Compare Top 5 Electric Toothbrushes
Honorable Mentions
Photograph: Boutayna Chokrane
Quip Ultra Lite Sonic Electric Toothbrush for $60: The main difference between the Ultra Lite and the Smart Sonic is the number of intensity settings; the Ultra has three, compared with 10-plus on the Smart Sonic. The Ultra Lite’s three were more than enough for me during testing. The bristles are supersoft, but the wide spacing between them made it easy for food to get stuck, and it was surprisingly difficult to clean out. I also found the battery indicator unhelpful since it didn’t give me much warning before the battery ran out.
AquaSonic Black Series for $50: This sonic toothbrush brush comes with eight replacement heads, which is nice for the price. It cleans well, but I find the heads a bit small, and the body vibrates as intensely as the brush head, making it uncomfortable to hold.
Photograph: Boutayna Chokrane
Laifen Wave Special Electric Toothbrush for $90: Laifen’s original toothbrush was fine, except that its intense vibrations made its whole body buzz. The toothbrush also felt a bit too abrasive, especially on the front teeth, with its 66,000 vibrations per minute. But the Laifen Wave SE is a gentler experience, with up to 26,000 vibrations per minute, which is enough to be effective without overwhelming sensitive teeth. A 60-degree oscillation pattern helps to sweep away plaque, and the thin bristles slip easily between teeth without irritating gum lines. If you prefer a more powerful brush, I’d go with the Laifen Wave Pro Electric Toothbrush for $120. Its magnetic wireless charging is also a nice upgrade. Unfortunately—as is the case with any Laifen toothbrush—you have to use the companion app to change your customization settings.
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Snow LED Whitening Electric Sonic Toothbrush for $69: This toothbrush has built-in blue-light technology to help whiten your teeth, even on the non-whitening settings. I do think my teeth look a touch brighter after weeks of use; you won’t get the same effect as you would with a true whitening product, but I like that this can help me try to keep the tea stains away. —Nena Farrell
Philips One by Sonicare Toothbrush for $25: This is a cute and compact toothbrush that offers very gentle vibrations, so much so that one might complain it’s too gentle. It also comes with a carrying case.
What About U-Shaped Toothbrushes?
U-shaped toothbrushes use a mouthpiece full of bristles to brush one section of teeth—or sometimes the entire mouth—all at once in around 30 seconds. We’ve tried a few and think they’re fine to use in addition to regular brushing. None of them is as effective as standard electric toothbrushes. Doctors of dental medicine Bill Busch, of North Kansas City Dental, and Joseph Salim, owner of Sutton Place Dental Associates, agree that these aren’t replacements.
“I find the best use for it is for children and in nursing-home environments, where getting quick-and-easy compliance to brush is critical,” Busch says.
Willo AutoFlo+ Fully Automatic Kids Toothbrush – Starter Kit for $249: It’s a constant battle to make sure my kids brush for an adequate amount of time and get full coverage on the top and bottom, and this toothbrush solves those problems. My kids love it. They just place the vibrating brush head in their mouths, the light-up countdown timer shows them exactly how much time they have left, and I can be sure they’ve gotten the back right molars. I’m no longer cleaning up a gigantic smeared toothpaste mess every day because the spit/water/toothpaste mix drains directly into the sink. My 10-year-old finds the Super Scrub setting to be a little harsh, but Daily Clean works great.
Nevertheless, the amount of maintenance is appalling—approximately a 20-minute cleaning cycle with a whole bottle of hydrogen peroxide, every two weeks. The liquid toothbrush bottles ($28) are expensive, and should you lose the included cleaning plug and bottle, they will be impossible to replace. It’s also hard to fit correctly. According to Willo’s size guide, my 7- and 10-year-olds should have had medium brush heads, but they fit the small brush heads. Also, the bubble gum liquid toothbrush flavor tastes disgusting, or so my kids say. —Adrienne So