Braun Series 3 ProSkin Review

The Series 3 ProSkin excels at balancing price and performance. It offers the basics at a reasonable cost while maintaining its namesake's long tradition of quality craftsmanship.

Performance Comparison

Shave Quality

The ability to replicate consistently decent shaves allowed us to award the Series 3 ProSkin solid scores for its shave quality. After a month's worth of shaves, our testers were convinced that this unit was a steady Eddie for basic shaves with slightly above-average results.

This razor's compact size and top-notch pivoting heads allow it to contour easily. While our shaves did not result in perfectly smooth skin, they were close enough to feel confident at work or any other public setting. The Series 3 ProSkin employs a three-tiered cutting system, composed of a middle trimmer sandwiched between two independent foil heads. The role of the middle trimmer is to cut longer whiskers, while the foil heads more closely contour the face and neck in search of shorter stubble.

We forced our Series 3 ProSkin into battle against five days' worth of beard growth to see how it would handle the most severe shaving conditions. This razor glides smoothly over the face and neck, leaving behind very little razor burn. However, when it came to taking out major whiskers, its triple-action cutting system made a dent, but the initial results were far from perfectly smooth skin. That said, the Series 3 ProSkin certainly has enough oomph to tackle normal, daily shaving.

Run & Charge Times

A solid run time and easy-to-understand indicator lights were key factors in this razor's above-average scores for this metric. In fact, its battery life competed very well against more expensive models in our lineup. And when it came to taking a charge, the Series 3 ProSkin was just as impressive.

This unit can be fully charged in about an hour, but if it's completely dead — and you're late for work — it can also take a quick charge in five minutes. This will give you just enough juice for one complete shave. What we loved the most about this razor's charging system is its convenient, color-coded indicator lights, which make it easy to know when the battery life is low, half, or fully charged.

Ease of Use & Versatility

The Series 3 ProSkin doesn't come with a slew of bells and whistles, but it's simple and easy to use. What it lacks in versatility, it makes up for with intuitive controls and basic functions that don't require hours of user manual time to understand.

This razor is encased in a rubber housing that provides excellent traction against the hand and fingers, resulting in a secure grip that translates into effortless, carefree shaves for our testing crew. There was never any fear of dropping the device, even if our hands were wet.

We also liked that this model's safety cover extends over the power button, making the Series 3 ProSkin a little more travel-proof. However, a better feature would be an on/off button with a locking option.

We liked the ergonomics of this razor and its friendly indicator light that lets you know when to replace the foil and cutter cassette. However, we found the external hair trimmer to be very stubborn. The blades trim well, but the device itself requires quite a bit of force to slide upward and lock into place.

Lastly, our testers really liked this model's all-in-one foil and cutter cassette, which combines the cutting blades and the foil screen into one cartridge. Although it makes deep cleaning the blades a little more difficult, this design keeps them more protected. When removing the foil cover, it minimizes accidental contact with fingers (common with other models).

Ease of Cleaning

A quick and easy cleaning process earned the Series 3 ProSkin top marks in this metric. We specifically liked the ability to simply rinse and dry it after use.

Our testing crew found that a basic rinse after each use was enough to keep the Series 3 ProSkin running smoothly. Simply turn the device on (in the cordless mode) and run it under hot running water. Once the razor is clean, detach the foil and cutter cassette and allow it to air dry. Remove the cassette and brush out the interior before rinsing for a deeper clean. We loved that even the most thorough cleaning took less than a minute.

Should You Buy the Braun Series 3 ProSkin?

The Braun Series 3 ProSkin is a no-frills, solid performer that won't break the bank. So, those who are shopping on a budget will be pleased with the value it brings to the table. It's perfect for a teenager or for someone with light to medium-grade facial hair. However, it may not perform as well (over the long haul) on dense, thick whiskers.

What Other Electric Razor Should You Consider?

Not everyone prefers a foil razor, so if rotary blades are more your thing, we suggest the Philips Norelco 2400. It's in the same price range and earned reasonably solid performance scores. If you're ok with shelling out a few more bucks for a step up in performance, we recommend the Braun Series 7.