Braun Series 9 9090cc Electric Shaver Review

The next shaver we have chosen for out review of the best electric shavers is the Braun Series 9.

We have excitedly looked forward to reviewing the series 9 because of the amount of hype that came with the launch of this shaver. If you are a regular viewer of the NFL, you would no doubt have seen all the ads. So we were very eager for find out if the hype was justified.

The series 9 is the latest offering from Braun at the time of writing and is supposed to be the best electric shaver they’ve ever made. So the question then is, is this the best electric shaver Braun has ever made? We are going to answer this question by the time we get to the end of this review.

As usual, we have grouped this review into four broad sections. You can click on a section below to be taken directly to that part of the review.

Box Contents: We reveal what came in the box of the Braun Series 9 shaver.
The Electric Shaver: We take a closer look at the shaver itself.
Shaving Test: This is where we reveal the results of putting the shaver through its paces.
Cleaning: We take a closer look at the included cleaning & charging system.

Braun Series 9 Models

There are three models of shavers falling under the Braun series 9 range of electric shavers. These are:

9095cc – This is their most expensive model and is and is dry & wet shave capable. Comes with a cleaning dock.

9090cc – This has the same accessories as the 9095cc but only shaves dry.

9093s – It is also a dry shaver only, like the 9090cc. However it does not come with a cleaning dock.

In this review, we are going to focus on the premium 9095cc model.

Box Contents

We begin our review by taking a look a the contents of the box. The image below shows what is in the opened box.

Now let’s give you a brief overview of each item in the box.

User Manual: The user manual is very detailed with lots of illustrations to support the instructions.

However, it is not the best laid out user manual, and we found the layout to be strange. It begins with all the illustrations on the first few pages. Then the instructions on the rest of the pages. You will find yourself having to go back and forth to refer to illustrations as you read the instructions. This is just how all Braun shaver manuals are laid out.

Travel Pouch: Also included in the box is the travel pouch. We rather liked the fact that it is a hard shell case. This gives extra protection to the shaver when traveling or when you just store the shaver in it.

The case itself is finished with faux leather. You’ll notice ventilation holes around the hinge area. The aim is to keep the shaver dry when in storage and prevent the growth of mold. However the holes can also attract dust when stored in a dusty area.

Shaver: The next item in the box is the shaver itself. It comes already stored in the travel pouch. So don’t be alarmed when you open your box and don’t see the shaver in it. Open the travel pouch and out comes the rather shiny shaver. Scroll down to the shaver section where we take a comprehensive look at the electric shaver.

Cleaning Brush: The next item in the box is a small cleaning brush, which is used to clean the cutting head manually.

Cleaning Dock: The next item is the cleaning dock. Braun refers to it as the Clean  & Charge Station. Almost all high-end shavers now come with a cleaning dock that cleans and charges the shaver. We take a closer look at the cleaning dock when we get to the cleaning section.

Cleaning solution cartridge: Also included in the box is a cleaning solution cartridge, which the cleaning dock uses to clean the shaver. You will insert it into the cleaning dock and we will show you how when we get to the cleaning section. It is an alcohol based solution (unlike that of Philips and Panasonic) and therefore Bruan claims it also kills all germs and therefore hygienically cleans the shaver.

Power Adapter: The last item in the box is the power adapter. It plugs directly into the shaver to charge it or used to power the cleaning dock.

One issue we had with the power adapter is that the cord is rather short. If you have a power outlet close to your bathroom counter, then this is not a problem.

The Braun Series 9 9095cc shaver

Now we take a comprehensive look at the series 9 9095cc itself. At first glance, you’ll notice a lot of chrome plastic on the body of the shaver. If you like shiny things, then this is perfect for you. But if you are not into shiny stuff, then this might put you off buying it. We were a bit disappointed by the all plastic body. For the price it is being sold for, we would’ve preferred a more premium material (titanium maybe?). But the shaver looks breathtaking out of the and feels very premium. You wouldn’t think it is made of plastic when you take it out of the box.

The chrome plastic body makes it very easy to leave fingerprints and smudges on the body of the shaver.

You’ll find two buttons on the front of the shaver as shown above. There’s the larger silver button that you slide to lock the shaver head in one position. Then there’s the familiar power button used to turn the shaver on and operate other functions.

Look closely, and you’ll find grip friendly rubber on the silver sliding button as shown below. That is a nice touch from Braun to prevent your wet finger from sliding off the button when you try to operate it.

The silver switch’s location has been chosen with careful consideration. It makes it very easy to operate. It is very helpful if you need to quickly lock or unlock the shaving head to shave different areas of your face and neck area.

On the side of the shaver, right next to the silver button are the words; “Wet + Dry.” It reminds you that your shaver can be used to shave dry or in the shower. If you don’t find those words on the shaver, then you may not use it in the shower.

Right under the power button is the LED display screen. The display is smaller than that of the Philips Norelco 9300 we reviewed earlier. We talk a bit more about the display screen down the review.

You’ll find the Braun logo printed on the space right below the LED display screen.

Just like the Panasonic and Philips, you’ll find a charging socket located at the base of the shaver. You can plug the power adapter cord into this socket to charge it.

That covers everything on the front of the shaver so let’s look at the back of the shaver.

The dominant material on the back of the shaver is grip-friendly rubber. The rubber material makes holding the shaver under wet conditions a breeze. It ensures you have a comfortable and firm grip when shaving with wet or foam covered hands.

You’ll find the model number (9095cc), the brand name and the place of manufacture (Made in Germany) printed on the bottom of the back. Great to know that the shaver is made in Germany, a country well known for making high-quality products.

Above the inscription is a small button in the middle of the back. You won’t achieve anything if you just press this button.

Press and slide the button upwards and out pops the attached trimmer as shown in the image below.

The trimmer is an improvement on previous Braun models. It is very solid and won’t break easily. But just like trimmers attached to electric shavers, this is not going to replace your stand alone trimmer. It is useful for shaping sideburns and mustaches and not for trimming thick beards. It might be able to do that, but it’ll take forever, and you’ll quickly dull the blade, which can not be replaced.

Using the trimmer can be a bit awkward. You’ll have to adjust your grip and position the shaver at an angle to use the trimmer. Another con we found with the trimmer is that the cutting teeth stick out a bit even when you retract the trimmer. Accidentally running your fingers or any part of your body over this area can result in a few scratches for you.

But overall, the trimmer is beautifully designed and does a great job with shaping sideburns and mustaches.

There’s another thing on the back of the shaver that you might overlook.

On either side of the power unit warning label, you’ll find what appears to be the tops of two metal prongs sticking out of the body. These are the charging contacts and align with similar contacts in the cleaning dock to charge the shaver while it is in the cleaning dock.

The shaver feels very comfortable when held. The weight feels just right.

The grip-friendly rubber on the back ensures a safe grip even when used in wet conditions.

Now let’s take a closer look at the 9095cc’s shaving head.

The Braun series 9095cc is a foil head shaver just like the Panasonic Arc5 we reviewed.

The cutting blades on the 9095c are designed with maximum cutting performance in mind.

It comes with four cutting elements, each designed to perform a particular task. Let’s take a closer look at the four cutting elements as shown in the images above. There are two images above of the cutting elements.

OptiFoil (labeled 1 & 4): These are the cutting elements responsible for the close shave you get with this shaver.
Direct & Cut Trimmer (labeled 2): This cutting element takes care of hair that grows in different directions.
HyperLift & Cut Trimmer (labeled 3): This cutting element lifts and cuts flat-lying hair.

Each cutting element is independently mounted on the shaving head. Each is independently flexible, allowing them to stay in contact with your skin at all times. The head itself can pivot in different directions, allowing it to adapt to the contours of your face. This helps the hair to maintain contact with your skin at all times.

During testing, we realized the movement of the head was very fluid.

The silver switch we mentioned earlier in the review is used to lock the head in one position if required. This stops the head from pivoting as you shave. We found no issues with the locking function. It requires so little force to lock and unlock the head that, it’ll be difficult to accidentally break the switch while operating it.

If you need to manually clean the shaver (which in the case of the 9093s is your only option), then you’ll have to open the shaving head as shown below.

To do this, you’ll locate two buttons either side of the shaving head block. Press on both buttons simultaneously and the cutting elements block will separate from the rest of the shaver as above.

This is also the procedure to take when you want to replace the cutting elements. Braun refers to the cutting elements block as the “foil & cutter cassette” but we just like to call it something else.

When reattaching the cutting elements block to the shaver, it doesn’t matter how you turn it. It will fit back either way. It is just a matter of snapping the cutting head back in place.

According to Braun,  the blades should last up to 18 months if you shave every three days before a replacement is needed. Because we have not tested the shaver this long, we are unable to confirm this. However, we know older models lasted for many years without having to replace the blades. We are confident this will last for many years before needing replacement blades.

Initially, there was a shortage of replacement blades, but that issue is now resolved, and you’ll be able to purchase a replacement cassette from most large retailers.

That about covers all you need to know about the shaver itself. So now let’s see how well or poorly it performed when we tested it.

The Shaving Test

Before you use the shaver for the first time, we recommend that you charge the battery fully. The shaver has very little battery juice fresh from the box. Not even enough for a quick shave.

You can charge the Braun 9095cc directly with the supplied power adapter or by using the clean & charge station. We used the power adapter for our first charge.

The power adapter is multi-voltage (100 – 240V) and can, therefore, be used in any country you visit.

A full charge took about 1 hour to complete. Braun claims this will give you 50 minutes of shaving time. We averaged about 55 minutes when we tested it. For a daily 2 minutes shave, a single charge should last about four weeks. If you shave less frequently, then it should last much more.

If you completely run out of battery and need a quick shave, there’s a quick charge option. You will be able to charge the battery for 5 minutes and get a quick 3 minutes shave out of it.

You should note that the plugs on the power adapter are designed for the U.S. power outlets. It will not fit into power outlets of most other countries. You will need a travel plug adapter. Luckily these are very cheap and widely available. You can pick one of the best selling travel power adapters here for $42.99.

During charging, the LED display indicates the status of the battery. The system is much like that of the Norelco 9300. It uses five bars to indicate the status as shown in the image below.

One bar equals approximately 20% of battery juice. Five bars means the shaver is 80% to 100% charged.

The display also has a hygienic status indicator, which lights up when the shaver head requires cleaning with the cleaning dock. It appears in the shape of a water drop icon as shown in the image above.

We don’t quite fully know how the shaver determines when it’s time to clean the shaver head. But during testing, we strongly suspect that this is a time-based indicator rather than some clever sensor that can determine how clogged the shaving head is.

We don’t think the hygiene indicator is that reliable so we’ll recommend that you just ignore it and clean your shaver as frequently as you can. We recommend you do this after every shave if you can.

The last indicator we want to mention is the lock indicator. It appears as a small padlock icon and it comes on when you activate the travel lock mode. This mode prevents the shaver from being accidentally turned on.

To turn travel lock mode on, press and hold the power button for about 3 seconds. You do the same when you want to deactivate the travel lock mode. You will have to deactivate it to be able to turn the shaver on again.

We liked this feature because we will hate for the shaver to be turned on by accident when you are traveling, only to reach your destination and all the juice has been drained out of the battery.

Testing

Let’s now talk about the most important aspect of the Braun 9095cc electric shaver. How well does this shaver perform when used for shaving?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Braun Series 9 9095cc is excellent at shaving beard. When we tested the shaver, it performed on a level equal to the Panasonic Arc5.

The Braun 9095cc is simply one of the best electric shavers we have ever used. We noticed that it did miss a couple of hairs after one pass around the neck and under the chin area. But even with these regions, we only needed a couple of passes to get rid of all the hair.

The 9095cc is wet and dry shave capable. Braun states that the only shavers they’ve approved for shaving with foam or gel are the 9040s and the 9080s shavers (note the “s” in the model name means it doesn’t come with a cleaning dock). Braun seems to think wet means only water.

However, we were able to shave successfully with shaving foam using the 9095cc. Be aware that doing so will void your warranty on this shaver. Using this shaver in the shower presented no challenges. The shave in the shower was as good as the dry shave. Maybe it was just us, but we enjoyed the wet shave a bit more than the dry.

We tested this shaver on different people, and no one reported any signs of skin irritation after use. In our experience, there was no redness of the skin or any traces of razor burns. Passing our fingers over the shaved area felt very smooth to the touch.

At this stage, we will like to inform you that if you are solely and dry shaver, then it’ll probably be better to go for the cheaper 9090cc model. It only shaves in the dry, but the shaver is the same in terms of performance as the 9095cc.

We also want to mention something about the wet & dry feature of the Braun shaver. As we mentioned above, we were able to use the 9095cc to shave with shaving foam even though Braun has not approved it for that. What we realized was that it is not that the shaver will malfunction or anything like that if you use a shaving foam. What happens is that the shaving foam might clog the cleaning dock when you use it to clean the shaving head afterward. So even if you have the 9095cc, you can use it to shave with foam. Just make sure you rinse off the foam before using the cleaning dock.

However, the 9095cc offers such a comfortable and smooth shave that you will not even need to use a shaving cream.

Put aside the fuss about the shaving foam, and this shaver produces one of the best shaves you can every experience with an electric shaver. The shave is clean and very close to that of a traditional razor. It dealt comfortably with hair under the chin and around the neck area. We did not experience any problems with skin irritation.

The pivoting head made it very easy to shave with. The design of the handle made it very easy to hold and maneuver. Even those testers with fat fingers were able to hold the shaver comfortably. The grip-friendly rubber ensured that we maintained our grip when shaving. Most of the hair was cut with a single pass over the area. The only areas that needed more than one pass were under the chin area and around the neck areas. Traditionally, these areas are very troublesome to shave.

We have picked this shaver as our top shaver because it is the best you’ll come to finding the perfect electric shaver. The Braun 9095cc is one shaver that will not leave you regretting your decision to buy an electric shaver.

Cleaning the shaver

We now want to take a look at the shaver’s cleaning system.

The cleaning station supplied was very simple and had a less cluttered look than that of the series 7. However, it uses the same cartridges and functions in much the same way. It uses a fan to dry the shaver instead of the induction drying technology of the previous model.

This has its pros and cons. The fan technology dries the head better. But it took 45 minutes to dry while the induction technology only takes about 15 minutes.

The fan technology on the Braun Series 9 9095cc is surprisingly very quiet. It is not silent but is much much quieter than the cleaning docks of a lot of the shavers we tested. However, it is not as noiseless as the induction technology.

We recommend that you remove the protective plastic sticker covering the top of the dock as shown below.

You’ll need to plug it into a power outlet before you can use it. It uses the same power adapter that comes in the box. It plugs into a socket located at the back of the dock. Note that the cable of the adapter isn’t very long, so you’ll have to use it close to your power outlet.

Also located at the back of the dock is a large button. Push this and a hidden compartment located at the base of the dock pops out. This is where the cleaning solution cartridge goes. You’ll place the cartridge in this compartment.

During testing, we noticed the cleaning solution lasted 6 weeks before needing to be replaced. An indicator on the cleaning dock tells you when to replace the cleaning solution. To replace the cleaning solution, you’ll need to purchase a replacement cartridge. You can get a pack of 12 for $67 or a pack of 3 for $20 from here.

To clean the shaver with the cleaning dock, just insert the shaver as shown below and turn it on. The shaver immediately begins to charge, and the cleaning dock automatically determines what cleaning program it should use. After this, press start and the cleaning process begins.

It takes about 5 minutes to clean the shaver and another 40 minutes to dry. The cleaning solution contains alcohol, so Braun claims it also sanitizes the shaver head. This is a feature that you might like. The clean & charge station also lubricates the shaving heads.

The cleaning dock turns off automatically when the entire process is completed. So you can set it and go to bed or do anything else you are supposed to do.

It is also possible to clean the shaver without the cleaning dock. You simply open the head like we did earlier and rinse under running water.

The cleaning dock is not a necessity but makes cleaning much more convenient. If you feel you don’t need the cleaning dock or a wet shave, then you can just buy the much cheaper 9093s model. It performs on the same level as the 9095cc but does not come with a cleaning dock.

Our Verdict

When we began this review, we wanted to find out if the Braun Series 9 shavers lived up to the hype that surrounded their release.

After using the Braun 9095cc for several weeks, we were very impressed with it. It looked and felt premium and produced a shave that is second to none of the shavers currently on the market. It gives you a very comfortable shave without you ever having to worry about skin irritation. It provides a shave as close as an electric shaver can get to a traditional razor. We did a split test where we shaved one side of our face with a regular razor and the other side with the Braun 9095cc. People really couldn’t tell the difference. You can only feel a slight difference when you run your fingers over the shaved areas.

We believe the Braun Series 9 9095cc is the top of the class when it comes to electric shavers. If you can afford it, we recommend this shaver. It’s a sound investment in the long run.