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It fits neatly into the hand and has a matt black surface with the underside, where one’s fingers rest, having a rubberised feel for better grip. The press button on/off switch and other controls are usefully coloured turquoise. The comb unit can be removed by gently squeezing the turquoise buttons on either side to release the latches and then sliding it off. This exposes the 30mm wide trimmer head which can then be used for styling and for removing hair close to the skin as it grows down the neck.
The “Precision” dial on the comb unit is used to set the cutting length in 0.5mm steps up to 10mm. There is a small slide lever to lock the comb at the chosen setting so that one could be sure that you haven’t accidentally changed from the chosen length. In fact, it is so easy to adjust that it is a simple task to change the setting during a trim so that one can have, for example, the beard being shorter on the sides than the end. Then, having completed the styling and shaping of the beard, it was only a matter of slipping off the comb, clear away the hairs on one’s neck to quickly complete the job.
A small brush and a little bottle of oil, which has a fine spout, are provided to clean and lubricate the trimmer. If required, the BT5010 can be cleaned by rinsing it off under running water as Braun describes it as being “fully washable for easy cleaning”. In fact, looking at the unit it appears to be totally sealed -- including the on/off push-button switch.
After a full charge, that takes up to 8 hours, the BT5010 is claimed to run for 50 minutes. One can tell when it is fully charged when the green pilot light on the trimmer goes out. It is charged via the connector at the rear of the body which uses, as a safety feature, a special connector so that the user cannot attach any other charger which might be unsafe. The provided universal charger, which has a 2m25 (7ft 6in) cable, runs from 100 to 240V a.c. and is moulded onto standard 2-pin razor plug. By the way, even when the batteries are flat, one can continue trimming one’s beard while it is connected to the mains.
The batteries are NiMH so one must not forget that, if unused for any appreciable time, they will tend to self-discharge. In addition to get the best out of the batteries (which are not readily replaced as the trimmer is a sealed unit) the user guide explains that every six months or so one should allow the batteries to fully discharge before fully recharging.
Priced at £39.99 but available from Amazon for £26.79 this is a well-designed easy to use product from a long-established brand which can be expected to outlast its 2 year guarantee period.
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