Panasonic ES-LV67 Electric Shaver

Summary

If your beard is stubborn and grows in every direction, the Panasonic ES-LV67 Premium Wet & Dry is a shaver we’re happy to recommend. We tested it in Spain as the ES-LV67-A803. On Amazon.co.uk it’s listed as the ES-LV67-A811 (Series 800) in navy and black, with the same five blades, beard sensor and flexible head; only the finish changes compared with the purple unit we used.

The pivoting foil head carries five blades that move independently, so it follows the curves of your face and neck and catches hairs growing in different directions without irritating the skin. That makes it a good option for sensitive skin, too.

The blades are sharpened to a 30° angle for a precise cut, and a sensor reads the length and density of your stubble and recognises the areas you’ve already shaved. It uses that information to adjust the motor, putting full power into thick patches and working more gently where the hair is finer or already gone, so your skin stays calm.

You can use this foil shaver wet or dry.

A one-hour charge gives you 45 minutes of battery life, a little less than other models we looked at for this comparison, and it can’t be used while plugged in. On the plus side, the 5-minute quick charge gives you enough for one shave, which is a lifesaver when you’re in a hurry and forgot to charge it. The UK listing quotes a 3-minute quick charge; we can only vouch for the 5 minutes we timed.

There’s no cleaning station, but it’s easy to clean. Just run the blades under the tap and brush away whatever is left with the cleaning brush.

If you’d like to know more about what to look for, take a look at our guide to choosing the best electric shaver.

Analysis and verdict

Closeness of shave – Score: 9.0/10

The pivoting head with five independent blades, sharpened to a 30° angle, hugs the curves of your face and neck and cuts hair even when it grows in different directions. The beard length and density sensor adjusts the power in real time, with more drive on thick stubble and a softer touch on fine or already-shaved areas. The result is a very close, comfortable shave, even for sensitive skin. To get the most out of it, hold the outer foil at a right angle to your skin and glide it against the direction of growth; on the neck and under the chin, stretch the skin slightly with your other hand. The head-lock switch also helps you tidy tricky areas such as the moustache.

Battery life – Score: 7.0/10

It arrives flat, so the first time you need to charge it for 60 minutes before use, and it won’t run from the mains. A full charge gives 45 minutes of battery life, which is enough for around two weeks of shaving depending on how thick your beard is and how hard you press, but it’s a little less than other models in this comparison. To make up for it, the 5-minute quick charge is enough for a full shave if you’re short of time and forgot to plug it in.

Comfort and cleaning – Score: 8.0/10

Our unit was purple; the UK version comes in navy and black. It has an LED display on the front and lower part of the handle showing the battery level in five steps (from 20 to 100%), the beard sensor flashing while you shave, the charging indicator and a padlock icon when the travel lock is on. The body weighs just 200 g and the handle has a non-slip rubber coating that stops it sliding about in wet hands. There’s no automatic cleaning station, but it’s easy to clean by hand. Rinse the blades under the tap and go over any leftovers with the brush supplied.

Our test

Test 1: Closeness of shave – two days’ stubble and an against-the-grain check on the neck

Where it made the difference was along the jawline rather than on the cheeks. We let our beard grow for two days and shaved face and neck, first dry and then wet, running a hand against the grain to find any missed patches and counting how many passes the neck needed. With this Panasonic, the pivoting five-blade head with its 30° blades followed the shape of the jaw without us having to force the angle, and on the moustache we engaged the head-lock switch so it didn’t move more than we wanted.

The result was a close shave with very few repeat passes on the neck, the area that usually gives any shaver away. You could feel the density sensor adding power where the stubble was thicker and easing off over areas we’d already covered, without the tugging we’ve felt with some other shavers we’ve tested. We don’t have an exact pass count to publish, but our skin felt completely free of stinging afterwards, which matters a lot on a model also designed for sensitive skin.

Test 2: Battery life – full charge and timing the quick charge

First we charged it fully and used it every day until it switched off, timing both the full charge and the emergency charge. With the ES-LV67-A803 the full charge took the 60 minutes the manufacturer states, and we got 45 minutes of battery life out of it, a figure we already knew was on the short side compared with other models in the comparison and which daily use confirmed.

What did get us out of trouble was the quick charge. We plugged the flat shaver in for 5 minutes and it gave us a full shave, on a morning when we’d forgotten to charge it the night before. We don’t have an exact number of shaves per charge to publish, although it lasted around two weeks depending on how much stubble we had; what we can say for sure is that if it dies halfway through, you can’t plug it in and carry on, so don’t leave charging until the last minute.

Test 3: Comfort and cleaning – 10 minutes of use and a rinse under the tap

We ran the shaver for 10 minutes straight, without a break, paying attention to whether it pulled at the hair and how the head behaved as it warmed up. The 200 g weight and the rubber grip on the handle stood out most with wet skin, where it didn’t slip once, and the five-step LED display let us keep an eye on the battery without stopping to look at the side of the handle.

It never pulled at the hair and the head only got slightly warm, never uncomfortable to the touch. As there’s no cleaning station, we washed it under the tap and finished with the brush supplied, a quick job that you do have to remember to do by hand every time. We don’t have a replacement blade cost to publish for this model, so we can’t give you a figure on that.

If you’d like to know more about what to look for, take a look at our electric shaver buying guide, where you’ll find the best models we’ve tested and help to choose the right one for you.