The Panasonic Arc 4 Series most important of the similarities, not surprisingly, is the blade and motor system that each of these four models offers.
The very name, after all, gives away the key – each houses four blades. Those aren’t just any blades, however. Sure, they’re all stainless steel and hypoallergenic. But that really doesn’t distinguish them from even the cheap models offered by other guys. That’s standard these days. Instead, Panasonic is right up there with Braun in offering electric shaver blades that are super sharp, very durable, and therefore cut without drag while lasting a long time.
Those two things together are hugely important. A shaver that offers low-to-no irritation due to drag naturally gets high marks before even considering any other attributes. But if they wear out in a few months you’ll spend a lot replacing the head. The shaver would be suited only to those with money to burn. Needless to say, that’s not a big group.
By the same token, if the Panasonic Arc 4 Series blades lasted forever but cut your face up even after an initial adjustment period, that shaver would be useless. If anything, that kind of irritation is no doubt the biggest complaint buyers regularly have about poor quality electric shavers. You won’t have that problem with any of these Arc 4 models.
One reason is not just the quality of the blades, though, important as that is. It’s what drives them. In this case, that’s a fast, powerful, linear motor. Here, “fast” varies a little bit. In the ES8243A, for example, it’s 13,000 rpm. The other three models offer 14,000 rpm. All of them are set at the same 30-degree angle.
While, in general, higher is better the 1000 rpm variation is unlikely to be noticeable. It’s certainly not important. Even the lower speed is plenty fast enough to keep things moving along at a good clip.
Run an Arc 4 electric shaver over your cheek and you’ll find most of your 3-day stubble whisking away with a single stroke and no tugging. That means low-to-no irritation.
There can always be some, for some users, simply because of the type of skin they sport. Some guys have uber-tender skin. An electric shaver, or shaving at all, just isn’t for them. For practically everyone, the Arc 4 blade/motor system lets you get done in a jiffy without leaving behind a flaming-red face.