Braun Series 7 790cc-4

Bottom Line

The Braun Series 7 790cc-4 foil shaver offers an excellent, relatively quiet shave, with three adjustable settings to help you tackle tough areas (neck, chin) or cater to sensitive skin or coarse beards. An amped-up display and multi-cycle cleaning station round out its notable features.

Performance

"I'd swear I shaved with a blade this morning." The Braun Series 7 790cc-4 is basically the Series 7 760cc-4 with a few minute upgrades. The two models share the same three-setting adjustable head, which lets you tweak the razor to tackle tough areas or soothe sensitive skin; the biggest differences are the addition of an LCD indicator screen and a faster cleaning station.

Most reviewers say that the Braun 790cc-4 is good for even the most sensitive skin, giving "an extremely close shave with no more nicks." However, we did find a smattering of comments that it didn't shave close enough, after all. It's unclear whether the dissatisfied shavers had a problem with the Series 7's shaving adjustments, which can be set to provide a gentler or more intense shave. Comments like "My face right now feels so shockingly smooth, I'd swear I shaved with a blade this morning" from an Amazon.com user are more common than the complaints. Most users say it takes about five minutes to shave with the Braun 790cc.

Ease Of Use

Easy to hold. Reviewers agree almost universally: Once you get your hands on the Braun Series 7 790cc-4, it's easy to use. One Drugstore.com reviewer bought it for her 91-year-old father with memory problems -- no problem there -- and another reviewer, this time from Amazon.com, compares this shaver with high-end Panasonic and Norelco shavers. He says the 790cc-4 is the easiest to keep a hold on, even if your hands are wet.

Steven Leckart, writing for Wired magazine, points out that even though the manufacturer promises 50 minutes of shaving time on a single battery charge, his testers routinely managed more than 75 minutes of shave time.

Noise

Buzzy, but not a deal-breaker. Although the Braun Series 7 790cc-4 receives very good noise ratings from one expert source, a number of users on Amazon.com, Drugstore.com and Walmart.com say it's not the quietest of electric shavers. Some describe it as "buzzy," in apparent agreement with Wired's Leckart, who says the Braun Series 7 shaver he tested "buzzes like a fridge... with a chain saw inside." The noise is far from a deal-breaker for most users, however; some flat-out disagree, saying that the 790cc is plenty quiet, and even most of those who complain about the noise say they would recommend this shaver to a friend.

Warranty

Great warranty and return terms. The Braun Series 7 790cc is covered by a two-year limited warranty (excluding the foil and cutter cassette). You can return it to get your money back within a generous 60 days. Most owners say this shaver is well worth the price, and that its reasonable costs for replacement parts (three cleaning cartridges cost about $13, and replacement cassettes -- which only need to be replaced every 18 months -- are about $32) help defray the Series 7's high purchase price.

We found one or two complaints about Braun's customer service not being very helpful, but most users don't comment on the service -- that's usually a good sign. There are a few complaints about durability, however. For example, one Drugstore.com user says he's had the trimmer break on two Series 7 shavers in a row. Still, those criticisms are few and far between when compared to other shavers.