[section_title title=Introduction]
Introduction
- Manufacturer: Braun
- Model: 9040s
- Price: £181 @ Amazon UK (at time of review)
The Braun Series 9 9040s Premium Shaver Wet and Dry is a new addition to their range and planted firmly in the premium section aimed toward professionals and those who require a fast, effective shave with or without foam. It’s feature packed with multiple cutting elements as well as a trimmer and mobile head that follows the contours of your face cutting through even a few days worth of regrowth to leave you smooth and ready for the day.
If you are inclined to remove your facial hair you have a few options; go through the ritual of a wet shave with a razor, go electric or combine the two with an electric wet and dry such as the subject of todays review. Regardless of which method you prefer they all do the same job in a similar way, one or more cutters meets the beard and removes it. Break that down a little more and you have brand after brand promising that their way of removing hair is better than the rest. Faster, smoother, cheaper, the list of selling points you are bombarded with is seemingly as endless a choosing your next car when your only requirement is “I need a way to travel to work”.
It should be noted that I am firmly in the ‘none of the above’ category when it comes to shaving. In July, I still had my full winter beard and my intention was to eventually get out my clippers, remove excess hair and then pretty much ignore my face again until it got inconvenient. The reason for my rather lax attention to my face during my morning ablutions is not due to time constraints, but as someone who suffers from irritation I can’t really shave regularly enough to maintain a clear face. At least that’s what I thought at the time, yet with the Braun Series 9 9040s Wet & Dry promising to deliver an “outstandingly thorough shave and amazing skin comfort” I was willing to put memories of rashes out of my mind and give both the Braun and my face a thorough workout. The other test would be, “Can I actually be bothered to do this shaving thing every…single…day?”
A few things struck me about the Braun Series 9 9040s Premium Shaver Wet & Dry, firstly the price. With a RRP of almost £270 it is by far the most expensive shaver I have ever used and even with Amazon.co.uk offering it at a little over £180 it still needs to outperform all of my expectations in terms of comfort, effectiveness and convenience if the price it going to be justifiable. Braun’s marketing states that the shaver has been tested by the IPI Research Institute in Germany who proved it is effective on a 3-day beard. I’m not sure how long a 3-day beard actually is, whether there’s a specific length or average, but this was something I was going to have to see for myself.
And so I was prepared for this new chapter of my life – one with added attention to detail which promised to be a totally amazing experience but also threatened to be utterly disappointing depending on how well the Braun Series 9 9040s performed. First though, let’s take a first look at the packaging and see what exercising your credit card will get you.
