Braun Series 7- 790cc (9595) Pulsonic Shaver

I bought this shaver February 2008. I like the close shave, & the cleaning system. However, the shaver recently began to strain, & sometimes had difficulty starting, even though the battery was fully charged. I called Braun customer service, & was informed that repairs would be on me (& not under warranty) if damage resulted from my use of pre-shave (and I do in fact use pre-shave). This was quite a surprise, as there's nothing in the shaver's literature that warns against the use of pre-shave (I use Williams Ultra). Has anyone else had this experience with Braun?

I purchased this to replace my Norelco Cool Skin shaver. Had it for years, was happy with it until I got the Braun...talk about exceptionally smooth, effortless shaving. The closeness of a razor without the pain of a razor. I used this to mow down my heavy beard and was blown away at the comfort and speed at which this works. I take with me for a month abroad and look forward to shaving.

This is easily the best electric shaver that I have ever used and the first that I have used outside of the Philips Norelco product line. I started with electric shavers years ago when I purchased a Norelco foil shaver. I quickly switched to a Norelco rotary shaver and used that for some time.

I've been using this shaver for about a week and am thoroughly impressed. The pop-up trimmer has "Made in Germany" written on it and you can definitely tell German engineering went into it. The shaver feels very solid and well built. Don't get confused with the customer shot above in that the Series 7 - 790cc (9595) has an LCD display on the base to display "battery" and "hygiene" status - not a series of LEDs.

The operating controls are very simple. There is an on/off button that glows blue when the shaver is on, a tiny recessed reset button that can be pressed with a paperclip that resets the blade change counter, a button labeled "release" that allows the blade cartridge to be removed, and a button labeled "lock" that locks the shaving portion of the razor at an angle for shaving the neck. On the back of the shaver are two metal contacts for charging the unit through the supplied base and a receptacle for plugging in cord in case the battery is dead and you can't wait for it to recharge through the base. The battery in the shaver is lithium ion (Li-ion) instead of nickel cadmium (NiCd) making battery "memory" problems obsolete and is advertised to run for 50 minutes before being fully discharged.

One of the biggest selling points for me on this razor was the inclusion of the self-cleaning base station. This thing is nice! When you finish shaving you simply insert the shaver into the base and the base analyzes the "hygiene" condition of the shaver and selects a cleaning program ranging from "eco" to "intensive" and dries the razor. The advertised cleaning time is 32 to 43 minutes depending upon the cleaning program selected and I found this to be accurate. The cleaning cartridges must be purchased separately (although one is included) and replaced every 30 days with daily use. If you're not shaving every day it is recommended that the cleaning cartridges be replaced every eight weeks as the alcohol based cleaning solution in them evaporates over time. The base station has indicator lights on it to advise when to change the cleaning cartridges. A two pack of cleaning cartridges cost me approximately $8.00 at a local store.

The only other ongoing cost associated with this shaver is the replacement of the cutter cassette that is recommended every 18 months and run approximately $30.00. Compared to the high cost of disposable razors that must be purchased constantly and the convenience of not having to clean this razor it is a steal! The only problem I have run into with this unit is that it does leave some stubble on the neck area especially around the Adam's Apple but as I have continued to learn how to best use this shaver it has gotten much better. I have serious problems shaving irritating my skin after shaving and I have thus has to wait several days between shaves. With this shaver I can now shave every other day with absolutely no problems. It also gives me the closest shave that I have ever had with an electric shaver and it rivals regular disposable razors. Overall, I highly recommend this shaver to anyone new to electric shavers or looking for a replacement.

This review is based entirely upon my initial impressions as I have only used the razor a few times. I will update the review as needed with further use of the product. For readability, i've broken the review into several sections:

Design - of course the design matters, it's the first thing that you see and determines how the razor will interact with your face. With a blue and silver exterior, the razor sure looks fancy. To match its external prowess, the razor utilizes a tilting head to completely shave your face - this works great. This model also comes with a handy locking mechanism for the head to reach hard to get areas on your face - also works great. Overall design: A+

Comfort - the comfort of the shave is great, no burning, no pulling, and a very minimal amount of irritation. Overall comfort: A+

Noise/Heat - This is my biggest complaint with the razor so far - it's fairly loud (at least compared to Norelco rotary razors i've used in the past). Also, there seems to be a fair amount of heat radiated (not uncomfortable at all though) by the foil unit - this is only noticeable when using the lock on the tilting function. Overall noise: B

Performance - This is of course the most important part of the shaver - will it at the end of day adequately shave your face? With no reservations, I can say that this razor does a fabulous job of shaving one's face. It misses very little hair and thus requires a minimal amount of rehasing on your face. Much better over Norelco rotaries (esp the wet shave system) and comparable (but not quite as good) to an "old fashioned" blade. Performance: A+

Cleaning and Charging System: The razor seems to charge fairly quickly, with the ability for a quick charge or to plug the AC adapter directly into the razor. The cleaning system seems adequate - Braun suggests to clean the razor after every use, I don't think this is necessary and will probably only clean every several uses as the Clean and Renew solution is an added cost (~ $4 a cartridge). You can also clean the razor the old fashion way with water and remove the cartridge head - but the clean and renew system seems so much better. The only downside is the engineering of the clean and renew cartridges - you open them and they almost immediately spill a little. I would like to have seen an elevated spout for opening to avoid this problem. Overall cleaning and charging: A

Overall comments - If your sick of the lack of quality from comparably priced rotary shavers and/or don't like the cuts, roughness, and cost of a shave from a blade, then this razor is certainly a good candidate for you. As far as cost is concerned, it doesn't seem too bad, though there is a large initial investment in the razor (NOTE: amazon often offers 50 dollars off a future order with a purchase of at least $139 in products from Braun/Oral-B). In addition, there is a small amount of maintenance costs in the form of replacing the cartridge/foil unit (about $30 - Braun recommends this be done once a year) and refilling the clean and renew system (about $4/ea from amazon in the 3 pack) where the latter is highly dependent on how much you personally clean the razor and your use of water instead of the clean and renew system. Overall, this is the best razor i've ever used and don't regret the purchase at all! Overall grade - A

P.S. - For those of that are still worried about Amazon's no-return policy on this item, Braun offers a 60 day money back gurantee in the US.

I have used Norelco shavers for the past 30 years (the top of the line). When my shaver started going out I was torn whether or not to buy another Norelco or the Braun 790. I decide on the Braun and I love the very close shaves (and so does my wife) and the very easy cleaning. I would highly recommend this shaver to anyone. My wife bought and sent all three of her boys one about a month after I bought mine. We are happy campers.