Braun Pulsonic—Closest Electric Shave Ever?

Louis Ramirez — Thu, 24 May 2007 19:20:15 EDT

The last time I went hands-on with a grooming device I was trying to grow hair. As life would have it, this time I'm trying to shave it with Braun's new Pulsonic razor. The $239 machine claims it gives the closest shave you can get from an electric razor. How'd it do? Coming from a guy who's been wet-shaving all his life, not bad.

The Pulsonic has a flexing/pivoting head designed to reach those hard-to-get areas. I wish the head would've flexed a bit more, 'cause I had to make multiple passes around my chin to get a close shave. But I found out that the more I used it, the easier that got.

The Pulsonic's motor delivers over 10,000 vibrations per minute, which the folks at Braun claim will expose and shave more hair. The first time I used it—it left a few patches here and there. Not to mention my neck was tomato red. (To be fair, this was the first time I had used an electric razor in years).

The second time I used the Pulsonic, I still had to make multiple passes, but my face wasn't as red afterwards and by the third time, shaving was noticeably smoother and quicker. Shaving around and below my chin is the only problem area. But if I'm in a rush or traveling, that shouldn't be a hassle.

The razor comes with a Clean & Renew System. Dunk the razor in and the unit will do the cleaning for you. The cleaning solution will cost you around $10 for a two-pack. Each pack lasts about 6-8 weeks. The downside is that at one point or another, you're gonna have to clean the cleaning system. So there's really no way around it.

I'm still a wet-shave kinda guy. The Pulsonic comes damn close, but there's just no comparison. Where the Pulsonic wins is convenience. In less than five minutes I can get a nice, close shave and not have to worry about cuts. That alone would make me drop $200. – Louis Ramirez with video by Richard Blakeley

Braun

Lab Rat: HairMax Laser Comb Final Results

Louis Ramirez — Fri, 04 May 2007 11:30:43 EDT

Okay, so technically it's been over a month (6 weeks plus a few days) since I started using the HairMax laser comb. I started back on March 23rd and did my final sweep this past Wed. The results? Well, as you can see there are none. My hair has grown, yes, but only from the sides and that's because I haven't had a haircut in over a month. The bald spot is precisely the same as it was in March. The lonely strands still look lonely and the bald spot looks no smaller. So fellas, take it from me. You're better off stashing your $400 'cause the lasers (no matter how many you use) are gonna do squat. Good luck to our friend, Dan. It's looking bleak, bro. – Louis Ramirez with video by Richard Blakeley

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Hands On [Gizmodo]
Lab Rat Week 1 [Gizmodo]
Lab Rat Week 2 [Gizmodo]
Lab Rat Week 4 [Gizmodo]

Gizmodo: Lab Rat

Braun Pulsonic—Closest Electric Shave Ever?

Lab Rat: HairMax Laser Comb Final Results