Braun Büffel Syncro 7570

I've had my Braun 7570 ever since it was first released a few years ago. I upgraded from the Braun 5500 series shaver which had done a great job, and I still swear by this brand.

The 7570 has a cutting head that moves in three planes, so the shave is noticeably closer than previous models. There is a three setting switch. Setting one allows the head to pivot freely. Setting two locks the head into place. Setting three engages the sideburn trimmer.

The face of the Braun has a large, easy to read LCD readout which, when at rest, displays charge info and other diagnostics such as alerts to clean or oil the blade, battery charge, etc. The LCD automatically inverts itself 180 degrees after charging in the cradle. It then inverts again after removed and turned on for the first shave. Nice touch. A small red button near the LCD will display the duration of your last shave.

The AC adapter is kind of a wall-wart, but tolerable. The charger/cleaner base looks super-cool and is easy to use. One just plumps the shaver into the receptacle when done. You can then push the plunger unit into the shaver which will allow you to clean and/or charge the shaver. These options can be selected by two small buttons on the base. If you don't want to clean/charge, you can just use the base for storage, which is what I do.

The battery has excellent life. I took the shaver on the road for 10 days and still had 20% charge on it when I returned home. It charges fairly quickly (about 15-20 minutes).

A word on durability. I had the shaver in my overnight bag and some mouthwash leaked all over it, permeating the case. I thought the razor was dead. It wouldn't start. I opened it and air-dried everything, re-assembled it, and then charged it. The shaver still worked perfectly. It's a testament to Braun's designers who must have anticipated that the shaver might be exposed to water or other bathroom chemicals. It appears the unit sensed a short circuit and discharged the battery charge to save the unit.

There are few downsides to this unit as far as I can see. The biggest problem I had in the beginning, was finding the refill cartridges. Bear in mind that you don't have to clean the unit everyday. I use the small brush to clean the hair out on a daily basis, and use the cleaner about once or twice a week. The cartridges used to be hard to find and I could only find them at Target. Since then, Walgreen's has started carrying them in the photo department with the rest of the Braun replacement parts. At 10 bucks per two, it's a minor hassle to get these every few months, but they last for a lot longer than the 30 days that Braun predicts. The cartridges are very easy to find now, as are replacement blades. Changing out the cartridges can be messy if you're not careful, but it's extremely easy. A note: the cartridges are sealed with a plastic plug which you must remove prior to use. The plug should then be put into the old cartridge prior to disposal otherwise the stubble and cleaning fluid will spill out. Common sense, right?

If I have one gripe, it's the cost of replacement blades. They range from anywhere from 20-30 bucks depending on where you shop.

The upside is that this is the best shave I've ever had. I have pretty thick facial hair and this shaver cuts through it with ease. I am still amazed at how efficiently the cleaner works and Braun's claim that you get a new shaver after each use is completely honest. Some people are used to blades, some like rotary shavers, and some like screen shavers. If you're using a screen shaver, I'd switch to this one. If you're looking to switch to a screen shaver, then look no further. As with anything, give your face a couple of weeks to adjust.