You may not have grown up in a world where men cared about trimming their body hair and styling beards, but now it’s just another part of being a guy. We try out Braun’s best!
While body hair is still a matter of preference, most men tend to bounce between two extremes: ‘caveman-chic’ and ‘Ken Doll’. With recent studies showing that women don’t want us looking like a middle-aged member of One Direction, getting the perfect grooming balance has become – if possible – even more difficult!
Precision trimmers and razors are now man’s best friends on the quest towards manscaping greatness, so we decided to see how Braun – famed for their pioneering and indestructible designs – can prepare modern men for the battle.
Braun Cruzer 6 Beard & Head Trimmer
RRP: £39.99
WHERE TO BUY: Amazon
This trimmer arrives with just a beard comb, head comb and travel pouch. For starters, the absence of a thousand combs to navigate your way through makes for a refreshing change.
Billed as Braun’s ‘most powerful beard trimmer’, the Cruzer is designed to cater for both your beard and head, even coming with a detailing blade which pops up from the body of the unit to make it a quality ‘all-in-one’ product.
The aforementioned power comes from a dual battery which will increase or decrease depending on the type of hair being cut, going into overdrive when things get particularly bushy. Compared to the competition, the Cruzer’s battery life is reasonable but not spectacular, offering around 40 minutes of use depending on intensity. One huge plus is the 1-hour charge time, which is convenient for those hectic mornings!
The “ultra-sharp” blades are good, but for guys trying to tame thicker manes or long beards, hair build-up in the combs might become a problem. The beard guide comes with 6 settings between 1mm and 11mm, while the head comb offers a 10mm to 20mm range, again with 6 settings. This a fairly sizeable spread, although those looking to really hone their style might find themselves wishing there were smaller increments available.
Overall, the Cruzer is a treat for day-to-day use; quiet, lightweight and when you consider its versatility, the price is more than fair.
Braun WaterFlex WF2s Wet & Dry
RRP: £103
WHERE TO BUY: Amazon
Shaping your style aside, a comfortable and effective shaver is an essential grooming tool.
The WaterFlex comes with a cleaning brush, charging cable and a small clip on guard to protect the blades when travelling. Although not a major drawback, it’s surprising to find there isn’t a travel case included to house all of these accessories.
Design-wise, this shaver feels solidly built, looks sleek and comes in a nice range of colours. The layout is straightforward, with a power button on the front of the unit, extendable sideburns razor around the back and a removable blade cassette on top. The anti-slip grip is a really nice addition, ensuring the razor doesn’t go flying around your bathroom as soon as it gets wet.
The standout feature of the WaterFlex is its “contour-adaptive swivel head”, with the razor-head swivelling and blade angle automatically adjusting to create a comfortable shaving experience.
As the name suggests, this shaver is waterproof, meaning you can use it with water, shaving foam or of course, dry. It may be worth trying out each of these methods first to ensure your skin doesn’t feel like it’s being set on fire for ten minutes each day!
As with the Cruzer, the WaterFlex’s battery offers a reasonably impressive 1-hour charge time for about 45 minutes use, or 5-minute charge for a quick one-off shave – we’ve all been there! The charging cable is designed for a two-pronged plug socket, so if you don’t have one in your bathroom, you will need to invest in an adaptor. For obvious safety reasons, you also can’t use the razor while it’s charging.
This shaver ticks plenty of boxes – particularly in the design department – but when it comes to achieving a close shave, its bite doesn’t quite match up to its bark.
Series 7 Shaver 720S-4
RRP: £113
WHERE TO BUY: Amazon
Every guy needs a heavyweight grooming champion in their bathroom cabinet and the Series 7 packs a mighty punch!
Coming with a travel case and cleaning brush for maintenance, this fully washable shaver is all about performance. The combination of sonic technology to capture more hair, triple-action cutting system, patented ActiveLift and OptiFoil – which cleverly snags hairs growing in different directions – makes for a terrific shaving experience.
With 3 modes including extra sensitive and intensive, it’s easy to take control of intensity and adjust for any sensitive spots. As with most Braun products, there’s also a reliable 50 minutes of cordless shaving from a 1-hour charge.
Bottom-line, with the Series 7 providing maximum adaptability, comfort and a really close shave, why go for anything else?
Braun Cruzer 6 Body Shaver
RRP: £33
WHERE TO BUY: Amazon
In the war against body hair, the Cruzer 6 – offering both the functionality of a precision trimmer and the performance of a shaver – could turn out to be a life-saver!
Coming with the dual-function unit, 3 trimming combs, sensitive comb and a charging stand, versatility is the name of the game here. Whether it’s sculpting or approaching those nooks and crannies that usually have us cowering with fear, this tool is really useful.
The ergonomic design is sleek and compact, gripping those difficult areas of your body and the trimmer also has extra-teeth for tackling sensitive areas. A definite positive is the Cruzer’s minimal noise output, as there’s nothing more disconcerting than grooming with something that sounds like a chainsaw!
The three trimming combs each offer a different setting, letting you choose the length of the shave. Cuts and nicks are minimised, and the sensitive comb comes in handy for areas like the groin and armpit. Bear in mind that with this product’s wide head, you will still need to be careful down there! As the Cruzer is fully enclosed – capable of being either wet or dry – you can also do your manscaping in the shower. Overall, the system attacks hair well and glides smoothly over skin.
The integrated Gillette Fusion blades offer that characteristic quality, so you can enjoy a close shave and trim in one easy session. With daily-use likely, the battery-life is a pretty commendable 50 minutes after a full charge.
Although there may still be some safety concerns around this product – namely the shallow stand and avoiding small nicks from the razor – if you take into account the bargain price, multiple functions and excellent durability, this is a must-have for the battle.
