Great question! We have received requests for all kinds of charging connector types. Mini-USB, micro-USB, Apple's Lightning connector, and USB-C to name a few. Depending who you ask, they would prefer whatever fits their lifestyle best. USB-C in particular is a fantastic technology and it's great to see it being more commonly used, but there are a few other considerations for using our types of products. They come down to a combination of durability and safety for our specific needs.
Our current shavers are designed to be used cordless or while plugged in. If someone is shaving with the unit while it is plugged in, the connection needs to be quite robust to handle being moved around. The connection needs to be strong enough to stay connected and not be easily damaged by force being applied from changing directions. This requirement alone knocks out most USB connections from being viable. Our connection is a simple two posts (a positive and negative) with a much deeper/stronger connection than any USB standard, and can handle this kind of use without disconnecting or becoming damaged in a short period of time.
Simplicity and reliability also play a part. Our shavers only require charging and do not require any kind of complex connector type that allows for data transfer or bi-directional communication. Keeping the connector simple lets us make a more reliable product and eliminate a potential point of failure.
While our charger is unique to our products, it is standardized across our current product line. This accomplishes two things: compatibility and safety.
The standardized charger makes it convenient for those using multiple Skull Shaver products. Many of our customers will use a shaver and Beast Clipper, or Baby Beast Trimmer, or have multiple people in the household with different shavers.
On the safety side, our connection encourages customers to use our chargers and charging cords. Yes, this can sound like a money grab. However it is a reliability and safety decision.
These are the chargers that have been tested and certified as safe to use by worldwide consumer safety organizations. By using a USB-C or micro-USB or similar type of plug, the chances go up of someone using a non-approved charger as they might use whatever is lying around. Since charging specs can vary wildly from charger to charger, there is a much higher chance that a shaver is damaged from an incompatible charger. We want your shaver to last as long as possible, and using incorrect chargers can have a serious impact on a product's longevity and can even cause safety concerns.
It is surprising how many different considerations can go in to choosing a power plug. Each has pros and cons and each solution may be a better fit for different lifestlyes. Ultimately we have to choose what we feel is the best compromise for a worldwide customer base, and we feel that our current design is the best compromise when considering durability, compatibility, reliability, and safety.