It seems all the popular shavers have a few different models to choose from.
Most of the time it’s usually just the case of having one which comes with a cleaning station, and another which doesn’t.
In this case I tend to recommend going with the cleaning stations because of how important cleaning your shaver is.
But with these particular models, and a few others, there’s a bit more to it than just the cleaning stations. You have to also decide on other features which I believe aren’t very necessary.
So, although this is very general advice: I tend to recommend you go with the cleaning base if you can afford it, then choose the cheaper of the models which offer it.
Here are some examples:
The 1250x which also has the number 40 associated with it is just the razor without the cleaning base.
The 1250xcc which has the number 42 in its name sometimes, is the exact same razor but this comes with the base.
So the x/40 represents just the razor, where the xcc/42 represents the whole system.
Based on my general recommendation these are the models I recommend in this line of shavers, and you can read my full and detailed review here.
Now, moving beyond the 1250 you have the 1280 and the 1290.
The 1280xcc comes with the base. The 1290x is basically the same but the razor only.
The only upgrade on the 1290 over the 1280 is a full metal zinc finish and an auto travel lock. That’s it.
So at a sales price it will cost you around $20 more for the 1280. Why anyone would buy the 1290 is beyond me, unless they get it at a great discount.
Why I recommend the 1250 over the 1280:
The reason I make this recommendation is because they’re usually much cheaper, anywhere from $70 to $100 dollars, and with that price difference the extra features are just not worth it in my opinion.
Here are the features you get with the 1280 over the 1250:
10 more minutes of shaving time (60 minutes vs. 50)
Numeric battery display
3 settings in the cleaning station over 1 setting
Chrome vs. black finish
Luxury traveling case vs. soft case
In my opinion, these features are not worth the extra cost!
Unless you find the 1280 and 1290 at a very similar price to the 1250, it’s probably not worth it. These extra features don’t improve the shaving performance.
Again, this is why I recommend the baseline models which you can review here.