Customer Reviews

Panasonic ES8092NC Pro Curve Men's Shaver

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Having gone through a multitude of razors/shavers over the past 15-odd years (Gillette twin-blade disposable > Braun's original > Panasonic single head low-end wet-dry > Norelco Advantage > Mach 3), I am happy to say I've found the last shaver I will ever use. I have a sparse beard that grows relatively quickly, especially under the chin, and coupled with my sensitive skin have a higher tendency for razor bumps & ingrown hairs. Up until the Linear 8092, I'd rate the Braun original the most comfortable shave and the Mach 3 the closest shave, and the Norelco as painfully tolerable. With the Advantage I felt like I was holding a rusty chainsaw up to my face, and charging it was like balancing a bowling ball on a bottle cap. With the Linear 8092, I now have the best of both worlds. It is by far my most comfortable shave ever while being ***just*** below the Mach3 in terms of closeness, but without the far-too-occasional cuts. I liked the idea of going back to wet shaving, but recently have been using pre-electric shaving lotion after I shower, and the results are fantastic - smooth smooth smooth and no cuts. Other major pros: relatively quiet for its high speed; comfortable & ergonomic shape & weight; slick induction charging stand about 1/4 the size of the Braun Synchro's; turbo cleaning mode.

SUMMARY
Pros:
Closest and most comfortable combination yet
Fast & relatively quiet
Ability to choose between soft, medium, and locked flex
Quality construction

Easy Turbo cleaning mode
Small induction charger stand

Cons:
Not ***quite*** as close as Mach3
A bit pricey
Replacement foils/cutter blocks hard to find

I should start by stating that I have an extremely heavy and fast-growing beard, that can easily be shaved twice in the same day -- my 5 o'clock shadow ususally comes by 3 o'clock. If I do not shave for three days I have a beard like Yasir Arafat, and if I let it for 10 days it starts heading towards ZZ Top territory.

I've been using a Mach 3 for years, and a Sensor before that. I have tried some electric razors (Braun, Norelco) in the past, but they always tugged uncomfortably on my whiskers, and never left me with a clean shave. I always had to go back over my face with a disposable.

The Panasonic ES8092NC is certainly the best electric I have ever tried. Fresh out of the box I used it on my dry face (it is a wet-dry shaver, you can use cream or whatever your prefer), and it gave what I consider a comfortable, acceptable shave, in just a few minutes. Not quite as close as the Mach 3 but very impressive for a start.

There are different shaving techniques you can try to improve the shave, and after using it for a week now I am very satisfied. The only rought spot tends to be at the base of my neck, hopefully I will figure out the proper technique. In any case for a quick morning shave or an even quicker afternoon touch-up it is entirely acceptable, and well worth the money. If it does this well on my thick beard, I would expect it should perform exceedingly well on "normal" beards. Great product.

Wrote to Panasonic and they said the only difference is the ES8095 is sold at Brokestone and other high end stores. It is the same razor but sold for more to those that do not care about price.

I've been using electric shavers for more than 35 years...and over time, I've owned Remingtons (a moment of weakness), an early model Panasonic Wet/Dry, Norelco and Braun. I used Norelco for speed and Braun for closeness. It was time for a change.

I loved the early Panasonic because it was usable with gel or shave cream and I got an incredibly close shave. Unfortunately, the screen was so thin, I wore through them quickly and often got knicked.

The 8092 gives me the closest shave ever. My five o'clock shadow doesn't show until well into the late evening! But this Panasonic has found a way to give me closeness without knicks and irritation. And, perhaps because of the motor speed, I can shave in around 3-4 minutes rather than 10 with the Braun.

I've heard comments about this being a noisy shaver. I don't understand that observation. After years of Norelco's & Brauns, this is as quiet as it gets. My wife even commented on the gentle "hum" of the shaver.

As an "ex" powder guy (dry shaving), using a gel/cream is a joy, and the clean-up is quick and easy. Yes, it will take some adjustment getting to stretch the face with the lubricants in the gels; and I'm still trying to work the best angle for under my neck and chin; but I'll find it. Within a week, I'll be shaving more quickly with the closest shave I've had in years.

If you haven't owned a Pansonic shaver yet, you're in for a real treat.

I have always used electric shavers, mostly Norelco. Recently I realized that my Norelco shaver actually causes too much skin irritation, decided to get something different. The Panasonic looks and feels good, I use it with some foam, no problems, no bytes, shaves closely, but the process is not as 'brainless' as with Norelco shavers. You need to know the direction of your hair. Maybe I was spoiled with rotary shavers, where it was not a big problem. But it looks like I am getting used to it.

Some positives
1) Beard length is not a problem for it
2) The shave is a bit closer
3) Wet/soap mode causes less skin irritation
4) Looks hi-tech
5) My skin is less dry with it
Some negatives
1) I get small unshaven spots in some hard-to-reach places
2) You cannot keep re-shaving over wet skin if you did not do a good job the first time. There is not enough 'grip'. But: let the skin dry and go once more in those spots with a very light touch; this works well
3) You cannot plug it into the wall outlet and shave, if your battery is discharged. This leaves you partially shaven
4) The unit uses more energy than my old Norelco, and the battery does not last that long. Be prepared for weekly charging
5) Needs a charging stand

Overall, I think it was worth a switch. Instead of paying another $40 for a replacement Norelco head

I've owned this shaver for almost 1 year now and I have to say that it is the best electric razor I have ever used. Before I bought this shaver, I used a high-end Norelco rotary shaver, but it really didn't do that great of a job, especially under my chin, and I paid about the same amount for that shaver. I love being able to use this shaver in the shower, since it is a wet/dry shaver. Plus it's very durable, as a couple of weeks ago, it fell off the combination mirror/holder I placed it on (the mirror/holder is mounted to my shower wall via suction cups), and that's almost 6 feet above the tub floor -- and it still works just as good as it always has (no broken parts and not even any scratches). I own quite a few Panasonic products and so I'm a big fan of their brand (I have a Panasonic TV and 2 Panasonic VCRs), as the quality is excellent, and they obviously did a great job with their shaver -- way to go, Panasonic! My skin is so smooth after shaving, it's ubelievable. P.S. If you're like me and you have very sensitive skin, I would recommend that you buy a shaving oil to use instead of shaving cream/gel, as it works so much better -- try the Zirh Prepare or Dermalogica Professional Shave (I don't think Amazon sells these products, but they are both excellent shaving oils -- personally, I prefer the Zirh, but that's just me).

First, I want to make sure that you do not make the mistake I almost made... I tried this Panansonic Shaver a few times and was originally convinced there was no way this shaver would provide me as close a shave as my Mach 3 blades. I was wrong! You need to give it a few weeks of consistently working with it as your face adjusts to a new method of shaving.

After using it now for about five weeks, I get a great shave every day. At first, I was too cautious in my approach to use the shaver from multiple angles to get at difficult spots- like my neck. But as my face got used to it, now I can move back and forth from different angles and get that close shave I did not when I first used it. I found my best shaves are right out of the shower and with a little bit of shaving cream applied.

Please... if you are like me and might be giving up after a few tries, stick with it. The reviews here encouraged me not only to spend quite a bit of money to buy this model, but also to continue using the shaver despite my first impression. I love it now and I am glad I bought it.

Works very well and it is a clear winner for me. I saw the negative review, therefore I feel compelled to add my opinion.

For a while I was hesitant to make the switch thinking that Mach 3 must be one of the best things out there. Finally, I got tired of the occasional cuts (that obviously would always catch me by surprise). Decided to switch back to an electric shaver after 10+ years.

First, I tried the Norelco 8894XL Spectra "James Bond's Shaver of Choice" with Polymer Display. What a joke (at least for me). The battery died at the end of the second shave. Dead - period! When you read the reviews (many all together) you will see that other people had a similar problem. Poor quality control! Also, I know I am supposed to wait at least two weeks for conclusions, but it shaved poorly from the start.
Next, I thought I will test parallel the Braun 7680 and the Panasonic ES8092NC (I think the ES8095NC is the same? Check the other reviews.).

To compare apples against apples, when testing I used the Panasonic dry only. E.g. I would shave one side of my face with one and the other side with the other. The next day I would switch. Or on a couple of occasions I used the Panasonic one day and the Braun the other day. In conclusion, when shaving dry, both give almost the same result, but the Panasonic shaves somewhat closer than the Braun. Worked for me from day one - no need to wait two weeks for conclusions. Yes, it is somewhat rougher but that doesn't bother me. I was quite surprised to get a better shave than with the Mach 3 - and no cuts. I also use Williams Lectric or Afta Pre-Electric when dry shaving. I like the ease of cleaning and small space that it uses. The Braun did not sell me on the big black cleaning gizmo in the bathroom. Sure it works, but do I really need it and do I need to spend the extra $? No!

The Panasonic also has the extra `bonus' of being able to be used wet. It is a very smooth operation, however I haven't mastered it yet to have nothing left (it is not as easy to stretch/check the skin wet). Perhaps, like recommended in the manual, I should try it with foam (instead of gel). My solution to this is, I wet my face with water and shave the leftover areas again (usually next to the ears, or below my ears). Sometimes I just pick-up the Mach afterwards and do a quick touch-up. This doesn't bother me because I don't usually cut myself in these areas anyway.

The bottom line - the Panasonic ES8092NC works great for me. Smooth!

September 9, 2004 (originsal Review)
I have owned the ES8092NC for about 3 months and suddenly this morning I could not turn it on, nor would it charge. It worked fine yesterday. It was fully charged. It just flat out won't turn on. I have just scanned other Amazon reviews and noticed others who have experienced the same problem. I will give an update when I see how their service/warranty departments respond. But, please be forewarned. It appears to be a systemic problem.

January 20, 2005 (Update)
The last time I wrote about this shaver, I had sent it in for repair because it suddenly stopped charging after 3 months of use. After 6 weeks, the shaver was returned to me and it worked fine. That is, until this morning, when it stopped again. Right in the middle of a shave, with a full charge, it made a sound like it was running out of battery and then it shut off. I put it on the charger and the charge light will not come on. IT IS BROKEN AGAIN! This is a crappy product that shaves wonderfully, but has flawed circuitry. Please, before you spend $124, read the other reviews which report the same problem!

I tried this for 3 weeks. I have a very heavy beard that goes in all directions and have very sensitive skin, blades cut me up badly. Using shaving foam, as their user manual recommends, it gave me a very close shave and no razor burn to speak of. The unit itself has a nice feel and looks sturdy. Additionally, it uses NiMh batteries (little memory affect), shows how much charge is left and you can leave it on all day without overcharging, all very nice features not found on some other high end razors (eg, Norelco's entire Cool Skin line uses NiCads). My only complaint, and this eventually led me to send it back, is that, I guess like all foil razors, it is highly directional and you need to hold it at a certain angle. When I say directional I mean that you can't move it in circles across the skin as you would a rotary, you must move it in straight lines (up/down, right/left). Also, the foil surface must be at 90 degrees to the face, which I find hard to do with my left hand. These two things made it hard for me to shave the left side of my face as I am strongly right handed, when I used my left hand it was just hard to use. Not everyone will have this problem. With a rotary it is not an issue because the geometry of the shaver is so different. Other than that I liked it a lot

NOTE: Since writing this I've tried a Remington MS3-3700 and the Remington beats the pants off this Panasonic. See me review of that shaver