There are three common versions of the Braun Series 7 shaver on the market. The 790cc (790cc-4 – USA / 790cc-3 – UK) itself which has all the bells and whistles, and then in the USA you have the lower spec models – the 760cc (760cc-4) and then the 720 (720s-4 USA / 720s-3 – UK).
There are not too many differences between the three models in terms of the actual shaving technology, in all three models, you essentially get the same shaver. It’s just that you lose some of the features with the 760cc and especially with the 720 that you might otherwise wish to have, and feel are justified by the price difference. So let us examine exactly what these differences with the 790cc vs 760cc and 790cc vs 720, so you can decide which one is the best for you.
Before we do so, this review assumes that you know about the 790cc. If not then you may first hop over to the full 790cc and the 760cc (USA)
The main difference between these two models is that on the base of the 760cc, rather than featuring the 790ccs LCD panel that will give you graphical detail of the usage and condition of your charger regarding the amount of shaving time left in the rechargable battery and how much your shaver is in need of a hygienic clean after use, the 760cc does not feature this LCD panel. Instead it has LED indicator lights, which are less detailed and only refer to the charge left in the battery and not the hygiene level.
This panel is not really a big deal as presumably you would not want to shave often with a dirty shaver anyway, so you don’t really need to be told how dirty it is unless you aren’t planning on cleaning regularly. I clean mine after each use, shaving dirt back into my skin I can’t be dealing with, so it is of no concern to me what the indicator may say. Ditto regarding the level of charge as both of these things are taken care of when I pop the shaver into the clean and renew unit, and I do this after every shave. So the LCD panel is only really necessary if you are a bells and whistles sort of person as it really is not offering anything that you can’t do without over the 760cc’s LED panel.
The 760cc also lacks the fast clean option that you get in the Clean and Renew unit that comes with the 790cc. This is an option that lets you quickly clean out your shaver if you are short on time, but do not want to have your next shave with all the stubble and debris from your last shave. It enables essentially a quick 25 second blast and flush of cleaning solution through the shaver head. This is not really that big of a deal unless you are the type of person that tends to get short. For the rest of us, we should be popping the shaver into the unit and letting it run through the normal cleaning cycle anyway, which cleans, dries and charges the shaver all at the same time.
Other than these two things, the only other difference between the 790cc vs 760cc is in cosmetic appearance. The 790cc is colored with a mixture of a silver front and head, with a dark grey back and sides, whereas the 760cc is black with a silver head. Whether you get the 790cc or the 760cc should depend on the price difference. Bizarrely at the time of writing, the 790cc is actually cheaper at $214.99 than the feature lacking 760cc at $219.99. So it is a no brainer, buy the 790cc. For those that will be reading this at the time when the 790cc has risen in price as it most likely will do, you then need to decide whether the above features are worth paying for. Personally, I would not pay more than $20 difference to get the 790cc, but your threshold may be lesser than greater. And certainly if it is still selling for cheaper than the 760cc, put it in your shopping cart right now!
Check Price and Buy:
790cc (USA) | 760cc (USA)
The differences between the 790cc and the 720cc (USA & UK)
The 720cc like the 760cc described above similarly has LED lights instead of the 790cc’s more useful LCD panel with information on the condition of your shaver. These LEDs show slightly less detail about the battery charge remaining than the 760cc, but so long as you charge regularly anyway, this is a moot point.
However, there is one more much more significant difference between the 790cc/760cc and the 720cc. The main significant difference here is that you do not get a clean and renew unit. Having a unit that automatically cleans out and freshens your shaver between uses is simply a “once you have it, you will never go back to manually cleaning” kind of thing. For anyone that has never owned a shaver with self cleaning ability, you do not know what you have been missing.
It really is that great to have a clean shaver for each use, and the unit charges your shaver at the same time, so you won’t be worrying about running the battery flat either. The price difference between the 720 and the 790cc or 760cc can be quite substantial. However rright now at the time of writing, again it is a no-brainer to buy anything other than the 790cc which currently retails at $214.99, as opposed to $199.99 for the 720 in the USA, and £204 for the 790cc as opposed to £171 for the 720 in the UK.
Personally, I would be happy to pay $50/£50 to get the clean and renew unit as it really is a fantastic and useful device. I like having a clean shaver before use and I like never having to remember to charge it either. That said, I should mention that the shaver can be somewhat cleaned by running the shaver under a tap (while NOT connected to the mains of course), but this wouldn’t be as effective as the blast and flush method in the clean and renew unit, and you will also need to use machine oil if you go down that route to keep it lubricated. Personally I am concerned about the performance and feel of the shaver if I had to start oiling it, so I do recommend the 790cc or 760cc if it fits within your budget, as the shaver is lubricated during the clean and renew process and you really will love having a cleaned, fresh smelling and charged shaver between each use.
Check price and Buy:
790cc (USA) | 720 (USA)
