OVERVIEW:It may seem crazy to review. But this time of the year gifts are to be given and men need to shave. But men have never been this lucky. Braun has launched the Series 5 Clean and Renew System Electric Shaver and your face won't be happier.
DESIGN:
Shavers with all sorts of attachments and "doo-hickeys" tend to look pretty hideous. Not here. The shaver is a great looking mix of style and function. The sideburn trimmer flow naturally into the back of the unit and with a slide with pop out for use.
The color scheme of ours was absolutely beautiful. That is not the end all be all for a shaver, but the good looking mix of black, silver and blue lights on the dock and the shaver itself sure do make one sexy facial hair manager.
Everything looks great and from a design standpoint, everything works great as well. The set comes with the shaver, a brush to clean, the charging and cleaning system dock, a case and the included cleaning solution that slides into the bottom of the dock stand. The shaver will charge and clean in the stand, but also will charge by itself with the wall plug. It will fully charge in an hour and will run for 45 minutes straight.
On the shaver there is a button for on and off as well as a dial for sensitivity, which we will address later.
HOW DOES IT WORK?:
In one word, amazing. I have never had a better electric shaving experience in my life. I shave weekly, with an electric shaver (not to be named) and have never been this comfortable and confident in a product as I am of the 590. There is virtually no tug and pull on my face. I say virtually because sometimes when I get in a hurry and move the shaver too quickly it will grab, but trust me, it does not hurt near as much as the painful experiences of past shavers.
It really does just glide over my face and take care of business. My one complaint is that the shaver will miss some hairs and will need to go back over some areas again and again, but this is nothing different from others. I just thought that there would be a "scorched earth" look after each stroke. But this is actually part of a plan that involves the science of comfort on Braun's part. They use a 3-stage cutting system with twin foils and integrated cutter that shaves long hairs and stubble progressively closer to the face for comfort.
Complete with what Braun calls a Contour Hugging Head the shaver haver head automatically adjusts with your facial contour for great closeness and comfort. The included sideburn trimmer is excellent and will do a very accurate job and great comfort.
As for the dock, base, stand, cleaning thingy, its a good looking way to show off your shaver. But it also serves a great purpose. Not only is the shaver water proof (clean the heads using the faucet, which is really easy) but placing the 590 into the Clean and Revue System Dock and using the included solution will clean and lubricate the shaver to almost brand new status. It gives the shaver an incredibly new feel and extends the life of the shaver. Now the solution is recommended for 30-40 cleaning cycles, which should get you through an entire year of use and cleaning about once every 1-2 weeks based on use. The cleaning takes about ten minutes and the drying process you should give about three hours.
The base is essentially a really cheap looking piece of plastic. The designers must of used a lot of time designing the shaver because the cleaning dock is lacking. That cleaning solution is expensive and will run you almost $100 to replace so when you aren't using it, put the lid back on it to keep from evaporating.
Also on the shaver is a dial with a setting for sensitivity. This will lock the head in place or let it move with the contour of your face. It serves as the only customizable feature of the shaver and is something that will change for you and your face based on the length of hair and just how you prefer your shave.
Now granted, I have never had a Braun, but I have spent a pretty penny on shavers in the past. This may be an experience unit, but like a bed, spring for the comfort. We will keep you up to date on the shaver after continuous use and let you know how it holds up.
MSRP:
$130-$150 but check Amazon for great holiday deals
PROS:
+ Smooth feel and almost no tug of hairs
+ Looks amazing
+ Battery lasts for quite some time
+ Easy to clean using water or included dock and solution
CONS:
- If not found on sale, can be pricey
- Might miss some hairs, just go back and get 'em
- Base could be a little better looking
GRADE:
A