Customer Reviews

Braun 7526 Syncro Shaver System with Clean & Charge Storage Stand

5 star:		(93)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(26)
2 star:		(22)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

I have to admit, I was skeptical. From the item description, it was difficult to tell how the cleaning system worked. I was concerned that I'd extract the shaver from the cleaning base and have a wet or messy shaving head, but that's not the case. After each cleaning cycle the shaver head is dried completely.

You simply insert the shaver into the cleaning base, engage the electrical connection, and everything is automatic. Cleaning solution is pumped up from a cartridge resevoir and passed through the shaver head. All whisker debris is rinsed away and captured in the cartridge. The shaver head is simultaneously lubricated. When all is complete, the shaver is as clean as new, and ready for the next shave. The entire process takes about 15 minutes. It works amazingly well.

The cleaning cartridges are good for about 30 cleaning cycles. An indicator light on the cleaning base will alert you when it's time to replace the cartridge. You simply pop out the old cartridge, and replace with a new one. The old one goes into the trash. Cartridges are sold in packs of two, and cost $5-$6 per cartridge.

One last thing, this model #7526 is about $50.00 cheaper than the more expensive model with the graphic display. I'm not sure why anyone would want to spend the additional amount for the more expensive model. As far as I can tell the only difference between models is that the more expensive model graphically indicates how many minutes are left in the cleaning cycle, or how many minutes are left before the battery needs recharging. The model 7526, lets you know when it's time to run the recharge cycle by illuminating a red LED. It's all you really need.

I have a fairly thick beard and this guy just takes it off as smoothly as a blade. I have had a previous Braun, a couple of Norelco models, and an overpriced Panasonic in the past. This one is by far the best. And despite having thick hair, I also have sensitive skin. I get virtually no irritation from this model.

The cleaner works extremely well, and will probably prolong the life of the unit, though the darn solution can be expensive and hard to find. Buy 2 boxes whenever you see it. The cleaning cycle is a bit noisy, but only for a few minutes.

The only functional drawback is that the shaver does have some difficulty doing my neck hairs which tend to grow every which way. I have never had an electric that did a "perfect" job on them without a bit of effort, and this one is no exception. It does, however, do a better job than any of my previous models.

If you want a close shave, but don't want a blade, consider this model. The Braun 7570 is the same shaver with some additional information displayed on an LCD panel. The blade and screen are the same. This "option" carries a hefty price tag which is why I went with the 7526.

I can only give this shaver 4, maybe 4 and a half stars because it does not shave as close as a blade. With that said...this series of Braun shavers is still probably the best on the market. Here's my take on its pros and cons:

PROS: The Braun name means quality and reliability (2-Year Warranty). The self-cleaning system is ingenious. It's easy to use, and there's no mess, unless you spill the cartridge of course, or you knock the unit's stand over. I read somewhere that these Brauns carry 8500 RPM motors. This speed is probably optimal for avoiding skin irritation. There are shavers with faster motors (up to 13,000 RPMs) out there, but with the increased speed comes a higher likelihood of skin irritation, especially if you have sensitive skin like me.

CONS: The shaver provides a close shave, but not as close as a blade. The cleaning process is a bit loud, but the cleaning process only takes 15 minutes. The unit is quite bulky. Forget about bringing the unit on the road.

The cleaning cartridge must be changed every 8 wks. That's $- $ per new cartridge - comparable to what you would spend with a razor.

Someone probably mentioned it already, but to obtain the shaver and the cleaning unit, the 7526 is the most economical model that you can buy. The more expensive 7546 and 7570 models are not mechanically superior - the only additional feature they provide is more precise info about how much time is required for the unit to charge completely. This is a luxury that most can live without, especially for an additional $-$.

I would recommend this shaver to anyone. It's as close to perfection as you can get right now in an electric shaver and will make some guys throw out their blades.

I tend to be a blade user since I never found an electric which can give me a close enough shave. Unfortunatly, I've a difficult face to shave and blades usually made me end up looking like a war victim.

After a friend purchased a Braun 7505... and really liked it, I decided to try the 7526 (same shaver, but comes with the self-cleaning system). I paid $119 at RiteAid for the unit.

While no electric razor will give a shave as close as a blade... the Braun gives me the closest shave I've ever had with an electric. It's close enough for me, that I don't need a blade anymore.

Furthermore, the ease of use and cleaning is outstanding. As pointed out by others, the cleaning system is a nice touch, but can get expensive... but as one astute person noted, if you seal your cleaning solution after each use, and clean it every 4 weeks, the solution should last years, instead of days. (his suggestion... simply recap the cleaning solution after you run it through the cleaning cycle - which the manual itself recommends doing every 3 or 4 weeks).

Hey, this thing shaves close! I've had this shaving system for around 8 mos. now and am still very happy with it. My biggest concern before buying (believe it or not) was speed. I started shaving my head around a year ago (if you're going to go bald you might as well just do it!) and that's a lot of territory to cover every danged morning! Well, it is about twice as fast as my old shaver(s). Seems to have slowed down a tad after a couple of mos., but maybe it's just a perception thing. The price of this shaver has come down substantially since I bought it also. ... So there is very little reason to not get this great razor now- except one, which with a little guile I have solved...

Those cleaning cartridges are an unadulterated rip-off. But, guess what? All they are is denatured alcohol and a little machine oil (and fake lemon scent). Just take your spent cartridge, clean it out real well, being careful not to damage the nylon screen and let it dry. I just go outside and spray out the old whiskers and stuff with the hose. Pay a visit to your friendly local hardware store and get a small, cheap, ten-year supply of denatured alcohol. Drinking alcohol, if it's 100% pure would be even better but much more expensive. All denatured alcohol is, is drinking alcohol with poison added so you can't get drunk on the cheap! Then add a teaspoon (more or less) of fine machine oil and fill the cartridge up to the level of a new one and voila- problem solved! I use sewing machine oil because of its fine quality, which you can get at the -you guessed it- sewing machine or yardage stores. I haven't had any problem with this except don't be ... like me and try to add real lemon juice to restore the lemon fresh scent! It only gums things up! Besides the alcohol smells just fine!

So, there you have it. I hope this helps. Have fun and knock yourselves out!

I have tried several electric shavers, but was always disapointed with the way it performed. In the past I've used norelcos, including the model with the shaving gel. While it made shaving more comfortable, it did'nt give me a close shave, and it caused all the hairs to get glued to the blades. So I switched back to the mach 3, which shaved real close, but left razor burn all over my chin.

After buying the Braun 7526, I was shocked by how close of a shave I got. Takes off three days worth of beard very easily. Also, the cleaning system does a great job. Atfer the cleaning cycle, you can take the foil off and you will not find one single hair. Also, it leaves the razor smelling lemony fresh. All in all, the best electric I've ever had, cuts almost as close as a blade, but no irritation. Also like the light that lets you know when it has a low charge on it. The battery life is great. Tested it out, and it went over three weeks before the red light came on. Highly recommend to anyone looking to ditch the blade or their norelco!

After researching a replacement for my Norelco, I decided to take a risk and try the Braun Synchro- the reviews sounded good and the cleaning concept was cool, so despite having used Norelco's for 20 years, I bought the 7526. WOW ! Great shave, long charge, great choice. A couple of tips for you: 1.-Put the caps back on the cleaner insert after use- that stops evaporation and extends life by 50% 2.-Clean unit only twice a week-daily is overkill and not needed, time is money, folks. 3.-Use a preshave, easier on skin. 4.- this unit ROCKS !!

I've always had a fetish for as close a shave as possible, because I deal with clients and the public a lot, and I like the look of a clean, close shave. That's why for years I have tried one blade razor after another, going from single blades, to double, to triple, and having the ones with lotion on the blades, skin guards, etc.. I'd get the close shave I wanted, but there was always the occasional face-cutting the blades involved, and I hated the scabby face look even more than a bad shave. I'd tried electric shavers off and on over the years, but never really felt that I was getting the close shaves I wanted. This Christmas, however, my wife purchased this product as a gift for me, and so as not to appear ungrateful, I agreed to give it a trial period. To my amazement, it really does give a very close shave. Technically, it may not be as close as a razor, but it's very good, and I don't have to worry about cutting myself. Additionally, I like the idea that the shaver cleans itself after every use, because I hated taking the others apart, and using that little brush on the hair inside. Being a confirmed gadget person, I would have liked the top of the line model with the elapsed minutes of shave time, but my wife is much more practical, and she's right that it's an unneeded luxury. I do not expect to go back to blade shaving in the foreseeable future, if ever. I like this product!

Ok, so I broke down and bought this razor. I had used a Braun all through college and it failed last year on me (hey, it lasted 8 years). So when I went shopping I picked up a Norelco instead. Which worked great at first. But recently was having problems (wouldn't keep a charge, even though I would conditioned the battey, discharge all the way then recharge). So I went shopping. I have seen this razor advertised and even looked here at the other reviews. I thought to myself, "How could a razor be that good." Well all the reviewers are right. Its the best that I have ever used.

First about the razor. It is similar to the flex series except this one also pivots from left to right. I didn't think this would make a difference but it does. The battery in the unit is a Ni-Metal Hydrid battery. That means the battery won't build a memory (same battery used in the new digital cellphones). So you can charge it anytime without worrying about the battery building a memory. They said to discharge the battery about every 6 months to condition it, I can handle that. And it works great. Haven't had a good shave like this since I used the Sensor Excel. It has 50 minutes of use time, which is good for a two week vacation without even having to take a charger. And the case is very nice for the unit.

Now about the cleaning stand. This is where I was sceptical. So the first time I used the razor (I didn't have a heavy growth that day but was shocked on how much the razor did find). I put it in the base, set it on clean and showered. After I got out of the shower it finished cleaning. So I took it out and looked at it, did not see a THING (I looked at the blade before cleaning so I could see what it would remove, there was a lot there). I looked in the cleaning solution tray and it had a lot of stuff in it.

The ONLY drawback is that you have to buy cleaning about every month or two, but I saw Bestbuy was selling the solution and you get 2 refill tanks for 8 bucks. I have spent more money on more stupid things. That is a very very small price to pay for the automatic cleaning function, cause it cleans it so well, it looks like it has never been used.

Now my girlfriend wants to see how this thing works on her legs lol. I am going to buy my father one next week for fathers day. It will be great for him because he has arthritis and the automatic cleaning function will be great for that.

If you have any questions about it, drop me an email.

As you should do, read most of the reviews you can (from one-star to five-star reviews) in order to determine whether this product is what you want.

Cons: The Braun 7526 Synco Shaver did not work well for me. Everytime I tried to shave the front side of my neck (a couple inches below the jaw bone) it would leave a good bit of area unshaved. I'm not entirely certain whether this is due to skin type or hair type. Shaving in general is a bit more difficult if you skip a day or two.

Pros: The shaver is sleek and does not take up too much counter space in its holder/recharging/cleaning unit. The shaver holds a really good charge. The 'cleaning' phase does a superb job of keeping your razor fresh. It does leave a skin-tight shave on the rest of my face outside of the neck.

Conclusion: I ended-up purchasing a Norelco 7845XL Quadra Action shaver which I have been extremely happy with.