Braun Series 9 9390cc Review: a premium foil shaver that finally tames a 3-day beard

I’ve been using the Braun Series 9 9390cc for a few weeks now, basically every other day on a 1–3 day beard. Before this, I was on a much cheaper Philips rotary and sometimes a manual razor when I wanted a proper clean shave. I bought the Braun because I was tired of irritation on my neck and the rotary leaving random long hairs behind. At this price, I expected a clear upgrade, not just a shiny gadget.

First thing: this is a high-end shaver with a high-end price. It’s not the kind of thing you buy on a whim. So I went in quite critical: if it didn’t shave clearly better and faster than my old one, I’d have sent it back. I used it both dry in the morning rush and wet with gel on weekends to see how it really behaves.

On my face, which is fairly sensitive on the neck and has some flat, stubborn hairs under the jaw, the Series 9 does a very close and pretty gentle shave compared to what I had before. It’s not magic, I still need a few passes on the neck and under the chin, but I can get a near razor-level result without razor burn. The 3‑day beard claim is not just marketing: it actually handles that length better than my older shaver, which used to snag.

Is it perfect? No. The price bites, the cleaning cartridges add ongoing cost, and the head is a bit bulky for tight spots. But in daily life, it has genuinely made shaving less of a chore. If you’re currently on a basic foil or rotary and you shave often, this feels like moving up a tier. Whether that tier is worth the money depends on your budget and how annoying shaving is for you right now.

Let’s be blunt: the Braun Series 9 9390cc is expensive. You’re paying a clear premium over mid-range shavers, and even over some other high-end models. So the real question is whether the extra cost actually brings anything in day-to-day use. In my case, coming from a cheaper rotary and a basic foil, the answer is yes, there is a clear difference in both comfort and how quickly I can get a good shave.

The big plus points for value are: close shave on 1–3 day growth, good comfort, strong battery, and the convenience of the cleaning station. If you shave often and you hate irritation or having to go over the same area ten times, that has real value. Also, the included leather case and overall build make it feel like a long-term purchase rather than something you’ll replace in a year.

On the flip side, you have to add the ongoing costs: replacement heads and cleaning cartridges. Over, say, three years, that adds up. If you’re on a tight budget or you only shave once or twice a week and don’t care about a super close result, a mid-range Braun or even a decent rotary will probably be enough. You’re paying here for that extra bit of performance and comfort, not just for the logo.

So, is it good value? I’d say it’s good value if you actually use it a lot and care about shaving being quick and painless. If you’re the kind of person who lets the beard grow and only shaves for special occasions, it’s overkill. For regular shavers with sensitive skin or dense beards, the price makes more sense, even if it still stings a bit at checkout.

Design-wise, the Braun Series 9 9390cc looks like a typical premium foil shaver: lots of silver plastic, a big shaving head, and a clear LED display on the front. It’s not exactly stylish in a fancy way, but it looks modern and solid enough. The main thing you notice is the size of the head: it’s wide and quite tall because of the 5 shaving elements. That has pros and cons in real use.

On the positive side, the large head covers a lot of surface quickly. On my cheeks and neck, I can do long strokes and it clears a big patch of hair in one go. The head also pivots and the foils have some flex, so it follows the contours of the jawline pretty well. I rarely felt like it was losing contact with the skin, which helps for a consistent shave.

On the downside, that same big head is a bit clumsy under the nose and around the lips. You can still get the area clean, but you have to angle it carefully and sometimes do shorter strokes. There is a built-in precision trimmer that slides out the back, which helps shape sideburns and tidy edges, but for very tight moustache detailing it’s still not as precise as a simple manual razor.

The handle itself is comfortable: slightly curved, with rubberized grip areas so it doesn’t slip, even when wet. The LED display is actually useful: it shows battery percentage and basic cleaning/maintenance icons, not just vague bars. The overall design is more about function than style. It’s not some bathroom ornament, but it feels like a tool made to be used daily, which I personally prefer.

The battery on the Braun Series 9 9390cc is one of the strong points. They claim around 60 minutes of shaving, and in real life that seems pretty accurate. I shave every other day for about 5 minutes, sometimes a bit more if I let the beard grow, and I can go around two weeks before I even think about charging. The percentage indicator on the handle is actually useful: it’s not just vague bars, so you see clearly when you’re down to, say, 20%.

I tried to push it once by not charging until it was almost empty. It started warning me with the low battery icon, but I still managed to finish a full shave without it dying mid-way. Charging through the Clean & Charge station is straightforward: drop it in and forget it. You can also plug the cable straight into the shaver if you’re travelling without the base, which I appreciate. I never had a situation where I needed to shave and the thing was completely dead, as long as I paid minimal attention to the indicator.

One thing to note: you can’t use it while plugged in, for safety reasons since it’s fully waterproof. That means if you somehow run it completely flat, you’ll need to wait a few minutes of charging to get enough juice for a quick shave. In practice, though, the battery drains slowly enough that you see it coming. I’d say from 100% to 20% took me about 10–12 short shaves.

Overall, battery performance is in line with the premium tag. You don’t have to baby it or charge after every use. For travel, you can easily do a week-long trip without bringing the charger, as long as you leave with a decent charge. That’s a nice change from older shavers that needed constant top-ups.

For me, comfort was the big reason to spend this much. I’ve got fairly sensitive skin on the neck, especially if I shave two days in a row. With my old rotary shaver, I often ended up with redness and little bumps, and with a manual razor it was even worse if I rushed. With the Braun Series 9, dry shaving is noticeably gentler than what I’m used to. I can shave in the morning and not have that raw feeling on the neck all day.

The foil head glides pretty smoothly, and the little “sonic vibrations” they talk about basically mean the head buzzes slightly and doesn’t drag. On flat areas like the cheeks it’s very comfortable. On trickier spots, like right under the jaw and on the Adam’s apple, I still need several passes at different angles, but it doesn’t feel harsh. I do get a bit of mild redness if I insist too much in one spot, but it fades quickly and there’s no burning sensation like I sometimes get with blades.

Wet shaving with gel is even nicer. I tried it a few times in the shower and over the sink. The shaver handles water and foam without any issue, and the head still glides well. It’s a bit slower because you tend to be more careful, but for days when my skin feels touchy, it’s a safer way to go. I wouldn’t say it’s night and day compared to dry, but there is a small comfort boost.

It’s not perfect: if you push hard, you can still irritate the skin, and people with very reactive skin might still need to be careful. But compared to cheaper shavers I’ve used, this is clearly a step up in comfort. I can actually shave two days in a row now without dreading it, which was not the case before. So for me, on comfort, it gets a solid thumbs up, just not miracle-level.

In the hand, the Braun Series 9 9390cc feels solid, but it’s still mostly plastic. After a few weeks, there are no rattles, no parts coming loose, and the head mechanism still clicks into place firmly. The foil and cutter block feel well put together, and the whole thing is fully waterproof, so I’ve rinsed it under the tap and used it in the shower without any sign of trouble. It doesn’t feel fragile, but it’s also not some tank you’d want to drop on tiles regularly.

The main durability question with any premium shaver is the cost of consumables. Braun recommends changing the shaving head roughly every 18 months, depending on use. Those heads are not cheap. On top of that, if you use the Clean & Charge station regularly, you’ll go through the alcohol cleaning cartridges. With daily cleaning, you might need a new cartridge every 1–2 months. With less frequent cleaning, you can stretch it longer, but it’s still an ongoing cost.

The good news is you don’t have to use the station every time. I found that a quick rinse under hot water after each shave and a station clean once or twice a week keeps it fresh enough. That way, the cartridge lasts a bit longer. The station itself seems sturdy and hasn’t glitched once: you drop the shaver in, it recognizes it, and does its thing. No weird noises beyond the normal hum and fan sound.

So in terms of durability, the body and mechanics inspire confidence, but you do need to budget for long-term use. If you plan to keep it for several years, you’ll definitely buy a few heads and a lot of cleaning fluid. That’s the trade-off: strong performance and convenience, but you’re kind of locked into the Braun ecosystem for parts and cleaning. If you’re fine with that and treat it decently, it should last a good while.

Out of the box, the Braun Series 9 9390cc feels like a complete kit rather than just a shaver. You get the shaver itself, the Clean & Charge station, one cleaning cartridge, a leather travel case, the 2‑pin bathroom plug (smart plug), a small cleaning brush, and the paperwork. So in terms of content, it’s pretty full: you don’t need to buy anything extra to get started apart from replacement cartridges later.

The Clean & Charge station is a plastic dock where you drop the shaver head-down. It charges the shaver and runs an automatic cleaning cycle using the alcohol-based cartridge. It’s fairly compact but you do need a bit of counter space. There’s no huge setup: you just pop the cartridge into the base, plug it in, and you’re done. The station has a simple indicator to show what it’s doing; nothing fancy, but it’s clear enough.

The leather case is a nice touch. It’s semi-rigid, zips up, and actually feels solid enough to throw in a bag without worrying about the shaver getting damaged. It’s not huge, but note that it only holds the shaver, not the charger or station. For trips of a few days, the battery is good enough that you probably won’t need the charger anyway, which is handy.

Overall, the presentation is clearly aimed at the premium market: everything is fairly well finished and practical. No useless extras, but also nothing crucial missing. For the price, I would have liked at least one extra cleaning cartridge in the box, because you’ll burn through the first one in a couple of months if you clean regularly. Still, as a package, it feels like a proper high-end grooming kit, not a barebones device.

In terms of pure shaving performance, the Series 9 9390cc is one of the closest electric shaves I’ve had, but you still need to be realistic if you’re coming from a manual razor. On a 1–2 day beard, I can get very close, to the point where my face feels almost smooth in every direction, especially on the cheeks. On the neck and under the jaw, it takes more work, but I can still get it to a level where it looks clean even in harsh bathroom lighting.

Where it stands out is on 3‑day growth. With my old shaver, going straight onto a 3‑day beard meant tugging, noise, and plenty of missed hairs. With the Braun, it cuts through longer hairs with much less pulling. I won’t say there’s zero tug, but it’s clearly reduced. I usually do one quick pass with the grain to knock the length down, then a second slower pass in different directions to clean up. That’s enough for a work-ready shave in under 5–7 minutes.

The shaver does miss a few really flat hairs, especially around the neck where mine grow in random directions. But that’s been true of every electric I’ve used. The trick with this one is to stretch the skin slightly and go against the grain in short strokes. Once I started doing that, the number of stubborn hairs left behind dropped a lot. You still might find the odd one if you run your fingers very closely, but visually it looks neat.

Compared to cheaper foil shavers, the main gains are: fewer passes needed on thick areas, less pulling on longer stubble, and better results under the jaw. It doesn’t feel like a toy; it feels like a proper tool that can handle dense beard growth. If you’re expecting manual-razor baby-smooth everywhere, you’ll be a bit disappointed. If you want a consistently close electric shave that’s quick and doesn’t wreck your skin, it does the job well.