How We Test Grooming Tools
Every hands-on result on Grooming Nova comes from one written protocol: the same kit, the same conditions and the same measurements, run on Aman's own skin and hair.
The short version
What every hands-on result rests on.
- We test electric shavers, trimmers, clippers and body groomers ourselves before we write about them.
- We buy what we test or use our own. We never accept free products, samples or loans.
- Every guide is reviewed by Aman Singh and carries a “Last updated” date.
- We review every guide at least once every 12 months.
What we test
The tools, and the guides this method covers.
We test electric shavers, trimmers, clippers and body groomers. This method covers every hands-on result in our guides to choosing, using, styling, maintaining and fixing them, including side-by-side comparisons of shaving and trimming methods.
Where our products come from
Bought, not borrowed.
We don’t accept free products, review samples or loans from brands. We buy what we test or use our own. If that ever changes for a guide, we’ll say so clearly in that guide.
How we test
One written protocol, followed the same way every session.
- 1
Buy it and log the model.
We buy each tool at retail with our own money and record its exact model number. We check what came in the box against the maker's own US product page, so a result points to the model you can buy.
- 2
Use one fixed test kit.
Every session uses the same kit, listed below. When a kit item is replaced by a new model, version or formula, the results that depended on it are tested again.
- 3
Break it in and space the sessions.
A new shaver, or new heads, gets 21 days of regular use before testing. Sessions are at least 48 hours apart, and at least 7 days apart on the same area when regrowth is being photographed.
- 4
Follow the written protocol.
Same time of morning after a warm shower, light pressure with the grain, and no other new product in the test window. To compare two methods, we use each on one side of the same area, then swap sides in the repeat.
- 5
Measure and record.
Every session goes into dated notes, photos and measurements, using the scales below. Face tests start from two days of growth.
- 6
Report results honestly.
Methods are compared side by side and never given a score. A single-session result is reported as one session, and a difference is only stated once the comparison has been repeated.
- 7
Review and publish.
Aman Singh reviews the guide in a separate pass, then we publish it with its “Last updated” date.
The test kit
- Face shaver
- A Philips Norelco 7000 Series wet and dry rotary shaver, from the current US range
- Body groomer
- Philips Norelco Bodygroom Series 7000 (BG7040/42), with its 3 to 11 mm comb and foil head
- Hair clipper
- A current Wahl corded home clipper with a taper lever and guide combs #1/2 to #8
- Razor
- Gillette SkinGuard Sensitive, with a new cartridge for every test shave
- Skin products
- One fragrance-free shave gel, moisturizer and stick deodorant, and unrefined virgin coconut oil for methods that use an oil
- Measuring
- A steel ruler with millimeter marks, a phone timer, and a phone camera on a fixed mount under the same bathroom light
What we measure
- Length
- Five hairs per area pulled straight against the ruler; we record the middle value, to the nearest millimeter
- Redness
- None, faint, light or red patches, with a photo from the same distance and angle at 0, 1 and 24 hours
- Sting and soreness
- Rated 0 (none) to 5 (burning that disrupts movement or sleep) at 10 minutes, 2 hours and the next morning
- Itch
- Rated 0 to 5 on days 1, 3 and 7 after the session
- Nicks
- Visible cuts or blood spots per area, photographed
- Regrowth
- Photos on days 1, 3 and 7
- Time
- Phone timer from the first pass to the rinse, and from switch-off to put-away
- Mess
- A photo of clippings outside the sink, and the clean-up time
When we can't test it ourselves
We say so, and we cite our sources.
When we can’t test something ourselves, we say so in the guide and rely on the sources in our Fact-Checking policy, in order.
Keeping results current
A result is only useful while it still matches the tool on sale.
We review every guide at least once every 12 months. If something changes in between, such as a product update, a recall, a price or policy change, or a reader report, we check the guide within 14 business days.
What we won't claim
Where testing stops.
- We don't run a lab, and we don't claim lab results.
- We don't give star ratings or scores we can't explain.
- We don't say we tested something we didn't.
Questions
Ask the person who runs the tests.
Questions about how we test go through our contact page. Aman Singh, the founder, will reply.
The rest of our rules
Something here doesn't match what you read in a guide? Tell us.
- Editorial PolicyHow topics are chosen, how we make money and conflicts of interest.
- Fact-CheckingThe sources we rely on and how we check every guide.
- Corrections PolicyHow to report an error and how fast we fix it.
- Sponsorship PolicyWhat brands can buy, what they can't, and how it's labeled.
- Affiliate DisclosureHow affiliate links work and what a commission can't change.
- Privacy PolicyWhat we collect, why, who handles it, and your rights over it.
- Terms of UseThe rules for using Grooming Nova and its content.
- Accessibility StatementThe standard we build to and how to report a barrier.