Braun Series 7 760cc

The verdict on the Braun Series 7 (previously the Braun Pulsonic) is that it has a unusual gimmick: The shaver has a foil head that vibrates laterally, producing a pulsating effect that makes the skin of the user's face 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 can't cut as close as an ordinary, nonelectric razor, and The Sunday Times (U.K.) says it's still the "king of shavers," even if it's only a marginal advance on 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 a few less bells and whistles, it delivers the same shaving performance as the more expensive Series 7 790cc (*Est. $230). If you prefer a rotary shaver, you may also want to consider the Philips Norelco arcitec 1050X (*Est. $145). It offers an unusual cutting head design that 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 newspaper, Popular Mechanics magazine and Gizmodo.com. Various versions of the Series 7 shaver also attract more than 400 posts from owners at Amazon.com.