Braun 8585 Activator Self-Cleaning Shaving System

I bought this as a gift for my husband based on the great reviews. He was not pleased with the shave the product gave. He said that the razor did not give him a smooth shave on his neck area and it irritated the skin. I ended up returning it.

The razor gives a close shave, but I have had problems with Braun's customer service. I have owned the razor for almost a year. After approximately six months, the lights on the charging/cleaning base would not come on and the base would not clean the razor. I called Braun and they told me which service center to send it to and gave me the number so that I could call first. I called the service center, described the symptoms and was instructed to send in the base at my expense. Well...weeks became months with no word from Braun or the service center. I called Braun and they told me to contact the service center. I did as instructed and they told me that the base was fine and that maybe there was a problem with the razor or the charging adaptor and that I would have to send them in at my expense even though I was originally asked to send in only the base. Interestingly enough, I have been using the razor and charger without incident. I am frustrated that they have had my base for months and have not contacted me to tell me their conclusion. I will send in my razor and go back to a blade until I receive my repaired setup; hopefully it will be back in a reasonable amount of time. Though I like the ergonomics and shave of the 8585, I will probably not buy any more Braun products due to the poor attention Braun gives to the buyer after the sale.

I've had my Braun 8585 for just under 2 years now and I continue to swear by it. This spontaneous purchase raised the bar for what I expect from my morning shave. The unique shape of the foil and the cleaning system were the main draws for me while I was comparison shopping. I decided to spend the extra money and I have no regrets.

I find the cleaning solution (which has a light lemon scent) needs to be changed about once a month, and 3 packs cost somewhere between $15 - 20. The cleaning process is a breeze and takes about 15 - 20 minutes. I just pop it in the stand, push the button, and walk away. The stand lets you know when your razor needs a cleaning or a new container of solution.

I recently ordered a new set of foils & blades, (after about 19-20 months) and while the shave is obviously not nearly as close as it was the day I got it, the shave with dull blades/foils is still better than what I was getting with my past razors. My neck is prone to irritation and nicks, and my stubble is thick, so this has been a huge improvement across the board. If I get a new razor at any point in the next 1-3 years, it will definitely be the Pulsonic or another Braun razor that builds upon the strengths of this model.

This is the best shaver I've ever used, having gone through several Remington and Norelco models. I know Braun makes more expensive units, but I'm not sure how they could be any better than this one. Clean cut, great feel, nifty cleaner/charging base. Great product!

This Razor is great and I don't even use the cleaning system (I bought it on Amazon without it). It has never given me any problems and still works like new. I think I still have 8 years left of use for this thing.