I don’t clean my Series 9 after every shave with it, but more like once or twice a week. In the tables above you’ll find most of the S9/S9 PRO/S9 PRO+ models sold worldwide. The Series 9 Pro/Series 9 PRO+ is slightly more powerful (it even sounds a bit louder), it’s grabbier and slightly more aggressive. You can check out my Series 9 Pro review and Series 9 PRO+ review where I address these differences in great detail, but here’s a quick summary that should help you choose between them if you’re on the fence. The Series 9 PRO+ which was launched in 2023 is basically a Series 9 Pro with a new (slightly improved) hair trimmer and some visual tweaks (more black and gold accents). Since the first two are not available anymore, I’m mainly going to focus on the current Series 9 93xx (these are the standard, non-Pro models) and of course on the newer Series 9 Pro (94xx) and Series 9 PRO+ (95xx).
It’s a Series 5 50 with a flexing head which as we saw, is really similar performance-wise to a Series 3 ProSkin. The price is usually reasonable and should be easy to source in most countries. You can also buy a solo Series 6 and you can use it with an existing Series 6 station from an older cc model. Shaving with the Series 6 is however braun shavers more enjoyable thanks to the back-to-forth flexing of the head, but that’s about it. Other embellishments like a highly complex flexing mechanism only look good on the specs sheet and don’t really improve the experience to a significant degree. The Series 6 on the other hand features a basic flexing head that can swivel back to front.
Select Turbo Mode for an extra fast shave, Gentle mode for a gentle shave on sensitive skin, or Standard Mode for a balanced shave. Comes with an app that provides real-time feedback, a smart calendar, and responsive intelligence that adapts to your skin. Cuts through a 1, 3, or 7 day beard with ease, while still gentle on skin. Look for 30-plus minutes, minimum, but ideally upward of 60 or 90 minutes. All of my top four picks in this list range from 2 hours 55 minutes (the Philips Norelco 9800) to 6 hours 55 minutes (the Panasonic Arc6).
The ultra-compact size is significantly smaller than almost every other electric razor we tested. It’s perfect for stashing in a dopp kit, and you’ll get up to 60 minutes of use with floating heads that automatically adapt to the contours of your face. Shaving with the Braun Series 9 Pro+ still takes me about three minutes (sometimes less, if I don’t have much stubble to power through), but where it really shines is the closeness of the shave. Most of the new features, including the pre-shave ProComfort head, focus on more effectively lifting facial hair away from your skin allowing for a closer, smoother shave.
The Braun ProSkin also features a specialized micro-comb design to capture more hair on the first stroke. It’s important to note that using an electric razor requires a break-in period—for your face, not for the razor. It takes about two weeks for your skin to get used to using an electric razor. Once I passed through that window, I was amazed that my razor bumps decreased significantly and never really came back.
All the Braun shaver models belonging to a particular series and generation will have identical shaving performance. The more advanced and more expensive Braun series have specialized cutting elements (in addition to the basic foils) for capturing and braun electric shavers cutting more difficult facial hair. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions.
Finally, the Series 3 BT shaver is either a basic Series 3 or a Series 3 ProSkin that comes with a special bundle of accessories that allows the user to trim and maintain a beard. As expected, the actual shaving performance is identical within the basic Series 3 and the ProSkin lines. It might work as a backup or travel shaver, but it will only shave reasonably well if your beard is short and not on the coarse side. As the entry-level range, the Braun Series 1 has an affordable price and it’s very easy to use.
You’ve probably guessed it by now, but in order to have a better chance at addressing the two aforementioned weaknesses, we shouldn’t overlook Braun’s main competitor in the foil camp, Panasonic. However, you may not need to change it if it still cuts the hair reasonably well. Also, if it has a protective cap, try to only use it while traveling or when there’s a real risk of damaging the foils.
If your batteries stop working, please contact an authorized Braun service repair center. Trying to replace the rechargeable batteries on your own could damage the water-tight seal. If you don’t need full-color touchscreen displays and fancy braun hair removal AI smartphone apps to help you shave, there are far more budget-friendly electric razors available. If you’re looking for a straightforward affordable rotary shaver under $100 that can tackle just about any hair, this is your man.