Eltron #el-3040 Compact Travel Shaver

First Impressions-The shaver itself is smaller than any travel shaver I have ever had before (smaller in height, width and depth). I do not have very big hands and find this to be a plus, especially for a travel shaver, but some with big hands may find it too small. The width of the shaving head is about the same as the Braun M60 and slightly smaller than the Panasonic ES3831K. The color is a deep blue/grey with silver accents. The plastic feels quite solid and the bottom cap mechanism where the batteries go is attached when opened so it will not be lost and works quite well. The protective cap to cover the foil is cheap and might not stay on when the shaver is packed for travel without a rubberband. Overall, the shaver is solid and quite compact.The good: The hole pattern on the foil is traditional (as compared to the "smartfoil" design on the Braun M60 which I do not like). The shaver is not too loud when operating and it has a very functional trimmer. I got a very good dry shave without any irritation. That said, this shaver is slightly more harsh than the Braun M60, but in my opinion, much more effective at dry shaving. Unlike the Braun M-60, this shaver is not designed to be used wet nor is it water washable. The trimmer works well once extended and is positioned so that it can be used in combination with the foil, which is particularly helpful at shaving any missed or longer hairs, especially on the neck. A replacement foil and cutter pack is available directly from Eltron at a price which is well less than the cost of the shaver which is good for the environment.The bad: The on/off switch functions smoothly and easily, but it does not have any type of travel lock. While it has a dot in the middle which matches the shaver body's color and which I assumed was a button which needed to be pushed in order to switch on the shaver, it is just a decorative element and not a travel lock to prevent the shaver from being switched on while in your bag. The trimmer, while very effective, is very difficult to push up into the on position and also very difficult to retract. It does click into both positions, but it does not slide easily like the on/off switch. Perhaps it will get easier over time. Finally, when done shaving, it is very difficult to remove the foil head assembly in order to brush off the blade. There is no release button to push and there are no ridges on the sides to make it easy to grasp. If you push one side of the head toward the other side, then you can lift the other side up and the head will come off for brush cleaning. That said, it is not as easy as it should be. Again, perhaps this will become easier over time.Overall: This shaver is solidly built, very compact, comes with a trimmer and gives an excellent dry shave for an extremely low price. It could certainly be used as an everyday shaver. I am using it with Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries and they seem to work quite well with this shaver. I expect the shaver will last quite a while. However, I would stay away from this shaver if you have arthritis or get frustrated trying to open things up which do not open easily. I would have given it five stars if there was a release button to remove the foil head assembly for blade cleaning. Overall, for me, this is a better shaver than the Braun M60 because it gives me a better dry shave which I prefer. For those who prefer a wet shave, the Braun does give an excellent wet shave. I have yet to try or compare the Panasonic ES3831K, but that is also said to be a better wet shaver than it is a dry shaver.Update 4/1/14--I have upped my rating to five stars. Everything I said previously is still true. However, the trimmer has gotten slightly easier to slide up and down as I have used the shaver more. Similarly, removing the foil head for cleaning has also gotten easier over time. Thus, these two flaws do not bother me as much as they used to in part because what is more important is the overall quality of the shave. I have now also tried the Panasonic ES3831K, the Braun M60, the Mitaki Japan Shaver and the Philipps/Norelco PQ208 shavers. When compared to those other shavers this little Eltron gives me a superior shave. It is the closest shave in the least amount of time with absolutely no irritation whatsoever (and I have been prone to shaving irritation). It is also easy to clean quickly even though it is not water washable. Finally, this shaver has held up well over time. YMMV (your mileage may vary) as everybody's face is different, but for me this is the best little battery operated shaver available and it sells for a very affordable price.GENERAL ADVICE FOR USING ANY ELECTRIC SHAVER: Please keep in mind that no electric shaver will work well on more than two days worth of growth. If you do not shave every day or every other day at least, in my experience, most electric shavers will not work for you unless you first trim the long hair with a trimmer and then use an electric shaver. Much of the criticism I see in these reviews is by people who do not seem to have much electric shaver experience and who simply do not understand the limits of modern electric shavers. Electric shavers will generally not shave quite as close as a blade, but a good shaver which works well for your skin and hair type will come very close to blade shaving. It may take a while to find the right shaver for you and what works for one person may not work for another. Finally, when using any electric shaver, don't press too hard (a light touch works better), don't go too fast, and do go over the same area a few times approaching from different directions so you can catch the hairs which grow in different directions.

Edit 1/8/15If you want a really small travel shaver, compare to this:Panasonic Men's Shaver for Traveler ES-RS10-S Silver | DC3V (2 x AA Alkaline) (Japan Model)-------While great in principle, this shaver fails in execution.Pros:---------- Smallest and lightest of the $20-and-under travel shavers.- Has a decent if not spectacular trimmer.You really need a trimmer with a foil shaver, as most foil shavers can't get longer hairs. If you miss a spot one day, or miss a day or two shaving, a pass with a trimmer can make a shaver like this remain practical.Cons:---------- Completely inadequate cover for the foil.This is the deal breaker for a travel shaver. The cover barely stays on, and one of the clips on the side of ours quickly broke off. We still use it with a rubber band, but it's only a matter of time before the foil is damaged because the cover comes off. Worse, I can't get Eltron to respond about a replacement cover. By definition, a travel shaver should be able to travel safely, and this one can't.- Inadequate sealing of the case.See another review that discusses a take-apart that shows that the innards are not properly protected from shaved hair bits getting inside. This is a poor design and build.Comparison----------The best inexpensive travel shaver, as a shaver, right now seems to be the Panasonic ES3831K, but that model does not have a trimmer.The Braun M60 (blue, or maybe other, colored case) or M90 (black case), while it has a weird side trimmer that's awkward to use, does have a trimmer, and also has the only integrated cover (the cover rotates around the case and stays attached). This is a much more robust design than a clip on cover (which both the Eltron and Panasonic have), and means you don't need a rubber band or separate case for the shaver - you can just throw it in whatever bag or case you use for toiletries.Both the Panasonic and Braun can be rinsed off if this is a feature you'd want, and I have (once) used my Braun M90 as a wet shaver.I'd only get the Eltron if intended for very occasional use, or maybe as a starter shaver for a teen. Either the Panasonic or Braun travel shavers are ones you could use for years. Given that you'll save under $9 (and maybe only $2-3) on the Eltron, it's not a good buy.Batteries---------Whether you use a travel shaver daily, or just occasionally, look into getting a set of Sanyo Eneloop rechargeble batteries and a charger. In my experience (I use a travel shaver daily) the Eneloop rechargables last as long or longer than good quality disposable alkaline batteries. I normally get about a month of shaving from one charge. Also, for occasional users, Eneloop batteries hold their charge for many months, unlike regular rechargables, which tend to run down if not used for a month or two. I've been using the same set of Eneloop AA batteries in my travel shaver for several years now. Their only downside is that the Sanyo charger takes about 8 hours to get from run down to a full charge (but less if you are doing a "top up" charge before a trip).If you are replacing a shaver with rechargable batteries, remember that they should be recycled, not tossed in the trash: the batteries contain toxic metals we don't want in our landfills.

I can confirm what other reviewers said about the clear cap that covers the foil coming off a little too easy, and having to struggle a little to both get the part with the foil off and to push up the trimmer, though time helped with that. As for battery life, my rechargeable batteries last me a solid month or more (I don't have a thick beard by any means, but I do shave it everyday). Have to press the trimmer into the machine so it works well, but it definitely helps for those hairs that are longer or grow in awkward directions. I personally experienced little to no irritation, especially after the first week.Over a year of use later, I dropped this guy for the first and only time WITH the cover on, and to my great disappointment the cover uselessly shattered, sending pieces everywhere, and the foil STILL got bent in. I tried to contact Eltron about getting a replacement foil, but didn't get a response. (On the site, they have a hard to see picture of the blades, where it doesn't look like the foil is included, and they cost as much as new unit does today anyways.)2 years seems to be about it's life span, as the trimmer no longer clicked into place (had to be manually held up the whole time) and the battery lid was damaged just from changing batteries over time. Not a badreturn on the investment, I could be convinced to get another one, but there are more and more interesting travel shavers on the market now...