Braun 8585 Activator Self-Cleaning Shaving System
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Customer Reviews of Braun 8585 Activator Self-Cleaning Shaving System
Customer Review: Review by a blade convert
Summary: 4 Stars
I have been a lifelong blade shaver- my most recent setup was a Mach 3, plus the excellent "King of Shaves" shave gel. But the hassle of blade shaving started to bug me after the birth of our second child as I started looking for ways to streamline my morning routine, and I decided to give an electric a try. After reading a lot of different reviews, I chose this Braun. I've been using it for little over a month.
The good:
It's capable of delivering a very close shave (if you take the time... see below). Better yet, nicks are very rare, and nowhere near as long-bleeding as those from a blade. It's great to just put down the shaver and be done- no rinsing, no wiping up all the water that ends up splashing on the sink, etc... There's no shaving cream to run out of! The cleaning feature is superlative- it cleans itself better than I possibly could, and the lemon scent is nice.
The bad:
I'm not sure it is saving me much time. If I'm very careful, and pass over each spot a dozen times, I can get a shave that comes close to my blade. It's much easier to miss spots than it was with blade shaving, and I find myself having to run my hand ahead of the blade to "pick up" the hairs so they'll be shaved.
However, I'm keeping it- I think it's as good as an electric likly gets, and I've found that I don't need a "perfect shave" every day. When I hurried a blade shave, I would end up with a bloody face. A few rough patches are a fine tradeoff as far as I'm concerned, and it's nothing you can see.
For the special occasions where I really want a close shave, I can take the time and get something approaching what a blade could do. I can even shave twice in one day- maybe a morning quickie, and a more careful shave before "date night" when I can take the time. That's inconceivable with a blade, at least with my skin.
I know some folks are bugged by the cleaning solution thing. I'm convinced that the bulk of the cleaning fluid loss occurs not during cleaning, but through evaporation during periods of non-use... the system is not sealed tightly. I think that unless you have a very thick, fast-growing beard, you can get by just cleaning weekly, and removing and recapping the cleaning fluid container between cleanings. This would likely extend the cartridge lifetime significantly- I've read reports of people using them for a year.
But I wouldn't go nearly that long. During cleaning, the fluid is pumped up to the shave head for cleaning, and them runs back down into the container. In other words, it is reused, and the shaved beard hairs settle to the bottom of the container and are disposed of when you replace it. But hair isn't the only thing that comes off your face- there are facial oils too, and I have to think that the fluid itself would get funky if you went too long without replacing it. I have a very oily face, so I plan to replace cartridges pretty much according to the normal schedule.
In summary- as a recent convert to electric shaving, I've been pleased overall. It has required some adjustment, but for my lifestyle right now it's a good match, and I would certainly recommend this model to anyone contemplating the same change.
*UPDATE*: After four months, I'm still happy with it, and still works as I described. However, I have developed real issues with the environmental impact of the disposable cleaning solution containers- they're a heavy plastic that will be around for millenia, and are not recyclable. I've gone to cleaning the blades manually weekly with the included brush, installing and using the cleaning solution once every 3 weeks to keep it lubricated (storing it capped the rest of the time). It's messier and a little more hassle, but cuts way down on cartridge use. I've noticed no difference in shave quality.
-R
Customer Review: Good shave/ had problems with cleaning stand and repair shop
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased this shaver the beginning of Dec 2004 and am quite pleased with using the shaver but I did have a major problem with the cleaning stand that required a warantee repair/replacement of the cleaning stand just 6 months after my purchase. Yes it did give me a very close shave with less strokes and less irritation then other electric shavers I had though its not exactly as close as you can get with a blade. I do have problems in the neck area getting a close shave as others mentioned but I always had to work harder with that area with any shaver I used. I have a slim/thin neck area with a lot of steep angles that's hard to shave. If you have a more round neck area with less angles you probably not have the same problem. I could get a slightly closer shave using a blade though I would also have more irritation to get that closer shave, so there is a trade off. The shave I get from this razor is good enough and without the irritation so I am satisfied.
One thing to note is to NEVER try to clean this razor or inside cleaning stand with WATER. Only use the cleaning brush they provide or a towel because it could damage the razor. I also wouldn't try to use a different cleaning fluid as other said they did to avoid having to buy the replacement cartridges because it could easily damage this razor and the cleaning stand.
As for the cleaning stand, the pump suddenly wouldn't pump the cleaning fluid into the unit with enough pressure to clean properly after just 6 months. Since it was under warrantee, I brought it to one of the Braun authorized repair shops in my area for repair instead of mailing it directly to Braun and I had a horror story trying to get it repaired! The repair shop said it could take about 2 weeks or so to get repaired. Well after 3 weeks I called the repair shop and they said the unit could not be repaired and he already order a new cleaning stand unit over a week ago and he was still waiting for it to come in. I called up Braun customer service and they said they have to give the repair shop 30 days to fix the item before they will even look into it further. Well after 30 days the repair shop still didn't get the replacement unit and I called Braun customer service again. The Braun customer service rep. went back and fourth calling the repair shop a few times until the Braun Customer Service Representative finally decided to order another cleaning stand for me and mail it directly to me which they said would take another 7 to 10 business days and not to bother calling the authorized repair shop anymore. 10 business days later I called Braun customer service to check on the status and they told me the replacement cleaning stand is now on BACKORDER with no estimated time of delivery and nothing could be done to expedite it and they could not offer me any other assistance. Well 2 days later the replacement cleaning stand finally arrived which goes to show the Braun customer service rep had no clue what was going on with my replacement order. This whole experience shows how much of a hassle you might have if you need to have this Braun razor repaired under warrantee. I actually called Braun customer service again and asked them if I could of had better or faster repair service if I mailed the part directly to Braun instead of taking it to the authorized Braun repair shop. They told me it would of taken at least a week longer if I mailed it directly to Braun because after they receive the item in the mail they automatically mail it to another location to get it repaired which takes at least week or more. I am happy with this razor but good luck if you need warrantee work. I also have some concerns with the quality of the cleaning stand because it broke so quickly and if I will have the same problem with it again in the future.
Customer Review: Review from a first time electric razor owner.
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the second electric razor I've ever used, and the first I've ever owned. The first time I used an electric razor was about 8 years ago. My friend had one and the convienence seemed great, so I gave it a try. I thought the skin had been peeled from my face! The shave wasn't close at all and every whisker that was left on my face seemed to have a direct line to my pain center. I had NEVER had razor burn that bad before. I swore off any and all electric razors at that point.
Here recently, I was given this razor as a gift. I thought "Hey, computer technology has come a long way in 8 years, why not razors?" so I decided to give it a try. I followed the directions for setting it up and letting it charge. I decided to give it a try on a weekend evening... I was expecting MASSIVE razor burn again and I didn't want to have to go out in public afraid to have a gnat land on my skin. I used the razor. Shave was pretty close, not as close as my safety razor and cream, but pretty dang close. But, the most amazing thing.... VERY LITTLE RAZOR BURN! I couldn't believe it.. first time I used it, the skin on my neck got a little irritated and red, but nothing unbearable. The redness was gone in 15 minutes. Now, after a week of using it, there's no irritation at all! I'm amazed!
Most of the reviews here have covered the features of the razor, so I thought I'd give a few tips for 'first time' electric razor owners like myself as well as a few general comments on the Braun 8585:
1. Shaving before showering to improve the closeness of the shave.
2. While shaving, use your other hand to 'stretch' the area you are shaving... this will help raise the hairs and make your shave closer.
3. I never realized this, but shaving cream has two purposes. I always thought it was just there to lubricate your skin... turns out it also does a great job of telling you where you have and have not shaved as well! Since the Braun doesn't require shaving cream, you'll have to pay closer attention the first few times you use it to make sure you don't miss any spots. Run your hand over your face and you can usually tell if you've missed anything.
4. The cleaning cycle is a bit loud... basically, it makes the razor run while flowing cleaning fluid through the head. So, it's just as load as the razor itself. It also turns on and off randomly, so it is a bit irritating. The moral of the story? Don't press the cleaning button if someone nearby is still trying to sleep.
5. The included electric cord does not stretch much (maybe 4') and has to be plugged in to the back of the base stand. So, depending on your bathroom electrical outlet arrangement, you may need to get a short extension cord so that the big, ugly black cord of the razor isn't stretching all over the place.
All in all, I can't recommend this shaver enough. I never thought there would be an electric razor that wouldn't irritate my skin, but it seems I've found one. It doesn't shave as close as a 'real' razor, but it is good enough for a workday. If your significant other demands baby smooth cheeks, you can always bust out the 'real' razor for date night. This razor is perfect for anyone looking to "shave" a few minutes and a lot of hassle out of their morning routine.
Customer Review: Not faster, not better, not cheaper than a blade
Summary: 3 Stars
I should preface the negative sounding title of this review by saying that I have a lot of respect for this Braun product, and I think there are many good things about. The pivoting head is great, and I really like the cleaning station. Here are some things I think people should consider before buying this product:
This razor requires some replacement parts in addition to your outright purchase cost. The foil and blade are supposed to be replaced at least every 18 months (more frequently, if necessary). That will set you back around $35. The cleaning fluid sells for around $10 for a replacement (I found a three-pack on Amazon for around $13), and one cartridge will only last you between 1-2 months. If you read the above overview written by Amazon, you will see that cleaning less frequently doesn't necessarily help you save cleaning fluid, as more intensive cleaning cycles are just repetitions of the lesser cycles. I should also mention that I had to buy the cleaning fluid online because I could not find it stocked in ANY store...and I tried several (including two Walgreens stores which advertise that they carry the replacement products!). Do the math and find out whether it is worth it to you.
I, too, bought this razor to streamline my morning routine. It hasn't. Though this razor performs admirably on the face (I wear a goatee, so I can't comment on upper lip and chin performance), it does quite poorly on my neck. Some of the hairs on my neck are either too thick to pass through the foil, or grows at any angle that the "smart" foil doesn't catch, and I have to make several (several!) passes to get a mediocre shave on my neck. I have also recently started using a pre-shave to get a better shave. It helps, but it is one additional step to my routine. I find that I spend another five minutes shaving in the morning by using this razor than I did with a wet shave to get a worse result. I sometimes also have to shave twice a day if I want a somewhat clean look in the evening.
The long hair (sideburn trimmer) is likely the most useless feature of this razor. I initially tried to use it to cut the thick hairs on my neck that the razor didn't catch, but it couldn't do that. The blade simple doesn't get close enough to the skin. It also doesn't do the job I demand on my sideburns, so I still continue to use a Remington beard trimmer to groom my goatee and sideburns.
Braun tells you directly that it takes a few weeks for your beard to "adjust" to the razor. I found that it took longer than that (in some ways, it never has). I often wonder whether they suggest that waiting period to give you more time to forget what a good shave looks like!
I will not deny that this is the best electric razor I have tried. It may work wonderfully for some people with a different beard type and neck angles than mine, but I am not sure it was worth the $145 I paid last November.
Customer Review: After 5 years still going strong
Summary: 4 Stars
November 2010 update...even though the product is discontinued.
I've had this razor over 5 years now and it's still going strong. I like it now...I had some trouble with replacement blades recently but using blades from the 7000 series of razors made the 8585 work like new again, even better than new judging from my original review. The razor still holds a good charge and the cleaner keeps it nice and fresh.
In retrospect this has been a good purchase...it's certainly lasted longer than any other razor I've owned and it shows no sign of quitting!
*****
I bought this razor in September 2005. Prior to that I used various Norelco triple head razors over the years. When my last Norelco died I thought I'd try something else, lured by the prospect of easy cleaning and a $50 promotion.
Here's what I've learned about this razor after 8+ months of using this 5-6 times a week:
- I've never had an electric razor cut me before, but every once in a while I somehow nick myself, usually my adam's apple.
- The shaving experience with the razor is a bit harsh and sometimes leaves my face tender. Just today I had to skip shaving because a small area of my face was irritated from shaving yesterday and had broken out.
- It takes longer to shave with this razor. Often I have to rotate the razor in my hand to pick up a stray whisker. I never had to do that with the Norelco, perhaps because the rotating blades approach the whiskers from different angles.
- The razor shaves reasonably close. It's not closer than the Norelco and on some areas of my face (underneath my jawbone) it only does a so-so job.
- The cleaning feature is great. It's nice to have a clean-smelling razor every few days. I've found one solution cartridge lasts 3 months (I replaced it in December and in March). I only clean the razor when the "normal" light is on, not "eco". I opened the razor after a cleaning cycle and the inside was spotless.
- The LEDs on the cleaning/recharching station and razor are very bright! My cleaning/recharging station sits on the vanity in our bedroom, not in the bathroom itself. It's like having a little night light in the corner of the room. Once you find a spot don't move it. The solution spills easily.
- Yes, as others have said, the razor is loud.
- The travel case is nice, but it only holds the razor and a cleaning brush.
As I said earlier, I've used electric razors for years, mostly Norelco but this Braun for the last 8 months. If I had to do it again I wouldn't buy this razor; I would stick with a Norelco. In fact, I came to Amazon today to price Norelcos. Even though my Braun is fairly new I'm tired of my face getting abused. The razor gets two stars, plus a star for the cleaning unit.