Electric Shaver Review

Panasonic Series 900 Review – LV6U & LV9U Models

If any electric shaver company can complicate things when it comes to upgrades, revisions, model numbers, and now also model names–it is Panasonic.

Panasonic has mastered complicating the buying process of the ARC 5 (or is it Series 900, Arc 5 Pro, Pro +, or maybe Lamdash 5?).

The introduction of the Panasonic Series 900 (an Arc 5, really) and Pro seems to be following the likes of Braun with their Series 9 Pro and then Series 9 Pro + (S9 to S9 Pro to S9 Pro + makes sense though)

I won’t go into detail about model numbers too much as they won’t all be available in the USA, UK, and other countries, and it just complicates things.

What I can mention is that this–version reviewed here (Series 900 LV6U and LV9U)–is one of the model lines that are available worldwide (some are not, and some are only available in Japan).

The Series 900 LV6U and LV9U (reviewed here) came after the previous Arc 5 I reviewed, which was the Panasonic Arc 5 LV6Q (no cleaning station) & LV9Q (comes with a cleaning station). The LV6Q & LV9Q models are still available and perform just as well as the shaver I am reviewing here.

Description & Features

I got myself the Series 900 LV9U – K model, which came with the cleaning station (see photo below). The LV6U is the exact same shaver but without the cleaning station and costs quite a lot less.

Shaving Elements

Like previous Arc 5 shavers, the cassette section is comprised of two parts. One part is the cassette containing the foils, trimmer section, and comfort rollers. Then, once the cassette is removed, we have two removable cutting blades.

I’m not a fan of the two separate cassette and blade parts, and I prefer how Braun keeps the cassette as one unit. This could be very good engineering by Panasonic for all I know, though!

We get four slim foils that do all the shaving, and in between the two sets of foils, we have what is called comfort rollers. These comfort rollers aim to make the shave more comfortable and help the foils glide over the skin, which I find hard to know if they do or not (my guess is Panasonic knows what they are doing here, and they help).

In the center, we have a gold-colored strip (titanium) that is there to pick up those tricky hairs that lay flat or just decide they want to live and not be cut down. I believe this type of trimming element most definitely helps the shave, as I have found with other shavers.

These shaving elements all have flex, which I have seen as useful when shaving along various contours, providing some flex and comfort.

20D Flexible Shaver Head

The last Arc 5 I used and reviewed (i.e., LV6Q & LV9Q) had a Multi-Flex 5D Head.

Some of this 20D or 5D can be taken with a pinch of salt as the 5D has some of the same flexing abilities, as you’ll see in this wording Panasonic provides for the 900 Series here — The head moves in 10 directions, and the 5 blades move in 10 directions independently – both vertically and horizontally – and follow the contours of the face.

I found the 5D on the previous model provided enough movement. While this 20D sounds great, and an extra bit of movement can be useful, the additional directions, if they are actually any different, make no difference to me while shaving (I can’t say I noticed it).

The main thing is that it has some movement when shaving along various contours, like the jaw and chin areas. The head can be locked into position via the slide-up button on the back of the shaver and unlocked.

I have found the head on the Arc 5, including this model, to be quite large and kind of cumbersome. However, it does not get in the way of shaving all areas, and I adjust to its size quickly.

Ergonomics and Grip

The shaver body has the ideal shape on the back area, which helps it fit perfectly in my hand. It’s a great design!

The back area is also rubberized, which is useful for grip.

Another useful design is a small section that is rubberized on the front covering where the thumb sits.

All this enables the shaver to fit comfortably and snugly in my hand. Very well designed!

Motor and Cutting Actions

The Series 900 stands out for its power, outperforming many competitors in the electric shaver market. Its 14,000 CPM linear motor delivers an impressive 70,000 cross-cutting actions per minute. This level of performance should ensure efficient and fast shaving, probably setting it apart from even top-tier competitors.

Now, I cannot confirm how many cutting actions a shaver has. However, what I can judge is its performance, and I can even watch the blade movement when it is switched on. Without a doubt, a lot of cutting actions and movements are going on with this blade system, which is visible and feelable.

Its ability to cut at speeds could even be a hindrance for some guys with sensitive skin. Some guys need less action on their skin, while others with coarse growth and normal skin will be able to welcome this kind of aggressiveness.

Beard Sensor

This is what Panasonic states about the beard sensor (i.e., adjusts to beard density):

Benefit from a bespoke shave with our Beard Sensor Technology that adapts the power to suit your face contours, stubble thickness, and density. The power will boost where beard growth is heavy and reduce in other areas to prevent skin irritation offering you the most comfortable shave.

Now, I cannot know if that is functioning, although I have sensed slight variations in the sound.

All top-end shavers have or at least market this technology. It still seems somewhat gimmicky to me, but then again, it could be useful without me even knowing.

Attached Trimmer

The attached trimmer on the back of the shaver is easy to switch on and off. A switch on the back of the shaver (which also locks and unlocks head movement) can be slid forward, which opens the detail trimmer (and while the shaver is switched), it will be ready to use.

This small, non-frills-looking detail trimmer gives a very good trim on the sideburns. It takes a lot for one of these to impress me unless I am just getting better at using them.

It’s quite clever that Panasonic has integrated the locking and unlocking slider with the opening and closing of the detail trimmer. Fewer buttons are required!

LED Indicators & Travel Lock

The LED indicators are quite simple and provide the main useful indicator, which is how much charge is left. The charge left indicator counts down in the 20s from 100 – 20. As the shaver gets closer to needing charging after number 20 (last segment), the number will start to blink, which indicates that it needs to be charged up.

This type of simple indication is enough for my liking, although I did like the percentage numbers on the previous Arc 5 models. It seems like they downgraded this one, but it is no deal breaker.

We also get a travel lock feature, which also has its own indicator–a red padlock. As always, this is useful when traveling and can be activated and deactivated when holding the button for a few seconds.

Charging and Battery

The battery takes about an hour to fully charge via the plug socket when placed in the cleaning station. After charging it myself, I can say that it is very accurate.

We get about 50 minutes of runtime, which is not quite as much as some others (60 minutes), but 10 minutes is no deal breaker. If a lot of cutting actions are going on, then slightly less battery runtime could make sense. We can also give the shaver a quick 5-minute boost charge to get a shave or tow out of it if needed, which is useful.

I would say about 45 – 50 minutes is about right, and I did notice I was running out of charge in what seemed like quite a bit quicker time than the Braun Series 9 Pro + I used and reviewed recently. I guess it seemed similar to the Braun Series 8 8567cc I have recently reviewed.

The battery life of the battery is about 3 years, according to Panasonic.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Cleaning and maintaining the Series 900 is no different than other shavers I have.

When I manually clean, I blow out the main debris, which seems to get rid of the main stuff better than brushing. A slight tap can loosen any debris stuck, too. On every third shave, I generally add a blob of anti-bacterial hand soap on the cutter and foils and then a spot of water before switching on the shaver to get it clean. I give it a rinse after under the tap with the cassette taken off, then let it sit and dry for a couple of hours or so.

An interesting feature of manual cleaning is when we hold the button while the shaver is off for a couple of seconds, it activates a different mode, and we get a higher pitch sound. This is supposed to stop the foam from soap splashing from the shaving elements, and it runs for 20 seconds. I tried this feature, and it works fine, but I can’t say I need to avoid soap splashes from the shaver (I guess the feature shows thought in detail, though, from the Japanese).

I won’t go into detail about the cleaning station as you may not want to purchase the LV9U model I have or any other Arc 5 with the cleaning station. It’s good to have, and I believe using the fluid is good for my shavers, as I can be shaving in a hard water area, which could maybe affect blades.

I will review the cleaning station separately, as I did for the Braun S8 and S9.

We get a small bottle of lubrication oil with our shavers, and it’s a good idea to use it frequently to maintain the blades and cutting elements. I generally use oil when the shaver has been manually cleaned and/or after shaving wet. It’s worth noting that if you use the cleaning station, the fluid that cleans also lubricates, so no oil is required after using the station to clean.

Part of the maintenance is replacing the cassette and blades, which I go into next.

Replacement Cassette & Blades

As I have mentioned, I am not a fan of how the cassette and two blades are separate and differ in lifespan (Panasonic could be smarter than me on this, though, and have reasons). The inner blades are to be replaced every 2 years, and the cassette every year (approximately based on beard coarseness and usage).

Because I am always switching shavers and razors for testing and reviewing, I dont get long enough with one shaver to measure the longevity of most shaver blades. I have definitely not had long enough time with this Series 900 to share my experience.

The blades and cassette replacement numbers are as follows below:

These are not easy to purchase outside of Japan, but that could change, or you could try and can’t Panasonic in your country to request replacements. They can be purchased via Amazon Japan here and cost around 6500 yen (42 USD), which is not expensive even when the shipping cost is included.

The cassette and blades on the previous Arc 5 models are compatible with the Series 900, so they can be used if needed (availability and costs of latest considered). The S900 cassette and blades also fit my Arc 5 LV9Q.

Accessories

The LV6U and LV9U models both come with the small leather travel case or pouch, which is of decent quality but will only fit the shaver inside (not the cord & plug).

One of the things that is great about the Arc 5 and S900 shavers is the long cord that comes with it. It is minor when evaluating a shaver, but it’s a nice attention to detail I appreciate (plus I dislike short cords).

We also get a protective blade cover with each model and a small bottle of lubrication oil.

The LV9U, as mentioned, comes with a cleaning station. That came at an extra cost, though, and as mentioned, I won’t go into detail here to remain focused on the server.

Shaving Experiences

I was no stranger to the Series 900 as I have an Arc 5 (LV9Q, as mentioned), and I wasn’t expecting much difference in performance.

I found no difference between this S900 and the previous Arc 5 I used and reviewed. A difference in minor features–yeah–, but not the shave.

I used the shaver on 3 days and 2 days of growth and shaved consecutive daily for a few days.

As expected, the shaver plows through stubble at speed.

On three days of growth, I did have patches left over, but once I went over the stubborn areas a few times, the shaver got rid of them. Leftover patches (under the sideburns and under the far jaw areas) are the norm for me–no matter what shaver I use.

An odd thing was on two occasions; I had one leftover hair near Adam’s apple that would just not budge (heck of a strong loner hair). I used the detail trimmer on the back of the shaver for that lonesome weird hair.

Shaving with two days of stubble seemed the best balance for my skin and this shaver. I had less clearing up to do.

Shaving daily is not my thing, but I try it out for you guys. After a couple of days, my skin felt some soreness, and on the third day, I stopped. Maybe guys with harder skin would be fine shaving every day with it, but not for me.

The temporary soreness is caused by the blade system being quite aggressive. That’s good news for those with coarse growth and normal skin but not so good for those with sensitive skin issues. It is worth noting that this soreness can also be temporary when first using the shaver, as the skin needs time to adjust (pretty normal).

The head-on this shaver is quite large and can seem cumbersome. However, the size does not cause any problems, such as when shaving under the nose; it has just been a matter of adjusting to a shaver head that looks larger.

The ability to lock and unlock the head is useful as I can lock the shaver head into place for the longer strokes and then unlock it and allow it to flex while shaving over the jaw and chin area.

Wet & Head Shaving

I shaved wet on one occasion with shaving cream lather, and it was fine. I maybe got a little extra comfort, but that was about it.

Guys who shave in the shower or bath should get along fine with the S900–with some lubrication of choice added (i.e., shaving foam, soap, cream, or gel) to prevent the shaving elements from juddering.

As I am a head shaving guy who’s always testing these tools out–of course–I was going to try a head shave. It gives a very close shave that’s fast, but as a standard for facial shavers, the design makes it harder to shave the back of the head, unlike a dedicated head shaver.

I’ve got a video of head shaving with it!

Value for Money – Costs

The LV9U I purchased was quite pricey when I first bought it, and the LV6U was a third of the price less (i.e., £200 from £300).

LV6U (approx.*) – In the USA currently, I could only find a price of more than $300. Better in the UK and Europe at £200 (UK) or €250 (EU).

LV9U (approx.*) – Currently, the model with the cleaning station costs $306 in the US, around £300 in the UK, and €270 in Europe.

* These current prices will change more frequently than the weather in April in the UK.

The prices can vary so much and are very different from one country to another. It’s not a bad idea to compare prices with other Arc 5, Arc 5 Pro, Pro +, or even Lamdash models. Some of the older models might be better priced and not differ in shaving performance (only features differ).

Final Thoughts – Verdict (Worth Buying?)

As with the last review I did with the Arc 5, the Series 900 proved to be one heck of a powerful shaver that likes to tackle coarse growth.

It gives about the closest shave an electric shaver can (hard to beat)!

I did not see or feel any upgrade in the quality of this shaver or its performance compared to the older LV9Q (LV6Q) I used and reviewed. In fact, I really liked the percentage charge amount left displayed on the older model and how it lit up with the charge amount left when I picked up the shaver.

As I have mentioned, I don’t think this is the best option for guys who have some kind of skin sensitivity and pick up irritation easily due to the aggressiveness of the powerful motor with the blade system. It could also be overkill for those who usually shave daily.

If you are looking for a top-end shaver and you are willing to part with $200+ (£200+), then this is a shaver to compare with the likes of the Braun Series 9 Pro and other top-end shavers.

Just keep in mind that if you find the price too high but like what you read about the shaving performance, then you can consider other Series 900, or it’s easier if I say Arc 5 type shavers.

That’s about the wrap, guys!

If there is anything I have missed or you need to know something else–just drop a comment below.

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