Braun Series 9 9385cc Latest Generation Electric Shaver, Rechargeable & Cordless Electric Razor for Men, with Clean&Charge Station & Leather Travel Case

I’ve been using electric razors for 40 years. I have a thick beard and typically get five o’clock shadow sometime around noon. I also have sensitive skin, which made using a straight edge razor problematic. Over the years I’ve switched between foil and rotary razors, getting my start on a Norelco because that’s what my Dad used. More recently, by far the best razor I’d used was the Braun 7. Study construction, compact and wicked sharp, it was almost ideal. Almost. Unfortunately the Braun 7 was not a wet/dry razor and I prefer a wet shave so, after some time, I switched it for a Panasonic Arc4 which, at the time, was allegedly the best wet shave out there. I’m not a fan of the Arc4. Oh sure it’s waterproof and powerful, in fact it sounded like a jet engine it was so loud. Shaving with foam or gel wasn’t a problem for the Arc4 at all, the problem was that the shaving head was large and unwieldy, and the shave itself was harsh. In fact, after a few shaves I started seeing razor burn similar to the straight edge. The Panasonic did give a close shave, but it was loud, unwieldy and tough on the face. I then purchased the Braun 9 which, at the time, was waterproof but you couldn’t use foam or gel. It was a superb wet shaver, but I was missing the foam or gel, so I purchased the Norelco 9000 (In late 2019). The Norelco has a lot going for it; it’s quiet, maneuverable, gentle on the face, and you can shave with any sort of foam or gel you like (I prefer Speck or Proraso). Unfortunately, the Norelco doesn’t give a very close shave, so last week I purchased a Braun 9385. In my assessment it’s hands down superior to the Norelco. Using Speck as a cream, the 9385 provided a noticeably closer shave than the Norelco in about a third of the time. The battery capacity is noticeably different as well; the Braun was nearly fully charged after the shave while the Norelco was typically down close to 80% after one shave. I think the sideburn trimmer on the 7 was a better design than that on the 9 (and the earlier 9’s), but I made the right choice going back to this Braun 9 which is foam/gel compatible, and you should give it a good look as well.July 21st update:I just wanted to add that after one month of daily use I’ve only recharged the razor once and, frankly, the battery level was still well above half but I wanted to test the cleaning station. Still getting a close shave. Highly recommended.

This is fantastic shaver.It has a few quirks to get it as close as possible and pick up all the stray hairs, but it's easily the best on the market.Irritation -This is as safe for sensitive skin as it gets. The fluid they use in the cleaner IS irritating but cleaning by hand is as simple as applying some soap and running it under water. You don't have to clean it every day. Every few days if you detach and tap the hair out of the blade you'll be fine for weeks. You can play around with pressure, direction, and a few other things but after you get your pattern down irritation wont happen regularly. I was on accutane as a kid and my neck is very sensitive because of it, this shaver is by far the best option.Closeness-As close as it gets. This shave is comparable to a razor when done correctly. There are a few tricks like going over your neck at a few angles, or turning the shaver upside down for the trick spot under your nose, but once you're done experimenting it's basically as close as a blade, just barely not there. Easily the closest shave I've had from anything electric.Speed-Hands down fastest way to shave. The design makes getting clean lines for side burns incredibly easy and cleaning (assuming you don't use the station) take all of 30 seconds, ever. The powerful motor means even the thickest beards have less repetitions and again the bar design is just incredibly easy to make clean lines with. Pick and shave and be done in a minute, or 2 if you clean it by hand.The cleaning station is pretty bad. It's nice to charge it standing up but the cleaner clogs with hair regularly (still works, just gross), and the newest model seems to leave the shaver wet 24 hours after cleaning. I stopped using it on the last model because the fluid gives me irritation but tried it to see if they fixed the issues. Instead, they made them worse.This is still by far the best shaver on the market, even with it's quirks of having to shave at multiple angles or flipping it upside down for some areas.Everyone it putting disclaimers in there reviews, here's mine. I paid full price for this thing. I write reviews because I miss the days when you could buy confidently just looking at an items rating. Those days will never be back, but I can at least give people an honest well thought out opinion should they happen to find my review.