Braun Series 5 5145S review: An Underrated But Decent Shaver

Braun has been a market leader in foil shavers for some time now and for all the right reasons. Over the years, Braun has been innovative and has many “firsts” to its name. It has shavers in its lineup to cater to a wide range of consumer base.

The shaver at hand, 5145s, is part of Braun’s Series 5. This essentially is a mid-range series and lies between the entry-level series 3 and higher-end series 7 and 9. 5145s, however, is part of the renewed Series 5 which was a revamp from older models. This new series is sometimes also called as Series 5².

In this new and revamped series, we see a shift from 50** model names to 51** model names. One major shift in terms of features was that all the shavers are now wet and dry. This is opposed to former models which also had some dry-only shavers like 5090cc, 5020s, and 5030s.

Other than that, the newer models incorporate the same shaving head, so we can expect a similar shaving performance. There are a few other cosmetic changes which we will point out later on.

What else 5145s has to offer and how it performs in real-world scenarios, we will find out and put things into perspective by comparing it to similar shavers.

Braun Series 5 5145S Highlights

Knowledge about the basic features of the shaver helps you to pick up the most reliable shaver for shaving. Let’s figure out on the basis of what qualities you should go for Braun series 5145s shaver.

Autosensing Motor: Autosensing is a trademark feature of the Braun shavers. With this new addition, the shaver can easily approach your beard and constantly adapts to its density. It supposedly adjusts the power of the motor accordingly; less power for shaving thin beards and more power for shaving thick beard.

8-Direction Comfort Head: Another of the good features that Braun kept from the previous models is the shaving head. It is noteworthy that the shaving head is flexible and well admired for its contour adaptation. When placed on the skin, it can supposedly go in eight directions to ensure a full-fledged shaving.

In this shaving head, we are well aware that the blades are made of high-quality stainless steel that is gentle on sensitive skin.

Actilift trimmer, the specialized middle trimmer, precuts flat-lying hair and also takes care of hair growing in different directions. These hair are commonly referred to as unruly hair. Braun shavers because of this ActiLift trimmer in various forms deal with these hairs probably better than any other shaver.

Another noteworthy feature is that each foil corresponds to the contour it is going over. Depending on the area, it moves in a to and fro motion and this allows constant skin contact. This is especially an asset when going over hard-to-reach areas.

Precision Trimmer: The pop-up trimmer we see in 5145s is a feature we see in most of the Braun shavers. It is the backside of the shaver and you need to slide it out to perform touch-ups and lining up mustache and sideburns.

We see almost the same trimmer even in the most-advanced Series 9. In series 5, it is perhaps a bit narrower. I have never been a fan of this pop-up trimmer from Braun as it has limited utility because of its position. Moreover, because of its roundish and curved profile, you need to make multiple passes to get the job done.

Wet and Dry Use: You would be happy to know that Braun 5 5145s is 100% waterproof. This attribute enables this shaver to be used in the shower and with foam or gel. This will refresh and moisturize your skin and hair, and this makes shaving effortless and pleasant experience on the whole.

It is a good inclusion for people with sensitive skin or those who are prone to razor bumps.

It is noteworthy that 5145s is a “solo” model and does not come with a clean and charge station.

Braun Series 5 5145S Review - What Makes It A Worthy Buy in 2020

A shaver can have features to fill tens of pages, but what actually matters is the performance. In this section, we will go through different aspects of the performance for 5145s.

Construction and Design

In terms of construction, as we see in most electric shavers these days, the main body is of plastic. However, the shaving head and blades are of metal. Overall, the shaver is well built and can take a few accidental chair-level falls, but don’t quote me on this, you may have a higher chair or a harder floor.

The main interface is simple and has a power button and below that, it has three lines that indicate battery status. The LED display also indicates when the shaver needs to recharge. On the front side, there is text in the form of S5 and wet&dry which is also new from previous models.

In terms of color combination, we see a black shaver with blue and black accents and, a blackhead. This gives the shaver understated looks that don’t really stand out but look decent at the same time.

In addition, you have a precision headlock near the head. On the backside, there is a pop-up trimmer.

In terms of design, it gives a trendy look and a nice feel to it. The overall body of the shaver shows a rectangular shape, a bit curved from the middle.

Shaving Performance

As discussed earlier, 5145s have the same shaving head we are used to seeing in Braun Series 5 models. Therefore, we can expect similar performance.

Foil shavers, in general, are good at providing a close shave and 5145s is no different. It provides a satisfactory shave. However, if you have a pretty fast growing beard, you may see the 5’o clock shadow creeping up rather quickly. When it comes to the closeness of shave, Braun lacks just behind its corresponding Panasonic Arc series which in this case is Arc 4.

In terms of numbers, 5145s performs 30,000 cross-cutting actions per minute and these produce 10,000 cuts per minute. This is opposed to 60,000 and 14,000 of the Arc 4. These numbers are an indication of how fast a shaver works.

Another plus Braun has is its ability to tackle flat, long and unruly hair. Because of its ActiLift Trimmer, it captures these hairs remarkably better and precuts them for final cut by Sensofoil.

Braun shavers and their blade remain impressively cool when in a shave. They don’t get hot and this leads to lesser irritation and burns. When makes it even better is this shaver’s wet and dry utility and these attributes make it good for people with sensitive skin.

When we talk about hard-to-reach areas and shaving on the contour, 5145s does pretty well. It has flexible head and shaving blades that adapt themselves to contour and do a good job.

We discussed the pop-up trimmer earlier and how it could be better. However, it is there to touch-up and align your sideburns and mustache and does a satisfactory job.

Battery Life And Charging

Braun shaver 5145s is made in Germany, which speaks for its quality construction.

However, it is noteworthy that you can utilize the quick charge feature which gives you enough battery for one shave with a 5-minute charge.

Accessories And Replacement Parts

Other than the shaver, you get;

• A charging cord
• A cleaning brush
• A hard travel pouch

I would like to mention that the travel pouch you get with 5145 is a hard pouch that provides good protection. This is better than the soft pouch we see in some other Series 5 models.

Braun recommends changing your shaving head every eighteen months. The replacement head 5145s utilizes is 52b which is easily available.

Cleaning

5145s comes without a clean and charge station. Therefore, you will have to resort to manual cleaning. However, manual cleaning is not much fuss either.

First, remove the shaving head from the shaver. Tap it gently on any surface to remove any stubble. Use the cleaning brush to remove dirt or stubble from the inner side of the shaving elements and blades. However, do not use the brush on the foils as they can get damaged pretty easily.

Put the shaving head back on again, turn it on and put it under running hot water. You can also place a couple of drops of liquid soap. This will remove or ease off all the remaining hair or dirt.

Remove the cassette again, brush it and let it air dry before putting it back on. It can take about four hairs to completely air dry.

Braun Series 5 5145s Vs 5140s

Both 5145s and 5140s are part of new Series 5. They essentially incorporate the same shaver. 5140s has the same color combination as 5145s and has all the attributes to expect similar performance.

It would be more accurate to say that these two shavers are perhaps different configurations of the same shaver. They only differ with regard to the accessories they come with.

5145s comes with a hard travel pouch and 5140s does not. However, 5140s has a plastic protection cap for the blades. Other than that, both are solo models and do not have a clean and charge station.

Conclusion

Braun Series 5 is a class act when it comes to giving value for money. It is very close to Series 7 when it actually comes to shaving performance and that too a lesser price.

5145s provides a close shave which is not as close as some of the Panasonic Arc 4 models in the similar price category. However, where it leaves Arc 4 miles behind is its ability to provide a gentle and irritation-free shave. In addition, you will love its ability to tackle flat-lying, long and unruly hair masterfully well.

We can be critical of 5145s lacking cleaning dock, but everything comes at a price and manual cleaning is not much of a hassle either.

Therefore, if you are looking for a decent shaver at a highly justified price, 5145s can be a good buy considering its features and overall shaving performance.