In 2015, Braun launched the company’s flagship shavers in Series 9. Manufactured in Germany, the Series 9 was a highly anticipated product range worldwide by Braun. It did considerably well by delivering on the promises. Braun rolled out an apparently minor update to Series 9 after the very first year of the big launch. This was not a wise move as it made the users confused.
Moving forward to 2019, Series 9 launched new models with better and advanced features. This was according to the market trends and requirements for enhanced user experience. The new shaver can easily be identified as they come with a consistent name scheme which starts with 93, previous models start with 92.
Let’s see what the Braun Series 9 9385cc model has to offer to its user by having a detailed review.
Table of Contents
Braun Series 9 9385cc Review – What to know before buying?
- Efficient with 5 synchronized shaving elements
- Gentle sonic vibration for maximum skin comfort
- 40,000 cutting action for a close shave
- Improve battery life with 20% more power
- Build quality to last long up to 7 years
- 32bit chip for data processing at a fast rate
- Advance Pro LED display
- 100% waterproof
- For Wet and Dry Use
- Identical shape to the ongoing Series 9
- Expensive
- Difficult to clean manually
- All plastic body
Design and Construction
If we talk about the design of the Braun Series 9 9385cc it has an ergonomic design that fits perfectly in your hand. It comes with a 10D flex head. This head intelligently adapts to your skin giving a closer shave by getting every hair. One of the blades is coated with titanium, which is the lift and cut trimmer, and it helps to cut even flat-lying hair. The shaver has an integrated precision trimmer on the main body which takes care of the finishing touches.
The new 9385cc features the four-blade cutting system which we can see on the other series 9 models as well. The two outer foils cut the hair at skin level, the other two are used for flat-lying and uneven hair.
Now, you must be wondering that Braun is branding their Series 9 shavers with 5 shaving elements but the 9385cc and other models have four-blade cutting systems. If you look at the packaging you will see a 4+1 mark-up.
The fifth element is basically SkinGuard. They have integrated this into the trimmer (Direct and Cut) and is placed below the titanium-coated blade. It is a metal bar that protects your skin from cuts and discomfort. The motor of the Braun 9385cc makes small vibrations. These transfer to the four shaving elements making them glide easily across your face.
I like that Braun Series 9 9385cc packs an improved Pro LED display. This has all the information to keep your shaver brand new for a longer period.
It also has a precision headlock that locks the shaving head. For me, it assisted me to be more precise in the tricky and hard areas.
The older Series 9 used to come with an 8bit processor. However, the new models have 32bit unit processors which are a lot more powerful. The 32bit can process more data at a faster pace and better assess the density of the beard. The series 9 has a sensor for beard density which makes real-time adjustments making it more efficient.
Shaving performance of Braun Series 9 9385cc
The performance of the Series 9 has always been satisfactory as reviewed from the views of various users across the globe. Hopefully, in the review section, you will have a clearer picture and be able to make an informed decision about your purchase. Let’s have a closer look at the features and performance aspects of the new Braun 9385cc.
Firstly, let us discuss the comfortability of the shave. It is worth mentioning that the shaver gave a sleek feel as one would expect from a series 9 shaver. Regardless of wet or dry usage, 9385cc is quite comfortable and ideal for users with sensitive skin.
When we compare to the aggressive razors, with which I often use shaving cream or lotion, this was not the case with the 9385cc as it was smooth without it. It is also very efficient as I was able to get uneven or flat-lying hair with fewer strokes.
When shaving a three-day beard, you need to give a little more time to shave perfectly. However, it is hard to find a fault in the performance of 9385cc in this area.
Let’s throw some light on the closeness of the shave. Braun Shavers when it comes to closeness are not the most powerful ones around. But, 9385cc and other Series 9 models are more capable of a closer shave. I would not say the closeness is comparable to Panasonic Arc 5. But, it did surprise me with a close shave for a Braun shaver.
Particularly, while I was using it dry, it enabled me to get close shaves. 9385cc is comfortable and you can use it without any constraints. Even on the dense beard, I had to press harder but still, I felt no significant discomfort. There are more aggressive shavers that can give even a closer shave. However, they render the shaving experience a difficult one, particularly when using dry skin.
Another strong point of Braun Shavers being ahead of its competitors is shaving long facial hair. This is a key aspect for users that often shave less, in their buying decision. The 9385cc deals well with long facial hair. I once used it on a four-day beard without any trouble.
It will be very useful even for users with curly hair due to the specifically designed four cutting elements. They require slight pressure and their range of motion is pretty high.
The simple up and down swivel movement of the head allows the foil to stay in contact with your skin. This essentially makes it effective to trim difficult hair.
The Braun Series 9 9385cc is 100% waterproof and is suitable for wet and dry use. This feature gives you the liberty to use it with the shaving cream or gel and you can even use it in the shower.
However, if you want to do the wet shaving, be prepared for that afterward manual cleaning. But, I think most of the users would prefer a dry shave as the 9385cc is comfortable enough. In addition, one can always avoid the manual cleaning of foam residue before using the cleaning station.
As we first saw the hair trimmer with Series 5, Braun 9385cc uses the same design. This trimmer is at the back of the shaver. You can use this by holding the locking button and sliding the trimmer forward.
The awkward angle to the skin makes it hard to cut the hair but you can eventually get the job done with little effort. This trimmer essentially is useful to cut the sideburns. However, it is very time-consuming if you want to use it to trim your entire beard. I would suggest you use clippers or other trimmers for this purpose.
Being a foil shaver, the Series 9 9385cc is pretty quiet during use and less noisy compared to others. However, it is nowhere near if we compare it with a rotary shaver.
While cutting hair, the vibration makes it sound louder apparently. Therefore, it is at par with the other Series 9 models if we consider the noise element. Nonetheless, it is still good enough for a foil shaver.
Battery Life and Charging
Battery life is one of the few novelties of the new Braun Series 9 9385cc as it packs a bigger battery. It gives 10 more minutes of shaving time than the older models, so a fully charged battery will allow you a total of 60 minutes. Impressive, right?
But, there is a hitch as the 9385cc will only work cordless and this means you can’t shave while charging. I tried to shave it with the cord attached, but there was a RED plug symbol on the display reminding me to unplug it in order to use the shaver.
The charging time is about one hour when you want to fully charge it from 0 to 100%. The battery level indicator has 5 bars with white backlighting, each bar represents 20% worth of battery life. The 9385cc will show a digit instead of bars when it has a remaining 9% worth of battery. I think this provides you with the easily displayed information.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Braun Series 9 9385cc, as the suffix “CC” suggests, comes with a clean and charge station like most of the models in Series 9. The cleaning station has the same design and features but no other frills.
It is worth mentioning that the new cleaning station will only work for the 93 series, it can, however, charge the older series 9 models but will not clean.
The Series 9 cleaning station analyses the status of the shaver and can perform three cleaning programs that are short, normal, and intensive.
Even though it does not take much time to clean in the cleaning station i.e. it takes only 2 minutes and 10 seconds for intensive clean. You can manually clean your shaver under running tap water with soap or any cleaning liquid.
Accessories
Apart from the Braun Series 9 9385cc shaver the box includes:
- Cleaning and charging station
- One cleaning cartridge
- Charging cord
- Cleaning brush
- Travel leather case
Conclusion
Throughout the review, I have tried to emphasize the new Series 9’s additional and improved features like its bigger battery and a better processor. It, however, does not really bring a huge improvement over the current Series 9.
Having said that, Braun Series 9 9385cc along with the other Series 9 models are one of the most comfortable shavers you can currently buy.
As I have mentioned earlier regarding the closeness of the shave, it can be of a satisfactory level for the majority of the users but there is still room for improvement for Braun when it comes to a close shave. But I think it is clearly good enough.
In particular, the Braun Series 9 9385cc is a good match for users having sensitive skin, coarse and dense beard, and longer/flat-lying hair. As these users are most likely to be satisfied with the performance.
If we talk about value for money, the 9385cc doesn’t score particularly great when it is compared to the much-appreciated Series 7 models. But still every Series or brand has its shortcomings, it is entirely up to your preference to buy the right product.
