Cordless
     Rechargeable Shaver
Philips Norelco 7310 and 7340 Men's Shavers
Philips Norelco 8240XL Men's Shaving System
Philips Norelco 9160XL Men's Shaver
Philips Norelco Arcitec Men's Shavers
Philips Norelco BG2020 Men's Bodygroom
Philips Norelco Facial Trimming Systems
Philips Norelco Hair Grooming Systems
Philips Norelco Moisturizing Shaving Systems
Philips Norelco NT9110 Nose and Ear Trimmer
Philips Norelco Speed-XL 8140XL Men's
     Shaver
Remington Men's Shavers
Wahl Beard and Mustache Trimmers
Wahl Hair Kits and Trimmers

Reviews

Braun Series 5 Men's Shavers
Braun has restructured its shaver products. The Series 7 shavers are at the top of the line. Next comes Series 5, based on the former "360 Complete" line, and available in three models - the 8995 (pictured), the 8985 and the 8975.

There is not a lot of difference. The cheaper 8975 model does not come with the Braun cleaning system, and the top-end 8995 has an LCD data display.

Here is a product description:

Series 5 features Gillette Blade Technology that cuts hairs close in a single stroke without pulling or tugging. Braun's patented Power-Comb lifts problem hairs that lie flat to the skin to avoid missed hairs in hard to shave areas.

The unique SmartFoil pattern captures hairs growing in different directions while the 3-Stage Cutting System progressively shaves long hairs and stubble for a closer shave in fewer strokes. The Series 5 Clean&Renew System automatically cleans, lubricates, dries and charges to keep the shaver feeling like new every day.

This rechargeable shaver features an ergonomic shape and non-slip handle for easy maneuvering. Includes charging and replacement parts LCD indicator, 50-minutes of cordless shave time from a 1-hour full charge and a 5-minute quick charge for 1 shave.

I have not been able to find online any independent, objective reviews of the shavers. However, sales sites like Amazon.com have numerous reviews from actual users, and these are often quite perceptive and can be very helpful to potential buyers.

Amazon.com has around 300 reviews - most of them favorable - for the 8995. Here is an excerpt from one positive reviewer:

Discussions of shaving preferences sometimes seem like religious warfare, mostly because every face is at least somewhat different from any other face. That means there's really no such thing as a perfect razor.

However, for me, this Braun 8995 is very close to perfect. For many years, I've shaved with a blade-- most recently the Gillette Fusion system-- and I've used a cheap Remington when I travel. Two things happened: The price of the Gillette blades has increased sharply with each new model, and my Remington died. I decided to go with this top-of-the-line Braun.

After using it for a couple of months, I'm very pleased. It is clearly a well-engineered machine that does exactly what it's supposed to do. I've found that my shaves with it are just as close as the shaves I got with the Gillette Fusion. I suspect that as the years go on, the total cost of shaving with the Braun will actually be less than the Fusion would total.

...I'm very happy with this razor. It isn't cheap, but it works very well. I'm glad I bought it, and I'd do it again.

And another:

I've been using this shaver for a month now and downgrade it from 5 stars to 4 just because of lack of value. Previously I used the Braun Synchro for several years and was happy with it. This new shaver is fundamentally the same, except that it is dramatically more expensive and has a bulky cleaning base that is of dubious value. If you can find the model 8975 at a better price than the 8995 then I'd recommend to go for that one. This shaver is still quiet, has a long charge life, and perhaps does a slightly better job on necks hairs than my old shaver. It's definitely quieter and gets the job done faster than my previous Remington.

* Get the latest prices on the Braun Series 5 Men's Shavers.

September 19th, 2008