Hum by Colgate Review

This brush is one of the smallest and lightest in the category. We tested the rechargeable version. It comes Bluetooth-enabled and easily pairs with the Hum app for brushing insights to help you improve your routine. Though it's not the most powerful in the category, what separates this product from most others is the useful data that it collects on brushing patterns and where in your mouth the user is (or is not) hitting.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

For those with sensitive gums, this is a good option. We found that even the most intense setting was comfortable to use for testers with mouth sensitivity. It doesn't come with a pressure sensor but even when we intentionally pressed firmly, we found that the softness of the bristles kept us from any discomfort.

When it comes to sound, we found that this brush really lives up to its name. Its vibrational frequency really is more of a hum than the lower tone buzzing of many electric brushes.

Cleaning

This brush doesn't excel at cleaning. The brush head is especially small so it certainly doesn't cover ground quickly. And even the most intense of the three settings really is more of a hum than a deep clean. The brush head has multiple different types of bristles, however, the outermost layer of long, 'whisker' bristles feels like it keeps the rest of the inner ones from making solid contact with teeth and gums. The toothbrush head also has a textured tongue brush on the backside that ended up being more of a design aesthetic than a functional tool; if you want to clean your tongue, just use the brush.

On the plus side, it does provide useful data to help you improve your technique and thoroughness. If you synch the brush with the Hum smartphone app, you can see information about the areas you hit and missed each and every time you brush, which you can use to adjust your brushing habits and cover more ground with greater consistency.

Ease of Use

The Hum is easy to use. The power button is located right where the thumb naturally rests when holding the handle so it has a nice ergonomic quality. Pressing the button in quick succession also cycles through the three intensity settings. During testing, we had a couple of instances where we were trying to switch modes but inadvertently turned off the brush (and vice versa), but all in all, we were impressed with how the single button was touch-sensitive enough that it just seemed to 'know' when we wanted to change settings versus turn it off.

We also found that toothpaste residue didn't accumulate nearly as much as some other models. The two-minute timer is useful to keep brushers accountable for a full session.

Battery Life

The battery life of this brush was below average but totally fine. We consistently got about 10 days worth (20 brushes) on a single charge. We also found that it maintains its power throughout a charge cycle.

The brush is equipped with an LED light around the power button that turns red when it is time to recharge.

Value

Though it is relatively inexpensive compared to other electric brushes, we found that its lackluster cleaning performance also limits the amount of value it delivers.

Conclusion

The Hum by Colgate is a compact electric toothbrush that performs better as a backup than as the main attraction. Its small brush head is more comfortable for smaller mouths, but its cleaning power didn't wow us. However, if you want to gather data about how you brush and the spots you miss, this one will give you insights on how to improve your routine.