ES-LS9A Wet & Dry 6-Blade Electric Shaver for Men - Precise Clean Shaving with Cleaning & Charging Stand

I’ve years of experience with top of the range electric shavers - Panasonic, Braun and Philips, I’ve had the latest Braun Series 9 iteration and the latest Philips Prestige. When choosing foil or rotary in this price bracket you’re essentially choosing between a closer shave (foil) that takes longer than shaving by rotary and risks missing awkward longer hairs like those on the neck; or a slightly less close shave with a rotary but which is quicker and gets the awkward hairs first time. The Panasonic foil shaves noticeably closer than its Braun rival (and certainly closer than the Philips rotary.) It also has no irritation where the Braun can sometimes cause that when going for a close shave. Its capturing of awkward hairs is about twice as good as the Braun rival requiring only minimal deployment of the trimmer, if any. It’s just a superior shave to the Braun and is as close to a wet blade shave as I’ve experienced. In terms of cleaning, here Panasonic also wins. The current Philips cleaning iteration is the worst in the premium market. Either a Prestige model comes with no cleaning station at all (as they supplied it with a QI charging pad instead) which is silly for a top of the range shaver, or their new iteration of a cleaning pod, which is awful. The Philips pod is just a plastic container where the cleaning power is just the shaver itself going upside down and turning on. With no power to the pod there is no indication of when the liquid runs out or needs changing. Very bad, The Braun has its stalwart clean and charge station. This is very good, but the bulky plastic cartridges are over priced and run out quickly. Panasonic’s cleaning station is an improvement on Braun. It cleans better and has a long drying cycle. It has clear low indications. You use a sachet of chemical which you empty into the station and mix with water. A cheaper and less environmentally impactful proposition to the Braun. In terms of looks an aesthetics, that’s a personal choice. The Panasonic may look to some like it has an over sized head, but the hold and feel of the shaver is very good and feels more elegant in the hand than the Braun. It’s supplied with a nice case, plastic cap for the foil and cleaning brush. I surprised myself after about 7 Brauns and 4 Philips over the years that this beats both on pretty much all categories and I wouldn’t go back.

Update after 5/6 months use. This shaver is even better now my hair and face is used to electric shaving. I can even leave my stubble for several days and it will hack through pretty effortlessly. It seems electric shaving requires some practice and I finally have it down to a tee. Exceptional shaver, face feels as smooth as a wet razor shave. Since age 16 when I had decent stubble and I’ve always kept that look over a clean shave (mostly. Fast forward 22 years and my stubble is now getting grey, so it was time to say goodbye to it. I spent hours researching the best electric shavers, and Panasonic kept coming out on top. So I bought the latest version of the arc 5, the series 900. For the first couple of days I was unsure, it wasn’t particularly comfortable and I was missing a lot of hairs, but now after using it for a few more shaves I have gotten to grips with it and it is absolutely fantastic. The build quality is excellent, it feels like a very premium piece of kit. It has great ergonomics and a professional look and feel to it. It’s dead easy to clean, and the battery charges quickly and lasts well. It’s just an excellent shaver that’s very comfortable to use once you get used to it. Use it everyday, it just takes a few minutes and once your face is used to it it’ll be a very satisfying experience. Use a preshave gel to make things even comfier if you need to. Don’t press on hard, just let the shaver do the work. The only downside is the shaver doesn’t like long stubble, the shorter the better, and those tricky flat neck hairs tend to stay flat. I just get a razor out and quickly shave off any stray hairs that the Panasonic misses, but it’s only a few. Overall very happy and I think I’ll always stick to electric shavers now.

For this review, I'll be calling the Panasonic ES-LS9A as the Arc 6 and my old shaver, the Panasonic ES-RT37-K511 as the Arc 3: I bought the Panasonic Arc 6 shaver to replace my Panasonic Arc 3. The Arc 3, I have had since May 2021 and recently, has been showing its age. I shave every morning, using wet shave (shaving gel, exfoliating facial wash prep). I like to have the shave as close as possible to the skin, more so since my facial hairs grow back fast hence the requirement to shave every morning. Comparing the shave between the new Arc 6 and my old Arc 3, the closeness of the shave to the skin with Arc 6 is significantly closer. On the Arc 3, I could steel feel some stubble on the skin after shaving. With the Arc 6, that sharp, prickly feeling is a lot less. I also noticed that I was getting less razor burns than before. Shaving with the Arc 6 also requires fewer passes over than with the Arc 3. Though I have not actually timed it, shaving with the Arc 6 does feel like it takes far less time than with Arc 3. The pivoting head on Arc 6 definitely follows the contours of my face smoothly during shaving and I don't have to apply pressure when doing so, I just let the blades do their work. The Arc 3, sometimes I had to press gently for the blades to cut my facial hairs, especially under the chin and just below the nose. For cleaning, my Arc 3 was just the shaver alone which meant I had to disassemble it clean it out and dry it once in a while, including oiling the shaver blades and foil. The Arc 6 comes with a cleaning station that also doubles as charger stand. This simplifies the cleaning process as wet shaving requires cleaning out the blades due to the foam and leftover hairs. The cleaning takes about 1-hour and 10-minutes, the longest being the drying time. However, it does mean I need to stay on top of the cleaning fluid as only one sachet was provided but these can be found on Amazon as well as on eBay. A sachet of cleaning fluid lasts about 30 days if you clean your Arc 6 daily, ideal if you wet shave regularly. You can also leave the Arc 6 inside the cleaning station without charging (see video). The Arc 6 is easy to use, much like my old Arc 3. However, the display is a big improvement as it clearly shows how much power I have left (in digits) unlike the LED indicators on the Arc 3 which blinked when needing a recharge. Holding the Arc 6, personally I didn't feel any difference from the Arc 3 but was still easy to hold and grip. The sideburn razor at the back, though I rarely use this, feels a lot sturdier and more compact since it folds whereas the Arc 3, simply slides up and down. The Arc 6 comes with a travel case which was no surprise to me as my Arc 3 also came with this, useful when you are travelling abroad. However, while I'd take the charger cable, I probably would not take the cleaning station with me if I were to travel again with the Arc 6. Especially due to the cleaning station's footprint. Battery life, can't really say how long it lasts for on a full charge. To give you an idea, a full morning wet shave (which I do every morning), takes the battery level from 100% to 90%. The length of the cable is a lot longer on the Arc 6 than the Arc 3. I have not measured it but it looks like 2m or 3m, not like the 1m cable my Arc 3 came with. The orientation of the plug is also different. With the Arc 3, the cable comes out from the bottom of the charging plug whereas the Arc 6, the cable comes out from a 90 degree right angle. This means that when you plug in the Arc 6's charger into the shaver outlet, it naturally flows down whereas the Arc 3, there was a bend in the cable from the plug itself. However, I have found the charger plug of the Arc 6 to be a little less secure as sometimes, it can be partially pulled out, accidentally (see video). With all the above points considered, I can definitely say I am happy with the new Arc 6. It has improved my shaving, giving me that close shave I like to go for and without razor burns. You get a generous amount of cable with the Panasonic Arc 6, making placement of the cleaning station/charger easier The addition of the cleaning station makes cleaning the Arc 6 far simpler and convenient than with my old Arc 3. The ease of accidentally pulling the plug out of the outlet with just a light tug is the only fault I've found with this product hence the loss of a star. Overall, I am happy with the Panasonic Arc 6 (ES-LS9A) and would thoroughly recommend it if you shave daily and want the closest shave to the skin possible.

Premium razor. Delivers a very smooth shave. I found that it works best on wet skin, so I always wet the shaving area before using the razor. Battery life is excellent, easy to clean. Design is great. Strongly recommended.

I brought this shaver recently, I also have a Braun series 9 shaver with the pro 9 blade. Both are really good shavers but I have to say that the Panasonic gives a more comfortable and cleaner shave. It glides across the skin without tugging or causing irritation. The Braun I feel is more aggressive and although sharp and provides a clean shave the Panasonic edges it and with fewer passes too maybe it’s because it has 5 foils as opposed to the Brauns 4 I also like the fact that the head on the Panasonic flexes in different directions and really is a quality well built piece of kit. It doesn’t take long to charge and it is a powerful shaver. One thing that is important to remember is It’s designed primarily to shave the face, I shave my both my face and head with it and again it’s an outstanding super clean cut! Also it requires a running in period where your skin adjusts to the blades. Everyone’s hair growth and density is different so results may vary. The only cons I have is to find a replacement blade as a back up seems impossible. Amazon doesn’t sell the replacement cutting blades and five head replacement foils either and looking else where online yields the same results. I don’t understand how a shaver of this calibre and from a reputable brand doesn’t have the blades readily available. Even on Panasonics own site you can’t buy them. Hopefully this is something that Amazon can stock soon. To conclude anyone looking for a high quality shaver should have this on their short list. I’ve retired my Braun series 9 for the mean time as this one is just so good to use.

The shaver feels very good in the hand and well built. It comes with European charger, usual documentation, blade oil and a nice carry case which is soft leatherette material. The shaver had to be charged to be able to use it which only took an hour. Once charge I was able to use on 2 day stubble and was actually blown away by how close to a wet shave my face felt afterwards. Honestly I will not be wet shaving again. The test for me on this was the next day as I did not suffer from any razor burn and/or sensitive skin. I have been using this every other day and my stubble grows back as it would after wet shave. It is easy to clean and has its own cleaning function (shakes very quickly for 20 seconds). The shaver has a locking function which will come in handy when travelling. The only downside is there are other shavers with much long battery life. I reckon I could get 8-9 shaves out of one charge. However with a charge time of only an hour I dont see it as an issue. It is a high quality shaver that I would highly recommend if anyone is looking for an electric shaver.

If you're going to spend money on an item that will be one of the most expensive items in your bathroom then please consider my thoughts after 6 months of using this shaver: Pros: Close shave. Makes light work of stubble whose growth ranges from 12 hours to 2 weeks. Excellent cleaning solution replacement process. The re-fillers come as a power in sachets, where you just add water to make the solution. And it does a very good cleaning job. I found this a much more convenient, and far more environmentally friendly method, than buying plastic tubs of ready made cleaning solution, that you get with Braun shavers. Sits nicely in my hand and feels like a premium product. Not as loud as other brands Good side trimmer that actually works. Handy travel case with a decent cleaning brush. Cons: Expensive. As is the replacement foil set.... But on the upside any guest who visit your bathroom will note that you're someone who has a discerning palate. I found the On-Off button getting in the way which shaving. Annoyingly, I kept switching off the shaver in mid-shave. Battery doesn't last too long. If you're travelling, then take the charger with you. Conclusion: If you're after a premium shaver at this price point, then I suggest trying out other comparable shavers first before buying this. At this price point there won't be much difference in shave quality, they will all be good and you will get a premium shave. However, there will be other factors to consider such as noise, ergonomics and battery life Despite the expensive price tag and the on-off button that gets in the way, the Panasonic works for me.

Very good shaving machine in my opinion