I wet shaved for over 30 years. I tried some electric razors (rotary and foil) when I was younger and my skin was more soft/sensitive, and they were all terrible. The ARC5 has finally changed my perception of how good and comfortable an electric razor can be! I usually shave dry and use some Lectric Shave (or similar) before, and some Nivea post shave balm after. This is worth noting right off the bat as I think they are both important parts of my shaving routine and I recommend them both to any electric razor user. It should also be noted that you have to let your skin get used to an electric razor if you've never really used them before. For some that can be a week, for others it may take a month. I totally understand why people get frustrated with electric razors because the first few times can be tricky... you just have to stick with it. But once you do... man, this thing is great. Does it shave as close as a wet razor? No way, but it's good enough and gets pretty damn close with very little irritation or burning... I know I sometimes miss spots, but I used to do that when I wet shave too! After a while, you get to learn where the tough spots are on your face and how to work with them. I still find the whole process more enjoyable, quicker, and more comfortable than wet-shaving. The ARC5 wins for me too in how easy it is to clean. You don't need to use cleaning cartridges and all that nonsense, just some liquid soap after each shave is all you need to keep the blades clean and sharp. The way this comes apart for easy rinsing and cleaning using the in-built cleaning mode is so helpful/useful and mean no silly extra expenses. Overall, a great product with good battery life, excellent performance and comfort, and easy clean up. Highly recommended! Update: After over a year of use, this shaver is still performing well. I do add a touch of oil to the blades and foil every few weeks, but I still just use liquid soap to clean it after every shave, and sometimes give it a bit more of a thorough soak or brush. This shaver still performs well. I am starting to feel a little less closeness, so have ordered a replacement foil and blade set... I think swapping these out every 18 months is a good idea (Panasonic recommends changing the foil every year and the blades every two, so 18 months seems like a happy medium). My only con with the Arc5 over the year is that it definitely performs best if you shave every other day, maybe three times a week. With extended beard growth over, say, 4-5 days, and it does struggle a bit. It's not uncomfortable, it just takes a little extra time to prune your face. I could imagine if you have a very thick or wiry beard, this could be an issue and there may be better options out there. Read more
I shave my head completely to the baby skin point so this review will be from that perspective. First let me start by saying DON’T buy those gimmicky rotary razors with 5+ heads that make all sort of claims about ease of use and closeness of shave. I’ve tried them all - Remington, Pitbull Skull Shaver, Freebird - and they are all garbage. They take forever, do a terrible job, and always leave patches you have to clean up, and dang are they pricey for such a poor product. They suck, period. This razor is the real deal. I have extremely sensitive skin so using clippers or cartridge razors always left red blotchy spots on my head for days due to the irritation and took forever to get the close shave and look I wanted. That caused me to wait weeks to shave my head, letting it grow out to shave less frequently and save my skin. I wore hats and beanies way more frequently than I wanted to cover the growth, then the irritation. That’s a thing of the past with this bad boy. I use this every day, every other day, or every 2nd/3rd day depending on my schedule and I can keep the fresh shaved bald look with zero irritation in a matter of 2-3 minutes. And the shave is the closest I’ve ever had from an electric razor, it’s practically at blade shave level. I don’t use shave product and I go directly against the grain, however you can use product with this razor. As a note, this thing *can* handle slightly longer hair but it takes a while to get through it and it isn’t where this thing shines. If you shave your head, the best way to use this is to use clippers or a blade to shave your head once, then use this as your maintenance razor to easily keep your look. It’s super easy to clean!! Just a few drops of dish soap, a little water, and turn it on until the soap lathers through the blades. Rinse and you’re done!! This is comparable and, in my opinion, superior to Braun’s offerings with a slightly higher initial cost. This is offset by the fact that you don’t have to constantly buy cleaning cartridges for it like Braun requires. Pros: -Extremely close shave, very close to a blade -Long battery life -Great on sensitive skin, leaves no irritation marks -Easy to clean -Ridiculously fast shave if used as a head maintenance razor -Can be used with or without shave oil/cream -Excellent razor for my fellow bald kings Cons: -Not as great on longer hair -Slightly higher up front cost but offset by ease of cleaning -Not mentioned/discussed nearly enough in forums where men are doing the razor hunt This razor took my head shaving to a whole new level and is worth every penny. If you’re on the fence and this review resonates with your needs, take the plunge, you won’t regret it! *Update* - Almost a year later and this thing is still my favorite razor I’ve ever owned for head shaves. I’m in the process of filming a quick video to show how quick and effective this really is. I would add that getting a good Tea Tree face wash to use on your head, as well as a snail mucin moisturizer to rub on after shaving is excellent. For the Tea Tree I recommend Aromatica’s Tea Tree wash, and for the moisturizer I recommend Cosrx or Mizon’s snail cream. Read more
In the box should have a brush cleaner, oil and lubricant. I did not get any of them just shaver and cord with case..Amazon took care of it a d it must say this shaver is absolutely amazing!. I owned a Panasonic shaver for over 20 years a d this is the best shaver I have ever had from an electric shaver. Read more
