Chad Beightol, founder of grooming boutique Consigliere, recommends it as a solid all-around wet and dry razor, meaning you can use it in the shower, too. Beightol says the 3800 is a straightforward shaver with features you’d find on advanced models, like an 60-minute battery life and a pop-up trimmer for cleaning up facial hair. If you need an electric razor and don’t want to think too much about extra bells and whistles, you can’t go wrong with the 3800. If you’re someone who’s constantly fighting those pesky neck hairs, then this powerful new shaver brings AI into your bathroom and harnesses it to deliver an epic close shave. The rotary heads make it easy to move with you skin, and the pressure sensors alert you when you’re pressing too hard or not enough.
An electric razor needs break-in time—not for the razor, but for your face. If you’re switching from a manual to an electric, or even from one electric style to another, generally you’ll need to give your skin two weeks to adjust to the new tool. We couldn’t figure out exactly why this break-in period is necessary. Different sources give different answers, ranging from new-user error to the need to “train” skin as it adjusts from healing the scrapes caused by a manual razor to dealing with the pulling and shearing mechanisms of electrics.
Connected models allow to track your routine, and advise you for a shave that’s best for your skin. The blades cut close and safely, without touching the skin directly. Another thing to note if you don’t shave every day is that you’d be better off using a chainsaw or angry dog to remove three-day growth than a cheaper electric razor. If you want to stay smooth, without facial irritation, you simply MUST go high-end when electric razor shopping. Battery life is very good (50 mins on a full charge of its Li-Ion battery) but the sparse icon-based manual sucks and I’m not the only one to think so. But, hey, that’s small fry stuff compared to the Series 7 70’s insane ability to shave so amazingly close.
It also lets us test whether the shavers nick your skin or cause any irrritation, and how long the battery lasts. However, the crucial thing to be aware of is that the most recent Brauns have model codes beginning 93 and the most recent Philips ones begin S97 or S95 – plus the Prestige. There is nothing wrong with the older models you will find online, and sometimes they are at real bargain prices, but they’re not the very latest and bestest. Overall, there is very little to tell between this and its premium rivals, but a slightly shorter battery life and higher RRP moved it down the list.
You can use shavers in the shower, but a dry face is generally recommended to get the smoothest electric shave. We found that using shaving cream made for a foil-clogging, extra-gooey experience. Using shaving cream is likely to increase the amount of time you spend shaving, if you want to reach the closeness you’d get going dry. For most people, foil-style electric razors typically provide a closer shave.
Many electric razors offer both dry and wet shaving capabilities. After conducting our Series 9 Pro review, we found the razor cuts shaving time into philips electric razor a fraction of what other electric razors typically put out. There’s even Sonic Technology that lifts hair to deliver a closer shave in less time.
EVEN THOUGH my grooming routine is extensive, I’m a minimalist at heart. I like nothing more than an easy-to-use, no-fuss-no-muss product that can cut down my grooming time. I was still stuck on the pre-shave, shaving cream, razor, aftershave hamster wheel and couldn’t seem to get off. No matter what I did, and no matter what product I tried, I couldn’t seem to get rid of them. In some Prestige packages there’s also a rotating brush that you can use to deep cleanse your face.
While the Series 7 is powerful enough for most shaving situations, Braun’s Series 9 is the top-performing shaver we’ve tried that we find worth the additional expense—at least for certain situations. If you have particularly curly or coarse hair, or if you wish to shave less frequently but achieve the same level of closeness, this may be the shaver for you. Two of the reasons you may prefer using an electric razor on your face instead of a manual razor are convenience (being able to shave anytime, anywhere without water) and safety (no risk of nicks). We believe the Braun Series 7 is worth its higher price, but the Remington F is a surprisingly competent budget alternative. It provides credible stubble-leveling results at an affordable price. Braun’s top-of-the-line electric razor offers the best shave—even for heavy beards—at a higher price.
CBS was a notable customer, using models PC-60, PC-70, PC-72, PCP-90, the LDH series, and later the LDK series. Later marketed using the BTS—Broadcast Television Systems Inc.—brand name in a joint venture with Bosch, the division was subsequently philips electric shaver sold to Thomson’s Grass Valley, then to Belden. James has been using the Series 7 to shave a portion of his face (growing a pandemic beard after initial testing decreased his use somewhat) since first testing for this guide in 2020.