Braun Nevo review: Braun has a new flagship shaver and it is one smooth operator

Braun’s electric shaver line up is extensive, spanning beard trimmers, hair clippers and all-in-one solutions that are just as happy tidying up the nether regions as they are etching sharp lines into sideburns.

The company also isn’t afraid to inhabit the very premium end of the electric shaver market, with the previously range-topping Series 9 Pro+ boasting an RRP in excess of £600. Heck, even the more basic Series 7 cost around £350 when new.

The Nevo, which is the brand’s all-new flagship, comes with a similarly painful price tag (more on that below) but crams enough technology inside to go some way to justifying it.

Automatic cleaning docks, battery-infused travel cases and a completely redesigned shaving head are just a few highlights.

If you like shaving results incredibly close and free from any irritation, the Nevo is a fantastic option to consider. After testing the model for a few weeks, using it to shave pretty much every other day, it rapidly shot to the top of the list of the best electric shavers I have tried.

Price and availbility

The Braun Nevo 1500C, to give it the full title, starts at around £740 for the basic package, while the top-tier bundle I tested has an RRP of almost £900 (?!). Thankfully, Braun appears to be discounting it heavily already, with the full package available for considerably less at the time of writing.

Head over to Boots and the package that contains the travel charging case and automatic cleaning dock can be picked up for as little as £420. That’s slightly better.

But even at the discounted price, this is very much a premium electric shaver. For context, the Philips i9000 Prestige Ultra and Panasonic ES-LS9A also occupy the high end of the market but can now be picked up for around £270.

Design and features

The Nevo makes a strong, steely first impression. The stainless, almost automotive-inspired body feels fantastic in the hand and has a reassuring weight that immediately separates it from the sea of plastic electric shavers I've tested over the years.

It’s so solid, I worried I’d potentially crack a tile if I dropped it in the bathroom. But despite the heft, it’s also beautifully made. Every surface feels carefully considered, although the metallic finish does have a habit of collecting fingerprints and watermarks if you don’t dry it properly.

The real star of the show is the new AeroTouch shaving head, which Braun says is a “world first”, as it moves far more freely than most rival designs.

Rather than simply tilting from up and down, it pivots across multiple axes to keep the five cutting elements in contact with the contours of your face.

In another automotive comparison, it's as if the head has Rolls-Royce style self-levelling suspension, ensuring the entirety of the shaving head is in contact with the face, as opposed to wheels on the ground.

Braun says there are 250 diamond-sharp cutting edges inside said head, while a processor constantly adjusts the motor to tackle various beard densities.

You don't need to fiddle with anything yourself, it will automatically up the ante when it needs to plough through thicker fuzz.

There's also a bright colour display showing battery level, cleaning reminders and maintenance information. It's clear and useful, although you don’t get the shaving advice wizardry that you get with the Philips i9000 Prestige Ultra, which uses a light ring to warn of excess pressure or incorrect movements.

That said, I found the accompanying smartphone app that came with Philips’s model overkill anyway. Surely most people know how to shave without cutting their face to ribbons by now?

Anyway, the other big addition from Braun is the 7-in-1 Care Centre. Click in the provided pot of antibacterial cleaner, drop the shaver in after use and it cleans, lubricates, dries and charges it automatically.

Then there's the Power Travel case. It's a substantial bit of kit, but it also acts as a portable battery, giving you weeks of extra shaving without needing to find a socket.

My biggest gripe is that both charging accessories use Braun's traditional two-pin bathroom plug. That's increasingly awkward in a world where USB-C is becoming standard across almost every other piece of personal tech and I had to buy an adaptor to charge it from a bedroom socket.

Performance

I've tested a lot of premium electric shavers recently, and the Nevo is comfortably one of the best I've used. The shaving head glides over the skin with almost no resistance, while the flexible design does a brilliant job of following the contours of the face.

I deliberately left several days of growth before my first shave to see whether it would struggle with longer hairs. It didn't.

There was virtually no snagging or pulling, and the Nevo simply worked its way through the patchy beard without the uncomfortable tugging I've experienced from cheaper foil shavers.

Better still, it is remarkably quick. Areas that normally require several passes were dealt with in a single sweep, and I found that a typical morning shave took roughly half the time it normally does.

It's also impressively comfortable. I experienced no irritation during my testing, even when tackling tricky areas, such as the neck and jawline. And that's coming from someone that doesn't often go for a close shave.

The pop-up precision trimmer is another useful addition. It slides out from the back of the shaver and is perfectly positioned for tidying sideburns, sharpening beard lines and even dealing with those random ear hairs that seem to appear from nowhere as you get older.

You can also lock the AeroTouch shaving head in place if you’re struggling to find the right angle to tackle a particularly difficult area.

As with most premium foil shavers, though, the Nevo is very much an all-or-nothing affair. It will give you an exceptionally close shave, as in baby’s bum smooth, but there's no way to leave a fashionable layer of stubble behind.

If that's your preference, you'll need a separate beard trimmer or a shaver with several guards to adjust cutting lengths.

It’s also quote noisy when in use, with that powerful electric motor letting out a distinctive, high-pitched whine.

Battery life

Braun claims up to 60 minutes of cordless shaving, while a five-minute quick charge is enough for one 15-minute shave.

In my testing, I fully charged the Nevo and then ran the battery flat, managing 52 minutes on the first full discharge and 54 minutes on the second. That's a little short of the official figure, but still plenty for several days of normal shaving.

The Power Travel case changes the equation completely. Once charged, it stores enough energy to keep the Nevo running for weeks, so you can leave the charging cable at home on your holidays.

Just be aware that the protective case is big, heavy and includes a battery, so check with an airline where it will have to sit in your luggage line-up.

If travelling light is your priority, something like the compact Laifen P3 Pro or the gorgeous Panasonic Series 9000s Palm Shaver make much more sense. If you don't mind carrying a little extra weight in exchange for not thinking about battery life, the Braun setup is much more appealing.

Cleaning and maintenance

There's something wonderfully lazy about dropping the shaver into its dock, pressing a button and letting it do all the unpleasant work. It cleans away the hair without throwing it all over the sink, lubricates the cutting head, dries everything out and charges the shaver ready for the next morning.

It takes around 10-15 minutes to complete the process, and the cleaning cycle is noticeably noisy, but the convenience more than makes up for it.

You'll need to replace the cleaning cartridges, though. Braun recommends changing them roughly every two months, depending on how frequently you shave, with prices starting at around £7.50 per cartridge. Although Amazon will likely stock third party cartridges that fit for cheap.

Braun also recommends replacing the main shaving head every 18 months. The replacement costs around £80, which is a significant expense when some complete electric shavers cost less than that, but it sends less to landfill.

Verdict

The Braun Nevo is a difficult shaver to criticise because the thing it is primarily designed to do is something it does exceptionally well.

It's incredibly quick, very comfortable and leaves one of the closest finishes I've experienced from an electric shaver. The stainless-steel construction feels suitably premium, while the Care Centre and Power Travel case genuinely make everyday ownership easier.

There are some minor gripes. The lack of USB-C charging is particularly frustrating and the travel case is bulky. But the upside is that it prolongs battery life by weeks when you’re not near a plug socket.

Then there's the price. At its official RRP, the full package is difficult to justify for anyone who doesn't really care about having one of the best possible electric shaves with all of the technological bells and whistles.

But discounts make a huge difference, and if you find the full package for around £480 rather than its £900 RRP, it makes slightly more sense.

For anyone who shaves every day and wants the closest, quickest and most effortless electric shave possible, the Nevo is very difficult to beat.

Alternatives to consider

If you want a similarly premium experience without spending quite as much, the Philips i9000 Prestige Ultra is worth considering. It offers an exceptionally close shave and a clever cleaning system, although I found the Braun quicker and more comfortable overall.

For something considerably cheaper and much easier to travel with, the Laifen P3 Pro is the obvious alternative. It's tiny, stylish and offers impressive battery life, although it doesn't match the Braun when it comes to dealing with longer facial hair or tricky areas.