I've been in the market for a new foil shaver and just broke down and bought a Panasonic LV-61. I have been using the Philips Headgroomer which I really like, but I am looking for something that I can use in the shower and doesn't require so many passes to get a close shave (essentially, I want a quicker morning shave/shower routine). Also, the springs are coming loose in the Philips which is fine for now, but I figured it is time to get a backup/alternative in case anything goes wrong in the future.
The lv-61 may have been a bit overkill pricewise, but I had an amazon coupon that got me almost 30% off so it didn't hurt the wallet quite as much. I'll try to post a review once I've had a chance to fiddle around with it.
From what I can tell over the past few days reading up on them, many people will recommend either a Panasonic of Braun Series 7. The Panasonics are all quite popular and you can probably find one to fit any budget. It seems that even the less expensive ones are quite good, but I have no experience with them myself. The other alternative is the Braun 7 series. However, only the 799 is wet/dry.
I'm no expert, but after reading hundreds of reviews over the past few days, this is my best take-away for the two:
Closeness: Panasonic has the edge here if you go with the 5 blade option. Probably the 4 blade as well. Reviews are relatively even if you go less than that although the general consensus is that you'll get a very close shave with either brand. I'm looking for a quick and close shave so the Panny has the edge here for me.
Cleaning: Braun has a better cleaning system/dock, but is harder to manually clean. Panasonic cleaning system isn't as good and probably not worth it because it is quite easy to clean manually. Plus the price goes down if you buy the version without the cleaning dock (lv61 vs lv81, for example). I lean towards the Panny on this one as well.
Handling: Braun is smaller, sturdier, and generally more comfortable. Some people complain that the Panasonic heads are bulky (although this may be more of a problem for those who are using them to shave their faces instead of their heads) and the plastic makes it feel less sturdy. As I said, I haven't used either of these - it seems that the Braun consistently wins in this department, but it isn't so important to me.
Wet/Dry: All Panasonics can be used in the shower (I think). The Braun 799 is wet/dry, but other series 7 models are not. I set out specifically looking for a wet/dry option, so Panny definiely has the edge for me.
Hope that helps!
