But buying a Series 3 ProSkin cc model for the price of a solo Series 8 for example just doesn’t make sense to me. You may be able to get the station through eBay for example at a great price and pay a total price that is less than the cc variation of that shaver. Of course, in most cases, a station purchased later on will work fine (please refer to each series above to see if or which station will be compatible).
To summarize, the shaving head and battery capacity are the main differences between the standard and the ProSkin models. Several solo Braun shavers will work with a compatible station purchased later on or from an older cc shaver, but that depends on the particular series or even on a specific revision of that series. The more advanced and more expensive Braun series have specialized cutting elements (in addition to the basic foils) for capturing and cutting more difficult facial hair. We tried Philips Norelco’s lower-end rotary models but determined that the brand’s 9000 series performed better, and it was so closely priced that it was a better buy for most people. In our experience, the 4000-series razor didn’t shave closely enough to be worth their bargain prices. However, one member of our test panel has been using a 4000-series model for years, and they still love it, even after trying much more expensive models.
As far as the foil goes, make sure to monitor if it ever gets dented or damaged and replace it when those situations occur. Most replacement cartridges for electric razors include the foil since the foil is pretty fragile. Expect to pay anywhere from $20-$50 for replacement blades or cartridges on your electric razor. Ideally, you want to clean your electric razor after every use to keep the blazes sharp. For most modern models, the process is easy as they’re designed to be rinsed under running water.
Just like its less powerful siblings, the Series 6 and Series 5 50, there are a lot of Series 7 70 variations that come with different accessories for trimming, but also charging stands or automatic cleaning stations. As mentioned before, it’s a rather basic station with a single cleaning program, no active drying system and that protruding arm that’s reminiscent of the Series 3 cleaning station. And it should be since it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of the old Series 5 station or of any higher-end Braun stations (like 3 cleaning programs or a fan that dries the shaving head). The old Braun Series 5 was a great family of mid-range electric shavers that offered excellent performance at a good price. Also, unlike the basic Series 3, some ProSkin shavers have an integrated slide-out trimmer (like the 3040s) or come with a cleaning station (like the 3050cc that I reviewed a while back). The solo do not come with an automatic cleaning and charging station, while the cc models (cc standing for Clean & Charge) do.
“Cleaning your razor is so important, because if you don’t, it can get clogged with excess hair which can cause it to break down faster.” The best higher-end electric razors in our roundup come with a cleaning braun electric shavers systems. Quallis says that cleaning your electric razor regularly will help reduce razor bumps. Most of us are trying our damnedest to go carry-on-only these days, and that means packing a whole lot lighter.
All of them however use the same shaving head, so you won’t have any issues in the future even if you buy the 83 Series 8 (like the 8330s for example). I think 3 days between shaves is the maximum this shaver can handle and still provide an effective and enjoyable shave. Also, the Series 3 ProSkin BT models like the 3010BT come with a trimmer attachment and 5 combs if you need to trim and maintain a beard. And even though Braun integrated trimmers are not as effective as the ones on Panasonic shavers, they’re still better than not having one at all. Personally, I never cared for corded use and braun shavers usually have excellent batteries that are very reliable in time.
The station will charge the shavers, but the cleaning part will never work. The old Series 7 solo models will work with a compatible cleaning station purchased separately. As a personal side note, I recommend getting a solo Series 3 (basic or ProSkin) since you’ll be saving some money and the shavers are easy to clean manually. Since some Series 3 ProSkin models include a cleaning station, you might want to know if a solo shaver will also work with a cleaning station purchased later on. Precisely, the ProSkin models come with a better shaving head that’s gentler to the skin and also better at catching flat-lying hairs. Moreover, all models come with an integrated hair trimmer and a protective cap, something we don’t see on other shavers at this price point.