ARC5 vs. Braun Series 9 Pro+

[FloppyJoe]

I have tried the LV65 for a week and the Braun Series 9 Pro+ for about 2 weeks.

TLDR - They are a toss up.

I normally use a DE and prefer a less aggressive razor with a sharp blade. I occasionally use a Straight. I wanted to get an Electric to speed things up in the mornings and to conserve water as we are in a drought. Here are my thoughts.

Closeness - Both give me equivalent shaves. I don't really notice a difference in closeness between either one. Neither are blade close at all and I normally have to touch up a couple spots with a Mach 3. That said, they give a passable shave that is comfortable. To compare, it normally took me about 12 hours to get a 5 o'clock shadow with a DE. With the electric, it takes about 6 hours with either of these options. Maybe the ARC 5 lasts 6 hours and the Braun lasts 5 1/2 hours to get a 5 o'clock shadow. Maybe....

Speed - This is where the ARC 5 excels, it is faster. It took about 7 minutes with the Braun and about 5 minutes with the ARC 5. The only caveat is that the model of ARC 5 I bought does not have a cleaning station and the Braun does have a cleaning station, so instead of popping the ARC 5 in the cleaner, I needed to spend a minute or two to clean the razor. So if speed is your thing, buy the ARC with the cleaning station to maximize the time savings. Otherwise, either razor without the cleaning station is easy to clean but you will lose a bit of time here.

Comfort - The Braun is slightly more comfortable. I don't notice any comfort issues with either razor. Both are gentle and neither gave me any kind of razor burn or cuts. I didn't notice any ingrown hairs with either razor.

Trimmer - The Braun trimmer is better, hands down.

Build Quality - About the same. Maybe the Braun is slightly better made, but both are plastic electronics. Not crappy, cheap, or cheesy but not exactly monuments to shaving lore to be handed down for generations to come. They both have batteries which will eventually die, so these have a set life span.

Price - Braun is more expensive. I don't know if you really get more for your money, only time will tell. Braun has more options to tack on to get you to spend $$$ on stuff with questionable usage. ARC 5 is better priced by about $100.

So in conclusion, the Braun is more expensive with a better trimmer and a very small difference in comfort. The ARC 5 is better bang for the buck and is faster. The closeness of the shave is the same for me, which is to say, passable DFS but that is about it. I normally touch up with a Mach 3 with either to get various nooks and crannies. Either one is a good choice for an electric as long as you don't expect the electric to give a blade shave.

 

[Scaramouche]

Pretty much the same conclusions with the Arc 6 and the Pro Plus, except I find the Arc 6 gives a much closer shave. Probably comparable cost. The Braun cleaning station has always been superior to the Panny, just by virtue of an enclosed cartridge, but more expensive expendables. Braun's alcohol cleaner does a better job of cleaning and sanitizing than Panny's exclusive soap solution. Both among the best of current electric foil models, along with their lesser versions.

 

[Chandu]

@FloppyJoe If you aren't already, do them before a shower and with Williams 'lectric shave. For me, I think electrics work way better on stiff non water logged whiskers and Williams makes it glide very very nice.

 

[StuMcB]

I've tried both before and after a shower and get the same result. I prefer after though as I like the ritual of a clean shower, dry off, then applying a lotion or a powder then the shave, works for me. Also the series 9 pro I got off the bay a few days back and new m94 head has given good shaves comparable to my Remington heritage 9000, just a tadge faster. A win win for me imho

 

[Flyboybob]

I’m not a fan of cleaning stations of any kind. They were invent to provide the electric shaver manufacturer with a return income.

Every electric shaver I have used since I started shaving in the early 1960s, was a breeze to brush out the cuttings. An electric shaver is NOT a surgical instrument like a razor. It’s more similar to a pair of scissors. you are not scraping the top layer of skin. I have had the best luck using every shaver dry before I shower and I don’t use anything on my face as long as I am in air conditioning. In the old days the humidity and perspiration made the shaver drag so I used a pre-shave powder stick to dry the skin. Others have had good luck with liquid pre-shave products but I find them useless. Over the years I have owned, Norelco, (Pre Phillips), Panasonic, Ronson, (Pre Braun), Eltron, (Also Pre Braun), and one Remington, which was a total disaster. Now I use a Braun 7398S model which I have had for several years. If you expect to get a BBS from any electric shaver, you will be disappointed. I get a nice comfortable, and fast shave daily.

 

[StuMcB]

I got a cleaning station and an empty cart came with it. Did the usual youtube search on how to make your own solution. Then hit the lab (I work In a hospital) got the ingredients together there and made my own solution. But I only use it once a week at the most. It does make the shaving foil look brand new again. But no difference in shave quality for me.