Panasonic Arc 5 ES-LV95-S Review: A Dream Shaver in 2023

I hope you would agree with me that we are in an era where things are reaching the ultimate advancement. The same is true for electric shavers. Nowadays, it is mostly the refinement of existing features than adding any new ones.

About a decade ago, there was an addition to the number of blades in every new series. However, we are now at a point where adding any more blades to the shaving head would lead to less practicality. The same can be said for a lot of other features. For example, what can you add to a shaver’s ability to do both wet and dry shaving? By the way, this wet and dry utility was first introduced by Panasonic and they have been a pioneer in the industry for some time now.

Panasonic ES-LV95 and ES-LV65 are some of the best-selling electric shavers in their price category. We will go through their features and what makes them sell like hotcakes and are there any shortcomings, stay with us.

Panasonic Arc 5 ES-LV95-S Review - Where It Leads and Where It Lags?

Panasonic is in fierce competition with Braun when it comes to high-end foil shavers. Braun Series 7 and 9 are arguably better when it comes to giving a gentle and forgiving shave. However, Panasonic is in a class of its own when it comes to the closeness of shave.

From the looks of it, ES-LS95-S promises to be a great shaver. We will see how it performs in the real world and will put things into perspective by comparing it to some similar shavers.

Design and Construction

The first thing that you are going to notice is the trendy look this shaver has. The silver and black color scheme go well with this shaver’s design. You are going to love the design and aesthetics.

In terms of construction, Panasonic shavers have plastic bodies and silver metalheads. The overall built of the shaver is impressive and does not seem plasticky at all.

On the front, there is an LED display that is 4.5 x 2 cm and has different indicators. These include the time the shaver has been in use, battery capacity, whether the shaving sensor is on or not, whether you need to replace your blades, and charging status.

Ergonomics

LE95-S is surprisingly lightweight for a 5-blade shaver at 6.9 oz (195 grams). Despite a big head, it has a balanced built and a carved shaft that fits nicely into the hand.

If you are shifting from another shaver with a smaller head, the bigger head may need some getting used to. Other than that, LV95-S has ergonomics to be admired.

On the sides, you have a somewhat grainy but grippy material and the same can be said about the back. There are three grooved white lines on the back which increase the non-slippery nature of this shaver.

Shaving Performance

Before talking about shaving performance, we need to talk about the shaving head of the shaver because this is what makes the shaver what it is.

A defining characteristic of all Arc 5 shavers is the 30-degree angle of its reverse-tapered foils. The Arc name itself stems from this fact. This angle increases contact with the skin and ensures better performance in general.

This shaving head is powered by a powerful motor that delivers 14000 cycles per minute. This is what makes Arc 5 better at delivering a faster and closer shave than Braun series 9 which delivers 10,000 CPM. However, there are other things that also determine the actual performance of a shaver and we will discuss those as we move along.

This motor has shaving sensor technology which supposedly reads your beard density and adjusts the power accordingly. It basically delivers 220 sensings per second. You can turn this ability of the shaver on and off. However, when the shaver starts it is with shaving sensing technology, you can turn this off by pressing the power button once while it is on.

Closeness of Shave

As said, LV95-S has a massive shaving head with sharp blades that are backed by a powerful motor. This translates into a truly impressive performance when we talk about providing a close shave. This is further enhanced by the arched profile of the shaving foils which give better skin contact.

Its different blades ensure that you deal with different types of hair effortlessly and its flexing head makes going over different contours of the face effortless. If you have some problem areas like the upper lip or below the lower lip, you will be surprised by this shaver’s stellar performance.

If you have used electric shavers before and are not impressed by how quickly the stubble comes back, ES-LV95-S delivers a close shave that takes longer for the stubble to show up again. It may differ from person to person, but I can get a couple of days before I need to shave again and I love a pretty close shave.

With a five-blade shaving head powered by a powerful motor, you get the speed and effortless shaving. You would not need to go over spots multiple times even in those hard stubble areas.

Comfort

Unfortunately, the extremely close and aggressive shave you get with ES-LV95 comes at the expense of comfort.

The blades get hot only after a few minutes of use and this can have consequences. We have experienced this in Arc 4 and Arc 3. Arc 5 is somewhat better but not by much.

Convenience

ES-LV95-S gives you the ability to use it either wet or dry. This is quite a convenience if you love to shave within a shaver or with shaving foam or gel. This ability also makes it somewhat better suited for sensitive skin.

In addition, you have a pop-up trimmer. You can use it for touch-ups and lining up your sideburns and mustache. Its placement behind the massive head somewhat limits its effectiveness, but you can always remove the foil frame and put this pop-up trimmer to better use.

Another convenient feature is the travel lock. You will get a locking ring surrounding the power button and it has two positions. You can enable the travel lock by moving the knob parallel to the lock icon.

Battery Life and Charging

ES-LV95 takes about an hour to charge and gives around 45 minutes of runtime. It incorporates a lithium-ion battery which is pretty standard these days in electric shavers. 45 minutes of runtime is also on or around the average runtime. With Braun Series 7 and 9, you get 50 minutes of runtime. You can charge it with the cleaning and charge station.

It also has a 3-minute quick charge feature which gives you enough battery for one shave. Like other Arc 5 models, it has a universal voltage converter (100-240v) which enables you to use it anywhere in the world with a simple plug adapter.

Auto Cleaning And Charging System:

ES-LV95-S comes with a cleaning and charge station. It does the cleaning, bacteria elimination, blades lubrication, drying, and charging.

Panasonic’s cleaning and charging systems are more economical than Braun’s cleaning cartridges. You get a concentrated detergent and you need to dilute it with water.

ES-LV95-S Accessories

The product package comes with the following included:

• An ES-LV95-S shaver
• A clean and charge station
• A protective cap
• A charging cord
• Cleaning brush
• Travel case
• User’s manual and warranty card

Panasonic Arc5 ES-LV95-S VS ES-LV97-K - Which One To Go With

ES-LV97-K is also part of Panasonic’s Arc 5 second generation as is ES-LV95-S. The suffixes “S” and “K” indicate the color of the shaver which is silver chrome in LV95 and black matte in LV97.

LV97 is a relatively newer addition to the series whereas LV95 has been around for some time now. LV97 was introduced at IFA 2019 and LV95 has been with us since 2016.

Both of these shavers have some minor and probably insignificant differences. Both, in essence, incorporate the same shaving head and similarly powered motor. The newer model, ES-LV97-K, perhaps has a better sensing technology, but that itself has limited utility on the whole. Other than that, both come with a similar clean and charge station.

Both differ in terms of their interface. ES-LV97-K shows battery percentage in digits as opposed to LV95 which has a graphical presentation. You can enable the travel lock in the former by pressing the power button for 2-3 seconds as opposed to moving the travel lock knob in LV95. Other than that, there is a big thumb rest on LV97-K which the LV95-S lacks.

One deciding and huge parting point may be the price. You can get ES-LV95-S for around $150 as opposed to a whopping $250 for LV97-K. ES-LV97-K has better aesthetics but ES-LV95-S isn’t bad either. So, $100 more just for better looks can be a deal-breaker. Other than that, both of these shavers perform about the same and you can go with either one.

Panasonic Arc 5 vs Braun Series 9

Both of these series are the flagship and high-end series from both Panasonic and Braun. In terms of shaving performance, Panasonic Arc 5 is better at giving a close shave because of its five aggressive shaving elements.

This was a brief overview. You can find a detailed Panasonic Arc 5 vs Braun Series 9 comparison here.

Conclusion

Arc 5 is still unbeaten when it comes to giving a close and aggressive shave and ES-LV95-S continues to impress even after the newer generations in the series.

You get five ultra-sharp blades that deal with different kinds of hair including flat-lying, long and unruly hair. Although Arc 5, on the whole, is not as gentle as Braun Series 7 and 9, it blows its competitors out of the water when it comes to giving a close shave.

You are bound to love its trendy look and top-notch ergonomics, and expect to be awed by its utility and value of money down to each penny.

Its auto cleaning and charging station may not be as efficient and compact as Braun’s, it has a drying function which Braun’ lacks and provides an economical working.