Braun Series 9 PRO+ Review: a premium shaver that finally makes daily shaving less of a chore

I’ve been using the Braun Series 9 PRO+ (9567cc) for a bit now, mainly for my face and sometimes for cleaning up my neck and cheeks between barber visits. I’ve bounced between cheap foil shavers, a couple of mid-range rotary ones, and regular blades for years. Usually I end up going back to manual razors because electric ones feel slow, patchy, or they irritate my neck. So I went into this one a bit skeptical, especially at this price.

Out of the box, the first thing I noticed is that it looks and feels like an expensive gadget. Not in a fancy way, but in a “this is not a $50 plastic toy” way. The handle has some weight, the head is big, and the cleaning station is honestly huge. It’s not subtle on a bathroom counter. I set it up in about 5 minutes without really looking at the manual, which is good because the manual is basically a comic strip.

After the first few shaves, what stood out the most was how fast it cleared a few days of growth without chewing up my neck. With cheaper shavers I usually have to go over the same area five times, then still finish with a razor. Here, if I skip shaving for 3–4 days, it still gets things under control in one short session. It’s not magic, but it’s clearly stronger and better designed than the budget stuff I used before.

It’s not perfect though. The price is high, the cleaning cartridges add ongoing cost, and the whole setup (shaver + base) takes space. But in daily use, it honestly made me less annoyed about shaving. If you’re the kind of person who hates shaving and wants to be done quickly with minimal irritation, this is one of the few electric shavers I’d say is actually worth considering, as long as you accept the price and bulk.

Let’s be blunt: this thing is expensive. Not “pick it up on a whim” expensive, more like “I actually think about it for a week” expensive. The question is whether it justifies the price compared to mid-range shavers and just sticking with manual razors. For me, the main value comes from three things: the speed, the comfort, and not having to fuss with cleaning. If you shave often, hate irritation, and want something that just works every morning, then the higher price starts to make more sense.

Compared to a $100 electric shaver, the difference is noticeable. The Series 9 PRO+ cuts faster, handles longer stubble better, and is kinder to sensitive areas. If you only shave once in a while and don’t care if it takes 10 minutes, then a cheaper model might be enough. But if you’re doing face and maybe scalp regularly, the time saved and the smoother result are real. I’d say for heavy users, the price is high but not crazy, especially over a few years of use.

The hidden cost is in the cartridges and replacement heads. The SmartCare base is convenient, but if you run it after every shave, you’ll be buying cleaning fluid regularly. Same with the foil/cutter unit every year or so. That adds up. You can reduce that by rinsing manually most days, using the base less, and watching for deals on replacement parts. But it’s still more expensive to maintain than a basic plug‑in shaver.

So in terms of value, I’d call it good but not cheap. It makes sense if: you shave often, you care about comfort, and you’re okay paying a premium for convenience. If you’re on a tight budget, shave once or twice a week, or don’t mind spending more time in the bathroom, there are cheaper options that will get the job done. This is more for someone who wants their electric shaver to feel like a long-term tool, not just a disposable gadget.

The shaver has that typical Braun foil look: wide shaving head with multiple foils and cutters, and a slightly chunky handle. It’s not tiny, but it feels solid in hand. The weight is balanced more toward the top, which at first felt a bit odd, but after a few shaves I got used to it. The silver finish looks nice enough, though it’s a bit of a fingerprint magnet. You get rubberized sections on the handle that help a lot when your hands are damp.

The head has 5 shaving elements that flex and move with your face. In practice, that means it hugs the jawline and chin without you having to twist your wrist like a contortionist. On flat areas like cheeks and scalp (if you use it on your head), it glides easily. Under the nose and near the lips, the head feels a bit big, so you need to angle it carefully. That’s where the built‑in ProTrimmer helps, as it lets you get into tight spots, but the main foil head is still on the larger side.

The power button and lock are straightforward. There’s a small display that shows battery percentage and a cleaning indicator. It’s clear and bright enough, nothing fancy but useful. One thing I liked is that the travel lock is easy to turn on, so it doesn’t start buzzing inside your bag. The travel case is fabric but structured; it protects the shaver well enough, though it doesn’t hold the charging base or cleaning cartridge, just the shaver and maybe the small brush.

The main design downside is the SmartCare center. Functionally, it’s handy. Physically, it’s big and kind of ugly. On a small bathroom sink, it dominates the space. If you live in a small apartment or share a bathroom, you might end up stuffing it in a cabinet. You can still charge the shaver directly with the cable, so you’re not forced to keep the base out all the time, but then you lose the automatic cleaning convenience. So design-wise: shaver itself is well thought out and practical, the base is useful but a bit of a space hog.

Battery life is one of the strong points here. Braun claims about 60 minutes, and in real use that seems accurate. With my routine (shaving every other day, 3–5 minutes per session), I could easily go over two weeks without needing to recharge, even when I wasn’t docking it in the SmartCare base every time. The percentage display is actually useful; it doesn’t just show three vague bars. You can see if you’re at 20% and decide whether you charge now or risk one more shave.

The 5-minute quick charge works as advertised. I ran it down to almost empty on purpose, plugged it in while I brushed my teeth, and it had enough juice for a full face and neck shave. That’s handy if you’re forgetful and only realize the battery is low when you pick it up in the morning. You can charge it either on the SmartCare base or directly with the cable, which is nice if you don’t keep the base on the counter all the time.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you rely only on the SmartCare base for charging, you’ll also be running cleaning cycles more often, which eats through cartridges. If you’re trying to save on cleaning fluid, you can just plug the cable straight into the shaver and only dock it in the base when you actually want a deep clean. That’s what I ended up doing: manual rinse + brush most days, SmartCare clean once in a while.

Overall, battery performance is strong enough that it’s basically a non-issue. You’re not constantly worried about it dying mid-shave, and for travel you can easily go for a week or more without bringing the charger, as long as you start with a full battery. For something you’re supposed to use regularly, that lack of hassle matters more than fancy specs.

Comfort-wise, this is where the Series 9 PRO+ actually stands out compared to cheaper shavers I’ve used. On my neck, which usually gets red and bumpy with electrics, this one was noticeably gentler. I could go over the same patch 3–4 times without that burning feeling I sometimes get from rotary shavers. The foils stay pretty cool, and the Sonic vibrations make it glide rather than drag. It’s not like shaving with a cloud, but for an electric, it’s on the softer side.

On longer stubble (3–5 days), it still feels controlled. With older shavers, I always felt tugging when the hairs got a bit long, especially under the jaw. Here, it cuts through without that grabbing sensation most of the time. You still feel it working, but it’s more of a buzz than a pull. I tried it on my own head out of curiosity after reading reviews from bald users, and it did a surprisingly good job without scratching. If you shave your head every day or every other day, this can definitely handle it, and it’s faster than a lot of budget head shavers I’ve tried.

I also tested wet shaving with foam. Honestly, for me, it didn’t add much in terms of comfort, and it just made cleanup more annoying. Dry shaving gave me almost the same result with less mess. If you’ve got very sensitive skin, foam might help a bit, but I’d say the main comfort gain here comes from the foil design and the way the head flexes, not from using it wet.

Noise level is in the medium range. It’s not whisper-quiet, but it’s not a chainsaw either. You can shave in the morning without waking up the whole house, but people in the next room will know you’re shaving. Overall, for daily comfort, it’s pretty solid: less irritation than cheaper models, good for tricky areas like neck and jaw, and usable on the scalp if you keep up with it regularly.

The shaver feels sturdy. The head clicks on firmly, the moving parts don’t rattle, and after a bunch of rinses under the tap there’s no sign of water creeping where it shouldn’t. It’s made in Germany and has some titanium-coated bits, which sounds fancy, but in real life it just feels like a well-built tool instead of a flimsy gadget. I’ve dropped cheaper shavers and had the foil dent or the head pop apart; this one gives off the impression it could survive a few bathroom accidents without falling apart immediately.

That said, durability is partly about the parts you’ll have to replace. The foil/cutter cassette will need changing roughly every 18 months or so, depending on how often you shave and how thick your hair is. Those replacements are not cheap. Same with the cleaning cartridges for the SmartCare base. If you run a cleaning cycle after every single shave, you’ll go through cartridges fairly quickly. If you’re okay with rinsing under the tap most days and only using the base occasionally, you can stretch them a lot longer.

The waterproofing is legit. I rinsed it under warm water after several shaves, sometimes with a bit of hand soap, and it never complained. No weird noises, no corrosion, nothing. The rubber grip and body finish haven’t peeled or faded so far. The display still looks clear. The travel case has held its shape and protects it reasonably well in a bag.

Long-term, this feels like a shaver you buy for several years, not something you toss after one. But you have to factor in the ongoing cost of replacement heads and cleaning fluid. That’s where the "premium" part really shows. If you’re fine paying a bit every year to keep it running at full performance, the durability is good. If you want something cheap to buy and cheap to maintain, this is not that. It’s more like buying into a system, and you just accept that there’s a running cost attached.

In terms of raw performance, this thing is strong. On a normal weekday shave (1–2 days of growth), I can finish my face and neck in about 3–4 minutes without rushing. Compared to my older mid-range foil, that’s at least a couple of minutes faster, mainly because I don’t have to keep going over the same spots. The Series 9 PRO+ grabs short stubble well, especially on the cheeks and chin. I’d say the closeness is around 90–95% of what I get with a fresh manual razor, which for an electric is pretty decent.

On 3–5 days of growth, it still handles it. I did a full shave after not touching my beard for about 5 days. It took longer, closer to 7–8 minutes, and I had to use the built‑in trimmer under the jaw and around the Adam’s apple to knock down some longer hairs before finishing with the main head. But it never choked or stalled, and I didn’t feel that painful yank I used to get with cheaper models. If you’re the kind of person who only shaves twice a week, this can still keep up.

The ProTrimmer is handy for mustache edges, sideburns, and cleaning the line between beard and neck. It’s sharp enough and cuts cleanly, but it’s not super wide, so I wouldn’t rely on it for full beard shaping. Think of it as a detailing tool that lives on the shaver, not a full replacement for a proper trimmer. Still, the fact that it’s built in means you actually use it, instead of ignoring some random attachment in a drawer.

One thing to note: you still need to learn how to move it. Short straight strokes against the grain give better results than random circles. If you just swipe it lazily like a rotary, you’ll miss patches. Once you get the angle right and stretch the skin a bit on the neck, the results are consistently good. Not perfect like a barber with a blade, but more than good enough for office / everyday life, and a clear step up from the $100 class shavers I’ve tried.

In the box you get the shaver itself, the 6‑in‑1 SmartCare cleaning/charging base, a power cord, one cleaning cartridge, a fabric travel case, and a small cleaning brush. So it’s basically the full Braun setup, not a stripped-down version. The model I used is the silver 9567cc. No spare foil or cutter head in the box, so when that wears out you’ll have to buy it separately, which is standard but still something to keep in mind for long-term cost.

The SmartCare base is more than just a charger. It cleans, lubricates, dries and charges the shaver automatically when you dock it with a cartridge installed. In practice, that means you shave, press a button, and it does the messy part for you. You can still rinse the shaver under the tap or use the brush if you don’t feel like burning through cleaning fluid too fast. The shaver is fully waterproof, so using it in the shower or with foam is technically fine, though I mostly used it dry.

The built‑in trimmer is on the back and slides out. It’s not a separate clip-on head, so you don’t have to dig around for attachments every time you want to clean up sideburns or a mustache line. It’s fairly narrow and straight, more for edging than for full beard trimming. If you have a big beard and want to shape it, this will help with lines, but you’ll still want a dedicated trimmer for bulk work.

Overall, the package feels like a "complete" shaving station: main shaver, automatic cleaner, travel case. You’re not left needing to buy extras just to get started, which is good considering the price. The downside is that you’re kind of committing to Braun’s ecosystem: cleaning cartridges, replacement heads, and that big base sitting somewhere in your bathroom. If you want something minimal and low-profile, this kit isn’t that. But if you like a plug‑and‑play setup where the machine mostly takes care of itself, it’s pretty solid.