Braun MobileShave M90 Review: Great Travel Companion

by Garrick Dee | Last Updated: July 18th, 2020

For a lot of people in business, travel is a constant, and bringing a safety razor may not be a good option because of the time constraints, while a cartridge razor may be a source of a lot of irritation and razor burn.

One excellent option for those with tight schedules would be an electric travel razor that is compact and still cuts decently close.

The Braun M90 is an updated version of both the M60 and M30.

What’s the difference between the M90 and the older variants? It has the pop-up trimmer and twist cap that protects the foil when you’re not using it.

Let me introduce the MobileShave M90 from Braun. It’s their signature lineup for frequent flyers who are just too busy to wet shave.

Is this compact shaver an excellent alternative to the likes of the Braun Series 7 or 9? We will find out in this review.

A quick look at the features

• SmartFoil shaving head does a decent job at cutting facial hair that grows all over the place
• Comes with a precision trimmer for trimming sideburns
• Fully washable under running water
• Twist cap protects the shaving foil from damage when not in use
• No plugs needed – powered by two AA batteries

Pros

• Compact size is great for travel
• No cord – all you need are a couple of AA batteries
• Decent shave
• Very cheap when you compare to an electric shaver like the Braun Series 9 or Philips Norelco 8900
• Decent performance
• Long run time

Cons

• Will not cut as close as a full-sized electric shaver
• You’ll need to buy batteries continually – an ideal solution would be buying something rechargeable

What to expect from the Braun MobileShave M90?

This electric razor is so compact that it will fit inside your pocket. Braun created this variant with the frequent flyer in mind. Since there are no cords, you have once less thing to worry about.

Watch this video from the Electric Shaver Guide to see what this shaver is all about.

Unlike a large electric shaver like a Braun Series 9 or a Panasonic Arc5, that’s a goliath when putting side by side with this, you’ll be able to bring this anywhere you go. And all you’ll need to power this would be a couple of AA batteries, which is readily available in most stores.

SmartFoil

Braun uses the SmartFoil cutting head that a lot of men say that it gives a good shave.

It does not have the same number of cutting elements as the Series 7 or 9, but that’s the tradeoff you have to take for something compact.

So don’t expect this to cut as close as more expensive Braun variants. But it will do so decently enough that it will give you a close enough shave to make it through your business trip without looking too bad.

The foil itself is waterproof. To clean, you can apply some soap and rinse it under running water. You can also remove the foil to clean the inside with a cleaning brush. But it isn’t advisable to brush directly on the foil as there’s a risk of damaging it.

If you’re using this every day, apply some machine oil on the foil, so it doesn’t rust or degrade overtime at least once a week.

One potential issue over the long term would be the foil itself. If you press hard enough, it will bend if you push hard enough. So over time, this part will degrade to the point that you’ll need to replace it. But since this shaver is so cheap, a replacement head will cost half the razor. You can just return the whole thing without worrying about the cost.

Moo.review says that this shaver’s head pivots just a little bit, but the movement is so small that it doesn’t matter.

Personally, I don’t think the pivoting head doesn’t even matter because the silver frame gets in the way.

No plug

This electric shaver doesn’t come with a plug. Instead, you’ll use two AA batteries. If cost is an issue, then try using a rechargeable battery such as Eneloop to cut costs.

Precision trimmer

For trimming side brush, this shaver comes with a pop-out trimmer to handle that.

It pops to the side, and it’s on the narrow side so you won’t be using this to trim long beard. For trimming sideburns and the mustache area, it may work.

Twist cap

To protect the foil shaving head, Braun put a protective covering that protects it from damage. With the cap covering the foil, the razor will not turn on.

It makes it a good option when traveling because not only is the shaver small, you’ll also be sure that it’ll not randomly buzz alerting a very paranoid TSA.

Shaving performance

Even though lots of men have left positive reviews about the M90, the single shaving head will struggle to clean thick facial hair.

The flat and round surface of the foil will do a decent job on the cheek and lip area. But it will struggle with areas will lots of contour like the chin and area under the jawline.

Unlike higher-end Braun variants that have pivoting shaving heads, this one does not, which affects it negatively.

The motor isn’t as reliable and does not have as much torque, so it will not cut as close.

So ultimately, this shaver will perform best on men with thin facial hair growth on the mustache and chin area.

If your facial hair grows fast and is thick, I suggest you stay away from this product as it will be uncomfortable to shave daily.

What do consumers say?

With over a thousand reviews and counting, this shaver is one of the most popular travel razors in the market. Apparently, the most popular feature of this product is its compact size.

This electric razor is one of the smallest in the market. Smaller than the smallest full-sized shaver. Another favorite feature would be the swiveling cover that protects the foil from damage. They like that switch locks when the lid is right side up, which makes this a great option when traveling.

The lack of a power/charging cord is another favorite feature because it is one less item to worry about on the road. AA batteries are so widely available that you can just go to any convenient store and buy a couple if you need to shave with this.

Run time is excellent at 60 minutes from the AA batteries. In one review, Jim mentioned that he went 32 days without having to change the batteries. And that is shaving every day. But your mileage may vary because there are a lot of factors that come into play.

Lastly, this product is cheap. It’s less expensive than buying a 12 count Gillette refill.

However, this shaver isn’t for everyone. The single foil shaver design won’t do as good a job when shaving thicker facial hair. Men with thin facial hair who don’t need to shave every day may like this product. But if you’ve got thick, fast-growing facial hair that needs to be mowed down every day or every other day, this product may not be up to the task.

Where can I buy this?

You can buy this electric shaver from Amazon, and it is eligible for Amazon’s 2-day free shipping if you join Prime. Amazon also sells extended warranties if you want that extra peace of mind.

It is one of the cheapest electric shavers available right now from a known big brand.

Please note that if you make a purchase through the link above, I will earn a commission, but at no additional cost to you, so it’s a win-win for both of us!

The verdict

I was hoping a lot more from this razor, but it falls short when it comes to the most essential feature – shaving!

Even if a lot of men gave it high ratings because of the shaving performance, I’m guessing that those men have thin facial hair growth. The negative reviews confirm this because they say that it does not do well with thick facial hair growth.

The single shaving head will not cut as close as more expensive variants such as the Series 3 or Series 5.

Don’t bother buying this if you have thick facial hair growth because you’ll be disappointed. This will be best suited for men who have thin facial hair growth who don’t have to shave every day.