The Good:
Reasonable price
(for Braun shavers)
Easy to clean
Wet and Dry
use
Built-in trimmer
The Bad:
Difficult to
get locally
Cheaper alternatives are available
Price:
Php P4,200 on Shopee or Lazada
US$ 60 on Amazon
Verdict:
Have you
ever wondered why some people use electric shavers? If you’ve been using disposable
shaver blades for years, check out this
review as it just might make you change your mind. Full disclosure, this is the
first electric shaver I’ve used. Except for a cheap one I kept in the car for emergency
use 20 years ago. I did a lot of research
before deciding on this Braun 3040. I considered some cheaper alternatives like
the Philips AT610/620 and the Xiaom Mijia Flex Razor. Since I needed a portable shaver
for travel, I also bought a Xiaomi USB shaver. I’m still waiting for delivery, so it
will be interesting how this compares to the Braun.
While doing
some research, I found out that there are two kinds of shaver designs, Foil and
Rotary. Most review sites say that one is better for thick hair, while the
other is for light to medium growth hair. Most of it is confusing and some
contradictory. But most sites agree that the Braun Series 3 is the best budget
shaver you can get for less than USD$100. There’s also a consensus for wet and
dry shavers.
Braun has a huge
line of shavers, and it can be very
confusing. They have a Series 1 all the way to the Series 9. One way to look at
it is like buying a BMW. A Series 7 will
be better than a 1 series. What you get
will also depend on your budget. That is where the Series 3 comes in. It’s
right in the middle of the line. So now let’s shave and see the difference. Check
out the photos below.
 |
| Before |
 |
| Half wet and half dry |
 |
| After |
After using
it for about a week, I have to say I’m happy with it. While it does not shave as
close as a blade, it’s close enough. One advantage of using an electric shaver
is that you don’t need to worry about getting a nick or a cut. I preferred a
wet shave rather than a dry. Also, you’ll need to do a double or even a triple
pass to get a clean shave. The built-in trimmer also helps with hard to reach
places. Charging takes about an hour and should be good for a week of daily use.
One tip I can give is to use an aftershave
lotion or balm to prevent irritation.
Call me a
convert on electric shavers. It will be interesting to see how it will compare to the rotary shaver I ordered. Check back in a few weeks to see my review on that.
