Customer Reviews

Braun Series 3 390cc Clean & Renew System

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I replaced a Norelco rotary shaver with the Braun. I liked the idea of a shaver being cleaned, sanitized and charged after each shave so I bought the Braun. So far, it shaves much closer than my Norelco. The shaver is not quite as "mobile" as the Norelco due to its shape and it is noisier than my Norelco, but it is comfortable on my face and does a good job. The cleaning system works well but is also noisy for about 5 minutes. You do have to replace the cleaning fluid cartridge after every so many cleanings, but that doesn't entail a lot of money. All in all, I like the shaver and would buy it again. I do use a pre-shaving fluid on my face and it seems to help with the closeness of the shave.

Let me begin this review by stating the reaon for the new purchase. My current shaver, a dated brain 5414 has been slowly dying for the past year or so. It started with the battery not holding a full charge, and what I mean by that is the motor was not nearly as fast when on battery than when plugged in. So, it got to the point that I need to keep it plugged in all the time to get a decent speed, and even than it still seems to be running slower. I actually opened the unit up thinking I might be able to remove the battery and that the shaver might be a bit faster when just using the power from just the plug, but the battery appeares to be hard-wired in so I skipped that. Anyway, given that the shaver was 6+ years old and slowing down, I decided to wait until the current foil started to chip apart to get a new shaver since putting money into the old one seemed to be a waste. Well, that happened yeseterday, cut my face good with that bloody foil!

Man, I think I paid like 40 bucks (cdn) for my 5414 so was a bit surprised to see the prices of braun shavers these days. Their cheapest model was around 50, but the features were taking a step back from my 5414 and it really looked cheap. After some research and reading reviews, I decided on the contour unit as it is pretty much middle of the road in the braun lineup and matches what I am used to in features. The more expensive units (360 etc...) seem a bit gimmicky to me to be honest. 300 bucks for a shaver, I don't think so. I was not plannning on geting the 'contour system' with the auto cleaning thingy as the refills appear to be a bit pricey and that will add up over time, however, the store I bought this at was having a sale and the system package was only about 10 dollars more than the stand alone shaver so I said what the heck.

Well, had my first shave this morning and was pretty happy with it. Right away before it even touched my face I could hear the difference as the contour with its new fully charged battery sounded like it was going about 10X as fast as my aging 5414. Basically I got the save type and quality of shave that my 5414 gave me, accept that it took fewer passes to get all the hair and with less irritation. I'm guessing the latter point is at least partly due to the fact that I did not have to go over the same area 5 times. Maybe their new 'smart foil' design with the different shaped holes helped too, who knows? As for the trimmer part that other reviewers have complained about, yeah, its a bit weird since you have to hold the shaver horizontally to use the trimmer (unlike the 5414), but big deal, it works. In fact, because it is positioned that way it makes it easier to get at nose hairs. I think somebody in another review (check the solo ones, not these ones) also complains about there being no way to 'lock' the shaver. Who cares? The on/off button is on the side so it is not likely to be turned on by accident.

Being the first day, I have yet to try the clean&renew thing. It says in the book to use it everyday but saying that is overkill is an understatement; its an obvious attempt to get you to buy more refills. I'm going to wait until the cleaning light on the shaver comes on to try the clean&renew system, we'll see how long that takes to come on. I'm guessing I'll probably run it through the cleaning system at most once a week. I mean the the foil/cutter apparently has a life of 18 months or less anyway, so what's the point in wasting cleaning solution every day? Brush out the stubble with the brush, run it under water if it makes you feel better, and move on. Its kinda funny as on their website and on the box itself, one of the features is that it is fully washable, yet in the product manual it states that you should only do this when you have to and can't use the clean&renew system. Nice job guys. Tap water cleaning is evil, but a feature!

I am going to post a follow-up to this review in a few weeks so keep an eye out for that one as I will have tried the cleaning system. So, bottom line is its faster than my old one and I get less irritation, thumbs up! With its silver housing, it also looks pretty cool, especially with the little blue light on the cleaning thing!

To make a long story short, I can't even think of shaving daily with blades because of irritation. I also own an 5-year-old high-end Norelco rotary (like it quite a bit), but I can only get a close shave with it while shaving (wet) every 3-4 days, I can shave with it (dry) daily with only minor irritation, but not a close shave... not close at all!

After researching insatiably, I decided to try a foil electric (Panasonic or Braun) because almost every review I read said that it provides less irritation and a closer shave than a rotary, and it's better for shorter hairs, making it ideal for daily shaving. My plan was to buy the Braun, use it for 30 days, return it and then give the Panasonic a try for the next 30 days, and then choose the one I liked most.

Let me put it this way, I know it takes the skin 2-4 weeks to get used to a new shaving system; I have owned the Braun for a total of THREE DAYS (that's right, 3 shaves) and I can honestly tell you that I will NOT be returning it, and not even thinking about trying out the Panasonic. This is the best shave I have ever had in my life, period!
The first shave wasn't as close as I was expecting, but after running it through the cleaning system, the next two shaves were spectacular... close, smooth and not one bit of irritation!

Oh, and don't pay attention to those who complain about the cleaning station being loud... I can't even hear the damn thing while the shower is running, and it only makes noise for about 5 minutes, after that it's all quiet... plus it has this really cool blue light that gives my sink counter a very high tech look.

I bought this product for the first time about 1 month ago. While I really like the basic shave that the unit provides, and I also like the automatic cleaning station, you should not buy this product for 2 reasons.

1) I have bought two of these razors in the past month. In both cases, the battery died within 2 weeks. Whether charged directly through the cord, or as part of the cleaning station, after 2 weeks, a battery charge only provides 30-45 seconds of shaving time. I called Braun today, and they acknowledged that they are having a problem with the batteries. Don't buy this product.

2) The sideburn trimmer is really poorly designed. To use it, you have to hold the whole shaver at a 90 degree angle to your face, which prevents you from being able to see if you're going to get a straight cut. Very bad design, and much worse than on my 2 prior Braun razors, where the sideburn trimmer worked great. I'm not sure why they tried to fix a problem that didn't exist. (I was going to tolerate it because I have a separate trimmer than I can use, but if I didn't, then that design alone would probably keep me from purchasing this product.)

Hard to Get Close Shave. I cut myself as well when trying to get a close shave.

I have used Braun previously and loved it. Went to a Norelco then figured I would retry another Braun. I did not think it gave that great of a shave. Having to continually go over and over some spots to get them clean. It is still loud and the on off button being on the side is annoying. Having to sent it back to Braun was a surprise also as Amazon would not take it back before the 30 day trial was up. Think I will stick with the triple header from now on.

This is the first electric razor I've owned in over 15 years. The other electric razor was a cheap Norelco I received for Christmas and I hated it because it pulled hair out more than it shaved them close to the skin. I have a dark beard that tends to grow quickly, and so a close shave is important to me. With a Gillette fusion power (5 blades) razor, I get the closest shave possible. I get some minor skin irritation but I don't know anyone that doesn't.

I purchased the Braun Series 3 Clean & Renew system only because I was having surgery and shaving was going to be difficult. I thought the electric route would help. It did. Unfortunately, the razor hasn't lived up to the hype and reviews I read before purchasing.

First, I used it non-stop for a month to let my face and beard gets used to it. Everyone is right, you need to give it a good month. I also used people's suggestions and purchased the Lectric Shave preshave lubricant. This is also a big help. Without it I didn't get as close of a shave.

It has now been almost 5 months since I purchased it and I still don't feel I get as close of a shave as I do with the Fusion 5-blade razor. I even did a test last weekend where I shaved one half of my face with the Braun and the other half with the Fusion. Immediately exiting the bathroom, I went up to my 13 year old daughter and rubbed both sides of my face on her face. She was wondering why I was doing it, but told her why and she said that the one side was softer than the other, and one was prickly. The soft side was the Fusion side. By noon you could see the beard on the Braun side. The Fusion side was still soft and smooth, and the 5 o'clock shadow didn't show till almost 8pm.

I still use the Braun razor for convenience and it does an OK job unless I really want a close shave to impress the ladies.

Second issue I have with this product is the quality of the cleaning base. It doesn't always keep the razor charged and I have to use the cord attached to the razor about once every two weeks to get a good full charge. It has even fully discharged the battery three different times when I've only used the cleaning base for over 3 weeks. I've thought about contacting support on this but I don't know if I want to waste my time sending it in and paying for shipping and handling. I'd just as soon purchase more Fusion blades, now that my shoulder has healed from surgery.

Would I recommend this to anyone? Maybe. It depends on what you are looking for. It has done its job for what I purchased it for... to aid me while I recover from shoulder surgery. I wouldn't buy another one because I don't think it out performs other razors. I get a much closer shave with the Fusion.

I hope this helps someone.

I have experience using three different mid-range Norelco 3-head shaver models, as well as several Gillette razors. Here's how the Braun 390cc compares against them all.

Pros:
* Water rinsable...doesn't require you to use their cleaning solution everytime.
* When you do use the cleaning system, it does clean it thoroughly, as well as lubricates the head unit; which I would hope could help the head unit last longer.
* Seems to cut closer to the skin than the Norelco's I've used.
* Does not seem to irritate my skin by jamming on a whisker and turning into an oversized electric tweezer, as the Norelco's occasionally did.
* Pivoting head seems to be a nice upgrade over lower models.
* Great ergonomics and aesthetics.

Cons:
* I generally have to pass over every plot of my face 4-5 times before it cuts every whisker in that area. This problem is even worse on my neck. It really doesn't add *that* much time to a shaving, but this was a problem with my old Norelco's, and I had hoped the Braun's wouldn't do it...probably the biggest disappointment to me.
* I'm convinced that Braun wants me to grow mutton chops, because there is a streak of my sideburns immediately adjacent to my ear that I have to really stretch the skin away from the ear for it to even reach with the cutting head because of "dead zones" on the sides of the shaver head that are occupied by the two swivel mounts.
* I'm relatively certain that the noise it makes when I use it is what startles the neighbor's dog early in the mornings.

---Summary---
Razors ALWAYS give you the closest shave...personally, I like the vibrating Gillette's. But, for an everyday shave without the mess of gel, cream, or an EMT crew after you cut yourself, the 390cc is pretty good. We'll see how it works over time, as that's how my Norelco's lost their lustre.

My old shaver was a Norelco that seemed to work pretty well. Unfortunately I lost the charger and the cost for a replacement charger was not worth it.

I picked the Braun Contour because I happened to have enough gift points to get it for free from a web service.

I don't understand all these rave reviews about close, clean shaves. I cannot get the contour to leave my face clean or smooth. Frequently, I'll see one or two lone stubbles sticking out. I'll frantically run the contour over and over the area to no avail. I'll end up resorting to tweezers.

I've even reconsulted the instructions to see if I'm doing something wrong, but the instructions are pretty straightforward. My wife complains all the time about my unclean shaves.

I like the fact that the shaver can simply by rinsed under the sink but I don't bother at all with the elaborate cleaning station. For one thing, if you follow the exact directions, you would end up having to constantly purchase a ton of cleaning fluid. Secondly, the cleaning station is huge. It's somewhat smaller than a volleyball. I don't have space in my bathroom (or bedroom) for this thing.

My old shaver required neither special fluid nor a massive cleaning station. I don't see how the Contour's elaborate setup is a step forward. It's nice to see that the Contour is working for other users but it's definitely a disappointment to me.

I got this shaver for my birthday in April.
I fully charged it out of the cleaning station, as recommended by the manual.
I plugged it into its cleaning station with the cleaning fluid and the charge light was on, as supposed to happen. I happily shaved each morning. The device works for about 1 week, then the battery runs down.
I have to remove the power cord from the cleaning station and charge the razor. After a day it is fully charged. Per the manual, the cleaning station should charge the razor when in it.
I contacted Braun on the issue and got the usual "we're sorry" email but they would only say I had to take the device to an authorized dealer or ship to a nation wide repair center. I had to ship as cost/time to drive to an authorized center was cost inhibitive.
After 1 month I got my shaver back, seemed to be fine, for a week. Battery died again. Braun's solution, ship it again to the service center.

Now, for the price of these shavers, you expect them to work correct and if they need repair the repair to be done once.
If you purchase, pray you don't have one of the "bad ones" else you will be spending significant time and effort to get it "repaired" by Braun. They have little regard for their quality once you buy it.