Most all men, if you asked them, would certainly attest to the love-hate relationship we all have with this most necessary daily chore. While we all dream as young men of the day when we’ll have a face full of stubble to care for, the annoyance factor soon sets in after a few years of constant shaving.
Most of us bounce between using a traditional razor and the various electric designs available, until finally deciding what works best for each of us personally. If you’ve found your way here, you’ve likely decided that foil shavers give you the best balance of comfort, time savings, and affordability in shaving.
Today, we’re going to review a mid-level, 3 head shaver from Panasonic; the ES-ST25KS Triple Blade linear shaver. Ringing in at just a hair over $100, this is a foil shaver that most anyone can afford, with enough comfort and convenience features included that you won’t feel like you’re losing out too much on more expensive $200 and $300 shavers with more advanced technologies.
Let’s take a look at a few of the awesome features this affordable foil shaver offers:
Very Sleek Looks
Some of you might disagree when viewing the photos, but this Arc3 Triple Blade Linear shaver from Panasonic looks amazing! Even the company’s newer releases just don’t have the same kind of polished look the ES-ST25KS does. They’ve mixed a flat and glassy-gloss black casing with red/blue LED battery indicators, and a sharp metallic on/off button.
The ergonomic shaver fits perfectly into its accompanying charging stand and both will compliment any bathroom counter or bedroom nightstand just fine.
What’s inside the shaver?
The ES-ST25KS Triple Blade magnetic linear shaver doesn’t have all the bells and whistles offered in Panasonic’s Arc3 and Arc4 models, but it doesn’t need all that stuff to perform well either.
Power
Under the hood is a very quick and nimble 13,000 CPM motor that can agitate your beard in multiple directions to make sure it gets every bit of stubble in as little time possible. This power change is a significant step up from most other foil shavers on the market that are still using only a 10,000 CPM motor to power their blades.
A powerful lithium-ion battery sits inside to power the motor, which has proven to last upwards of 45 minutes, even with the upgraded motor output. The battery can be recharged from empty in around the same time, around 45 minutes.
Floating Heads and Nanotech Blades
Three independent floating foil heads work with the vibrating motor to capture each and every hair, whether thick or thin. Each foil has multiple grooves and notches etched into them to capture hair regardless of what direction it grows in.
Three of Panasonic’s innovative Nanotech blades sit inside each head to cut hair off perfectly at or slightly below the skin. Nanotech blades are designed in the age old Japanese tradition of sword and blade making, forged out of hypoallergenic stainless steel and set inside the heads to cut hair at a perfect 30-degree angle (compared to 45 degrees for other shavers, which often pulls instead of cuts the hair).
Shave Sensor Technology
This technology has become standard on most of Panasonic’s newer shavers and the ES-ST25KS Arc3 was one of the first to debut this feature. A sensor inside the heads determines how thick the beard is, then adjusts motor speed to compensate for the different beard densities we all have on the neck, cheeks, and chin area.
This feature saves power to promote longer battery life, while also slowing down the motor when hair is thinner to prevent the hairs from being pulled out. If you prefer to shave with the motor set to full speed, press the power button twice when you turn it on. The first button push turns the machine on and defaults to shave sensor mode; a second push of the button will turn this feature off and leave the blades running at full speed, no matter how thick or thin your beard is.
Dual Wet or Dry Use
It almost seems unnatural to put anything electrical near water. And for good reason, as any competent electrician will tell you! However, you can relax with the ES-ST25KS, it’s designed to be used even in the shower, completely immersed in water without any worry of damaging the unit or hurting yourself.
Pros of the ES-ST25KS
• Powerful motor: At 13,000 CPM, you won’t find a shaver with much more power to offer, nor would more juice even be necessary.
• Shave sensor: Some people will like this feature, particularly if they have sensitive skin, whereas others will prefer to turn it off and shave with full power all the time.
• Use wet or dry: The ability to shave wet or dry and with or without shave lotion or gel is a definite plus.
• Good battery life: With nearly an hour of battery life on a single charge and a powerful on-board motor, the battery life on the ES-ST25KS is hard to beat.
Cons of the ES-ST25KS Arc3
• Only has 3 blades: If you’re looking for a faster shave, consider an Arc4 or Arc5 with more heads/blades.
• Needs stand to recharge: This may not be a disadvantage if you don’t plan to travel with your shaver. If you do, you’ll have to lug the stand around with you as no separate charge cord is provided.
Overall Opinion of the ES-ST25KS
The ES-ST25KS fares pretty well when shaving wet or dry, and the battery life was surprisingly as described in the marketing materials at around 45 minutes total. While shaving is usually best done with a wet beard (when your shaver allows it), this Arc3 is really impressive in its ability to handle longer 4 and 5 day beard growth while dry shaving. The ES-ST25KS is not just comfortable, but also cuts really close to the skin using a minimal number of passes.
All in all, this Arc3 release from Panasonic really gets the job done when it comes time to get a great shave. Highly recommended!
More Images
