Braun Electric Razor for Men, M90 Mobile Electric Shaver, Precision Trimmer, Washable

Men and shaving... A history of frustrating choices.Exposed sharp edges (rocks, razors, blades, etc.) causing pain and bloodshed even in todays refined form led to the popularity of the convenient and gentle electric razor. While equally effective for most users, electric razors are often expensive, and do wear out (the shield, the blade assembly sharpness, and the battery or motor mechanism). In my life I've needed to travel internationally and domestically frequently and for a lengthy stay at times, so the convenience of the electric razor was offset by its bulk, its damage in travel, and its power/plug requirements.Enter the smaller, lighter, shave-anywhere battery operated electric shaver! Found my first one while in Japan in the 80's, discovered Braun also made one while in Germany a few years later; never used anything else from then on. Used these little gems for well over a decade before their wearing out prompted me to find Braun sold the model 370 here in the US... recently that model disappeared. Now here is the 370's replacement in an improved design, the Model M90 (M60 without a trimmer). The M90 is more attractive, protects the battery compartment better, has a more effective positioning of the trimmer, and has a better designed shaving head screen than its Model 370 predecessor; the M90 and M60 are also designed to be washable for cleaning.These lightweight, take-with-you shavers are powered by two standard AA cells of any sort. If you take 5 minutes to carefully shave, you will get at least two weeks of operation from most batteries. I use 1300 mAH NiMH rechargeable AA cells, and that is my experience; good Alkaline AA's or higher capacity NiMH AA's will run another week longer.The M90 is well protected for travel in your kit with its swing about cover. Batteries for it can be found everywhere. It gives a good shave (mileage may vary for men with very heavy beards). It's easily cleaned... What's not to love?And it's economical - so when the shave head foil fails (I've worn out 3 model 370's over the last 20 years) or the blade seems too dull, just be sure you have a backup replacement M90 stuffed away in your dresser drawer. (Don't bother hunting for a replacement shave head or blade assembly.)So Why not buy one to keep in the car to freshen up? Why not permanently have one in your toiletries travel kit if you're a frequent traveler? A mix of three M90's and M60's will cost less than one of the most popular cordless or even corded electric shavers... and the M90/M60 will in many cases last just as long if not longer, given equal treatment of the shave head... and replacing just the head assembly on an electric will cost more than a new M90 or M60!Panasonic sell a similarly sized Model ES3831 wet/dry 2-AA cell powered mobile shaver. The Braun protects the shaving head better in travel with its swing cover versus the Panasonic's plastic snap-on/off cover. The Braun M90 has a trimmer and attached cleaning brush. And the Braun (in my opinion) gives a closer shave.

Amazon says I have bought this shaver several times now.That is over many of years, but that's still embarrassing. I should be more careful, but it is my regular shaver, my travel shaver, and the shaver I carry in my "purse". The problem is that when using it on-the-fly I drop it. Or, most recently, I lost it. (I think I set in on top of my suitcase at the airport and when the taxi pulled up I forgot it was there, rolled away with my bag, and it fell to the curb without my noticing. Not sure, but that's my best guess.)Pros:- It works well.- Small.- Uses 2 AA cells, which are replaceable, so the whole shaver does not need to be replaced if the battery won't hold a charge. And if the batteries are dead, swapping in good ones is faster than waiting for a charge.- Has a trimmer.- Has a real off switch, no phantom drain of the battery when it is supposed to be off.- Won't switch on accidentally if it gets squeezed in your bag.- Foil is covered to protect it, and the cover stays attached so you won't lose it.- Fairly tough for normal use, but don't drop in the street while walking down the sidewalk shaving. (Yes, that's me.)- Decent price.Cons:- There is a cleaning brush that has a parking place but isn't that secure, it can get lost; but I never use it, I blow out the chaff myself and that seems good enough.- A bigger/better trimmer might be nice, but too big and it no longer works as a trimmer, so this is probably a stupid quibble.- Does not come with rechargeable battery nor a charger. But rechargeable AAs are available, and if you already have a charger (I do) that avoids yet another wall-wart power supply to keep track of.- A bigger, more powerful shaver might clear my face faster, but this one works well and small is a feature.I use quality rechargeable NiMH cells, and I charge them in a better charger than what might be built into a shaver. The result is they charge individually and never get overcharged, so I don't ever *need* to replace them, because they keep holding a charge.The swinging thing that covers the shaving foil might seem silly, but it isn't. It covers the foil, protecting it and it locks the switch from accidentally turning on. I could imagine a design that might be smaller, but the current size fits my hand pretty well, and the cover not being a loose item to misplace is a good thing.If I were traveling really light, and on a long trip, carrying spare AAs or carrying a charger might be too much. So that's a consideration. I suppose I could buy disposables along the way, but I hate disposables.Good shaver, I keep buying them, not because they fail but because I keep losing them, or destroying them through abuse.Recommended.-kb