Braun 7526 Syncro Shaver System with Clean & Charge Storage Stand

Big peice of junk, if you have a thick beard. The only way it would cut my hair is if I went over it dozens of times. The only good thing about this shaver is that it's self cleaning. Otherwise sand paper would give you a better shave.

I had been a Braun user years ago, but switched to a Norelco a few years ago because I felt the old Braun was too irritating. I never felt the Norelco shaved as closely, and maybe that's why it was less irritating. Be that as it may, I recently switched to the new generation of self-cleaning Brauns and I am absolutely thrilled!The shave I get now is almost as close as a blade, but because the self-cleaning mechanism also lubricates the blades, I am getting *none* of the irritation I used to get. In addition, the handy base not only contains the cleaning solution and performs the lubrication, it also handles battery maintenance by monitoring your usage pattern and adjusting the charging schedule accordingly, including periodic and fully automatic complete battery discharge & recharge, which will result in longer battery life and longer cordless cycles.About the only 2 things I don't care for are the very bright blue light on the base which is even a bit too bright as a bathroom nightlight (I'll get used to that, I'm sure) & the ever-present, light machine oil odor the cleaning solution imparts to the bathroom in general and to the razor in particular.By the way, the 7526 model is a good bit cheaper than the newer 7680, but lacks only its LCD display, which I find little use for personally.

I bought the Braun 7526 shaver for my fiance for Christmas. He has sensitive skin so shaving wasn't something he did very frequently (much to my dismay). This shaver has worked out very well for him. I would rate it with 5 stars except he has had some trouble getting the hairs right under his chin on his neck trimmed. He loves the cleaning system. We forgot the cord at his parents' house for 2 weeks so it had gotten pretty grimy with hair in the meantime. Once we got cord he cleaned it and it came out looking brand new. He's shaving daily now so it seems to work well for him and he isn't experiencing any irritation at all. The thing people say about your face needing to "adjust to the razor" is true. I can't explain why, maybe it's just getting used to shaving with an electric razor, but he wasn't getting a close shave at all at first and now he is as smooth as if he had used a straight blade. Nice product and we're recommending it to our other male family members.

First, I claim partial responsibility for the thing falling apart. I should not have put it in my carry-on without wrapping it in something soft. Anyway, when I got home from a trip the switch fell off, then the piece under the switch fell out, and then, well it got messy. Unfortunately, it was the best shave I have ever gotten from an electric razor. However, if it can't take a little shoving around on a plane, well I'm avoiding Braun for awhile.

Although this is the first and only electric shaver I've ever owned (up til this item, I had been using a Gillette Sensor Excel and other razors since 1987), I won't go into too much detail since plenty of others have already done that. So here's my personal "Pros and Cons":Pros--------1- No sink or water necessary.2- No messy shaving cream/gel necessary.3- Convenient. Shave anytime, anywhere.4- Nick and cuts are very rare.5- Sideburn trimmer is a nice feature.6- Battery seems to last quite some time before needing recharging.7- Cleaning process is slick. It really removes every little bit of hair from the unit.8- Blades last at least year. I'm still on the first set (I shave 2-3 times per week).Cons--------1- Takes a lot longer to shave with than using a blade -- usually 5 or so minutes! You have to go over the same spots multiple times. Even then, some parts (like my jawline) feel scratchy no matter how many times I go over it.2- Decently close shave, but not as close a blade. So stubble returns more quickly. Which in turn means you shave more often. Other times, you feel like you have to grind the thing into your face to really get a close shave.3- Doesn't seem to cut longer whiskers that are lying flat. Blades always get those.4- Requires charging.5- Requires cleaning.6- Cleaning carts are $5 a pop. You can try refilling them on your own like a previous reviewer mentioned. I tried it and the results were not good.7- Cleaning process is noisy.8- Fragile. I've read that if you drop it once on a hard floor, it's history.9- Expensive.As you can see, the Cons do outweigh the Pros. Hope this helps you make your own decision. Would I do it again? Most likely, no. When I travel, I still take a blade. It's lighter, cheaper, doesn't need recharging, and I won't care if it gets dropped, broken or stolen.

Did not last very long. Battery would not charge after about a year. Then the shaver head broke. Then it went into the trash.

I bought the Braun 7526 to replace the Braun 7516 that broke after almost 8 yrs of daily use. While the razor doesn't get all the hair on one pass, I've never had trouble getting all the stubble off my face each morning. When it broke, the battery on my 7516 held a charge for about 40-45 minutes of shaving. So I'm expecting the 7526 to be no less inferior.I clean the razor after every use by releasing the head and pulsing it on & off. Once a week (or sometimes every other week), I use the "clean" function on the base. I don't leave the base plugged in unless I need to use it. This has saved me money on cleaning packs and shaving heads. I do use a pre-shave lotion since my facial hair is thick.When I go travelling, the travel pouch is great because it will hold the razor, cleaning brush, and charging cord. I also like the automatic voltage detection of the charging cord for my travels to europe and asia.I had considered trying out a rotary razor such as those from Norelco. In the end, I decided that since the parts and pieces of my old 7516 are fully interchangeable with the new 7526, that I'd stick with the tried and true.