HomeBeauty ProductsMens ShaversBraun Series 5 (8985) Men's Shaver |
|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review: ( 262 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
62 of 63 found the following review helpful:
I've used a lot of electric shavers and this is the best one so far Dec 25, 2006
By Hoppaguy
I shave everyday and thus have used many electric shavers in my time. I have found that the Braun self-cleaning shaver is the best. It gives me the closest shave and also has that great self-cleaning unit which completely cleans and lubricates the shaver. The reason why I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 is because the cleaning cartridges are quite expensive and basically need to be replaced every month. One way to make them last longer is to clean your shaver by every other use rather than everytime.
44 of 46 found the following review helpful:
 Excellent shaver Nov 10, 2006
By Robert Pater
I upgraded (finally) from Amazon.com a few months ago from a Braun puchased over 10 years ago (that I had reconditioned, new batteries put in, etc), which in turn replaced a Braun. I'm clearly in the Braun camp.
The 8985 shaves heads and tails better than anything I've used. Quiet, close, non irritating. Well balanced and easy to hold/maneuver as well. I was originally concerned about having to be on the hook to ongoingly purchase cleaning solution. To extend the solution, I quickly (5 seconds) brush out the hair prior to running the shaver through its cleaning cycle. The solution has lasted far longer than I'd have thought.
Admittedly, it's been a while since I've shaved with Norelcos or Remingtons or other shavers, but I am extremely pleased with the 8985. Certainly if you've liked Brauns and it's been a while since you've upgraded, it might be worth a look to try this model on.
55 of 60 found the following review helpful:
 Works like I would expect but kind of gimmicky May 27, 2007
By Dennis T. Wysocki
"dennytmw"
My wife bought me this razor as a Christmas gift and I've now given it a half year of use to review. It is a replacement for an older Panasonic ES8066 that I owned for many years until I dropped and broke it.
While the shave is comparable to the shave I had with the Panasonic, the issues I have are:
1- The foil tends to rub under my nose during the shave and leave it red.
2- While the shave is good, it's no better than some razors you can get for cheaper and nowhere near the closeness of a blade. For some reason, I seem to be having trouble getting a close shave in some areas of my face with this razor. I never had that issue with Panasonic.
3- The gimmicky aspect I HATE is that it uses these cleaning cartridges that evaporate all by themselves. My old Panasonic was a wet/dry that I could adequately clean in water. The cleaning solution for this is SD40 alcohol and the old cartridge cannot be cleaned and refilled. It's going to wind up costing you to keep this thing. More than it's worth I feel. The alcohol bath it gives, however, does make the razor clean.
4- The clean cycle takes long and I'm not sure the "cleanliness sensor" works properly. When my first cartridge ran out, I cleaned the razor and foil in alcohol until it was spotless inside and out. The sensor, however, said it needed an intensive clean.
5- The recharger/cleaning base is somewhat large and takes up more bathroom counter real estate than I would like. Since it's circular, it doesn't fit squarely in a corner. If you somehow tip it or it gets pushed into the sink....there goes your cleaning solution.
6- When the cleaning solution is not cleaning, it's evaporating (as alcohol does) in your bathroom. I'm not sure I need any more chemicals in the air filtering through my lungs.
In the end, I would have preferred a simple razor that just needs to be plugged in once a week or so for recharging and could be used in the shower and cleaned in water. I hate being forced into buying any extra supplies to maintain an electric razor. If this thing breaks, I will not be buying another one like it.
17 of 17 found the following review helpful:
Best electric I have used Feb 18, 2007
By Robert Clark
"alefone"
Short Review:
Beats Norelco and Remington--I have used both manufactures' top models
Gets neck better then previous electrics--still occasionally need regular blade to bat clean-up though
Overall better design and feel than other razors
The auto clean feature is really nice but does take up a lot of real estate and is loud
Long Review:
Total cost of ownership
- About $145 initial minus the $50 Amazon cash. I buy from Amazon all the time so the cash is great for me.
- The Cleaners are about $3.90 a piece and last for a little over a month so figure about $43 a year.
- $40 a year for the Foil and Cutter Block
-- Figure on about $188 for first year or $15.67 a month (If you do not count Amazon cash)
-- Figure on about $83 for following years or $6.90 a month
-- I only use them for about 3 years so Total Cost for me is $354 minus $50 Amazon Cash for $304 or $8.44 a month for 3 years.
Better shave then other electrics I have used but still room for improvement with those neck hairs. The base is large but you do not get the sink mess that comes with other razors and you do not have to oil the blades--auto clean is nice.
Nice features include the led indicator for when it needs new blades and a battery charge/discharge system that keeps the constant recharging from significantly lowering the battery life.
I recommend this razor over all the others.
13 of 13 found the following review helpful:
Overall a decent buy Apr 11, 2007
By Christopher Ikei
Basically, this shaver gives me just as close a shave as any high-quality electric shaver. No better, no worse. It will never be as close as one of those flashy Gillette blades, though. I'm one of those guys with a pretty thick, fast growing beard, so this is a concern for me every morning. I've definitely gone through my share of various types of electrics and razors.
Hands down, there is a huge convenience factor added with the self-cleaning. No mess. No hassles. Just drop it in the charger, push the button, and let it do its thing for about an hour.
From a financial standpoint, its a mixed bag when comparing to standard blades. Your typical Fusion blade costs between $3-$4, and based on the type of beard you have, a single blade can last about a week, give or take. So per use, its definitely cheaper to go with electric. However, with such high up-front costs to purchase the Braun, along with changing the cleaning cleaning fluid each month at around $4/each, it will take a few years to break-even. (In fact, if you want to get really technical, with inflation and interest rates considered, you may never really break-even. I was actually distorted enough to run these calculations in Excel.) However, from a purely psychological sense, you don't feel like you're getting robbed each time you have to buy more razors, you just get robbed once.
So, in summary, solid electric shaver, cool added value of convenience, and its kind of your call on whether you think you'll be saving money or not.
See all 262 customer reviews on Amazon.com
|
| |
|
|
|
