Series 800 ES-LV97 5-Blade Wet and Dry Electric Shaver for Men, Rechargeable, Responsive Beard Sensor, Multi-Flex 16D Head, Auto Cleaning, Charging Stand, Gift for men (2 pin UK plug)

I’ve used Braun shavers for as long as I can remember, and my old Braun Series 7 has finally started to show its age, becoming a bit rusty and noticeably less effective. Naturally, I went to check the newer Braun models — and was quite surprised (and honestly disappointed) to discover that the new Series 7, 6, and 5 now feel more like what the old Series 3 used to be: budget-leaning versions of a once-premium line. It seems only the Series 8 and 9 remain true high-end options, and even those come at a steep price. So I decided it might be time to try something different — and I’m really glad I did. The Panasonic ES-LV97 has been excellent so far. The shaver itself feels compact, solid, and very comfortable in the hand (though the shaving head is on the larger side — something to be aware of). The build quality is genuinely impressive, with good materials and a very sturdy feel compared to recent Braun models. One of the best features is the cleaning station. It’s compact, easy to use, and has an integrated reservoir for the cleaning liquid — you simply add water and detergent. Unlike Braun’s alcohol cartridges, you don’t need to worry about the solution evaporating within a couple of days if the lid isn’t sealed perfectly, and it’s far less prone to spilling if the unit is moved slightly. It even includes a drying function, which is a great extra touch. As for the shave: extremely close, smooth, and surprisingly gentle. I have sensitive skin and fairly patchy facial hair, and I’ve had absolutely no irritation or uneven spots. It cuts fast, cleanly, and with minimal pressure. Battery life is excellent, the shaver is quieter than expected, and it performs well both dry and with shaving foam. Even without the cleaning station it’s easy to rinse clean, but having the station makes the whole routine almost effortless. Considering the performance and overall quality, it offers very good value for the price. All in all, a very impressive upgrade and a strong alternative to the increasingly budget-feeling Braun lineup. I’m genuinely pleased with the switch.

What I like: • Unbeatable smooth shave. I have thick facial hair, and it works very well. • Easy to use: Just shave. • Easy and comfortable to hold • Low Noise • The washing unit makes cleaning super easy. Just pop it in the unit and press the button. It also charges the unit, so no more running out of power. • Comes with a handy travel case that fits well. Keep in mind: • Replacement blades are on the pricey side, at around £50 a set, but they are supposed to last for 1-2 years. • I previously had an older Panasonic ES8249, which lasted me 12 years and was a 3-blade system. Although, this 5-blade Panasonic ES-LV97 is a big upgrade; it's not amazingly better, so a 3-blade might be good enough for people with less thick hair (or people with thick hair who don’t mind spending an extra few minutes shaving). • While the washing unit is great, it takes 80 minutes to do a wash, and the first 10 minutes can get loud! • The manual of the Panasonic ES-LV97 says the battery only lasts for 3 years. However, my previous ES8249 said something similar, and I got 10 years out of it (and then a further 2 when I changed the battery myself, which wasn't that hard).

I've been using the Panasonic ES-LV67 5-Blade shaver for a month now, having previously used the cheapest Braun model for about three years which had devolved into giving me a rubbish shave. I'd always used Braun shavers, but I'm glad I looked around this time. I read the pro shaver-guys reviews, and found out about this. A nice price, great build quality and looks, and it really does give you a very nice close 'everyday' shave. The head tilts around nicely, and I've had no razor burn or skin reaction. The battery life is currently good. It holds comfortably in the hand, and the vibration isn't enough to make your hand tingle or go numb. It's apparently waterproof (untested by me). The box and instructions were very good. There are a few drawbacks: 1) the head feels big at first, like a 'bar of soap' big and took a week of getting used to; 2) it still has problems doing a good job at the top of the lip (under the nose), and in the corners of the mouth; 3) the charger plug is not British (you'll need an 2-pin to 3-pin adaptor for a standard British wall socket), and at the other end it is 'more than clunky' where it plugs into the bottom of the razor. This end of the charger cable is very tough and awkward to get in and out, which is surprising since the rest of the razor is so well engineered; 4) the power indicator isn't very sensitive at the bottom of the range, you just know "20%" left, and that's it; 5) you have to be careful fitting the head back on after cleaning, or the razor in motion can give a sort of chattering sound - even when everything is definitely properly seated and clipped on. I found giving the two main blade-blocks a little soft flick with a fingernail before refitting the foils worked to get rid of this. Possibly a touch of the lubrication oil (included in the box) would also help with this. Other than these small niggles, at February 2024 it's a good affordable choice to get the job done - a nice smooth clean shave every day, and relatively quickly.

Bought at Black Friday discount 20 Nov 2025. I already have a 2020 LV95 Arc 5 and a heavy, manic-noisy 2024 Arc 6 (not worth it and hard to clean the integral head & cutters). This shaver is the best value; light and quiet. Make sure you oil the foil regularly. Light-machine or baby oil will do. Rub on top with a finger whilst running. Quick and close shave. For now. But cutters dull with use and a set costs only £16 less than this shaver! Also need to air-blast the heads and foils, with a can of compressed gas weekly, to maintain performance. Sorry to read that some buyers suffered razor burn. This is more down to their individual skin and health than electric shavers. Extra vitamin-C may help. I take 5 grams daily.

If you're looking for a premium shaver it always seems like the two that go head are the Braun Series 9 shavers, and the 5 blade Panasonic shavers like this one. Well I recently used a Braun Series 9 for about 3 weeks, and that's gone back to Amazon because the shave I was getting wasn't worth the money. What arrived afterwards was this Panasonic 5 blade, and after just a few uses I can confidently say it will not be getting sent back. For a start it's a whopping £100 cheaper at current prices than the cheapest series 9 you should be considering (don't get one without a cleaning station). Next and arguably most importantly, it shaves closer than a Series 9 and has no problems getting at awkward hairs, that Series 9 couldn't get to properly. It's so much easier to clean than a Series 9. Couple of taps on the sink, few swipes with the brush, and maybe a rinse under the tap for good measure, and you're done. With the Braun Series 9 though, you've no hope of getting that thing clean without using the cleaning base, and that means using the cleaning solutions etc. Also lugging about a cleaning station that you have to use is not particularly travel friendly. You'll want to clean that Braun frequently as well, as it cakes up with hair at the drop of a hat. This Panasonic seems to cake up a lot less. Basically the Panasonic is cleaner to use, easier to clean, and more travel friendly. Minor little thing, but the Panasonic came with a clip on foil guard to protect that expensive foil, the Braun Series 9, did not. Both came with travel cases, but with the cost of the foils on these, a bit of extra protection is hugely welcome. The Panasonic's head moves a lot better, and locks more securely as well. For a start the Panasonic head flexes side to side, and has some in and out movement for the entire head, not just back and forwards like the Braun Series 9. When the head tilts as well, the foils stay in place in relation to the head, this means you get the full benefit of the head flexing, whereas on the Braun the foils retract when the head is flexed, making the flex kind of pointless. Additionally when the Panasonic head locks, it locks, it's not moving, unless you unlock it, whereas on the Braun it just engages some heavy detents, so the head moves still but just needs more force meaning it can occasionally click out of position. Alright so now I've covered the whole Braun Series 9, vs Panasonic 5 blade thing, what about this shaver in it's own right? Well I shave my entire head, if it's not an eye brow, eye lash, or up my nose, it's getting shaved off. For me is the biggest challenge of any shaver for me is the neck and chin, the skin is very sensitive there, but the hair there could probably sand wood, with just a day of growth, and I'm really fussy about shaving this area, as it's unpleasant rubbing your chin and feeling like you're swiping the rough side of velcro with the back of your hand. Also a smoother shave makes wearing a cloth mask less of a trying experience as well. However for this area with this shaver, it's hands down the best electric shave I've ever had. The 30 degree curve works for you here, effortlessly getting hairs where chin meets neck, and recessed areas around the windpipe where the skin goes inwards. I've never had a quicker, closer, or easier underchin shave with an electric razor. I have had marginally better results with standard razor, but not this quickly and easily, and even then only with a brand new fresh blade. In terms of shaving my head and face, it gives a great silky smooth shave, but the angle of the blades works slightly against you here, as it reduces the shavers contact patch on the flatter parts where there is nothing between skin and skull. This is easy to work around though in those situations by slightly tilting the shaver so you're using the side of the blades rather the centre. Ordinarily this would mean you'd be shaving for longer, but the shaver does such a good grab of getting hairs on a single pass, you'll make that time up in reduced repeat strokes. I thought the massive size of the foil head would lead to areas like directly under my nose, or behind my ears being difficult to get to, but I had no issues at all, I think it's the multiple directions the head flexes in, that make up for the size there. As for irritation, none at all. As I mentioned my neck and chin, are prone to sensitivity, but except for a very light tingle afterwards that could as much be due to the vibration from the motor, despite the closeness of the shave, there is no soreness or redness at all. This is with no balms, creams, or anything, just a straight up dry shave. If I had to nit pick anything, and it's a trivial thing, the noise... the noise this thing makes is horrible. It's loud and high pitched, and the first time you turn this thing on, you're most likely going to wince. Pleased to say though, not so bad when actually in use, but still there, still going to quite often be near your ears, and still possibly the least pleasant sounding shaver I've ever used, and shavers as a rule are not pleasant sounding things. I've bought a variety of different shavers over the last couple of years, from rotaries to foils, to expensive Skull Shaver Pitbulls, and obviously the Braun Series 9, to cheap and cheerful Sweetlyf, and Surker's, but out of all them, this is the one that if it got run over by a truck tomorrow, I'd immediately buy another.

5 stars, not sure why it was only allowing me to select 4 when I did this review. But on to the shaver, Ive wet shaved with a razor for years to give me a close shave and prolong the time it takes to then shave my head again. Now, you cant get closer than a razor fact, but it's a real faf and a bit of a pain in the backside that often takes a fair bit of time to do properly plus remembering to buy shaving foam when im running out. Ive tried alot of different shavers hoping something gets somewhat close to a razor, zero gapped clippers, zero gapped trimmers (great for taking the hair down before using a razor but never close enough). Foil shavers, better but do seem to irritate and struggle around the back of the head with natural contouring of your head, and Ive tried the remmington and bulldog skull shavers but they always seem to dull quickly and irritate the back of my neck. I had seen alot of reviews for the Panasonic Arc 5 and after A LOT of researching on this and the Braun series 9 watching comparison videos and reading reviews I pulled the trigger, and... bullseye. Just what I have been looking for, a quick, close shave with no irritation. Im genuinely impressed, yes not as close as a razor but its not far off. Id say its probably what my head feels like the next morning after shaving of an evening, so lets say 12 hours post shave and for how quick and easy this was to do that is actually amazing results. Highly recommend!

Decent shave, but not quite premium—solid performance with a few drawbacks The Panasonic ES-LV67 offers a respectable shave with its 5-blade system, and it performs well both wet and dry. It’s comfortable to hold, charges quickly, and feels well-built. The flexible head adapts nicely to facial contours, and it handles daily stubble with ease. However, for a premium-priced shaver, I expected a bit more refinement. On thicker or longer hair, it sometimes struggles and requires multiple passes to get a truly close finish. The motor is powerful, but not as smooth or quiet as some competitors in the same range. Cleaning is straightforward, and the battery life is solid—easily lasting over a week with regular use. But the shave quality doesn’t quite justify the higher price tag, especially if you're upgrading from a mid-range model. Overall, it’s a good shaver with reliable features, but not a standout. Worth considering if you catch it on sale, but not quite the flawless experience I was hoping for.

If your looking for an electric shaver STOP .... Look no further. I purchased the electric shaver in September 2025 and have not traditionally wet shaved since. Originally I had been set on a Braun series 9 as the hype and the reviews gave it top marks. However the cost could be quite eye watering for some. I did indeed have a Braun series 9 in my basket and for some reason I don't know why I deleted and added the Panasonic instead. So pleased that I did. Depending on the time of year due to sales etc the Panasonic series 800 can be purchased at a quarter of the price of the Braun 9. Do it deliver on price and performance..... Yes it does. The shave gives great results and a very very close shave indeed very nearly comparable to a traditional razor wet shave. I have been so impressed in my own personal use that I purchased another unit for my father's Christmas present this year.