Braun Series 6 6120s Review – This 61** Range Has A Turbo
Braun Series 6 6120s
The Braun Series 6 is touted as a shaver that is surprisingly sensitive to skin. I do find it does provide a mildness when shaving and kind of ticks a few boxes for a shaver within its price range. This model reviewed here, and the range is an upgrade, which is a turbo and gentle power mode option.
Pros
The build quality is solid enough to last a few years
A slimline, ergonomically friendly design
It provided a comfortable shave on two and three days of growth
Easy to keep clean manually and with the cleaning station
The head and blade movement is useful for shaving various contours
It is just in the affordable range, although not cheap
Cons
Changing over the attachment trimmer could be annoying for some guys
I find the turbo mode somewhat gimmicky, although others may find it useful
It is not ideal for coarse growth or more than three days of growth
The Braun Series 6 has proven to be a good, just below mid-range price option that gave me comfortable and close shaves for an electric shaver.
Braun made a change to the S6 in 2024–only for those in the USA (obviously, testing out customers’ responses is my guess). That change to the model I purchased for this review–the Series 6 6120s and related 61** models–is an additional button below the power button, which provides a turbo and gentle mode option.
If you are from the US, then you can consider this review to be for the 61** turbo models and 60** (minus turbo & gentle), as there are no other differences compared with the previous Braun Series 6 model I reviewed. If you are outside of the USA, then you can also follow this review or take a look at the non-turbo review here.
If you are looking at an S6 that is named SensoFlex, then we are on the same page regarding the shaver performance. Model number differences are based on color and accessories the shaver comes with (while ignoring the turbo button).
Description & Features
I bought the 6120s standard model (S), which only comes with a fabric travel case and not a cleaning station. I have the cleaning station that came with the previous S6 I bought. While the cleaning station was a useful additional accessory to the kit, I don’t need another one.
Adapts to Beard Density
Most shavers, especially the top-end shavers, come with a built-in mechanism that adjusts the cutting actions with how dense the beard is.
With some shavers, I have felt or at least heard this adaptation while shaving, but I have not noticed it with the S6.
I find it odd or even overkill (gimmicky) to have it adapt to beard coarseness with the turbo-style S6 as well. It seems odd as the shaver now has the option to change its speed (i.e., gentle or turbo), so why would any technology also need to adjust?
Build Quality, Design, and Ergonomics
The S6, like all shavers, is made of plastics, bits of metal, and rubberized sections for grip.
To me, it feels like a solid bit of kit and strong, and the weightiness gives me a sense of quality (might be a false sense –who knows).
Build Quality & Ergonomics Ratings
I find the Braun S5, S6, and S7 (same design) a slimmer design than the other Braun shavers, and they fit better or are a more snug fit in the hand. Part of the reason for this will be that there is no attached trimmer taking up space inside and outside the shaver (it is a separate attachment).
I find it is better to hold than most other shavers, although the Arc 5 is just as good, too.
Shaving Elements
The shaver cassette contains two outer foils and then a center trimmer. The two outer foils do the main shave and get the closeness, while the center trimmer should pick up longer, flat laying, and just plain awkward hairs.
These three elements all flex and move independently, which I find useful for keeping the blade system close to the skin while shaving.
While we have shavers like the Braun Series 9 Pro, which has five elements (still only two foils, though), and the Panasonic Arc 5 (four foils), which also has five, three is adequate as long as they are powered enough.
Cuttng Action & Shaving Elements Ratings
Cutting Actions
Braun states the S6 provides 26.000* cutting actions per minute (8666 x 3 shaving elements), which is the same as the S5 and S7. Of course, I can’t measure this, but I can measure how quickly and efficiently a shaver performs.
26.000* is more than enough in my view, and the S6 has proved to be powered well enough to provide me with fairly quick and efficient shaves.
*Note – The non 61** (non-turbo) models have a maximum of 24.000 cutting actions per minute, and the turbo model has 26.000.
It would make sense that the cutting actions have increased on these newer models as they sound somewhat faster, even though it does not sound like a major increase. Plus, if it remained at 24.000, then it would not be a turbo compared to the previous model.
SensoFlex & Head Movement
SensoFlex just means that the blades move, and the head section moves back and forth.
The blade head moving back and forth definitely helps me when I am shaving over the jaw and chin area. While other high-end shavers I have used have better head flex, the design on the S6 is more than adequate and does its job.
Head Movement Ratings
Trimmer Attachment and Cassette Removal
As I mentioned, the trimmer on the S6 is not attached to the body like it is on many shavers, and it is a separate attachment.
This trimmer feature is going to be a pro for one user and a con for another. Maybe others, like myself, are a little neutral about it. However, I like having this slimline shaver body, which I am sure is partly due to having no attached trimmer.
Cassette Removal Ratings
The con of no attached trimmer for some guys would be needing to always detach the cassette and attach the trimmer. Plus, we have to keep the attached trimmer with the shaver all the time. You probably need to consider whether this would be annoying!
The pros of the trimmer: I already mentioned the slimline body, but I also like that the trimmer is wider and can be used for other trimming tasks. It can be used on the beard to trim it down if it has grown too long (not quite as good as a dedicated trimmer, though).
Removing the cassette is not difficult, but it is not as user-friendly as the design I have on the S8 and S9 Pro (see photo below). The S8 and S9 have side buttons that push in before releasing the cassette. The cassette has to be clipped on and off, and this could be a little tricky or awkward for some guys with larger fingers and thumbs.
LED Indicators & Travel Lock
An LED screen on the front of this displays how much charge the battery has left with three simple dots. Once we are down to one dot, we only have a third of the runtime left, and a warning light will come on when it is time to recharge it.
We also get other LEDs that let us know it’s time to clean the shaver and change the cassette, as well as a warning light if we try to switch it on while it is on charge.
When we hold the power button for about three seconds, the useful travel lock is activated, and a padlock indicator light is on the front of the shaver. The travel lock is deactivated when we hold the power button for three seconds again.
This version of the S6 has an additional arrow-type indicator light that indicates that the shaver is switched on to turbo mode after activating the turbo mode via the small button under the power button.
I find the LED setup is simplistic and adequate.
Cleaning and Maintenance
The S6 is easy to clean manually and with the cleaning station that comes with some models.
Cleaning & Maintenance Ratings
I do my usual routine when manually cleaning. The routine involves me blowing out and tapping out the main debris. Then, I add a blob of hand antibacterial soap on the foils with a dash of water before switching the shaver on. I give the shaver about 20 seconds (switched on) to let it clean and then rinse it before letting the cassette and shaver dry out separately for a couple of hours or so.
Nowadays, I usually clean the shaver properly (wet) after every shave, but you don’t have to. You can give it a wash type of clean every three shaves or so (it’s up to you, but I would keep it clean and lubricated).
I put a drop of oil on the foils to keep them lubricated after most cleans and have done so with the S6. Lubricating is important to maintain the blades and have them running as best as they can.
I also put a drop of oil on the trimmer attachment, but I don’t wash that after every use- I just blow and brush away the debris.
Replacement Cassette
Braun advises that we change the cassette every 18 months, which will depend on how often we use the shaver and the coarseness of our growth.
The part number for the cassette is 64B for these 61** (turbo) models and 53B for the non-turbo feature models. The 64B cassette can be used on the non-turbo models, and the 53B is the same cassette used for the S5 shaver.
53B vs 64B
I don’t see or feel a lot of difference between these two cassettes, apart from the 53B center trimmer, which has black edging that is slightly different from the 64B.
The plastic area on the 64B center trimmer is slightly wider, and the groove pattern differs, which may have some slight effect, but I cannot confirm that.
Charging and Battery
From what I can tell, after hunting down the specs, we get 60 minutes of runtime from the shaver in gentle mode and 50 minutes when using it on turbo. There is no information on the Braun US website at the moment, and the manual did not help much.
I would say that just under an hour without timing it perfectly was about right when I was using it. I got a good few shaves without recharging over a 2.5-week period.
It took less than an hour for me to recharge the shaver, but it did have a little power left when I did recharge it. Braun states it takes an hour to recharge, which is about right.
Attachments and Accessories
The S6 has a number of model numbers, which come with a variety of accessories. I did not get all the accessories with this model I bought, as I have them all with the last pre-turbo mode model I own (see photo below).
We can get a bunch of attachments that go with the attached trimmer. Still, I am not too keen on them and would prefer to use a dedicated beard or body trimmer if I need to trim frequently.
I tested attachments like the stubblers and body groom blade. They were inadequate (as I expected), and they’re kind of like those types of grooming tools that will eventually get the job done after a lot of patience and time.
The cleaning and charging station (CleanCare Center) can be pretty handy, and I do like using it, but it’s definitely not a must-have. The cleaning dock cleans and lubricates the shaver, but replacement cleaning fluid cartridges are required.
To save some cash, a lot of people buy cheaper cleaning fluid to refill the Braun cleaning station cartridges.
The fabric zipper travel case is actually useful whether we’re storing the shaver at home or taking it on our travels. Just keep in mind that it only fits the shaver itself, and fortunately, the trimmer can be tucked inside, too.
Shaving Experience
I was not new to the Braun Series 6 SensoFlex before using this model. Still, it is always a great experience to revisit a shaver as I can usually get along better with them (and find other pros–and sometimes cons).
I found the S6 gave a pretty quick shave that was efficient on three days of growth, but I would not want to tackle more than that as it would leave me with too many patches to clear up and take longer.
Shaving every two days with the S6 proved to be a quicker shave, and like shaving on three days of growth, it was fairly comfortable on the skin, and I did not pick up any irritation.
Shaving daily is not my thing, and my skin never thanks me for it, but for this review, I gave it a go for three consecutive days. The shaver was fairly comfortable, but on the third day, I sensed my skin telling me off, so I stopped after three days.
I had my usual patches left over on the sideburns and on the lower corners of my jaw. However, these were removed when I shaved over the same areas a few times. This process is standard for me, and the S6 was quite good at clearing up.
I tried wet shaving with shaving cream on one occasion just for reviewing purposes. While it was (maybe) slightly more comfortable, I don’t want to wet shave with an electric razor (a manual razor will come out if a wet shaving lubricant is coming out).
The simple back-and-forth flex of the head was very useful when shaving over the jaw and chin lines.
I just don’t connect with that turbo and gentle option. I tried it on gentle but then just wanted to switch it to full power. On one occasion, I wondered why it was taking so long to shave and then noticed I had forgotten to switch it to turbo mode.
If I wanted a gentler, lower-powered shave, I think I would just buy a shaver that had less power.
I’m not sure the turbo mode provides much more extra speed than the standard S6 mode on my other S6. It sounds and feels like it has a little more speed, but it’s minimal.
Overall Shaving Performance Ratings
Value for Money
The Braun Series 6 SensoFlex is priced below the mid-range, beginning at around $99+. This is the starting price for the standard model that comes with the fabric travel case.
Value for Money Ratings
I would say the shaver, based on its performance, sits at a fair price range for the standard. I’m not sure I would spend over that as I did with the previous model that came with the cleaning station (it just gets a bit pricey, and I prefer the higher-end shavers then).
The 64B replacement cassette costs around $44, while the 53B older style costs around $37.
Final Thoughts – Verdict (Worth Buying?)
I have previously considered the Braun S6 and S8 as shavers to skip compared to the S5, S7 and S9. However, after recently revisiting the S8 and S6, I have had better experiences with them that differed from the other shavers (i.e., S5, S8, and S9).
If I found a S6 without the turbo that was cheaper than the one I reviewed here, I would save the money and not buy the turbo mode. Still, I don’t think the price difference is going to be too different anyway, so the turbo mode will probably be the best buy for you guys in the USA.
I still remain a fan of this slimline design despite having to clip and unclip the trimmer attachment (it’s not an issue for me, but it may be a biggie for others).
That additional maneuverability from the flex head and comfort of the S6 might win over the S5 for some of you guys, and saving a little extra cash from what an S7 might cost could also be right up your street.
