How close of a shave is Philips Multigroom 7000?

Review Summary Editor's choice

PROS: highly versatile, powerful motor, quiet, brushed aluminum body, sturdy, high quality guards, fantastic battery life, cordless & corded use, waterproof, easy cleaning and maintenance, great value for money

CONS: not ideal for sensitive areas, basic battery indicator, limited capabilities as hair clipper

Our Rating:

[4.5 out of 5 stars]

The Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 is an intriguing product, to say the least.

Marketed as an all-in-one solution for all your trimming needs, it just seems a bit too good to be true.

An all-aluminum body, fantastic battery life, a bunch of cutters and accessories and all that for a reasonable price?

There must be a catch, you’d be thinking. And that’s exactly how I initially felt about it.

However, I think I’m now in a good position to review the Norelco Multigroom 7000 since I’ve been using one constantly for the past couple of years.

I’ve even cut my own hair with it during lockdown, so I’ll share the details on that as well.

So let’s dive right in and see what’s the deal with one of the most popular groomers out there.

Table of Contents

• Multigroom 7000 vs 9000
• Features overview
  • 23 Piece Grooming Kit
  • Cordless and corded use
  • Waterproof
• Build quality and ergonomics
• Included accessories
• Battery life and charging
• Multigroom 7000 performance
  • Trimming body hair
  • Groin/genitals and armpits
  • Beard trimmer
  • Cutting the hair (on your head)
  • Nose, ears, eyebrows
  • Noise
• Cleaning and maintenance
• Replacement parts availability
• Wrapup — Is the Norelco Multigroom 7000 worth buying?
• Alternatives

Multigroom 7000 vs 9000

My review unit is the Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 (MG7750/49) aka the Series 7000.

This is in my opinion the pick of the Multigroomer line thanks to its low price, solid features, and generous bundle of accessories.

There’s another Multigroomer worth mentioning, the Philips Norelco Multigroom 9000 (MG7791/40):

See the price on Amazon

This one has a slightly larger battery and comes with an additional body hair trimmer (0.5mm) and a few more toiletry accessories (scissors, brush, comb, travel bag).

It is however significantly more expensive than the 7000 and unless you absolutely need some of the extra goodies included, I would stick to the Norelco Series 7000 (MG7750/49) as it offers the best value for money.

So if you were wondering what’s the difference between the Norelco 7000 and 9000, it’s basically the longer runtime and a few extra accessories for the 9000.

The performance of the two is identical, so the review will be relevant for the Philips Norelco Multigroom 9000 as well.

With that out of the way, let’s quickly go over the main features of the Multigroom 7000.

Features overview

The Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 (MG7750/49) is a face, head and body trimmer that comes with all the attachments you’ll ever need.

Actually, there’s one that I would have liked to see included, but I’ll get to it later on in the performance section of the review.

23 Piece Grooming Kit

The sheer number of accessories that come with the Multigroom Series 7000 is impressive.

We can group them into two categories: cutting attachments and guards (or combs).

Let’s first check out the cutters.

Cutters

There are five you can choose from and attach them to the groomer depending on what you’ll be using it for.

From left to right:

• Extra-wide trimmer
• Standard trimmer
• Detail trimmer
• Foil shaver
• Nose and ears trimmer

The first two trimmers (extra wide and standard) have shearing blades like the ones you normally get on hair clippers.

The detail trimmer is similar, only that it’s a lot narrower for precise trimming and detailing.

The extra-wide and standard trimmers can be used with or without guards to get the desired hair length.

The extra-wide trimmer is intended for cutting the hair on the head and works with the larger hair guards (black).

For beard and body hair trimming, you’ll normally be using the standard trimmer. This one works with the beard and body hair guards.

The foil attachment is a single-foil shaving head; the blade oscillates behind a perforated thin metal screen.

It can be used to cut the hairs very close to the skin.

For example, you can shave the remaining hair on your cheeks and neck after using the standard trimmer blade to edge and clean the beard lines.

Finally, we have the nose and ears trimmer which is pretty self-explanatory.

You can use it to safely cut the hairs in the nose and ears.

Later on I’ll share how well these cutters work and what’s the most effective way of using them.

Guards (combs)

The Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 comes with various guards that are color-coded so you can easily pick the right one.

6 hair guards (black)

There are 4 standard hair guards (16, 12, 9 and 4mm) and 2 angled guards (4–9mm for trimming the hair around your ears.

These black hair guards are wider than the beard and body hair guards, so you can only attach them to the extra-wide trimmer.

5 beard guards (grey)

We also get 5 narrower beard guards that you can use with the standard trimmer to trim your beard to the desired length: 7, 5, 3, 2 and 1mm.

I actually used them to trim body hair as well and worked fine.

2 body hair guards (green)

There are two dedicated guards for trimming body hair. These come in 5 and 3mm sizes.

Depending on how short you prefer to trim the hair on your body, these may not be ideal for everyone.

In that case, you could use some of the other guards (hair or beard).

For example, I like to trim the hair on my chest, abs and forearms really short, so I simply use the 1mm beard guard.

Disclaimer: I do not recommend using the groomer against what the manufacturer recommends as that could result in injuries. Always follow the instructions in the user manual.

Eyebrows guard

This is a rather interesting accessory. It goes over the standard trimmer and can be used to reduce the length of the eyebrows.

I personally didn’t like it much — I’ll share why later on.

Cordless and corded use

The Philips Multigroom 7000 MG7750/49 is fitted with a rechargeable Li-ion battery that can provide over 5 hours of cordless use.

That’s impressive for a device so compact and lightweight.

And on top of that, the Multigroom 7000 will actually work with the cord plugged in (while the trimmer is charging).

So in the unlikely event you’ll be caught off guard when using it, you can simply plug the cord in and continue trimming.

Waterproof

The Philips Norelco Multigroomer 7000 is fully waterproof, which means you can safely rinse it with tap water for easy cleaning.

That said, the trimmer cannot be used in the shower (it is suitable for dry use only).

And to be honest, you really want the skin to be as dry as possible when using this type of trimmer.

Trying to cut wet hair with it will be extremely tedious and ineffective.

The Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 comes with the standard 2-year warranty, but you can extend that by an extra 6 months if you register your groomer on Philips’ website.

Build quality and ergonomics

Simply put, the Multigroom 7000 is the trimmer with the best build quality I’ve used so far.

The body is made of brushed aluminum and it feels very sturdy and premium.

The use of aluminum is surprising considering the groomer’s reasonable price. For the same money, you’ll usually get a plastic build with questionable durability.

And speaking of it, I’ve had my Philips Norelco 7000 for two years and it still looks brand new (minus some hairline scratches on the metal body).

The included plastic guards are of excellent quality as well.

They don’t bend under pressure, the plastic is thick and sturdy and none have failed so far.

I have other groomers as well, including some from Philips, that haven’t fared so well in time (broken guard teeth being the most common problem).

In that regard, the Norelco Multigroom 7000 is excellent.

Let’s take a closer look at the shaver’s body which is in essence extremely simple.

The front and sides are completely barren with only some etched text on them.

The back houses the ON-OFF button and a small rubber insertion that’s positioned just right and provides a really good grip.

It does not extend to the front of the trimmer, but that checkered pattern on the aluminum panel sort of makes up for it.

Lower down there’s an LED battery indicator, while the charging port is located on the bottom.

Weighing 212 grams (7.47oz) with the standard blade and no guard, the Norelco 7000 is very comfortable to hold and easy to use.

I never had any major issues, except for a couple of times when I accidentally turned it off during use.

The placement of the power button, along with the fact it takes little pressure to operate makes it more likely to be pressed by accident.

The guards snap very securely over the trimmer and never came off during use.

It’s also very easy and straightforward to change the various cutting attachments.

There are no release tabs or buttons and everything is just friction fitted. However, I never had a guard or trimmer come off by accident.

Overall, I was very impressed with the sturdy build of the Multigroom 7000 which has also held up incredibly well visually.

Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 MG7750/49

See the price on Amazon

The use of aluminum at this price point, along with a generous bundle of high-quality guards and cutters makes the Multigroom 7000 a very compelling product.

Included accessories

While I’ve already touched upon the cutters and guards, here’s everything included with the Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 MG7750/49:

• The groomer itself
• Standard trimmer, extra-wide trimmer, detail trimmer, nose & ear trimmer, foil head
• 14 guards of various types and sizes (6 hair guards, 5 beard and stubble guards, 2 body guards, eyebrow guard)
• Charger
• Cleaning brush
• Textile pouch
• User manual (leaflet) and warranty registration card

I think we can safely say that we’re getting a lot with the MG7750/49.

The only letdown is the pouch — very thin and flimsy and it might not hold up very well.

I haven’t really used it much except for storing the guards I’m not using regularly.

Battery life and charging

At least on paper, the battery life is one of the main strengths of the Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000.

According to the manufacturer, you should be getting at least 5 hours of cordless use.

But how does this pan out in practice?

Well, this thing just keeps going.

I was never able to accurately measure exactly how long it takes before the battery is fully drained because I would get so many trimming sessions from a single charge.

In fact, over the course of these two years since I bought the Norelco 7000, I’ve only charged it a few times.

So yes, the battery definitely lives up to Philips’ claims.

There’s an LED indicator that blinks orange when it’s time to charge it.

And while it’s very basic and it can take you by surprise, it’s not a big inconvenience.

First, you can just plug the cord into the groomer and continue shaving. As mentioned earlier, it will work corded as well.

Second, there’s a 5-minute quick charge function that should give you just enough power to complete your trimming session.

Charging the battery completely from 0 to 100% takes approximately 3 hours.

During this time the LED light will flash white and light up continuously when the battery is fully charged.

After 30 minutes, it will turn off automatically.

The included charger takes between 100 and 240 volts, so you will be able to use it abroad as well (it may require a simple adapter as it comes with a USA plug).

Overall, the Norelco Multigroom 7000 is one of the most capable body trimmers out there with regards to battery life and practicality (with the 5-minute quick charge and corded operation on top of the 5-hour cordless use).

Multigroom 7000 performance

So far everything seems on point; in terms of accessories, build quality, features and value for money, this groomer looks unbeatable.

But what ultimately matters is how well the Multigroom 7000 performs and that’s what we’ll tackle next.

This trimmer is marketed as an all-in-one solution that can do pretty much anything you’d ever need from a men’s electric groomer.

I’ve been testing it extensively and it has become one of my go-to trimmers in several situations.

In order to get a good idea of the trimmer’s capabilities, I will be cover each separately and share my experience with it.

This way you’ll hopefully be able to decide if the Norelco Multigroom 7000 would be a good fit for your needs.

Trimming body hair

The first scenario is of course using the Multigroom 7000 to trim the hair on your body (below the neck).

For that, you’ll want to go with the standard blade and the appropriate guards.

Philips only includes two guards specifically for trimming the hair on the body.

Those are the green guards and come in two sizes: 3 and 5mm.

That size refers to the length of the remaining hair after getting clipped.

For most men, these sizes would be enough. Unfortunately, I like trimming body hair really short.

And this is my only gripe with using the Multigroom 7000 for trimming body hair: the lack of a 1mm or 0.5mm guard.

Yes, there is a 1mm beard guard (and I actually use that one on the body), but that is not ideal for two reasons.

First of all, the underside of the green body guards is rounded compared to the flat beard guards.

That makes the groomer easier to glide over large surfaces, really useful when trimming the hair on the legs for example.

Secondly, the 1mm beard guard leaves the blade exposed and it will nick the skin if you’re not extremely careful.

Again, I do not recommend using the beard guard for shaving body hair.

This is the first situation where I would actually suggest to looks elsewhere if you want the hair on the body shorter than 3mm.

The Multigroom 9000 I mentioned at the beginning of the post does include a 0.5mm body hair guard, so that one is a solid alternative.

Also, you can’t use the exposed blade of the Multigroom 7000 on the body (without any guards) as the teeth aren’t blunt like in the case of other trimmers (for example, the Lawn Mower from Manscaped or any Philips Bodygroom).

I will share some other alternatives in the last section of the review.

But if 3 or 5mm sounds short enough, you will like the Norelco Multigroomer 7000.

As a body groomer, it’s fast, smooth, effective, quiet and the battery lasts forever.

I use it on my legs, forearms, chest and abs and it’s my trimmer of choice for that.

I’m able to get a short, fast and even trim with the least effort compared to some of my other groomers.

Groin/genitals and armpits

Now, two areas that need a separate discussion when it comes to trimming body hair are the armpits and groin/genitals.

Those are very sensitive areas and not all trimmers will be suitable.

Unfortunately, the Philips Norelco 7000 is not ideal for shaving the armpits and genitals.

First of all, you’ll probably want the hair as short as possible there.

And as I’ve already mentioned, the Multigroom 7000 has a regular clipper blade with sharp teeth that is not suitable to be used on the body without a guard.

I tried it in this manner (so you won’t have to) and I got a few painful nicks.

So do not under any circumstances try to shave your armpits or genitals without a guard with this groomer.

That means you’ll be limited to the 3mm guard which is in my opinion way too large. It’s fine on the rest of the body, but not here.

So while the Multigroomer 7000 is highly capable at trimming body hair, it falls a bit short because of the lack of a smaller (0.5mm) guard and a suitable blade (with rounded teeth) to be used without a guard on the very sensitive areas.

If you need a groomer precisely for that, I highly recommend checking out the Norelco Bodygroom BG7030/49 in the alternatives section.

Beard trimmer

The Norelco Multigroom 7000 is a versatile tool that can be used on the head, face and body.

However, using it to trim a beard is where it really shines.

For that, the standard blade and the optional beard guards work great.

Since I prefer a clean shave, I haven’t used it extensively in this manner.

But whenever I needed to pre-trim my beard after a week of growth, this groomer with the 1mm beard guard worked great.

It’s really effective, comfortable, never snagged any hairs and again, was very quiet.

I’ve been using electric shavers for 20 years and most of them get really loud and annoying.

Using the Multigroomer near my ears wasn’t an issue at all.

It will also work really well to tighten and clean your beard lines without any guard.

You can even swap the standard blade with the detail blade if you need more precision.

I imagine it will be really good for touchups if you rock a goatee or moustache.

The foil shaver attachment can be useful as well for shaving the cheeks and neck right up to your beard.

The 5 guards should be plenty for anyone that grows a beard or designer stubble.

In fact, if you need a larger guard, you can swap the standard blade with the extra-wide one and just use some of the larger black guards (normally intended for the hair on the head).

The drawback compared to a dedicated beard trimmer? The lack of an adjustable, integrated guard and more granular control over the length of the beard.

Some beard trimmers from Panasonic or Philips have an integrated guard and a dial that you can use to make on the fly adjustments without the need to swap between different guards.

If you’ll only be using the Norelco Multigroom 7000 as a beard trimmer, then getting one of those would make more sense.

Otherwise, if you need a single machine for all the trimming (including on your body and head), I think the Norelco 7000 will be good enough.

Cutting the hair (on your head)

For the last couple of years, I’ve been cutting my hair myself.

And coincidently, the very first time I did it, I used the Philips Multigroom 7000 as it was the only somewhat suitable tool I had at that time.

And I say somewhat because it’s not ideal to be used as a hair clipper on a regular basis.

However, depending on the haircut type and how often you use it, it might just be exactly what you need.

In order to use the Norelco Multigroom 7000 for cutting the hair on your head, you’ll want to swap the standard blade with the extra-wide one.

This way you’ll also be able to use any of the 6 included guards.

As mentioned at the beginning, there are two angled (tapered) guards for cutting hair around the ears and four regular ones (16, 12, 9 and 4mm).

Now, if you’ve been using even a cheap hair clipper in the past you’ll immediately know that 4 guards are probably not enough.

For example, the smallest 4mm one is probably too large for a buzz cut.

Also, the Multigroom 7000 doesn’t have an adjustable lever, so skin fades are out of the question.

I have to say it right off the bat, if you’re serious about cutting your own hair, you should really get a separate hair clipper with enough guards and a taper lever.

That said, I was actually able to get a few decent haircuts with this trimmer before investing in some proper gear for cutting my own hair (Wahl Magic clip, 360° mirror).

For simple haircuts, where you simply start with the largest guard, flicking out at the top then moving down progressively with smaller guards, this Multigroomer is surprisingly good.

The motor is rotary, so it’s not as strong as the magnetic/pivot type you’ll find on higher-end clippers.

But again, it will get the job done, especially if you only use it every once in a while.

I wouldn’t however recommend getting the Norelco Multigroom 7000 if you’ll mainly use it as a hair clipper.

Even a cheap corded hair clipper will be better (faster magnetic motor, more guards, taper lever).

Nose, ears, eyebrows

To round up the grooming capabilities of the Norelco 7000 we get a nose & ears trimmer attachment and a special guard for the eyebrows.

The nose trimmer is similar to the battery-powered pen-style trimmers in the way it works.

There’s basically a metal tube with a rotary blade inside that cuts nose and ears hairs that enter through it.

It works fine, it doesn’t snag nor pinch and it will be useful if you prefer removing nose and ears hair in this manner.

Personally, I would rather use some tweezers instead — for two reasons.

Plucking the hairs (from the root) means you’ll have to do it less often as it takes more time for the hairs to grow back.

Secondly, cutting the hairs instead of plucking them will cause them to itch, especially the ones in the nose.

The remaining stumps are pretty sharp and it’s a bit annoying. If you don’t have an issue with this, you’ll appreciate having the nose trimmer on hand.

The guard for trimming the eyebrows attaches to the regular size blade and you would use it to reduce the length of the eyebrows to approximately 6mm.

In practice, unless you have really bushy eyebrows, it will struggle to trim the flat-lying hairs in the eyebrows.

You will certainly have to finish the job with a pair of small scissors.

Noise

As I’ve already mentioned a couple of times, the Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 is very quiet during use.

That’s usually the case with trimmers fitted with rotary motors like this one.

There’s only a low-frequency buzz that doesn’t get much louder when cutting the hairs.

The vibrations are also pretty subtle and unobtrusive.

Cleaning and maintenance

Proper hygiene is important with grooming tools and fortunately, it’s super easy keeping the Multigroom 7000 clean and running smoothly.

Regardless if it’s the trimmer itself, the hair chamber, the cutting attachments or the guards, cleaning everything is as simple as rinsing them with warm tap water.

That’s really all there is to it.

I recommend doing it after every use as it only takes seconds. After that, just shake off the excess water and let everything air dry completely before storing.

Now, body groomers will accumulate lots of hairs in all the nooks and crannies and simply rinsing with water won’t get rid of them.

Hairs tend to stick to them and every once in a while you may want to use the cleaning brush and get rid of (most of) them.

I’m referring to the inner plastic part of the blade attachments and the hair chamber.

But even this will take very little of your time.

Electric shavers, trimmers and any tools that have shearing blades or other metal parts rubbing against each other are subjected to wear and overheating.

That’s minimal with the Multigroom 7000 and Philips explicitly says that you don’t need to oil the blades.

And it’s probably true.

That said, I prefer using a bit of spray lubricant for hair clippers.

It also cleans the blades and keeps everything running smoothly. It definitely can’t hurt, but again, I don’t consider it absolutely necessary.

My spray lubricant of choice is the Andis CoolCare Plus.

It’s very effective, has a pleasant smell and comes in a huge can that lasts forever and the price is fair too.

I only use it like twice a month, always on a perfectly dry blade. I then turn the trimmer on for a few seconds, wipe off any excess and let the lubricant dry before using the trimmer.

That’s all there is to it, the maintenance really is minimal for the Philips Multigroomer series.

Replacement parts availability

There are lots of accessories included with the Philips Norelco Multigroomer Series 7000 and many of them are available on Philips’ Encompass Listing.

The most important one is by far the standard cutter which will be used the most.

The part number is 422203632211 and you can purchase it separately.

The price is pretty reasonable, but when you compare it to the cost of the entire shaver and all the goodies you’re getting, it suddenly seems a bit pricey.

But unless you ding it or lose it, it’s unlikely you’ll need to replace it anytime soon.

The reliability is really good and if you clean the groomer (and maybe even lubricate it every once in a while), the blade will stay sharp for years.

The one accessory I would have liked to buy separately is actually the 0.5mm body guard attachment (only available with the Multigroom 9000 MG7791/40).

At least for me, that would be a really useful addition.

The 3mm body guard included with the Multigroom 7000 leaves the hair too long for my liking. Unfortunately, that 0.5mm guard doesn’t seem to be available separately.

Wrapup — Is the Norelco Multigroom 7000 worth buying?

To summarize, I think the Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 is an impressive machine, highly versatile that gets almost everything right.

Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 (MG7750/49)

See the price on Amazon

It can work as your only groomer, but as I tried to emphasize in the performance section of the review, the Norelco Multigroom 7000 won’t be ideal in every situation.

But it will likely be good enough as a do-it-all grooming tool.

The biggest negative is in my opinion its inability to trim the hairs on sensitive areas at skin level. Precisely, I’m talking about armpits and genitals.

Since it doesn’t feature rounded-tip blades, you can only use it with a guard, so you won’t be able to cut the hair close to the skin.

But apart from that, I think it can handle pretty much anything you can throw at it.

It’s easy to use and to clean, the battery lasts forever and the build is really sturdy.

Factor in the reasonable price as well and the Norelco Multigroom 7000 is pretty hard to beat.

Other more specialized groomers that aren’t as versatile will of course be better at a specific task.

For example, a regular hair clipper will be better for self haircuts.

A beard trimmer with an integrated adjustable guard is more practical if you only want a beard trimmer.

The Multigroom 7000 is a great choice for someone that only wants a single tool that handles reasonably well all the trimming.

In that regard, it is pretty much in a class of its own.

Therefore, in the alternatives section, I will focus on groomers made to handle more specific use cases.

Alternatives

Philips Norelco Bodygroom Series 7000

See the price on Amazon

This one continues to be my default recommendation for a body trimmer.

Unlike the Multigroom 7000, the Bodygroom 7000 can only handle body hair from the neck down, so you won’t be able to use it as a beard or hair trimmer.

It is however the best I’ve used so far for shaving the genitals and armpits.

It comes with a hybrid shaving head that features two rows of rounded tip blades and a foil in the middle.

This is ideal for trimming and shaving hairs at skin level, even on very sensitive areas.

As I mentioned previously, that is the missing feature of the Multigroom 7000 which could be a deal-breaker for some.

The Bodygroom Series 7000 also has a second head with a regular blade and an adjustable guard over it.

You can use it to trim the hair on the rest of your body.

But just like with the Norelco Multigroom 7000, it doesn’t get as low as I would like, the lowest setting being the same 3mm.

The Bodygroom Series 7000 runs cordless only and the battery can provide up to 80 minutes of use on a single charge.

That’s nowhere near as impressive as the 5 hours you get with the Norelco Multigroom 7000, but it’s still plenty.

Strictly as a body hair trimmer (neck down), I would recommend it over the Multigroom 7000.

Panasonic ER-GB42-K

See the price on Amazon

If you only need a beard trimmer, this Panasonic is a great pick and you will appreciate the practicality of having an integrated adjustable guard (19 hair length settings) and more granular control over the length of the hair.

It’s reasonably priced, has good battery life, it’s easy to use and you can trim, shape and maintain your beard.

Being a beard trimmer, you will only be able to use it for that. But it’s worth getting one if it’s something you’ll be doing often.

I would pick it over the Multigroomer 7000 any day as my beard trimmer.

Over to you now — if you’d like to share your experience with the Norelco Multigroom 7000 or have any other questions about it, please leave a comment below.

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