Overall Rating
This shaver is ideal for all men who want an affordable but quality electric shaver.
I highly recommend this foil shaver, as it offers everything you’ll see in an expensive alternative, but for cheap.
And turbo mode is a new fancy addition that spices up this model even more.
Overview
Closeness
Comfort
Missed Patches
Long Hairs
Wet Shaving
Features
Design
Maintenance
Buy the Braun Series 5 5118s Turbo
Introduction
Looking for a solid and ease-of-use worthy shaver you can get for a cheap price tag?
The Braun Series 5 is one of Braun’s best performing shavers to this day, and this is due to the value you get for the money.
Turbo mode makes this generation improved past the first gen of Braun’s Series 5 series.
We love this foil shaver because of this addition. It makes the efficiency even greater while keeping the original loved design.
Even though less than $100, after unboxing, our thorough tests have proven this is one of the best deals on the electric shaver market.
If I had to summarize the S5, I would say these things stand out:
- Functionality over features
- Great design
- Great for quick shaves
- Easy to maintain
- Insane value for money
There’s a couple things it’s missing, but there’s also factors that make the S5 relatively swift and effective.
In other words, it’s not accessory heavy but it still has the power you need to complete day to day shaving either at home or on the go, so there is some compromises.
So read below on why we know this is a spectacular item to add to your grooming kit, and if this model is for you.
Table of Contents
Features & Attachments
Throughout the variations of the S5 with both generations, there are different attachments but the frame and the cassette essentially stay the same.
It’s preference what you need, so within this article we will explain some of the major differences inside the box.
EasyClick Attachments & Included Items
Braun includes different attachments for its variety of models in the Series 5 lineup. I’ll be showing you what comes with this specific unit.
Here’s what you should expect in the package (5118s):
- Trimmer attachment
- Protection cap
- Small Cleaning brush
- Charger
- User manual
This is decently good considering the price tag, although I wished they included a couple small things.
Firstly, a travel bag would’ve been a nice addition. It would’ve raised the price close to nothing and it’s strange they didn’t include one.
Important: Some of the S5 models say they include a travel bag but in reality don’t.
The protective cap compensates for this in some sense though, offering peace of mind when bringing this shaver with you.
With some of the other models, the trimmer attachment comes with some guards.
That is not the case for this one so if you’re planning on growing longer beard hair, you might want a model with a couple lengths of guards.
There will be more on the trimmer later.
Cleaning Brush
I used to cleaning brush to polish up the attachments and the main rig. Especially after drying, there will a couple water marks or dust / fluffs.
I found it doesn’t really work to get in the grooves of the grip though, so you’ll need to do a little scrubbing with something damp.
It’s a small thing that makes the shaver even more pretty.
Cleaning or Station Not Included
Only some of the Braun Series 5 models come with a charging station. The models that have a charging station are notably the ones that end in “cs“.
Also, an important thing to note is that no models are packed with a cleaning station. I think it would’ve been nice for some users if they included a “cc” model, though.
| Model Suffix | Cleaning Station | Cleaning Station |
|---|---|---|
| S | No ✘ | No ✘ |
| CS | No ✘ | Included ✓ |
| CC | ✘ NO “CC” ✘ | ✘ NO “CC” ✘ |
It’s not necessary to have these though and they’re just extra help. I won’t advise choosing either one, but I’ll say that the charging station isn’t all that better than traditional wired charging via cord.
This specific model doesn’t include either the charging or cleaning station (like the others), but there is a compatible one.
You can see the info later in the article.
Lack of Pop-Up Trimmer
A lot of people find the task of swapping out between trimmer and razor difficult, but honestly it isn’t all that bad to be left without a pop up trimmer.
it’s not that hard to deal with the EasyClick attachments, but it’s definitely nicer to have that time saver built in like it is on other Braun shavers.
Turbo Mode
Not all of the Braun Series 5 models include turbo mode. This feature is in models with “51xx” prefix in the US or “52xx” in Europe.
The turbo mode works by taking the cutting action up to a grand total of 26,000 cutting actions per minute.
That’s a difference of 500 RPM in other terms, and you can definitely feel the power amped up once you press the button.
I’ll be getting into how you should utilize this second more powerful mode later in the performance section of this article.
Travel Mode
Simply hold the power button down for 3 seconds and you’ll see an indicator in the center right telling you it’s been locked.
To unlock the shaver again, you hold it down for another 3 seconds.
This is a small but useful feature but it improves the portability among other things like safety.
If you’re planning to have the shaver laying around in your luggage or want to child proof it, this feature will be tailored even more towards you.
Design
The design across the different models of the Braun Series 5 is nearly identical.
I’ll be covering all the major changes there is, because there’s mostly small changes such as color and other insignificant things.
Charging, battery life, ergonomics, design and functionality make up for the content here.
Charging & Battery Performance
The battery on the Braun Series 5 is pretty consistent across models ranging about 5 minutes difference from 50 min total across the 10 or so variations.
This cordless shaver only comes with a charging cable, which is fine unless you are in need of a fancy alternative. In that case, here’s everything you need to know about models that include one.
When I tested the time to charge, it took roughly 50 minutes, once again, for the Li-Ion battery reach full.
That’s not bad especially if you’re rushing because you can perform a quick charge (roughly 5 minutes) and that should be enough juice to get you through a shave.
You can only shave or trim if you’re using it unplugged.
Also, the charger included with the shaver can be used anywhere, so you can travel with it easily.
LED Display
The sleek LED display is nice and I wouldn’t change a single detail about it.
There are 6 indicators, counting the 3 charging dots as one.
The display will only turn on once the shaver is activated. However, if turned off it stays lit up for a couple seconds without it running.
There are indicators for foil replacement, cleaning station use, turbo mode, charging, travel lock, and low or no charge.
You won’t see most of the indicator lights for the majority of the time you own this shaver, as a couple are focused on maintenance alerts.
It’s not that complicated to understand what all the symbols mean, and I like the extra notice that the shaver is low on battery, especially so I don’t get caught mid-shave.
The icons aren’t too small either so it’s easy to see what’s on if you take a quick glance.
Remember: Don’t stop charging when the third light starts flashing. Wait until it’s solid to reach max charge.
3 Blade Shaving System
Looking at the blade system, there are three main elements (two outer foils and the slit trimmer) that make up this foil shaver.
The middle trimmer catches the longer hairs that are missed by the outer foils, which are more meant for getting a close shave on the short hairs.
Also, the flexibility they included in these parts is nice for contouring along the jawline or neck.
This design is standard for entry-level shavers like this one.
The autosense feature adjusts the motor output by how thick your hair is without any manual adjustment.
This helps maintain the quality of your shave throughout the duration of it.
One thing I wished there would be if I had the choice is head movement.
Sometimes I find the pivoting razor head movement could use some support in some of the tricky spots, but this is enough for a basic shaver.
Some people say that the S5 cassette breaks fast (lasting around a year), but typically 12-16 months is great.
The S5 head is expected to last 16-18 months, so this surpasses the standard electric shaver.
Note: The Series 6 is basically the Series 5 with a flexible head.
Ergonomics & Functionality
1. Ease of Holding
The grip on the Braun Series 5 is spectacular as it has no way to slip out of my hand.
It’s easy to still have a view of the LED display, be able to press the buttons and I love the attention to detail that they put the thumb grip facing diagonally.
It’s not too significant, but whether you’re left or right handed it feels sturdy because of that reason.
The Braun Series 5 is lightweight but not enough to the point where it feels like it’s hollow or cheap.
The total weight comes in at around 175 Grams (6oz) with the foil head in place. This means that it won’t be hard to keep in your hand for larger durations of time.
I’ve accidentally performed the drop test on this beast of a shaver and it survived from 4-6 feet multiple times, so if you do drop it don’t stress too hard.
2. Cassette Removal
Start by putting your two fingers on either side of the head where the grooves are and pull up firmly, unveiling the internal parts that lie under the foils.
A release button would have been nicer, but that is totally up to preference for the user.
You’ll need to know about head removal for a couple of reasons.
That reason may be:
- Cleaning & lubricating the shaver
- Changing / swapping EasyClick attachments
- Inspecting the cassette holder
It was a bit annoying to pop off at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s much easier of a deal especially if you’re not tinkering that much or doing a lot of maintenance.
2. Unnecessarily Wide Frame
The only thing I’m not a fan of for the design is the unnecessarily wide frame, as it just makes it feel more chunky and occasionally you can feel it rubbing against your cheek.
That’s a skin contact problem because sometimes it feels like it’s stopping the shaver from contouring as well as it could be with a slightly tweaked design.
I would’ve preferred a closer fit for the shaver frame, but it’s not the biggest of downsides when it comes to choosing the right electric razor.
Overall, it doesn’t affect the performance terribly, making it just an annoying flaw.
Shaving Experience
We will be testing the Braun Series 5 so you can decide if it’s a good choice. Hint: Its shaving & grooming performance is great value for the price, among the other factors of this shaver.
As mentioned before, Turbo Mode is a game changer and I’ll be explaining all the things it does better, in addition to how the 2 modes compare and what you should use each one for.
Closeness
I was very impressed with the closeness of the Braun Series 5.
After shaving my ~4 days of growth off, it left my face with a relatively smooth finish. Turbo Mode definitely assisted this though.
There were virtually no hairs left after 2-3 strokes, also making it very time efficient if you need to get a quick shave done in the morning.
One thing I found was that around the tricky spots there was still coarse hair left. That isn’t very ideal for me as I find especially around the neck area is what makes me the itchiest if not clean shaven.
Turbo mode helped improve this problem though and I found the more cutting actions there is, the smoother shaving experience there is.
The mode worked very well especially when I was shaving my cheek as normal mode doesn’t catch nearly as much hair on the skin as I found its alternative did.
The pivoting in the pieces was also very useful and I feel like it contributed to the skin contact around the jawline and neck.
Again, if you want head movement a better option is the Series 6.
Comfort
After using this electric razor for a couple days, I viewed no irritation or redness for either mode, and this met my expectations of this being a gentle shaver.
Skin irritation factors can be different for you though, as there are always tradeoffs for different skin types and ages of people.
If you do experience any sort of razor burn among other things, I recommended to utilize pre-shave lotion to prevent potential complications.
Slicking your face can be a good decision also because this shaver doesn’t glide as well as some other brands or series within the Braun universe.
Overall though, this shaver was really comfortable in the short and long term. Even on turbo mode where I thought it would end up being a little harsher.
Missed Patches / Hairs
One thing I was worried about was being able to shave the hard to reach spots like below my nose, but I was impressed when I looked in the mirror for it to be near perfect.
Other electric shavers always give this trouble for me.
The only spot I noticed where the shaver missed out on was the neck and jawline, which seems to be the one of the recurring problems in this shaver.
That was easily fixed by turbo mode though, and I didn’t get too frustrated because it performed pretty close to what I’m used to.
It also had a bit of a hard time catching the peach fuzz around my cheeks, and sometimes it was a little tough to catch those finer hairs, even with turbo mode.
Long Hairs
As mentioned, there were a few patches of hair left in the tricky areas, and this is mostly due to the longer hairs, but they mostly disappeared after a few swipes.
This was especially present around the neck area, but there were fewer than I expected and activating turbo mode it helped to speed up the shaving process.
Another thing I noticed was that it tugs on these longer hairs after not shaving for a couple days. This was a mix of annoying and painful.
That’s one issue that matters the most in my opinion, and Braun could’ve definitely improved more with the lengthy hair problems.
If you’re not waiting a large period of time between shaves, these issues are no longer relevant and it should cover most of your needs.
Normal mode should be enough for the average person. It cuts down medium & short length hairs perfectly fine , and leaves you feeling clean shaven for the most part.
In summary, the S5 doesn’t handle longer hairs the way you typically might want it to.
EasyClick Trimmer Attachment
Unfortunately, the trimmer attachment isn’t that useful.
Sure, it can be used to do an initial trim before a clean shave to get a better overall result, but its performance is mediocre at best.
It struggled a lot specifically along the sideburns, where it had a hard time removing the hair.
A better solution would be a pop-up trimmer, but for the S5-S7 models they decided to exclude that.
You can buy a model with guards of different lengths too, but I would only consider that if you swap between longer and shorter styles a lot.
My recommendation would be to purchase a separate beard trimmer if you like this razor but still want a more efficient way to trim longer hairs.
Can you shave your balls with the Braun S5?
Yes, you can use the Braun Series 5 to shave your groin area. It is required to use the Body Groomer attachment though. The Body Groomer attachment is only available for some models, but prevents cuts, irritation and snagging hairs, so I recommend it for that reason.
Can you use Braun Series 5 on your body?
The Braun Series 5 models with the Body Groomer attachment can be used for your armpits, chest and anywhere else with hair using the Precision or Beard Trimmer. I’d consider buying a model with it included as the foils by themselves can cause discomfort.
Can you wet shave with the Braun Series 5?
Yes, the Braun Series 5 is capable of wet shaving, allowing for use under the shower and of shaving cream, gels, foams and more. This is not the best way to use it though.
I will admit, the S5 glides well across the skin when wet shaving, even though most of us will probably be using it dry.
After testing the Braun Series 5 wet, I realized that it’s more suitable for non-wet use, and I will explain why that’s the case.
First of all, this is my personal experience and you’ll most likely have a different one so I recommend experimenting before deciding which shaving style is suitable for you.
I got a decent amount of razor burn because I couldn’t navigate the tricky areas good enough, especially the backside of my jaw.
Expanding on that, for some reason the sideburns were tougher to get using shaving cream.
If you are going to wet shave, or attempt to with this shaver, I recommend using only a thin layer of shaving cream.
Because if you use a large amount, the shaver won’t work as well to catch flat lying hairs.
The type of shaving cream I use is tube shaving cream.
It’s better quality than ones with propellants, so that’s another thought if you’re considering buying this for wet use.
I used Speick shaving cream. It usually works for me with electric razors. Other brands that I recommend are Palmolive and Nivea.
Turbo Mode or Classic?
I recommend turbo mode if you need to trim longer hairs or have denser / coarser hair.
My reasons for this is because it will lead to a closer shave the first time over, and it’s a much faster way to shave. I found in general that these things usually correlate.
If you have a problem with it for some reason though, the normal mode works just fine and there won’t be a huge dip in performance considering everything.
If you’re worried about the turbo mode wearing out the trimmer and foils faster, this is not the case.
The only downside to using turbo mode is the 10 minute lesser battery life, so there’s no reason not to try it out.
Noise
Braun Series 5‘s noise isn’t terrible and I didn’t disturb anyone when I was testing it out. The motor is still ample though, so there isn’t any downsides.
I thought turbo mode would be much worse, but I was proven wrong.
Normal Mode Noise
Turbo Mode
It’s a higher pitched noise but isn’t really louder. So if you have to be quiet in the morning this is a better option than most foil shavers.
Still, it’s not as silent as something like a rotary – so if this is a concern, you may need to reconsider options.
Cleaning & Maintenance
Maintaining the health of your shaver is crucial if you want to stick with the same one for a long amount of time. Fortunately Braun’s Series 5 makes it quick and easy to do this.
There will always be automatic maintenance solutions for these types of grooming products. The question is do you really need these and do they significantly speed things up?
Comparisons are made below.
Manual Cleaning
Deep cleaning the Braun Series 5 manually is no hard task at all.
Before you worry, this shaver is 100% water-proof so there is no need to stress about damage occurring.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to cleaning this shaver:
1. Remove the Cassette
Start by pinching either side and popping off whichever accessory you have attached to your body.
Set aside whichever piece you’ll be washing last.
2. Rinse Pieces Thoroughly under Sink
Get all the hair out that’s stuck in the head and body. I found rinsing for around 10 seconds minimum did the trick.
Make sure you check the head piece for leftover hairs as it’s a bit more tricky to get the ones between the foils out. There was still a bit stuck within them.
3. OPTIONAL: Lather With Soap
If you’re a wet shaver or using any type of cream, gel, ect than this step is absolutely necessary. If not but still want a more thorough cleaning, it’s still good to do.
Simply apply some liquid soap with your finger, head still attached and turn the shaver on.
Keep rubbing your finger across the cassette / foils and cutter to distribute evenly. The soap will still reach the internals with the head on, so there’s no need to remove it.
After another 10-20 seconds of this, rinse again with warm water until all soap is cleared out of the cassette & body.
Remove the head piece and give one final rinse.
4. Dry The Components
After done cleaning, gently pat the parts dry and let them sit out detached from one another.
It doesn’t need to be completely void of water being waterproof, but this is good practice as it keeps the quality of your shaver.
Automatic Cleaning
As referenced before, none of the Braun Series 5 shavers come with a cleaning station so if you don’t have one already you’ll need to buy one separately.
A Braun Type 5434 cleaning station available with the Series 6 and Series 7 360 flex will fit all models of the Series 5 and you can also buy it separately.
This could be a little annoying to some but I recommend sticking to manual cleaning for this shaver as it is easy enough to get done.
The only upsides to having one of these stations is that it’s more efficient to clean, lubricate, and dry but the lubrication and drying can be done in a reasonable amount of time too.
Adding on to that, you can simply leave the shaver out to dry so I don’t see a huge reason to buy this automatic cleaner.
Lubrication only takes a couple seconds of your time too.
I’ll be explaining how to perform your lubricating in the next section.
Tip: Some of the discontinued Braun S5 models came with a Cleaning and Charging station.
Lubrication
Even though the shaver stays cool right up until the end, it’s still a good idea to oil it at as when you wash the shaver out it’ll strip any lubricant left including the residue.
And you should be more consistent with lubricating the cassette & body especially if you’re washing with soap.
I recommend oiling your shaver around once a week, or twice if you’re cleaning on the regular.
How To Lubricate Your Braun S5:
With the shaver being clean and dry, put one drop on each foil and let it run for 5 seconds. Wipe any excess off and you’re set.
You can use any sort of clipper or spray oil. There’s no deal breaker brand that stands out, but my preferred brand is Wahl, which is standard drops.
Braun S5 EasyClean Feature
Present on the shaver is two holes on under either side of the head, these are meant to run water through for a quick and easy clean, improving the maintenance factor.
It’s useful for cleaning your shaver mid-shave if you need or want to, also for a fast rinse post shave if you’re on a time budget.
If you’re planning to wet shave often, the EasyClean feature won’t do much towards helping you clean out soap residue, and you’re going to want a more thorough rinsing for this.
I suppose if used for the right things, this can be a potential time saver.
Braun Series 5 Replacement Head
All the new generation (51xx) installments include the 54b head, but if you need replacements or want to upgrade your head from an older model, the 54b or 53b piece fit interchangeably for both 50xx and the former.
You can find it available here:
How long do Braun Series 5 blades last?
You should replace the cassette every 16-18 months or so as that’s the timepoint when the quality of the shaver starts to dip and it’ll start nagging hairs.
Since both 54b and 53b pieces are near identical and fit universally, I recommend buying the cheaper one available.
Tip: The two compatible replacement heads with both S5 generations are essentially indifferent, so there’s no problem with buying one or the other depending on sales and availability.
Conclusion: Is it worth the price?
In short, this shaver provides quick and quality shaves, offering decent closeness, no irritation and sleek design.
It’s perfect for the average man.
Whatever your reason is – upgrading from non-turbo, switching to foil or electric shavers, or simply looking for an entry level option, this is the move.
The performance is peak for it’s price, providing a close, efficient and overall great shaving experience. Turbo mode also played a huge role in leveling up this shaver.
Maintenance is relatively easy and won’t cost you a lot of extra time compared to owning a cleaning station, so you save money there also.
Putting all the technicalities aside, the ergonomics and is also amazing as it’s very comfortable to hold, not being too heavy and having great grip.
There’s no reason to avoid Braun’s S5, my only concerns would be the fact that travelling with this shaver is less ideal.
This is because of a lack of travel bag.
Besides that and there was some missed patches on my cheeks, there’s nothing majorly flawed with Braun’s innovative Turbo S5
The fact of the matter is that the shaver has more pros than cons, and that’s what makes it one of Braun’s best selling shavers they have to this day.