Braun Series 9 Pro+ 9690cc Electric Shaver

Summary

If you shave every day or every other day, have a medium or dense beard and want to be done quickly in just a few passes, the Braun Series 9 Pro+ is a foil shaver that makes life very easy. We tested it in Spain as the 9675cc; on Amazon.co.uk it’s sold as the 9690cc in black, which is the same shaver with the same SmartCare cleaning station, just in a different colour. We used it on two days’ stubble, both dry and with foam, and either way the neck was smooth after two passes.

The chin and moustache came out even. Where we had to go back was around the Adam’s apple and under the jawline, with the odd short hair left on the lower neck, mostly the ones that grow in awkward directions.

A full charge gave us 11 shaves of about 5 min 15 s, over 11 days. A full charge took 1 h 01 min, five minutes of quick charging was enough for a complete shave, and the travel case that came with our unit has its own battery to charge it away from home.

The station cleans, dries and charges it for you. In return, its full programme took 47 minutes, it takes up room in the bathroom and it uses cartridges that need replacing.

We recommend it if you want a close shave in very few passes, you shave often and travel a lot, and you don’t mind giving the station a permanent spot in the bathroom.

Analysis and verdict

Closeness of shave – Score: 8.8/10

The head has five cutting elements plus a trimmer for detailing, and it tilts up to 40° to follow the shape of your face. Braun also says sensors adapt the power to the density of your beard. We didn’t measure that separately, so we’re leaving it as a manufacturer claim.

What struck us most is how much of the neck it gets smooth in just two passes. The flexible head sits nicely on the jawline and chin, and it glides over the moustache and cheeks without you having to go over them again. You finish sooner than you expected, which is exactly what you want first thing in the morning.

Dry, on two days’ stubble, the neck was smooth after two passes, with a bit of touching up lower down. Running a hand against the grain, we found slight roughness under the jawline and isolated hairs around the Adam’s apple, and a few short hairs were left on the lower neck, mostly those that grow in irregular directions. The chin and moustache came out even.

With foam it was also two passes, with fewer touch-ups than dry. A little roughness remained next to the Adam’s apple and under the jaw, but there were no large missed patches, and the chin and moustache came out even.

Foam reduced friction and saved us a touch-up or two on the neck, although the final closeness was practically the same. So you can choose how to shave depending on how much time you have each morning.

With foil shavers it usually works best to move in straight lines against the grain without pressing, and on the neck it helps to stretch the skin a little with your other hand. That way the foils catch the crooked hairs around the Adam’s apple more easily and you save yourself some touching up.

Battery life – Score: 8.9/10

Braun quotes 60 minutes of battery life. In our test we got 11 shaves of about 5 min 15 s each, around 58 minutes in total, spread over 11 days with no recharging in between. Braun’s figure holds up almost entirely, with full face-and-neck shaves.

If you shave daily, that’s almost two weeks without thinking about the charger. The display warns you when the battery is low, and after the warning it still gave us a full shave of about five minutes, enough margin to finish and put it on charge.

A full charge took 1 h 01 min, and five minutes of quick charging gave us a complete shave, just as Braun says. If it catches you flat one morning before you head out, five minutes plugged in will get you out of trouble.

Its big travel advantage is the case. As well as protecting the shaver, the case supplied with our unit has its own battery and charges it inside, so on a long trip you don’t need to pack the charger or hunt for a socket in the hotel. If you’re away for several days every month, it makes a real difference. The UK listing doesn’t detail the case, so check the box contents on Amazon.co.uk if this matters to you.

If you shave every other day, the same charge lasts about three weeks without counting the case. And if you forget to put it back on the station one day, the display warns you in plenty of time to finish your shave.

Comfort and cleaning – Score: 8.5/10

Ten minutes of continuous use left the head slightly warm, never uncomfortable. There was some tugging now and then, very occasional and under the jaw, with hairs lying flat against the skin or growing in several directions. On the chin and moustache we barely noticed it.

Dry, we noticed mild irritation around the Adam’s apple and on the lower neck, and with foam it was less. If you have sensitive skin, shaving wet and not going over the Adam’s apple too much is the way to get the best out of it. With two passes over most of the neck, your skin also gets less friction than with shavers that need more going over.

You can rinse it under the tap, but the usual routine is to leave it in its station, which cleans, dries and charges it without you lifting a finger. The full programme, with washing and drying, took 47 minutes by our stopwatch, so it’s best to pop it in when you finish rather than just before you shave.

Maintenance has a running cost. The station uses cleaning-fluid cartridges that need replacing, and the replacement head is the 96M, to be changed every 18 months. It isn’t one of the cheaper spare parts, so over the years it adds to what the shaver costs you.

The station also takes up room. If your basin area is small, think about where you’ll put it before you buy, because that’s where the shaver lives between shaves.

Station, case and accessories

Braun says it can be used dry or wet, with foam or gel. It has a trimmer for sideburns and outlines that wasn’t part of our test protocol, and it feels solid in the hand.

The box of the unit we tested contained the shaver, the cleaning station with one cartridge, the travel case with battery, the charging cable and a brush. It’s a complete kit for anyone who doesn’t want to buy anything else to shave at home or away. The UK 9690cc listing names the 6in1 SmartCare Center and also a ProComfort head with sonic bristles as included accessories.

The display is another practical touch. It shows the battery and maintenance reminders, so you know when to charge it or change the cartridge without keeping count, something you appreciate when you use it every day.

Who we recommend it for

It’ll suit you if you shave every day or every other day, have a medium or dense beard and want a close shave in very few passes over most of the neck. Also if you travel often, because a charging case means you can leave the charger at home.

It’s not for you if you’re after a budget shaver, if you prefer rotary heads or if you’d rather avoid the upkeep and the cost of cartridges and heads. Nor if you have no room in the bathroom for the station or don’t like waiting nearly an hour for its programme to finish.

If your beard grows in swirls around the Adam’s apple, expect a bit of touching up there. Everywhere else on your face, though, you’ll be done very quickly and your skin will feel smooth.

And if you shave first thing with no time to spare, the combination of two passes and quick charging will save you on more than one morning. It’s a shaver that rewards routine, because if it goes back on the station every night, it’s always clean and charged.

Pros

• Two passes on the neck dry and with foam, with an even chin and moustache.
• 11 shaves per charge of about 5 min 15 s, and a 5-minute quick charge for one shave.
• Travel case with its own battery that charges it away from home without the charger.
• Station that cleans, dries and charges it, with a battery display and reminders.

Cons

• Touch-ups around the Adam’s apple and under the jaw, with odd short hairs growing crooked.
• 47-minute station programme, plus the station takes up space and needs cartridges and a 96M head.

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 some touching up lower down and isolated hairs around the Adam’s apple. With foam, two passes with fewer touch-ups and no large missed patches. For you, that means a smooth neck in very little time, with a quick go over the Adam’s apple.

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 recharging 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 11 shaves of about 5 min 15 s over 11 days, around 58 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 it needs changing.

There was very occasional tugging under the jaw and the head ended up slightly warm. Irritation was mild dry and less with foam. The station programme, with washing and drying, took 47 minutes, and the 96M head is changed every 18 months. In practice, you hardly have to think about cleaning it, in exchange for waiting for the station and topping up cartridges.

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.