Braun PocketGo: Excellent Little Shaver, Great Value
Written: Jan 05 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent value for the price, gives a close shave, ingenious built-in swivel cover
Cons: none
The Bottom Line: The Braun PocketGo portable shaver is excellent for travel or home use. It's attractively designed, functional, comfortable-to-use -- and it gives a great shave.
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| cowboyind's Full Review: Braun Pocket Shaver Pocketgo battery Operated |
Sometimes you find a product that doesn't cost a lot but works as well as products that do. The Braun P-70 PocketGo shaver is an example of this. I got this little battery-operated electric shaver as a Christmas gift a few weeks ago, and have used it daily since then. I believe it is a good electric razor for any price -- but especially so given that it costs only $15 to $20 online or at local discount stores.
General Description
This is a battery-operated portable shaver that is powered by two "AA" batteries and includes a "swivel cap" that is used to protect the shaving head during travel and whenever the shaver is not in use. Because the swivel cap stays attached to the shaver and simply rotates 180 degrees when the shaver is to be used, there is no danger of losing the cap.
Other features include a foil-type shaving surface that Braun refers to as a "wide, floating foil." In addition, the shaver is washable using a stream of warm water, comes with a cleaning brush that stores in the bottom part of the shaver, and includes a trimmer for moustache or sideburns. If you have a beard, I'd suggest using a separate beard trimmer for that. The PocketGo's trimmer is small, which would make trimming a beard with it rather time-consuming.
User Impressions
1. It shaves very close. I have two other Braun razors (more costly rechargeables), and this one shaves at least as close as those two do. In general, I find that foil shavers give a closer shave than rotary ones -- but you have to pass them over the skin being shaved more times to get results, because they miss more on the first pass. I feel that this is an okay trade-off, as I like the closer shave I get with the foil shaver, but others may differ.
2. Good battery-life on two "AA" batteries -- which were included with the shaver at no extra charge. I continue to use the rechargeable shavers, too, but having this one that takes batteries is great for travel, because you do not have to remember to bring a charging cord, and if the batteries run down, you can pick up a couple of AA batteries anywhere. According to the instructions provided with the shaver, the batteries have an expected lifespan of 60 minutes of shaving. In using this shaver daily for a couple of weeks, the batteries have shown no signs of running down.
While I have not tried this, if you were going to use this as your main shaver, you could probably use NiMH rechargeable batteries in it, and save buying alkalines. The only possible sticking point is that the NiMH are 1.2 volts and the alkalines are 1.5. I have yet to find a device where that's a problem, but theoretically it's possible.
There is no power cord provided and no jack on the shaver to plug one in, so this is a battery-only device.
A possible minor problem of earlier PocketGo models -- a tendency of the battery door to come open during travel and let the batteries fall out -- has apparently been addressed and fixed in this model, as the battery door is now locked closed in its normal position. To open it, you swivel the bottom part of the battery cover 90 degrees. Inscriptions in the plastic cover clearly show how to do this.
3. Easy to clean. You can clean it with warm water by snapping off the foil cover, which is easy to do, and rinsing it off with water. The cutting block can also be cleaned with warm water without removing it from the shaver. The cleaning brush included with the shaver, which stores on the shaver's bottom, can aid in cleaning.
One tip: If you clean foil shavers with water, after the parts air dry and you reassemble the shaver by putting the foil cover back on it, put a drop of light machine oil on the foil cover and then turn on the shaver for a couple of seconds to distribute it across the cutting block. Then shut the shaver off and lightly rub any residual oil across the foil with your finger, and run the shaver for a couple seconds more. By following this procedure (recommended by Braun), I get far more life out of the cutting block and foil cover than people do if they never oil them.
4. Built-in protective cover for the foil shaving surface is very convenient. The plastic cover simply swivels downward to open the shaver, and back up across the foil area to close it, protecting it during travel and whenever the shaver is not in use.
5. The protective cover also prevents the shaver from being accidentally turned on during travel: The design of the cover prevents the on/off button from being moved to the on position until the cover is open.
6. Attractive design, functional, easy to grip while shaving. Braun products always have a nice design, and this is no exception. It's appealing when, as in this case, a company extends attractive, clever designs to its less-costly products as well as it's more expensive ones.
7. Incredible value for the price. This product illustrates the "diminishing returns" you see with higher-priced products. A $100 shaver will have features this one doesn't have -- it'll be rechargeable, etc., but will it be seven times better than this one. No. This one gives you 80 percent of what the expensive one does.
Warranty and Service
Braun provides a two-year warranty on this shaver. Excluded from the warranty are the cutting block and foil cover, as these are considered replacement items. Replacements for these items are available by going to the Braun website (www.braun.com) and navigating to the correct model number and part needed. It's also possible to obtain product information and download owner's manuals from this site.
Summary
The Braun PocketGo is great as a travel shaver, backup shaver in case your main one needs charging or isn't with you -- or to keep in your car or your desk at work for a quick shave if you didn't have time at home. Every guy who shaves should have one.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
cowboyind
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Location: Indiana
Reviews written: 45
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About Me:
If you need more information on any of my articles, write me at kenjw@aol.com.
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