Electric Shaver Comparison

Braun Series 9 Pro vs Philips Norelco S9000 Prestige – Differences & Comparison

It may seem odd to compare the Braun Series 9 Pro and Philips (Norelco) S9000 Prestige shavers because of the first major difference. The first big difference is that the Series 9 Pro is a foil electric shaver, and the S9000 Prestige is a rotary-style shaver!

However, based on both of these being the top of the range within the brands Braun and Philips, and they both share somewhat similar price tags, I wanted to provide a comparison.

This comparison will also include the latest Series 9 Pro+. As it does not differ very much and the update had no bearing on its performance at all, I will refer to the S9 Pro in this article, and you’ll know I am covering the S9 Pro and Pro+. I have updated this article with the latest S9000 experience in mind, too, as the old rounded type is discontinued and hard to purchase.

Some of the most important aspects I compare here are the build quality, ergonomics, comfort while shaving, leftover patches and tricky hairs, maneuverability, and closeness of shave–the end result. Things like LED indicators, accessories, and new charging methods follow these important factors.

Foil vs Rotary Shaver — Quick Overview

Most of you will already know the differences between a rotary and foil shaver and maybe even the pros and cons of each.

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words……..

Let’s Compare What’s Most Important

Let’s compare the build quality, ergonomics, comfort, and other factors while shaving, maneuverability, and closeness of shave – the end result.’ We will also look at the accessories and cost.

Feature/Aspect	Series 9 Pro	Prestige S9000
Build Quality	9/10	8/10
Ergonomics	8/10	9/10
Cutting Actions and Power	9/10	9/10
Maneuverability	7.8/10	9/10
Shaving Comfort	8/10	9/10
Closeness of Shave	9/10	8/10
Left Over Patches & Tricky Hairs	7/10	9/10
Charging	9/10	9/10
LED Indicators	9/10	10/10
Accessories	9/10	7/10
Trimmer	7.5/10	6.5/10
Replacement Blades	18 months	2 years
Quietest	7/10	10/10
Price Comparison	Approx: $250 USD, £230, €244	Approx: $300 USD, £300, €300

Build Quality

I found the Philips S9000 had an overly plastic feel to it, while the Series 9 Pro felt more solid. The rubberized sides of the Pro could be contributing to making it feel more solid.

For me, the S9 Pro wins in build quality.

Ergonomics

The Prestige S9000 is slimmer than the Braun 9, which makes it a bit easier to hold and handle. They both have good ergonomics and rubberized sections, which help users hold the shaver firmly.

I like the S9000 just a tad bit more because of the slim design. My thoughts are that the Prestige is possibly slimmer because it does not have a built-in trimmer like the S9 (one aspect that makes sense to me anyway).

Cutting Actions and Power

Both the S9000 and 9 Pro have high cutting ability and power. Most of the top-end electric razors promote how many cutting actions per minute they have, and Philips states the S9000 has 165,000 (latest models) cutting actions per minute, while Braun states the 9 Pro has 40’000.

We can’t just compare both of these apples to apples, as one shaver is foil and the other is rotary. If we compare with the same type of shaver, we can see one has more than another, but not against foil and rotary, as the blades and head are completely different.

What we can compare is the cutting power in performance while using them, which is a much better marker overall, anyway. After all, the most important thing is how they shave.

In my experience, both of them cut extremely well, and a person could easily think the Philips Prestige has no power at all because it is so quiet, but that’s not the case; it has plenty of power.

There is no clear winner in terms of cutting actions or power, although a buyer could lean more toward the quieter motor of the Prestige.

Head Movement and Flexibility

Both of these shavers offer very good flexibility in the blades and good head movement. These are all factors that help a shaver to move along the various contours of a person’s face easily.

The Prestige does offer better movement because of the different movements of each blade, and the head moves 360 degrees. The head on the Braun 9 Pro moves backward and forwards and can also lock (locks in segments), but it just doesn’t offer quite as much movement with the contours of the face as the Philips.

Maneuverability

One of the biggest pros of a rotary shaver is its maneuverability. The S9000 definitely does have the edge over the S9, but the Pro has the edge over the S9000 when it comes to shaving longer straight strokes.

The Series 9 Pro is also slightly bulkier, especially in terms of the head design. Shaving under the nose area is easier with a rotary shaver like the S9000.

Shaving Comfort

Both of these are up there with the most comfortable electric shavers I have used and tested. The Braun Series 9 Pro surprised me with how comfortable it was to shave because of how powerful it is. The S9 does have an aggressiveness to it, though, and that aggressiveness may not be best for those who pick up irritation easily.

The Prestige does have the edge here, over the S9, as it gives me a very comfortable shave despite being powerful.

Closeness of Shave

Again, there is not a huge difference between the two shavers. However, the S9 does have the edge over the Philips, and I have found it is noticeable.

If closeness was one of my top requirements over comfort (and less leftovers and them being cleared up), the S9 is a winner.

Note: The Braun Series 9 Pro + was a hit for me when it came to closeness when head shaving.

Leftover Patches and Tricky Hairs

This aspect has become very important to me as I get leftover patches on my sideburns and the corner of my lower jaw area with every shave, to some degree (more with some shavers than others).

When I used the latest S9 Pro+, I was left disappointed as I felt it should be better at not leaving patches, but my hair is obviously (as I know already) tricky for a foil shaver. The leftovers from the S9 did clear up, although I did have to run over the patches quite a few times compared to when I used the Prestige.

The Prestige leaves fewer patches, and what I do have left, it clears them up much quicker than the S9.

The Prestige is better for me when shaving three or four days of coarse growth, as it tackles it better than the S9.

Keep in mind that a rotary shaver like the Prestige rotates cutters, and the shaver can move in all directions, whereas a foil shaver like the S9 is operated when we move it back and forth, and the inner blades move left and right. This difference has proven once again to me that the rotary style picks up those trickier hairs better.

Charging

Braun Series 9 Pro: A fully charged battery takes up to an hour to be charged, although users can give the shaver a quick 5-minute charge for 1 or 2 shaves. A full charge will provide users with about 60 minutes of cordless shaving time.

Prestige S9000: There are two types of shaver models within the Prestige S9000 in terms of charging. One type comes with a QI charging pad, and the other has a normal wall plug charger. The Prestige, which comes without the QI pad, takes an hour for a full charge and provides a user with 60 minutes of runtime. A quick charge of 5 minutes can also provide a shave.

Not everyone is going to favor the charging pad and the time it takes to charge (up to 3 hours). This is the longest any shaver takes to charge. The model with the QI charging pad can also be used after a quick 20-minute charge, but it cannot be used without the QI pad.

If we ignore the prestige that comes with the QI pad, both shavers will be the same. Keep in mind that the S9 Pro and Pro+ can also come with a PowerCase charger (a type of power bank and travel case).

Other Aspects of the Shavers to Compare

Those are the most important aspects covered, which are very much deal breakers when many buyers choose a shaver. Now, we can take a look at other aspects that may not affect the choice of shaver so much.

LED Indicators

I don’t know about you, but I do like a few LED indicators. Of course, they are not deal breakers, but they are convenient to have, especially for knowing an accurate battery charge left.

Personally, I prefer a percentage charging indicator that the Prestige has rather than a segmented one, which the S9 has. Both have got everything they need and more, though.

Accessories

Most electric shavers come with accessories, and shavers like the Braun Series 9 Pro and S9000 Prestige will have various model numbers that come with or without accessories. Here are the accessories that may come with the shaver:

Note: None of the accessories improve a shaver’s performance and end result shave. You can clean and charge both these shavers easily without the accessories, but some users find them convenient.

Series 9 Pro: The PowerCase is a nice touch by Braun and the first of its kind. It is like having a power bank that gives a user a quick boost charge when needed while traveling. The cleaning and charging stand also became a very useful and convenient accessory, which grew on me after I first thought it was only a gimmick.

S9000 Prestige: Philips was the first to introduce a charging pad like the QI Pad, and it is very useful and convenient to lay the shaver on top of the pad when shaving is finished, without worrying about charging. The head can be taken off the S9000, and the various attachments can be used, which some users find useful; however, they are not necessary and are not as good as a dedicated tool (e.g., a beard trimmer).

If I were to choose the models that include the main accessories (which I did), I lean more towards favoring the Braun Series 9 Pro. I just find the cleaning and charge station and the PowerCase to be better choices than the QI Pad and attachments.

Trimmer

The trimmer aspect of these shavers is quite different. The S9 has its trimmer attached to the body, while the Prestige has an attachable trimmer.

Electric shaver trimmers are always a sore subject for me, as they rarely perform very well, but they do at least trim down sideburns and longer hairs when needed.

The Prestige attachable trimmer is wider than the 9 Pro, and the user needs to attach and detach the trimmer from the Prestige (which is a bit more work for the user and leaves an extra attachment separate from the shaver).

I will continue to touch up the sideburns with a razor for now. Thanks. Actually, Braun improved the detail trimmer (now called a Pro Trimmer), and I found it to be better and more useful.

Which Shaver Is The Quietest

This is an easy one. The S9000 is so quiet, it is hard to believe it can cut through stubble and beard hair so easily and quickly.

The Series 9 Pro is quite a loud shaver, as expected from a foil razor with that much cutting action going on.

The Technical Stuff

The specs on the sales pages and in the instruction manual tell us about various features like Precision Nano blades, Beard Sensitivity Sensors, and other features. Both the S9000 Prestige and Braun Series 9 Pro have a built-in beard adaptation type sensor and share high-quality blades or foils.

The only significant extra feature that stands out between the two is the Prestige has three adjustable power modes. I have only ever found the need to use the Prestige shaver in high mode, and I could easily do without that feature, but others may find it useful.

Price Comparison

Now, this is an important consideration. How much is this gonna all cost?

• Prestige: Approx: $300 USD, £300 GBP, and €300 Euros. *
• Series 9 Pro: Approx: $250 USD, £230 GBP, and €244 Euros. *

*Prices will vary based on the accessories included, and some models with more accessories cost more than the above prices.

Replacement Blades

• Prestige: Approx: $59.99 USD, £59.99 GBP, and €46 Euros. *
• Series 9 Pro: Approx: $59.99 USD, £49.99 GBP, and €50 Euros. *

*The Prestige blades last for up to 2 years, and the Braun 9 Pro blades last for up to 18 months. The Prestige has the edge over the Braun and gives users an extra 6 months without changing the blades.

Both shavers have replacement blades that are similar in cost and quite pricey. However, they do have a decent lifespan.

Final Thoughts – Which Shaver Is Best?

Both of the shavers are great, perform well, and provide a comfortable and close shave.

If you are like me and have issues with leftover hair patches and clearing them up (when you do get them), then the Prestige looks like an attractive option. You need to know that this is more of an issue with a foil shaver over a rotary style shaver first, though, to make sure the issues apply to you (we are all different).

The S9 definitely wins in having that bit of extra closeness, and if that closeness is very important to you, the S9 does closeness better than the Prestige.

Somebody who has taken to having a cleaning and charge station with shavers might lean toward the Braun Series 9 Pro more. At the same time, another person who rates maneuverability highly might go for the S9000 Prestige, as I believe it has the edge over the ergonomics of the S9.

I could see that the detail trimmer being an attachment with the Prestige rather than being built in, like on the S9, could possibly be a deal for guys who must use the trimmer frequently and don’t want to be swapping it out with the shaver blade head (every time).

For me, I am all for the Prestige based on having less leftover hairs, it being easier to clear up leftover hairs when I get them, the slimmer design with a snug fit, and the all-important comfort factor.

Whichever shaver a buyer chooses, they are going to get one of the best on the market. One thing they may need to do is decide which model number to choose from that series and the accessories that come with it.

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