Panasonic ES8249K Arc IV Nano Vortex Wet/Dry Shaving System Review

Panasonic ES8249K Arc IV Nano Vortex Wet/Dry Rechargeable Shaving System, Black

Retail Price: $299.99

The Panasonic ES8249K Arc IV Nano Vortex Wet/Dry Shaving System really is a system. With most electric trimmers or razors you simply get the shaving device and a few accessories, but the ES8249K really is an impressive piece of kit. I thought I’d splash out this time around and get a high end razor with a cleaning station and everything. It’s obviously that bit more expensive but I thought, provided it does what it is designed to do, that it would be worth it.

And on the whole, I must say, I love it! The most important thing is that it gives a good shave, and on that note, it’s great. I’ve owned a couple of electric razors previously (neither were Panasonic) and this gives me by far the best shave quality. The blades are nice and sharp and pretty much on par with a normal wet razor in terms of the end result, and irritation is minimal.

It’s comfortable to hold and maneuver, and the motor is amazingly quiet. All in all, it feels very well built and generally of good quality, so worth the price in my opinion. My favourite thing would have to be the fact that you can use the shaver in both wet and dry conditions. Many similar devices are limited in this respect so this was a big plus for me.

When I give it some thought, it also give a very quick shave. In fact, wow, yes, now that I think back to other models I previously used, this is amazingly quick! I guess I’ve just got used to it.

It comes with the cleaning station / charger which I guess is a significant part of what you’re paying for here. The cleaning station does work and is useful, however it’s not perfect. It does take a long time if you leave the thing on to do a full clean and charge cycle, as much as a good three hours. And it’s not exactly quiet while this is happening. So, I think I’d say it’s definitely useful and I’m glad I have it, but it could certainly be improved (take note Panasonic).

Other than that annoyance, the only other thing would be the cost. It’s not the cheapest shaver on the market by any means, but then you’re certainly getting what you pay for in my opinion.

Here’s a summary of the Panasonic ES8249K:

Pros:

Gives a good, close shave
Cleaning station very useful, although not perfect
Can be used wet and dry
Very quiet motor
Easy to hold and use

Cons:

The base unit takes a long time to clean and charge (about 3 hours)
Quite expensive

Probably the biggest concern I had before buying the ES8249K was whether or not it would be worth the extra money. I think I can honestly say that yes, for the quality of shave it gives you and the general quality of the device, it is worth the money. I’ll certainly be using this for as long as possible and will look to get a similar style / system when it eventually does need replacing. So overall, very happy and would highly recommend it!

Click here to get the Panasonic ES8249K Arc IV Nano Vortex Wet/Dry Rechargeable Shaving System from Amazon.com

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