Braun Series 7 760cc

The Braun Series 7 (previously known as the Braun Pulsonic) has an unusual gimmick: The shaver's foil head vibrates laterally, producing a pulsating effect that makes the user's skin ripple (and presumably causes the hairs to stick out a little straighter). Popular Mechanics says the Series 7 delivers a "smoother, less painful" shave, but that it can't cut as close as an ordinary nonelectric razor. London's Sunday Times reports it's still the "king of shavers," even if it's only a marginal improvement over its predecessor.

Owners posting to Amazon.com are mostly upbeat about the Braun Series 7 shaver, but the cleaning system draws some criticism, including the cost of replacing refill cartridges (*Est. $6 each) about once a month. The 760cc is the most basic of the Series 7 shavers. Although it has fewer bells and whistles, it delivers the same shaving performance as the more expensive Series 7 790cc (*Est. $250). If you prefer a rotary shaver, you might want to consider the Philips Norelco arcitec 1050X (*Est. $175), which offers an unusual cutting-head design that experts say works well.

We were able to find thorough reviews of the Braun Series 7 shaver from a number of experts, including The Sunday Times, Popular Mechanics magazine and Gizmodo.com. Various versions of the Series 7 shaver also attract more than 400 posts from owners at Amazon.com.