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The Braun 340s-4 will deliver a close comfortable shave whether you are dry shaving or wet shaving. This shaver is a great option for the men that shave every day. Four stars were given on performance because the shaver seemed to have a bit of trouble when shaving thick hair.
Braun razors are considered by many to be the best because they are well designed, reliable, and reasonably not expensive. Series 3 products are considered mid-range products and are usually suitable for all budgets. However, the redesigned ProSkin 3040s has a more elegant shape, but it doesn’t differ much from the last model. This should not be considered a bad thing. The razor, charging socket, and cleaning brush are included in the box.
The shaver has good battery life and a quick charge option, allowing you to charge it in just five minutes when you’re in a hurry. It comes from the range of wet and dry shaving products. This means you can use it with or without cream, depending on your preference. Those who like to shave in the shower will appreciate the fact that this electric blade is 100% waterproof. It requires almost no maintenance and the cleaning process couldn’t be simpler.
What Makes the Braun Series 3 3040 Standout
Part of Braun’s Series 3 razor line, it sits neatly somewhere in the middle. Of course, there are more affordable products such as the Braun Series 3 3010s. Others like the Braun Series 3 3050cc come with their own Clean & Charge alcohol-based station. This handy gadget lubricates and hygienically cleans the shaver so it looks brand new every time you shave.
The ProSkin 3040s has the usual three-blade kit, where the two outer sheets cut the hair closer to your skin. The center trimmer on the other hand takes care of the longer hairs. The middle clipper has a micro comb that feeds the lock of hair to the clipper, which makes it much more efficient.
The three elements have the possibility of moving independently. However, they cannot be replaced separately since they are placed in a single cassette. The Braun ProSkin 3040s is also equipped with an integrated long hair trimmer, so it’s not just for your facial hair. You can easily check the battery status using a 3 step LED indicator. The good news is that there is a 5-minute quick charge option for busy people who need a shave fast.
The good: The Braun 340s-4 is very easy to clean. This shaver comes with a charging docking station. It is less expensive than series 7 and is a great shaver for someone who does some international traveling.
The bad: This shaver is a bit noisy and does not perform well cutting thick beards. You must clean this shaver manually. It does not come with a cleaning station.
What is The Difference Between Braun 3040 and 3010?
Characteristics | 3040 | 3010 |
Precision trimmer | yes | No |
Shaving modes | 3 | 5 |
Clean And Charge | No | No |
Retractable mower | Yes | No |
Wet and dry | Yes | Yes |
Duration | 45 minute | 45 minute |
Battery Type | 2 Ni-MH | 4 Ni-MH |
Color | Blue | Blue |
Regarding these two models, we don’t find any major differences that could shock us in terms of look. Dive a little deeper and that’s another story. For example, you get up to five different shaving modes and speeds to play with when using the 3010s. We don’t know why this is the case but the 3040 has lower modes. By that, we mean only three. The performance also differs very slightly (you expect two fewer modes to work). Also, the 3010 does not have a “Pop Up” trimmer to be honest like that of 3040.
Instead, you have a trimmer that you can attach by removing the shaving head and putting the trimmer in its place. The 3010 is lighter than the 3040 by a fraction. Also, the 3010 is thinner than the big brother which is 3040. The last thing I found differentiated was the battery. The charging time you get with each of the two shavers is the same. This represents 45 minutes of juice after an hour of charging. The quick charge time is also the same. What differs is the number of batteries. The 3010 comes with four NiMH batteries.
We see the 3040 with only the two built-in batteries. I guess the extra power goes into the three additional modes we get with the previous version. There are also some minor differences related to the design of these products. My favorite is 3040 by comparing the two.
Features of the Braun Series 3 3040
Waterproof Razor
Compared to Braun’s more expensive razors, its main disadvantage is that it does not have the swivel head. To compensate for this, the three independently floating elements follow the contours of your face.
Ergonomic design
When you take it in hand, the ProSkin 3040s series 3 offers a pleasant feeling of weight. Blue rubber inserts lined with embossed circular patterns provide excellent grip. This occurs especially when your hands are wet or covered with shaving foam. Overall, the ProSkin 3040s is very solid and durable. Even if it does not have a travel lock, the power button is rubber and it takes a lot of force to push it in. This makes it unable to be turned on by mistake.
The protective cap also extends over the power button, so that it covers the absence of a real travel lock. However, you must be careful when removing the shaving head, as you must exert strong pressure on the sides. You need to hold it firmly so you do not drop it or damage it in any way.
Shower-proof Shave
One of the most attractive features of the Braun ProSkin 3040s is that you can use it with or without shaving cream. It also means that you can shave after or during a shower. Another positive point of this razor is that it is 100% waterproof. This allows you to wash it under running water without damaging it. Braun went to great lengths during its tests and they claim that it can be submerged up to 500 meters deep without suffering any damage. Think of shaving while scuba diving, right?
Long Hair Pruning
ts general dry shaving performance is very good. I strongly suggest using it every day or maybe every other day for the best results. In terms of proximity and comfort, the ProSkin 3040s is truly exceptional. When shaving short hair, everything appears clear and clean, but when trying to treat longer hair after a few days of growth, the razor appears a little undernourished. Very often, the longer hairs are left behind, which gives these areas a few more passes. Still, it is a basic electric razor and in this price range, you cannot expect it to work miracles around longer hairs.
On the other hand, wet shaving is a much better experience with the ProSkin 3040s. The comfort and proximity to shaving are almost perfect. It is important to note that the noise levels are quite low, especially considering that it is still a low-end electric razor. The hedge trimmer in the middle of the cassette tends to get a little too hot at times, but there’s nothing you can’t fix by putting a drop of fine machine oil in it. Braun’s ProSkin 3040s is also equipped with the long hair clipper, but it just doesn’t cut it (pun intended) in terms of sharpness. Very often you will need to make additional passes while touching up your legs.
Fast Charging For Extended Action
There are no big surprises here. The shaver can only be used wirelessly to avoid any safety concerns. It is equipped with a rechargeable Ni-Mh battery which comes with a compact charger and an extendable cord. When fully charged, the battery can last up to 45 minutes, which is great, especially when compared to high-end electric shavers. This should be enough for all kinds of facial hair shaving exploits.
There is also a quick charge option when you are in a hurry and the battery is completely discharged. In just five minutes, you can charge it enough for a quick shave. This is an excellent feature, especially when you consider that it is a Ni-Mh battery.
Dry and Wet Cleaning
As mentioned earlier, the ProSkin 3040s does not come with a cleaning and charging station. This means you may need to clean it yourself. If you prefer dry shaving, simply remove the shaving head and pat it to get rid of stuck hairs. There is a cleaning brush included in the kit which you can use to remove any remaining debris from the inner area of the shaving head. Note that the cleaning brush should not be used on the blades and inner sheets as this may damage them. You can always rinse the razor under running water.
If you prefer wet shaving, I highly recommend using liquid soap and warm running water to clean the shaver from all the sand and debris from the shaving head. Deep cleaning is not so simple, because the three floating elements are combined in a single cassette. I strongly advise you to apply a drop of fine oil on all films once a week. It is a must for anyone who cleans the shaver with water regularly. The replacement cassettes are the same models 32b or 32s as those used in the old range of Braun Series 3 shavers. The only major difference now is that the color of the micro comb around the central trimmer is white instead of black.
Braun 340-4 Features
- SensoFoil Screen
- Triple Action FreeFloat System
- Wet and dry shaving
- Trimmer
- Waterproof
- LED Indication for low charge and battery status
- LED notification for replacement parts
Included Accessories of Braun 340s-4
The accessories included in the box with the Braun Series 340-4 shaver are the standard accessories you receive with any electric shaver plus a charging docking station. This shaver does not come with a travel pouch or a cleaning station. The following accessories are included with the purchase of the Braun Series 340-4 shaver
- Charging cord
- Charging docking station
- Protective cover
- Cleaning brush
- Bottle of oil
Replacement Parts Availability
It is recommended to replace the shaving block once, every year and a half. There is an LED on this lower portion of the shaver that will light up orange when it is time to change the shaver head. For the black shaver the shaver head part number is 32B.
Alternative shavers For Braun 340s-4
The Braun 380s-4 is a good alternative to the Braun 340s-4 shaver. The Braun 380s-4 is also a solidly built shaver that delivers a close quality shave. It has all the features of the Braun 340s-4 shaver plus the option to lock the front shaving head in a lower position.
This allows for a more precision cut in hard to reach areas like under the nose, corner of the mouth or under the bottom lip. I would purchase this alternate shaver if I was looking for a shaver with the shaving head lock feature. For men with coarse or thick hair the Braun Series 7 would be a great alternative. It performs better when shaving coarse or thick hair compared to the Braun 340s-4. The Braun series 7 has comparable features when compared to the Braun 340s-4.
The Braun series 7 is a foil type shaver with a battery shaving time of 50 minutes. The series 7 also is a wet and dry shaver with a pop out trimmer. One major difference in the accessories is the docking station. The docking station is a shaver head cleaner as well as a battery charger. It also has a smooth rubber grip which is guaranteed not to fall out of your hand whole shaving.
The series 7 feature has an option of 3 different settings to choose from depending on beard growth. This feature is what makes this shaver a great shaver for men with thick beards. If you have a thick beard this shaver may be worth the money. You can manually clean it but it comes with a cleaning station.
Wrap-up—who should buy it?
Whether you travel or not, this shaver is a great shaver for the men who shave on a regular basis. For the price you cannot beat the solid construction of this shaver and its features. If you like a wet shave and do not mind having to manually clean your shaver this mid-level shaver may be the right one for you.
If you do some international travelling and do not want to pay the prices for a high-end shaver this Braun 340s-4 shaver may be the perfect shaver for you. This shaver is built to be able to accept a voltage range from 100 to 240 volts. You will have to purchase an adapter so you can plug in your shaver in the countries you are travelling to.
If you are looking for an affordable electric razor that will give you a soft and comfortable shave, then this Braun 3040 is worth checking out. This electric shaver offers wet & dry shaving combined with other great features such as long hair cutting, As part of the recently redesigned Braun Series 3 line of electric shavers, the ProSkin 3040s is one of the most efficient shavers on the market. Given its affordable price, it offers a lot of benefits.
The choice between dry and wet shaving, its waterproof properties, and ease of maintenance are all features that are offered at a fairly reasonable price. We recommend it to anyone who wants a reliable electric shaver without breaking the bank.