ARC6 Electric Razor for Men Face, Wet & Dry Foil Shavers for Men, Pop-Up Trimmer, Ultra-Fast 6-Blade, Smart Shave Sensor, 22D Flexible Pivoting Head - ES-LS8A-K (Black)

The Panasonic Arc 6 foil shaver is in a league of it's own. I bought the Braun series 9 Pro model first, which replaced my Phillips 9000 series rotary shaver. The Braun was better than the Phillips, and I thought it was the top of the line. I ordered the Panasonic because the reviews said it shaved closer. The differences are so apparent as soon as you open the box though, there is no comparison. The head is amazing. More foils, cuts long beard hairs with absolute ease (something the Braun and the Phillips could not do without difficulty) and it shaved closer than either of those. The head rotats in such a way that you would have to really be trying to achieve the wrong angle. The body is so slender and ergonomic. It is a joy to hold and very well balanced. The display is much nicer than on the Braun or the Phillips, and the case is also substantially better. The shaving experience itself, both wet and dry, is amazing. It is much faster, requiring fewer passes, than the competition. The foils feel better than the Braun or the Phillips against the skin and the swivel just makes the whole experience really nice. One shave drains 5% of the battery life which is great for me. Even 10 shaves on a charge would be great but 20 is excellent! This is by far the best electric shaver I have ever used, I would definitely use this over any type of safety razor. The only reason to use anything else would be if you want a closer shave would be to use a high end straight razor or a shavette like a feather. I prefer to use a shave gel and do a wet shave as it is closer than dry shaving, but dry shaving is perfectly fine with this device as well. I am very much enjoying this new foil shaver and I believe that this is better than everything else on the market if one is prioritizing functionality and performance over everything else. The downside would be that this device is extremely expensive as a stand alone, $500 with a cleaning station seems absurd. I would rather have no cleaning station though and no other accessories and just enjoy the close shave and enjoyable experience of using this foil.

I rely heavily on the pop-up trimmer, which I use on my face when I don't want a close shave but also don't want a two- or three-day beard. I also use it on my scalp. This shaver's trimmer works beautifully, even better than my last Panasonic, which was discontinued. The shaver itself is incredible, gliding across the neck and cheeks like silk. The extra blades allow it do a better job than past shavers of catching oddball hairs that are curly or growing in the wrong direction. I was worried the razor head would be too big but it isn't. The blade assembly is different from past models. The blades are contained within the same housing as the foil, which seems like an improvement. It'll definitely be less fiddly to replace as compared to the models for which you have to grab those little blades with your fingers and try not to cut yourself. The sleekly elegant and ergonomic design of this device reminds me of a luxury car. Yes, you can spend less for something that works fine, but if you can afford the top of the line, you'll quickly see how much nicer it is than its less-costly siblings. I opted for the version without the charging and cleaning stand as I've had those before and never used them. It's easy enough to keep the shaver clean by running it under hot water. LOVE this shaver and recommend it to anyone who shaves a lot, has a tricky beard and/or sensitive skin, or just wants the best shaver money can buy. It's worth every penny.

A few updates after 4+ months: 1) I've been getting about 4-5 shaves per charge. The battery doesn't discharge evenly as I wondered about below. Not a problem in my case but not the 20 shaves I estimated based on the initial shave. 2) I still prefer the razor body of the Braun series 7 old gen. It has a slightly paddle shaped body relative to the Arc 6. The razor body of the Braun feels more substantial, controllable and comfortable in my hand. Personal preference. 3) Replacement cartridge prices seem to be holding fast at about $115.00. In comparison, Panasonic's predecessor ARC5 cartridge is about $60.00 currently. The Braun series 9 cartridge (Braun's flagship foil razor currently) ranges between about $50.00 and $80.00 within Amazon and at the time of this writing. Given that Panasonic estimates an 18mo service life for the Arc 6 cartridge, I'll have another ~14 months before I need to buy another. Bottom line: great *foil* razor. Maybe the highest performing based only on reviews, not personal experience. That said, while it may be 'the best' in foil razor design currently, it's still a foil razor, not a sci-fi laser shaver. It may be that foil razors long ago hit an evolutionary dead end. My grandfather used a 1970's era corded Remington foil razor for many years. It outlived him. Given the era, this would have meant that it was manufactured in the U.S. - most likely. Although I can't speak to the closeness of the shave it provided, he always looked clean shaven. Nice to see Panasonic flexing their engineering prowess, moving the bar a bit but given the performance, relative cost and especially the cost of replacement cartridges, it's hard to enthusiastically recommend. Original review: There's a scene in the movie Pulp Fiction with characters Vince and Mia in a restaurant. Mia orders a $5.00 milkshake. Curious about an expensive $5.00 milkshake (early 90's), Mia lets Vince try it. Vince does and says "I don't know if it was worth $5.00 but it was pretty #^&$#@ good". That sums up my experience with the ARC6 after two uses. It's relatively expensive but once I started reading reviews from a variety of sources and getting caught up in the hype, I had to know. I'll get this out of the way first: A replacement blade cartridge costs $115.00 currently. In comparison, you can buy an entire ARC5 razor for $109.00 currently. The ARC6 cartridges are likely to drop in price as time goes on. Or not. Someone in marketing from Panasonic said this about the ARC6: "You Heard Us. We're Doing Six Blades." It may be that the genesis of the ARC6 was from the marketing department, not an engineering goal. There's a lot of marketplace competition so perhaps Panasonic was looking for a design that would stand out, generate sales. I guess. Not sure how much further engineers can take foil razor design. Foil razors may be an evolutionary dead end, perhaps have been for a while. Reading the manual will be necessary. There are things end-users will need to know to fully utilize the features. This replaces a high performing and long lasting Braun Series 7 (old gen). There are two versions of the series 7 with different cartridges – new and old gen. Note that Braun's current flagship model is the series 9. It may be that their series 9 is higher performing than series 7. A better comparison for the ARC 6 would be with a Braun series 9. With the old-gen series 7 Braun, I have to shave daily. The ARC6 left marginally less stubble after ~24 hours but shaving once per day will still be necessary for a lot of us. In comparison, using a 5 blade Fusion results in less stubble than both after ~24 hours. With a Fusion, I can get away with shaving every two days. Needless to say, comparing a blade such as the Fusion to a foil razor is apples to oranges. The ARC6 provides a somewhat faster and smoother shave than the old- gen series 7. This is to be expected given that the ARC6 is a six blade design, the series 7 a three blade design. According to Panasonic, two lift blades, two thick stubble blades and two finishing blades. The old-gen series 7 has one stubble blade and two finishing blades. With the ARC6, you’re shaving with the equivalent of two Braun series 7 razors. Fewer passes required. It took about 3-4 minutes to complete the initial wet shave with the ARC6. As with many things in life, 'slow is smooth, smooth is fast'. Don't grind, let the razor do most of the work. Technique makes a difference. It got under my nose well, around the chin, etc. Definitely a faster shave with the ARC6. I also dry shaved once and got a great result. Regardless, touch up was needed with a Fusion's reverse-side single blade precision trimmer. This was the case after shaving wet and dry. A few hairs on my neck and a few on my chin. This has always been the case with my old-gen series 7 Braun too. The need to do so is going to vary from user to user. If your face is not perfectly smooth, you have scars, weathered skin, pock marks, etc., foil razors in general may need some help. From a 100% charge, I was left with an indicated 95%. If the battery discharges evenly and at ~5 minutes per shave, ~20 shaves per charge. LI batteries lose capacity over time with charge cycles so expect fewer shaves per charge as the razor ages. Ergonomically, the ARC6 is comfortable to use and the multi-directional head unit is easier to shave with. Perhaps because I'm used to the series 7 Braun, I prefer the ergonomics of the Braun's razor body more so than the ARC6. The Braun has that 'just right' feel to it while the ARC6 didn't let me forget that I'm handling something. As I time goes on, I may change my mind. The ARC6 head is multi-directional which keeps it in full contact with my face more evenly and easily than the series 7 Braun. After ~24hrs, I noticed that the stubble had a very even growth, something I never noticed with the series 7 Braun. The series 7 Braun pivots in one direction only. Stubble after ~24hrs isn't patchy exactly but compared to the ARC6, not as even. So, should you shell out for an ARC6? Impossible to say. Beard types differ, shaving technique makes a difference, budget and perceptions differ. Perhaps the most compelling reason to pass on the ARC6 is cost. For the price of the baseline model, you can buy three (!) ARC5 baseline models at current pricing ($109.00 advertised for a baseline ARC5, $339.99 paid for a new baseline ARC6). Braun's series 9 pricing is pretty close to the ARC6. I'm going to keep the ARC6 knowing that it's probably as good as it gets when using a foil razor. Quality product, impressive Japanese engineering, time tested brand and likely to last for years. That said, if you're a Panasonic loyalist, carefully consider the cost benefit of an ARC5 vs an ARC6. Definitely consider a Braun series 9 as well. Both are high quality, well designed products.

Excellent razor, it leaves my skin smooth and the shave is very close to the skin. With this device I no longer use manual razors.

YES this is a good shaver but NOT superior to the arc5 which is ~half the price. I bought the arc5 and this model to try simultaneously. I used both models separately and did side by side shave competitions several times over the past 3 weeks. They both struggle to shave the same stubborn areas like neck and upper lip (as all foil shavers do). Although the arc6 has better shaving tech ON PAPER it doesn’t translate to a perceivably closer or faster shave. The arc6 isn’t heavier in hand and the matte black finish looks cheaper compared to metal details on the arc5. Absolutely no justification for the huge price jump. You can buy the arc5 for under $50 on eBay. The replacement blades for arc5 are also half the price. I like the arc5 for touching up my shave on a daily basis when I don’t feel like wet shaving with a razor. Oddly I found these worked better on dry hairs (I use electric shave liquid sometimes too). Using these wet in the shower made them miss more hairs, it was frustrating and I had to redo with a razor (never again). I think the dry hairs catch better and if I’m going to wet shave I might as well just use my razor. These foil shavers are about 80-90% as close as a razor. Or like a razor shave with 12 hours growth. In searching for an electric shaver I noticed all these companies (Braun, Phillips, Panasonic) just put out several “improved” models of the same machine with confusing comparisons and frivolous bells and whistles in order to upcharge the consumer and make them assume more expensive and new is better meanwhile the shave experience is more or less the same across the board. For reference I also tried the Norelco 9800 and the arc5 beat that too. And according to my research the Panasonic is superior to the Braun foil shaver which is also very expensive so I didn’t even bother trying that. So in conclusion I’m keeping the arc5 and returning arc6.

I have an ARC5 from 6 years ago that's still going strong. But I wa bored with it and replacement foils are nearly half the price of a new unit. So I jumped on the ARC6 when it was on sale and its a definite improvement. Shaves are quicker, closer and smoother by a small margin. The ergonomics are much improved. Charging is fast. You can still rinse it clean. Be sure to oil the foil and blades to keep them happy. 2 months in and I am keeping this shaver.

I have had a Panasonic Arc3 for years and decided it was time to upgrade. I also considered the highly rated Braun Series 9 and its many configurations but decided on this Arc6. It is certainly an upgrade from my old shaver...more features, closer shave, and most importantly, more comfortable. The Braun was also a close shave, but just not as comfortable for me. I know the big head can be intimidating to some, but I have no problem with it....it gets where it needs to go, and as I said, is quite comfortable. I didn't get a version that has the cleaning station as I find these shavers are easy to clean and occasionally oil without that big thing on your countertop. I recommend it.

Over priced for the preforance

Was a Braun user for my entire life, but reviews of their products over the last few years indicate their build quality has diminished greatly. Went with this unit and after three months of use, I am extremely happy. I was a little concerned about the rather large cutting head, but after use it was been a non-issue. Cleans up fast and the charge lasts for 1-1/2 months (for me). No regrets going with Panasonic. Solid brand and solid performer.

Lo que más me gustó es que te rasura tan al ras , que pareciera que usaste rastrillo, además también me gustó el aspecto de la máquina, con ese acabado tipo mate, se ve muy bonita; el único pero que le pondría es que siento que la batería no dura tanto, pero aún así me alcanza para unas tres o cuatro rasuradas.

Close shave only chicks and chin, all under leaves a lot of hair , have to finish with another shaver, kind of waste of money

Me gusta que rasura 95% de igual a un rastrillo de 5 cuchillas. Si quieres quedar al 100% combínala con tu rastrillo. Costosa y ruidosa pero vale la inversión si quieres ahorrar en rastrillos y en irritación. 5 estrellas

Easily the best grooming device I have ever used, even compared to previous panasonic models. I've had it for 4 years and its exceptional performance has never failed