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The Best Electric Shaver Cleaning Station: Braun vs Philips vs Panasonic

For electric shaving devices, proper maintenance is absolutely necessary to enhance durability, maintain performance and cut down on replacement cost in the long run.

Some might argue that a cleaning station is the perfect solution in this case while others beg to differ, highlighting the cost of both the station and the cleaning refills.

In this debacle, I believe we should investigate the benefits of having a cleaning station for your electric razor and compare them side by side.

That way, you’ll get to know whether a cleaning station will come in handy for your cause and the brand of shavers you should settle for!

What is a Cleaning Station?

If I answer it briefly, a cleaning station is an electric razor accessory that automatically cleans your shaver blades without any manual labor.

Certain stations even lubricate the foils or cutting elements to reduce friction and preserve the material.

In addition, you’ll see that stations like Braun have built-in air blowers to dry out the shaver. That way, after a complete cleansing from the station, you’ll be able to store it directly without wasting any time.

Furthermore, such stations are equipped with technology to recharge your shaving device. So, when the maintenance work goes on, your shaver will be fully charged and ready for action!

Let’s have a look at the key benefits of having a cleaning station with your shaving tool:

  • Hygiene: A cleaning station usually disinfects the foils and cutters, therefore hygiene is always ensured for the following shaving session. If not properly disinfected, your shaving device may leave you vulnerable to various infections.
  • Shaver Performance: After a session with the cleaning station, your shaver’s performance is bound to increase and the frequent maintenance will retain that level of sharpness.
  • Convenience: Imagine you’re not having to manually clean out your electric razor or oil the blades. Instead, you can dock it in the station and forget it exists! Also, using a cleaning station reduces blade or foil wear, leading to less frequent replacement of the foils.
  • Professional Efficiency: A professional barber spends hectic days in his shop and it’s very challenging to find the time to clean, lubricate or recharge the shaver. In that scenario, a cleaning station is the most efficient element one could hope for as it does all of these without any human input!

These benefits are certainly legitimate and the cost you’ll have to bear for replacing the cleaning agent may seem practically worthwhile!

Best Cleaning Stations Compared: Braun vs Panasonic vs Philips & More!

FeatureBraunPanasonicPhilips
Cleaning Fluid TypeAlcohol-based Non-alcohol-basedDetergent-based
Lubrication FunctionYesYesYes
Drying SystemFanFanHeater
Drying TimeAround 40 minutes2-4 hoursLess than an hour
Noise LevelModerateLow to moderateVery low
Cartridge Replacement Cost$$$$$$$$
Best ForHygiene and quick dryingGentle cleaningThorough cleaning

Time for us to delve deep into the best cleaning stations to have ever existed in the grooming universe! I’m featuring Braun, Panasonic & Philips along with a few more extravagant stations to check whether they’re worth it!

Braun Cleaning Stations

Braun Cleaning Stations

Not all of the Braun shavers come with a cleaning station and different generations contain unique connectivity – therefore cross-generation station usage isn’t always possible.

In general, Braun Series 9, Series 7 and Series 5 shavers give you the option to choose a variant with a cleaning station.

Whether a model contains such a station or not can be identified using its model number (i.e. Braun Series 9 9390cc; the ‘cc’ here refers to the station inside the package).

Braun has rebranded their ecosystem as the ‘Clean & Renew System’ and the more advanced shavers offer better features as per the higher cost.

For example: a Series 9 cleaning station will recharge, clean, lubricate and dry out the cutters whereas a Series 9 cleaning station will perform a basic cleaning and charging.

Braun stations utilize cartridge-system cleansing with alcohol-based solutions. You’ll need to push in the cartridge inside the tray of the station, dock the shaver and turn the station on.

Depending on your setting, it can take between 5 to 40 minutes for the entire procedure to complete. Usually, drying consumes the longest duration.

Pros:

  • Alcohol-based solution removes most of the germ and bacteria
  • Better cleansing than with soap or regular water
  • Since fully automated, requires minimal input from consumer
  • Extends shaver’s durability and enhances performance

Cons:

  • Replacement cartridges can be expensive (although there are alternative solutions)
  • The drying process can be loud due to the fans
  • The station consumes a significant amount of space

Philips Cleaning Stations

Philips Cleaning Stations

Unlike Braun, the cleaning stations on Philips shavers cater mostly toward their high-end models and again, you have the option to pick whether you want it included or not (definitely with extra pay).

These cleaning stations are advertised as 3-in-1 stations for cleaning, lubricating and charging – pretty much the industry standard.

The ecosystem is branded as SmartClean and it’s divided into two tiers: Standard SmartClean and SmartClean Plus.

Former caters to Norelco Series 5000 and Series 7000 rotary shavers whereas the more premium latter is dedicated to Prestige Edition and Series 9000 Norelco shavers.

What sets the Philips stations apart from Braun is the fact that the cleaning solution is non-alcohol-based, although the cartridge system is still followed in technical terms.

Due to this type of cleaning agent, the rotary foils offer higher comfort to individuals with sensitive skin.

In general, the SmartClean stations are compact and one-click solutions for proper maintenance. There are two cleaning modes: regular and thorough.

While the cleaning is performed rather swiftly, the drying phase can take between 2-4 hours depending on the cleaning method you select.

Pros:

  • Caters to sensitive skin
  • Takes up less space due to compact design
  • Cleaning cartridges are comparatively less costly
  • Makes less noise
  • The cleaning fluid is eco-friendly as it’s biodegradable

Cons:

  • The drying time is quite lengthy
  • Being non-alcohol-based, the cleaning agent is not as thorough as alcohol-based
  • Works with very specific Philips models
  • Heavier build-ups may require manual rinsing

Panasonic Cleaning Stations

Panasonic Cleaning Stations

Much like Philips, Panasonic as well offers cleaning stations for their top-tier electric shavers since these are costly features and not everyone desires to avail them.

In particular, only a handful of models in the Panasonic ARC5 and ARC6 models are equipped to be used on a cleaning station.

Technologically speaking, Panasonic has definitely upped their game and developed a much better station compared to Braun or Philips.

Their station prioritizes thorough cleansing with rapid drying and has opted for a detergent-based cleaning solution which lubricates the cutters as well.

This equips a similar cartridge system for cleansing and everything can happen with one click – therefore convenience is guaranteed.

While this solution is kind on skin, it at the same time performs the highest possible clean without damaging the properties of the cutting elements.

As you already know, certain cleaning stations from other brands struggle with heavier build up, Panasonic’s Sonic technology vibrates the foils to unclog these effortlessly.

Therefore, the entire cleaning procedure has been automated. As per drying goes, Panasonic’s station has endorsed a heater system instead of a fan – making it very quiet when it is in motion.

The cleaning systems for ARC5 and ARC6 are not interchangeable since each is designed for their respective 5-blade and 6-blade shaver systems.

Pros:

  • The cleaning is very deep and thorough
  • Due to the installed heater, the drying is rapid
  • Also, makes little to no noise while drying
  • Cleaning solution is skin-friendly and biodegradable
  • Better-calibrated to precise ARC blade systems

Cons:

  • Cartridge cost is a little expensive
  • Station’s size is slightly larger than Philips’ station
  • The initial investment is a little higher since only premium models include it
  • Compatibility is limited

Remington Cleaning Stations

While the top electric shavers are offering high-end cleaning stations with extra cost, Remington gives you basic cleaning facilities for the budget-end consumers.

The cleaning solutions are affordable and these tend to perform basic cleaning along with the station’s ability to recharge your shaver.

Otherwise, for lubrication or disinfection, Remington includes certain types of sprays instead of a cartridge system to cut down on the replacement cost.

Pros:

  • Compact design
  • Affordable
  • Performs basic cleaning duties
  • Easy to use

Cons:

  • No advanced features included
  • Doesn’t dry, lubricate or disinfect automatically

Skull Shaver Cleaning Systems

Finally, the Skull Shaver Pitbull head shavers have the capacity to be maintained on their platinum-graded cleaning station.

While the Silver and Gold models don’t exclusively come with a cleaning station inside their package, the Platinum Pro does extend the courtesy of adding one.

As you could guess, the Platinum Pro costs significantly more than the previous renditions due to this, along with other feature benefits added to the recent installation.

But let me get this straight – it’s not an automated station – rather you can interpret it like a rinsing platform.

There’s the option to buy it separately for your Skull Shaver device but mind you, it’s not compatible with head shavers from other brands.

The functionality is simple and basic – you’ll have to rely on water based cleaning and a cleanser of your choice (not always necessary).

Once the station is filled with warm water, you can dock the device and turn it on for a few seconds as it’ll clean the foil system by itself.

Don’t want to spend extra? Simply use a bowl and hold the Skull Shaver device with your hand – the results should not differ much!

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • Easy to use at home
  • Compact and travel-friendly

Cons:

  • No automatic cleaning
  • Cleansing is not very thorough
  • Limited compatibility

Factors to Consider When Choosing

There are a few factors that’ll help you determine the best cleaning station for your cause. Let me briefly discuss them and hopefully you’ll be able to pick one out afterward!

  • Shaver Compatibility: If you already own an electric shaver, then compatibility must be your primary concern. As discussed already, the cleaning station supports are generally limited, so for aftermarket purchase, you have to check whether it’ll be compatible with the specific device you have.
  • Budget: Apart from the initial investment, you have to consider whether the replacement cleaning agents are within your budget. Without cost-efficient alternatives, the general replacements can be quite pricey so be mindful of that beforehand.
  • Cleaning Thoroughness: If the thoroughness of cleansing is your preference, Braun’s alcohol-based cleaning or Panasonic’s advanced cleaning should be your choice of stations.
  • Convenience: For faster cleaning and less noise, Braun and Panasonic are the two viable options you can consider.
  • Skin Sensitivity: Individuals with sensitive skin should opt for stations utilizing non-alcohol-based agents, for instance: Philips or Panasonic cleaning stations.

With these basic assessments, you may now reach a place from where a conclusion can be drawn about your perfect cleaning station solution!

Which Cleaning Station is the Best?

If you ask for my opinion about the best cleaning station between Braun vs Philips vs Panasonic, objectively I’d have to side with the Panasonic cleaning station.

From the thoroughness of the cleansing, reduced noise levels and sonic technology leading to less manual work, it’s undoubtedly the finest one in my discussion.

However, the very limited compatibility is indeed an issue, and from a subjective point of view – I’ve always been a fan of Braun’s cleaning station system.

It’s an expensive venture, I won’t lie, but one that offers more benefit by extending your foil’s life and guaranteeing the top-notch shaving quality at all times which money cannot buy!

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