The best electric toothbrushes we tested
Best electric toothbrush: Philips Sonicare 4100
Best smart electric toothbrush: Oral-B iO Series 9
Best electric toothbrush for travel: Philips One by Sonicare
Good oral hygiene is vital, and electric toothbrushes promise to make caring for those pearly whites easier to manage. Built-in timers, apps and multiple brushing modes don’t just do a better job than a manual toothbrush; they also show you how to take better care of your teeth. There are even electric toothbrushes for kids designed to teach them healthy brushing habits at an early age.
To find the best electric toothbrushes, we tested 14 different models and brushed our teeth (a lot) to try every setting, brush mode and head type. We also consulted with several dental professionals to determine the most helpful features. Our teeth felt nice and clean at the end of the three-week testing period, and in the process, we found three great models that can help get your oral health dialed in.
The Sonicare 4100 is a great way to improve your oral hygiene routine, as it's affordable, full-featured, effective and compatible with various replacement brush heads from Philips and third parties. A gentle mode makes it easy for beginners to get used to high-tech brushing.
The Oral-B iO Series 9 offers more features and modes than any electric toothbrush we tested, to suit any brushing goal. It has a connected app that provides useful feedback too. It is pricey, but a 60-day guarantee makes it easy to see if it will work for you.
The slim, compact Philips One by Sonicare comes with a form-fitting case and 30 days of battery life, making it the perfect electric toothbrush for travel. It doesn't have all the features of some more expensive brushes, but it offers more than enough to keep up your tooth care routine on the road.
Best electric toothbrush: Philips Sonicare 4100
Looking for an excellent electric toothbrush at an affordable price? If so, the Philips Sonicare 4100 is one of the best out there. The 4100 has been around for many years, and we found it as comfortable, easy and effective to use as more expensive models, with simple, useful features like a pressure sensor and timer that make a big difference versus traditional manual toothbrushes.
Although the Philips Sonicare 4100 isn’t as feature-packed as some toothbrushes that cost a few hundred dollars, those extra features aren’t always needed. The Phillips offers only a single brushing mode, with low and high intensity levels. The straightforward controls let you easily change the settings as you brush. During testing, the Sonicare 4100 felt very comfortable in hand, and the brush head (several varieties are available from Philips; we tested with the supplied standard heads) was gentle against our teeth and gums, getting into those hard-to-reach places and getting our teeth sparkling clean.
A two-minute timer reminds you to brush for the full two minutes per most dentists’ recommendations. During that time, a QuadPacer timer vibrates every 30 seconds, guiding you to move to another quadrant of your mouth — helping ensure all teeth are cleaned equally. You can also pause the toothbrush for up to 30 seconds and the timer will start right where it left off.
One of our favorite features of the toothbrush — and one we didn’t find with some of the other lower-priced options — is the pressure sensor. While using an electric toothbrush, you’re meant to let the brush head do the work rather than scrubbing. So during the brushing session, if you press too hard and apply too much pressure, the Sonicare 4100 will vibrate and an indicator light will flash, giving you a warning. Dr. Mark Wolff, professor of restorative dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania, emphasized the importance of controlling the pressure while brushing since “brushing too aggressively can wear the gums and tooth structure, resulting in recession and tooth sensitivity to cold.”
Everything on the Philips is well thought out from a design perspective. On the backside of the toothbrush, there’s a notch to keep the toothbrush from rolling around, ensuring the brush head is always kept off the surface if lying flat. And just like most Philips products, a plastic case is included to keep the brush head clean during storage or travel.
For those new to electric toothbrushes, the Phillips 4100 has an EasyStart feature turned on by default; this gently increases the power over the first 14 brushings. Since electric toothbrushes feel different than manual toothbrushes, this allows you — and your teeth — to adapt to the toothbrush over a week’s time.
Other features include a brush head replacement reminder, a low battery indicator, 14-day battery life and a two-year warranty. The 4100’s charging base uses a USB-A connector, although a wall adapter isn’t included, so you’ll have to supply your own.
Best smart electric toothbrush: Oral-B iO Series 9
The Oral-B iO Series 9 is by far the best smart toothbrush we tested, with an app that offered consistently accurate and useful feedback. The brush itself — a sleek metal unit with a colorful LCD display — offers seven different modes, the most out of any toothbrush we tested, along with the full suite of standard features, such as an easy-to-view pressure sensor indicator and two-minute timer (with 30-second pulsing quadrant reminders).
The seven modes include daily clean, intense clean, whitening, gum care, sensitive, super sensitive and tongue clean. Registered dental hygienist Nicole Barbour, who works for a practice in Newton, Massachusetts, told us that while most of the patients she sees only need a standard mode, a sensitive setting can be beneficial for those who are at higher risk for enamel wear, gingival attachment or tooth sensitivity. She also suggested that the gum care setting — when used with a compatible brush head — can help remove bacteria from the gum line. However, she did go on to say that there’s not enough independent data available as to whether or not all modes are in fact beneficial and exceed your regular standard mode. And for most patients, multiple mode options aren’t necessary.
But if you’re a patient who has a specific oral need, this toothbrush allows you to fully personalize your brushing experience with its many modes. And while all brush heads are compatible for each mode type, you’ll receive the best experience by purchasing the Oral-B brush head specific to your selected mode.
The oscillating brush, which rotates side to side rather than vibrating like the other brushes we tested, is much quieter than the other Oral-B toothbrushes in our test group, and we found it moved smoothly from one tooth to another. Oral-B also claims the “round brush head pulsates to loosen plaque and then oscillates and rotates to sweep the plaque away.”
While it might seem like overkill for some, I appreciated the Oral-B’s smart features; you can sync your toothbrush to the Oral-B app on your phone, which will guide you through your brushing session. When brushing, I found it very useful to be guided through each quadrant of my mouth and to see (via the 3D tracking feature) which surfaces and sections of my mouth weren’t brushed enough. With this app, you can either watch in real time or review your brushing later.
On a busy morning, I find that I don’t always have the patience to truly focus on brushing my teeth properly, so this kept me in check, and you might have a similar experience. Barbour says that “most patients are in the habit of brushing in a way that may not be effective for plaque removal of all surfaces, and using a smart app can benefit patients as they practice proper brushing technique and adaptation.” However, she did go on to say that “paying too much attention to the app can backfire if it distracts too much attention.”
The app also tracks your total brush time and the amount of pressure for every brushing session. Barbour says that seeing this information can help a patient make changes to their brushing habits as needed and improve efficacy. Wolff agrees and mentioned that tracking your brushing sessions and showing the history to your hygienist will allow them to “give you some customized instructions to improve your home care.”
Within the app, you are also given daily coaching tips based on your brushing habits to help you with future sessions. Conveniently, you don’t have to keep your phone in front of you while you brush. So long as your phone is within Bluetooth range, it will record your session. You don’t get the live guidance, but you will get the data on brushing time and pressure. We also found the accuracy of the app to be top-notch, which is not something we found with all of the other Bluetooth-compatible toothbrushes we tested. Within the app, you can also set up a brush head reminder and various challenges to ensure you’re receiving the best oral care possible.
Although it costs significantly more than most of the brushes we tested, the packaging comes with four brush heads in total, a magnetic charger that takes just three hours for a full charge and a travel case. The travel case even comes with its own plug for easy charging on the go.
If you’re looking for a toothbrush that will truly track your brushing habits — correctly — this is by far our favorite smart electric toothbrush we tested. Those who need some guidance while brushing or have specific oral health goals in mind will absolutely love this brush. But if you don’t believe you’ll use many of the capabilities or don’t have the need for guided brushing, and don’t want to have your phone with you at all times in the bathroom, then you probably don’t need to splurge on such an expensive toothbrush.
If you’re on the fence, you can try out the Oral-B iO Series 9 toothbrush for 60 days and if you aren’t happy, you can receive a full refund.
Best electric toothbrush for travel: Philips One by Sonicare
The Philips One by Sonicare is slim and incredibly compact. It comes in a form-fitting case that fits the brush perfectly and barely takes up any space in your toiletry bag, making it a great travel companion. Plus, it comes in seven colors, making it easy for each member of your family to identify their own toothbrush.
One of the best aspects of the toothbrush is that the rechargeable battery lasts up to 30 days, double or triple the battery life of most other electric toothbrushes we tested, allowing you to truly not worry about your toothbrush running out of battery while on the road. If you don’t want to have to worry about recharging the battery, you can instead opt for a battery-operated version of the Philips One toothbrush. The functionality of the toothbrush is exactly the same, although it runs on a single AAA battery, which lasts for approximately 90 days.
No charging base is included with the rechargeable version; the toothbrush is also charged by a USB-C cable, so you can use the same charger you’d use with many phones, computers and other electronic devices. So although a USB-C charger comes with the Philips One toothbrush, if you happen to leave it at home, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find another one in your bag (or perhaps get a loaner from the hotel’s front desk). A four-stage battery indicator lets you know how much life is left, and if you’re caught out, a full charge takes around eight hours.
Although the brush doesn’t alert you to pressure like the Sonicare 4100, it has a two-minute timer, with a quadrant indicator that buzzes every 30 seconds as a reminder to move to the next section of your mouth. As with the larger Philips models you can also pause the toothbrush for up to 30 seconds and the timer will restart from the pausing point.
We found the replaceable brush head to be very similar to a manual brush, with W-shaped bristles that let us get into tight spaces (Philips doesn’t offer any alternative brushes like it does for its main Sonicare lineup). The bristles were soft and gentle, leaving our teeth feeling extremely clean and much better than a manual toothbrush.
How we tested
To help find the best options, we picked out 10 of the most popular and well-reviewed electric toothbrushes ranging from just $26 to upwards of $300. We went through the entire brushing process with each electric toothbrush — multiple times — and tested all of their functionality. We brushed every which way possible to truly put them to the test while comparing their overall performance and effectiveness.
So, over the course of a lot of brushing sessions, we assessed all of the brushes in the following areas.
Installation and setup
- Battery type: We checked out whether each brush ran on a battery or used a rechargeable battery, as well as whether it shipped with a base or charging cable. We measured how long the brush would run on a single charge or battery swap.
- Brush head variety: We also checked out what type of brush heads the toothbrushes came with, what sorts of replacement heads were available and how easy they were to swap.
- Companion apps and connectivity: For the brushes that used companion apps and had Bluetooth connection capabilities, we checked out how easy it was to connect, set up an account and start using the app. We also assessed app accuracy for the connected smart toothbrushes, checking to see if the recordings of our brushing sessions matched our notes.
- Design: We also looked at the design, assessing whether the brushes included cases or brush head covers for storage and travel and well-designed bases for use in a bathroom, and checked out handling in general.
Performance
- Timer options: We looked for brushes that offered an automated two-minute timer, the most useful feature according to the dental professionals we talked to. We also looked for 30-second quadrant timers, which keep you moving the brush to cover the entire mouth.
- Brushing modes: We checked whether a pressure sensor indicator (letting you know if you are brushing too hard or soft) was implemented, and tried out all of the brushing modes and intensity levels where those were an option. And importantly, we paid attention to what the brushes felt like to use and how clean they left our mouths feeling.
Maintenance
- Maintenance needs: We looked at how often brush heads should be swapped and how easy it was to clean each brush. We also looked at the cost of replacement brush heads, and whether they were compatible with generic brush heads for less, as well as the availability of subscription options.
- Warranty: We also noted whether a satisfaction guarantee or warranty was supplied, and whether the brushes we examined had received the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance.
Everything you need to know about electric toothbrushes
Most dentists and the ADA recommend all adults and children brush their teeth for two minutes twice a day to effectively remove plaque. Dr. Andrea Zandona, professor and chair of the Department of Comprehensive Care at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, explains that this length of exposure to fluoride toothpaste “is important to achieve the best cavity protection benefits.”
Although you can certainly brush for two minutes with a manual toothbrush, electric toothbrushes have automatic timers and pressure sensors, as well as various brushing modes that may help you do a more thorough job of brushing your teeth and gums and, most importantly, make it easier to do a good job brushing. Whatever your oral hygiene needs or goals, it’s worth making room in your bathroom for an electric toothbrush (and possibly a water flosser, too). Even if you’re wondering how to whiten your teeth at home, an electric toothbrush can help.
The ADA suggests that this is even more the case for people who have dexterity challenges — children, people with disabilities or the elderly — or those who have dental appliances such as braces.
However, the dental professionals we consulted reiterated that an electric toothbrush won’t do all the work for you. You still must use it correctly, positioning the brush at the proper 45-degree angle to your teeth and gums and gently moving the brush head with enough pressure to cover the entire tooth surface.
Amy King, a registered dental hygienist at Chestnut Dental Associates in Needham, Massachusetts, tells us that she has seen a dramatic improvement in the oral hygiene of patients who use electric toothbrushes, so long as they use them correctly and with the appropriate settings. She sees “less inflammation and less bleeding,” and that “in some cases, people who use electric toothbrushes and admit to not flossing regularly, have gums that look as good if not better than those that floss regularly.”
We found a few specific functions extremely important during our testing. Below is a description of each functionality and options to look for when considering a toothbrush.
Built-in timer
As we learned, brushing your teeth for two full minutes is vital. Fortunately, every toothbrush we tested included a built-in two-minute timer, which allowed us to not cheat on our brushing session. Additionally, many toothbrushes also include a vibrating alert every 30 seconds that reminds you to move on to the next quadrant of your mouth, making it easier to remember to cover all of your teeth. Many toothbrushes, although not all, allow you to pause your toothbrush for up to 30 seconds without resetting the timer.
Pressure sensor
The pressure you apply when brushing might not be something you actively consider. Applying too much pressure against your teeth and gums, Zandona told us, can erode the enamel on your tooth and cause gum recession, while also wearing out your toothbrush. Dr. Evan Novick, an endodontic specialist at Novick Endodontics in Charlotte, North Carolina, tells us that “multiple studies have shown anything more than light pressure does more harm than good and a pressure indicator on a toothbrush is extremely beneficial to a patient.” Fortunately, many electric toothbrushes can let you know when you are applying too much pressure.
Brushing modes
All electric toothbrushes offer a brush head that vibrates or pulsates, but some offer multiple brushing modes: gum care, sensitive, whitening, pro clean and more. Depending on the brush, these modes may be intensity settings targeted for different brushing tasks, or in more advanced models — such as the Philips Sonicare 6100 and Oral-B iO Series 9 — these modes vary the pattern of a brush’s oscillating or pulsating motion and are designed to work with specific replacement brush heads tailored to work with those motions.
Either way, these modes let you personalize your brushing experience to address your needs. Novick tells us that he feels only some of the brushing modes had real benefits. For example, the sensitive setting is ideal for someone with hypersensitive gums or for a prescribed amount of time after a dental procedure. However, he has not found any differences in the color of the teeth of patients who have used the whitening modes on their electric toothbrushes.
Intensity levels
Most electric toothbrushes offer multiple intensity levels. This allows you to select a low, medium or high power option, which changes the speed at which the brush head oscillates or vibrates (this is distinct from “modes,” which may change the pattern of the head’s movement).
Many hygienists love variable intensity, as it allows those new to using an electric toothbrush to ease into it and get used to the feeling. Registered dental hygienist Ana Perez, also from Chestnut Dental Associates, told us this feature “helps patients with sensitive teeth or gum recession/root exposure because the toothbrush can go gentler or slower on those areas while still removing plaque and biofilm effectively.”
Smart features
Some of the newer, higher-end toothbrushes allow you to connect your toothbrush to an app on your phone where the app will guide you through your brushing session, the idea being that over time the feedback will teach you to be a better brusher. Many of the apps will also record data from your session, such as how long you brushed and areas of your mouth that were missed.
King feels that these apps can be very beneficial to anyone who wants to improve their oral health. “Using an electric toothbrush app is like having an in-home brushing tutor and allows the patient the opportunity to practice their brushing technique and habits conveniently in the privacy and comfort of their home,” she says. While she’s seen a lot of interest, she has found that the apps aren’t for everyone — while many of her patients use their electric toothbrushes every day, more often than not, they have stopped using the companion apps.
King and several other hygienists also appreciated when patients brought in their historical brushing data, so check with your dentist’s office to see if that might be valuable for them.
Other electric toothbrushes we tested
An inexpensive option with an oscillating brush head but lacks some features and provides a harsher brushing experience.
The Oral-B Pro 1000 costs about the same as our top pick, the Philips Sonicare 4100, and also comes from a well-respected brand, but offers fewer useful features at the same price. The toothbrush comes with an oscillating brush head, but we found the pressure too strong. Additionally, the toothbrush was incredibly loud and sounded like a freight train was in the bathroom.
Like most other electric toothbrushes, there’s a two-minute timer (with 30-second indicators), but after the two minutes is up, the toothbrush will keep on going. This is great for those looking to brush for longer, but you’ll have to remember to switch it off when you’ve had enough.
This toothbrush comes with a single cross-action brush head but is compatible with many other Oral-B brush heads — such as ones geared toward flossing, sensitivity and precision. You can purchase a five-pack of replacement brush heads at slightly over $5 per head, or there are subscription options from Oral-B directly (we did find them significantly cheaper on Amazon). There are also many generic brush heads for this toothbrush, which can cost less, as low as $1 to $2 per head.
At this price point, we wish it offered a more noticeable pressure sensor indicator (there’s no visible lamp, just tactile feedback) and multiple intensity levels. The pressure sensor functionality stops the oscillation once you brush too hard — which you might not even notice — and doesn’t offer any indicators, such as a vibrating handle, beeping sound or light on the handle as we saw with many other toothbrushes. A full charge also lasts just 10 days, which is less than most others tested.
Packed with beneficial features for a positive brushing experience, but if you're eyeing this toothbrush for the included app, we found it to be less than ideal.
The Oral-B Genius 6000 offers many useful features — an oscillating brush head, a pressure sensor and a built-in timer — as well as five different modes, which will help you pick the best brushing type for your personal needs. But the corresponding app is one of the most cumbersome among the smart brushes we tested.
The only way to get the full picture of your brushing is to hold the phone up directly in front of your face while also brushing. This is incredibly difficult and didn’t work for us, at least not handheld. You’ll need to purchase a suction cup phone holder for your mirror or have space for a stand. If not, you’ll lose the option of tracking your brushing coverage — which is the best part of the app. It’s also loud, similar to the Oral-B Pro 1000 toothbrush.
A brand-new toothbrush within the Oral-B brand, this is a great option at a favorable price point. An extremely easy-to-use brush with many features.
The Oral-B iO Series 2 offers a similar look and feel to one of our above winners, the Oral-B iO Series 9, but at a significantly lower price point. This newly released toothbrush is incredibly easy to use with its all-in-one power button. In addition to the three different setting options, the toothbrush includes a pulsating two-minute timer (with 30-second pulsing quadrant reminders) and a pressure sensor indicator.
However, unlike the Oral-B iO Series 9, it’s hard to know which setting you’re on. This is because when changing to a different setting, the power button (which is used to change the setting) lights up with one, two or three green flashes and there’s no label on the toothbrush indicating the current selection.
This toothbrush is also compatible with all Oral-B iO replacement brush heads. However, despite using the same brush head as the Series 9 toothbrush, we did find that the Series 2 toothbrush wasn’t as smooth of a feel — the vibration was a tad stronger, causing more chatter while brushing.
Despite some differences compared to the Series 9 toothbrush, the average person might not need nor care for the added benefits. This makes the Oral-B iO Series 2 an ideal toothbrush for those looking to move from a manual toothbrush to an electric toothbrush, especially if you prefer an oscillating brush head. There’s also a 60-day guarantee, allowing you to see whether or not the toothbrush works for you.
Despite being the most expensive toothbrush we tested, this is a great option if you're committed to using a smart toothbrush.
The Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige — the company’s latest premium smart toothbrush — has only a single button on board, with all other controls accessible only through the app. We found the app itself simple to use and helpful, with a clear layout for tracking your brushing progress and plenty of real-time feedback on how much pressure and motion you’re using (and should use). It accurately tracked our movements and gave us good feedback, but we felt that the brush made us rely on our phone more than the other smart brushes we tested.
The Sonicare 9900 Prestige offers three intensity settings and five different cleaning modes and has customizable vibration alerts that let you avoid scrubbing too hard or applying too much pressure. While the app will only track your progress if you leave it open while brushing, the brush saves your settings from session to session, so you don’t have to set everything up again each time.
The design makes cleaning easy, and the brush comes with a slim leather travel case and USB-C travel cable, making it easy to take the toothbrush on the road. It comes with an all-purpose brush head, but it’s compatible with the many Philips Sonicare heads on the market.
We loved using this toothbrush, but we’d only recommend it if you are very committed to smart features and plan to always — and we mean always — have your phone on you while brushing your teeth. But, if you are dedicated to oral hygiene and looking for the best feedback possible, this app gives you just that.
This slim and sleek toothbrush is perfect for those lacking space on their bathroom vanity.
The Hum by Colgate offers one of the sleekest designs with its slim handle and small base. Aesthetically, it’s a nice touch next to the bathroom sink, and there are multiple color options to complement your bathroom decor. It’s also incredibly light to hold, making brushing your teeth easier.
The brush offers three different intensity levels and has a companion app to track the frequency, duration and accuracy of your brushing. We found, however, that while frequency and duration tracking were spot-on, it occasionally didn’t correctly identify which section of our mouth was being brushed. We did appreciate some of the app’s other features. These include the ability to use the brush’s sensors to get real-time reminders of our technique. It even knew when we strayed from holding the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle.
We didn’t like the brush head’s shape and size as much as the Philips Sonicare heads but appreciated the included tongue brush on the back of the brush head. While a toothbrush’s brush head can also clean your tongue, we preferred the dedicated brush, which got into the spaces on my tongue more easily and left me feeling like it had done a better job cleaning.
We tested the rechargeable version of this toothbrush, but there’s also a cheaper battery-operated version available. The design is identical and functionality is similar save for offering only two intensity levels instead of three.
Similar to our top pick, the Philips Sonicare 4100, but with more settings — a perfect option if you're looking for a specialized brushing type.
The Philips Sonicare 6100 is a step up from the Philips Sonicare 4100, with a similar look and feel. However, the main difference is that the 6100 version offers three intensity levels and three different modes — the default clean mode, as well as whitening and gum care, which offer different brush head motions and automatically set the timer accordingly. To get the best results from these modes, Philips suggests purchasing brush heads designed to take advantage of them.
Like the 4100 version, the Philips Sonicare 6100 also offers a two-minute timer with a 30-second pulser (with pausing capability), a pressure sensor indicator, a brush head replacement reminder, a 14-day battery life and a two-year warranty.
The Philips Sonicare also comes with a travel case, which is on the larger side, but it can fit the toothbrush and two brush heads.
Although this toothbrush offers slightly more features than the 4100 version, for more than double the cost, we didn’t think this toothbrush offers enough enhancements to make it worth it. However, if you are specifically looking for a toothbrush that specializes in whitening your teeth or taking care of your gums, then this toothbrush has those options.
Quip is a step up from a manual toothbrush, as there's only one intensity setting and the pressure is too gentle for the average user.
The subscription Quip Electric Toothbrush looks very similar to a manual toothbrush, but based on our testing, it’s only a slight step up. While it vibrates, it’s less intense than any other brush we tested, and we felt there wasn’t enough pressure, leaving us to brush our teeth with a traditional scrubbing motion. If you prefer a more gentle pressure, this might work for you, but we believe most users will be disappointed, especially since there’s only one intensity setting.
The Quip doesn’t have multiple modes, adjustable intensity or any extra features that fancier brushes have. However, unlike your everyday toothbrush, there’s a built-in two-minute timer and 30-second indicators to help ensure you’re brushing your teeth for the appropriate amount of time.
We tested the “smart” version of the Quip (there are cheaper options that don’t have any smarts), which uses an app to track information such as brushing duration, coverage, strokes and intensity, alerting you if you are brushing too hard or too fast. Although limiting, for the information gathered, we found it to be incredibly accurate. You can also earn Quip points for brushing your teeth, which you can redeem for rewards like discounts on refills.
Unlike other toothbrushes we tested, the Quip runs on a single AAA battery rather than a rechargeable battery pack. This is handy if you’re traveling or just limited on electrical outlets, especially since the battery lasts approximately 90 days.
A $5 quarterly subscription gets you a replacement brush head and AAA battery every three months. You can also get the brush head and battery for the same price à la carte, but the subscription gives you a lifetime warranty on the toothbrush (otherwise you get only a year), so it’s a somewhat better deal. You can cancel your subscription or skip a delivery at any time.
Similar to the above Quip Smart Electric Toothbrush but with a charging cord instead of relying on batteries. The charge lasts an impressive three months — the longest of any other toothbrush we tested.
The rechargeable version of the Quip smart toothbrush runs on a rechargeable battery pack instead of a AAA battery. The company claims that an eight-hour charge will last up to three months — a significantly longer battery life than every other toothbrush we tested (the Philips One by Sonicare has the second-longest battery life at 70 days, whereas most others last just a week or two). If you’re traveling for an extended period or your bathroom layout doesn’t let you charge your toothbrush easily, only having to charge your toothbrush quarterly should be handy.
Brushing performance is equivalent; we didn’t notice any differences. And if you subscribe for $7 quarterly, you get a fresh brush head every three months, just as with the battery-powered version (though you don’t get a replacement battery).
A charger is included; it uses a cable with a small magnetic tip to connect to the toothbrush, while the other end plugs into a USB port or USB wall charger (not provided). The brush holder has a cutout at the bottom, so you can even charge the brush while in the holder. It’s a very tidy arrangement. The downside is that the charging connector is proprietary, so if you lose the cord or leave it at home while traveling, you won’t be able to charge the toothbrush until you obtain a new one.
The rechargeable Quip costs more, but for the small price difference, we think the convenience of the rechargeable makes it worth the extra money. The charging cord means you can always have a fully charged brush, ensuring you’re at 100% when you’re leaving on a trip. That said, if you tend to misplace things or leave them behind, the battery-operated version might be the way to go — you can always find a AAA battery.
With eight brush heads and a travel case, this set comes with everything you'll need for over two years of brushing with an electric toothbrush. The toothbrush offers multiple settings, but we wish a pressure setting were present.
As one of the least expensive electric toothbrushes we tested, the Aquasonic Black Series toothbrush includes eight brush heads and a travel case. This will give you more than two years of brushing without having to think about purchasing additional brush heads, which is a significant cost savings. Just know that the included brush heads are on the smaller side; however, they provide a gentle feel along the gum line.
The toothbrush offers four separate brush modes: soft, clean, white and massage. Switching modes is easy, as there’s an indicator on the brush that lets you know exactly which mode you’re on. There’s even a battery life indicator that shows how much juice is left, which is helpful for those who travel.
Similar to most other toothbrushes, you’ll also find a built-in two-minute timer (with 30-second pulsing quadrant reminders), and after the two minutes is over, the toothbrush will automatically shut off, indicating that your brushing session is over. However, this toothbrush lacks a pressure setting — a feature highly recommended by dentists and something you’ll find with our best overall toothbrush pick, the Philips Sonicare 4100.
If you’re looking for a gentle toothbrush with multiple settings and one that you can use at home or on vacation, the Aquasonic Black Series toothbrush is a great option — at an inexpensive price point.
With an impressive 70-day battery life, you won't have to think about charging the brush for a while — making it a great option for travel. The brush heads were also the smallest we tested — a pro or con depending on your personal preference.
This toothbrush was designed by two dentists who wanted to provide a better brushing experience. Like most other toothbrushes we tested, there’s a two-minute timer (with 30-second quadrant reminders) and multiple setting options (clean, white and sensitive).
The included brush heads are some of the smallest we tested, and although we felt like that helped us achieve clean teeth as we could get into those hard-to-reach spots, some might feel as though the head is too small for their liking.
The toothbrush also comes with a travel case, making it easy to take your electric toothbrush on the go — especially since the company states an up to 70-day battery life, which is significantly longer than most.
While we liked the lightweight design, the battery life indicator and the easy-to-distinguish setting options, at this price point, we would have also liked to see some key features, such as a pressure sensor.
The Brightline Sonic Rechargeable Toothbrush gives you a straightforward electric toothbrush experience that won't break the bank. Its simple feature set makes it easy to use, and it offers inexpensive brush head replacements with a subscription plan.
The Brightline Sonic Rechargeable Toothbrush is as simple as it comes. And despite being one of the least expensive toothbrushes we tested, it delivers on basic performance, making it a good option for those wanting to try an electric toothbrush without breaking the bank. We found that the toothbrush could get into tight spaces between our teeth and the vibration was perfect. Our teeth felt sparkly clean, and after several uses, the bristles were fully intact.
The Brightline allows you to adjust the intensity up and down to a level that works for your liking. Unlike some of the other toothbrushes, there is no indicator telling you that you are on a high or low setting, so you have to hold down the power button until you find the intensity setting that works for you. Fortunately, the toothbrush remembers your vibration setting for your next brushing session. And like most other toothbrushes, there’s a built-in two-minute timer with a 30-second quadrant reminder. However, there’s no pause-and-resume feature or pressure indicator. It also doesn’t have different head options and is a little bulkier than most, but it gets the job done at an affordable price.
However, the toothbrush is currently unavailable to purchase from Brightline’s website or third-party merchants such as Amazon. But the toothbrush still appears to be in production, so hopefully we’ll see it available for purchase again soon.
FAQs
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Meet our experts
For this article, we consulted the following experts for their professional insights into proper brushing habits, what to consider when shopping for an electric toothbrush, the kinds of features to look for and which brushing modes are better than others.
- Dr. Andrea Zandona, professor and chair of the Department of Comprehensive Care at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
- Amy King, registered dental hygienist at Chestnut Dental Associates in Needham, Massachusetts
- Dr. Evan Novick, endodontic specialist at Novick Endodontics in Charlotte, North Carolina
- Ana Perez, registered dental hygienist at Chestnut Dental Associates in Needham, Massachusetts
Why trust CNN Underscored
CNN Underscored thoroughly tests all the products we cover and provides full transparency about how we test them. We have an experienced team of writers and editors who have many years of testing experience and ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. This guide’s writer, Jennifer Yellin, has several years of experience testing all sorts of oral health products like water flossers, toothbrushes and, for this guide, electric toothbrushes. Yellin has maintained this guide for several years and is constantly testing new products to include in future updates.