84 of 84 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Goodbye Norelco, Hello Braun!, December 7, 2006
This review is from: Braun Series 5 8975 Men's Shaver (Health and Beauty)
First some background... About 10 years ago, I tried a high-end Braun foil shaver because I read good things about them, and found it just didn't shave longer hairs (especially on the neck or if you went a few days without shaving). Plus it didn't shave much closer than my Norelco so I never used it much.
I've been a loyal Norelco guy. My first Norelco rotary lasted many years. The next one lasted only a few years. The next only a couple of years. And the last several have only gone about a year before the blades go dull, the batteries start to give out, or both. It doesn't seem to matter if I buy a $40 or $100 Norelco, they just don't last very long anymore. I suspect this is on purpose to get you to buy expensive blade sets or a new shaver and generate more income for Norelco?
Well Norelco (are you reading this?), your short lived products prompted me to try Braun again and boy am I glad I did! This is the first foil shaver I know of that can REALLY shave longer hairs. It also shaves MUCH CLOSER than even a brand new top-of-the-line Norelco rotary. And it doesn't seem to irritate the skin as much either.
I opted for the 8975 becuase it doesn't need any refills like the more expensive versions do. But it uses the same blade head so it shaves just as well as the more expensive versions. I just got it, so I can't comment on how it will hold up, or the battery life, but it's really no contest against the Norelco's for the quality of the shave.
I only have a few small gripes so far. For this price, I'd rather have something with a rubberized or soft grip exterior that feels better in the hand. Braun's solution to make it less slipery was to put sharp bumps on the hard plastic case and it feels kind of rough and cheap in your hand. It's also noisier than the Norelcos but it's not too bad. Finally, the Norelcos use a standard small coiled power cord that's easy to travel with. The Braun uses a much more bulky cord/plug arrangement that's not as travel friendly.
But, when it's all said and done, you buy a shaver to SHAVE. And this Braun does that better than anything I've used at any price. Period.
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28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good but not great, January 14, 2007
This review is from: Braun Series 5 8975 Men's Shaver (Health and Beauty)
I came to this razor after using a Braun 6000 series for the past 4 years. Rather than sticking at that level I figured I'd try the better model to see what the benefits are.
Unfortunately the benefits are limited. Don't get me wrong, it is a good razor, its just not really better than my old one. Grip and operation wise my old 6000 is actually better. Simpler where it needs to be. Actual shaving wise all the new gadgets don't seem to have done much. It does shave better than my old razor, but that one needed a new shaving block (and battery, hence replacing it).
So is it a worthwhile razor? Definitely, thats why I gave it 4 stars. But, knowing what I know now I would have stuck with the next model level down as there really is no difference where it counts.
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good shaver, August 8, 2007
This review is from: Braun Series 5 8975 Men's Shaver (Health and Beauty)
I don't have any complaints with this shaver at all. I get a better shave than I did with my old shaver, a Norelco 3 radial blade one. Before, there used to be hairs that would be missed but with this Braun, there aren't-nice.
I agree with others that the self cleaning thingy in higher Bruan models is gimmicky and not necessary, especially since it requires you to buy cleaner refills periodically. This model without that feature is the one to buy in my opinion.
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