Panasonic has introduced the Arc6, the world’s first 6-bladed electric shaver, as an upgrade to their Arc5 line and the Panasonic ES-LS8A-K is the solo model of the Arc6 Series. The release of the Arc6 aims to address some drawbacks of the Arc5 by offering a more comfortable and premium shaving experience. I personally tested the Arc6 to know and share the insights, including advantages, and disadvantages, and compare it with previous models and competitors. This information is intended to help readers decide whether to upgrade to the Arc6 or purchase it as a new shaver.
Pros
- Sturdy built quality
- Great shaving efficiency
- Comfortable performance
- Very good for wet/dry shaving
- 100% waterproof
- Efficient popup trimmer
- Very powerful motor
- Greatly handles very coarse beard
Cons
- Super expensive
- Replacement heads are pricier than prior models
- Bulky head
Insights
The Panasonic Arc6 shaver models ES-LS8A and ES-LS9A are interchangeable in every aspect and the only difference between them is an automatic cleaning and charging dock. However, both shaver’s cutting-edge technology and some innovative features may be the main responsible for being too pricy.
Shaving Elements: Panasonic applied the typical methodology to entitle their new and most advanced shaver line according to blades and foil count. To clarify, The Panasonic Arc3 has 3 blades, Arc4 has 4 blades, and Arc5 has 5 blades. Thus the Panasonic Arc6 is also named according to its 6-bladed shaving system. When analyzing all the cutting elements separately, there are 4 actual foil blocks and 2 helping trimmers. However, the Arc5 also has 4 foil blocks that play the main role in shaving the hairs from the skin level. Arc 6 added two extra helping trimmer elements (N.B. Arc5 has one) to capture longer, flat-lying hairs effortlessly, whereas Arc5 has one. Panasonic says the Arc6 shavers can capture more hairs and make shaving faster than Arc5 because of these trimming elements. While comparing each other, the Arc6 shaving foils are slightly slimmer and more curved than Arc5, which adjusts head size to keep it slim since 6 blades could have made it very big. Most Importantly, Panasonic added a comfort roller element to minimize the shaving pressure and make the shaving process more comfortable than their prior shavers. Here I found they took this action very late since Braun used this technology from the beginning in their high-end line shavers. However, I’ll talk more about the fruitfulness of this new element in the performance section while discussing shaving comfort.
Pivoting Head: Panasonic’s prior models, including Arc5, were defeated by Braun regarding flexible foils and heads. Although the heads of prior models can move greatly in different directions, the foils are not so smooth to move up and down to compete with Braun’s shavers. However, Panasonic focused on this fact in the Arc6 shavers and integrated new technology in the foils and head to be friendly on the skin contact. The head can move in five directions very smoothly, which is a great improvement in the upgraded shaver. The foils also got a great touch to be softer than the prior shavers to make the strokes with less pressure. Panasonic says the Arc6 shaver heads, along with the foils, can move and pivot in 22 directions to follow the skin contact and make the shaving process effortless. I found it works well in practice, but the head needs more improvement to compete with the Braun Series 9 Pro or Braun Series 9 shavers. The Braun shavers are still the market leader regarding flexible foils to minimize shaving pressure and adapt the skin contact most accurately. However, the new 22-D shaving head of Panasonic Arc6 is not that blamable since it does great work in practice. Moreover, it lessens the wrist work to have the shaving operations by pivoting accurately and capturing more hair than the prior models.
Headlock System: Another useful feature of the pivoting head is the headlock technology. You can lock the head by the slider (that opens the popup trimmer) to make precision shaves at different angles. But it only locks in one position (straight), which is still a drawback to Panasonic, where Braun Series 9 and Series 9 Pro can lock the head in 5 different positions. However, I found that one position of Arc6 head is enough to make the job done accurately.
Inner Power: Panasonic always excels over competitors with their horsepower motor in the shavers. Panasonic used a 14000 CPM Japanese Linear motor for maximum shaving power without compromising the coarse beard. To clarify, the motor creates ultra-powerful torque on the blades. As a result, the shaver head makes a total of 84,000 cuts per minute (14000 per foil), which is the market’s highest. The Panasonic Arc5 also uses a 14000 CPM motor, making the shaving process greatly efficient. However, I found the Arc6 motor is a bit more powerful and refined than the Arc5’s one since it needs to create 14000 cuts for every foil by the 6 blades. Moreover, the new refined motor creates less noise than the Arc5, although more powerful. So, the new Arc6 motor provides a premium feel in the performance that could be a compelling feature for Panasonic shaver lovers.
Autosense Technology: Panasonic’s so-called Auto-sense technology applied in the Arc6 shaver, where I didn’t find the use of it. Panasonic says it can reduce and increase shaving power according to beard density. However, it could be a great feature if the option worked. Since I didn’t try the shaver with a very light beard, it’s not fair for me to blame the technology. In practice, I found the shaver uses its highest aggressive power to make the giant strokes for a close shave.
Wet/dry Shaving: All the Panasonic electric shavers I have ever tried are engineered for Wet/dry shaving compatibility. The Panasonic Arc6 shavers are suitable for wet/dry shaving with your favorite beard lubricator or under the shower. Wet shaving is definitely more refreshing and mostly used on sensitive skin for ultimate comfort. Since the Arc6 shavers are more comfortable than the predecessors, you can also have dry shaves on your sensitive skin, and I think it’ll not cause any irritation. I’ll get into more about wet/dry shaving performance in the performance section. However, most of the time, I use the arc6 shaver for dry shaves, which saves some extra cost of buying the shaving cosmetics and makes the operation faster.
Waterproof Design: The Panasonic ES-LS8A shaver is 100% waterproof that allows you to clean with direct running water or submerge the head for thorough cleaning. For being 100% waterproof, you don’t need to take extra care to keep it away from water-causing damage. As said before, it is very suitable to shave in the shower time for refreshing shaves since 100% waterproof.
Battery and Power: No surprise in the battery and power system of the Panasonic Arc6 shavers. The Arc6 comes with a rechargeable Li-ion battery that provides 50 minutes of cordless performance and is generally similar to the Panasonic Arc5 shaver. But when digging into the capability deeply, the new battery of Arc6 shavers runs 6 blades whereas Arc5’s one runs 5 blades; that must be a significant difference between them. Definitely, 6 blades consume more power than 5 blades, so the battery capacity of Arc6 is bigger than that of Arc5. On the other hand, the Arc6 takes only 50 minutes for a full charge, whereas the Arc5 takes 60 minutes, so it’s a plus for the Arc6 users. Since a wet/dry shaver, the Panasonic ES-LS8A-K shaver cannot be used with a cord while charging. So, it could be troublesome to have urgent shaves after getting the rechargeable battery fully drained. But the Panasonic Arc6 has a quick charging option that allows you to have a full shave with 3 minutes of charge. All the variations of Arc5 also have this facility, though.
LED Display: The Panasonic ES-LS8A-K comes with an advanced LED display at the front of the shaver handle. This provides essential information about battery status, charging status, travel lock status, cleaning alert, and replacement head status. The display shows the battery percentage with a 5% increment and decrement system. The new battery-showing system is more user-friendly than the prior models. This convenient and attractive display adds a new dimension to the premium feel of the shaver.
Popup Trimmer: A finishing trimmer is very essential to make the final touches on the sideburns, mustaches, and edges after every shave. Like the prior models, including Arc5, the Panasonic Arc6 comes with the identical popup trimmer and technology. I always said the Popup trimmers of the Panasonic shavers are more user-friendly than the competitors. I prefer Panasonic Arc6’s popup trimmer to Braun Series 9’s straight slide-up trimmer. The Panasonic one feels more convenient and effective than the others.
Travel Lock: Travel lock is an essential feature for a shaver to keep it safe while not in use or in a trip. However, the only premium shavers come with travel locks like the Panasonic Arc6.
Tip: To activate the travel lock, press the power button for 3 seconds, then a padlock icon will appear in the LED display, and repeat the activation process to deactivate the lock.
What’s in the Box?
I don’t find any change in the box of the Panasonic ES-LS8A-K that comes with the same items like the Arc5 solo models. However, a smart package of ES-LS8A-K with a nose and ear trimmer is available on the market, offering an extra facility for trimming nose and ear hairs. But that will cost an extra price for the nose trimmer along with the ES-LS8A shaver. However, the regular Panasonic Arc6 packages come with the following items:
- The shaver itself
- A foil protective cap
- Charging adapter with cord
- A hard travel pouch
- Cleaning brush
- Blade lubricator oil
- User manual.
The protective cap is a plus for the shaver, whereas the competitors don’t provide it. Moreover, the new generation Braun and Philips shavers don’t come with lubricants, and you need to buy them separately.
Personal Experience
Since a flagship shaver by Panasonic, they applied their highest-end technology and materials in the Arc6 shavers for the most reliable shaving results. But how successfully the shaver does its job in practice? I’m describing my actual personal experience that may help you find whether it’s a worthy investment.
Firstly, Panasonic’s least advanced shavers do close shaves with super efficiency, and the Brand has a great reputation mainly in this regard. Since the most advanced creation by Panasonic, the Arc 6 has advanced shaving features and technologies to make its results with the most accuracy. The six cutting elements along with the Linear motor, make the shaving process very efficient in every stroke. The regular foil elements cut the hair from the skin level, and since 4 foils pass in a stroke, they don’t need a second pass for close cuts. I admit, I’ve become a fan of the Panasonic Arc 6 shaver for its close shaving ability.
Panasonic used 2 special trimmers in the middle of foil blocks (golden color cutters) in the Panasonic Arc 6 shaver to cut longer hairs than ever before. The responsibility of these two elements is to capture and cut the long hair and leave them to the foil elements to make a close shave. They do their job with efficiency, and as a result, the Arc 6 can handle longer hair than the Arc 5 shavers but not the market topper. Braun’s new Series 9 pro does it more precisely and cuts longer hair than Arc6. So, Panasonic needs more touch up in this regard. However, it can make an efficient shave with a 3-4-day beard.
Shaving comfort is one of the most important factors to consider in premium shavers. Panasonic always got defeated by Braun in this field with their prior models, including Arc5. Braun Series 9 Pro+ and Pro have the most advanced technology to make the shaving process super comfortable. However, Panasonic took it seriously, tried their best in the Arc6 shavers to make the shaving process most comfortable, and used some new technologies to achieve the goal. The comfort roller technology is the most significant addition to the Arc6 shaver head. The responsibility of this element is to lessen the pressure made by foils while shaving and help the head to glide over the skin smoothly. Although a copy system from the Braun shavers, the Panasonic ES-LS8A is pretty successful in this field because I found the roller does its job perfectly to make the shaving process comfortable. Furthermore, Panasonic made the new foils with a more skin-friendly shape (a bit curved) to make the shaving passes politer on the facial skin. It’s also an appreciable improvement in this highest-end shaver.
This premium shaver works great in wet shaves when I use shaving cream, gel, foam, etc. Being 100% waterproof, it offers a great opportunity to shave under the shower for the most refreshing shaves. I didn’t find any compromise while shaving in wet conditions and did my shave very efficiently. Most wet/dry shavers fail to make the shaving process flawless in the shower shave and take too many passes in one place to have a close shave with shaving lubricators. But Panasonic Arc6 greatly shaved my coarse beard under the shower and with lubricators. I must admit that the Arc 6 is going to be the market leader for the accuracy of wet shaves.
The precision trimmer of Panasonic ES-LS8A-K is more user-friendly than the competitors for its design and cutting system. Although identical design to the Arc 5, the Arc6 one does better cuts for precision trimming and edging the sideburns, mustaches, eyebrows, etc. However, it’s not for trimming the full beard or shaving long beards. So, if you need to have full beard trimming sometimes, you could get a separate dedicated beard trimmer alongside. But the popup trimmer in the Arc 6 shaver is great for making final touches after every shave and precision trimming. Overall, the Panasonic ES-LS8A is a premium device that appeals me in every aspect and the performance of the shaver is pretty surprising.
Panasonic Arc5 Solo Models Vs Panasonic ES-LS8A
First things first, the Arc6 shavers are designed and made with more premium materials than the Arc5. The Arc6 especially feels more compelling because of its refined and elegant aesthetic. According to Panasonic’s proclamation, the Arc6 shavers can capture 3x more hair in every stroke than the Arc5. The main responsible for this claim is the new technology shaving head of the Panasonic Arc6. However, I practically found a significant difference (not exactly 3x time though) between them regarding beard capture and cut. Besides the foil count, the new Arc6 cutters are more efficient and powerful than the Arc5 foils, and the two trimming blocks can capture and cut hairs a bit longer. As a result, shaving with Arc6 takes less time, and the performance becomes more efficient. On the other hand, the newly engineered Arc6 head is more flexible than the Arc5 head. Moreover, the foils are pretty softer than the prior models making the shaving process more enjoyable. As a result, the Panasonic ES-LS8A can adapt to skin contact more accurately, and the shaving process becomes more comfortable than the Arc5. Panasonic used a more refined motor in the Arc6 shavers to provide more powerful operations than the Arc 5 ones. I found the new motor is a bit quieter than the Arc5, which may be a great plus for the Arc6 motor for those who don’t like the Arc5 for its noise in operation. Both versions of shavers provide 45 minutes of cordless shaving power with a full charge, but the Arc6 takes less time to have a full charge. To clarify, Arc 5 takes 60 minutes for a full charge, whereas Arc 6 takes only 45-50 minutes for a full charge. To summarize, Panasonic Arc5 is definitely a great choice for having a very efficient shave, but the Arc6 is a bit more sophisticated with upgraded workmanship. So, you do not need to change your current Arc5 shaver, but it’ll be worth buying the Arc6 if you want to upgrade your shaving experience for a more premium feel.
Verdict
The Panasonic ES-LS8A-K is a top-tier shaver that aims to elevate the shaving experience with its cutting-edge technology and high-quality materials. While its premium price might be a hurdle for some, it’s tailored for enthusiasts seeking the best in the market. The investment reflects in its sophisticated design, robust build quality, and exceptional performance. To summarize, it’s a worthwhile purchase for those not limited by budget and looking to enhance their grooming routine.
Should You Buy the Panasonic ES-LS8A-K Shaver?
Yes, if you are fond of fast and close shave.
Yes, if you need a shaver for best wet/dry shave with accuracy.
Yes, if you want a premium shaver with all advanced features and workmanship.
No, if you are in a budget
No, if you prefer a simple structure and aesthetic.
No, if you want the best shaver for long stubble shaving.