You’re smart. You avoided the terror of the extended shaver market and headed straight to Braun—reliable, design-led, and precision-engineered Braun. But finding the best Braun shavers requires an understanding of the range, what’s good, and what is suitable for whom. Don’t worry; I’ve got it from here.
Braun was founded in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1921 and has continually churned out high-quality and innovative German electrical goods. In 1955, famous designer Dieter Rams joined the company and helped to synonymise Braun with “good design.”
But, it was founder Max Braun’s invention of the dry foil raver in 1950 that we’ll be focussing on. It works by setting a load of oscillating blades behind a protective metal foil. The hairs poke through the holes in the foil and get trimmed; meanwhile, the skin stays clear of danger.
This technology is perfect for those with sensitive skin and is still the preferred design for a close-skin electric shaver by Braun.
Don’t worry if this feels like a lot of information. Braun’s versatile products can provide your daily shaver, weekly shaver, and head shaver, all within a budget that suits you, too. Read on below to find the best Braun shavers.
Key Takeaways
For this undertaking, I delved into a particular period of my life when I traveled to and from New York for modeling work. Back then, my Braun M90 kept me looking sharp.
Since this was my only experience of owning a Braun, I then moved my search online. I trawled through Reddit, read many reviews, watched YouTube videos, and absorbed online articles. I swallowed up as much information as I could.
Then I filtered, deciphered, and regurgitated all of that to determine the 5 best Braun shavers you see below.
Overall, the best Braun shaver is the Braun Series 9 Pro 9460cc because it sits at the top of the Braun range in terms of capability but can now come at a reasonable price. For this article, I mainly considered price and capability and tried to put that in the context of what a purchaser needs from their shaver.
I chose the Braun M90, the cheap, cheerful, and reliable travel shaver by Braun, as my runner-up spot because of the incredible price.
Why it’s great: This Braun is loved by much of the internet. It’s a highly capable, versatile, and comfortable shaver. It comes with the 94 cassette head with a ProLift trimmer, the latest technology in getting hairs lying flat on the skin.
The innovative shaver head combined with the rugged power of the motor means that this shaver can whittle your facial hair back to zero even after a whole week’s growth and is still gentle on the skin. That is wild.
Its proficiency also makes it an excellent head hair shaver to keep the bald head bald. It’s undoubtedly the best Braun electric shaver. Is it the best on the market?
Who is this for? For those with sensitive skin who want a shaver that’ll cleanly chop through up to a week’s facial hair with ease. The 40,000 cutting actions per minute allow you to go through a week’s worth of different beard styles before cutting back again.
But the Series 9 PRO has a brilliant array of accessories, too. There’s the comprehensive, automatic cleaning station, the PowerCase with a safety lock that charges while you travel, plus easy cleaning cartridges.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: The only con that most people find is the price. And since the release of the newer Pro+, there are lots of deals to be found on the internet… so…
Battery Life: 1 hr | Waterproof: Yes | Beard Type: up to 7 days growth | Skin Type: All
Why it’s great: If the Series 9 was a little expensive, the Braun Pocket Electric M90 almost seems too affordable. Such a premium brand releasing an accessible travel shaver like this should excite the “deal” senses.
The device is easy to use, clean, compact, fits into your wash bag, and is super durable. Protective travel lock case.
I like how it is focused on functionality and ergonomics. The text is laid out simply enough so that even male models can understand it, and it has a very useful extendable styling blade for mustache or side-burn touch-ups. What more do you need from a traveling groomsman?
Who is this for? I once owned an M90. It was my go-to shaver when I was traveling a bunch for modeling, going back and forth from NYC to London, and I had to keep my baby face as baby-faced as possible. For this purpose, it was ideal.
This is by far one of the best Braun shavers. It has a very sleek, simple, and effective protective case that prevents the shaver from being turned on while locked. This design leans into the minimalist Rams-era design ethos that elevated the brand in the 20th Century.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: The M90 is entry-level. You can shave only light/short beards and only dry shave. Also, it’s not quite as compact as other mobile shavers.
Battery Life: 1 hr | Waterproof: No | Beard Type: Short | Skin Type: All
Why it’s great: The Series 9 PRO+ is an elite-level electric shaver. It’s the latest and greatest offering from Braun and sits at the top of its range. It has all of the same brilliant accolades as the PRO.
This is one of the best Braun shavers out there. It swallows up a week’s worth of stubble, has an LED screen, a 6-in-1 SmartCare center, a PowerCase, excellent battery life, and an ergonomic shape. But there’s even more to it…
Who is this for? The Series 9 PRO+ is for those who expect better than great. It brings an upgraded hair trimmer (straight-edged as opposed to curved on the PRO), a titanium-coated shaver for maximum corrosion resistance, SyncroSonic technology that uses sound to adapt to your beard, and a “Pro Comfort” pre-shave head that lifts flat beard hairs.
Finally, the PRO+ version has striking black and gold details to say: this is not your ordinary Series 9 PRO.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: Expensive. Very, very expensive.
Battery Life: 1 hour | Waterproof: Yes | Beard Type: up to 7-days growth | Skin Type: All
Why it’s great: Why is this Braun’s most popular shaver? Simple. It provides a good shave at a reasonable price; it is durable, ergonomic, and a good size for traveling; and it looks chic. Plus, the cost of ownership is low since the replacement heads are affordable and durable compared to other low-cost electric shavers.
It also carries an advanced battery. It fully charges in 60 minutes, giving a whopping 45 minutes of charge. Impressive ratios. Plus, you can get a single shave just from a 5-minute charge, making this a practical cordless and one of the best Braun shavers you can lay your hands on.
Who is this for? But, the real clincher? It’s designed for those with sensitive skin. The ProSkin 3-blade cutting system is reliable and effective, with two foils and one MicroComb slit-trimmer that handles awkward, flat hairs.
The blades are independently reticulating too, meaning that it will glide over your face like a monster truck going over a Toyota Yaris.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: The power button is easily set off. This means that it can be knocked while traveling and while shaving.
Battery Life: 50 mins | Waterproof: Yes | Beard Type: short-ish | Skin Type: All
Why it’s great: You can forget about the Series 5, 6 and 7. They replace the “old” style Braun shape, bring in plastic parts, and a frankly unnecessary head rotation that escalates with each model.
The Series 8 is an altogether different beast. This shaver sticks with the old shape, retains build quality, and is an all-round Rolls Royce of a shaver.
The Series 8 has a slide-out “ProTrimmer” on the back for shaping solid, durable metal replacement heads (83M cassettes); front and back head flex, and a powerful motor that can chop a 3-day beard with glee.
Who is this for? This is one of the best Braun shavers on the market today. It’s for those who want to get close to the luxurious service of the Series 9 but want to pay the Series 8 money. The newer, more shiny Series 9 has been released, meaning that the price of the Series 8 is now good value for money.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: If the Series 9 didn’t exist, then this would reign as King of Braun. That not being the case, it lacks some of the new features and upgrades of the 9.
Battery Life: 1 hr | Waterproof: Yes | Beard Type: Short | Skin Type: All
Buying Considerations for the Best Braun Shavers
Battery Life
All of the Braun products listed here have a battery life of 45 minutes to 1 hour of continuous use. This gives ample charge for multiple shaves if you’re away from home and have forgotten a charger. Although battery life is important, charge time is where Braun excels. Equally important.
With just 5 minutes of charge, you can achieve a single shave. It’s ideal if you’ve forgotten to charge it up. But also, Braun offers the Clean and Charge station, so you don’t have to think about maintenance or charging, you just slot it in its port at home.
Or, if you’re traveling, some models offer the PowerCase, which charges on the go. Or, you could go old school and use replaceable batteries by buying the M90 model.
Waterproofing
Braun excels in waterproofing. Every single one of the products on this list of the best Braun shavers is waterproof by standard. And most are wet/dry shaveable. That means you can shave with shaving cream or in the shower if you wish. Only the M90 isn’t able to wet shave and must be done dry.
Beard Type
Some of the latest, most powerful Braun models, like the Series 9, can scythe down a week’s worth of beard growth using just a foil shaver. That is mighty impressive. However, these foil shavers are optimally used on short hair to keep the stubble at bay daily.
The foil shaver technology, plus a lot of Braun’s other innovative recent tech, is geared towards reducing irritation of the skin. This makes Braun ideal for those with sensitive skin.
How We Chose
A good electric shaver must balance various qualities. However, some qualities are almost innate when you buy a Braun shaver. The battery life is between 45 minutes and 1 hour, making battery life a pointless thing to differentiate.
All of the best Braun shavers use a foil shaver head, meaning that they are predisposed to catering to sensitive skin. They are all relatively chunky and, therefore, ergonomically sound. So, let us see what differentiates them.
Shaving Frequency: This can range from 1 to 2 days for the M90 travel shaver to a whole week for the Series 9 PRO. The longer you can leave your beard before shaving, the more robust the motor, the more advanced the shaver heads, and, therefore, the more expensive the shaver will be.
Price: Value for money is a huge consideration. Although the Series 9 PRO+ is undoubtedly the “best” shaver, every other shaver is far better value for money. The best all-round value for money is the Series 3.
Accessories: The higher up the range, the more advanced the accessories become. The M90 has practically no accessories. The Series 3 does have a cleaning center, but it’s rarely a configuration option, adds relative expense, and is only 3-in-1 (clean, charge, and lubricate).
Finally, the Series 9 PRO+ comes with the specialized “ProComfort” pre-shave accessory, plus a 6-in-1 cleaning station.
Size: This is important for traveling and ergonomics. The M90 is the perfect light travel companion because of its size; if you’re just traveling with a rucksack and space is limited. However, it is unwieldy and not as good a shaver as others.
The Series 3, 8, and 9 are all more bulky but can be bought with charging travel cases, so if you’re booking stowaway luggage, then this is the best option.
Online Reputation: Braun has a stellar reputation generally. But, forums allow users to analyze and dissect specific models honestly. This is a more accurate and telling depiction of the quality than working from brand reputation alone.
Why Trust Us?
Like his beard, Harvey James’ knowledge of shavers has taken shape in recent years. As a trusted FashionBeans contributor, he regularly writes about these ingenious vibrating scissor machines. He wrote an in-depth review of Brio’s Beardscape V2 and cut the entire Wahl range down to size, revealing the best 5.
Harvey began his shaving career with £0.50 Bic razors before realizing that a cheap razor is a one-way ticket to a sliced-up face. He didn’t care. He was just glad to have hair at all.
Then, he got signed as a model and needed to upgrade. Enter his first electric shaver, the trusty Braun M90. This M90 model traveled with him (also a model) and trimmed his beard to shape for some of the biggest names in the fashion industry. If there’s anyone out there to trust on the topic of the best Braun shavers, it’s Harvey.
Final Verdict
The Braun Series 9 PRO is the best Braun electric shaver. It has the power, reliability, and finesse that the brilliant PRO+ model has. But, crucially, it is much better value for money.
FAQ
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Broadly speaking, yes, though there is a great diversity within the electric shaving category. You can snag an M90 travel shaver for around $20, making it an excellent value-for-money product from a reputable shaving brand. Although the best Braun electric shavers are expensive, they’re also some of the most technically advanced and have unique features. For some older models, like the Series 8, there are some excellent deals to be found online.
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