The BEST BEST shaver I have ever owned! I had the old series 9 Braun for maybe close to 7-8 years. I never even changed the blades on it, but it always worked well, but honestly did not shave THAT close. When that battery started to fade, I thought...I'd give Panasonic a try..their best model. Oh my, the Panasonic's battery was utter TRASH, and the shaver felt cheap and plasticky with a GIANT head. It DID give me a great CLOSE shave though. Still and all, I missed my Braun 9...so returned the Arc5...got this Braun 9 Pro +. Wow, it feels so well made, the battery lasts FOREVER, it shaves 99.9% as close as the Panasonic, but feels so comfortable and VERY high quality. Hope it can give me another 5-10 years. Only negative is I feel it is a bit overpriced. It's quite expensive. However, I am really happy I bought it, and I actually look forward to shaving now. That said, it shaves so close I often skip a day, and you can't even tell. LOVE this shaver! Read more
This is Braun’s top of the line electric shaver with all the accoutrements. One can buy a like, barebones model for $100 - $150 cheaper. I’d definitely consider that. The different packages are priced differently, but the shaver is the same. I’ve only used this shaver once on a 3-day beard. Prep the beard, washing the face with soap warm water. Dry the face. Shave. I haven’t tried the beard-prep attachment yet. Depending on usage, I will periodically clean the razor with the large, electrical device. Most of the time, cleaning the razor with just warm / hot water is all that’s needed. This is easily the best electric razor I’ve owned and used. Highly efficient - fewer passes, less time. No skin irritation whatsoever - a first. A definite BBS (baby bottom smooth) shave, on par with Gillette Mach 3 and Fusion razors, and double-edged (DE) razors (Henson + Astra blade). I have good experience with these alternative methods of shaving. The DE takes longer with oils and creams and occasional weepers; the Gillette is the fastest, with the same oils and creams; Braun, other than washing the face, is the simplest, and a close second in terms of efficiency/speed. Surprisingly, all three provide similar BBS shaves. I’ll retain and use all three methods. For 1 - 2 week travel, the Braun will be my main shaver, with Gillette as backup. As for the for daily shaves, the DE and the Braun will share the honors. The Braun head and blades are said to last up to two years - perhaps longer with intermittent use? As a retiree, I now usually shave every two days, sometimes up to four days. Time will tell how well this new Braun will hold up, but in my experience with other Brauns, I expect no issues. Value for money? My Henson Titanium cost $250, Simpson badger / synthetic brushes cost $100+, and creams / soaps, shave oils, alum bars are less costly, but still. Gillette blades are relatively costly, but last six to eight shaves on average. So when all is said and done, while the upfront cost of this Braun is hefty, it’s not outlandishly so. One can use cheap disposable multi blades, but the quality of the shave is noticeably inferior. In short, I’ve chosen my shaving methods. Now, my incremental cost is simply replacing blades, creams, and pre-shave oils, which are infrequent and less costly. Kudos to Braun for this elegant, highly efficient shaver! Read more
I have owned a Braun from the 90's, a Norelco rotary style shaver, and at least one other over the years. This was a significant upgrade in performance. It's not 100% in one pass, you still have to go back for some whiskers here and there. But noticeably superior overall. For the first few weeks I thought it wouldn't work out because I was getting some irritation. I had gotten used to have to apply a little pressure with my previous shavers, and you need to avoid that here. This is as close to razor-smooth as I've had with an electric shaver. Also if I don't shave for 3-4 days, this makes a great lawn mower. My previous shavers would catch hairs much more frequently (which hurts a bit) whereas it is rare with this model of Braun. The sideburn trimmer is also very good which is a bonus. I did not feel that any of the self-cleaning bells and whistles would be worthwhile, this was the simplest version of this model I could find. It is very easy to pop open and brush out. This is a pricy shaver but I have really found it to be worth the extra money. Read more
Great shaver, stupid extras — and priced like it shaves gold. The Braun Series 9 PRO+ gives a close, comfortable shave and is built to last. The cleaning station is useful and time-saving — I use it daily and love the convenience. But the so-called ProComfort head? Useless marketing gimmick. The “premium” charging travel case? Another waste. Between those two throw-ins, this bundle feels padded for price, not value. Compared to my old Series 8, it’s not quite as silky-smooth, maybe because of daily cleaning cycles. Still, it beats my Panasonic ARC5, which was too harsh and uneven. At $300, it’s a very good shaver buried in a pricey bundle. Read more
