ARC6 Electric Razor for Men, Wet/Dry Foil Shaver & Pop-Up Trimmer

I had one of the previous versions of Panasonic electric shavers. Actually I have 2 in a row, like a really old one, and then the 2nd one lasted for around 8 years. I changed the blades only once or twice. It worked perfectly even battery was still good after 8 years. I use it mostly dry shaving, this works perfectly for me. And changed it for this one mostly because of trying to look if there is anything more. So I started to investigate what is there on the market and if there is something better than Panasonic. I actually ordered Braun Series 9 PRO+ Electric Shaver cause they also had this option of awesome hard shell travel case with ability to charge (that is a neat option Panasonic you should have this offering widely supported, I think I have seen that you may have such case but it is not sold in US). So I ordered the Braun one and sadly, at least from my perspective, was shaving worse than my 8 year old panasonic shaver. So I returned it. Then I saw this one ARC6 saying state of the art shaver. It is for sure more expensive and might be a bit over the price of other shavers. But, man, it is for sure an awesome shaver and it shaves even better than my old one, and noticeably better, I actually get on the areas of my beard where I get super clean shave without any roughness. I really like it, I think I need still to get use to this one to have all shaved areas shaving silky smooth result. I you are not tight on your money and you can afford this shaver, I definitely recommend it. Or if you want to make an awesome gift for you man, for sure might be a great option. One remark, my beard is normal, I know there are different types of beards, mine is not super hard but also not super soft, I would say right in the middle.

I have had the ARC5 for a year and just upgraded to the ARC6. The ARC5 was, without a doubt, the best electric razor that I ever used for closeness and comfort, better than the Braun Series 9 that I used prior. The ARC6 is my new favorite. It is more comfortable than the ARC5, and gets that perfect, close shave with less effort. Pro tip: Most of the time I will use Speick pre electric shave lotion, which also helps significantly with comfort and avoiding razor burn. The combination of the using the preshave lotion and the Panasonic ARC5/6 razors leaves my skin as smooth and comfortable as I used to get with the best blade razors. Honestly. I know that sounds like a sales pitch from a paid reviewer, but I'm really just another guy who likes to have a pleasant experience shaving this stubble off my face every morning.

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.

I used a Panasonic Arc5 for long enough that the battery wouldn't hold a charge long enough to complete a 2nd shave, and had been happy with it. I replaced it with a Braun S9 Pro+ complete with cleaning station. That was a mistake. The Braun won't easily pick up flat lying hairs in both directions, making it necessary to turn the shaver 180 degrees in your hand and go over the same path again - over and over since it doesn't get those flat hairs in just 2 passes. On top of that, the Braun's popup trimmer is very ineffective on either sideburns or moustache/beard trimming. So I bit the bullet and got a Panasonic Arc6, no cleaning station. The Arc6 head will pick up flat lying hairs (I often skip a day or 2 between shaving) no matter the shaving head orientation, in 1 or 2 passes. The trimmer works quite well, much more effective than the Braun. Cleaning is a snap following the included instructions (much easier to follow than Braun's rather skimpy Unexplained diagrams) using running water and liquid hand soap. The foil/blade replacement is on the expensive side, but the quality of shave and ease of cleaning make that expense every 15-24 months worth it.

This shaver is junk. A very expensive shaver whose shaving head wears out after a couple of months. I'm back here buying a $ 99.00 shaving head for it. To make matters worse, I thought I bought the correct replacement head, since it appeared alongside this razor in the additional products catalog listing. Of course it wasn't the correct one. I just hope the one I am buying now is the correct one. It has the same numbers in the model# but ends in a "K". Only time will tell. Don't know why I buy this crap that is engineered to fail.

ARC6 PRO HANDLE IS GOOD TO THE HAND, BUT THE MAIN THING IS THE TRIMMER, IT WORKS VERY WELL !! KIND OF BIG FACE FOR SHAVING HEAD BUT IT'S GOOD AND COMFORTABLE TO THE SKIN..BUT BY FAR NOT THE BEST SHAVE EVER…

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.

Have been shaving with the Braun 9 for several years. Decided to try the ARC6 due to great reviews. It shaves my face and head closer than the Braun by far, but, the way the Panasonic is designed is an ergonomic nightmare. The power button is to high up on the unit- when you hold the unit close to the shaver head, you'll end up shutting the razor off. If you hold the unit toward the bottom of the handle, you cant manuver properly. Spending big money for this supposed life changing electric razor was a total waste. I'm going back to my old Braun.

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