Braun Büffel Activator 8595
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Similar in Shavers
- Input voltage: 100 - 240
- Hair Trimmer: With Hair Trimmer
- Features: With Self-Cleaning System With Hair Trimmer With Quick Charge
- Number of Heads: 1 Head
- Water Resistant: Dry Only
- Cutting System: Foil Head
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71
The Cleanest Shave, or Your Whiskers Back
Pros
The cleaning process, foil design, charge process, the shave.
Cons
Buying cleaning solution cartridges.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Provides an excellent shave in a cordless, with power and performance, and it's clean each time!
The Issue
I hate shaving. It's not just the act of shaving; it's the whole shaving process. With a blade it's the water and shaving cream all over the place, and the occasional cuts that never stop bleeding - no matter how late you are for something (the later you are, the more it bleeds!) With an electric razor, it's the ingrown hairs or razor burn, or cord, or dead battery. So I put it off. A day is ok. Maybe two. But then there's this new problem: I hate not shaving.
The Options
Beyond laser hair removal or the Rip Van Winkle look, what was I to do? Well, I have to admit that I like electric razors over blades. My Dad bought me my first electric when I was a teen, and he always used one, so to me that was the way to go. And a good electric really can cut closer than a blade in my experience. But most electrics are not good for everything. Like for those couple of days when the wife happens to be out of town, and no one's yelling at you to shave. Then she comes home, and you now have to shave for fear of sleeping on the couch. In that case, most electrics just don't… you know the phrase. With a plug-in electric long hairs pinch and grab, with a cordless they pinch and grab, and slow down the motor. Or what I hate most with any electric is when after you shave, an hour or two later when you're at work, or out, you find the stragglers. There's always one or two - in that spot where you KNOW you shaved. But then for some unknown reason you mysteriously have to touch your face and then....darn it.... there's one... if I can...only...grab it with my finger...got it!
The Solution
But then I got the coolest gift ever, from my Dad no less. The Braun Activator 8595. The cordless electric, electronic, self-cleaning shaver. He has one, and he loves it. It's smart, it's powerful, and it's clean each time I use it. It never gets bogged down in longer hairs, and it actually cuts them. The shave is incredibly close, but not so much that I get those ingrown hairs. It's always charged perfectly. And since that day when I received it, blades have been a thing of the past.
What it Comes With
-A shaver unit, with blade attachment and screen
-A clear plastic head cover
-A cleaning base, with one cleaning solution cartridge
-A special power cord adapter for the base
-A travel case with brush
Form
Both the shaver and base are relatively well made. The shaver itself feels solid, and not cheap. The base is lightweight without the cleaning solution, but doesn't especially feel cheap either. However the cleaning start button is a little loose feeling.
The Shaver
In appearance, the Braun Activator is a predominantly off-silver color, like brushed metal. It has gray rubber side grips, and a depressible power button slider in the center. On the bottom is an LCD display, and below that is a display option button, and status light. The top portion has a swiveling shaver head, and a pop out mini-sheers attachment. The dimensions are approximately: 5 1/2" x 2 1/4" x 1 1/2" (my measurements, not official). The weight is just over 8 oz.
The Base Unit
The base unit is a little bigger than the shaver by a few inches. The dimensions are approximately: 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 5" (my measurements again). It has a sliding button in the front to lock in the shaver and begin the cleaning process. It has another button in the back that raises the top portion of the cleaning unit off it's base so the cleaning solution can be changed.
On the right side are a series of indicator lights. The top lights are four segmented LED's that indicate the status of the shaver: 'Clean', 'Eco', 'Normal', 'Intensive'. The lower lights are three segmented LED's that indicate the cleaning solution level. They are 'Full', then a middle like that isn't labeled, 'Empty'.
Unexpected Features
-The shaving screen at the top of the unit has a unique foil design. The holes are irregularly cut, which is supposed to help push oddly growing hairs into the blade.
-The shaver head swivels, to match the contours of your face.
-The battery is Nickel Metal Hydride, which lasts a long time, and doesn't build up as much memory, as other batteries. However the base unit actually conditions the battery as well, so it's always at its peak performance. It literally discharges and charges the batteries as it sees fit, to ensure top performance. That's pretty impressive really.
Function
Shaving
Shaving with the Braun Activator is easy and makes shaving almost enjoyable. Normally I shave with it in 3 steps.
-First: I select option 1, which is normal operation with the swivel head engaged. When clean (as it should be!), the head glides easily over the surface of my skin. A few back and forth motions, and it makes a nice clean cut. With each pass you can hear the sound of the cut hairs diminish. When I am shaving regularly, just a few passes in each place and 90% of my face is done. It seems to cut much better than my old razor did. It cuts more evenly, and doesn't leave my skin red and irritated.
Second: I switch to option 3, and slide out the sheers. I then attempt to even out my sideburns with the long hair cutters. 'Attempt' is really the key word, as on every third week or so when I go in for a haircut, the stylist usually says 'which length do you want for your sideburns, the left side or the right?'
Third: Finally I go back to option 2, which locks the swivel head in place. Then I proceed to make a few more passes over the whole area, including the spots I shaved already, and cleaning up the area under the sideburns. This last locked-head pass seems to get even those few remaining odd hairs. The locked head also makes it easier to get the difficult area under my nose.
Now the shaver is dirty, time for good clean fun…
Cleaning
First you make sure you have a cleaning cartridge in the unit. You simply push the rear base unit button to raise it. Then you take the protective cap off the solution and place it in the indicated area under the base. Then you push closed the base unit again and plug it in. Immediately the fluid indicator should indicate 'Full'.
To clean the shaver, you simply place it in the base unit. It immediately recognizes that the shaver is there, and the multiple status indicator lights blink as it checks the condition. It then indicates the level of cleaning that is necessary.
-Clean: the shave is clean, and additional cleaning is not necessary.
-Eco: Economical. A short cleaning is required. (about 20 minutes usually)
-Normal: Normal cleaning is required. (about 20-30 mins)
-Intensive: Additional, intensive cleaning is required. (up to 50 minutes)
What's really interesting, is that the cleaning system is pretty complex. Where older self-cleaning razors submerged the head unit in a pool of cleaning solution, this system flushes the solution through the razor head. It actually collects the cut hairs and dust back into a waste container that's part of the cleaning cartridge. Then it actually heats the shaver head to dry it.
During this process it will flush solution through the razor multiple times, and it will cycle the razor on and off. If you're home and you forget that you set it, don't be surprised if you wonder what that odd noise is coming from the bathroom 20 or 30 minutes after you shave. Just when you think it's off... bzzzzzz. But the result is a very clean, smooth foil.
What's the LCD For?
The LCD screen at the bottom of the razor is a status indicator. If you push the (hard to push) inset mode button, it will switch the display to tell you how long your last shave was, how many times you've shaved with it, and what the current battery level is. It also has a not-so handy reminder that says when to change the foil and cutter. And it gives the part number.
When the shaver is in cleaning mode, the display switches upside down so it can be read while it's in the base unit. It tells you the remaining minutes in the cleaning cycle, and it gives you the charge status after that.
The foil replacement reminder isn't a reminder about when to change it, just a reminder that it needs to be changed, every 18 months. That's an oversight in my opinion.
The Negatives
There's really nothing major I can say that's bad about this shaver. Other than annoyances like the display button being hard to push, or the note to change the foil, the only real negative is that you do have to buy new cleaning cartridges every few months. I typically go through one every month or so, depending on how regular I'm shaving. It does such a good job of cleaning however, that as long as I knock out the big whiskers over the sink, I actually don't always put it through the cleaning cycle each time. Depending on your level of usage, you can probably go at least a month between refills even with heavy use.
Also, cartridges used to cost about $15-20 for two. But in the last 6 months or so I've been seeing them for $9.99. (About half the cost of a 10-pc Sonic-Super-Turbo razor pack)
The only other negatives are more like feature enhancements I wish it had… I wish the LCD foil reminder actually reminded you when the foil and cutter needed changing, instead of just reminding you that it needs changing - when you remember. I also wish it didn't take quite as long to complete a cleaning/charge cycle.
Conclusion
Yes, I know these self cleaning things aren't cheap, and yes, my Braun Activator was a gift. But knowing what I do now, I would have gladly bought one for myself. Before this shaver, I had been switching between my old electric model which was less than adequate, and those new, super-duper expensive warp speed turbo quadro-ultimate razor heads. Do you know what a box of those refill heads costs???? Let's just say that even if my Braun was not a gift and I would have bought it, I could have made the entire Braun purchase price back in a couple of months… including the cleaning cartridges, by not buying those razor refills!
Overall, I think this Braun Activator automated electric shaver is actually good enough to be worth the money. I can't say if the irregular foil holes are what makes it work better, or that it's clean each time, but something makes it work better than any electric I've used. When it's just out of the cleaning unit, it's noticeably clean. It seems to glide over the skin better. Plus it smells clean. It makes shaving great when I do it, it handles it when I don't, and it actually succeeds in keeping me off the couch.
I hate shaving. It's not just the act of shaving; it's the whole shaving process. With a blade it's the water and shaving cream all over the place, and the occasional cuts that never stop bleeding - no matter how late you are for something (the later you are, the more it bleeds!) With an electric razor, it's the ingrown hairs or razor burn, or cord, or dead battery. So I put it off. A day is ok. Maybe two. But then there's this new problem: I hate not shaving.
The Options
Beyond laser hair removal or the Rip Van Winkle look, what was I to do? Well, I have to admit that I like electric razors over blades. My Dad bought me my first electric when I was a teen, and he always used one, so to me that was the way to go. And a good electric really can cut closer than a blade in my experience. But most electrics are not good for everything. Like for those couple of days when the wife happens to be out of town, and no one's yelling at you to shave. Then she comes home, and you now have to shave for fear of sleeping on the couch. In that case, most electrics just don't… you know the phrase. With a plug-in electric long hairs pinch and grab, with a cordless they pinch and grab, and slow down the motor. Or what I hate most with any electric is when after you shave, an hour or two later when you're at work, or out, you find the stragglers. There's always one or two - in that spot where you KNOW you shaved. But then for some unknown reason you mysteriously have to touch your face and then....darn it.... there's one... if I can...only...grab it with my finger...got it!
The Solution
But then I got the coolest gift ever, from my Dad no less. The Braun Activator 8595. The cordless electric, electronic, self-cleaning shaver. He has one, and he loves it. It's smart, it's powerful, and it's clean each time I use it. It never gets bogged down in longer hairs, and it actually cuts them. The shave is incredibly close, but not so much that I get those ingrown hairs. It's always charged perfectly. And since that day when I received it, blades have been a thing of the past.
What it Comes With
-A shaver unit, with blade attachment and screen
-A clear plastic head cover
-A cleaning base, with one cleaning solution cartridge
-A special power cord adapter for the base
-A travel case with brush
Form
Both the shaver and base are relatively well made. The shaver itself feels solid, and not cheap. The base is lightweight without the cleaning solution, but doesn't especially feel cheap either. However the cleaning start button is a little loose feeling.
The Shaver
In appearance, the Braun Activator is a predominantly off-silver color, like brushed metal. It has gray rubber side grips, and a depressible power button slider in the center. On the bottom is an LCD display, and below that is a display option button, and status light. The top portion has a swiveling shaver head, and a pop out mini-sheers attachment. The dimensions are approximately: 5 1/2" x 2 1/4" x 1 1/2" (my measurements, not official). The weight is just over 8 oz.
The Base Unit
The base unit is a little bigger than the shaver by a few inches. The dimensions are approximately: 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 5" (my measurements again). It has a sliding button in the front to lock in the shaver and begin the cleaning process. It has another button in the back that raises the top portion of the cleaning unit off it's base so the cleaning solution can be changed.
On the right side are a series of indicator lights. The top lights are four segmented LED's that indicate the status of the shaver: 'Clean', 'Eco', 'Normal', 'Intensive'. The lower lights are three segmented LED's that indicate the cleaning solution level. They are 'Full', then a middle like that isn't labeled, 'Empty'.
Unexpected Features
-The shaving screen at the top of the unit has a unique foil design. The holes are irregularly cut, which is supposed to help push oddly growing hairs into the blade.
-The shaver head swivels, to match the contours of your face.
-The battery is Nickel Metal Hydride, which lasts a long time, and doesn't build up as much memory, as other batteries. However the base unit actually conditions the battery as well, so it's always at its peak performance. It literally discharges and charges the batteries as it sees fit, to ensure top performance. That's pretty impressive really.
Function
Shaving
Shaving with the Braun Activator is easy and makes shaving almost enjoyable. Normally I shave with it in 3 steps.
-First: I select option 1, which is normal operation with the swivel head engaged. When clean (as it should be!), the head glides easily over the surface of my skin. A few back and forth motions, and it makes a nice clean cut. With each pass you can hear the sound of the cut hairs diminish. When I am shaving regularly, just a few passes in each place and 90% of my face is done. It seems to cut much better than my old razor did. It cuts more evenly, and doesn't leave my skin red and irritated.
Second: I switch to option 3, and slide out the sheers. I then attempt to even out my sideburns with the long hair cutters. 'Attempt' is really the key word, as on every third week or so when I go in for a haircut, the stylist usually says 'which length do you want for your sideburns, the left side or the right?'
Third: Finally I go back to option 2, which locks the swivel head in place. Then I proceed to make a few more passes over the whole area, including the spots I shaved already, and cleaning up the area under the sideburns. This last locked-head pass seems to get even those few remaining odd hairs. The locked head also makes it easier to get the difficult area under my nose.
Now the shaver is dirty, time for good clean fun…
Cleaning
First you make sure you have a cleaning cartridge in the unit. You simply push the rear base unit button to raise it. Then you take the protective cap off the solution and place it in the indicated area under the base. Then you push closed the base unit again and plug it in. Immediately the fluid indicator should indicate 'Full'.
To clean the shaver, you simply place it in the base unit. It immediately recognizes that the shaver is there, and the multiple status indicator lights blink as it checks the condition. It then indicates the level of cleaning that is necessary.
-Clean: the shave is clean, and additional cleaning is not necessary.
-Eco: Economical. A short cleaning is required. (about 20 minutes usually)
-Normal: Normal cleaning is required. (about 20-30 mins)
-Intensive: Additional, intensive cleaning is required. (up to 50 minutes)
What's really interesting, is that the cleaning system is pretty complex. Where older self-cleaning razors submerged the head unit in a pool of cleaning solution, this system flushes the solution through the razor head. It actually collects the cut hairs and dust back into a waste container that's part of the cleaning cartridge. Then it actually heats the shaver head to dry it.
During this process it will flush solution through the razor multiple times, and it will cycle the razor on and off. If you're home and you forget that you set it, don't be surprised if you wonder what that odd noise is coming from the bathroom 20 or 30 minutes after you shave. Just when you think it's off... bzzzzzz. But the result is a very clean, smooth foil.
What's the LCD For?
The LCD screen at the bottom of the razor is a status indicator. If you push the (hard to push) inset mode button, it will switch the display to tell you how long your last shave was, how many times you've shaved with it, and what the current battery level is. It also has a not-so handy reminder that says when to change the foil and cutter. And it gives the part number.
When the shaver is in cleaning mode, the display switches upside down so it can be read while it's in the base unit. It tells you the remaining minutes in the cleaning cycle, and it gives you the charge status after that.
The foil replacement reminder isn't a reminder about when to change it, just a reminder that it needs to be changed, every 18 months. That's an oversight in my opinion.
The Negatives
There's really nothing major I can say that's bad about this shaver. Other than annoyances like the display button being hard to push, or the note to change the foil, the only real negative is that you do have to buy new cleaning cartridges every few months. I typically go through one every month or so, depending on how regular I'm shaving. It does such a good job of cleaning however, that as long as I knock out the big whiskers over the sink, I actually don't always put it through the cleaning cycle each time. Depending on your level of usage, you can probably go at least a month between refills even with heavy use.
Also, cartridges used to cost about $15-20 for two. But in the last 6 months or so I've been seeing them for $9.99. (About half the cost of a 10-pc Sonic-Super-Turbo razor pack)
The only other negatives are more like feature enhancements I wish it had… I wish the LCD foil reminder actually reminded you when the foil and cutter needed changing, instead of just reminding you that it needs changing - when you remember. I also wish it didn't take quite as long to complete a cleaning/charge cycle.
Conclusion
Yes, I know these self cleaning things aren't cheap, and yes, my Braun Activator was a gift. But knowing what I do now, I would have gladly bought one for myself. Before this shaver, I had been switching between my old electric model which was less than adequate, and those new, super-duper expensive warp speed turbo quadro-ultimate razor heads. Do you know what a box of those refill heads costs???? Let's just say that even if my Braun was not a gift and I would have bought it, I could have made the entire Braun purchase price back in a couple of months… including the cleaning cartridges, by not buying those razor refills!
Overall, I think this Braun Activator automated electric shaver is actually good enough to be worth the money. I can't say if the irregular foil holes are what makes it work better, or that it's clean each time, but something makes it work better than any electric I've used. When it's just out of the cleaning unit, it's noticeably clean. It seems to glide over the skin better. Plus it smells clean. It makes shaving great when I do it, it handles it when I don't, and it actually succeeds in keeping me off the couch.
