Panasonic ES8249S Men's 4-Blade (Arc 4) Wet/Dry Nanotech Rechargeable Electric Shaver with Vortex Cleaning System, Silver
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List Price: Our Price: $102.99 You Save: $147.00 (59%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Customer Reviews of Panasonic ES8249S Men's 4-Blade (Arc 4) Wet/Dry Nanotech Rechargeable Electric Shaver with Vortex Cleaning System, Silver
Customer Review: Gives an undeniably close shave, look no further than this!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was skeptical when I read the reviews, but i was tired of always having to shave with a Mach 3 Fusion Power razor all the time just to get a decent shave. If you are anything like me and have sensitive skin and coarse, thick facial hair, then this razor is what you have been looking for. The first time I shaved with the Arc IV was after 2 days of not shaving, and I just wanted to see how it would cut. I didn't use shave cream or a preshave cause I just wanted to test it out. I was so astounded at how smooth my skin felt that I just kept shaving till my whole face and neck was shaved. And the interesting thing about it was that my face didn't feel all raw, like I had several small cuts all over, in fact it felt just fine. It was the closest thing to a straight razor shave that I have ever had with an electric razor. Granted, I don't shave dry often, most of the time I shave in the shower with shaving cream. My skin has really cleared up since I have been using this because my face has been able to heal from the trauma of using a Mach 3 razor every day (even though a Mach 3 Fusion is awesome, after shaving 5 days straight my skin gets traumatized). The charge lasts a very long time. Using it 5 times a week in the shower for 3+ minutes at a time I am able to get about a week and a half out of one charge. The base/charger also has a nice option to clean the razor as well. This is very nice and convenient and makes the razor perform like new and smell nice. I have heard complaints about how long it takes to clean and how noisy it is. Well, I don't really consider this a problem. In fact, it might just even be a little nitpicky. Just don't charge it in your bedroom when you are trying to sleep and you will be fine. It does take a while to clean (perhaps about an hour), but I just set it and forget it while I am on my way out the door in the morning.
If you have been considering taking the plunge into the foray of the electric razor world, then look no further than this. The wet/dry option is an undeniable advantage in both longevity and rugged survivability. Take it on a camping trip down the Colorado river and you won't worry about breaking it. It is nice looking, relatively small, gives a comfortable, close shave that will make your significant other want to make-out more and not worry about looking like a sand-paper attack victim. I would highly recommend this and it has changed my perception about the viability of electric razors in the modern age.
Cheers!
Customer Review: Gave Up All Hope...Until Now!
Summary: 5 Stars
I owned Norelco shavers up until about 2003, when I decided standing over the sink for a half hour going over and over one spot wasn't worth it. I tried the wet/dry model, and even the one that "shot" out the Nivea shaving gel. For the last 7 years I've been using a Gillette Mach 3 razor, with regular old shaving gel...however I found myself letting the beard grow longer between shaves because of the amount of time it took to finish.
Recently my buddy bought a Braun Series 3 shaver, but never really said much about it...certainly never bragged about how great it was. I decided last Friday after my boss jokingly said "wow your letting your beard come in huh" that it was time to try something new. After searching and reading reviews for every men's shaver manufactured I decided to order the Panasonic ES8249S Arc IV.
I ordered with overnight Saturday delivery, and tore the shaver out of the box first thing. I gotta say everything from the packaging to the build quality of the razor are top notch. The razor looks very high tech (a must for a tech geek like myself) and the led screen is a nice touch! I set the recharger up in my bathroom, and immediately started to charge the shaver, the orange glow of the screen was kinda cool looking and the percent charged is a nice feature to have when you gotta fly out the door.
After about a half hour I couldn't stand it anymore and had to try my new purchase, I removed it from the recharger and pressed the chrome button...with a nice little hum the new shaver came to life. I touched the cutting foils to my cheek and couldn't believe how it removed the coarse, long hairs. The spot was completely smooth and clean, I continued, my neck, jaw, and even the stragglers on my upper cheek were cut off, and my face felt like it did when I was 8!
The Arc IV never skipped a beat, never pulled or tugged a hair, and left my face feeling fresh and smooth. I must say my faith in electric shavers has been restored, after years of using a straight edge...I finally found an electric shaver that gives me the same effect without having to change blades or have my skin feel irritated afterward...thanks Panasonic!
My first try of the razor was a dry run, I'm looking forward to trying the wet shave in the shower, if it worked as well as it did dry...wet should be a real treat.
Guys if you need a new shaver do not even hesitate to pick this Panasonic up!
Customer Review: Finnally !!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I hate shaving...I would rather mow the yard than shave my face. I used the Norelco 985RX for years...it was slow and required many strokes over the same area...then I bought the Brawn 7526 with the automatic cleaner. Same drill, slow and requiring many trips over the same area...particularly my neck; it requiring up and down and side-way strokes to eventually rid my neck of hair.
So bad was my experience with electric shavers since I started shaving (I am now 64 years old) that I rarely shave on the weekends. On Monday morning I Gillette safety razor it in the shower to rid my weekend hair....because the electric shavers can't handle two days growth.
Enter the Panasonic ES8249 into my world. This week I have been amazed....unlike the Brawn that near required ear plugs so your ears wouldn't be subjected to noise approaching that of a jet engine while trying to shave the side of your face, the buzz is low and very tolerable. The shave is closer than the Brawn or the Norelco and it requires only a second touch-up stroke to make it happen.
By no means does the Panasonic make me want to shave, but the morning 'little tiny hair' removal drill is now quick and relatively noiseless.
The side burn trimmer is on par with the Norelco and the Brawn.......which is very good.
The self cleaning feature of the Panasonic is on line with the Brawn....which is excellent. Although the Panasonic doesn't sound like you have entered a jet engine test cell when it's doing the cleaning....it's relatively quite.
The Brawn is easier to recharge the cleaning feature...one cartridge slides into its little place under the shaving unit takes care of the reload. The Panasonic requires a little container on the back replenished with tap water and a tiny cleaning fluid cartridge placed under the unit. Two steps instead of one.....basically irrelevant.
I paid $149 through Amazon.....well worth it for the many years I anticipate it will provide quiet, effective shaving while preparing for the next shave by self cleaning.
UPDATE:
Didn't shave for three days....growth was serious...until the Panasonic I would have had to use my Gillette and foamy that resides in the shower to take it off. Thought I would try before I showered. The Panasonic took it off as if it were a one day growth. I have a fast growing heavy beard.
Customer Review: Razor ok - cleaning base defective Panasonic customer svce won't send new unit
Summary: 1 Stars
The razor works ok after a little over a month, no complaints regarding that. However the base died just after the month return policy where it no longer dries.
Working with Panasonic customer service has been painful. Despite the fact this is an expensive razor that broke, they want me to mail it into them before they replace it. I asked what am I supposed to use in the mean time, and was told basically that is not their problem, this is their warranty procedure and even after 30 days with a defective unit that is the best they can do.
They even admitted to me over the phone it sounded unusual for this part to break, but refused to send me the replacement unit before I send back the broken one. They refused to just take back the base leaving me the razor. The person I spoke with was rude with poor customer service skills, then put me on hold for 20 minutes when I asked to speak to her manager (she told me she was a supervisor). Being at work, I had to finally hang up since I cannot stay on the phone all day.
Bottom line is if you are lucky enough to receive a working unit, most likely you will be fine. If you have a defective unit better hope it breaks within your 30 day return period or you will need to grow a beard before you have it fixed back to you.
I spent the money I spent because I trusted Panasonic quality, and was under the false belief they offered reasonable customer service. Now I either have to give up the razor for a month (ship to them, wait for processing, wait for them to ship back) hoping I get a new one that actually does work, or live with it in a semi-broken state (will the cleaning cycle function break down completely soon as the heating unit did?). Considering the money I spent for this I am hugely disappointed in both Panasonic's quality - which I could forgive - and their extremely poor customer service - which I cannot. Certainly even the best made products can be sent out defective. The key between a company I will buy other products from going forward, and a company I will never trust or buy anything from again, is how that company deals with these situations. Panasonic has failed and therefore has lost me forever as a customer for any of their product lines. I will not risk being stuck with another defective product they will not stand behind with any level of true customer service.
Customer Review: So far...so good (and more)
Summary: 4 Stars
I owned a Panasonic Wet/Dry shaver many, many years ago and I loved it - it was small, gave a very close shave, was waterproof, and only cost me about $35. That thing must lasted me about four or five years...maybe more. Wish I still had that one...it did the job exceedingly well. But technology advances, and this shaver certainly reflects that.
I've owned this shaver about three weeks and so far, so good. While it comes with the holder that will charge, clean, and dry the shaver, you actually have a lot of choices about how you clean it after using it. When I first purchased it, I was concerned that cleaning it would always require the cleaning stand with solution, etc. but that is not the case. It can be cleaned quickly under a stream of water or with handsoap. I usually clean it by removing the shaving head cover, running that under water, then switching the shaver on to the cleaning mode and running it under the shower water for about 20 seconds. I then (after my shower) drop it into the charging base, select the "Dry" and "Charge" modes by toggling through the selections, and let the charging base do the rest. If I'm in a hurry and don't have time to clean it, then I just drop it in the base and select "Clean" + "Dry" + "Charge."
As far as the shaving, it gets pretty darn close. A few techniques help. I find the closeness of the shave about the same with or without shaving cream. Pulling the skin away from the direction it grows (e.g. pull up on your skin near your cheek since your hair points down) helps the shaver get closer. It seems gentle enough on the skin, although I'm still adjusting to it. Probably the biggest drawback is the size of the shaving head, which makes it hard to shave around and above my mustache. I've had to touch up that area with a blade. I'm in the Reserves, so I can't just let my mustache grow wild and spread out across my face. If you're not in that position, then no problem. I think one could shave around his beard without any issues. There is also a pop-out trimmer that seems to work fine, but doesn't trim nearly as close as the shaver head cuts (of course, it's not designed to).
Overall, I'm happy with it and having purchased it on sale for $93 with a $20 rebate, I'm sure I've gotten a good value.