Braun Series 9 PRO+ Electric Razor for Men, 5 Pro Shaving Elements and Shave-Preparing ProComfort Head for Closeness & Skin Comfort, 6in1 SmartCare Center, Wet or Dry Use, Charging Stand, 9597cc

I haven't done a review in a while, but I thought this might help someone. I have been using razors now for most of my life and I am 68 years old. I tried an electric years ago and felt it didn't work. Unfortunately, I am now on blood thinners, and every time I cut my face I end up looking like a mummy. I thought I would try an electric, but I was concerned that it would not be the same close shave that I like with the razor. The reviews suggested even consumer reports that this razor was the best and that a foil razor as opposed to the electric with the rotating heads are the ones you want for close shave. First, when you open the box, the directions are the kind they have on airplanes with pictures, but they're worthless. It's pretty intuitive, but I thought there was a charging station. Thankfully, I called the help desk and you instantly get someone who helps you and they tell you that the razor cleaning machine is also what charges it. I showed a picture below.You press the button on the side of the cleaning mechanism and then pull the bottom down, and it allows you to slide the alcohol containing cleaning fluid container -just look to see where the cutout is, and it only goes in one way. You have to pull off the cap of the container to allow the fluid to get out.The razor comes with a very nice case which is also a charging battery itself so therefore you could just take the charged case on a trip unless you're gone for a long period of timeSo it charges easily and it cleans easily. You just put it in the same way upside down and you push the button on the top and it starts a self cleaning cycle. You're supposed to use it after each shave . You can buy the cleaning fluid from Amazon or from EMBRACE which is the vendor that Braun uses.But here's the kicker the shave result is as good if not better than my razor.I did not get this for free. I have no financial incentive and I haven't done a review in a while. I was grateful to the people who did other reviews to push me over to buy this.. it is pricey at about $300 but razors and shaving cream are not cheap overtime eitherAnd I'm not going to look like a bloody messSo if your main concern is the closeness of the shave, this is a whole other level of razor compared to the one I tried years ago.The Braun is rated highest I believe by consumer reports and everywhere else I looked. I bought the typical electric shave alcohol pre-treatment.. I'm sure there's other more sophisticated things you could use.Bottom line if you want to switch and you want a close shave without cutting your face off, especially if you're on blood thinners like I am- you will be pleasantly surprisedI hope this helps..

Using a manual razor was rough on my face. I tried other electric razors, but they never quite gave me anywhere near a blade shave. But I saved my money and decided to try this one. The impressive price tag was overshadowed by the impressive performance of the razor. For me it gives me a shave as good as a blade but without the irritation of scraping your face. Maintenance is easier than any razor I've ever seen. Put it in its cleaning box, push the button and it cleans and lubricates itself. You do have to replace the cleaning solution about once a month and they say the head should be replaced every 18 months; but it's definitely worth it. The only downside is the instructions for operation. It comes down to some incomprehensible pictographs that, in essence, tell you nothing. But for the most part, it's simple to figure out. Despite the cost I would definitely recommend this product.

This is the smoothest and best electric, wet or dry shaved. Period.I was a 5 year “best model “ Norelco user, then a 20- year Panasonic (successive) top models devotee. The Braun 9-pro is another level of smooth, quiet, efficient and quick. It’s a big step up.Personally, I prefer wet shaves (Dollar Shave Clubs Shave Butter is perfect); but when I travel I always shave dry (skin prep is Old Ron’s unscented pre shave).The included charging travel case is a very big plus. Yes, thanks the razor get me through 3 weeks easily, and I have a heavy beard.Pricey? Yup. But well worth the bucks!

I used a Panasonic EL-LT41-K shaver (analogous to the Arc-3 for current models) for many years, and I was pretty happy with it. It finally died and I decided to see if there might be something better and I ended up buying the Braun Series 9 PRO+.This review will mean the most to people who are familiar with Panasonic shavers or who are considering it along with the Braun.I'll start by covering the negatives:For the first month, I was on the fence about whether to return it and buy a Panasonic instead. The first time I turned on the Braun was a bit of a startling change, as it came across as noticeably louder and rumblier compared to the panasonic, which has a quieter and higher-frequency sound. This was a potential issue for me because the sound of the shaver cutting hairs is important to me, as it tells me if it's making any progress or if I'm wasting my time or need to change my technique. Over a couple of weeks, I noticed that you can still hear it cut, but the sound of it cutting is much quieter and is more hidden over the noise of the shaver itself.In addition, I also noticed that the Braun does not shave quite as close as the Panasonic. It's not too far off, and you can get it almost as close as the panasonic if you're willing to take a bit of time and technique. It has more trouble getting a clean shave tight under the sideburns, but it's doable.The built-in trimmer on the Braun is surprisingly flawed, as the way it's shaped means that it's difficult and awkward to get positioned effectively. Essentially, the contour of the piece it's at the end of which you extend gets in the way, so you have to angle it more sharply in order to get the trimmer against the skin. You can still do what you need to do, but it's just a lot easier on the Panasonic EL-LT41-K. Many third-party reviews have noted that the Panasonic shavers have the best built-in trimmer on the market.Now, we'll get to the positives:The Braun is designed to shave up to 7 days growth without binding on the hair. By comparison, if I had more than 3 days growth, the Panasonic would bind and painfully pull hairs unless I was extremely careful and used a different technique. However, the Braun takes it in stride and you don't have to do anything differently - it handles that extra growth without any problems whatsoever. This doesn't just save you pain, it also saves you time because you don't have to shave in layers to prevent that binding. If you let your beard grow several days old on a semi-regular basis, this alone makes the Braun worth it. I should note that one of the ways it accomplishes this is with a larger gap for one of the blades, so I learned that I can't apply as much pressure on my chin as I could with the Panasonic, otherwise the Braun would nip me. I learned that there were a couple of ways I could compensate for this, so it's not an issue, just understand that you might need to tweak your techniques as what works best with a Panasonic isn't necessarily what works best with the Braun.Most Panasonic shavers were never designed to accomodate a cleaning or charging station. So if you own a Panasonic shaver (all but their highest end shavers), there is no cleaning station available and you can only charge it by plugging in a cable. However, the Braun shavers are better designed in this respect, and their cleaning/charging station does a really good job. All you have to do is make sure the head of the shaver is positioned correctly and not locked, and then just insert it into the station. Any time the shaver it in the station, it charges automatically and you never have to deal with plugging or unplugging a cable. To run a cleaning cycle, just press a single button. The active cleaning cycle takes 3-5 minutes, and then a fan runs to dry the shaver head. The whole thing including drying takes 20-30 minutes. Panasonic shavers have to be cleaned manually, which isn't a big deal, but the extra time and effort still meant that I only did a full cleaning about once a week, and the more you used it without cleaning it, the less effective it was. So for the Braun to clean itself with just a push of a button is really, really nice, and it means I get to use a fully cleaned shaver every single time with no extra effort. The cleaning station cartridges seem to last me about 6 weeks, and cost around $6 each - which is reasonable.Conclusion:After using the Braun for a couple of months, I've come to the conclusion that the superior ability to handler longer growth combined with the convenience of the cleaning/charging station saves me time, effort, and pain, and outweigh the negatives, so I am ultimately happier with the Braun.Hopefully, this review will be helpful to some of you - especially if you come from a Panasonic shaver and are wondering whether it's worth changing brands.