One minute review
To call the Panasonic Arc6 a work of art might be hyperbole. But there's a reason it's priced higher than some laptop models. This is a stylish grooming kit that has been carefully designed to not only be easy to use, but also deliver the kind of shave that will have you beating the competition.
That said, not everyone will be attracted to such an expensive tool. After all, you'd be buying disposable razors for years before you could cover the cost of the Arc6. Even comparing this model with the previous flagship, the Panasonic Arc5, you will spend twice as much. Of course, you get six blades instead of five, as well as a self-cleaning station, which we think puts the Arc6 over the top.
As we dig deeper into the performance of the Arc6, we hope the reasons why its price is so high will become clearer, especially the inclusion of that self-cleaning charging station. Plus, this is an investment, the kind of device that should last for years of use, somewhat offsetting that high initial outlay. If you're willing to pay the price, you may want to consider skipping even the best beard trimmers and electric shavers (opens in a new tab) for the Panasonic Arc6.
- Panasonic Arc6 at Best Buy for €499.99 (opens in a new tab)
Price and availability of Panasonic Arc6
- List price: €499
- Only available in the United States
There have been two Panasonic Arc6 bundles available since its launch in June 2022. The cheapest, the ES-LS8A-K, only includes the shaver and is still quite expensive at €399.
The ES-LS9A-K, reviewed here, costs more at €499/€499; but includes a self-cleaning charging station. If you're already budgeting around $400/$400 for your shaving solution, we'd suggest spending a bit more for that charging and cleaning convenience.
Of course, justifying this price can be difficult. After all, you can buy a shaver for a few dollars a pound, with some decent electric shaver options for a tenth of the price. We think the Arc6 is worth the money; but the price of entry means it's not a great value proposition.
Value: 3.5 / 5
Panasonic Arc6 Design
- It comes with a self-cleaning charging station which is well worth the extra cost
- The Arc6 is large but ergonomic.
- It comes with six blades for shaving tasks.
Shaver Specifications
Here are the specifications of the Panasonic Arc6:
Recommended Uses: Wet
Battery life: 50 minutes
Type of battery: recargable
Accessories: self-cleaning charging station, travel case, lubricating oil, brush, detergent packet
Weight: 0,5 pounds (0,23 kg)
As mentioned above, the ES-LS9A-K configuration of the Arc6 is essentially a package. Thus, when opening the box, we were pleasantly surprised to find the Arc6 shaver accompanied by a self-cleaning charging station, a charging cable, a sachet of special detergent for the cleaning station, a small bottle of lubricating oil, as well as a small brush. . to clean up excess debris. The razor also comes in a nice leather case.
Regarding the charging station, it is a bit bulky but robust and light. There are four LEDs across the top: Status, Low, Clean, and Dry. A selection button next to them allows you to activate the cleaning and/or drying function.
A button on the side of the station allows the station chassis to open, revealing a compartment where you can insert the detergent with water to use the self-clean function. We especially liked this complex; As well as making charging easier, as it's also a docking station from which to charge the Arc6, the extra expense is justified in upgrading what's already an expensive shaver to a more functional one.
Our only real complaint is that Panasonic only includes one packet of this special detergent. Although it lasts for six months, you'll need to order more when you need a top-up from a third-party Amazon retailer. A single pack costs around €15 / €11 if you buy directly from Amazon (opens in a new tab).
The Arc6 shaver itself is a good piece of equipment, even without the charging station. It is quite large at 6,77 inches long (17,2 cm) but its handle is ergonomically shaped to fit comfortably in the hand. Three sides of the grip are covered in a textured rubber that makes it feel secure in the hand, while the front of the grip houses the power button and an LED display. This panel shows the remaining battery life as a percentage, as well as some "check motor" type symbols to let you know if the unit needs to be charged or cleaned, if it's locked in place, and if the blades need to be checked.
The Arc6's head, which comes with a guard to keep out random debris, moves freely with a decent amount of pitch and roll. Behind the head, you'll find an attached trimmer with a slider button underneath. When you move this knob up, it locks the head in place. Wiggle it once more and the trimmer pops out, perfect for anyone who waits three weeks before shaving.
Probably the biggest feature here, though, is the six-blade system that's designed to deliver a clean, smooth shave. Of the six blades, made from hypoallergenic steel, two are finishing blades, two are lift blades, and two are thick blades. It can be hard to tell what each blade is doing, but they are sturdy without being harsh on the skin. Plus, having so many blades contributes to how quickly the Arc6 delivers a clean shave.
Design: 5 / 5
Panasonic Arc6 Performance
- Wet shaving offers a smooth, clean cut.
- Dry shaving performance is not the best
- The Arc6 is very easy to clean.
Panasonic advertises that the Arc6 offers "84.000 traverse actions per minute" and the head moves in "22 independent directions." While we can't count that fast, he shaves fast enough to become a babyface. On a normal 3 day beard and even a few days of growth, using the Panasonic with shaving gel or cream allows for excellent results very quickly.
As we have a slightly thicker beard, even using Arc6 for a wet shave but without shaving gel gave a good quick shave, but it wasn't as close; there was a little shade left from five o'clock.
Now Panasonic also introduces it as a wet/dry shaver. While we had no problem using the trimmer on a dry beard to make it short enough to shave, we wouldn't recommend using the trimmer for beard shaping; we found that we had to move very slowly with a dry shave, so the hairs didn't get caught. In fact, it was a bit painful trying to shave that way. Again, we have a slightly thicker thatched roof; but we primarily recommend using the Arc6 as a wet razor.
When it comes to cleaning the Arc6, there are two ways to go about it. Using the charging station is incredibly easy: just plug in the shaver and press a button. Sure, it's pretty loud for the first 10 minutes of cleaning, but it drops to a low hum for the next 50 minutes of drying. But at least it's a set-it-and-forget-it solution.
However, for those times when you're on the go with the Arc6, without the self-cleaning station (or have opted for the shaver-only unit), it's still easy to clean. You can use regular hand soap directly on the blades; press and hold the power button for a few seconds, then remove the outer foil that houses all the blades to rinse, next to the inside of the Arc6 head. In general, Panasonic has made everything simple and straightforward.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
Panasonic Arc6 Battery
The Arc6 arrived at no cost. After setting up the self-cleaning/charging station and placing the Arc6 in its holder, it took less than an hour for the shaver to fully charge.
Since you can see the shaver's charge level on its LED display, it's easy to monitor the battery. A regular shave, ranging from a few days' growth to a clean, smooth face, will use about 15 percent of the Arc6's battery. Our first use dropped the battery life to around 65 percent, as we first had to use the trimmer to get a beard of a reasonable length to shave. We also tried shaving dry, then wet, then wet with shaving gel; either way, the Arc6's battery draw of a similar level was reasonable. And once back at its charging station, it was back to 100% in about 10 minutes.
Battery: 5/5
Panasonic Arc6 control panel
AttributeNotesScorePrice and AvailabilityThe Panasonic Arc6 can do a lot, but it comes at a high price. It's a premium option, not a value 3.5/5 Design The Arc6 isn't just well-designed; it comes with a decent number of features including a very useful cleaning and charging station.5/5PerformanceWhile the Arc6 is suitable for dry shaving, it gives the best results when used with water and gel/cream. It's also easy to clean.4.5/5BatteryStarts up quickly and has more than enough battery to keep you feeling buttery smooth.5/5I should buy?
Buy it if...
Don't buy if...
- First revision: October 2022
Price - Panasonic Arc6:▼