Over the course of the last two months I tried multiple high end shavers (with cleaning stations) over time, to try and see which offers the best shaving and user experience.
TL;DR:
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After trying top of the line wet & dry from Braun (both 7 & 9) and Panasonic (Arc 5 - LV9N model) - I ended up keeping both the Braun series 7 and the Panasonic Arc 5. In my testing, the Arc 5 offers the best shaving, even if marginally so, and I prefer it as my everyday shaver. However, the Braun 7 comes close, and it is more compact, thus making it my travel choice, and why I ended keeping both. Braun 7 also offers best value for money. The Braun 9, in my opinion, offers no real advantage over the Braun 7, yet costs more and is bigger.
Disclaimer
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After reading plenty of reviews online - it appears that unlike many other types of products, there is no one answer here. Each shaver has different design and therefore works better on specific types of faces. So what works best for me may not work best for you and vice versa. This is why I ended up buying and trying few of these products…
Having said that… review in depth:
The Competition
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I initially bought the Braun 7 (Wet&Dry, 7865cc) and was actually very happy with it. So happy that I realized I will be moving to shaving with a shaver from now (vs Gillette blades), so I decided to check out maybe there are benefits buying a higher end model.
I then ordered the Braun 9 (Wet&Dry, 9290cc). In my opinion it offered no real benefit so I ended up returning it.
Then I ordered the Panasonic Arc 5. Note that the Arc 5 has two “current” models - the LV95 (which is not noticeably more expensive than the Braun series 7), and the LV9N, which is still new and therefore costs 300$. The latter is considered to have better comfort over the former, and given that my neck area is a tad sensitive I figured it was worth the extra. The LV9N is the one reviewed here - I have no experience with the LV9S.
Quality of Shave
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Naturally, this is the most important feature of a shaver, so I will start with that. I find all three shavers to offer really good shaving. In fact, I was very skeptical coming into this (I used to shave with Gillette up until this point), and while none of these offer as smooth as a shave, the difference is really, really, small.
The Braun 7 was the firs tin the bunch, and I was really surprised with the closeness of the shave it offers. I got into this “adventure” a bit skeptical, but after trying the Braun 7 I realized this is good enough for me 99% of the time, and is faster and more comfortable than regular shaving.
I then tried the Braun 9 to see if it can offer closer more comfortable shave as suggested by some reviews. It did not, not for me at least. Even though the head is larger and there are more cutting blades, I did not feel any real difference. Apparently one of the big selling points of the Braun 9 is its ability to better cut longer hair (3+ days of growth). This is not a real use case for me so I did not see an advantage there. In both one day old hair and two days old hair - the results were quite identical. (As a side note I will say this - I find that going over 2 days without shaving makes it quite hard for a shaver to get great results. In the few instances where I skipped shaving, I realized it was easier to just use a cassette blade for that).
Finally I tried the Panasonic Arc 5. The Arc 5 is also quite big - but here you get something in return. The shave is ever so closer. Is it a huge diff? Not really…. But when shaving one side Braun and the other Panasonic, my wife can always tell which one is the Panasonic one. This is true right after shaving, and also 3 or 6 hours after). It is also a tad faster to shave with, esp with one day long hair, although again, the difference is small, as I need to do a similar process with all shavers (i.e. I can go only in a single directions on my face, but have to criss-cross in my neck area which is harder to shave - and that is true with all 3 shavers).
Comfort of Shave
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Comfort of shave was the biggest concern for me going into this. Roughly 20 years ago I tried buying a shaver and was very distressed by the rash I got. I gave up shavers since and not tried them until now. I can say all three shavers are very good in this respect.
The Braun 7 is a very comfortable shaver. I had very very mild itching in the first couple of days in my neck (which is sensitive), but they went away and never had a problem since, even when skipping 2-3 days of shaving.
The Braun 9 is similarly comfortable. Some claims say it is more comfortable, and that may be true for some - but I did not feel any difference.
Regarding the Arc5 - It’s hard for me to give a similar review as I tried it already after using the braun for some weeks (and thus my skin got used to the electric shaving first). Today, I do not feel any difference in comfort between the Arc 5 and the Braun 7. I can, however, say that in the second or third day of using the Arc 5, I had some rash on my neck - it was a combination of shaving rather “aggressively” (i.e. pushing) and having a day with a lot of physical labor (i.e. sweating), so it’s hard to put all the blame on the Arc 5. Nonetheless, it was there and it was so notable I skipped shaving the day after to let it relax. This has not occurred since again, and so now they offer similar comfort. Some reviews I read on the previous model (the LV95) suggest comfort is a little less perfect there, so point to be taken.
Handling
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I like holding the Braun 7 the best. It is compact (which also makes it better for travel), and it feels more solid (probably because of the size/weight ratio). I also like the type of plastic it is made of. It’s a great shaver, really. Both Arc 5 and The Braun 9 are noticeably larger, which is sort of a disadvantage, esp. above the lips area. They also feel less solid (even though they are not), with the Braun 9 scoring the last place here in my opinion. The Arc 5 has the best locking and trimming mechanism in my eyes, and also offers two axis of movement for the (large) head, while the Braun 7 only offers one axis of movement (but its smaller head makes it a little less required). Bottom line, if they all shaved the same, I would use only the Braun 7.
Display
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The Braun 7 has a very basic “display” while the Arc 5 offers more data and the Braun 9 even more. If you ask me - this is all complete waste of electronics and cost. The only thing to really care about is battery life. The braun 7 is a little more basic in it, while the Braun 9 and Arc 5 offers more granular data (Arc 5 shows it in percentage in jumps of 10%). The rest of the data, like “how long did you shave” etc - is meaningless, at least to me. In any case, for my use case, the Arc 5 and Braun 7 are “opposite”. The Arc 5 offers more granular battery life, but I intend to use it at home only, whereas the Braun 7 is intended for travel. I would consider all of this non-decision point anyway.
Cleaning Station
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All three models come with cleaning stations. For me this was non negotiable as I do not like to waste time on cleaning etc. Looking back, I may have bought the Braun 7 without the cleaning station as it is mostly for travel, although I think even this way I would be happy to come back from a business trip and just throw it to the cleaning station rather than starting to take it apart.
All 3 cleaning stations seem to be working similarly well, although in different approaches. The Braun stations look a little cooler, and offer a 3 level indicator as to how dirty the shaver is (low/medium/high), where as the Panasonic Arc 5 only shows you where it thinks you should clean it or not.
The Brauns use “cassettes” of cleaners which come with the fluid inside. It is flammable and thus harder to carry with you for travel if you travel longer and want to carry the unit. They are also harder to order (will only ship by ground shipping etc.), and more expensive. The Panasonic uses a soap based solution which comes in nice small packets. It takes a few seconds longer to mix it with water but its not a big deal.
Bottom line - hardly a decision making point either…
Conclusion
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You can’t go wrong with either of these models. As I said above - I ended up staying with the Braun 7 as my travel shaver and the Arc 5 as my home shaver and I’m happy with both.
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From the manufacturer
Series 7 Technology Promise:
- The smart shaver that reads and adapts to your beard.
- 100% wet or dry –waterproof for up to 5 meters.
- Made in Germany with German craftsmanship to last up to 7 years.
Braun Series 7 electric shaver is our smart shaver
for a close yet gentle shave without compromise
Exceptional shaving results combining both closeness and skin comfort, the Braun Series 7 uses its innovative shaving technology with intelligent features to capture more hair in one stroke allowing it to be powerful yet gentle to your skin.
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4 shaving elements3 cutting elements and the 1 SkinGuard work together to capture in one stroke what others do in two*. *Proven on a 3 day beard. IPI research institute, February 2015. |
Intelligent Sonic & Autosense Technology10,000 microvibrations and an adaptive shaving motor help to capture more hair in every stroke, even on dense beard. |
8-D Contour Adaptation8 direction flexible head and floating shaving elements, gently adapt to your skin and capture hair even in hard to reach areas. |
5 Turbo-/Sensitive-ModesChoose between five personalized shaving modes for extra power and gentleness at the push of a button. |
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Wet & DryA shaver designed to shave dry or with water, foam, gel and in the shower for a refreshing and smooth skin experience. |
100% WaterproofBraun Series 7 is waterproof up to 5 meters, so you can easily clean your shaver with running water. |
Clean & ChargeThe world’s only 4-action alcohol-based Clean & Charge station automatically lubricates and charges your shaver. |
50 Min. Cordless ShavingThe state-of-the-art Li-Ion battery never loses performance and fully recharges in one hour. The premium display indicates the remaining battery time with 3 different steps. |
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| Series 9 9290cc Silver | Series 9 9293 | Series 7 7071cc | Series 5 5050cs | |
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| Customer Reviews |
12,511
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1,607
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5,806
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9,301
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| Price | $239.91 | — | $149.94 | $79.99 |
| Shaving Elements Capture different types of hair | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4 | 3 |
| Shaving Efficiency Cross-cutting actions per minute for efficiency | 40,000 per minute | 40,000 per minute | 30,000 per minute | 30,000 per minute |
| Sonic Technology Helps capture more hair in every stroke | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| AutoSense Technology Shave even denser beards efficiently | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Contour Flex Head Head direction adaption for skin contact | 10 directions | 10 directions | 8 Directions | 8 Directions |
| Skin Guard To protect the skin in every stroke | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Precision Trimmer Built-in trimmer for accurate edges | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wet&Dry Shave dry, with foam, gel or in the shower | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shaving time | 50 min. | 50 min. | 50 min. | 50 min. |
| Cleaning Center included | Yes – advanced with active drying system | No | Yes | Yes |
Compare with similar items
This Item  Braun Electric Razor for Men, Series 7 7865cc Electric Foil Shaver With Precision Beard Trimmer, Rechargeable, Wet & Dry, Clean & Charge Station & Travel Case |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | Currently unavailable. | $129.94 | $229.99 | $179.99 | $188.87 | $399.99 |
| Price Per Unit | — | $129.94 / Count | $229.99 / Count | $179.99 / Count | $188.87 / Count | $399.99 / Count |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Battery life | ||||||
| For traveling | ||||||
| Easy to clean | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Sold By | — | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Shop Diggy | Amazon.com |
| head type | Foil | Foil | Foil | Foil | Foil | Foil |
| special feature | Cordless | Cordless,Rechargeable,Waterproof | Water proof, Fast Charging, wet and Dry Shave | Faster Shave | Cordless | Rechargeable, Waterproof |
| power source | Battery Powered | Battery Powered | Corded Electric | Battery Powered | Battery Powered | Battery Powered |
| number of blades | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | — |
| blade material | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel |
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Best I've Tried
I've been using electric shavers for over 15 years and foil shavers for close to 10. My first foil shaver was a Panasonic Arc IV as I had read reviews giving it the edge over Braun shavers. Since then I have had a second Arc IV and an Arc V. I have been happy with them all. When the pump on the charging/cleaning station died last month, I decided to give Braun a try.I really like the feel of the Braun and the first big difference I noticed was the size of the head. The smaller head is much better if you have facial hair that you want to shave around - you can be much more precise. After using the Braun, the Panasonics seemed HUGE. Almost comically huge. I've included a comparison image so you can see how massive the Arc V's head is compared to the Braun Series 7. Though pricewise the Series 7 actually competes with the Arc IV I have to use what I've got. Both give me equally close shaves when they have new-ish foils and blades. They actually take about the same amount of time to get similar results even though on paper the Panasonic should have a pretty big edge. The Braun also seems to handle longer stray hairs much better. With the Panasonic I would often have to flip the trimmer out to get hairs the foil refused to deal with but I haven't really had to do that with the Braun. If you look at the center blades - the ones that would cut the longer hairs - I think you can see why.I have used the Braun's trimmer but for its intended purpose. I haven't had any issues with the location of the trimmer and though I do find the curved edge of the trimmer a bit odd I haven't had any problems using it.I really like the charging/cleaning stations and all foil shavers I've purchased have included one. My experience with Panasonics are that they work for a year and a half to two years before they begin leaking or fail in some other way. Panasonic has two types - one uses small cartridges and a refillable water chamber, the other has an open tray in the bottom where you add a packet of cleaning solution and water. The first type developed leaks over time and the latter's pump failed. Otherwise they work well. I have not had the Braun long enough to determine longevity but I do like the design and the cleaning cartridges. I like the alcohol based cleaner, no need to add water and the pleasant lemony smell. I like that they are easy to find unlike the Panasonics which are near impossible to find locally and the pouches of solution even became kind of hard to find online at least once. The Braun cartridges are sold everywhere. I also like the fact that Braun sells the the charging/cleaning station so you can easily replace it if necessary. Panasonic doesn't offer this option - you have to go through their support to get a replacement and it will still cost you about the same.I know the shiny new object always seems better that whatever you had and I've had the Braun for only a month or so but for me at least, I think it's a better product. I like its smaller, more precise head. I like the charging/cleaning station better. Time will tell and I will update with any new impressions.
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