If you say electric shaver, a few big names would come to mind – they start with B, or P, or another P, maybe an R. But have you heard of a Laifen? Actually I have, even before they reached out to me. When they reached out to me to try out the Laifen P3 Pro, a 3 blade electric shaver with a linear motor, my curiosity was piqued.
I have been looking at shavers for the past few months. The one I have been using has survived almost two decades of loyal service and really needed an honourable discharge. Granted since COVID my daily shaving regime was no longer daily. But with two boys growing into manhood, we needed to look at options.
Unboxing the Unconventional: First Impressions and CNC Build Quality
The Laifen P3 Pro looks nothing like a shaver at first blush. It is not long, does not have an ergonomic handle. There is an odd little clear window on the side. Overall it looks like a an oversized matched box made out of metal.
But as they say, never judge a book by it’s cover. The design may look unconventional but everything has a purpose.
My research shows that the P3 Pro is machined from a single solid metal block of aluminium. The front features a glass panel and there are only seven pieces of plastic that I can ascertain:
- two oscillating pins
- inner core of each of the three blades
- the protective cap over the foil
- rubber plug over the USB port (technically not plastic)
Everything feels solid and premium in hand, although it might feel a little slippery to hold at the beginning. Being essentially all metal construction it does come with a weight penalty, coming in at 180 grams.
All the separable parts are held together by magnets. This includes the foil head and the clear protective cover. Laifen did not opt to go cheap and nasty with plastic clips that can break over extended use.
Under the Hood: Dual Linear Motor Power and ArcBlade Technology
Looking at the Laifen website, the unibody design takes 2.5 hours each to machine, with a precision to 0.01mm. They can only make eight of these bodies per day.
The shaver is driven by two compact linear motors running at 12,000 cuts per minute (CPM) each. It is not explicitly stated, but it would be logical to assume they are mounted to work in reverse coordination to reduce vibration, and delivering 24,000 CPM in total.
Laifen also boasts about their ArcBlade Design featuring a 146.2° angle, over 50% more compared to a narrower traditional shaver. (Their claim here because I can’t seem to identify the angle for other shavers.)
A feature of the P3 Pro is IPX7 rated so you can use this in the shower. Or if you are really inclined to push the limits, shave at a depth of 1m of water for 30 minutes. More practically you can take the foil off and rinse the shavings down the sink.
Shaving Performance: Close, Smooth, and Faster
So after all that, how well does it work?
First up, find a grip that you are comfortable with and just shave. It might take a little experimenting but I found just a two finger and a thumb cradle grip works best for me. It gives me the most confidence to work with and also minimises the change of it slipping out of my hand.
The motor buzzes, but it is not particularly loud or overwhelming. You know when it’s turned on and working just by sound.
The choice of a clear window though, gives you a peek at the inner workings of the motors. To be honest there isn’t much to see, the motor oscillates very quickly and you can just discern the movement. It’s a cute feature to have, kind of like an open window looking into a restaurant kitchen.
The best feedback I can give here is that my daughter stopped complaining when I give her kisses. No more telling me that I am scratching her skin when I give her kisses. She is loving the fact that I am getting back into a bit of a self care routine.
If you look at the photos, the P3 Pro gives a decently close shave and the skin feels smooth to touch. I mean, if a seven year old stops complaining about it, then it must be doing it’s job right?
After a few weeks of use, I do notice that the P3 Pro is faster for me to shave with than my previous incumbent. In particular it seems to be picking up and aligning hair that is usually more troublesome
Design Pros, Cons, and Travel Features
One that that strikes me every time I use the P3 Pro is how beautifully put together it is. The unit is genuinely a piece of eye candy, and the manufacture tolerances are superb.
All the parts fit together just so. It is both a pro and a con. As a predominantly metal construct, if you drop and chip a component, you might struggle to get the pieces to fit back together.
When I first browse the quick start guide, I notice that the P3 Pro has a “flight mode”. No that’s not to stop the 5G virus transmission. It is simply a mechanism to stop the shaver from turning on when it’s tossed in a bag. This is turned on and off by holding the power button for 2 seconds.
Battery life is rated for 100 minutes of use, and if you are in a pinch, the USB-C port will give you 7 minutes of use in 3 minutes of quick charging time.
If you are curious, the battery is a LiCoO2 (Lithium Cobalt Oxide) type which is suitable to high specific energy but low specific power applications – such as a shaver.
The charging port is located on the bottom of the unit with a hefty plug covering it.
On the less positive side, the purchase is very bare basic – it is just the unit and a USB cable. There is no travel case (optional extra) or a cleaning brush included.
Also there is no hair trimmer on the unit, not really a surprise given how small the form factor is.
Final Verdict: Is the Laifen P3 Pro Worth the Price?
Laifen reimagined the electric shaver and came up with a immensely portable travel design. When I first laid my eyes on the Laifen P3 Pro online, I was not convinced that I could work with it.
But now that I have had the opportunity to road test it thoroughly, I am loving everything about it. Right now to how little space I need to store it.
Quite honestly it has turned what has always been a bit of a chore into not quite something I enjoy, but certainly more enjoyable. In particular it seems to perform significantly better at all the various angles my follicles can grow at and resulting in far less passes to get the job done.
The Laifen P3 Pro has a RRP of A$249.95, which I think is a bargain price for what you get. For Black Friday it is on special for A$199.96, available from their website. It is also available on Amazon but it seems the deal isn’t as good there.
DRN would like to thank Laifen for providing the review unit.
