Braun NEVO Electric Shaver

Summary

If you shave almost every day and want to be done quickly with calm skin, the Braun NEVO is a foil shaver that gets straight to the point. We tested it in Spain in its graphite version, the NEVO15115C, which is exactly the model listed on Amazon.co.uk. On two days’ stubble, dry and with foam, two passes on the neck were enough to leave it smooth either way.

The chin and moustache felt even to the touch. Where we had to go back was around the Adam’s apple and under the jawline, with the odd short hair left where the stubble grows in several directions. With foam those touch-ups were fewer and the jawline came out smooth.

A full charge gave us 12 shaves of about 4 min 45 s, over 12 days and without going back to the station in between. A full charge took 1 h 01 min, and five minutes of quick charging was enough for a complete shave.

The station cleans, lubricates, dries and charges the shaver for you, and the display keeps you posted on battery and maintenance. In return, the station’s full programme took 52 min 10 s, it takes up room in the bathroom and the travel case has no battery.

We recommend it if you have a medium or dense beard, shave often and want a foil shaver that looks after itself between shaves.

Analysis and verdict

Closeness of shave – Score: 9.2/10

The head has five shaving elements under a foil that barely rubs against the skin. Braun talks about 250 cutting blades, a head that tilts up to 40° to follow the shape of your face and a processor that adapts the power to the density of your beard. We didn’t measure that last point separately, so we’re leaving it as a manufacturer claim.

What we noticed from the very first shave is how smoothly the head glides, even dry. Foam reduces friction a little more, but you don’t need it for a comfortable pass over the face, so on rushed mornings you can shave dry without feeling it drag.

Dry, on two days’ stubble, the neck was smooth after two passes, with a touch-up around the Adam’s apple. Running a hand against the grain, we found slight roughness on the lower neck and under the jawline, plus the odd loose short hair next to the Adam’s apple, where the stubble grows in several directions. There were no large missed patches, and the chin and moustache came out even.

With foam it was also two passes, with a small touch-up on the lower neck. Chin, moustache and jawline were even, and next to the Adam’s apple there was slight roughness with fewer loose hairs than dry. Foam cut friction a little and saved us a pass here and there, but the final closeness was practically the same, so you can choose how to shave depending on the day.

Battery life – Score: 8.8/10

Braun quotes up to 60 minutes of battery life. In our test we got 12 shaves of about 4 min 45 s each, around 57 minutes in total, spread over 12 days. We didn’t put it back in the station between shaves, so that’s what a single charge gives you, with no help. The 57 minutes we added up are very close to Braun’s 60, so its figure holds up in normal use with one shave a day.

If you shave daily, that’s almost two weeks without thinking about the charger. The display shows the battery and warns you when it’s low, and after the warning it still gave us a full shave of about 4 min 45 s, enough not to be left with half your face done.

A full charge took 1 h 01 min. And if you realise too late that it’s flat, five minutes of quick charging gave us a complete shave, which is just what you need before leaving the house.

What it doesn’t have is a battery in the case. If you’re away for several days, you’ll either pack the charger or trust that the 12 shaves will see you through. Braun does sell another NEVO version with a charging case, but that’s not the one we’re reviewing here.

Comfort and cleaning – Score: 8.6/10

Ten minutes of continuous use left the head slightly warm, never uncomfortable. Tugging was rare and very isolated, always under the jaw, where the odd long hair grew flat against the skin. On the chin, moustache and cheeks it didn’t pull once.

Dry, we noticed mild irritation on the lower neck, especially when going over the Adam’s apple. With foam it was noticeably less, so if you have sensitive skin you’re better off shaving wet and not going over the same area more than you need to.

Cleaning is the most convenient thing about this shaver, and also the slowest. You can rinse it under the tap, but the usual routine is to leave it in the station, which cleans, lubricates, dries and charges it without you lifting a finger. The full programme took 52 min 10 s by our stopwatch, about 2 min 10 s of intensive cleaning and the rest drying, so it’s best to pop it in when you finish rather than just before you shave.

If you’re in a hurry one day or away from home, a rinse under the tap is enough to clear out the hair and foam. What the station adds is everything after that, because as well as cleaning it, it lubricates it, dries it and leaves it charged for the next day, without you having to remember a thing.

Maintenance has a running cost. The station uses cleaning-fluid cartridges that need replacing, and Braun recommends changing the head every 18 months. For the graphite version the replacement is the NEVO-B, in black, and it’s not one of the cheaper ones, so over the years it adds quite a bit to what the shaver costs you.

Design, display and case

The body is a single piece of stainless steel and it’s made in Germany. Braun says it’s waterproof, so you can use it with foam or gel and rinse it under the tap when you’re done.

The display is one of the things we liked most. It shows how much battery is left and gives you maintenance reminders, so you know when it’s time for a deep clean or a new cartridge without keeping count. It’s a practical touch when you use it daily, because with 12 shaves per charge it’s easy to forget when you last charged it.

The box contains the shaver, the cleaning and charging station, a travel case, the charging cable, a brush and a cartridge. It also has a built-in long-hair trimmer for sideburns and beard outlines, which wasn’t part of our test protocol. If anything goes wrong, your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 apply, and Braun’s own guarantee terms are on its website.

Who we recommend it for

It’s a good match if you shave every day or every other day, have a medium or dense beard and want a foil shaver that gets the neck done in a few passes and cleans itself. Also if you switch between dry and foam depending on the day, because in our tests the results were very similar both ways. And if the skin on your neck is a little sensitive, irritation dropped noticeably with foam compared with dry shaving.

It’s not for you if you’re after a budget shaver or a compact one for your wash bag, if you have no room in the bathroom for the station or if you’d rather avoid the ongoing cost of cartridges and heads.

If you travel often, bear in mind that the case only protects it. For a short break, the 12 shaves from one charge are more than enough, but on a long trip you’ll need to pack the charger.

Pros

• Two passes on the neck dry and wet on two days’ stubble, with an even chin and moustache.
• 12 shaves per charge of about 4 min 45 s, and a 5-minute quick charge for a full shave.
• Only isolated tugging under the jaw, and the head stays slightly warm after 10 minutes non-stop.
• Display with battery and maintenance reminders, and a station that cleans, lubricates, dries and charges it.

Cons

• 52 min 10 s station programme, plus the station takes up space and needs cartridges and replacement heads.
• Travel case without a battery, so away from home you rely on the 12 shaves from one charge.

Our test

Test 1: Closeness of shave – two days’ stubble, dry and wet

With two days’ stubble, we shaved the whole face and neck dry and then wet with foam. Afterwards we ran a hand against the grain to find any missed patches, and counted how many passes the neck needed, as it’s the hardest area.

Dry, it took two passes with a touch-up around the Adam’s apple, slight roughness on the lower neck and under the jawline and the odd short hair. With foam, two passes with a small touch-up lower down and fewer loose hairs. For you, that means a smooth neck in very little time, with or without foam.

Test 2: Battery life – full charge and daily use until it switched off

We charged the shaver fully, timing it, and used it for one shave a day without returning it to the station until it switched off. We counted the number of shaves, how long each one lasted and how many it managed after the low-battery warning, and we also timed a five-minute quick charge.

It gave 12 shaves of about 4 min 45 s over 12 days, around 57 minutes in total, with one full shave after the warning. A full charge took 1 h 01 min and the five-minute quick charge was enough for a complete shave. At home, that means almost two weeks without plugging it in if you shave daily.

Test 3: Comfort and cleaning – ten minutes non-stop and a station cycle

We used the shaver for ten minutes non-stop and noted whether it pulled at the hair, whether the head heated up and whether the skin got irritated. Then we cleaned it under the tap and with the station programme, which we timed from start to finish, and checked which replacement head it takes and how often Braun recommends changing it.

There was very isolated tugging under the jaw and the head ended up slightly warm. Irritation was mild dry, on the lower neck, and noticeably less with foam. The station programme took 52 min 10 s, almost all of it drying, and the NEVO-B head is changed every 18 months. In practice, you hardly have to think about cleaning it, in exchange for waiting for the station to finish and topping up its consumables.

If you’d like to know more about what to look for, take a look at our guide to the best electric shavers, where you’ll find the best models we’ve tested and help to choose the right one for you.