Braun Series 9 PRO+ Electric Shaver vs Braun Series 8 Electric Shaver

Wirecutter says a replacement head costs about $70 and should be swapped every 18 months, and that for daily shavers the gain over the Series 8 isn't worth the extra cost. ShaverCheck lists price as a con and says the new 96M head costs slightly more than older Series 9 heads. Amazon's review summary says some owners find it expensive to maintain.

CNN Underscored says the loud cleaning cycle was the only real drawback. Wirecutter found the station and charging case take a lot of counter space, the pop-up trimmer doesn't get as close as a standalone trimmer, and the head pivots only vertically. ShaverCheck calls the trimmer mediocre and the shaver itself noisy.

Walmart's lowest-rated reviews of the Series 9 Pro 9477cc say an older Series 7 shaved closer, shaving took longer than with a manual razor, and the trimmer hardly trims. Amazon's summary for the PRO+ says skin-irritation feedback is mixed.

Wirecutter says the foils should be replaced every 18 months and a new head runs about $70. ShaverCheck lists the pricey head as a con, though it costs less than a Series 9 cassette.

ShaverCheck found the neck and chin sometimes left slightly rough patches with coarse, dense hair and says Panasonic's Arc 4 and Arc 5 shave closer. Amazon's review summary says opinions on its functionality and value are mixed.

Wirecutter notes the head pivots only vertically, the built-in trimmer is no match for a standalone one, and the cc version's cleaning station and nearly 10-inch charging case take up space. ShaverCheck calls the slide-out trimmer mediocre and says the shaver is pretty loud; Amazon's summary calls noise feedback mixed.