Braun has revamped their Series 5 shaver and there are only a handful of models to be found in the current market and the older generation is completely lost.
How does the new generation of Braun Series 5 perform? Does it reach the high benchmark set by its predecessors?
Some even regard the revamped Series 5 as a budget version of the new Series 7. Is it really the case?
You’ll find all of it out in my article while keeping the Braun Series 5 5018s in prime focus!
“Braun Series 5 5018s is a one-of-a-kind shaver which has the potential to become your permanent everyday companion and can go further than being just an electric shaver!”
Braun Series 5: Quick Overview
Verdict
Braun Series 5 shaver houses an ergonomic design, slip-proof and water-resistant handle, sharp blades that cut quite close and advanced features to rank it among the top within budget in the current market.
Unboxing the Series 5 5018s
Since my version of the Braun Series 5 shaver comes solo without a charging dock, the packaging is minimal yet quite rigid.
Upon opening the lid of the box, you’ll find the shaver to sit inside a plastic wrapper without any sort of storage case.
The box is segmented and inside the crevices you’ll locate the charger, the trimmer head and a guard for the foil head.
There’s also a brush for cleaning out the stray hair – the trademark designed wide unit from Braun.
What’s Inside the Box: Series 5 shaver, trimmer head, foil guard, charger, brush.
Specifications: Braun Series 5
The basic specs of the Braun Series 5 should help out understanding the shaver under a better light.
- Dimensions: 16.7 x 4 x 3.8 cm
- Weight: 6.1
- Color: Black (with accent options)
- Wireless: Yes
- Cutting Elements: 3
- Advanced Technology: AutoSense
- Waterproof: Yes
- LED Panel: Yes
- Battery Runtime: 40 minutes
Standout Features for the Braun Series 5
I’ll be mentioning 3 standout features of the Braun Series 5 shaver. These features alone can tell a great deal about this shaver to you!
Shaver’s Head
My point of highlight today pays a lot of attention toward the head of the Series 5 shaver. It’s the new way Braun interprets their shaver heads and Series 5 is most certainly the baseline model toward this new movement.
3 Cutting Elements
Until the Series 8 shaver, Braun actually lingered around the 3 cutting element design and the new Series 5 released in 2020 is no exception.
Out of the three, the two foils on either side encase a stainless steel set of blades that oscillate rapidly to trim out the hair fed through the foil system.
These foils are hypoallergenic and very kind on skin. For the flat lying hair and removing every bit that’s left behind by the foils, the cassette down the middle comes in very handy.
Braun regards the foil unit as SensoFoils and the cassette as MiddleTrimmer.
All three of these elements are framed around with plastic outlines. Yes, it used to be metal back in the day but currently Braun’s cost-cutting strategy has led to this development.
Although the head has no tilting capability, the blades can adjust to pressure and I’ll shed more light on that later.
EasyClick Feature
One thing I particularly like about the Braun Series 5 shaver is the EasyClick technology. What this does is, it enhances versatility if said briefly.
Basically, you’re able to remove the foil head and replace it with a trimmer, body shaver or scrubber head designed by Braun.
The inclusion of these accessories depends on the variant you’re purchasing. If you can’t find anything but the trimmer inside the package, there’s an option to buy them off aftermarket.
Using this feature, the shaver housing itself has become quite minimal since the pop-up trimmer days are long gone.
It’s also energy efficient since the motors have to function at the shaver head alone. The procedure is easy – pop open the existing head and press down another for alteration.
This not only gives you liberty to trim down your beard to a 2-day length, but also the ability to trim your body hair – all with a single device!
What I Like
- Standard 3 cutting elements for all hair types
- EasyClick grants flexibility to convert Series 5 into an all-in-one shaver
- Ability to trim down longer beard into a stubble for clean shave with foil head
What Could be Better
- Detaching/attaching heads can prove a little tricky
- Build Quality
Build quality of Braun shavers are always impeccable and the Series 5 doesn’t disappoint at all! Made with German technology and a warranty period of 2 years, it’s clear that Braun isn’t joking around.
While yes, the blades are outlined with plastic, I believe it’s very durable and has easily lasted a couple of years for me until they got dull and urged me to replace the entire head.
Motor unit doesn’t seem to falter but at the lower battery life segment, you can sense it’s slowed down to a little extent.
Housing shows a brilliant use of plastic materials and speaks of durability – all thanks to some rubber paddings at the right places.
All in all, the Braun Series 5 is actually built with a better quality than the amount you’re having to pay for it. It can easily be used in a barbershop, therefore you can realize its true durable nature!
What I Like
- Built with reliable and durable German technology
- Blades last longer than expected
- Drop-proof housing protects the inside parts successfully
What Could be Better
- Blade reinforcements could include some metal material
Braun Series 5: Additional Features
Apart from the shaver’s head and durability, there are some other important features that I must draw attention towards so that you can fully comprehend the Braun series 5 shaver’s full potential.
Weight
Weight of the Braun Series 5 shaver is very light and it’s one of the many things that make it so around the face.
There’s no fatigue upon continuously using the shaver no matter at which angle you may hold the device.
The balance is just perfect. Sometimes the lightweight shavers carry a heavier shaver head which tends to disrupt the flow of shaving.
However for the Series 9, the weight is evenly balanced throughout the shaver’s housing and makes for a comfortable and convenient shaving experience.
It also contributes to the portability of this shaver since you can easily stash it inside your luggage and travel around without any concern!
Aesthetics
Visually, the Series 5 shaver from Braun is very minimal and highly appealing. Draped in black, there are multiple accent colors to choose from and I went for the blue one.
Starting from the top, you can see the blue area right at the shaver head and it’s for the EasyClean technology.
Underneath is a large segment dedicated to the thumb rest spot, power button and the large LED indicator which is used for more than showing battery levels.
As the blue line separates the smooth front and the rubbery sides, the materials on each section are different and have a purpose to serve.
Grip
I found the Braun Series 5 very pleasant to hold on to! I reckon it’s because of both the narrow handle and the light weight class.
The thumb rest place works like a charm and it keeps my thumb in place at all times, even if my fingers are drenched in water or soap.
Also, the ergonomic reinforcements on the sides and the back ensure sustained grip and it’s one of the things I truly admire about the design.
In case of power button placement, it’s well out of the way from my natural grip position and due to the rubber-made button cover, I have to press quite hard to turn it off – no chance of accidental set offs.
EasyClean
The EasyClean feature in the Braun Series 5 is supposed to save you the trouble of cleaning the shaver blades after each shaving session.
If you pay a close inspection to the shaver’s head, you will notice two holes on either side of it.
These holes are designed in such a way that holding them directly under the rinse would flush out all the loose hair trapped underneath the cutting elements.
It’s a means to increase cleaning efficiency by sparing you the pain of manually removing the blade heads, brushing stuff out or separately washing the head as well as the shaver itself.
I reckon these EasyClean vents are properly utilized by the Clean & Charge station and this access to the stray hair has the potential to become a game changer!
Average Motor
Motor in the Series 5 is nothing extraordinary, it works like a regular electric shaver. Although, the Series 5 51xx shavers attempted to amend this shortcoming by adding a turbo mode.
I’ll elaborate on this turbo mode later on in this article. As per this blue Series 5 shaver, you can’t get past 2 days of stubble to make it work efficiently.
If you listen to the sound, you can realize that it’s underwhelming and Braun has provided this shaver with a lower torque motor unit.
So, two things are certain from this: one, you can’t really use it in a professional environment and two, this shaver is meant for people who shave daily or every other day.
Also, this motor unit is supposed to contain the AutoSense technology, something that reads and adapts motor power 13 times per second according to your beard’s density, more on that later.
Wireless Operation
As you know, the Series 5 is a fully cordless shaving unit endowed with a li-ion battery segment installed inside.
While Braun claims the battery to last around 50 minutes, I’d say you should expect a realistic outcome of around 40 minutes.
The quick charge option is still great! You can fire up the shaver in 5 minutes for one swift shave. Otherwise, it still doesn’t take much long for the Series 5 to charge back up from zero.
Ones with the charging stand model might find it tricky to set the shaver correctly on top of the mechanism. It requires a little practice to get right, but I believe Braun could’ve made things a lot easier for consumers.
Accessories
Usually electric shavers don’t require any sort of accessories other than the charging station. Look at the Panasonic ARC5 LV67-K as the prime example of such an instance.
However, because of the EasyClick feature, you now require tons of attachments to make the best out of the Series 5 shaver.
The trimmer head has a love-hate relation with the consumers. Those who don’t shave regularly and prefer not to buy a separate trimmer love this innovative tech.
Others who could easily get done with the pop-up trimmer don’t enjoy altering the shaver head just to get their hair outlines done.
Waterproof
Because of the EasyClean feature, it’s essential for the Series 5 shaver to withstand a huge flow of water running through its system.
Despite not containing any IPX rating, the shaver does live up to the Braun name and prevents leakage successfully.
I have to admit that the shower or full wet shaves have been risk-free and the same applies for using the EasyClean vents for washing the blades.
So, you can completely rely on the Series 5 shaver when it comes to contact with water, just make sure not to keep the power cord attached while doing so.
LED Panel
Much like most other quality Braun shavers, the Series 5 model too hosts an LED panel which does more than tell you about the battery status.
Three dots with 33% increment each shows where you are in terms of battery level or blinking dot suggests your battery is charging.
There are four other icons that are usually turned off for you to see with naked eyes: travel lock, cleaning mode, blade replacement notification and low charge indicator.
For the second generation of Series 5 shavers, you get an additional icon for the Turbo Mode but it’s absent in the revamped 5018s device.
What I Like
- EasyClick increases versatility and functional potential
- Looks good, lightweight and retains grip really well
- Resists water and shows sufficient info in LED panel
What Could be Better
- Motor leaves a little to be demanding
- Battery life could be slightly better
My Experience with the Braun Series 5 Shaver
My insights on the Braun Series 5 shaver should tell you if you should invest your money on this newly launched old series device or should you opt for alternate devices.
Shaving Quality
In terms of shaving quality, I wouldn’t say I’m highly impressed with the Braun Series 5 shaver. Due to the lack of proper motor power and the blade tech, there’s often these unshaved patches if your beard is a little long.
Also, you’ll be needing more glides to get to the root of your beard hair, otherwise there’s some tactile feeling of the hair heads – not a smooth as silk outcome immediately.
If you give it more time and go for some additional passes, the closeness can reach close to a Braun Series 7 outcome, but it’s going to take you a while.
This closeness can be acceptable for home use, people who shave daily in the morning. Professionals probably won’t get their money’s worth with this new Series 5.
Comfort Level
Since the motor in the Series 5 shaver is quite low on torque, the operations are gentler than a lot of other top-tier electric shavers on the list, even the Braun Series 9 to some extent.
For dry shaves, there’s no burning sensation afterward if your beard is very short, but I’d still recommend at least applying some shaving lotion.
Such moisturization helps out the ones with sensitive skin. With a softened beard, you’ll find the glides with this Series 5 to be more pleasant and mitigate any chance of triggering an allergic reaction.
All credit goes to the hypoallergenic foil with addition to the motor power. So for a comfortable shave, I’d definitely say Braun Series 5 is a prime candidate!
Contour Adaptation
As you know, lower cost for a shaver means you’re getting less features out of your electric shaver, take the multidirectional contour adaptation for instance.
The head of the Series 5 shaver is rigid and does not tilt, turn or rotate in any given direction, meaning – it’s fixed in place.
Only movement for contour adaptation lies with the pressure adjustment tilt of the three cutting elements of the blades.
While it can help you feel comfortable to press it against your skin, you’re demanded to adjust your gesture and motion to get hair out of tight spots as the shaver head won’t help you out in this regard.
Shower Shave
I mentioned earlier in this Braun Series 5 review that the shaver is sufficiently waterproof and I tested that first-hand.
What this feature does is, it grants you the freedom of taking it inside the shower for a quick shave in the morning.
You won’t have to put on shaving gel or foam, although these are valid options as well and the Series 5 shaver responds well to such aid.
Once you’re shaving under the shower, the running water will soften your beard, clean out the stray and cool off your after-shave patches without jeopardizing the shaver!
Travel Friendly
Is the Braun Series 5 shave travel friendly? The short answer is ‘yes’, but there are still a couple of factors to consider.
Firstly, there’s a built-in travel lock in this shaver, so that’s a relief. You have to press and hold the power button for 5 seconds until you see the lock icon in the LED panel appear.
To release the lock, press and hold for 5 seconds again and the shaver will turn itself back on.
The lighter weight and minimal aesthetics with the foil guard makes sure you can put it inside your luggage for safely carrying around.
Unfortunately, my variant doesn’t come with a hard case the way Braun Series 7 or 9 shavers do.
Another aspect of consideration is the battery life. You could get away without the charger for a week if you shave daily. Longer than that would require you to bring the charger along.
Charging Time & Retention
As I said, the battery life for me has been somewhere around 40 minutes with a full charge and it took me about one hour to fully replenish the li-ion unit.
It’s okay for home use, not so great for a professional environment and borderline passable if you’re traveling without a charger.
So grabbing a variant with a Clean & Charge station or at least a charging stand could do you some good if you’re really considering going professional with the Series 5.
If you already own a Series 7 shaver from the new generation, you can alternatively use the same charging station for both of the Series 5 & 7 shavers!
Great Value for Money
It’s quite rare to find a new model from a brand like Braun under $100 but here we are with the Series 5!
The solo models cost the least and are actually great value for money! You’ll be getting a fancy electric shaver with great ergonomics and the parts are highly durable!
Also, the blades follow the cutting element designs of the Series 7 shaver – although not as agile but you’re still paying significantly less for the Series 5.
Then there’s the option to build from that by purchasing the EasyClick attachments so that you don’t have to buy a separate trimmer – I see all of these as an absolute win!
How I Tested the Braun Series 5 Shaver
I ran my regular diagnostics for the Braun Series 5 shaver which includes taking dimensions, weight, close inspections, stopwatch test, drop test, submerging test etc.
For most parts, Braun Series 5 comes out as a solid shaver and considering the price, I believe you’re getting more than what you’re having to pay for.
The downsides are its lagging motor power, the less close outcomes and a battery life which could slightly have been better.
From my personal insight, I didn’t feel it’s a shaver that can keep up the pressure in a barbershop and refrained from going that far with the test.
What I Like
- One of the most comfortable shaving experiences
- Travel-friendly and compact
- Good value for money
What Could be Better
- Not as close as more expensive shavers
Who is the Braun Series 5 For?
My take on this is very short and precise – the Series 5 shaver from Braun specifically caters to individuals who prefer to shave at home on a daily basis.
Also, people who prefer to own a single device for all of their grooming needs might find it fanciable.
You can’t get haircuts done with it the way you could with a dedicated hair clipper, but basic outlining and beard trimming can easily be performed with the trimmer head.
Overall, if you shave regularly and looking for a complete face and body shaving package within a limited cost – Braun Series 5 is the better candidate than any other devices at the moment!
How to Clean the Braun Series 5
I found the cleaning to be quite straightforward with the Series 5 shaver. If you shave in dry mode, you can easily remove the shaver head and dust off the stray from the blade and the chamber.
Although, dry cleaning modes aren’t always neat and can leave behind the smallest of hair particles that can pile up over time, thus washing should be your most frequent cleaning method.
For washing, all you need is to undo the blades and rinse it under the tap. Also, the top part of the shaver should be washed thoroughly as well.
Another way of washing is by using a pot with lukewarm water. There, you can wash the blades and dip the shaver head for a complete cleaning procedure.
If you turn on the shaver at that position, the oscillating motor outputs will make sure all of the hair particles or foam or lotion are removed. This method is effective for wet shave cleaning.
With the EasyClean feature, there’s an option for you to rinse the shaver using the two gaps underneath the blades.
But I found it to be not as effective as the two other methods I’ve mentioned before and it’s not a realistic way of cleaning out the shaver. It’s a shame Braun advertised a limited method for the Series 5.
Braun Series 5 Family
| Feature/Quality | Series 5 1st Gen | Series 5 2nd Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Turbo Mode | No | Yes |
| Cleaning Mode(s) | Standard | Standard + Enhanced |
| Models | 50xx | 51xx |
| LED Panel | 4 Icons | 5 Icons |
| Max CPM | 24,000 | 30,840 |
| Price | See On Amazon | See On Amazon |
Compared to the newer Braun shavers, the Series 5 family isn’t as large and complex. Only two generations exist in this line and their differences can easily be comprehended in a very short time.
Note: It’s worth mentioning that the Braun Series 5 had been re-launched with the tagline ‘EasyClean’ and models are now coded with color.
Previously, the Series 5 shavers had flexible necks and mimicked a style similar to the older Series 7 shavers.
But these products have been completely removed from the market as the newer Series 5 replaced them gracefully.
First Generation
Mostly the first generation of Braun Series 5 shavers are meant for dry shaving although their packages explicitly mention Wet or Dry.
You can identify these with their serial number in this order: 50xx. I hope you already know that cc implies it includes a Charge & Clean station, s means its solo and cs refers to charging stand.
Not all of the first generation models are currently available on the market officially and with the upgraded second generation of Series 5, I see no reason why you’d want to settle for less.
Second Generation
Even the second generation of Braun Series 5 shavers have seen some change in trend and that has contributed to the availability in the official market.
The ones you’ll find right now are usually the ones without a Charge & Clean dock, rather just a charging stand is the maximum you’d get.
I think it’s because of the discontinuation of the cleaning agent for the models to cut down on some cost.
Since there’s only a handful of Series 5 models available on the market, Braun decided to alter their names to something like Series 5 Blue or Series 5 Black for clarity.
But old-school grooming enthusiasts like myself would always want to check out the actual model serial to know when it was developed and how advanced the shaver is against its predecessors.
Similarities & Differences
While most of the housing design, blades or overall performance remains similar across the two Series 5 generations to an extent, I’d like to draw your focus to a couple of aspects.
Turbo Mode: In the 2nd generation of Braun Series 5, you’ll notice a smaller button right beneath the on/off button.
Braun calls it the Turbo Mode and it boosts the motor speed of the shaver up to around 30%.
This comes in handy if you’re dealing with coarse hair and where blades seem to fail to clean out efficiently.
Yes, it’ll drain the battery much quicker but it’s great that you have the flexibility of increasing power which the previous generation lacked to offer.
Clean & Charge Station: The 1st generation Series 5 Clean & Charge station had a single mode, which is Standard.
But the 2nd generation has enhanced that capacity for a thorough clean. It takes a longer time but gets the cleaning and lubricating done perfectly!
The stations are interchangeable across generations so you can get away with a 1st generation dock and get a solo 2nd generation product to use in the same way.
It’s worth noting that Braun Series 5 cleaning agents are rarely available these days and can be quite expensive.
If you must use the Clean & Charge station, I’d recommend you to grab an aftermarket cleaning solution. These work equally well and come in at a much lower price.
Verdict: Series 5 shavers of both generations are worth what you’d be spending. With the 1st generation, you’re getting a premium electric shaver at a much lower price!
And if you have a coarse beard, then consider the 2nd generation because of its Turbo Mode as it’ll help you to clean out that beard efficiently.
FAQ
A couple of important FAQs have been addressed from the netizens and I’m attempting to answer those in this part of the article!
Q: What year did Braun Series 5 come out?
Ans: The new and revamped Braun Series 5 came out in 2020. It’s part of Braun’s new project of universalizing their electric shavers so that the parts may be the same in manner, ensuring identical technology for every series. While it’s a cost-cutting approach from Braun, this is good news for their lower end electric shavers since they’re getting huge upgrades!
Q: Is Braun Series 5 good for pubic hair?
Ans: Braun Series 5 is a foil shaver and such a technology doesn’t really work on pubes. However, with the body trimmer attachment head, you can turn the Series 5 into a body groomer and remove your pubic hair easily. But for safety, I’d still recommend going for a specialized pubic hair trimmer from the market.
Final Thoughts
So, you can ask me now – would I replace my older shaver with the new Braun Series 5? If my previous shaver is anything below a Braun Series 7 – then my answer is a YES!
I shave daily and prefer a low up-keep shaver at my disposal. The ergonomics are great and so are the blades as well as the modern features.
There are certain shortcomings, we’ve already seen that. But the price range is way less than other Braun shavers and that’s definitely worth something.
Affording all the features and resembling performance like Braun’s top shavers is a win for me and I’d certainly pick this shaver if my budget was under $100!