Panasonic Arc5 Electric Razor Review: A Heavy-Duty Shaver for Tough Hair

THERE ARE PLENTY of reasons to use an electric razor rather than your traditional cream and blade combo, such as saving time, reducing razor burn and ingrown hairs or avoiding the need for shaving cream. Much of these benefits, of course, depend on what electric razor you are using. As a grooming editor—and electric razor enthusiast—I have tried almost every model out there. And while there are plenty of good options, I knew the minute that I took the Panasonic ARC5 Electric Razor out of the box that it was going to be top tier.

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With the five linear foil razors stacked into a large shaving head that pivots in 16 directions, it delivers an extremely close shave in record time. I was blown away by how quickly I could shave my entire face with essentially no pulling, nicking, or irritation left behind.

Even when shaving dry, it left my sensitive skin baby smooth without a hint of redness—partly why we named it the best electric razor for sensitive skin. And while it shaves incredibly close—closer than many other models I’ve tried thanks to the five blades—getting an ingrown hair on my neck or chin was a very rare occurrence. I was honestly shocked that such a powerful, effective razor could deliver such a superb shave without wrecking my skin.

Since using it, the Panasonic ARC5 has become one of my favorite go-to electric razors. It’s not completely perfect, for reasons I’ll get to below, but I believe that for most people, especially if you have sensitive skin, it is one of the best options for a lightning-fast, touchably smooth shave out there. Still on the fence? Here is everything you need to know about the Panasonic ARC5.

The thing you notice first about the Panasonic ARC5 is the size. The overall size of it is pretty comparable to many electric razors, but the head is large. I assume it’s designed this way to house the five foil blades, which is a large number for an electric razor (most of the razors on the market have three or four). This is a good thing! Not only do more blades mean a quicker, closer shave, but when combined with the powerful 14,000 CPM (cuts per minute) linear motor, these blades work together to power through stubble with lightning speed.

The combination of these blades and a powerful motor make the ARC5 one of the quickest and most effective electric razors I’ve tried. That large shaver head can also pivot in 16 directions (did you even know there were 16 directions? I didn’t!) allowing it to hug every curve and contour of your face with ease.

This multi-directional head also contributes to the effortlessly close shave the device delivers by helping to keep the razors against your skin and minimizing the need to go back over the same area multiple times. On top of all that, the ARC5 features beard-sensing technology that determines the density of your beard and automatically adjusts the power to help cut through hair while leaving minimal irritation behind.

The ARC5 is truly all about the shaving technology it utilizes to give you such a close and sensitive-skin-friendly shave. The other features are fairly standard for an electric razor at this price point. There is a pop-up trimmer to help maintain detail work like trimming sideburns and facial hair, an LED display that shows you how much battery life it has (it can run up to 45 minutes on a single charge), a three-minute quick charge option, wet/dry capabilities, and a travel lock. They’re all handy to have but don’t contribute much to the experience of actually shaving.

Thanks to the five blades and the powerful motor, the ARC5 delivers one of the fastest, closest shaves I’ve experienced. I was surprised at how quickly I could shave my entire face with hardly any need to go over the same area twice (mostly). The large head of the shaver did take a bit of getting used to since it’s not quite as nimble as some other shavers with smaller designs, but once I understood how the head moved on my face and how much it covered, I could shave my entire beard area and neck in only a couple of minutes.

I was also pleasantly surprised that the claims to minimize irritation were true. I typically get some redness and irritation from shavers this powerful, but with the ARC5 I have never had any problems at all. My skin isn’t red after I use it and I’ve never had a nick or a pull. Best of all, even though it shaves very close—so close that I have hardly any shadow by the end of the day—I’ve rarely gotten an ingrown hair when using this razor.

There are two things about the shave, however, that I don’t love. First, even though the device is one of the most powerful I’ve tried, it doesn’t do very well on multiple days of stubble. I tried it on three and four-day stubble lengths and noticed that I had to go over the same areas way more often (we’re talking upwards of three times) in order to fully shave them. I found that the maximum you’d want to have is one to two days of stubble depending on how thick your beard is.

I feel that the ARC5 is really best when you use it every day to maintain a very close, smooth shave. Second, if you have facial hair, it can be hard to work around it. This is because of the large shaving head which, while it’s great at covering large areas quickly, it’s not as good at shaving around styles like mustaches. Even the pop-up trimmer can only do so much.

I found that the trimmer is hard to use on more detail-oriented facial hairstyles, as well, because it’s hard to see where you are shaving thanks to the larger design of the shaving head (it’s still great for things like your sideburns). When I grew a mustache, I found that using the ARC5 to shave most of my face was an amazing option, but I needed a different tool (like a T-blade trimmer) to maintain the crispness of my mustache shape.

The Panasonic ARC5 will run you about $169.99 at full price (without the optional cleaning and charging station) which is fairly high for the average electric razor, but certainly not the most expensive on the market. Given the shaving power and effectiveness of this device, not to mention the included features apart from just the high number of blades and the powerful motor, I think it’s a good value for the price.

If you’re looking for an electric razor that truly delivers a close shave that rivals your usual razor and shaving cream, but can get you there way faster, this one is a worthwhile investment. Furthermore, I’ve been using the ARC5 for several years and it’s never decreased in power or had any issues (apart from needing to replace the blades every year or so), which brings down the cost per use to just pennies.

The ARC5 has a cleaning and charging station which you can opt into buying. If you have counter space in your bathroom for it, it’s a worthwhile investment (with the station, it runs you $229.99). I, however, do not, so I opted for just the ARC5 itself. If you, like me, need to clean your razor without the aid of the cleaning station, it’s still easy to clean on your own. Since the device is waterproof you can run it under your sink faucet. Just pop off the outer foil section of the head, and turn it on while running it under the faucet while it’s operating. This helps to expel hair that is caught between the blades and ensures a thorough clean. It’s recommended to do this after each use.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more powerful electric shaver that delivers a closer shave than the Panasonic ARC5. If you are a daily shaver who enjoys a very close shave, and if you don’t have facial hair or you don’t mind using another tool to maintain it, then the ARC5 is one of the best razors you can use. Even with the fairly high price tag, the performance, features and durability of this razor make it a worthwhile investment.

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