hyundai_fan's Full Review: Braun Activator Combi Pack 8000 Series 1 Each
"OK," I thought. "I'm through with half-assed shaves."
Ever since puberty I've had to deal with multiple electric razors that never did the job well. A lot of the hair on my neck is a pain to cut, and with my last shaver--a Norelco with those three round blade things--never shaved them fully. I had to result to using the trimmer, but the only way it would cut the hairs was if I used it opposite the way it was meant to be used. The direction I had to go would fold the trimmer back into the razor if I didn't hold it out with my thumb.
Sick of the struggle every day, I finally drove to Walmart and bought a shaver that fit my needs. It had to clean itself. It had to be cutting-edge (forgive the pun). And I realized it would be expensive. The Braun 8000-series razor, which includes the charging cord, carrying case, cleaning dock, cleaning solution and the razor itself, cost me $200. Online it would have cost about $50 less, but I'm the impatient type and like to buy things right now and in person.
So I arrived home and opened up the box. It came with most of the items it promised, but unfortunately the cleaning cartridge was missing. That was disappointing, but I figured the razor itself could be used sans-solution, and I charged it overnight.
It takes about one hour to charge, and with that one charge the razor can be used for up to 50 minutes (approximately two to three weeks, according to Braun). If you can't wait, there's a quick charge in which a ten minute wait or so can allow it to run for three minutes. Even quicker, still, you can plug the charging cord directly into the shaver itself (as opposed to plugging it into the dock) and use it right then and there without any waiting whatsoever.
The cleaning dock is incredibly light. On top is an area where you put the razor in head-first. In front is a giant blue button that locks the razor in and starts the cleaning process. In back is a smaller blue button that raises the top of the dock so you can add or remove the cleaning cartridge. Once the cleaning cartridge is in, it is recommended not to move the dock. I found out the hard way and it caused some of the solution to spill out onto the table I set it on. It is also not recommended to stop the cleaning mid-way and raise the dock as if you're going to remove the cartridge. The fluid the dock sucked up will end up draining out and spilling all over the place.
In other words, once it's set up the way you want it, don't move it!
When you put the razor in the dock, a series of lights will flash and tell you how much cleaning it needs. A blue light showing "Clean" means it doesn't need to be cleaned, while a green light next to "Eco", "Normal", or "Intensive" means it needs little, average, or a lot of cleaning, respectively. Regardless of the intensity, pushing the large blue button on the front will force the dock to clean the shaver (if already "Clean", it will enter "Eco" mode).
Ninety-nine percent of the time the cleaner will only enter "Eco" mode. Apparently the razor figures out the elapsed time since it was cleaned or charged, as opposed to how dirty it actually was, to determine how much cleaning is necessary. When I left the razor on for half an hour and then shaved immediately after, it entered "Intensive" mode. But leaving it on for half an hour and putting it back in the dock left it as "Clean".
The cleaning solution is basically a mix of rubbing alcohol, water, and lemon fragrance inside a blue cartridge. Before using, you have to remove a plastic cap covering two holes. The larger of the two holes is where the liquid is sucked out. The shaver is bathed in the solution, and it is then drained into the cartridge's smaller hole near it. Any hairs that are drained into the cartridge actually settle underneath a series of holes on the bottom so it doesn't mix in with the solution come future cleaning.
The whole cleaning process can take between half an hour and an hour depending on the setting. Usually you hear nothing more than the pump sucking water up into the shaver head, the shaver running for a second afterwards, and then the fluid drain back into the cartridge before the process repeats itself. It's not loud, but it is noticeable. If you keep it in the bathroom, though, it shouldn't be much of a concern.
The process is actually quite thorough. The first time I used the razor was after I hadn't shaved for nearly a week. And even after all that it only took one run through "Eco" mode for it to completely clean the head of all hair and other debris. It was quite impressive, to be sure.
The dock can monitor the solution level and, if need be, warn the user with a yellow light if it is low or needs replacing (if the cartridge is not in the dock, a red light meaning "Empty" appears). The typical lifespan for each cartridge is thirty washes or eight weeks, whichever occurs first (after eight weeks, most of the alcohol would have evaporated). A package containing two cartridges cost approximately $12, though I honestly believe it's a waste of money once the razor is out of warranty. Because of the way the cartridge is designed, it is incredibly easy to rinse out and refill them with a solution of your choice. A couple of online forums I checked recommend a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water. Heck, use plain water if you want. But, like I say, I don't recommend this unless you want to void or have already exceeded the warranty.
So with all this talk about the cleaning process, you may think I have forgotten about the shaver. Oh, no. The shaver is the best part of the package. It is noticeably dense since it contains an internal computer and a decent-sized battery. It doesn't feel cheap or seem like it's the result of cost-cutting. There's a heft that is satisfying.
There are only three lights on the base shaver (shaver, razor, whatever you want to call it). One light means "Charge", another means "Empty" when the charge goes below the 20% threshold, and the third lights up when it is time to replace the foil and cutters (about every 18 months). A "reset" button near it allows you to reset the light after 18 months are up. A similar model has five lights meaning "100%, 80%, 60%, 40%" and "20%" in place of the charge and empty lights.
The power switch has four settings; "Off", "On", "Fix" (hold the cutter in one spot), and "Trim" (which exposes the built-in trimmer). The head can actually change its angle depending on the curves of your face, but I find the "Fix" setting to be the best. That way you can point it any way you want to without having to worry about the head angle.
Having used the traditional three circular blades on Norelco razors for years, I found it refreshing to switch to Braun's "straight" blades. In general, the shaver worked incredibly well in most situations. It even got the stubborn hairs on my neck after the first couple tries. The only time I used the trimmer was for my sideburns. And that was easy as pie to use. In fact, I had fun using this shaver. Honest-to-goodness fun. I haven't missed a day shaving because it's satisfying to hear the blades cut on the first try and not have to fight it to do what I want. And the cleaning process makes sure it feels like a new shaver day after day. The cleaning solution's lemon scent is very pleasant-smelling, and even after about a month of use I have yet to need to replace the cartridge.
Is the whole package worth $200, though? If you can afford it, why not buy it? And like I said, online you can get them for about $150. The fact that I was missing the included cartridge was probably a fluke in the packaging.
I have rated it four stars because you could easily spill the cleaning solution if you're not careful. Otherwise I see no reason to avoid this razor.
I do not hesitate recommending the Braun 8000 series shaver and cleaning dock. It's appropriate for the price and is an outstanding performer.
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