Series 9 PRO+ Galvano Silver Electric Shaver, 5 Pro Elements, Shave-Prep ProComfort Head, Wet/Dry, 60min Battery

The Braun Series 9 Pro + is, simply put, a fantastic electric razor. I had the Panasonic ARC 5 for years, and it was a great shaver with a close shave. But I disliked the cleaning system, which relies on soap and water, creating blocked drainage and mildew smell. You can clean the Arc 5 head under the faucet, but you still have soap and water and drying. This same cleaning methodology applies to the Arc 6, as well. The automatic cleaning system with alcohol cartridges is great. Braun wisely stopped using benzene in their cleaning solution some years ago, which I appreciate. The shave is every bit as close as the Panasonic. It cuts the neck whiskers better than the Panasonic, and the shave is wonderfully comfortable, leaving the skin feeling healthy and comfortable as well. Totally happy with it.

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.

From the moment I picked up the Braun Series 9 PRO+ I knew I was in for something special. The shave? Incredibly smooth and comfortable—no tugging, no irritation, just a glide over skin that felt freshly renewed. The five synchronized shaving elements (and yes, the ProLift trimmer) really pull their weight, especially if you’ve skipped a day or two of shaving. What seals the deal for me is the self-cleaning/charging SmartCare station. One click and the shaver is cleaned, lubricated, and dried—meaning the head feels “like new” every morning. Clever, and really worth the investment for anyone who wants convenience beyond just a great shave. Other standout points: • Fully waterproof design means I can use it wet or dry. • Very comfortable on sensitive skin—less redness, less “raw” after finishing. • The battery life and build-quality feel premium; you can sense the German engineering.

My second Braun electric razor. Very well made. Close shave, with no biting. Easy to manually clean, and cleaning station works well and quickly. Holds a charge for a long time. Motor operates with much higher revolutions than my old Braun Series 3. Made in Germany.

I wasn't a huge fan when I first started using this clipper, but it has grown on me and is actually really good. The metal cutting face is really wide so you will have much better results if you use a product like Electro shave to help the razor Glide over your skin. It does an excellent job of cutting. One thing that I think doesn't get enough credit is the cleaning function, it's actually really amazing and keeps the razor like new. If it were a little cheaper it would get five stars.