Grooming Garage: A Decent Disposable?

I haven't visited this category for a while, because I haven't tried any new products or changed my routine. But a couple of weeks ago, while looking through the Sunday paper I noticed a coupon for a new type of Bic disposable razor. In conjunction with a sale at CVS, I figured it was worth a try.

Apparently Bic has a bunch of new razors (at least new to the US market). Three-blade, four-blade, pivoting-head, etc. I rarely pay attention to disposable razors because they are inevitably inferior to their cartridge-style cousins. The Bic Hybrid Advance offers a handle with replaceable cartridges, the closest approximation of a "real" razor that I have seen offered in disposable form.

The handle is gray with an orange accent, and the cartridges are the same color combination. The large orange area above the blades is a lubricating strip, certainly the largest such strip I've seen on any razor, disposable or not.

I've used one a few times over the past couple of weeks, and while I don't think it's impressive enough to switch from the Schick Hydro blades I've been using for several years, this is the best disposable razor I have come across. In fact, my third shave (today) was better than the previous two with the same cartridge, which is a very unusual thing to have happen with any razor.

Oddly, you can't buy replacement cartridges without also buying another handle. This seems wasteful, but I guess you can just recycle the handles, or hold onto them in case one breaks. I do wish that the handle had a bit more weight to it, but since it is a disposable this isn't surprising. Economy of production and packaging are the main factors in this part of the market.

If you are a daily shaver and your skin is not particularly sensitive, you might be able to get a week's worth of shaves out of each cartridge, which would be pretty economical. If you're traveling and find yourself in need of a razor, this would probably be a good choice in a well-stocked drugstore.