The Bottom Line: Great shave, and over time, far cheaper than the newer Mach 3 Turbo or Schick blades. Norelco? New package, new claims, old technology.

This is the review that I hope a lot of people have been waiting for. I bought the Braun 7526 about 10 months ago. I used it on and off versus the Mach 3 Turbo and the Schick three blade. The Mach 3 was expensive with a great shave on the cheeks and necks, lousy around the mouth and chin. The Schick was good, but not as close. In the end, the Braun beat these out. However, something in my head snapped and I decided to try a Norelco 6885XL, the old top of the line (since their new Spectra series). Well, here's my decision: The Norelco goes back under the trial period. Why? Well, shaving doesn't have to be a consistently painful experience. Think old Epilady. The Norelco grabs the hair, tugs it, cuts it. It shaves poorly around the lower neck, and around the mouth and chin. The shave is nowhere near as close as a blade, and frankly, my face hurts when I'm done. Further, the Norelco leaves a lot of long hairs that the Braun snaps up with aplomb. The water cleaning of the Norelco is far less effective than the Braun's self-cleaning base unit. Also, the Norelco head needs a good cleaning every now and then and the use of head cleaner other than water. (Think lemony-fresh Braun versus dead skin smell of the washed Norelco) The final decision came when my wife said to me, "Your face feels really smooth. That Norelco does work well. Your face has never been as smooth!" My response: "Not really, hon. I just finished shaving, only I used the Braun."

'Nuff said!