Braun Series 9 Pro+ Review: A £58 Head, £5 Cartridges and Which Box to Buy
An editorial tester, a specialist shaver site and more than a hundred buyers agree that the Series 9 Pro+ gives one of the closest, kindest foil shaves you can buy. The harder question is which of the boxes to buy. The shaver is the same in all of them, but the cleaning station is the part that keeps costing you money.
Where the reviews line up
The evidence comes from three places: a hands-on test by T3, which gave the shaver its Platinum Award in July 2026; a long specialist review by Shavercheck, which compares it with the older models; and the buyer ratings at Holland & Barrett, 4.9/5 from 105 reviews of the 9610s. On the shave itself they agree.
It is very close and very comfortable. T3 calls it "one of the finest foil shavers I've ever used". Shavercheck rates it 4.5 out of 5 and says it is good on sensitive skin. Buyers say much the same. It works wet or dry: Braun says it is 100% waterproof. The battery is not a worry. Braun quotes 60 minutes, and a five-minute quick charge gives you one shave.
All three sources also agree on the downsides. It is expensive at full price. It does not charge by USB-C; T3 and Shavercheck both point out the special two-pin connector. And Shavercheck says this generation is a little louder than the last one.
The real decision is the box. The cheapest UK model, the 9610s, comes with a charging stand and a travel case. It was £229.99 at Holland & Barrett on 5 October 2026. The "cc" models add the SmartCare cleaning station. Its cartridges cost about £5.42 each in a 12-pack. Braun says one cartridge lasts 20 cleans, but on the same page it says to change it every two months. Clean every day and that could be £30 to £100 a year, as well as a new head, which Braun says to change every 18 months. The current 96M head is £57.99 from Braun.
The three reviews this summary is built from
- T3Editorial test by Derek Adams, 24 July 2026. T3 Platinum Award. The best account of how it feels to use.
- ShavercheckSpecialist review by Ovidiu Nicolae, updated 11 July 2026. 4.5/5. Compares it with the older models.
- Holland & Barrett4.9/5 from 105 buyer reviews of the 9610s, 5 October 2026. A retailer, not the maker.
Before the review: which Series 9 Pro+ you are buying
Two generations of the Series 9 Pro+ are on sale in the UK. The current one has model numbers starting 96, such as the 9610s, 9667cc, 9670cc and 9675cc. It uses the 96M head and Braun's "Pro SensoAdapt" sensor. The older one starts 95, such as the 9527s and 9510s. It uses the 94M head. Braun's own shop listed the 9527s as out of stock on 5 October 2026, and Braun UK's Series 9 Pro+ page now shows only the 96 models. Shavercheck says the motor, battery, head movement and cleaning station did not change between the two. What changed is the head and the sensor. Many older reviews, including Expert Reviews' test of the 9575cc, are about the 95 generation.
Specification at a glance
| Spec | Figure | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Current UK models | 9610s (charging stand) · 9667cc (SmartCare, fabric travel case) · 9670cc and 9675cc (SmartCare, PowerCase) | Braun UK Series 9 Pro+ page, 5 Oct 2026. PriceSpy also lists the 9615s and 9625s |
| Older model still sold | 9527s: charging stand plus PowerCase | Braun shop, 5 Oct 2026: £249.99 (RRP £599.99), out of stock |
| Run time | Up to 60 minutes | Braun UK; T3 and Shavercheck agree |
| Charge time | About 1 hour for a full charge; 5 minutes gives one shave | Braun shop (9527s) and Shavercheck ("under one hour"). Expert Reviews printed 90 minutes for the 9575cc |
| PowerCase | "Up to 6 weeks of shaving with 90 min of charge" | Braun UK, for the PowerCase models only |
| Charging | Special two-pin shaver connector, not USB-C | T3, Shavercheck and Expert Reviews |
| Wet and dry | 100% waterproof; "tested to resist under water up to 24 hours"; with or without foam | Braun UK |
| Replacement head | 96M £57.99 (Braun shop) · older 94M £30.00, was £40.00 (Argos) | Checked 5 Oct 2026. Shavercheck says the 96M fits all Series 9 shavers |
| Head interval | Every 18 months | Braun shop and Argos; Shavercheck repeats it |
| SmartCare cartridges | £14.99 for 2 · £29.99 for 4 · £64.99 for 12 (£5.42 each) | Braun shop, 5 Oct 2026. Some packs were on offer |
| Cartridge life | "20 cleaning cycles" — but also "every 2 months" at five cleans a week | Both on the same Braun shop page. They do not match |
| Noise | No dB figure. Shavercheck says 2–3 dB louder than the 95 generation | Shavercheck's comparison, not Braun's |
| Guarantee | 2 years, plus 3 more years if you register with BraunCare+ (5 in total) | Braun UK BraunCare page. Braun shop: an extra year if bought direct |
| Price | 9610s £229.99 (H&B, was £499.99) · £499.99 Braun shop · from £240 PriceSpy. 9667cc from £229 · 9670cc from £264.99 (£669.99 Braun shop) · 9675cc from £319.99 | All checked 5 Oct 2026 |
T3
T3's reviewer is clear: "one of the finest foil shavers I've ever used", with an "exceptionally close, remarkably comfortable shave" and no pulling or irritation. He credits the head, which tilts 40 degrees to follow the face, and the five cutting parts, which deal with hair growing in different directions. He used it wet and dry, and says the battery lasts weeks between charges. T3 quotes about £240 for the basic UK model and up to £700 for the full kit with a cleaning station.
His complaints are small but real. The trimmer on the back sticks out and presses into your finger if you hold the shaver near the head. The charging pins can be felt too. And there is no USB-C, so you need Braun's stand or lead. T3 does not cover running costs or how long the head lasts, so the cost figures on this page come from Braun's shop and Argos.
Watch: Braun Series 9 Pro + Review - Everything To Know and Shave
A full walk-through and shave. Watch it alongside T3 for the feel of the tilting head and the back trimmer.
Watch on YouTube ↗Shavercheck
Shavercheck is a specialist shaver site that tests one generation against the next, and that is why it is useful here. It calls the 96 range "the best iteration of the Series 9 family yet". The main change is the 96M head, which has thinner blades and gives a closer shave than the 94M. There is also a sensor that reads the beard 300 times a second, against 160 on the old AutoSense. Shavercheck says nothing else changed: the motor, battery, head movement and cleaning station are the same as on the 95 range.
Its most useful advice for owners of an older model is not to buy a new shaver. Buy a 96M head instead. Shavercheck says the head fits all Series 9 shavers. It also lists the faults clearly: 2–3 dB louder than the 95 range, a straight trimmer that needs several passes, a simpler display (the battery countdown in numbers has gone, and the head-wear display has fewer steps), no USB-C, and a high price for small changes. It says the 60 minutes of battery is possible if the foil is kept clean and oiled. It still rates Panasonic's Arc 6 as closer. Its tip: hold the power button for 9 seconds to reset the head-replacement reminder.
Watch: Braun Series 9 Pro+ Review — All Models Explained (9575cc, 9577cc, 9590cc)
Goes through the bundles one by one. These are older 95 models with US codes, but the boxes are put together in the same way as the UK 96 range.
Watch on YouTube ↗Holland & Barrett
Holland & Barrett sells the shaver but does not make it, and 105 reviews is the biggest UK sample we found for the current model. The 4.9 average is very high. The listing did not tell us whether the reviewers were checked buyers or how many were given the product free. One buyer mentions a carry case. The listing did not show the full box contents.
Braun's own UK shop gives the same picture from a smaller sample. The 9610s has 4.78/5 from 37 reviews (30 five-star, 6 four-star, 1 three-star). The 9670cc has 4.78/5 from 50 reviews (40 five-star, 9 four-star, 1 three-star, none lower). Buyers praise "a really close shave with the pivoting head" and "the same close results that I'd get from a wet razor with no irritation". One says the battery lasts more than a week. The complaints are about cost: "quite expensive", a "learning curve" for people new to foil shavers, and one 9670cc owner who did not like the "ongoing cost on top of the RRP" for cleaning fluid. That owner has a point. These are reviews on shops selling the product, so use the numbers, not the praise.
Watch: Braun Series 9 Pro+ Review [Best Electric Foil Razor right now?]
An owner-style review asking whether it beats the other foil shavers. Useful for checking the buyer scores against a longer opinion.
Watch on YouTube ↗What it costs to keep
These are our own sums from Braun's published prices on 5 October 2026. Braun did not supply them.
- Heads: one 96M at £57.99 every 18 months is about £39 a year. On an older 95 model, a 94M at Argos' £30.00 is about £20 a year.
- Cartridges, if you believe "20 cleaning cycles": one clean a day uses about 18 cartridges a year. At £5.42 each in a 12-pack, that is about £99 a year.
- Cartridges, if you believe "every 2 months": six a year is about £33 a year, whether you clean daily or not.
- No station (9610s): no cartridge cost. You rinse the head under the tap instead.
You do not have to run the station after every shave. Using it two or three times a week brings the cartridge cost down a lot. Over five years a cc model can cost more in cartridges than the gap in price between it and the 9610s.
Strengths and weak points
What holds up
- A very close, comfortable foil shave. T3, Shavercheck and buyers all agree.
- Fully waterproof, so you can use it in the shower or with foam.
- 60 minutes of battery, and 5 minutes of charge gives one shave.
- Braun says to change the head every 18 months, and the new 96M fits older Series 9 shavers.
- Five years of guarantee if you register with BraunCare+.
- Often heavily discounted: the 9610s was £229.99 against £499.99 at Braun.
What people complain about
- The SmartCare cartridges are an ongoing cost, and Braun gives two different figures for how long one lasts.
- No USB-C, just the two-pin connector.
- Slightly louder than the last generation, says Shavercheck.
- The back trimmer is straight, needs several passes and presses into your finger (T3).
- The PowerCase is bulky for travel (Expert Reviews, on the 95 model).
- Full prices of £500 to £670 are hard to justify when discounts are easy to find.
Who it actually suits
Buy it if you shave most days, want a foil shaver that is close without irritation, and will look after it. For most people the 9610s is enough: the same shaver and the same guarantee, with no cartridges to buy. Buy a cc model only if you know you will use the station and are happy to pay for cartridges.
Look elsewhere if you only shave a few times a week, keep stubble, or want something cheap to run. The Philips OneBlade 360 costs a fraction of the price, though it does not shave as close. And if you already own a Series 9 that works, Shavercheck's advice is sound: buy a 96M head, not a new shaver.
What we could not check
- The videos. We confirmed all three by search listing, not by opening them. Each watch link and its title came up in two differently worded searches. The listings did not name the channels.
- How long a cartridge really lasts. Braun's shop says "20 cleaning cycles" and "every 2 months at five cleans a week" on the same page. That works out at 20 cleans against about 40. We have shown both and costed both.
- The exact box contents of every model. Braun UK says "box contents vary by model". We could not get a full UK list for the 9615s or 9625s, or confirm the case in the H&B 9610s box.
- Charge time. Braun's shop and Shavercheck say about an hour; Expert Reviews printed 90 minutes for the 9575cc. Braun's 90-minute figure on the UK page is for the PowerCase. Nobody published a timed test of the 96 range.
- Noise in decibels. Braun publishes no figure. Shavercheck's "2–3 dB louder" is a comparison, not a reading.
- BraunCare+ terms. Braun UK says you get 3 more years if you register, but the page did not say how soon after buying you must register. Check the terms when you buy.
- Whether the buyer reviews are checked. Neither Holland & Barrett nor Braun's shop showed us whether reviewers were confirmed buyers or were given the product.
- A 96M price from a second UK shop. We only have Braun's £57.99. The one other listing we found was far higher and looked like an import seller, so we left it out.
- Lab tests. We found no Which? result we could quote, and no source measured closeness.
Sources last checked 5 October 2026. Series 9 Pro+ prices change from week to week and vary a lot by model, so check the model number and the cost of heads and cartridges before you buy.