Tired of your dentist giving you flack for how you brush your teeth? After researching over 35 of the top products, we bought 14 of the best electric toothbrushes on the market today to help you find the perfect product to keep your pearly whites sparkling. We looked at each model's comfort, cleaning ability, ease of use, and battery life. Throughout our testing, we consulted with dentists and dental hygienists to ensure we were on the right track when it comes to tooth and gum health. We hope our comprehensive review will help you find the right toothbrush for your specific needs and budget.
In your search for an electric toothbrush, you might also consider stocking up on some toothbrush head replacements in advance. We know everyone's personal care routine looks a little different. Our extensive reviews offer everything from the top-rated mouthwashes and beard trimmers to the best razor for keeping your face smooth. Whatever your needs, we've done the testing to find which products are worth your money and which to leave on the shelves.
Editor's Note: We updated this review on April 7, 2023, to share more recommendations to related products and ensure our lineup is still current.
The Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100 delivers impressive all-around performance. With an intuitive, straightforward interface, this electric toothbrush performed well in our cleaning and ease of use tests. It's compatible with a wide variety of brush heads and offers more options so that you can find the ideal brush head for your mouth, as well as any specific preferences. When fully charged, the base will last almost an entire month of daily brushing.
Not all of our judges found the 4100 very comfortable; some preferred the mouthfeel of other models. Of course, this boils down to personal preference. This brush also falls short in cleaning thoroughness compared to models featuring oscillating-rotating heads. However, this toothbrush scored well across the board in our metrics, making it one of our favorite electric toothbrushes. We happily recommend it to anyone looking for a high-quality brush.
The Brio SmartClean Sonic is excellent. Its gentle brushing motion is great for those with sensitive gums and is one of the more comfortable toothbrushes in the category. It is also easy to clean. What sets the Brio apart from the competition is its battery life. When used twice a day for a full cleaning cycle, this toothbrush lasted for an astonishing 70 days on a single charge.
The SmartClean didn't perform quite as well in our cleaning assessment as some models with a more aggressive brushing action. It removed most of the plaque from our judges' teeth but consistently missed a few spots in the hard-to-reach areas. While this isn't the absolute highest-scoring brush, it's a great choice for those who prioritize a long-lasting battery.
Cracks and crevices can accumulate toothpaste residue
No wireless charger
If you're on the hunt for a new electric toothbrush and want to make the smallest dent possible in your wallet, the Fairywill D7 Sonic is a great pick. This model is simple, comfortable to use, and delivered decent results in our cleaning test. It has five different cleaning modes and one of the best battery lives of the entire group.
However, this toothbrush didn't deliver the best cleaning performance compared to the top-tier rotation-oscillation models. We also found that a few spots can be more difficult to clean, and the lack of a wireless induction charger was a bit odd. However, despite its flaws, the Fairywill is a fine electric toothbrush for anyone shopping on a budget.
The Philips One is a great option for those looking to upgrade from a manual brush without breaking the bank. The toothbrush is simple to use, with one button turning the brush on and off. This was one of the most comfortable brushes we tested while still providing a decent cleaning. It also did well in our battery test, lasting 30 days following a full charge.
This toothbrush didn't provide the same cleaning performance as some more aggressive brushes. There is only one mode, which leaves behind plaque in commonly missed areas. It also isn't waterproof, so we don't recommend it for use in the shower. However, the Philips One is a comfortable option that cleans well and won't cost a fortune.
Brushing Modes: 5 with 3 intensities for each | # of Brush Heads: 11+ tongue
REASONS TO BUY
Great performance in our cleaning test
Sleek and stylish
Innovative smart features
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
The Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9500 is a premium toothbrush that scores close to the top of the group overall. It impressed us with its comfort and cleaning performance. The DiamondClean looks great and makes an attractive addition to most bathrooms. Additionally, it has a valuable series of connected features, allowing you to track your brushing progress, improve your technique, and automatically reorder brush heads.
This toothbrush is significantly more expensive than almost any other product, costing three or four times as much as some of our other award winners. It's an excellent toothbrush, but its price tag is high. If you're okay with shelling out the cash, this is an exceptional choice.
The DiamondClean Smart also uses an inductive charging cup.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Compare Products
A look at some of the best electric toothbrushes in our fleet.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Why You Should Trust Us
In total, we have collectively brushed our teeth hundreds of times with these different products. We spent months conducting battery tests according to our regular use schedule to see exactly how long you can expect these toothbrushes to last when taking their standby power draw into account. All in all, we are confident that our award winners are the best brushes you can get.
GearLab's electric toothbrush tested is headed up by Austin Palmer, David Wise, and Buck Yedor. Together, this team has extensively researched over 100 different models and comprehensively tested the best of the best. Our in-depth testing ensures that you receive the most unbiased and trustworthy review around. We purchase all of the toothbrushes we review and never accept any sample or evaluation items. During the process, we consulted dentists and dental hygienists about the design of our testing plans and our interpretations of the results. We also had a large sample of people test each toothbrush, aggregating their opinions regarding how comfortable each brush is and using this wide sample of diverse sets of teeth to see how well each toothbrush cleaned. However, the most important thing to remember is that you brush for the American Dental Association's prescribed two minutes, twice a day, regardless of what toothbrush you end up using.
Analysis and Test Results
We've been collecting data on electric toothbrushes for years now and have come to understand what separates the good from the great. As new models are released each year, we purchase them and incorporate them into our side-by-side testing to ensure we continue to capture the most accurate picture of the electric toothbrush market.
Which electric toothbrush is the top model? We bought eight of the best to find out.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
We break up our testing process into four weighted metrics: cleaning, comfort, ease of use, and battery life. We conducted over a dozen individual tests spread across these metrics.
We are not dispensing medical advice. Though we consulted dentists and dental hygienists for this review, you should still check with a professional. Everyone's teeth are different, and you should always consult your dentist first and foremost when making decisions regarding your oral health. Our guide is a great place to start, but it's worth checking in with your dentist before making your final decision, especially if you have had any dental/periodontal/orthodontic issues.
Value
Dental hygiene is important, but spending hundreds of dollars on a toothbrush, regardless of its features, is a luxury. Luckily, plenty of the lower-cost toothbrushes we tried will still deliver excellent performance. The Philips One is our top recommendation when shopping on a budget and matches the best of the best when it comes to cleaning. All of these brushes should be more than capable of keeping your teeth clean if appropriately used, so don't fret if you want the best but can't afford to spend hundreds of dollars on a toothbrush.
That said, even the top-scoring toothbrush, the Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100, doesn't cost that much more than the Philips One. If you want the best model for the lowest cost, our recommendation is the Fairywill Sonic Electric Toothbrush. This model has one of the lowest price tags of the entire group and is one of the highest scorers in our fleet.
The DiamondCare scored the highest when it came to holding comfort.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Comfort
Comfort is crucial to encouraging consistent use of any toothbrush. Good brushing habits are significantly more difficult to establish if the toothbrush is uncomfortable to use, so the comfort metric comprised 40% of our overall score. The best toothbrush for you is one that will make it as easy as possible to maintain good habits. Any model that is awkward to hold, annoyingly loud, or causes discomfort while brushing can negatively impact these habits.
For this first series of tests, we compared how comfortable it is to use each of these dental cleaning products, noting whether or not they have a pressure sensor that will alert you when you are brushing too hard, avoiding all of the detrimental gum and dental problems that could result. Additionally, we measured and judged each brush's sound output — how loud and how annoying it is in terms of pitch. To score brushing comfort, we had our testers rate it throughout the cleaning test, followed up with sequential, side-by-side comparisons with each brush.
The brush head of the Snow LED isn't too large, making it a comfortable choice for those with petite mouths.
Credit: Becca Glades
The Snow LED earned one of the top spots in this metric. The brush has four distinct modes, including a sensitive mode, which has pulsating vibrations rather than a constant less-intense vibration. However, we found four modes to be comfortable.
We also found the Brio SmartClean, Philips One, Sonicare DiamondClean Smart, ProtectiveClean 4100, ProtectiveClean 6100, and the Fairywill Sonic to be comfortable brushes.
The Snow LED has four settings, all being comfortable to use. The brush also indicates the battery life by a green or red light.
Credit: Becca Glades
The Fairywill Sonic feels very similar to the Brio SmartClean, with an almost identical intensity and brush head feel. The brush head isn't overly large, and our judges with petite mouths didn't find it cumbersome to clean their back molars. Opinions were split with the 4100 and the 6100; some found the intensity or frequency of the vibrations to be a bit vexing, but none found them too rough — even those with sensitive gums.
The ProtectiveClean 4100 scored above average for cleaning.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Middle-of-the-pack models include the Quip and the Oral-B Genius Pro 8000. The Quip employs a side-to-side brushing motion, which is much less intense than the rotation-oscillation brushing of the Oral-B models, so we found the Quip to be more comfortable to use than the Pro 8000.
The Quip is exceptionally quiet but lacks a pressure sensor to alert you if you are brushing too hard. Additionally, some of our judges weren't huge fans of the rubber bristles on its brush head. They weren't necessarily uncomfortable to brush with, but the squeakiness can feel slightly disconcerting.
The rubber bristles can feel a little odd while brushing with the Quip.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Pro 8000 is a rotation-oscillation toothbrush, so the brush heads are a bit larger, and the brushing intensity is a bit more aggressive. All of the Oral-B models have a brush head measuring about 0.75" deep, which is 0.25" deeper than the side-to-side models. This contributed to their lower scores when it came to brushing comfort. Additionally, these models are noticeably louder, with a more mechanical noise compared to the buzzing sound of the other models. However, they both have a pressure sensor that slows the brush down and alerts you with a red light.
The rotation-oscillation style brush head performed better in our cleaning test than the side to side motion heads.
Credit: Kat Elliott
Unfortunately, some of our judges, particularly those with more petite mouths, weren't fans of the larger brush heads on the Oral-B models. The brush head's depth made it hard for them to reach their back molars and also, much to their chagrin, caused them to drool quite a bit more while brushing their teeth. The Oral-B Pro 1000 earned a lower score in comfort. The Pro 1000 has a pressure sensor and will slow the brush down if triggered.
The Pro 8000 scored high in our cleaning test.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Cleaning
Our cleaning metric accounts for 30% of each brush's final score. While your initial impression might be that cleaning should be the most important metric — as that is the entire point of a toothbrush — when used correctly, all of the products in this review should clean more than well enough to maintain proper dental health. Hence, we place comfort over cleaning because a comfortable toothbrush will help you maintain a regular brushing regimen. Most of us have had a twice-daily tooth brushing habit ingrained into us from an early age to promote good dental hygiene, prevent tooth or gum decay, get that nice, clean feeling on your teeth, and keep your pearly whites — well — white. We started by doing extensive research, talking to dental hygienists, dentists, and toothbrush experts to figure out what is necessary to get the most out of your toothbrush and determine what features and functions are essential to have in an electric toothbrush.
Each tester would refrain from brushing for 12-16 hours, eating as much sugary food and soft drinks as possible in that period, and then use a Butler GUM Red Cote Dental Disclosing Tablet, following the manufacturer's instructions. These tablets will turn any plaque on the surface of your teeth red and are often used by dentists to teach patients which parts of their teeth they miss when they brush. Documenting the entire process with before and after photos and in-the-mouth photos taken with a 360° camera — we compared the performance of each toothbrush across the board to determine our scores.
Earning exceptional scores, the top performers in our cleaning test were the Oral-B Genius Pro 8000, Pro 1000, and DiamondClean Smart. The Pro 1000 and the Pro 8000 both come standard with a CrossAction head. For most of our testers, these brushes completely removed (or removed the vast majority of) the visible plaque in our test.
The Pro 8000 also removed practically all visible plaque, as shown in the photo below.
The Pro 8000 removed almost all of the plaque in our cleaning test.
Credit: Austin Palmer
We got similar results with the Pro 1000. Most of the top-scoring brushes in our cleaning tests use a rotation-oscillation method of cleaning, and while our test was not a clinical trial, we did find some studies that aligned with our results. In 2005, the Cochrane Library published a review of manual versus powered toothbrushing for oral health . This review found that "Brushes with a rotation oscillation action removed plaque and reduced gingivitis more effectively than manual brushes in the short term and reduced gingivitis scores in studies over 3 months."
The trial states that it was too short to determine if this would cause a reduction in destructive periodontal disease. However, we did find that the DiamondClean Smart held its own against the Oral-B models, removing a comparable amount of plaque. The Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100, ProtectiveClean 6100, Waterpik Complete Care 9.0, Fairywill Sonic Electric Toothbrush, and the Brio SmartClean Sonic all followed. These models easily removed the bulk of plaque from our judges, but each of them routinely missed a spot or two compared to top products — usually by the back molars or on the inside surfaces of a tooth.
Here the Fairywell impressed us with its performance.
Credit: Laura Casner
In the Cochrane Library's review, we found an interesting comparison: "There was no statistically significant difference between powered toothbrushes whose action was side-to-side and manual brushes concerning the removal of plaque or reduction of gingivitis for both time periods." The Quip, with its side-to-side motion, scored average in our cleaning tests.
The Quip feels quite similar to using a manual toothbrush with very mild vibrations. It missed many spots when we used it more like an electric toothbrush (moving slowly in small circles and letting the brush vibrations do the work) but cleaned reasonably well in our test when we used it similar to a manual toothbrush.
Each brush head also has a tongue cleaner on the back.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
One key thing to remember is that every toothbrush tested scored at least a 5 in the cleaning metric. As we previously mentioned, when used correctly, all of these toothbrushes can do an adequate job of maintaining good oral hygiene. As stated by the Cochrane Library, "Individuals who prefer to use a powered toothbrush can be assured that powered toothbrushing is at least as effective as manual brushing and that there is no evidence that it will cause any more injuries to the gums than manual brushing."
We weren't too impressed with the position sensing feature on the Pro 8000.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Ease of Use
Next, assessed and scored how convenient and easy to use each electric toothbrush is — another important trait, as a product that is a hassle to use makes it much less likely that you will use it correctly and dissuade you from making brushing your teeth a routine. Accounting for 20% of the total score, we checked if the toothbrush has a two minute timer for this metric and gave bonus points for indicators every 30 seconds for quadrant brushing. We also looked for storage for additional toothbrush heads on the charging base, how difficult it is to swap between brushing modes, and how easy it is to clean away the toothpaste and water residue that will inevitably accumulate.
Earning high scores for their stellar performance, the Oral-B Pro 1000 and the Quip claimed the top spot in this set of tests. Neither brush features any additional cleaning modes, so the entire interface is composed of a single button that turns on the toothbrush and starts the timer. This timer will alert you of when it's time to move the brush to a different zone of your mouth, as well as when two minutes have elapsed. These toothbrushes are waterproof enough to use in the shower, making them super convenient to clean. However, there is no easy way to store additional brush heads, neither on the charging base for the Pro-1000 nor in the included travel case with the Quip.
The Oral-B Pro 1000 toothbrush.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The ProtectiveClean 4100 only has a single cleaning mode, with a straightforward and easy-to-use interface. There is a two-minute timer that will notify you every 30 seconds so you can evenly rotate your brushing. Unfortunately, it has no storage for additional brush heads on its charging base, nor an included travel case. We appreciated that this model is waterproof enough to use in the shower or rinse off quickly.
The Oral-B Genius Pro 8000 came next for its performance. This brush has an integrated two-minute timer. It's also water-resistant and can be used in the shower.
The Genius Pro 8000 has six distinct cleaning modes and a mode select button that makes it easy to switch between them — especially with the light-up indicators. It also has storage for up to four brush heads on the charging base and two more in the travel case.
The Pro 8000 has a convenient storage solution for additional brush heads.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The DiamondClean Smart earned a decent score in ease of use. The DiamondClean Smart has five modes plus the option to switch between three different intensities for each mode. It also has a secondary mode select button and indicators to show you what mode you are brushing with. It's rated for use in the shower and has a built-in two-minute timer with quadrant pacing.
The DiamondClean Smart has one of the sleekest interfaces of the group.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The ProtectiveClean 6100, the Fairywill Sonic, and the Brio SmartClean all earned average scores for their results. The SmartClean by Brio has five different brushing modes, but the interface is intuitive enough that we didn't find it to be problematic to select the desired cleaning mode. The Fairywill also has five different modes that you can cycle through while using the power button. It features a convenient indicator light that makes it easy to see which mode you have selected.
The Fairywill has a solid water-resistance rating, even if it doesn't have a wireless charger.
Credit: Laura Casner
Neither the Brio nor the Fairywill has a travel case or an option to store extra brush heads on their charging stations.
The 6100 has three cleaning modes with three selectable intensities, making the interface a little confusing. You use the secondary button to select the mode before hitting the power button and then use it to adjust the intensity once the brush has started, but it at least has indicators to let you know what settings you have picked.
The ProtectiveClean 6100 lets you adjust the intensity of its vibrations.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
This group of toothbrushes is rated water-resistant enough to be used in the shower or washed in the sink, which we found quite handy. These brushes are all relatively easy to clean, with the SmartClean Sonic being just a bit less likely to accumulate toothpaste residue than the others. The Fairywill Sonic has a few problem spots where we found it took a little extra effort to clean, but nothing too bad. We did notice toothpaste residue or other gunk tended to accumulate in the cracks and crevices around the buttons on the ProtectiveClean 6100, which can be difficult to remove without fully dousing and scrubbing.
The ProtectiveClean 6100 has a fancy feature that notifies you when you should change out the brush head.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
None of the Sonicare models have space for extra brush heads on their base, but their included travel cases can store up to two.
We wish the charging base had some storage for additional brush heads.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Battery Life
To test the battery life, we ran each toothbrush for two minutes on a standard mode, both in the morning and in the evening, scoring each one on how many days it lasted. As more and more models include smart features and other functions that cause some power draw even when the toothbrush isn't in use, we had to revamp our test from running each brush repeatedly until it died, to running them twice a day until the battery ran out.
The SmartClean and the Quip earned the highest scores here. The Brio SmartClean lasted for 70 days on a single charge — more than long enough to allow you to go on most vacations without bringing the charger. The Quip is a bit unique compared to the other toothbrushes regarding battery life since it runs on a traditional AAA battery rather than a rechargeable lithium model. According to Quip, this should last for around 90 days, and our testing process gives us no reason to doubt this claim, earning it top marks as well.
The Quip has an exceptionally long battery life, powered by a AAA.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Fairywill followed, earning an exceptional performance. Based on our testing, we estimate this toothbrush would last for approximately 50 days of use. Additionally, the Philips One earned an above-average score and lasted 30 days on a full charge.
When used twice a day, most of the other toothbrushes have a battery life between 16 and 26 days, except for the Waterpik 9.0. This toothbrush earned the lowest score as it only lasted nine days.
Conclusion
After purchasing 14 of the best electric toothbrushes on the market, we compared them in a series of side-by-side tests. Our testers wanted to know how comfortable each was to use, their practical cleaning ability, their ease of use, which includes how easy it is to keep them clean, and how long their batteries would last with daily use. We hope our comprehensive testing will help you select the right toothbrush for specific needs and budgets.
GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison.
