The 12 Best Electric Toothbrushes Reviewed

Though this may not be the best toothbrush on this list in terms of cleaning versatility or Bluetooth connectivity, it is certainly a star among electric toothbrushes in general. It has many of the same functions and features of premium toothbrushes such as the Oral-B Genius Pro 8000, the Oral-B Pro 7000, and the Philips Sonicare DiamondCare. The advanced features and functions those brushes carry won’t be important to everybody, though. So, while those brushes may be among the elite, this one firmly falls in the “superior” category.

Four different cleaning modes allow you to select whichever speed and dimension (or combination of dimensions) you require, based on how you prefer to brush. The available modes are called daily clean, sensitive teeth, whitening, and deep clean. Each of these adjusts the type of movement, speed, and length of brush time. Sensitive mode, for example, makes the brush head move a little slower so as not to irritate your teeth and gums. Whitening mode tacks a little extra time onto your overall brush time so that you can spend an extra 30 or so seconds buffing the fronts of your teeth.

Since this is a three-dimensional toothbrush, it makes use of rotation, pulsation, and oscillation as it cleans your teeth, so that you can be confident of covering every crevice.

Technologically Advanced

Though this is not the most technologically-advanced option on this list (the Oral-B Genius Pro 8000 gets this distinction), it still offers significant improvements over basic models such as the Oral-B Pro 1000 and the Philips Sonicare Essence. Real-time Bluetooth feedback allows you to track things like how long you brushed, what time of day you brushed, and how many times per day you brushed. This information is then sent to an app you can download on your cell phone; it tracks your brushing habits and holds you accountable for them. This is probably more useful for children than adults, but if we’re honest, a lot of us can improve this part of our personal grooming.

There is also a pressure sensor built into this toothbrush which will light up to notify you on your phone (if the app is running) to tell you that you are pressing too hard. This will help you avoid causing lacerations to teeth and/or gums.

Other Important Details

With an incredible 10-day charge, this toothbrush has one of the longest battery lives of all the options on this list. To be fair, we have to admit that many of the Philips brushes, such as the Essence and the ProtectiveClean 4100, have slightly longer battery lives. Still, this brush is definitely superior among Oral-B brushes – outshining even the Oral-B Pro 8000 and 7000, which have charge lives of only seven days.

It should be evident from the name that this toothbrush has been built with whitening in mind. You could pay extra for a brush with a huge array of settings like you find on the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean, or even one of the several Oral-B brushes on this list. On the other hand, if all you really want is a regular setting and a whitening setting, why would you? This brush gives you both of those so that you can get the clean you want.

When using the regular clean setting you can select one of three intensity settings. These settings really just adjust the speed with which the brush head pulsates and oscillates, which is how this 2-dimensional toothbrush works. The higher the intensity; the faster the cleaning head moves. This allows you to work harder on those plaque-covered areas (like the back of your bottom teeth) and go gentler on sensitive areas, such as gums.

This toothbrush also includes a two-minute timer. The timer begins as soon as you turn the toothbrush power on and counts up to two minutes before beeping to let you know that you have completed your dentist-recommended cleaning period. It also beeps briefly at 30-second intervals to let you know that it is time to move from one area of your mouth to another.

The whitening setting adjusts the length of the timer and also includes a phase during which the brush slows down. Since whitening is partially about soft polishing, this setting is designed to help you tack on some polishing time to your regular brushing.

What Else?

In addition to its regular mode, whitening mode, and timer, this toothbrush has a few special features which add a little extra value. Its clip-on head design makes it easy for you to switch from one brushing head to another, whether you are sharing a handle or would simply like to try a replacement head. If you aren’t a fan of sharing toothbrush handles among family members, its relatively small charging base will also allow you to place more than one charger on your countertop.

A battery indicator light will tell you when it is time to charge the battery. You shouldn’t need to charge it often, though, since, like most Philips Sonicare brushes, this one has a relatively long battery life – 2 whole weeks! Mode indicator lights can also be found on the front of this brush to remind you which mode and intensity you have selected.

Three-dimensional cleaning has proven quite revolutionary in the world of toothbrushes. For some time, different companies have created brushes that used one or two out of the three possible types of cleaning action, but none had combined all three. Oral-B’s Pro line of toothbrushes (several of which are reviewed here) has finally done just that. 3D cleaning uses rotation (a spinning head), oscillation (a head that moves back and forth), and pulsation (a head that vibrates). This combination delivers the greatest possible number of strokes per second, while also helping to drive water through your teeth as you brush.

Just like the Oral-B Pro Genius 8000, the Pro 7000 offers 6 different cleaning modes, including 3D daily clean, sensitivity mode, whitening mode, deep clean, massage, and tongue clean. Each of these modes adjusts the speed of the rotation, oscillation, and pulsation to make the brushing experience as intense or as gentle as necessary, depending on the type of cleaning you are doing. You will even find that certain modes turn one or two types of movement on or off, depending on what will best suit your goals.

Chosen as Best 3D Clean

Though the abilities of this brush are pretty similar to those of the Oral-B Pro Genius 8000, there are a few ways in which it differs. The most important difference between the two brushes is that the 8000 has a special guidance app that actually tracks, in real-time, your brushing technique. This brush does not have that capability. It does, however, track your habits in terms of frequency and duration, and it relays this information to a cell phone tracking app. It also comes with a cute smiley face LCD screen which tells which part of your mouth you should be brushing at any given time, based on how much time has passed since you started.

Another important difference between this brush and the Oral-B 8000 is price. The one special feature the 8000 has which this one does not have is the position tracker, which tacks on an extra $50 or so to the overall price. Most people really don’t need that sort of help when they are brushing, so considering its price and capabilities, this brush has been picked for “Best 3-Dimensional Clean”.

Other Things Worth Noting

This toothbrush comes with a few features and functions in addition to those described above. The pressure sensor will detect when you press too hard, though it will not make a ring of LEDs light up like the 8000 – it will simply display something on the LCD screen to notify you.

Something else worth noting about this brush is that it is available in both black and white. If you don’t like to share a handle with another person, these color options will allow at least two people to designate their own handle and toothbrush head. If you’re fine with sharing a handle, households with more members will appreciate that the base can hold several brush heads.

The most straightforward of all the Oral-B toothbrushes we’ve chosen to review, the Oral-B Pro 1000 is made for people who don’t want anything complicated. This toothbrush is for you if you don’t see the point of Bluetooth compatibility and don’t need something to track your brushing habits for you. It is definitely a step above a manual toothbrush, but not nearly as advanced as the Oral-B Genius Pro 8000 or the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean.

Like all power toothbrushes, this one will do most of the work for you. It uses a 3-dimensional action (rotation, oscillation, and pulsation) – a much more vigorous clean than any manual toothbrush can deliver. It even features a pressure sensor which will light up if you press too hard so you can ease off before damaging your teeth or gums. Its single-mode makes using this brush a very simple task. Though you cannot adjust its speed, you can always choose to simply not press as hard in the more tender areas of your mouth, which will help with any tooth-sensitivity problem to some degree.

Its seven days of battery life is also pretty typical for a more basic power toothbrush. Some of the more advanced brushes do boast longer battery lives. For example, the Oral-B Pro 5000 has a 10-day battery life and the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean has a rechargeable battery which will last up to two weeks.

Unlike the other Oral-B brushes we’ve discussed on this page, this one does not come with a large charging base. Due to this constraint, you will not be able to store other people’s brushing heads in the base. Some families opt to share a toothbrush handle to save money and space. Neither of these things should be a problem when it comes to the Oral-B Pro 1000, though. It is extremely cost-effective (you can buy three or four of these for the price of some others) and its charging base is small enough that most people will be able to fit multiple bases on a single bathroom countertop.

Though there are better toothbrushes on this list, few will offer you the advantages and features the Philips ProtectiveClean 5100 does at this affordable price. In fact, you will have no trouble finding comparable toothbrushes for almost twice the price of this one. Therefore, while it may not offer truly top-of-the-line performance, it’s not far off for an economy model.

Considering that this is a cheaper product, its three intensity settings are worth taking note of. You may set it to clean, whiten, or gum care. These adjustments are handy if you want to change the speed of the brush when working on different parts of your mouth. Areas with stubborn plaque, for example, will warrant a higher intensity setting than sensitive areas such as the gums. However, the toothbrush senses what kind of head is attached and actually adjusts its operation when you’re working on your gums with an attachment made especially for that purpose.

You can track which setting you have selected by watching the indicator lights on the front of the handle. You can also check the battery level here, while another light indicates when it’s time to change the brush head. If it senses that you are applying too much pressure, the handle vibrates to warn you.

Of course, what’s really impressive is that this toothbrush is able to give you a 2-dimensional tooth cleaning. This means that it not only moves back and forth, adding extra brushstrokes, but also pulsates to help drive water between your teeth, providing a kind of flossing action.

A thick handle with a solid rubber grip makes this a very easy brush to grasp. If you have trouble lifting your arm, however, we’re inclined to recommend that you look at the Philips Sonicare Essence, which comes with a bent brushing arm.

A built-in timer will beep two minutes after you begin brushing to help ensure that you do not stop too soon or keep at it for too long (much to many people’s surprise, over-brushing can create as many problems as under-brushing). The timer will also beep every 30 seconds to remind you to move on to brushing a different quadrant of your mouth.

It’s easy to see at a glance that this isn’t just an electric toothbrush, but a complete oral health station. It features both an electric toothbrush and a sanitary, water-powered tooth flossing system. First, let’s talk about the toothbrush:

This power toothbrush has its own charging area on the station, but isn’t tied to the base the way that the flosser is. If you’re in the habit of pacing around while brushing, this might be important to you. It features only one cleaning mode, which does put it at a disadvantage against many of the other options on this list. However, you may find that the cleaning abilities of the water flosser substitute nicely for this.

A two-minute timer is built into the toothbrush to notify you when you have completed your brushing. It also includes a “30-second pacer” which helps keep you from getting distracted. The flosser draws water from a water tank and sprays it through a nozzle for even better dental hygiene. A total of five different types of nozzles have been included with the machine so that you can adjust the spray of the water depending on what you need from it. Flossing between your teeth, for instance, will require a thin stream of water, whereas polishing is done with a wider spray.

You can turn the water flosser on with the simple turn of a dial on the front of the machine. Another dial allows you to adjust the flow and pressure. Gentler streams of water will be helpful to individuals with sensitive gums, while stronger jets help to remove plaque.

Beside the tank, you’ll find a storage case for the flossing tips as well as a few replacement heads. This allows you to store wet brush heads so that they can dry without growing mold or bacteria, making it the perfect station to share among family members.

While a basic electric toothbrush (such as the Oral-B Pro 1000 and the Philips Sonicare Essence) does nothing more than clean, this brush steps things up a little bit. It doesn’t have any fancy monitoring ability like the Oral-B Genius Pro 8000, but it can connect via Bluetooth to a cell phone app the way that the Pro 8000, Oral-B Pro 7000, and Oral-B Pro 5000 can. It can relay information about how long you brush and when you brush, so that you can track your daily habits and keep yourself on course.

One thing we like about this brush is that it will work well even without the app. It will buzz when your two minutes of regular cleaning time have passed and will even buzz at thirty-second intervals to remind you to switch to another part of your mouth.

Three cleaning modes aren’t nearly as advanced as the 7 modes you will find with the Oral-B Genius Pro 8000 or the Pro 7000, or even the 5 modes you will find with the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean. However, they are certainly enough for most people to feel confident that their teeth are clean complete without having to endure any discomfort. The three modes available on this toothbrush include daily clean, sensitive clean, and whitening. Another thing that places this brush above bare-basics status is the fact that it offers 3-dimensional cleaning – a combination of rotation, oscillation, and pulsation.

Another very useful feature is this toothbrush’s pressure sensor. If you ever press too hard as you brush, it will light up to let you know that it’s time to ease off a little. A battery indicator light will notify you when your toothbrush requires a charge. Since this brush only comes in one color, though, we doubt that you will be sharing the charging station with others. Instead, you will probably have to buy your own base (if you have enough space for multiple units), or you could share a handle and simply switch the clip-on head whenever you want to use it.

Very few people share toothbrushes, since most people consider it a health hazard or simply too gross. Equally, few people are comfortable with the idea of sharing a toothbrush handle, swapping out someone else’s brushing head for their own. Sometimes this is because they don’t want to take the chance of exchanging germs; sometimes they don’t have anywhere to safely store their brush tips when they are not in use. Whatever the reason, if you prefer to have your own toothbrush, it’s certainly a good idea to buy toothbrushes of different colors if you have a large family.

Not only is this a high-quality brush (it wouldn’t be on this website if it wasn’t), it is also available in six different colors. You can choose from the following options: black, white and blue, coral, steel blue, guacamole, white, and coral. Pick one to match your personality or simply one that’s different from the colors selected by anyone you share a bathroom with.

A Quality Power Brush

Though the range of colors available sets this toothbrush apart from many others, it is actually the overall quality of the brush which we think is its biggest selling feature. With an impressive 31,000 brush strokes per minute, this inexpensive toothbrush moves much faster than any human hand ever could, offering a cleaning experience superior to any manual toothbrush.

Like the ProtectiveClean 5100, it will warn you if you’re brushing too hard and even recommend that you replace brush heads after a while. However, this brush works at only one speed. Where a product like the Philips Sonicare HealthyWhite+ has a special whitening setting, this brush does not. The Philips Sonicare DiamondClean also has 4 different cleaning modes, while this brush has only one. It does, however, still offer the 2-dimensional cleaning action for which all Philips Sonicare toothbrushes are known. The 2D cleaning, which uses both oscillation (back and forth motion) and pulsation (vibration), does a good job of scrubbing teeth clean and forcing water into the spaces between them.

A Couple of Extras

Despite not having the advanced settings of many of the other brushes on this list, this one does have a couple of simple extras you won’t find on most basic brushes of comparable prices. As one example, this brush comes with a built-in two-minute timer which will beep to indicate when you have brushed for the amount of time recommended by dentists. It offers a comfortable 2-week battery life and indicates when a charge is due. Also, its simple clip-on brushing head is a step above the screw-on head you get with a Sonicare Essence.

Easily considered the star of the Philips Sonicare toothbrush line, the DiamondClean takes a top position among this manufacturer’s brushes for its many features and functions. Its attributes rival those of the Oral-B 8000, with the important difference that the Philips brush isn’t Bluetooth compatible.

Five cleaning modes allow you to change the speed and timer settings with a simple press of a button. Those settings include clean (basic), whitening, polish, gum care, and sensitive. A similar model, also called the DiamondClean, features a deep-clean mode instead of a polish setting. Whichever you choose should be based upon your needs – if you eat and drink things that may stain your teeth, or if you struggle with plaque, you might want to think about selecting the Deep Clean model instead.

The Extras

This toothbrush is elite among Philips brushes not simply because it contains a total of five different modes (more than any of the other Philips brushes we have listed here), but also because it embodies all of the special features of the other brushes, and then some.

The charger for this brush is actually a cup. So long as you don’t have electricity running to the cup you can use it to rinse your mouth after a good brushing. Then simply plug it in and set the brush inside. You can also charge this toothbrush by placing it in its travel case and plugging this in. The travel case and charger combination will certainly be a major plus for anyone who travels frequently.

In case other family members also want to get on the electric toothbrush bandwagon, you can choose among 4 different color options. Though you may not get the exact color you’d prefer, you will at least not have to share. Color options include amethyst purple, black, pink, and white.

One of the biggest selling points for this toothbrush is the fact that it is waterproof. We’re sure that you can carry a few of the others on this list into the shower with you without worrying, but having that stamp of approval from the company does make a big difference. Whether it allows you to shave a minute off your “getting ready for work/bed” routine or simply makes brushing your teeth less boring, the ability to brush in the shower is something many people miss as they switch from manual to electric toothbrushes.

This brush is about much more than being waterproof, though – it also offers 3 cleaning modes. The first mode is oscillating, which simply moves the brush head back and forth for basic tooth cleaning. The pulsate mode helps you get water between your teeth and clean the areas around your gums. The massage mode is a combination of the two other modes which works best on stubborn stains and stuck-on plaque.

This brush’s charger holds not only the brush itself but also two spare brush heads. There are a few others on this list that do the same, but this is one of very few which actually holds the brush heads upright. The Oral-B Genius Pro 8000, Pro 7000, and Pro 3000, for example, all hold the heads horizontally. Storing heads in an upright position allows them to dry thoroughly and is somewhat more hygienic. The only other brush on this list with a similar design is the Waterpik WP-950.

In fact, this Sonic Power and the Waterpik WP-950 are the only two toothbrushes on this page that are not made by either Oral-B or Philips. Since the Oral-B and Philips brushes are known for their popularity and quality, this speaks volumes about the Sonic Power by Dr. Jim Ellis. Just like all of the Philips products, this one uses high-speed, 2-dimensional cleaning (also known as sonic cleaning). This type of cleaning relies on oscillation and pulsation. Unlike most, this toothbrush boasts a handy 2-week battery life. Even the Oral-B Genius Pro 8000 cannot say that it will work for as long.

The Oral-B Genius Pro 8000 put most toothbrushes to shame with its many functions and features. Not only does it provide a superior clean thanks to its many modes, but it also helps you harness your very best brushing techniques.

Turn the brush on with the simple press of a soft-touch button. Next, select one of six cleaning modes, using the down arrow button to cycle through the various modes. You’ll know which one you have selected based on which light has illuminated on the handle. The six options are each different in terms of the speed with which the brush head moves and how it cleans. Since this brush offers a three-dimensional clean, each mode will adjust the speed with which the round head spins, moves back and forth, and vibrates. You can choose between daily clean, gum care, sensitive, whitening, tongue cleaning, and pro-clean.

An Impressive Tracking App

The biggest selling point of this brush is its advanced technology. Using Bluetooth, this brush can communicate with an app on your cellphone. It relays information such as how long you’ve brushed, which days you brushed your teeth, how many times per day you brushed, and at what time. This allows you to track your brushing habits on a calendar in the app. Other brushes on this list, such as the Oral-B Pro 7000 and Oral-B 5000, have similar brushing modes and Bluetooth capability, though, so what makes the Oral-B 8000 so special?

Unlike any of the other brushes on this list, the Genius Pro 8000 can actually keep tabs on the way you brush your teeth – not just how often and for how long. Using your cellphone camera and special sensors built into the brush itself, the app will actually detect which areas of your mouth you have cleaned. This way, it can remind you to brush any spots you missed. Some other brushes, such as the Oral-B 5000, will instruct you to move from one quadrant of your mouth to another (often using pictures as guides in cell phone apps) but no other brush actually keeps track of which parts of your mouth you did and did not manage to reach. This sort of assistance is great for people who find that their minds wander as they brush. This app is also extremely helpful for young children who are trying to learn good brushing habits.

Wait, There’s More

This brush comes with a regular charging base which you can park on your bathroom counter. Also included is a traveling charger which doubles as a hardcover travel case. You can charge your brush as you transport it without having to remove it from the carrying case. What’s more, you can also charge your cell phone using this case.

A light-up “smart ring” around the top of the toothbrush handle indicates when you are pressing too hard. The intelligent system inside the brush will actually slow the oscillation and rotation of the brush head until it senses you’ve eased off a bit. This minimizes the chance that you will cause damage to your teeth or gums.

If you are new to power toothbrushes, a basic brush like this one may be what you need. It won’t intimidate you with too many features and functions or require that you learn how to work a cell phone app (like the Oral-B 8000, Pro 7000, Pro 5000, or Pro 3000). Instead, it will simply provide you with a solid 2-dimensional tooth cleaning experience.

You may wonder if the 2-dimensional cleaning provided by this brush and the other Philips brushes on this page is as good as the 3-dimensional cleaning you receive from the Oral-B brushes we have reviewed here. The truth is that it depends on what your brushing needs are. We discuss this more in the Buying Guide at the bottom of the page, but for now let’s just say that if you have sensitive gums, you may want to steer clear of 3D cleaning and stick with a toothbrush like this one.

Helpful Extras

Despite being rather modest compared to other Philips Sonicare brushes, this brush has some pretty advanced features you don’t usually see on power brushes at a price this affordable. First of all, the angle of the brush neck has been bent to make it easier to reach those difficult places in the back of your mouth. This will be important for anyone with muscle or joint problems.

Also helpful, a timer has been included, which will beep after two minutes to let you know that you have brushed for a sufficient amount of time. Fading bristles will let you know when it is time to replace the brushing head so that you can always give your teeth the best clean possible.

You can purchase this toothbrush in two different color schemes (blue and white or pink and white), so that you do not need to share the brush handle with your partner or chance getting confused and picking up the wrong brush. Since the base does not hold extra toothbrush heads, sharing the handle would be difficult anyway. Luckily, the base is small enough that you can easily fit two onto most countertops.