Review on 💈 Panasonic Arc5 Electric Shaver for Men, 5-Blade Cordless with Shave Sensor Technology, Wet/Dry Convenience - ES-LV65-S by Sarah More

I've recently started using the ES-LV95 after a quick detour with the Braun 9095cc, both flagship shavers from Panasonic and Braun; ES-LV95 replaces my old ES-LV81. This review is a comparison of the (relatively) new Panasonic to the latest Braun, but when you compare this new Panasonic to the old, the ES-LV95 improves performance and usability in every way compared to the earlier Panasonic, so I won't quote . again the venerable ES-LV81. Compared to Braun, the new Panasonic is lighter (7oz vs. 8oz) and slightly thinner. It's mostly plastic, but it's also brown, and the aesthetics of both are up for opinion. The Panasonic has a little less chrome and is a bit slimmer, which I like, so the Panny wins visually for me. The head is larger - about 1/4 inch wider - and feels more flexible than Braun's. It moves more easily around a true 360-degree axis than Braun's two-dimensional rotation, allowing the Panasonic to better conform to the contours of your face. It covers a larger area faster and cuts my morning shave by almost half compared to the 9095cc, but takes practice to maneuver the larger head into the nooks and crannies of your face. The Panasonic has 5 symmetrically spaced blades (one medium flat blade for a longer mustache surrounded by 2 foils on both sides), in contrast to Braun's asymmetrical 4 cutters (2 different flat cutters, blue and silver, with foil on both sides). One of Panasonic's advantages is that the blades and foil can be purchased separately - the screen wears out faster and may need to be replaced more often, but it can be replaced without changing the cutting blades. With Braun, the cutting blades and screen are one Cassette assembly, so you need to buy both. ddendum, Braun replacement heads have generally not been available for over a year and the few that are available are sometimes more expensive than the cost of a razor. Panasonic replacement heads are readily available anywhere, typically in the $50-$60 range for mesh and cutting blocks together. Panasonic's higher cutting cycles (14,000 cycles per minute) compared to Braun's 10,000 cycles per minute seems (to me) to make for a more comfortable shave - that's 233 cutting cycles per second (Panasonic) compared to 167 cutting cycles per second (Braun) , or 40% faster. Braun's "Sonic" technology also creates more vibrations (and noise) in the head and razor compared to the Panny. The high-speed Panasonic seems to smooth each pass, requiring fewer passes or re-passes, unlike Braun's "color mixer" vibration on your face and in your hand. Of course, none is as quiet as a rotary razor. The Panasonic shave is definitely closer, with fewer overlooked blemishes or the occasional mustache. Panasonic also has a "touch" mode on this razor that reportedly detects beard thickness and adjusts cutting speed, which actually happens; this results in a less annoying shave than previous models or Braun, which may be due to this feature. The Panasonic requires a different technique and lighter touch than the Braun - since it trims your beard more easily, you don't have to use extra shaving force to get a clean cut; If you press as hard with the Panny as you sometimes do with the Braun, you'll actually know you've shaved clean, and not in a good way. It makes it easy. Both razors have a head lock for a closer shave in trickier areas like under the nose and around the sideburns, and both have a pop-up trimmer for a straight cut. Both configurations are equally suitable for these purposes. Battery life appears to be the same across both shavers, with Panasonic favoring the number of shaves per charge as it takes less time to shave; should last a week or more on a single charge. You can charge these shavers with a cord, no cleaning station, and both are rated for a wide range of travel voltages. The cords are like big transformer plugs and like all wet/dry shavers you cannot use a shaver as a corded shaver, you have to charge it. Straight cable for Panny, coiled cable for Braun. The information on the shaver LED displays is similar; Panasonic shows the percentage of charge remaining compared to Braun, which simply shows decreasing bars up to the last ten minutes of charge time. Panasonic also displays "MIN USED" to shave up to ten minutes when it starts over. I actually find it helpful for improving my shaving technique and speed. The Panasonic cleaning station is a huge improvement over the previous design which sometimes had problems with solution leaking. The new design uses a detergent solution and filter bowl instead of a cassette - you mix the detergent pack with water in the bowl and I recommend using distilled water to avoid mineral build-up on the razor or cleaner. Panasonic's cleaner is water-based, unlike Braun's alcohol-based station, but both offer excellent cleaning performance - Braun states that their cleaning solution is not compatible with soap, so none of the Braun shavers that include a cleaning station are for foam or gel approved for use when shaving. Yes folks, Braun wet/dry shavers with cleaning stations are not approved for use with shaving foam. Braun's alcohol solution is advertised as "sanitizing" the shaving head, but both cleaning solutions provide more than adequate antibacterial properties (remember to wash your hands with soap and water), and neither actually sterilizes the head (important tip - don't share your razors with anyone, boys and girls). The Braun station runs for a few minutes with a louder buzz (cleaning shaver running) followed by around 40 minutes of quiet fan cycling, while the Panasonic station runs the shaver for just over 5 minutes followed by just over an hour of blow drying; Both stations appear to run on a comparable cycle with about the same noise level - the fan cycle is quiet enough for a spouse, partner, or family member sleeping a few steps away. The Panasonic seems to dry out the head completely, while the Braun is always slightly damp the next morning. Both stations and shavers occupy roughly the same space and height, with similar controls and information for drying or cleaning, with the Braun being slightly larger and taller. Perhaps most importantly, Braun cleaning cartridges cost more than twice as much as Panasonic. Detergent bags require orders of magnitude more storage space and are highly flammable; One of the advantages of Braun cartridges is that, like the Philips Norelco cleaning system, they are self-contained and do not require mixing. However, if storage space is just as important as convenience (and we're talking about opening a packet of detergent, pouring it into the compartment and filling the compartment with water at most once a month), you can store more Panasonic cleaning pouches in the bottom parts of one Bathroom cabinet drawer without noticing while so many Braun cartridges fill a large portion of your toilet with flammable liquid. The cartridges for Braun's new cleanser don't seem to last as long as previous devices, averaging less than a month for me who shaves daily. Panasonic's cleaning solution lasts over a month, and two months with the current solution and an equally effective cleaning. Cleaning with either station will keep your shaver feeling new and smelling fresh, but both shavers can simply be rinsed under the tap, eliminating the need for a cleaning station at all, although it is convenient. The Panasonic head is much easier to hand clean than the Braun because the foil and blade are separate. Panasonic's only downside compared to Braun is the holdall: Braun has a well-fitted hard leather case, while Panasonic has a standard faux leather vinyl case, but they have a hard plastic head bag. Note: There is already a new range of Panasonic shavers (ES-LV6/7/9) on the market that appear to be similar, with a slightly redesigned head and body and similar cleaning station, so the ES-LV95 is not their latest model is . Again, remember that if you use a traditional "wet" razor, i. Soap and water for shaving, Braun specifically says the only Series 9 razors approved for shaving cream or shaving gel are the 9040s and 9080s (the "s" suffix means they're not intended for shaving). Turn on cleaning station), NOT 9095cc. I've used it successfully with a shaving brush and soap, but according to Brown's literature, this is "off-label" use and may void the warranty. If you prefer a wet razor then technically your only choice is the Panasonic of the two. Highly recommended.