Top Foil Shavers Compared -
Is the Braun Series 7 Still the Best?

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

• 14,000 revolutions per minute
• Cleaning and charging station
• 360 degree pivoting shaving head
• Pop up trimmer
• Digital display
• Cord and cordless operation
• Wet or dry shaving option

I've mentioned in a few other comparison reviews that this section isn't really that important.

Nothing in the overall design or list of specs should really impact your decision of going with one or the other.

It's certainly nice to look at them side by side and discuss some of the differences, but it shouldn't be a huge factor in your decision making.

That being said, let's go over a few things quickly.

First, the shaving head on the Panasonic ES LA93 K pivots 360 degrees where the Braun's shaving head just pivots back and forth. This may impact the overall shaving performance which we'll touch on in a few minutes.

The other difference is that on the Panasonic the foil cap and the blades are two separate units. The foil cap is removed and the blades remain on the actual shaver. With the Series 7, the foil cap and blades are one unit.

Now, this won't necessarily affect shaving performance, but it does play a role in cleaning the shaver.

Both these models have stations that are easy to set up.

They both require cleaning cartridges to function properly.

The Braun has Clean and Renew Liquid Packs which slide into the front of the unit, while the Panasonic has cartridges which fit into the back and mix with the water jug which you are required to fill up.

Unfortunately both stations do have a slight flaw which was brought to my attention from an engineer who sent me an email regarding this.

With each station, you can't just clean, or dry the shaver without charging it. The Panasonic ES 8249 S which is the previous model to the ES LA93 K actually has the options of just cleaning and/or just drying without charging.

The engineer who contacted me believes that perhaps Panasonic Marketing told the engineers to make the cleaning station a little simpler, but from an engineering standpoint it's a step backwards.

The reason why I bring this up is because these electric shavers run off lithium ion batteries and they generally work best when they are drained to about 50% rather than just topped up all the time.

On a personal note, I've never had any issues with the batteries in either model and I don't regularly drain them, however I wanted to pass this information on.

Other than that, the cleaning stations do work quite well. There's nothing that really makes one better than the other. Both require you to replenish the cartridges which cost around the same, although there are a few options to save a little bit of money with the Braun Clean and Renew Station.

After using both cleaning stations for some time I would say that I personally like the cleaning station from Braun better because it's a little easier to set up and the shaver comes out smelling nice and fresh when compared to the Panasonic. However, this is just a personal preference and both cleaning stations are pretty well matched.

The other option is to do a manual clean, and this is going to allow you to make your cartridges last longer, and also help you drain down the battery if that's something you want to do.

For the ES LA93 K, cleaning it manually is very easy. Just release the foil cap and rinse it and the shaving blades under running water. You can add some liquid soap and turn it on to really give it a good clean.

For the Braun, the foil cap is released as well, but as I mentioned in the shaving specs the foil and the blades are in one unit, which makes cleaning it manually a little more difficult.

Also, if you do clean it manually you can't put it in the cleaning base and dry the shaver because Braun doesn't give you this option. This is probably why they recommend applying machine oil every 1 or 2 weeks to the foils if you manually clean it often because it will help reduce water corrosion.

So in terms of the cleaning stations I think the Braun performs a little bit better, but in terms of a manual clean the Panasonic is clearly better.

You can find more detailed information on setting up the Braun cleaning station here, and same with the Panasonic cleaning station here.

Shaving Performance Comparison

Now we're getting to what I feel is the most important section.

This is where things really matter. Shaving performance is really what should make or break a decision between two shavers. Sure the other sections come into play, but this should be your first priority.

For the comparison of these models I've grown my facial hair for about three days and I'm going to shave the right side of my face with the Series 7, and the left side with the ES LA93 K.

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Firstly, I did let my beard grow for about three days and I normally don't do that because I find all units work much better when I shave everyday or at least every other day. So I would recommend you do the same if you have thick facial hair.

These particular products can get through a thick beard, however it's just easier on you and the entire system if you shave more often. Obviously the frequency will depend on how fast your beard grows.

The final product is basically the same. Both deliver a nice smooth shave.

I believe these are some of the best options out there and I don't really want to pick a winner here, but based on my personal experience I would give a slight edge to the Braun Series 7.

They both delivered a smooth shave, but the overall process was better with the Braun.