The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 2025
Panasonic's shaver: a charging cable that caught fire when wet
Panasonic replaced the USB cables on roughly 370,000 electric shavers after the cord could short and burn when charged wet.
Panasonic · 2025-07-11
What happened
Panasonic sells wet-dry electric shavers meant to be used in a bathroom, where water is everywhere. For four shaver models made between March 2023 and July 2024, the included USB Type-C charging cable had no protection against moisture at the connection point.
If the shaver was charged while water or liquid sat where the USB socket met the cable, the connection could short and heat up enough to melt or scorch the resin around it. Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency recorded 24 major product accidents including fires, and three burn injuries, before Panasonic offered free replacement cables fitted with overheat protection.
A product designed for a wet room shipped with a charging cable that could catch fire when it met the very moisture it was built to survive. Roughly 370,000 units were subject to the replacement program.
Why it happened
- The included USB-C charging cable could short and burn when charged with water at the connection
- Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency recorded 24 fires and three burn injuries
- Roughly 370,000 shavers subject to a free replacement cable with overheat protection
The lesson
A product sold for a wet room must be judged by what happens when it meets the liquid it is designed beside. A charging cable that burned on contact with moisture undercut a shaver.
Sources
- Japan Consumer Affairs Agency — Major accident notice for Panasonic shaver USB cable fires (Jul 2025)
- METI — Panasonic electric shaver recall notice (2025)
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