REVIEWS

Panasonic ES-LT71-S Arc3 Men’s Electric Shaver Review

By Philip Yiga | March 31, 2015

After reviewing various Panasonic shavers, I have noticed that most of them get priced basing on extra features and accessories that come with them, however, sometimes these new features and accessories don’t add any significant value to the product. When choosing an electric shaver, always look for the most essential features, you as a customer you have to know what you need, this will save you lots of cash.

But on the other hand, you might as well be a beginner, so the all feature & accessory thing might confuse you, that is why I have picked Panasonic ES-LT71-S Arc3 Men’s Electric Shaver as the best wet & dry shaver. I will dig into its features and I show you how relevant they can be to you. It comes at a very good price and the performance is really good.

[See price on Amazon….]

CUSTOMER RATING:- As of 31st – 03- 2015, Panasonic ES-LT71-S Arc3 Men’s Electric Shaver has got a customer rating of 4.3 out of 5. It is a very good rating, almost 93% of all customers who have used this foils shaver like its performance.

PROS:

Cleaning system works great: – ES-LT71-S is equipped with an Automatic Cleaning and Charging System which you can use to clean the shaver and get rid of dirt and germs. At the same time, this system can be used to lubricate & sharpen blades keeping the shaver brand new all the time. However for the system to perform well, you have to invest in cleaning solution and hydra clean cartridges which cost only $22. To save money in the long run, I suggest you use this cleaning system once in a week (4 times in a month). The system makes some little noise when cleaning the shaver, but you can bear with that noise because the shaver its self is silent and efficient.

Well designed:- This shaver has the same design like ES-8103-S. It has a curvy design and a well studded rubberized handle which gives a strong grip. The shape of the head is slim, not as big as that of ES-LF51-A & ES-LA63-S. In terms of weight, this shaver weighs 6.4 ounces with a dimension of 1.7 x 2.5 x 6.2 inches, so it can fit in any man’s hands. Parts are affordable and available on Amazon.com & Panasonic.com. If you handle this shaver very well, it will take you 12 – 14 months to replace blades / foil.

Good on sensitive skins: Foil shavers are very friendly on sensitive skins unlike rotary shavers which shave in a circular motion. You don’t have to have a big budget to get a smooth & safe close shave, this model is perfect for sensitive skins. It does not pull or nick your skin when shaving hence saving you from bumps & ingrown hairs. To shave a sensitive skin, you have to wash your beards very well with warm water so that they become soft and then leather-up with shaving cream. ES-LT71-S is a wet & dry electric shaver, but a sensitive skin does well on wet shaving. The head of ES-LT71-S is flexible so you can try different shaving angles / directions and decide on what works best for you. I will not recommend shaving against the grain especially when you have a sensitive skin because this this leads to pulling and nicking of the skin.

Closest shave like that of a safety razor / March 3: It is not easy to find an electric shaver which shaves as close as a manual razor. But when I read through customer reviews on Amazon, I found a user of this shaver who said they moved from Gillette march 3 razors to this ES-LT71-S with a aim of comparing results. To their surprise, ES-LT71-S shaved as close as March 3 razor yet the all process felt so comfortable. No Irritations / pulling as it would be with a manual razor.

Lock Power Button:- This feature makes ES-LT71-S a great electric shaver for travelers. You have to use this travel lock every time you finish using this shaver. When a shaver turns on its self while you’re in motion it strains & drains the battery which later results into battery death and these batteries can’t be replaced so you will find yourself spending more money buying a new shaver. When you use a travel lock you prevent accidental turn-ons and hence prolong the life span of your shaver and its battery.

Easy to clean:- There is one thing that I hate after shaving and that is cleaning the mess and the shaver at the same time. To reduce on the work, I shave while in the shower but I make sure water keeps on running as I shave, this ensures that hair is swept away on each shave and my shower does not get clogged when the all job is done. To put that aside; this shaver can be clean with running tap water, soap and a brush. This means you don’t have to use that cleaning system all the time because it costs money. After cleaning your shaver, let it dry out completely before storing it and don’t forget to turn on the travel lock.

Quick charge time: – There is one thing I don’t want to waste; it’s ‘’TIME’’. I’m sure every man wants to do things in speed. You want a quick charge and a quick shave. Good news is that you don’t have to spend more than $90 to get these two basic things. ES-LT71-S charges fully within 1 hour and this gives you 45 minutes of nonstop shaving. In my opinion, you can shave a fine beard in just 4 – 5 minutes, if you shave twice a week, that will be 8 – 10 minutes and that means 45 minutes take you for 4 solid weeks. So any normal user will charge their shaver once in a month. The shaver uses Li-Ion battery, it’s a high quality battery found in all Panasonic shavers.

Affordable:-I’m not sure if this is your first time to shave with an electric shaver or you have been using other brands but you have failed to get a close shave. Testing different models is a pretty nice idea because that is how you get to know what works best, but it is better to spend your money on affordable shaver. Premium electric shavers like Panasonic es-lv95-s cost an arm and a leg yet models like ES-LT71-S / ES-8103-S / ES-LA63-S Arc4 Electric Shaver / are under $100. Basically the $300 dollars you would have spend on one premium Arc5 shaver can buy you 3 Arc3 Panasonic shavers and you will have a chance to try them all until you vote for one.

No ingrown hairs / Razor bumps, burning sensation:- Get a smooth, close and comfortable shave. Choose between wet / dry shave. Shave from any direction / angle of your choice because the heads of this shaver can pivot to different angles. Foils are thin and smooth so they will maneuver over your skin easily without causing any irritation. Ingrown hairs are caused when the shaver / razor pull hair out of the skin, so when hair is growing back, it finds a build-up wound and that can cause pain. This shaver does not pull hair; it just cuts it close and safe.

RELATED MODELS:

WHAT IS IN THE BOX?

After placing your order today, Amazon will ship / deliver this product in the next 24 hours, the box will contain the following items:

Shaver ES-LT71-S (the one you see in the picture above)
Automatic cleaning system
AC recharger
Travel Pouch

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ES-8103-S & ES-LT71-S?

Both shavers have 3 blades and they also have the same motor speed of 13000 PM , however Panasonic ES-LT71-S has an automatic cleaning system which cleans the shaver after use, lubricates it, sharpens the blades and at the same time kills germs found on blades and foils hence saving your skin from infections while shaving. I guess this added accessory makes ES-LT71-S a good shaver than ES-8103-S.

[See price on Amazon….]

WHAT CUSTOMERS SAY?

Panasonic ESLT71S gives a very close shave
Very easy to clean using water and soap
It is a very good electric shaver however you might get some issues if you shave often, you might not like the smell of its cleaning product and at the same time it pulls hair when shaving long beards, so the only way of avoiding this is to use a beard trimmer to shorten the length of your beards and then use this shaver.
If you want good results, use it while in the shower with gel. Results will be tremendous, close to a straight razor.

FEATURES:

Arc 3 three-blade technology:- Panasonic-ES-LT71-S has Arc 3 shaving system which features 3 sharp blades to ensure that you get a close and clean shave. However, at a glance, you will see only two blades on the exterior and they are hidden beneath tow smooth foils, the other 3rd blade is hidden inside, it’s deals with long beards / hair. Since the two sharp blades are beneath the foils, your skin will not get in contact with them, hence preventing irritations and cuts yet at the same time they offer you with a close clean shave. It’s nano-polished, stainless-steel hypoallergenic blades are set at a 30-degree angle to cut both long and short beards / hair as perfect as a straight razor.

Flexible pivoting head: – A neck and below the jaw are one of the most difficult areas to shave with an electric shaver. However, Panasonic ES-LT71-S features a flexible pivoting shaving head which enables the shaver to rotate and move smoothly along all contours of your face / neck capturing and cutting close each and every beard / strand it finds on its way without causing you any irritation / pain. On the other hand, this flexible pivoting head will head will give you a chance yo shave in any angle of your choice.

13,000 CPM linear motor drive: – By default, the speed of an electric shavers motor determines the performance of that particular shaver. I have checked Panasonic shavers chat, it displays various electric shaver models, but those with Ar3 blades have a motor speed of 13,000 CPM and those with Arc4 / Arc 5 have a motor speed of 14,000 CPM. This means the more blades the shaver has to use, them more power it requires to move / rotated those blades. With that in mind, I will conclude the 13,000 CPM is a very good shaving speed for this Arc3 blade shaver; it helps the shaver to deliver faster results without causing any skin irritation. If you’re worried about noise, this shaver is a little bit silent, though you will hear some little noise when it’s performing its tusks, but it’s that annoying.

Shaves wet or dry:- I’m sure every man wants to use an electric shaver with guarantees them with more than one shaving option. I’m a great fan of foils shaver but some cool models like Braun 7-790cc give you only one option (dry shaving) and most of us don’t do well with dry shaving. I read through customer reviews and one of the customers said that he prefers using Panasonic-ES-LT71-S shaver while in the shower and they also lather up with gel to soften their beards. When they practice wet shaving they get a real clean close shave relative to that of a straight razor.

Automatic cleaning and charging system:- I guess there is one thing I hate to do after shaving, ( it’s cleaning shaving heads), I heads a basic and it takes just a few minutes, but sometimes it feels like a burden, so using an electric shaver which comes with its own automatic cleaning & charging system sounds like heaven on earth to me. When you use Panasonic-ES-LT71-S you will not spend any minute cleaning it, just put it in its cleaning system and the rest will be done automatically. But make sure that the cleaning system has enough cleaning cartridge & solution; otherwise it might fail to clean the shaver. That automatic cleaning & charging system will also lubricate the blades and charge the shaver preparing it for a next shave.

Sonic vibration cleaning mode: – This feature also enables the shaver to remove clogged shaving gel / hair from the shaving heads. It is a good option for people who don’t want to use that automatic cleaning system. Simply run water over the shaver head while it’s in a sonic vibration cleaning mode.
Five-stage LCD readout: – This is a very important small feature which you will use every-time you shave. It does not contribute towards your close shave, but it helps you know the status of your electric shaver. At least you will be in position to know when to charge the shaver, saving you that disappoint you would have got when the shaver runs out of power.

Switch-lock button: – One of the best ways of saving power and prolonging the life of your electric shaver’s battery is to use a travel lock. This will switch of the shaver, so even when you pack it in its travel pouch, it will not turn on its self saving you from charging it all the time.

NOTE:- Product is manufactured from China but its blades and foils are made in Japan, so you should not worry about its quality. This is one of the best Panasonic wet & a dry shaver on the market and it comes at a very good price.

ACCESSORIES REQUIRED:

Replacement Outer Foil – WES9187PC
Replacement Inner Blade – WES9068PC
Replacement Foil & Blade – WES9027PC
Cleaning Cartridges – WES035P

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WET SHAVING AND DRY SHAVING:

Wet shaving will require you to lather up with shaving cream / soap / gel before shaving and the type of electric shaver to be used is supposed to be a wet & dry shaver. You can apply shaving cream on your beards using a good badger brush, let the shaving cream sit on your beards for quite some time, this softens the beards and makes it very easy to shave. On the other hand, dry shaving does not require any lathering, just switch on your ES-LT71-S and start shaving, but make sure your beards are not wet.

IS THIS ES-LT71-S WATERPROOF?

Yes, it is 100% water proof; you can immerse it under water and wash it clean. At the same time it can be used in the shower, or wash it via running tap water.

WILL MY SKIN GET IRRITATED WHEN I USE A FOILS SHAVER?

During the first 7 days, your skin will be adjusting to this shaver so you might get some minor skin irritations. However, after a few days, those irritations will disappear and you will enjoy a very close shave.

Does the charge auto sense voltage change?

This shaver has a dual voltage system, it works with both 110v & 220v so you can use it from any part of the world.

Is it possible to charge this shaver with a cord or I have to use a charging station?

You can charge it directly with a power cord, simply plug the cord into the shaver and find the nearest power source.

Does this shaver work on a coarse African American beard?

Yes it will work, I’m sure the 13,000 RMP can shave a coarse beard very well. However, you should leather up with a nice shaving cream to get better results.

When should I replace foil and blades?

This is a moderate shaver; you might need to replace foil & blade after 9 – 12 months. That is an estimate, but when you notice a change in results, go ahead and replace parts.

I’m confused; what are shaving foils?

Shaving foils are those thin perforated metals that cover blades of this shaver. All foil shavers hide their blades beneath the foil. A foil is one folded plate you see on the outside of the shaving head. Blades don’t get in contact with your skin directly but they cut hair to the closest level.