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Manscaped Performance Package 5 Review: My Hands-On Thoughts

Breaking down the buzz: is this kit a smooth operator or just another electric trimmer?

Tony Gorga
Expertise:

Style, Reviews

Tony is a highly sought-after writer for objective reviews, consumer advice, and sartorial how-to guides on tailoring, shoes, watches, and other furnishings of a modern man's wardrobe. Tony is an avid fitness enthusiast, middling golfer, and active chaser of two children. An ideal, however rare, kid-free afternoon would be spent with his wife on the golf course. Read full bio.


Last Updated: Jan 13, 2025
7 min read

Your face is the first thing people see, but what about everything else? It’s either swept under the rug, or there aren’t many options out there geared towards below-the-neck grooming.

In this hands-on review, I cover Manscaped’s Performance Package 5.0 to let you know how well it holds up.

The Adult Man Image/Icon Image source: Manscaped
Manscaped Performance Package 5.0 Ultra

Bottom line: Manscaped’s Performance Package 5.0 Ultra kits the mark at making grooming easier for guys like me who want better tools. It’s refreshing to see a brand normalize body grooming and offer the freedom to style yourself how you want. Sure, the branding can feel a bit over-the-top, but it’s backed by a solid mission to support male-centric body care. After testing it out, I can say it’s a functional, thoughtfully designed kit. While it’s not perfect, the combination of effective tools and the brand’s broader purpose makes it worth checking out if you value a one-and-done solution.

Ratings: The Adult Man Image/Icon  Design The Adult Man Image/Icon  Quality of Materials The Adult Man Image/Icon  Value for Money The Adult Man Image/Icon  Craftsmanship The Adult Man Image/Icon  Customer Service
Pros:
  • Ergonomic design that feels good in the hand
  • Convenient USB charging and good battery life
  • Numerous accessories add value to the kit
Cons:
  • Difficult to swap between the foil and standard blades
  • Nose and ear trimmer is rather noisy

Let’s talk about body grooming. More specifically, grooming our intimate parts. Or, as it’s colloquially known, manscaping.

You see, the art of trimming below the belt is a practice that’s only hit the forefront of male grooming within the last ten years.

Before that, men were doing one of three things: buying a second electric shaver and delegating it to the nether regions, going to town with a pair of scissors, or ditching the idea of sprucing things up down there altogether.

Not the best (or safest) approach to trimming hair in a man’s most sensitive and hard-to-traverse area.

If you’ve wondered how, where, and when to do it, Manscaped Performance Package 5.0 Ultra might be able to help. I’ve spent a month with this product. Here’s what works, what doesn’t, and who might benefit from it.

What Is Manscaped?

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Historically, guys have stuck to shaving their faces and leaving the rest of their body hair to do its thing. Trimming—or “manscaping”—body hair has long been treated like some unspoken taboo.

Enter Manscaped, the grooming brand that’s shaking things up, one buzz at a time. Founded in 2016 by Steve King and Paul Tran, Manscaped set out to rewrite the rulebook on men’s grooming.

From head to toe—and yes, below—Manscaped offers an arsenal of grooming tools and products. Their groin-specific lineup, featuring attention-grabbing names like The Plow and Ball Aftershave Lotion, has sparked plenty of chatter, some raised eyebrows, and a slew of internet memes. Love it or laugh at it, the word on the street is that the products actually perform.

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However, Manscaped isn’t just about clever branding and tongue-in-cheek marketing (no pun intended). At its heart, the company champions men’s health and hygiene.

Testicular cancer, the most common cancer for men aged 15-35, is a key focus. Manscaped partners with the Testicular Cancer Society to raise awareness and encourage regular self-checks. They even give customers the chance to donate to TCS at checkout, proving that their mission goes way beyond catchy product names.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The Adult Man Manscaped Performance Package 5.0 Lawn Mower Kit Mixed 800 v2

Consider your own body hair situation. Are you someone with a lot of body hair, or is it rather minimal? Given that the Performance Package 5.0 Ultra comes with a nose and ear hair trimmer, it might not be an all-on-one kit tailored to your specific grooming needs.

Second, consider your partner’s preferences. While a voluminous welcome mat may have been in vogue in the 1970s, it hasn’t for quite some time. But, a full shave might swing the pendulum too far in the other direction. Never discussed it before? Now’s a good time to start.

Finally, keep in mind that Manscaped only offers a 90-day warranty policy. As I mentioned in my Chairman Pro Package review, this might be grounds for cold feet if you want more assurance in a high-end grooming purchase.

My Hands-On Review

The Adult Man Manscaped Performance Package 5.0 Kit

As someone who’s developed a specific grooming routine, there are a few criteria I look for when evaluating potential newcomers to my bathroom toolkit.

First, I want an ergonomic design. Nicks are far more painful near the groin than on my cheek, therefore I demand something easy to control.

The Adult Man Manscaped Performance Package 5.0 Lawn Mower device 800

Second, the battery needs to go the distance and keep the trimmer running at a steady pace. I’ve had not one, but two trimmers from big-name global brands that couldn’t hold a charge to save their lives. After barely surviving three sessions, they’d give up the ghost with zero warning. On at least one unforgettable occasion, I was left stranded mid-trim and had no choice but to shave it all off in defeat.

Third, it’s got to be sharp. They say the most dangerous thing in a kitchen is a dull knife. The same concept applies to a trimmer.

Features and Capabilities

The Adult Man Manscaped Performance Package 5.0 Lawn Mower Blade

The Lawn Mower 5.0 Ultra is the centerpiece of the Performance Package 5.0 Ultra. It’s (you guessed it) the fifth generation of the tool that started it all for the company. It’s slightly smaller than a standard shaver, but still big enough to fit well in the hand.

Three features make this device a ‘new-gen’ trimmer: the LED light (essentially headlamps for traversing hair), advanced battery life, and waterproofed chassis. The illumination didn’t make a huge difference as I’m never shaving in low light. As for the other two, one hour of consistent power and a 30-minute submersion rating make it better than any of the 5+ trimmers I’ve owned since the dawn of puberty.

It has two interchangeable heads. First is the standard blade attachment. It has a stainless steel main blade against a ceramic middle blade. It’s definitely effective for trimming any bulk without a hiccup. I’ve found it works best against my leg and armpit hair.

The Adult Man Manscaped Performance Package 5.0 Lawn Mower using 800

I tried it on my face (don’t worry, I washed it first), but the Chairman is definitely best for that. While you can certainly trim against the grain, I’d recommend starting with the grain. There’s less of a chance of pulling or snagging.

When you’ve chopped down a lot of the bulk and you want to get closer, you can switch to the foil attachment. I’ll concede this isn’t the easiest to do the first time around.

You’ll need to press up on the blade attachment and pop it off. Then you’ll secure the foil attachment in place. I’d like to see future iterations use a button system to make this process more seamless.

The Adult Man Manscaped Performance Package 5.0 Lawn Mower device and shave head 800

The foil attachment does work quite well once you get it on, though. The foil is spring-loaded, so it contours to the unique way your body is shaped. This, of course, reduces friction and makes catching or pulling less likely. 

Speaking of catching, one of the most irritating parts of body grooming is the cleanup. My wife certainly appreciates the finished product, but she’s definitely not keen on stray hairs on the bathroom floor.

So, Manscaped provides some handy hair-catching mats. Is the branding a little cheeky? Perhaps. You’ll thank yourself for it later, though.

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When you’re finished with that part of the process, the Performance Package Ultra’s included Weed Whacker ear and nose trimmer works quite well, too.

The motor is a little noisy, but it gets the job done. I’ve been blessed with very little stray hairs around my nose, but my ears are kind of a nightmare. Running the trimmer around once a week has been beneficial. It’s grooming details like this that help you present just a little better to the world.

Manscaped Performance Package 5.0 Ultra Nose and Ear Trimmer 800

Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the carrying case. The weight, material, and texture are top-notch, but it’s a little bulky to be functional—especially since I don’t see myself traveling with everything included in the Performance Package 5.0 Ultra. Regardless, it lends credibility to the $140+ price point.

But, no matter how often you trim, the battery will last. While I’d like to see a timer (rather than just a low battery light) on the Lawn Mower 5.0 Ultra the way the Chairman does, it’s not the end of the world. And, when you need to charge it up, it’s easy to do with a standard USB-C (props to Manscaped for keeping up with the times) rather than a proprietary cord.

The Rest of the Process

The Adult Man Manscaped Performance Package 5.0

Once I was done done downstairs, I tested the included Crop Soother (ball aftershave lotion) and Crop Preserver (anti-chafing deodorant).

I was a little skeptical here. But, after a couple of cycles, I found myself wanting to use it even on days I didn’t shave. The Crop Soother is very light and doesn’t require a lot of elbow grease to apply.

As for the Crop Preserver, the deodorizing effect lasted all day, and I like that the fragrance (described as Manscaped’s ‘signature scent’) wasn’t overpowering—think of a delicate aftershave aroma.

What Do Other Reviewers Say?

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The Manscaped Lawn Mower 5.0 Ultra is certainly a popular product—be it with this kit or the standalone unit. Creative marketing and strategic partnerships with athletics, celebrities, and investment firms have certainly proved beneficial. 

People seem mixed on the effectiveness of the LED light. Some consider it a gimmick; others feel it helps navigate around the groin. 

Annoyances are that it does only cut one way- down-and it doesn’t cover the same amount of surface area as other trimmers on the market. 

Many, like me, seem pleasantly surprised by the deodorants and shaving lotions.

What I Like

  • The Lawn Mower 5.0 Ultra’s compact design makes it easy to move around various…crevices.
  • The Weed Whacker nose and ear trimmer is a pleasant surprise. As someone with very little nose hair, but annoying hairy ears, this has been nice to use in between haircuts.
  • I didn’t think much of the deodorant or soothing lotions at first. But, a couple uses and they’ve won me over. Is it a luxury? Perhaps. But, just a little extra goes a long way.
  • It’s easy to charge. A USB connection is far more convenient than a proprietary trimmer.

What I Don’t Like

  • As I’ve said in other reviews, I’m not keen on having a picture of a pair of testicles on my grooming tool. Even if that’s what it’s for. Some of the marketing can be a bit much, but I seem to be an outlier, here.
  • The LED light isn’t really necessary. Supposedly the warm and cool dual tones help you see based on different skin tones. While it’s certainly innovative, I’ve not found much of a difference between having it on and not.

Who Is the Performance Package 5.0 Ultra For?

The Performance Package 5.0 is for someone who wants to go the extra mile in their body grooming without resorting to buying everything seen here à la carte. The Lawn Mower 5.0 Ultra can take hair down as far as you want, and the included nose and ear trimmer, soothing serums, and hair-catching mat address every other part of the process once the ‘big trim’ is finished.

The Verdict

After a month with the Performance Package 5.0 Ultra, here’s the bottom line: it’s a well-rounded grooming kit for anyone looking to elevate their routine or start one from scratch.

The Lawn Mower 5.0 Ultra nails the ‘big 4’ of hair management: it’s effective, ergonomic, comfortable, and reliable. The finicky blade-swapping process could be simpler, but otherwise, it pulls its weight as the kit’s figurehead. The included extras, like the Weed Whacker nose and ear trimmer and grooming lotions, add meaningful value.

While the branding might be divisive, the tools deliver on function and versatility. Grooming is personal, and this kit provides the freedom to style how you feel most confident—whether that’s clean-shaven or somewhere in between. For me, it’s a reliable toolset that’s easy to use and gets the job done. It’s not perfect, but for what it offers, I recommend it over anything else that comes to mind.

Manscaped Performance Package 5.0 Ultra

After testing, the Performance Package 5.0 Ultra is a worthy all-in-one grooming kit for sensitive areas. The Lawn Mower 5.0 has an ergonomic design, decent battery life, and sharp blades. While the foil attachment works well, swapping it could be easier. The disposable extras, nose trimmer, and carrying case definitely boost the value, though I wouldn’t rebuy the disposables.

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