This review is written after a few months of usage. For comparison, let me explain that I have been using a razor for shaving and that has always given me a very close shave, but obviously I would often end up with scratches and small cuts. Also I have used the Philips OneBlade and have been very impressed with that especially for the cheap price I paid (£27). I saw the Braun Series 5 shaver for sale at £65 and made an impulse buy to try it out.
First impressions were that it looked good quality and easy to operate. I shaved with it and found it was not as close as razor shaving, but it was satisfactory enough for attending the office for work, and definitely good enough for video calls when working from home. I did receive a couple of tiny scratches on my first few shaves, but certainly nothing at all compared to the razor shaving, or the Philips OneBlade. The Braun shaver struggled with longer hairs, that the Philips OneBlade had no problem, e.g. if I had not shaved for several days.
For cleaning, the Braun is easy to clean - the top detaches and can be rinsed under the tap. The hair seems to be almost completely collected within the top chamber. With the Philips OneBlade, I need to clear the sink area of other items before I begin shaving so I can more easily clean away all the hairs that fly everywhere. None of that nonsense is necessary with this Braun shaver.
The charger came with a UK style 2-pin plug, i.e. you will need an adapter if you take it abroad, even for countries with a 2-round-pin socket. I discovered in the past with my Philips OneBlade, the European 2-pin socket is not the same as the UK 2-pin socket. I really wish electrical gadget manufacturers would wake up to the 21st century and convert their gadgets to USB charging instead of persisting with these stupid 2-pin 20th century rubbish. So far I seem to be able to do several shaves before the battery recharge warning, and I'm happy with that. Charging is fast enough that it hasn't caused me any problem yet to notice it being too slow.
I have now given up razor shaving and although it is not as close as razor shaving, in my case it is good enough, and on the plus side I now rarely get any cuts or scratches. Also I can use the Braun for a dry-shave, e.g. it is great for those days when I don't need or have time in the morning to shave, i.e. at the same time I have a shower. Instead I can now dry-shave later in the day when I need it, although I could do that before with the Philips OneBlade. However compared to the Philips OneBlade, this Braun makes less mess and is a marginally closer shave. It is obviously more expensive than the Philips OneBlade, but by making less mess, the Braun Series 5 is now my preferred method of shaving, and I only use the OneBlade if I've allowed my beard to grow for several days.
Do I think this shaver is a good buy? The answer is definitely yes it is a good buy at the price I paid. I would have been willing to pay slightly more (£5-10) if it had USB charging.
Conserves energy compared to similar products.
As certified by
GreenCircle Certified: Certified Energy Savings
GreenCircle Certified: Certified Energy Savings
GreenCircle certifies that a product saves energy in the use phase when compared to similar products in the store or a previous version of that product. Certified Energy Savings are represented as the percentage by which the product has reduced energy consumption compared to a standard product. A product must meet a 10% energy savings threshold to qualify for Climate Pledge Friendly.
