Best Overall
Panasonic ARC5 ES-LV65-S
Key details
- Motor
- 14,000 cuts per minute
- Weight
- 6.88 oz
- Blade Type
- Five-blade foil
- Wet Or Dry
- Wet and dry, waterproof
Five foil blades under one flexible head give the ARC5 the most cutting surface in this group, and surface is what does the work on a jaw that curves three ways at once. The head pivots to chase your chin and neck, the foils sit thin against the skin, and Panasonic's linear motor runs at 14,000 cuts a minute. Halfway along the first jaw pass we could tell the finish was going to be the closest here.
What convinced us was the absence of a second pass. The ARC5 clears a patch of neck in fewer strokes than the cheaper foils in this set, and the going-over is what leaves skin red — fewer strokes is the whole game. It is the one shaver we tested where close and comfortable stopped competing with each other. The trade shows up later, in replacement blades, which are the expensive part of owning it.
The rest is good detail. Wet or dry means shower shaves with foam, which we preferred once there were three or four days of growth to clear; dry, it is quick but less forgiving on a warm neck. The ten-stage LCD takes the guesswork out of charge, the pop-up trimmer is precise enough for sideburns, and the head lifts off in one motion for rinsing. At 6.88 ounces it sits planted in the hand without tiring your wrist.
Pros
- Closest cut of any shaver here
- Fewer passes, so less neck irritation
- Wet or dry, and fully rinseable
- Ten-stage LCD shows exact charge
Cons
- Replacement blades are costly
The closest, calmest shave in this group, and the one we hand to anyone who shaves most days and is tired of a red neck.