The Best Electric Toothbrush

Estimated ownership costs ($50 brush handle plus quarterly Oral-B replacement heads) are as follows:

• One year: $66
• Three years: $98

Our testing process involved timing brushing sessions and battery life, replacing brush heads every three months, and maintaining the brushes and charging stands. We submerged each model in water and dropped them from about 6 feet onto tiled floors to stress-test durability. To measure noise levels, we used the NIOSH Sound Level Meter app.

Through consultations with experts and extensive usage of various electric toothbrushes, we found that the essential features are a powerful motor and a two-minute timer for effective brushing time. Additional features like quadrant pacing and pressure sensors can enhance the experience but aren’t strictly necessary.

Since there’s limited independent research comparing sonic and oscillating toothbrushes, personal preference plays a significant role in choosing one type over the other.

When recommending rechargeable electric toothbrushes, we prioritized two main features:

• Automated Two-Minute Timer: Most electric brushes include this feature, but the best have quadrant pacing to ensure even brushing time across all mouth areas.
• Affordable, Widely Available Replacement Heads: Brush head preferences vary, and while the design matters less for oral health, bristles should be soft to medium hardness.

Other considerations included pressure sensors to prevent gum damage from excessive brushing and warranty coverage of at least one year.

For this guide, we focused on rechargeable models since those with replaceable batteries tend to be less powerful and generate more waste. The ADA Seal of Acceptance is a nice feature but not essential, as proper brushing technique with a soft brush is what truly matters for oral health.

The Oral-B Pro 1000 offers expert-recommended features at a reasonable price. It includes a two-minute timer with quadrant alerts every 30 seconds and is compatible with a wide range of affordable brush heads. We’ve been recommending this model since 2015, and it continues to excel in long-term testing.

The motor is impressively powerful. Oral-B’s brush heads rotate and pulse at a claimed rate of up to 48,800 movements per minute, effectively doing most of the brushing for you. Despite its strong motor, the handle remains still, allowing you to feel the vibrations at your teeth rather than in your hand.

Operating the Pro 1000 is straightforward. It features a simple one-button interface to power the brush on and off and to switch between its three cleaning modes: “daily clean,” “sensitive,” and “whitening.” Charging is easy, as you just place the handle on its stand.

Quadrant pacing brings structure to your brushing routine. This brush alerts you every 30 seconds to switch to another quadrant of your mouth, and after two minutes, it pulses three times to indicate the end of the cycle. It remains on for continued brushing, but you’ll need to turn it off manually.

The Pro 1000 is reliable and durable. Its battery is rated for seven days of use on a single charge, and in our testing, it averaged over 10 days. It has withstood multiple drops and water submersion tests, and one unit we purchased in 2017 has endured seven years of twice-daily use. Oral-B backs the Pro 1000 with a limited two-year warranty, and every purchase includes a 60-day money-back guarantee.

You have plenty of brush-head options. Oral-B replacement heads cost around $5 each when purchased in bulk, making them more affordable than those from Philips Sonicare and many other brands. Dentists recommend replacing your toothbrush every three months, so the savings can really add up. You can choose from eight different varieties to find your preferred style.

Oral-B brushes like the Pro 1000 tend to be louder and more sonically abrasive than comparable Philips Sonicare models, though testers quickly acclimated to the sound. Our sound meter recorded 35 decibels in the standard “daily clean” mode.

The battery-life indicator is somewhat vague, only showing a continuous green light for five seconds when fully charged and a red flashing light when the battery is low. Oral-B doesn’t specify the charging time, but daily charging won’t significantly affect battery capacity as long as it’s fully depleted every six months.

The pressure sensor is not particularly effective; testers found they had to press harder than expected to activate it. In comparison, the pressure sensor on the Oral-B iO Series 6 is much more responsive.

The Pro 1000 does not include a storage case or brush-head caps, but various options are available for protecting the brush head during travel or when not in use.

The Philips Sonicare 4100 offers powerful vibrations and operates more quietly than the Oral-B Pro 1000, measuring around 30 decibels at the highest intensity. It includes essential features like a two-minute timer with quadrant pacing and compatibility with various brush heads, though those replacements are pricier than the Pro 1000’s.

Unlike the Pro 1000’s three cleaning modes, the 4100 has only two vibration intensities: strong and stronger. Testers found that the higher setting closely matches the Pro 1000’s “daily clean” mode.

The 4100 boasts impressive battery life, rated for two weeks on a single charge, compared to one week for the Pro 1000. In tests, it averaged 16 days with twice-daily use.

Operating the 4100 is straightforward, with a one-button design for powering on and adjusting intensity. It automatically shuts off after two minutes but can be turned off earlier with a single press.

The Philips Sonicare 4100 features narrower brush heads, making it a suitable option for individuals with smaller mouths. Each brush head comes with a cover, unlike Oral-B’s, providing protection against bathroom germs. However, the caps may not stay secure during travel, and some may find the extra plastic undesirable.

The 4100 is backed by a solid warranty, offering a limited two-year coverage and a 90-day money-back guarantee, which includes an additional 30 days compared to Oral-B’s policy.

The Philips Sonicare 4100 can feel uncomfortable during use, as its vibrations are pronounced even at lower intensity. This is especially bothersome when the rigid back of the brush head collides with teeth.

Additionally, its replacement brush heads are generally more expensive, often costing over double that of Oral-B’s. Most options feature soft bristles but lack additional designs like rubber flaps found in Oral-B products.

The charger also has a non-standard USB plug, replacing the traditional two-prong design. Philips Sonicare claims this change is part of their effort to reduce waste; customers needing a wall adapter can request one for free.