Panasonic ES-RF31 Review: a no-nonsense 4-blade shaver that quietly does the job

I’ve been using the Panasonic ES-RF31 for a few weeks now, mostly for daily face shaves and the odd three‑day stubble cleanup. I’m coming from cartridge razors (Gillette/Wilkinson) and an older Braun foil shaver, so I’m not new to either style. I bought this because I wanted something simple, wet & dry, without all the flashy gimmicks and cleaning stations that just take space in the bathroom and cost extra.

First thing: this shaver is pretty solid for the price. It’s not magic, it doesn’t shave you in 30 seconds, and it doesn’t feel like some luxury gadget. But it gets close enough to a blade for everyday use, especially if you give your skin a week or so to adapt to electric shaving. The first couple of shaves were a bit underwhelming, but that’s normal when you switch from manual razors.

What struck me is how comfortable it is once you get used to it. I’ve had irritation and ingrown hairs with multi‑blade razors; with this one, my skin calmed down noticeably after about 10 days. It’s not completely irritation‑free if you keep going over the same patch forever, but for me it’s better than cartridges. On the neck you still need a bit of technique, but it’s manageable.

Overall, if you expect a clean, practical shaver that you can use in the shower or in front of the mirror without thinking too much, this one fits that role. It’s not perfect, and it has a couple of annoying points (especially the head bulk and the basic accessories), but for a mid‑range foil shaver, it does a good job without trying to be something it’s not.

In terms of value, this is where the Panasonic ES‑RF31 makes the most sense. It often sells around the mid‑range price point, well below the flashy Braun Series 9 or the newer Panasonic Arc 5/6 models. Based on what I’ve seen and what other users report, the shave quality is on par with some much pricier models, especially if you mainly care about face shaving and not full‑on head shaving.

What you’re paying for here is a solid motor, a decent 4‑foil head, wet & dry use, and Japanese build quality – without the extra cost of cleaning stations, digital screens, or fancy docks. If you like gadgets and stands, you’ll probably think it looks a bit basic for the money. But if you compare it to the cost of cartridges over a year or two, it starts to look pretty reasonable. You buy it once, maybe replace the foil and blades after a couple of years, and that’s it.

There are cheaper foil shavers out there, but in my experience they either shave worse, feel flimsy, or die faster. There are also way more expensive ones that don’t really shave that much better for everyday use. This sits in a nice spot: good performance, simple design, and a price that doesn’t feel like a rip‑off. The only recurring hit is when you eventually buy replacement foils and cutters. Those aren’t exactly cheap, but that’s the same story with Braun and Philips.

If your budget is very tight and you just want something to trim down stubble, there are cheaper options. If you’re willing to pay a bit more for a shaver that can last several years and actually give you a close, comfortable shave, this one is a pretty sensible choice. It’s not a bargain bin steal, but for what it delivers, I’d say the value for money is solid.

Design‑wise, the ES‑RF31 sits in that middle ground: not cheap and plasticky, but not some showpiece either. The body is silver and black, with a slightly rubberised back that helps grip when your hand is wet. In the hand it feels solid but not heavy – around 200 g – and the shape is easy enough to hold from different angles. It doesn’t feel like it’s going to fall apart if you drop it once, though I wouldn’t try my luck too often on bathroom tiles.

The head is where the pros and cons show up. Because of the 4‑foil setup, the shaving head is a bit bulky. On the flat areas (cheeks, neck, jawline) it’s fine and covers ground quickly. But under the nose and right at the corners of the mouth, you have to angle it a bit and sometimes make a couple of awkward passes. If you like super precise work under the nose, it takes a bit of fiddling. The pivoting head itself works well: it moves enough to keep contact on the curve of the jaw and neck without feeling floppy.

The controls are basic: a single on/off button with a travel lock, and three small LEDs for battery level. I came from a shaver with a percentage display, and honestly I do miss knowing exactly how much battery is left, but in practice the three bars are fine. You see it drop, you charge it that evening, done. There’s no speed settings, no Bluetooth nonsense, no modes – which I actually prefer. You switch it on, it runs at full power, end of story.

In short, the design is functional rather than pretty. It’s easy to grip, simple to operate, and the head pivots enough for most faces. The main downside is the bulk of the head in tight spots and the lack of a proper stand or hard case. If you’re okay with practicality over looks, the design does what it needs to do.

The ES‑RF31 uses a NiMH battery, which is a bit old‑school compared to all the lithium‑ion stuff out there now, but in day‑to‑day use it’s actually fine. From empty to full, it charges in about an hour. I timed it roughly: after a full charge, I got just under two weeks of daily shaves (around 4–5 minutes each) before the last LED started blinking. So the real‑world runtime is around 45–60 minutes, which matches the specs.

The three‑bar LED battery indicator is basic but enough. You get three bars, then two, then one, then it starts blinking and you know you’re on borrowed time. No fancy percentage, no app, just simple lights. One thing I like is the 5‑minute quick charge. I’ve already had a morning where it was dead, plugged it in while brushing my teeth, and it had enough juice for one full shave. That’s all I need from a quick charge feature.

Because it’s NiMH, I’m trying not to leave it permanently on the charger or constantly top it up after every single shave. I tend to run it down to one bar, then fully charge it. So far, the power hasn’t dropped noticeably mid‑shave, and there’s no sudden dying halfway through. The power output feels stable until the very end, then it just tells you it’s low and you plug it in. Older NiMH shavers sometimes felt weak when the battery was half‑empty; I haven’t had that issue here.

So in terms of battery, I’d call it “simple and dependable”. Nothing fancy, but it charges quickly, lasts long enough for most people, and the indicator is clear enough. If you want months of standby or a lithium‑ion battery that you can ignore for ages, this isn’t it. But for regular use and travel of a week or so, it’s more than adequate.

Comfort was my main reason for buying this. With multi‑blade razors, my neck and jawline often ended up with red patches and the odd ingrown hair. The first few days with the ES‑RF31 were honestly a bit disappointing: the shave felt a little rough and not that close. But after about a week of only using the shaver, things changed. My skin calmed down and the shave felt smoother, even though I was going against the grain as you should with a foil.

Dry shaving is where this shaver is most convenient. I get the best results by washing my face with warm water, drying it fully, then shaving on clean dry skin. Sometimes I use a pre‑electric lotion and that does help the glide a bit, especially on the neck. I still have to go over the neck area several times from different angles, but it doesn’t give me razor burn. If I press too hard or rush it, I can feel a bit of warmth and slight irritation, but nowhere near what I get from a fresh cartridge razor.

Wet shaving with foam or gel is also an option. I’ve tried it in the shower with a light gel: it works, but I personally find it slower because the foam hides where you’ve already passed. On the plus side, it’s very gentle on the skin when used wet. For someone with very sensitive skin, this might be the best way to use it. Just don’t expect miracles on a two‑day old, very flat neck stubble – you’ll still need some patience.

Overall, in terms of comfort, I’d rate it as above average for the price. It’s not totally irritation‑free in all situations, but once your skin adapts and you learn the angles, it’s kinder to the face than most blades I’ve used. If your priority is zero effort and zero passes, you’ll be disappointed. If your priority is fewer nicks and calmer skin day‑to‑day, it does a decent job.

Build quality is one of the strong points here. The shaver is made in Japan and you can feel that it’s not bargain‑bin plastic. The body feels tight, no rattling, the head clicks on securely, and the on/off button hasn’t loosened up in the time I’ve used it. Other users report getting 5+ years out of this model with only foil and blade changes, which lines up with how it feels in the hand: sturdy, not fragile.

The foil and cutters are where the recurring cost sits. Panasonic, like all brands, suggests replacing them roughly every 18 months or so, sometimes even 6–12 months if you read the fine print. In practice, with regular cleaning and a drop of clipper oil once in a while, people (and I plan to) stretch that out a lot longer. One reviewer even pushed his previous unit well over 5 years before the motor and blades started feeling tired. That seems realistic if you’re not shaving sandpaper every day and you keep it clean.

Cleaning is simple: pop the head off, tap out the big bits, then run it under the tap with a bit of hand soap or shower gel. There’s also a sonic vibration mode that shakes out debris while you rinse it. I’ve been doing a quick rinse after each shave and a more thorough clean weekly, and so far the foils still look good and the motor sounds the same as day one. No rust, no weird noises, no looseness.

The only durability concern is the same as any electric shaver: if you drop it hard on tiles, the foil can dent or the head can crack. That’s not unique to this model. Given the price, I’d still call it good value over a few years, but you have to accept that replacement heads aren’t cheap. Overall, in terms of longevity and build, it feels like a shaver you can rely on for several years if you don’t abuse it.

On performance, the ES‑RF31 is pretty honest. It doesn’t magically erase three days of growth in 30 seconds, but if you use it properly it gets close to a wet razor on the face. On one‑day stubble, I can get a solid shave in about 3–5 minutes. On three‑day growth, I need maybe 7–10 minutes and a bit more patience on the neck and jawline. The motor has enough power that it doesn’t bog down easily, and I haven’t felt any pulling or tugging as long as the hair isn’t ridiculously long.

Where it shines is daily use: if you shave every day or every other day, it keeps things tidy without much effort. The 4‑foil head covers a good area, so cheeks and flat zones go fast. The tricky bits are always the same: the neck (especially if your hair grows in different directions) and under the nose. You often have to go in from different angles, gently stretch the skin, and make short passes. It’s not hard, but it’s not fully brainless either. If you’re coming from years of blade shaving, expect a learning curve of at least a week or two.

Compared to Braun and Philips I’ve used: I’d say this is closer than most rotary shavers I’ve tried and slightly better than my old mid‑range Braun foil in terms of closeness. It doesn’t beat a fresh manual razor on absolute closeness, especially on the scalp or very stubborn neck hair, but it gets close enough that I don’t bother with blades anymore for daily face shaves. Some users even shave their heads with it, but in my tests it left just enough roughness that I’d still need a blade to finish if I wanted a perfectly smooth head.

So performance is solid, especially for the price bracket. It’s not magic, but it’s reliable: no random pulling, no wild temperature rise, and no weird design gimmicks. If you’re willing to give it that adaptation time and learn how to work your neck area, you’ll probably be happy with how it shaves.

Out of the box, the Panasonic ES‑RF31 is very straightforward. You get the shaver, a small charging cord with a UK 2‑pin bathroom plug, a basic soft pouch, a tiny cleaning brush, and some instructions. That’s it. No charging stand, no fancy cleaning base, no plastic clutter. Personally I don’t mind, but if you’re used to premium models with stands and docks, this will feel barebones.

The shaver itself is a 4‑blade foil design with a pivoting head and a pop‑up trimmer. Panasonic like to shout about the ‘4 blades’, but in practice it’s two cutting blocks under a set of foils that are spaced a bit differently. Marketing aside, what matters is that it covers a decent area and picks up most hairs in fewer passes than older 2‑blade or 3‑blade models I’ve used. It’s fully washable and designed for wet or dry shaving, so you can use it with foam, gel, or straight on dry skin.

One thing to note: this uses a rechargeable NiMH battery, not lithium‑ion like a lot of newer shavers. That means a bit more care if you want to maximise lifespan (don’t constantly leave it flat or on charge forever). Still, I’ve been getting close to the advertised 45–60 minutes of use per full charge, which for me is roughly a week of daily shaves. It also has a quick charge feature: about 5 minutes plugged in is enough for one shave, which has already saved me once when I forgot to charge it.

So in terms of presentation, it’s pretty no‑nonsense: simple kit, clear role. If you want a complete grooming station with stands, oils and gadgets, look elsewhere. If you just want a shaver and a charger that you can throw in a bag and go, this setup does the job. I just wish they’d included a hard case, because the soft pouch doesn’t protect the head much if you travel a lot.