Electric shaving technology has improved by leaps and bounds: multi-blade cutting systems, pivoting components, electronic sensing—we’re living in the future.
Or, at least, the hair on your face is. Today’s best electric shavers are so feature-packed, it’s hard to decide which is best for your needs, even when choosing amongst products from the biggest, most reputable brands, such as Braun and Panasonic.
Today, we’re going to compare two of the most advanced electric shavers on the market: the Braun Series 9 9292cc, and the Panasonic ES-LV9Q Five Blade Wet and Dry Shaver.
Stick with us as we delve deeper into the details of these high-quality grooming tools!
Braun Series 9 9292cc Shaver Overview
Braun Series 9 electric shavers are the lauded company’s top-tier models. Fit, features, functionality, and shaving performance are all given great consideration.
The Braun 9292cc is a German-made, one hundred percent waterproof, a powerhouse of an electric shaver.
Designed to last up to seven years, it can be comfortably used dry or in the shower. And it doesn’t just shave – an integrated precision trimmer slides out, allowing you to easily shape your neckline, sideburns, and beard.
Cleanup is a breeze, too: though the 9292cc can be rinsed off under running water, the included five-action, alcohol-based Clean and Charge station work even better, with just the push of a button.
The Braun 9292cc electric shaver features a Responsive Intelligence system, which constantly monitors and adapts to the unique contours and variable hair density of your face, adjusting power and speed accordingly.
The result is a closer, more comfortable shave – while sparing the shaver’s motor and battery life through automatic performance optimization. And despite the 9292cc’s intelligent technology and outstanding cutting performance, its battery has a 50-minute runtime—adequate for daily use.
Included are a cleaning brush and zippered, soft-shell pouch for storage and travel.
Panasonic ES-LV9Q Shaver Overview
From Panasonic – a global leader in consumer electronics – comes the ES-LV9Q, a premium, 5-blade foil shaver with a pop-up trimmer, is an updated version of the great Panasonic ES-LV97 5-Blade, but with improvements to the shaver head and handle design.
Powered by an ultra-high-speed 14,000 CPM motor, the ES-LV9Q’s multi-blade cutting system makes 70,000 cross-cuts per minute, mowing down hair more quickly than you can say, “Wow, that’s fast!”
Entirely waterproof, Panasonic’s ES-LV9Q can be used dry, for a quick, close shave, or wet, with or without your favourite gel or foam, for the ultimate in shaving comfort.
To clean the shaver, simply rinse it off under running water, or better yet, use the automatic cleaning and charging station—it cleans, dries, charges, and renews the shaver, keeping it hygienic and performing optimally.
Like Braun’s 9292cc, the ES-LV9Q features sensing technology that recognizes and adapts to differences in beard density, increasing and decreasing power output as needed.
This not only minimizes irritation but reduces wear and tear on the shaver by conserving the battery and extending motor life.
Furthermore, a unique suspension mechanism allows the shaver head to “float”, moving in five directions to follow your facial contours. And the rounded outer foils sit evenly against skin on difficult-to-shave areas, such as under the chin.
That means a close shave with fewer passes.
Braun Series 9 9292cc vs. Panasonic ES-LV9Q: Performance, Functionality and Quality
There are many metrics by which an electric shaver can be judged—and some are subjective. That said, subjectivity shouldn’t deter you from using our findings as a guideline for making your selection.
Shaving Closeness Comparison
The closeness of shave is arguably the most important factor in selecting an electric shaver. Excepting those with exceedingly dense and fast-growing beards, most men expect that an electric shaver will keep skin smooth and stubble-free from morning till night.
The Braun Series 9 9292cc and Panasonic ES-LV9Q are foil shavers, so-named for the microperforated foils through which hairs are drawn and cut by rapidly moving blades.
Foil shavers typically provide a smoother, closer shave than their multi-headed counterpart, the rotary shaver.
Both the 9292cc and ES-LV9Q feature five shaving elements, though their arrangement on the shaver head differs from one model to the next. The Braun 9292cc includes rounded, perforated foils and an integrated, titanium-coated trimmer.
Titanium coatings – the same as those found on high-speed drill bits – provide a cooling effect, reduce friction and increase longevity.
Panasonic’s ES-LV9Q boasts five blades, two of which are contained under outer finishing foils, two beneath reverse-tapered foils – and the remaining cutting element is a slit blade, which captures longer hairs. The inner blades are ground to a 30-degree bevel, which provides a good balance between pure cutting ability and edge retention. This matters, considering that beard hairs are comparably tough to copper wire of the same diameter.
Both shavers feature flexing or swiveling shaving heads, in addition to intelligent sensing technology that adjusts power output according to facial hair density.
Yet, despite the ability of Braun’s 10D flex head to move in twice as many directions as that of the Panasonic ES-LV9Q, the ES-LV9Q provides a closer shave – owing, perhaps in part, to the foil layout and a motor which runs at 4,000 more cycles per minute.
Cutting Performance on Tricky Hairs
Facial hair grows hither and thither, left and right, to and fro. Sometimes it even curls inward or lies flat.
For all the advantages electric shavers have over the traditional razor blade, this is one area in which many still struggle. Advanced shavers, such as the Braun 9292cc and Panasonic ES-LV9Q include a number of features to address the inherent difficulty in cutting these challenging hairs.
Braun’s titanium-coated HyperLift & Cut trimmer uses an alternating, staggered comb pattern to capture and cut longer hairs that grow in divergent directions.
Panasonic’s ES-LV9Q also features a centrally positioned cutting element that catches longer hairs, taking them down to size before the foils finish the task. The two outermost foils on the shaver head are designed to lift and cut hairs that lie flat.
However, the Braun 9292cc HyperLift & Cut system provides a superior result when cutting beards that have grown for three or more days. Either shaver performs satisfactorily on short stubble.
Best for Shaving Comfort
Redness and irritation ruin the experience of a close shave. For men with resilient skin, this is of minimal concern – but for those whose skin is sensitive and irritation-prone, comfort takes the front seat.
The Panasonic ES-LV9Q includes two smooth, tapered rollers placed between the shaving foils, which allow the shaver to more easily glide over your face. This markedly improves comfort over previous iterations of Panasonic’s high-end electric shavers.
Nonetheless, with its titanium-coated trimmer and 10,000 cycles-per-minute motor, the Braun 9292cc electric shaver runs cooler, providing greater comfort.
However, if your skin tolerates an especially close shave, we still recommend the Panasonic ES-LV9Q.
Ergonomics and Materials
Any tool you use on a regular basis should fit well in your hand, and be easy to maneuver. The Braun 9292cc and Panasonic ES-LV9Q are similarly shaped, with large, tapered handles that narrow at the bottom and flare at the top—a design most users will find comfortable.
The 9292cc weighs a bit less, and has a narrower shaver head, allowing it to feel more agile in use.
The ES-LV9Q is heavier and has a significantly broader head that extends well beyond the widest part of the handle. However, the shaver head can be depressed, and for its bulk, the shaver is well-balanced.
Someone accustomed to a smaller shaver may initially find the size off-putting, but it’s easy enough to become accustomed to. And the rubber sections on the sides of the handle help ensure a solid grip, even when wet.
At a glance, both the Braun 9292cc and Panasonic ES-LV9Q have a premium appearance.
However, the 9292cc’s body is made from plastic – admittedly, of a higher quality than that found in previous versions, but like all plastic, prone to scratches. The ES-LV9Q features a brush-finished metal construction that better resists impacts and minimizes signs of wear.
From an ergonomic perspective, it would be hard to go wrong with either shaver – a depressable shaver head may tip the balance in favor of the ES-LV9Q for some, but others might prefer the lighter weight and nimbler feel of the 9292cc. That said, where material quality is concerned, the Panasonic ES-LV9Q is the winner.
Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance
The Braun 9292cc and Panasonic ES-LV9Q are designed for wet or dry operation and use with or without gel or foam. Hot water alone improves shaving comfort, and any wet/dry-rated electric shaver can be easily rinsed clean under running water.
Braun’s 9292cc includes the patented Clean and Charge station – a fantastic bit of kit that selects cleaning function, deep cleans, lubricates, dries, and charges the shaver.
The Panasonic ES-LV9Q includes a similar, multifunction, automatic cleaning, and charging station.
Both cleaning systems work well, but some users report that Braun’s cleaning system performs optimally only after first rinsing off gel or foam residue – and Panasonic’s detergent sachets are economical and longer-lasting, reducing cleaning costs over time.
Value for Money
Sold independently of their cleaning and charging stations, both shavers are similarly priced, but the purchase price for the complete Panasonic ES-LV9Q package – the shaver and cleaning station together – is higher.
As mentioned above, the prefilled detergent sachets used to clean the Panasonic ES-LV9Q are affordably priced and long-lasting.
However, a wider variety of cleaning solutions – some of which are economical, albeit more prone to evaporation – for the Braun 9292cc is available.
Despite its higher cost (when purchased with the automatic cleaning and charging station), the Panasonic ES-LV9Q scores higher on a number of metrics, and as such, provides equally good value for the money as the Braun Series 9 9292cc. This leads us to…
Braun series 9 vs Panasonic ES-LV9Q Final
Both the Braun 9292cc and Panasonic ES-LV9Q are excellent electric shavers, powerful and well-designed, with many similar features.
The ES-LV9Q costs more if bought as a complete package, but is superior—even if sometimes by just a small margin – to the 9292cc. Opt for the former if performance and material quality take precedent; choose the latter if you have particularly sensitive skin or troublesome, flat-lying facial hair.
If you made it this far, I’m impressed – thanks for reading – and here’s to a close, comfortable shave!