If you tell me, “Hey, you can actually find a wet/dry shaver within a negligible price,” I wouldn’t have believed you six or seven months back. Well, now I do. So, what changed in between?
I switched to Braun Series 3 340s-4 half a year ago. Honestly speaking, this shaver lived up to every bit of expectation that I had for it. The shaving experience is satisfactory, it’s compact, and decently priced. I couldn’t ask for anything more to be honest. Also, you have “Frequently Available” replacement parts.
Sure, it doesn’t have certain parts, perks, bells, and whistles of some of the expensive shavers. It does have its negatives. Yet, it’s a wise choice when you’re looking to save some bucks for a decent product.
Don’t worry, I’m not the one who’ll leave you in the dark regarding its features and benefits. In fact, this little review will explore the positives and the drawbacks of this device to the fullest. Get on the band wagon. The ride’s gonna be fun.
Table of Contents
Unboxing A Masterpiece
Braun likes to deal with everything with a pinch of perfection. The same goes for their packaging. Opening up the box and unraveling the product was pure bliss. It felt great to open up the contents and see them as they come.
I primarily got the shaver itself which felt nothing less than “Premium” to hold. We’ll discuss that bit along the way.
Thankfully, the guys at Braun didn’t leave me high and dry with just the base product. They threw in a bundle of accessories that enhanced the shaving experience big time. As expected from Braun.
Firstly, I got a cleaning brush that made basic cleanup possible without having to shop for extra accessories. Speaking of maintenance, to protect the blades from wear and excessive friction, a bottle of lubricant was added to the package.
These small additions prove that a lot of thought was invested to ensure customer satisfaction. I even got a protective cap to keep dust and debris away from the shaver head.
A charging station along with a SmartPlug (100-240V) made things a lot easier for me. Finding a compatible adapter is a hassle I simply don’t want to go through. Good thing Braun made sure to keep every aspect covered within the package itself.
A Well-Built Shaver
Braun ensures quality even if it’s in its most simplistic design. However, just because the structure of the device is simplistic doesn’t mean it’s inefficient. I would rather prefer to call it “Classy”. The curved exterior edges make it easier to hold and maneuver across the face.
Similar products often fall short on the ergonomic handle grip thing. But the build quality and overall construction of the 340s is leagues above average. With the dimensions of 2.7 x 6.1 x 8.7 inches it doesn’t seem or feel too bulky.
Products like these prove that a plastic body doesn’t necessarily mean that it can’t be top notch. A total weight of 13.6 ounces doesn’t leave it on the heavy side. With the perfect balance of size and weight, I would give the general build quality of the device a big thumbs up.
Braun Prioritized Skin Care
Skincare is something very mandatory for me. The shavers we use, often cause nicks, cuts, and bruises on your faces if you’re not careful enough. Apart from that, sensitivity issues are common among users in general.
If you’re familiar with rotary shavers then you’ll know that some of them have built-in skin conditioners to provide some extra care for the skin. This can be hard to beat for usual foil shavers.
But Braun boasts not only on their magnificent performance but also on the fact that the Braun Series 3 340s 4 causes 30% less irritation than the competition. They don’t call it the official NFL locker room product for nothing.
Braun took seven whole years to bring this device to perfection. So… yes, astounding features that ensure comfort is inevitable. The SensoFoil technology that this uses promises to be smoother on the skin. The unique foil design has holes that capture hair better with more prowess.
A close shave with minimal skin irritation guaranteed.
A Precise Cutting Mechanism to Be Proud off
I’ve seen a lot of shavers that claim to have a bunch of fancy-sounding features that can’t even cross the average margin. I had better expectations from a reputed brand like Braun. And let me tell you this, they “Did Not” let me down.
I speak highly of this device for a reason. Why so? Allow me to explain.
The device can offer an incredibly close shave that exceeds expectations. But there’s a secret to it. Between the twin foils is an integrated trimmer. Three cutting mechanisms align to tend to your daily grooming needs. Braun calls it the Triple Cut Action system.
The next most prominent feature would be the Triple Action FreeFloat System. The guys at Braun are hell-bent on making sure that your every stroke count. This shaver is very much capable of gliding over every contour of the face. No matter how prominent the facial feature.
The cutters offer improved performance, particularly on three-day beards. I personally had a fresh and clean experience each time. Yes, I am one satisfied customer.
But do remember to apply light pressure while using the trimmer. And for the best results, keep it on a 90-degree angle.
Ample Stylizing Options to Take Advantage of
A clean shave won’t ever really go out of style. But when we say “Style” we generally expect a variety of options. And Braun is here to provide just that.
In the back of the device, I found the Series 3 long hair trimmer. Aside from being a slide trimmer, this thing is pretty accurate. I was able to get precise trims on my sideburns, mustache, and beard. To use it, all you have to do is slide it up.
A good piece of advice: Use the trimmer with the care it’s thin and wide. So, excessive pressure is bad both for your skin and the device itself.
Water Resistance is Efficient
I don’t know about you, but I personally demand two things from grooming tools. Firstly, my tools have to be water-resistant and secondly, I am simply unwilling to carry around a dangling wire during my grooming sessions.
Cordless operation and wet and dry features are a must for me. The Braun Series 3 340s 4 offers both of these and more!
Having a fully sealed body makes the product water-resistant. Plus, this additional feature makes it easy to clean and rinse under running water. And it opens up the option for using shaving foam and gel. No point in sacrificing the extra comfort, right?
I used it while I was under the shower washing away all my worries about causing harm to the shaver. Plus, I could verily reap the benefits of the awesome cutting mechanism in dry sessions too. This baby here didn’t fail me either way.
Awesome Battery Features
Let me tell you this, the device charges fast. How fast? Well, let’s put it this way, “Full Charge” in an hour. I bet you’ve seen other products that take half a day to charge up. This one here is leagues better in comparison when it comes to battery features.
With a fully charged device at your disposal, you can easily go for 45 minutes of continuous shaving. If the one-hour charging window seems a bit too much, there’s always the “Quick Charge” feature to save the day. 5 minutes of instant charge will be enough for one session without fail.
This fast charging feature is great to have for those who are always in a rush. When time is of the essence, Braun has never failed to be a friend in need.
Especially if you tend to forget to charge the device timely.
This awesome backup from the battery is made possible because of the NiMH battery type. It might not be the latest possible power solution, but it is still very much capable of taking on worthy contenders.
They even didn’t forget to include an LED display for charging and status indication. This is without a doubt a helpful addition that makes operation a lot easier.
Voltage Support Lives Up to Expectations
With the voltage support that dwells within the range of 100-240v, this device here can literally be used anywhere in the world. It also gave me the option to use it with different outlets.
Braun even went as far as to provide a set of cords to make sure that users like you and I don’t have to suffer from voltage issues. It makes the shaver capable of operating with an extra-low supply of power without any issue.
The two-pin plug is recommended. As this is mostly compatible with bathroom outlets.
A Bit of Care can go A Long Way!
Rotary shavers are designed to work with cyclical movements while Braun foil shavers are designed to work efficiently sideways movements on the skin providing perfect control and precision.
Shaving against the line of hair growth is pretty basic. Stretching the skin while shaving can go a long way too. If you’re totally new to this, then you should consider washing your face only after shaving.
If you want to avoid cuts and unnecessary skin damage, it would be best to avoid using a damaged foil. It might even lead to severe cuts. Obviously, none of us want that. Taking extensive care of the foil is mandatory for this very reason.
Aside from all the care and maintenance, foils and cutting components do wear out. Hence comes the need to replace them. For this particular shaver, I highly recommend the 30B 7000/400 series foil and cutter replacement pack.
Replacing the shaver head every 18 months will do. So, no real chance of breaking the bank there.
A Handy Set of Tips
If you’re used to handling wet and dry shavers then there’s a chance that you already know about the things that I’m about to say. But still, let’s go through a few points of advice anyway (Just in case).
Since this is a foil shaver, it requires proper maintenance to some degree. Cleaning it regularly and oiling the foils is a good idea. This not only increases the longevity of the product, but it ensures optimum performance.
What I Like about this Shaver
- Top-notch performance for the price tag that it comes in. A great value product nevertheless.
- The cutting mechanism of this device is simply awesome. The best entry-level foil shaver ever!
- The battery support that it offers is on par with the best of them. No complains there.
- The two-stage LED indicator shows the battery status of the shaver and gives an accurate idea of when to recharge it. A feature I learned to appreciate time and time over.
- The additional trimmer worked better than I had expected. It opened up a lot of stylizing options that I didn’t think of before.
What I Don’t Like about this Shaver
- Apart from all the goodies that this shaver comes with, a travel pouch would have been very much appreciated.
- I am very pleased with the razer’s performance aside from the subtle noise that it makes. Which I found rather annoying during long shaving sessions.
Wrapping the Review Up
Braun Series 3 340s-4 is something I’m proud of. It’s cheap yet maintains the quality that Braun is known for. You’ll have a “Reasonably” close shave if you maintain your facial hair daily. You’ll have a decent performance even with two-day-old facial furniture. I’m the biggest proof of that fact there is.
The device serves beginners and experts alike. However, if you have a few bucks to spare and want an upgrade, Go for Braun 380s-4. I must mention that these two are visually identical. The only thing unique to the latter model is the travel lock you see at the side. Sadly, Braun 340s-4 doesn’t have one.
This one is not the fastest of the block. Nor does it claim to be. What you see is what you get here. Users will enjoy quality performance within budget with tiny limitations. That’s how it looked to me. Please, do let me know how things turned out for you as well. I’m eager to know your opinions.
