Best Foil Shaver Review
Braun vs. Panasonic

Shaver Specs and Design

Braun Series 7 - 790cc

• 10,000 microvibrations per minute
• Clean and Renew System
• Pivoting shaving head - back and forth
• Pop up trimmer
• LCD display
• Cord and cordless operation

• 13,000 revolutions per minute
• HydraClean System
• Pivoting shaving head - up, down and side to side
• Pop up trimmer
• LCD display
• Cord and cordless operation
• Wet or dry shaving option

It would be hard to pick the best foil shaver just based on the shaving specs above.

Because these shavers are so similar, comparing their specs is not really that effective in determining a better shaver.

If one shaver was perhaps a Series 1, then there would be a big difference among the shaving blades and shaving motors and this would factor into your purchasing decision. But because these shavers are so similar in terms of features and design, it's hard to say one is better than the other.

Also, comparing the specs on similar electric shavers is not really as important as say the specs on a computer. Whether one has 10,000 microvibrations and the other has 13,000 revolutions per minute won't make a huge difference and should probably not factor into your decision making.

In terms of the look and design, I would have to give a slight edge to the Braun Series 7 foil shaver. It's a little bigger than the Panasonic ES8249 S, and fits a bit better in the hand.

Overall I can't really pick a winner from this section. Just based on personal preference I would choose the Braun, however it shouldn't be a major factor so it's time to move on!

Before we talk about the cleaning station and charging base of both units, let's review the cleaning cartridges first.

With the initial purchase of each foil shaver unit you will get 1 month's supply of the cleaning cartridges.

So with the Braun you will get one Braun Clean and Renew Liquid Pack, and with the Panasonic you will get one Panasonic Cleaning Cartridge.

To use the cleaning base beyond 1 month you will have to re-purchase these cleaning cartridges. You can buy them in packs of 3 and I believe you can buy them in packs of 12 and 18 as well. Packs of 3 retail for $15 dollars but you can usually find them for cheaper online.

Shopping at Amazon.com is a good place to find them on sale. If you live in Canada or the UK and you can't get orders shipped to you from Amazon.com, then Amazon.ca and co.uk may offer them but they tend to be a bit more expensive. If you can't shop online then local department stores or shaving stores in your area should carry them, however you might have to pay a bit more.

The lifespan of these cartridges is supposed to be 1 month. So if you use the electric shaver everyday and clean it in the cleaning station every day, after about 30 days each cartridge should be empty.

However, for the typical user, you can expect a lifespan of 1 to 2 months. This is because you might not use your foil shaver everyday, such as on the weekends, and doing a manual clean a couple times a week is going to help you push the lifespan beyond 1 month.

When the cartridges have been in the shaving base for closer to 2 months, they most likely will need to be changed. With the Braun Clean and Renew cartridge some of it might expire whether you use it or not because it's alcohol based. The Panasonic cleaning cartridges aren't alcohol based, but the cleaning station has a water tank in the back that will get quite dirty after 2 months and should probably be changed.

For me, I found that these cartridges lasted in between 1 and 2 months, and I believe the typical user will probably experience this as well.

Setting up the Braun cleaning station and replacing the cleaning cartridges is very easy.

Simply press a button on the left side of the cleaning station base which elevates the unit, and you simply slide in the Clean and Renew Liquid pack underneath. Click the unit back into place and you're done.

Using the Braun's cleaning system is super easy as well. On the left side lights will indicate how much cleaning liquid is left in the cleaning cartridge. When you place the foil shaver into the base, the lights on the right will indicate what type of cleaning is required. This ranges from a light, medium, and thorough clean. With one click of a button you will run the shaver through the desired clean.

Charging the shaver will happen automatically and after it is fully cleaned and fully charged, the system will go into stand by mode.

Overall the cleaning station is extremely easy to use and really efficient. The shaver comes out nice and clean with a really nice scent.

Setting up the Panasonic HydraClean System

Setting up the Panasonic cleaning station is pretty straightforward as well, but takes one extra step.

This unit comes with a small water tank that is attached to the back of the cleaning unit. This water tank mixes with the cleaning cartridge and therefore needs to be installed and replaced when a new cartridge is needed.

Not that big of a deal, however a little extra work over the Braun Series 7.

When you place the shaver into the base the LCD screen will indicate the battery life percentage. On the right side of the unit you have a Select button, and on the left you have various options to cycle through.

By pressing the Select button you can choose to clean dry and charge the shaver, or a few different combinations of these, such as just dry and charge the shaver, or just charge the shaver.

So compared to the Braun it requires a bit more hands on, but overall is still pretty easy to use.

Which Cleaning Station is Better?

This is a really close call.

After using both of these units for several months I really didn't see an advantage over the cleaning cartridges. Both seemed to clean the shavers very well and with regular use lasted about the same time.

I would have to say that using the Braun Clean and Renew System was a bit easier than Panasonic's cleaning station. Installing the cartridges on the Braun is a bit easier. The unit tells you what cleaning needs to be done and with the push of a button you're done.

So I think I'll have to give a slight edge to the Braun on this one. Again, it didn't win by a long shot or anything, but for the purpose of this foil shaver comparison I'm going to have to pick the Braun.

The Panasonic certainly isn't a bad cleaning system, I just feel the Braun's is a bit easier to use.

It's worth noting that you should always do a manual clean once and awhile especially near the end of the cleaning cartridge's life span. Also, if you have a thick beard and haven't shaved for awhile it's always good to shake out some of that stubble before running it through the system.

Shaving Performance Comparison

For the shaving experience section I decided to shave the left side of my face with the Braun Series 7, and the right side with the Panasonic ES8249.

I had a good day's worth of stubble and right after the shave tried to really compare how each foil shaver performed. Without taking anything away from this review, I must say that the end result was pretty even.

Both shavers really performed well and the end product was basically the same. One side of my face was not any smoother than the other. Rubbing my fingers with and against the grain on both sides of my face felt the same, nice and smooth.

So just comparing the end result I would have to call it a draw, however I did notice a difference in the process. I found that the Braun was a bit more efficient. It's really almost effortless in the way it performs.

With the Panasonic it just felt like I had to press in harder and the shaver felt a bit warmer on my face. I didn't experience any irritation with the Panasonic, I just felt like I had to put a bit more muscle into the whole process.

Both shavers delivered a nice smooth shave with no complaints, but I'm going to have to choose the Braun for this section as well. It didn't win by much, I just felt it was slightly more efficient.

You will notice in the video review how I needed to press in harder while using the Panasonic shaver.

Complete Video Review