Braun Electric Shaver for Men, Series 5 5118s, Waterproof, Wet & Dry Shave, Turbo Shaving Mode, Foil Shaver with Precision Trimmer, Battery Powered, 50 Minute Battery Runtime

I have owned a few different shavers . My old standby a Panasonic ES-51 , Arc 4 is still working BUT blade replacement was getting too expensive and only the main blades are availableTried a Phillips Norelco 3900 , not up to the task under-powered toy !The Brawn for right now is beating all the other 2 in every respect . Closet match to shaving with a blade I have seen in years. And blades are not that expensiveWhat I am not crazy about is no pop up trimmer , instead you gotta swap heads . No big deal for me as the Panasonic still works and has a pop up trimmer

The Braun Series 5 is the same as the Series 6 but with an easy-clean head instead of a tilting head. It's inexpensive, light weight, comfortable in your hand, relatively quiet and shaves as close as any electric. Seven shaves dropped the battery by a third, which is pretty good. It charges in about an hour, and like all wet-or-dry rechargeables, you can't shave while charging. For trimming, you take the shaving head off and snap the trimming head on. That's a lot of bother for trimming your sideburns, but quite handy if you have a beard.Note that the shaver has two modes, Locked and Unlocked. To switch modes, press the power button for 3 seconds. The shaver arrives in Locked mode, so hold the button down 3 seconds to unlock it and turn it on. After that, a quick tap on the power button will turn it on or off. When you're packing for a trip hold the button down for 3 seconds again and the shaver will go back into Locked mode and won't accidentally turn on. This is a very useful feature, but it baffled me for over an hour!

Blade sharpness is good, noise leve below average, standard functiinality (shaver, trimmer).The trimmer is separate, not attached to razor.

Context: I haven’t used a Norelco in 20 years, and I’ve never used a foil shaver before. But I’ve had to stop using blades as much as possible because of acne within 24 hours of shaving. No matter the razor/foam/gel/soap/water/nothing/prep. Intentional-looking “Don Johnson” is surprisingly time-consuming to achieve & maintain. So I finally decided to try an electric shaver again.Using the shaver: I’ve only used this once so far — normally I’d wait longer to write a review, but why? Closeness is pretty amazing — about 12 hours closer than the last time I used a Norelco. Completely comfortable 1st time. As for handling, I don’t know why anyone would need the Series 6 pivot or the series 7 swivel to steer this head over their face. Handle is a nice shape and size. Sound is a little plasticy, but not loud or annoying. Being able to rinse the head under the faucet (and wash with soap as needed!) is a revelation — I’m glad I didn’t pay extra for the bulky cleaning station.If you’re having trouble because “it won’t cut”: My old Norelco would mow a short beard. This shaver won’t. If your beard has gotten to ~1/8” long then this shaver WILL NOT cut it. At All. You will need to use the trimmer head or clippers to mow your beard to no longer than 1/16” (possibly shorter) before this tool will work on it. Any hairs you missed with the clippers/trimmer you will have to go back and cut with one of those tools before this shaver will finish the job. I think that’s the compromise you accept for the close shave this will give.The manual: I get the complaints, but there are, in fact, words that tell you what each set of pictures is explaining. The typeface for these descriptions is oddly tiny for the amount of space they take up in the layout, so they’re easy to overlook. The pictures themselves are detailed, but in a way that requires close attention. I think this was “written” for people who grew up with graphic novels — the styles are very similar. For those of us with grey hair it’s not what we’re used to, but the information is there…Where it’s made: as of this review, the shaver & trimmer are made in Germany, while the charger, cleaning brush & snap-on head cover are made in China.Buying advice: The “new” series 7 has a swivel between the head and body, the “new” Series 6 has a pivot, the “new” Series 5 has a rigid connection. There are styling differences. Otherwise the specs and features of the shavers are identical.As other reviewers confirm, the “new” Series 7 head (73s) and the “new” Series 5/6 head (53b) are interchangeable. Visually they are identical except that the 53b bezel is black and the 73s bezel is silver. When I replace the head I’ll try a 73s to see if there’s any cutting difference. I’ll bet there isn’t.

I was initially very satisfied with the Braun Series 5 5018s. It provided a close, comfortable shave, and I appreciated its ergonomic design, ease of use, and wet & dry shaving capability. The shaver felt solid in the hand, and setup and cleaning were straightforward, making it a convenient daily grooming tool.Unfortunately, after about a year of regular use, the battery began to deteriorate. It no longer held a charge well, requiring frequent recharging, and eventually stopped working altogether. This was frustrating, especially considering Braun’s premium branding and price.Overall, while the Braun Series 5 5018s performs well initially and offers a comfortable shave, its longevity and battery durability fall short. The limited lifespan impacted my experience, and I expected better durability from a premium electric shaver. If you prioritise long-term reliability, you might want to consider alternatives or be prepared for potential battery issues after about a year.This is my third Braun shaver, and I'm now seriously considering switching to another brand in search of better long-term reliability.

Initial review was not accurate. Razor did stop but not because it was defective. Without realizing it, husband turned on travel mode😒Finding instruction booklet made us realize this! Changed the number of stars