Panasonic ES-LT3N-K (ES-LT7N-S) review: Overpriced But…

Nothing can beat the feeling of going to a workplace or college with a glowing and stubble-free face. For most people, it does not take much of an effort and just about every shaver would work for them. Unfortunately, it is not that simple for others, either because of unyielding hairs or the delicate nature of the skin. In both cases, all you need is a decent shaver to tackle the problems skin or hairs are posing.

This is where Panasonic comes into play, a name that almost every household is familiar with. It offers a variety of shavers loaded with nifty features to make the whole shaving experience unchallenging and pleasant. In this article, we would scrutinize two of such shavers, Panasonic ES-LT3N-K and ES-LT7N-S,  to give you an idea about what to expect from them.

In this article, we would try to answer these and some other questions that you may have about these shavers. We will put things into perspective by comparing them to one of the best-selling shavers of Arc 3 in Panasonic ES8103S.

Panasonic ES-LT3N-K (ES-LT7N-S) Review - What Does It Offer

One noteworthy point is that both of these shavers offer essentially the same features. And they differ only in color scheme and presence of cleaning station in ES-LT7N-S which LT3N lacks.

Please also note that the third shaver in the series, ES-LT5N-H, is similar to LT7N in its construction and design and differs only in lacking cleaning station. However, nowadays, it is rather difficult to find.

Other than that, both have the same shaving head and other performance-related features therefore you can expect similar performance. The following discussion relates to both of these shavers.

Design and Construction

As said earlier, in both these shavers, we see a design shift from earlier models and it is for the good. These newer shavers have a trendier design and we see this design now in new Arc 5 shavers such as ES-LV67-K. Therefore, these shavers have a premium feel to them.

In LT3N, we see a glossy black body with red highlights on the underside of the shaving head. However, in LT7N, we see metallic silver fascia and the shaving head. Black is used in contrast which makes up the backside, part of the shaving head, and a thumb rest on the front side. It also has red highlights on the underside of the shaving head like LT3N.

When we talk about ergonomics, these shavers have a sleek design and fit nicely into the hand.

Other than that, there are textured rubber inserts on the sides and back of the shaver which makes it non-slippery and gives a nice grip. The shavers are also lightweight and this helps in providing effortless shaving and does not tire you up.

The main interface is simple with an on/off button and LED display. The LED display shows battery percentage, the status of the travel lock, if shave sensor technology is enabled and whether your shaver needs charging by displaying a red power plug icon. This LED display is more or less similar to the display we see in some high-end models like Arc 5 ES-LV95-S.

Shaving Performance of Panasonic ES-LT3N-K (ES-LT7N-S)

LT3N and LT7N feature a shaving head that has three individual cutting elements. Out of these, two are finishing foil and one long hair slit foil. These shaving blades are made up of hypoallergenic stainless steel

This shaving head is backed up by a powerful linear motor that delivers 13,000 cuts per minute. This is quite a significant number compared to shavers in a similar price range.

This was a brief overview of what makes these shavers perform the way they do. How they actually perform is what really matters and we will discuss it in more detail.

Closeness of Shave

Panasonic shavers are generally better compared to similar level Braun shavers when it comes to the closeness of shave and aggressiveness of shaver. I have used LT3N for around four months now and I have also used Braun’s entry-level ProSkin of Series 3. In terms of closeness, Arc 3 beats Series 3 hands down.

By the way, you can lock the head by pressing the button which is on the backside of the head.

Comfort and Suitability for Sensitive Skin

Comfort has not been a strong point for Panasonic shavers. In the LT series, they use hypoallergenic foils, but they get hot after a few minutes of operation and this can lead to irritation. This may be a problem for people with sensitive skin.

However, you can deal with this issue better if you do wet shaving. In addition, these shavers utilize shave sensing technology which reads stubble density and changes the power of the motor accordingly. This reduces yanking at relatively thin-hair areas and reduces the chances of burn and irritation.

Convenience

In addition to wet and dry shaving ability, you get a pop-up trimmer which adds to the overall convenience of this shaver.

This pop-up trimmer is pretty sharp and works effortlessly and is a good tool for touch-ups and shaving your sideburns, mustaches, and goatee.

I like the sharpness, straight design and better position of this trimmer and is definitely better than some of the trimmers we see in Braun shavers and earlier Arc 3 models.

Battery Life and Charging

Both of these shaver use Li-ion powered batteries and take almost an hour to charge and provide a runtime of 40 minutes. However, what sets these batteries apart is their ability to adjust according to voltages ranging from 100-240 V.

Advantages of lithium-ion batteries include constant power at all battery levels and there is no harm to battery’s or shaver’s performance if it stays plugged even after 100% charge.

Another point worth mentioning is that you can only use these shavers cordless. This is more of a safety precaution because of shaver’s wet and dry ability.

Cleaning

Since both these shavers are waterproof their cleaning isn’t that big of a problem. However, it is even easier with the LT7N as it comes with a cleaning and charging station. In this shaver, all you have to do is put the shaver into the station and it will get the job done.

LT3N, on the other hand, has an easy manual cleaning. You can separate the inner blades from the outer foils and it has a separate sonic cleaning mode.

Remove the foil frame from the shaving head and gently tap it on a hard surface to remove hair. Put the shaving head back on and place a few drops of liquid soap. Press and hold the On/Off button to enter the cleaning mode. You can detect this by the increased speed of blades and higher-pitched sound. This will dislodge all the remaining debris. The shaver will turn off after about 20 seconds.

After this, remove the foil block and place it and shaver under running tap water. This will remove all the debris. Remove any water from the shaver and let it air dry.

Accessories:

In these shavers you get:

• An ES-LT7N-S or ES-LT3N-K electric shaver
• Cleaning and charging station in ES-LT7N-S
• Charging cord
• Plastic cap
• Travel pouch
• User’s manual

They do not come with lubricating oil which is a disappointment. The travel pouch is soft and velvety and does not provide much protection. These shavers don’t come with a cleaning brush which is a bummer even for an entry-level shaver.

Panasonic Arc 3 LT Series Vs Panasonic ES8103S

Released back in 2008, ES8103S has been a best-selling Arc 3 shaver for some time. In this section, we will see how these newer Arc 3 models fare against this widely popular shaver.

In terms of design, ES8103S has a more vintage and classic look as opposed to a trendier and modern look of LT models.

In shaving performance, both feature a similar shaving head. However, newer LT series models have a 3D flexible head as opposed to just pivoting head of the ES8103S. This, in theory, was to improve skin contact when going over contours. However, as pointed out earlier, this led to shaver skipping and hopping over some places. Therefore, ES8103S ensures better skin contact.

Other than that, both have a linear motor which operates at 13000 CPM.

I like that ES-LT3N-K and ES-LT7N-S remain relatively cool as compared to their predecessor in the series. This leads to better comfort. Although none of these shavers are particularly apt at dealing with long and flat-lying hair, LT models perform somewhat better.

One noticeable improvement in newer models is the LED display. This shows some very useful indicators as opposed to ES8103S which just shows battery level and whether you need to charge your shaver.

I can’t help but give props to newer models for their better pop-up trimmer. It is relatively more sharp with a better position and this delivers better performance when doing touch-ups.

Other than that, ES8103S lacks the newer shaving sense technology and travel lock. Honestly, it does not need a travel lock because the power button is kind of deep and looks quite difficult to be accidentally turned on.

Final Words

Updates these days in shaver series are mostly visual than actual improvement in shaving performance. However, we see some definite improvements in LT shavers of the Arc 3 series.

They are much better looking than the earlier models and have some nifty features like shave sensing technology. However, the same number of shaving elements and motor makes them perform more or less the same.

What impressed me most was the improved LED display which provides useful indicators. In addition, we finally have a pop-up trimmer that delivers what it is made for. Moreover, the travel lock is a useful addition.