Braun Series 9 Men's Electric Razor & Beard Trimmer - Rechargeable Wet/Dry Foil Shaver with Clean & Charge Station, Travel Case - Silver 3-Piece Set for Smooth Shaving at Home or Travel

I've been using a Braun Series 9 shaver since December, 2016. Around that same time, I also got a Panasonic Arc 5 ES-LV95-s shaver. One was free; it's a long story as to how that happened, but I kept both. I used each one for a while, switching back and forth every few months for no other reason than variety and comparison. Eventually, I settled on the Braun permanently.CLOSENESS:I'd say it's a draw here. I've read reviews from people claiming the Panasonic Arc 5 shaves a bit closer. That wasn't the case for me, although for other people, it's certainly possible, even probable, as faces and skin differs. Both shavers gave me the same closeness. I used to shave with a blade many years ago, before shaving with electric shavers for many years after. I think I can say with authority that I don't think an electric shaver exists that shaves as close as a blade, but both the Braun Series 9 and the Panasonic Arc 5 come extremely close, certainly close enough for all intents and purposes. All I know is, when I'm finished shaving with the Braun, my skin is smoooooooooooth.COMFORT:I give Braun the edge here. The Braun is smooth and glides across my face, whereas the Panasonic seems to drag a bit, sometimes even catching and pinching. This is the main reason I went with the Braun permanently. I should note here that I do NOT wash my face before shaving with the Braun; the instructions and the online tips even suggest to shave BEFORE washing. I found that if I shave with the Braun after showering, the smoothness is reduced. Perhaps using a foam or gel would help; I use neither.CLEANING:Both shavers come with a cleaning/charging unit. Put the shaver in, press the button. However, I give Braun the nod in this category. For the Panasonic unit, you pour the contents of a small liquid detergent packet into the cleaning reservoir, add water, and slide the reservoir into the cleaning/charging unit. The Braun unit uses a cleaning liquid cartridge that slides into the cleaning/charging unit. For me, this is a lot more convenient. Granted, the cartridges may be more expensive, but I find the ease of the cartridge makes the extra cost worth it. However, I can't argue against the cheaper price and ease of storage of the packets for the Panasonic.For the Braun, I do brush out the whiskers from the shaver and blades, and rinse the blades in water, before I put the shaver in the cleaning unit, but I don't believe it is necessary.I won't get into any of the technical differences, because they don't matter, as far as I'm concerned. I don't care which shaver's blades has the higher cycles per minute; this results in closeness and comfort which I reviewed above.COMMENTS:I don't shave every day. In fact, I generally shave every 3 days. By then, the whiskers are long and abundant. If I did shave every day, perhaps that would make a difference in closeness and comfort. I've always found, with an electric shaver, that I get a closer shave with any given shaver after 2 or 3 days than I do after just one day.I do not use a pre-shave foam, gel, or lotion/liquid, although this model Braun is compatible with a gel or foam. I'm not sure about lotion/liquid. I wouldn't recommend a pre-shave lotion. I used to use it years ago, and as far as I'm concerned, it's much too greasy/oily. I'd have to wash my hands after applying it to my face and before shaving, for no other reason than to keep the shaver body from getting mucky. An after shave is a must for me.Through the years, I've used Braun, Panasonic, and Norelco shavers. Braun is my final choice.