Braun Series 3 Review

The Braun Series 3 is their entry point into the Braun product range and electric shaving for many people. Its attractive price, design, and feature set make it one of the top-selling electric shavers on the market.

Braun has updated most of its shavers over the last few years to have a uniform look and feature set. With the updates to the Braun lineup, how does the Series 3 shaving performance compare to the more expensive Braun shavers? 

Related: The Ultimate Guide to the Braun Shaver Lineup

Do you have to empty your wallet to get a quality shave, or does the Series 3 deliver at an affordable price?

Series 3 Models

One thing Braun does consistently with all its shavers is causing confusion between the different models within each series. There are two sub-model lines as part of the Braun Series 3 line. 

ProSkin models use a new shaving head (Braun 32b), while Series 3 models use an older Series 3 head (Braun 21b). Despite different shaving heads, all Series 3 shavers perform similarly.

While the older Series 3 shavers have the Braun 21b shaving head, the newer Braun 32b replacement shaving head works with all Series 3 shavers.

We recommend choosing the model that suits your budget and desired features. Most Series 3 models that are currently available are designed to work in both wet and dry conditions.

Original Series 3 

The base model Series 3 is Braun’s entry point to their electric shavers and offers only the bare minimum required to shave. The models in this subline include the Series 3 300s and the Series 3 310s. These shavers are available in blue, red, and black, depending on the retailer you purchase from.   

The base models do not offer a precision trimmer and have a shorter battery life than the ProSkin models. We would highly recommend choosing the ProSkin models for the newer shaving head, included trimmer, and upgraded battery. 

Series 3 ProSkin

Our recommended choice, the Series 3 ProSkin models include the Series 3 3040s and Series 3 3000s. These models include an upgraded battery (45 minutes) and battery indicator compared to older models of the Series 3. 

The 3040s typically offers the best value of any Series 3 shavers. It doesn’t include a cleaning station, but we recommend stepping up to the Series 5 if you are looking for models that include cleaning stations. 

The only difference between the 3040s and the 3000s is the color of the shaver. The 3040s is often more widely available.

Shaving Performance and Features

Shaving Performance

The Braun Series 3 shaving performance is reasonable for the price, and we believe most people will be happy with it. However, the Series 3 cannot provide as close of a shave as the more expensive Braun or Panasonic models. Nonetheless, it is in line with other shavers in the same price range. 

The ability to shave in either wet or dry conditions is a handy feature that many budget shavers cannot do.

The Series 3’s shaving head features three foil cutting elements that can move independently. Unlike the more expensive Braun shavers, the Series 3 shaving head does not rotate separately from the body.

Due to the lack of rotation, shaving around the neck and jawline area can be more difficult, sometimes requiring multiple passes at different angles to remove all hair.

We found that the Series 3 works best when used daily. If you are someone who only shaves every other day or less frequently, you may experience some discomfort from tugging on the hairs. 

If your stubble is too long, try trimming it before shaving, or consider the Braun Series 5 or Series 7, which handle longer stubble better than the Braun Series 3.

Shaving Comfort

In our opinion, Braun has found the right balance between shaving closeness and shaving comfort with all of its electric shavers. A big reason why the Series 3 stands out from other budget shavers is its superior shaving comfort.

The Series 3 offers a smooth shave with minimal tugging and skin irritation. Most of the tugging we experienced was caused by trying to go faster. If you feel the shaver pulling on your hair, try using slower, shorter strokes.

The ability to use the shaver in the shower or with shaving cream/foam/gel allows you to try multiple shaving methods to see what works best for you.

Features

You won’t find any features outside of the primary functions that an electric shaver needs on the Series 3. This can be a benefit, as we find limited value in the variable speed settings or informational displays that more expensive models provide.

Although we can accept skipping out on many optional features offered by more expensive models, the Series 3 manages to have models that lack what seems like essential features. Only the ProSkin models, like the 3040s and 3000s models, include a built-in trimmer, while the basic Series 3 models (300s and 310s) do not.

We would recommend choosing a Series 3 model that includes a trimmer to help clean up around the sideburn and mustache areas. 

Most models of the Series 3 do not include a travel pouch but affordable third party options are available if you travel with your shaver. Braun does include a plastic covering that protects the shaving head and prevents the shaver from being turned on accidentally.

One of the most helpful “features” is the excellent materials that Braun has selected for the Series 3 body. The textured grip is comfortable and easy to hold. Unlike some metallic or metal finishes of other shavers, this shaver is easy to hold while in the shower or while cleaning it in the sink.

Battery Life

The battery life you can get from your Series 3 shaver depends on the subline. The Braun Series 3 ProSkin models offer about 45 minutes in battery life. The base Series 3 models provide around 30 minutes of shaving per charge. 

None of the Series 3 models can be used while charging. A quick charge option is available if the battery is dead and you need a shave. The ProSkin models offer a more advanced battery indicator that displays the remaining battery and charging status.

Cleaning the Shaver

After each shave, you can easily clean the Series 3 by using a small amount of liquid soap on the foils, turning the shaver on for about 15 seconds, and rinsing under the sink.

It is important to let the shaving head dry separately from the body. Braun also includes a brush to clean underneath the shaver head and remove any hair.

Alternative Shavers

Panasonic Arc3
Panasonic’s entry-level shaver, the Arc3, offers a slightly closer shave than the Series 3. Panasonic consistently delivers excellent shaving performance, though it trades off shaving comfort for performance. You might want to take a look at the Panasonic Arc3 if you have tried the Series 3 or are worried about the closeness of the shave. 

In general, we recommend the Series 3 to most people, since it is more polished and gives a close enough shave.

Braun Series 5

Braun has recently redesigned the Series 5 line-up and now offers models that are only slightly more expensive than the Series 3. If your budget allows, we recommend the Braun Series 5 5018s, often available for under $100. 

If you are looking for a shaver that includes a cleaning station, you should choose the Series 5 or Series 7. The Braun Series 5 5190cc is an older model of the Series 5, but we prefer the shaving quality to the newer Series 5 models. 

Final Thoughts

Braun’s entry-level Series 3 takes many elements that make the Series 5 and Series 7 successful and brings them to a much lower price point. Of course, you won’t receive as fast or as close of a shave as the most expensive Braun or Panasonic shavers, but for many people, that is fine.

The Series 3 is an excellent option if you are new to electric shaving, have a shorter beard, or want a shaver to take to the gym.