Panasonic ES-LV81-K Arc5 Men’s Electric Razor, Wet/Dry with Multi-Flex Pivoting Head, High-Performance Motor, and included Premium Automatic Clean & Charge Station

I'm one of the minority of reviewer's who actually purchased this product (*definitely increasing since I wrote this though!); I didn't pay full retail (still listed some places as just south of $600), so let's say a little over half that. And the replacement head/foil is 80 bucks. So my comments straight up relate to whether I think I got my money's worth, not just the technical aspects of the shaver. The short version if you don't want to read the list is, yes, I think I did, with a footnote. I've used just about every new model electric shaver out there in the quest for the perfect shaver, and reviewed several of them here: Braun Series 7- 790cc Pulsonic Shaver System, Silver , Philips Norelco 1290x/40 SensoTouch 3d Electric Shaver, Black , Panasonic ES-LA93-K Men's 4-Blade (Arc 4) Multi-Flex Dual-Motor Wet/Dry Nanotech Rechargeable Electric Shaver with Vortex Cleaning System, Black . To cut to the chase, there isn't a perfect shaver, at least one that fits everyone's shaving style. This one comes pretty darn close. First the obvious: this is a foil shaver. If you use a rotary shaver and are happy with the results, stop reading and/or get the Norelco; it's the best one out there. A rotary shave is completely and totally different than a foil experience. If you think there might be something better, read on. Second, among foils there are dry shavers only, and those that are both wet and dry. The LV81 is both. The Braun above is dry only. If you like to shave dry only, the Braun will serve you as well as any in my opinion, and has a superior cleaning system to the Panny, as well as costing a lot less. If you like a dry electric shave and don't care to change, get the Braun. If you think there might be something better, read on. The ES-LV81 is the successor to the ES-LA93 (which I was using immediately prior and it was pretty good) and a worthy successor it is. It's the best wet electric shaver I have ever used. Ever. Things Panasonic has improved over the LA93: - The constantly flashing blue police-cruiser charging light is gone; when the cleaning/charging cycle is complete, the unit goes off (cleaner and shaver). Some might miss it; me - not. - The shaver is quieter than the LA93, both in use and during the cleaning cycle. Significantly less to my ear, but the previous model Panasonic shaver itself was already quieter than the Braun, although none of them are anywhere near as quiet as a rotary. - A faster shave. The larger head really is functional, and if you already use the LA93 the transition will be seamless. It's more like gently scrubbing your face with a pad rather than shaving, and less irritating since you don't need to move the head as much over the same area. The larger head covers a lot of ground quickly, and I've reduced my shaving time by 30-40%. There is a shaving timer in the display, which I actually like - I've had one on other shavers; it helps me improve my shaving technique and speed up to a point of diminishing returns. The popup trimmer is functionally the same as the LA93. - The cleaning station looks almost identical to the one for the LA93 externally (other than the silver front); in fact, the LV81 actually fits in the old one (sort of), but it's apparently a completely different unit. The interior well seems to be deeper; the back is contoured differently to fit the LV81, the cleaning cartridge fits flush rather than inset, and it does seem to be quieter. It also seems like the cleaning cycle is shorter, but I haven't timed it. When the cleaning cycle is complete, the lights go out, unlike the LA93 unit where the green LEDs for Clean/Dry flash continuously. It does use the same cartridges, and the water reservoirs appear to be the same. Noisier than the Braun or Norelco cleaners - and it runs longer - it does what it's supposed to do, and very economically as well. So is it worth three hundred and a half bills to upgrade from the earlier Panasonic? To me, yes - I knew what I was getting, and it's really a significant improvement over any other Panasonic. Is it worth it to switch from another system or manufacturer? That depends.... If you THINK you might want to switch from a blade or a rotary experience, or switch to a wet shave from a dry with a different foil, I think a good price point would be in the $200+ range, which this shaver will eventually hit within a few months I would guess, and you might not feel too bad about switching back if it didn't work out. At today's price point, if you have the bucks and want to experiment, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. If you haven't tried it, a wet electric shave with a foil shaver is (to me) the closest, most comfortable electric shave you can get - and with this shaver, as close as you're going to get to a blade with an electric in my opinion. If you've been searching for the perfect electric, this just might be it.

For the past ten years, I have bought each new Panasonic Electric Shaver... whatever their Top-Of-The-Line Model currently was... always upgrading to the "latest and greatest", with each marketed "improvement" that Panasonic touted every couple of years. I went from the old "Pulsonic" line... following the trend from 3 blades... to 4 blades... and about two years ago upgrading to the very expensive ($400 at the time) "ES-LA93" series with 4 blades at higher RPM. Honestly... while each new Panasonic shaver was a SLIGHT improvement in performance over the previous generation (and always moderately superior to whatever Braun was selling... yep, I tried those also)... the disappointment came in realizing that even the Top-Of-The-Line electric shaver was somewhat lackluster in its performance on my hard-to-shave beard, due mainly to the numerous slightly in-grown hairs on my neck. Even on the easier-to-shave areas, I still found myself having to press down with some force, while pulling my skin taught, and going over and over and over the same areas to get a decent shave. I had just resigned myself to the fact that this was the limited inherent nature of electric shavers... the world's best shaver was widely accepted to be that Panasonic 4-Blade Model ES-LA93 that I used every day, and that was just "as good as it gets". No amount of money could buy anything better, as we had apparently reached the limits of technology with the Panasonic ES-LA93. I could either accept that... or return to the messiness and occasionally bloodiness of an old-school razor blade, like countless generations of men before me had used. AND THEN... along came the Panasonic ES-LV81... with its newly-engineered 5-Blade Cutting System. WOW! This thing is unbelievable. Now, I know what you're thinking,,, because it's exactly what I was thinking... "So it's got 5 blades instead of 4... big deal... that cannot possibly make it more than 20% better... yet another SLIGHT improvement... who cares?" Well, fellow electric shaver fans... WRONG! It's NOT about the number of blades with this ES-LV81... it's about the huge leap forward in the FOIL design. Unlike the previous generation's (ES-LA93 model) foil... this new ES-LV81 model has something Panasonic calls a "Lift-Tech Foil" which is brilliantly reverse-tapered to slide UNDER those hairs that want to lay-down-flat on your face. (And as a side-note, it is also MUCH quieter than the previous model, and it feels lighter in the hand). For my first shave with this ES-LV81, I let my beard grow for 3 days to give it a good challenge. It glides over my face far more smoothly than anything else I've ever tried. Amazingly, it is not necessary to press-down with significant pressure (as I had to do with previous models)... it just glides lightly and leaves a clean path behind. Yes, I still have to go over problem areas repeatedly... but not nearly as much as before... which leaves my neck and face far less red and irritated. I was absolutely amazed at how much quicker I could complete a shave with this latest and greatest model from Panasonic. It easily reduces my shaving time by at least 30% versus the previous model... plus it does so with a light touch and a far greater level of comfort. The ES-LV81 is also available without the optional cleaning and charging stand... which is called the ES-LV61... and that one at this time costs about $38 less. You still get the same great model of shaver, but you have to plug it directly into an electric outlet to charge it, and you have to clean it yourself (which is very, very easy) using liquid soap and running water (which is exactly what I do to clean it daily when I am traveling). I know this is an expensive product... (Retail: $600... through here on Amazon, it's nearly half-off at just a bit over $300)... but seriously... if you use an electric razor, you need to put down whatever you are using now, and buy this Panasonic ES-LV81. It is flat-out amazing, and just a huge leap forward in electric shaver technology, due to this new "Lift-Tech" foil design. You will not be disappointed. It's not just a "slight" improvement as previously-introduced new models were... this one is a dramatic improvement over previous models. You will notice it right away... within a few seconds of starting your first shave with this magnificent electric shaver.

I purchased this shaver as shaving with a blade irritated my skin, and MH magazine recommended it. It does give a close and comfortable shave. The charger and wash system works well, just keep in mind that you will have to purchase cleaning cartridges. Overall, I am please with this shaver. Not quite as close as a blade, but pretty close and no irritation.

You would never regret bought this. This is the best shave I have ever used. By the way, it can be cleaned by water directly.

Excellent quality with a good shave.

Shaves even closer than a 5-blade regular razor when used with shaving cream. This is my 2nd Panasonic electric shaver.

Purchased this for my son's birthday 3 weeks ago. Charged up but didn't work when he tried to turn it on.still have not received my refund!