proglide Fusion razor.

Picture of the Gillette Fusion Blade Cartridges, showing the blue lubrication strip.
Close-up view of Gillette Fusion Proglide razor blade cartridges, showing the blue lubrication strip.

Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, Limitations of the Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor

Costly

Each blade cartridge costs over $4 at large. But we find that these keep cutting close with very little discomfort, even after twenty shaves.  A cartridge lasts us a couple months.

Lube Strip Depletes Long Before Blade Does

The last bit of slickness disappears from our razor cartridges after roughly ten shaves.  You might be able to extend this a bit further by avoiding rinsing the razor too often.

No Nose Trimmer Blade

No easy way we’ve found so far, to trim the hairs inside the nose with this blade.  Yes, the spacing between the strips in the five-blade system is modest.  But this cartridge is too wide to get far enough into the nose.  So it does not reach all of those hairs inside.  The much narrower, two-blade shavers still work better for this task.





Watch Out for Fakes when Shopping for the Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor

Be sure to buy these from reputable retailers and sellers.  The expense of the originals here encourages knock-offs. So be careful buying.  Gillette could benefit by lowering the price of their blades.  Why?  Because this would discourage fake blade makers by lowering the profits they could make from their knock offs.

Blade Cartridges Often Do Not Fit on Non Gillette Handles

To guarantee that your blades will attach correctly, you must use a real Gillette Fusion handle.  Proglide blades will likely not fit on Schick handles.  Nor will they even fit on other series Gillette systems such as Sensor and Mach 3.  But Proglide blades do fit on the older Gillette Fusion handles.  Too bad these shaving systems are so proprietary.

Suggested Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor Improvements

Lower the Price

It’s best to find these blades in “subscription packages”. Look for them at online stores like Amazon.com, that automatically ship them to you each month.  Buying them this way does save much cost.

Our Rating on the Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor

In this razor, you get the smooth shave of a straight razor, with the safety of an electric.  This state-of-the-art version of the classic safety razor really does provide the best of both worlds.  Plus, unlike the straight, the Proglide requires little to no mastery to use it well.  The only drawback we’ve found, is the somewhat higher price per cartridge.  But otherwise, we really like this Gillette offering.  Thus, we rate it at 94 out of 100.

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References for this Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor Review

  1. Fusion Blade Product Page   on Amazon.com
  2. Safety Razor   on Wikipedia
  3. Where to buy the   Gillette Fusion Proglide Shaving System

Revision History

  • 2019-06-27: Added key phrase targeting for ‘Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor’, removed ad code, and added more links and tags.
  • 2015-10-22: Added appropriate tags.
  • 2015-10-01: Added appropriate tags.
  • 2015-08-25: Originally published.