Braun 8595 Activator Self-Cleaning Shaving System with LCD Display
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Customer Reviews of Braun 8595 Activator Self-Cleaning Shaving System with LCD Display
Customer Review: It's so good ... you'll even use it on weekends!
Summary: 5 Stars
I must confess that starting back in my early years of shaving, I have been using the Norelco Rotary dry-shavers exclusively. The closeness of the shave wasn't all too impressive, but they served me well through my high-school and college years. When the battery of my second Norelco shaver went dead: I gave the manual disposal shavers a try -- let me just say that the shave was a bit *too* close for comfort.
In summer of last year, I saw the first easy-to-clean electric razor I have ever seen - A Phillips-Norelco "Spectra" that is designed to be cleaned with conventional tap water. Granted it was a bit pricey at $100, but I needed a shaver that was going to be less of a hassle to clean. Not only was I dissapointed with its lack of closeness (which turned out to be a huge step down from the previous Norelcos I have owned), I was disguisted by its poor construction. Not only did the plastic cap barely fit on top of the shaver head - the actually head assembely had a habit of popping open unexpectedly (which would result in hair fragments dispersing all over the place). Once it reached the point where I literally had to hold the shaver head down with one of my fingers so I could keep it from opening during the actual shave process - I knew it was time to give this contraption an early retirement.
Sadly, It became quite apparent that Norelco is no longer interested in building quality products (as all of their shavers appear to have the same half-witted/cheap head-assembly latch mechanism). After reading all the glowing reviews for the Braun 8595 I decided that It was time for something that was going to actually do the job and do it well - So, I picked one up at Best Buy (on Good Friday, incidentally).
The Build Quality of the shaver itself is incredible. It has a classy aluminum body, with a silky-smooth pivoting head assembly. The protective cap, and the foil assembly are all easily removable and snap in-place with a solid and re-assuring *click*. In fact, when my girl-friend placed the cap on - it went on so smoothly I originally thought it was magnetic. This attention to detail speaks volumes about the quality of a product.
The plastic carrying case is nice - perhaps a little on the flimsy side but much better than the cloth pouches that most razors come with. This, coupled with the handy brush, makes for a razor that travels incredibly well. cleaning the razor thoroughly, by hand, takes about 1/20 the time it takes to clean a Norelco (which, if you haven't expericed this before - is so painful - I would often let it go for weeks and just dump out the majority of the hair every once in awhile).
Now if Braun left out the cleaning station and the review stopped here - I would still be giving this product 5 stars: after all when travelling, manual cleaning is just something that I'll have to do, and the 8595 is incredibly easy to clean (despite the fact that it is not hydrogenic). Enter the cleaning station. In principle, how can you beat something that hygenically washes your shaver, after each use, with a alcohol solution that leaves it with a nice "clean smell" of citrus? Honestly, you just can't. And the time saved, when a full cleaning excercize is reduced to plunking it down and pressing the "clean" button greatly outweights the nominal expense of buying a new cartridge every 4-6 weeks. Granted, the cleaning base doesn't appear to have the same sense of level of craftmenship as the shaver, but it does its job of holding the razor in-place (as it appears that the shaver itself, is the one that is driving the cleaning process).
The difference in price between the 8595 and the 8585 is probably a bit excessive, given that the only difference I know of is that this model has an LCD display. On the other hand: I like the know the percentage of battery power I have left, when traveling, so I decided that if I am going to buy the Activator, I might as well get the one with the display. Regarding the noise during cleaning: it's not much different than the actual shaving process itself and since the cleaning cycle runs in different phases - it's hardly annoying enough to drive anyone to insanity. And while the trimmer may not be in the most ergonomically optimal location: if you do end up wacking your face with it while shaving, I find you have to be shaving at an incorrect angle anyway. Finally, I actually like the feel of it as I shave, both in my hand and on my face. Norelco shavers were always awkward to me in the sense that they are contoured in such a way that you have to hold it in a very specific way in order for it to feel natural. This doesn't work for me - as I like to change how I hold it depending on the orientation of the hairs that I am trimming at a givin instant.
If you are a diehard-dispable-blade-shaver, odds are this shaver probably won't be for you (as with any electric shaver, for that matter). Futhermore, people who travel all the time are likely to find the charge/clean base of little use (which could pose a problem as the cartridges contain alcohol that will evaporate over time).
However, those who have a busy life-style, and don't want to be bothered with cleaning the razor every day - and are tired of their first waking experience of each work-day being a complete annoyance: the Braun 8595 (or the 8585) is the razor for you.
Customer Review: Baby Face Making Device
Summary: 5 Stars
I received this shaver as a Christmas gift after I did a lot of hunting around and looking at other brands. (I even tried one or two).
I used Brauns in the past, and about three years ago, I tried a Panasonic Wet/Dry Linear. I liked the results of the Panasonic when I used it as a wet shaver and with the correct shaving creams. However, I missed the shave'n'go I used to get with the Bruns. Besides, I could never stop getting shaving bumps on my neck with the Panasonic.
I think there are different beard types out there. Mine grows so fast and so coarse that NASA is studying using it in braids as a new bullet-proof material. Lack of attention to my beard can be certain death to a disposable razor (yes, my beard can dull a disposable blade in one try). On top of this beard type, I have very sensitive skin around my neck and am heavily prone to shaving bumps there, which can look like a mild jungle-rot or some other nasty thing, so I try my best to shave with care and avoid them.
I think other guys who can go days without shaving have a different set of expectations. Likewise, the guys who can scrape a week old diaposable on their face and get a smooth finish will have other expectations. Me, and my beard, demand performance or suffer the ill side effects.
This Braun answers all my needs.
Those of you who complain about the need to buy a $5 refill every couple months have not taken up the math on disposables lately. I can easily spend $30 a month on blades and cream and wind up with worse results and a stubbly face. For $2.50 per month, and $25 every 18 months for the replacement blades and foil, this shaver will make you happy to shave again.
The first shave is delightful because the micro-oscillations of the shaving head feel like a little massage. Unlike the Norelco which pulled my face with the shaving head, this shaver glides on the skin and does not catch on my jaw line or tricky places of my neck. Not this shaver-- it glides easily and mows down the stubble well without tearing my skin like a Remington. In fact, it feels to me when using this shaver dry is most like using the Panasonic Linear with the Neutragena Bump Guard shaving cream. The bonus is that my face is dry and there's no clean up!
I have found over the years that Braun shavers perform best when used on a face that was washed (or at least rinsed) about 10 minutes before the shave. The result is silky smooth skin.
Placing the shaver back into the base station causes a light display as the shaver and base communicate and determine what kind of clean it needs. Press the blue button and you hear solution pumped into the head and then the shaver turns on for a moment to expel the clippings. About a half hour later, it's ready for business again.
Taking the shaver out of the cleaning base and placing it to one's face results in a fresh citrusy smell which is quite pleasing compared to how some of my shavers have smelled in the past.
The LCD display reveals intriguing information. Pressing a button tells you for how long you last shaved. I'm averaging 6 minutes (which is 4 minutes shorter than I used to with other shavers). It will also tell you how many shaves it has made. Pressing again mentions something about something else, and pressing it again tells you what part for the foil when you do need to reorder. It shows the battery charge left which is nice for me when I travel.
The only bone I can pick with it is that I tend to turn the shaver on and off when I shave. If you wait too long before turning it back on, it counts it as a new shave, which can throw off the time in the LCD. It only matters if you like to remember averages and have ever been an OCD engineer. For everyone else, it's probably fine.
For me, and my most sensitive neck, and most coarse beard, this shaver is perfect. No holds barred.
You folks who don't like it can go back to something else, but leave this product alone, because it works wonders for me and is far cheaper than my other alternatives. (like $10 a month to wet shave with the Panasonic or $30 per month to shave with disposables).
If your beard is anything like mine as I described above, do not fear the Braun Activator -- it is your friend!
Customer Review: Excellent Shaver
Summary: 5 Stars
I waited several months to write this review to make sure I had given the shaver a good deal of time to either impress or diasappoint. As the rating shows, it has impressed.
First off, the shaver comes with instructions telling you to give your skin some time to adjust to the shaver. This is crucial, particularly if you're switching from razors. The first couple of shaves were downright terrible and missed a lot of hairs. This however quickly improves, and after a few weeks, the shave will be very smooth and even.
Performance
The shaver has exceeded all my expectations. It is true, no electric shaver can match the closeness of a razor, however, you must consider what you want this shaver for.
I personally wanted to streamline the morning routine, save myself some time and avoid the mess. With a fairly quick and careless pass, the shaver removes almost all visible stubble. Sure if you press up against the skin and rub against the grain you will feel some prickles, but I'm going to work, not a date.
Now here's the part that really impressed me. If you actually take the time to do careful passes, the resulting shave feels no different than a razor shave. The only difference I notice is the speed with which the stubble grows back. With a razor, I'm good till the next morning, maybe longer. With the shaver the stubble's starting to come back by night time.
Additionaly, there are areas around the jaw line and neck that I could never shave propperly before without much cutting and irritation, that are now easily accessible, cut free and irritation free.
The only part I noticed the shaver having issues with, was along the sides of the neck where the hair grows at an odd angle, but I quickly discovered that sideways strokes would catch those hairs.
The foil is actually very good. If you find there's an area that you can't quite shave right, try moving the foil over the area in different directions, there's bound to be one where the foil will catch the hairs. This versatility of strokes is an obvious advantage of the foil over a razor. I wouldn't recomend a sidways stroke with a razor ;-)
So in short, as far as performace goes, if you give yourself time to shave carefully, the shave will feel as smooth as a razor. If you're in a rush, the shave will pass anything but the "touch test"
Self cleaning
I cannot tell you how wonderful this is. No mess, no hassle, just plop the shaver in, push a button and forget about it. I've noticed other reviews complain about the noise. I didn't find the noise to be much louder than shaving itself. Your TV is probably louder than the cleaning cycle. Besides, for the most part, the cleaning is actually fairly silent with ocassional momments of noise.
The cleaning packs will probably end up being cheaper than buying new razors, and while I haven't had to replace the foil and cutting block yet, I did order the parts and it was about as expensive as a cartridge of Mach3 blades. Also if you order the cleaning packs from Amazon, last I checked, buying a 3 2-packs is more cost effective than the 2 3-packs. And buying several 2-packs and the foil/cutting block replacememnt separately is cheaper than buying the package "deal" set.
8595 VS 8585
I do not own and have not used the 8585 model so I cannot comment on it. I have seen other reviews that say the only difference is the LCD display. If this is the case, my only comments is that the LCD shows you charge remaining, minutes remaining in cleaning, and warns you when it's time to replace the foil and cutting block along with some other info that I forget now. If you think that you want this feature like I do, get 8595, if not, save yourself $20. (Assuming that the LCD is in fact the only difference between the shavers)
I think that's about all there is to cover on the shaver. I am very well pleased with this shaver. Not having owned any other shavers, I really cannot compare to others, but I definitely prefer the shaver to using razors. I hope the review has been helpful.
Customer Review: Great shaver--even at the price
Summary: 5 Stars
I have used a cheap Remington for a number of years and was getting tired of the irritation and occasional nicks, so I figured it was time to give a new shaver a try. I saw a rave review of this shaver in a Men's magazine, thought the self-cleaning thing was a bit gimmicky, but decided to take the plunge.
All I can say is "Wow"! Of course, going from a $39 razor to a ~$200 razor is probably not a good comparison, but here are my observations:
1. It really doesn't shave as close as my Remington did. Of course, that means that my neck is no longer nicked and beet-red after a shave. I consider this a plus.
2. The self-cleaning thing is not a gimmick. It rocks! I discovered how good it is when I went out of town for a week. The base isn't sealed, so you can't travel with it--no worries though, the shaver comes with a brush, and the cord plugs directly into the shaver as well as into the base. Well, after a couple of days of just using the brush to clean it, I found that the shave just wasn't as comfortable. I don't know if it was oil from my skin building up, or just my imagination; however, once I got home and cycled it through the cleaner, it was as good (and comfortable) as new. Note that the cleaning fluid is a lubricant (supposedly) mixed with denatured alcohol and it works. Popping open the top reveals an immaculate interior, even after having not cleaned it for five shaves.
3. Blue LED's suck. The LED on the base of the shaver could light your entire house. Can you say "Black Sharpie"?
4. The self-cleaning cycle is not something you want to do at night (note that you initiate it manually, so you can control this). It runs the shaver to assist in the cleaning process and is a bit on the noisy side. Especially because it's intermittent. It will be quiet for 5 minutes, then suddenly run the razor for 15 seconds.
5. Battery life isn't really what I expected. At six to seven minutes per shave, it consumes (at least based on the graphic on the LCD panel) about 20% of the battery. Not a show-stopper, more of an observation.
6. NO MORE SHAVING WITH A RAZOR!! One of the annoying "features" of my Remington was if I skipped shaving for a couple of days, my beard would be too long for the Remington to pick up. Because of this, I would have to shave with a razor. Braun addresses this by having a "long hair cutter" (if you will) in the center of the shaving head. It really works!
7. The swivel head thing is pretty cool. It really does work and isn't annoying like I expected it to be.
8. Lifespan of the cleaning cartridge is a bit short. I get between a month and a month-and-a-half out of a cartridge before I have to replace it. Note that the shaver doesn't "use" the fluid up through the cleaning process per se. It is recycled back into the cartridge, along with your whiskers. When it sucks the fluid back up, it is through a filter. This means that the loss of fluid is due to evaporation exclusively, so the whole "Eco" clean thing is a bit hoaky.
Overall I am very pleased with the shaver and have recommended it to a couple of my friends. At $200, it's a bit pricy, but with some of the deals Amazon has been running, it comes down quite a bit. I would consider it a steal at $100 and reasonable at $150.
Customer Review: It's really good but I wish little things were different
Summary: 5 Stars
1. Intro:
--I bought this to replace my Braun Syncro 7570 (which still works fine, but the cleaning base was broken so I decided to just buy the new shaver). It's a little different.
--A little background: Brauns are the only shavers that work for me. I've tried everything else (except panasonic) and I would always have to use a manual razor to finish the shave except the Brauns. This is my third Braun (after the 7570 and the 6550).
2. Other people's complaints:
--Yes the saver has to turn on for it to clean so there is noise associated with the cleaning. For eco cleaning, the intermittent noise is about 3 minutes. It's really not that long or that loud.
--The blue leds are bright. okay.
3. Pros:
--Good shave (not that different form the syncro). Catches more neck hairs.
--It seems to really care about not wasting your cleaning solution.
--Battery is always fully charged so if you go on a trip you just take the shaver in its nice small case and you don't have to worry about charging it for at least a week. (and the base will do a deep cleaning when you come back).
--It just works! You don't have to worry about maintaining it.
--Over a long period it's still cheaper than disposable razors.
--The drying part of of the cleaning cycle is better than the syncro. Instead of blowing air through, it heats instead. this is better than before if you have a humid bathroom, and it makes less cleaning fluid smell. (it's probably more efficient too but I'm guessing)
4. Cons:
--The cleaning base makes a high pitch electronic noise when idle. It's in the bathroom so it doesn't bother me. It definitely would in the bedroom.
--There is a shaving odometer on it. It counts the number of shaves during the lifetime of the product. It can't be reset. I list it as con because I don't need something else keeping track of what I do. (I guess it could be a pro since you know you're getting a brand new shaver when it's at 0!).
--The "smiley face" form the syncro is gone!
5. Both pro and con:
--The automatic cleaning. I like that I don't have to worry/think about it but if I wanted it to go through a cycle I can't force it. I'd have to shave for a minute and then put it back to make it clean. (I accidentally interrupted the cleaning cycle one day (it was new and I was playing with it) and it didn't dry it. So I ended up with a wet shaver and there was nothing I could do to dry it except wait). It's also a pro because it doesn't just start cleaning every time you put it the the base like the old syncro.
--It's like driving and automatic after you've been used to a stick shift, both good and bad.
--Word of advice, don't mess with it while it's cleaning. Even though it's "locked" you can still pull it forward and interrupt it.
6. Conclusion:
--I'd recommend it. In the long run it's cheaper than disposables. Let say you have change the foil and cutter every year, and you have to put a new cleaning solution cartridge one a month.
--Cartridge is about ~$4 for each. ~$50 a year.
--Foil is $30 (rounded up). ~$30 a year.
--How much would you spend on disposables in a year?