Buyers guide

Best electric toothbrush

The following is the most comprehensive and up-to-date guide for buying a new electric toothbrush right now, including cashback promotions and discounts.

This buying guide has been carefully compiled based on our honest and critical criteria such as ease of use, battery life, quality and value (from budget choices to premium options).

Choosing an electric toothbrush is a personal choice, and we recommend that you read this guide from start to finish to make the decision that best suits your situation and needs.

Content:

Why use an electric toothbrush?

You can choose to brush your teeth by hand or electronically, but which of these is actually better?

Below, we discuss the various advantages and disadvantages of using an electric toothbrush to help you make an informed decision.

Advantage 1: Fast-rotating brush

One of the biggest advantages of an electric toothbrush is the rotation of the brush. Because it is electronically operated, the toothbrush moves a lot faster than a handheld toothbrush.

This means you just have to place the toothbrush on the teeth and the rest will happen automatically. Because the brush moves so quickly, the small edges of the gums are also cleaned.

The fast rotation means that an electric toothbrush cleans your teeth far better than ’traditional’ brushing by hand: it is better at preventing plaque formation, which in turn means that tartar appears more slowly.

Ultimately, this will impact your wallet, because you won’t have to visit a dental hygienist as often.

Advantage 2: It makes it easier to reach difficult places

An electric toothbrush has a smaller round head than a manual toothbrush, which a study by the KNMT has shown makes it easier to reach places that are usually difficult to reach.

You may now be asking yourself: What’s better, a round head or an elongated head? Research has shown that both heads are effective, but that a round head is more effective because it can reach difficult places in the teeth better, especially areas such as the rear canines.

Advantage 3: It keeps track of how long you brush for

On average, you should brush your teeth for 2 minutes. This is difficult to keep track of if you have a manual toothbrush.

Thanks to the latest technologies, most electric toothbrushes have an integrated system that makes it easy to see how long you have been brushing your teeth for, so that you can brush them for the optimal recommended time.

Advantage 4: It reduces problems with your gums

Another big advantage is that an electric toothbrush helps prevent tooth damage to gums and enamel.

Some electric toothbrushes contain brush pressure sensors that signal when you press down too hard on the teeth.

In most cases, the device will stop spinning, because if you do press too hard, it can irritate your gums, which you want to avoid.

Thanks to your electric toothbrush, you can be sure that your gums will not get irritated.

Advantage 5: Optimal comfort

If you decide to purchase an electric toothbrush, it is also extremely comfortable and easy to use in addition to promoting the health of your teeth. Essentially, your tooth-brushing is done for you.

As mentioned, you only have to hold the toothbrush against the teeth and the rest will happen automatically.

In addition, the handle of an electric toothbrush is quite a lot thinner than that of a regular brush.

This is because an electric toothbrush is designed to fit the shape of a hand, which leads to optimal comfort while brushing.

Disadvantage 1: Sensitive teeth? Then it’s not for you!

Do you have sensitive teeth and gums? Then it’s best not to use an electric toothbrush.

Due to the high rotation speed, it can feel painful in sensitive areas.

If this happens to you, stick with a manual toothbrush.

This will allow you to determine the speed of the rotation yourself, but it will be slightly less effective than with an electric toothbrush.

However, there are also more luxurious electric toothbrushes where various modes are built in.

One of these modes is specially designed for sensitive teeth. This allows you to still enjoy the many benefits that an electric toothbrush brings without hurting your teeth.

Disadvantage 2: More expensive to purchase

If you compare the price with that of a manual toothbrush, the price of an electric toothbrush is a lot higher. However, you need to replace a manual toothbrush more often than an electric toothbrush.

In addition, your teeth are something you want to keep good and beautiful all the time, which is why we recommend not saving money on dental hygiene.

You only need to buy an electric toothbrush once.

How do you take care of an electric toothbrush?

After reading the many advantages compared to the limited disadvantages, you may be convinced to purchase an electric toothbrush.

In this case, it’s good to know how to take care of an electric toothbrush.

Firstly, it’s very important to cover your electric toothbrush when you take it out with you, but at home you don’t need to.

If you’re going out, make sure to put your electric toothbrush in a storage bag. You want to prevent your electric toothbrush from coming into contact with dust, dirt or bacteria at all costs.

Please note, this is only recommended if you are going out for a short period of time. A humid environment will encourage the growth of bacteria and you absolutely want to prevent this as well.

So if you are looking for a suitable toothbrush box, choose one with ventilation holes.

In addition, try looking for products to clean your electric toothbrush. You can easily clean it with such products after brushing, which removes accumulated bacteria.

Battery life

Unfortunately, an electric toothbrush doesn’t work for a long time. But should you throw away your toothbrush if the battery is worn out?

On average, about two million electric toothbrushes are thrown away every year. This is a huge amount, because recent research shows that a toothbrush lasts about two to five years.

If you take good care of your toothbrush, only the battery needs to be replaced. The case, the motor and the rest of the electronics will still work properly. So it would be a shame to throw it out!

That’s why our advice is to search online for a tutorial on how to open your electric toothbrush. This way you can learn to replace the battery and have an electric toothbrush that’s ready to use again.

Tip: It is not good for your electric toothbrush to charge it continuously. This obviously feels easier, but will make the battery go through a lot.

That said, you also shouldn’t let the battery run out completely before charging the brush. The rule of thumb is that you should always charge your battery to between 20% and 80%.

It’s also good to let the battery on your electric toothbrush completely run out once a month. Following these tips will make your electric toothbrush last longer.

How much does an electric toothbrush cost?

Prices for electric toothbrushes vary considerably, sometimes between 10 and 260 euros.

The explanation for such a variation in price has to do with the extra features included.

Think: brush heads, extra brushing modes, smartphone apps, a travel pouch and various other accessories.

In general, the price mainly depends on the technology that is incorporated in the electric toothbrush. Below we highlight some of these technologies that can impact the price.

So which electric toothbrushes are actually the best? We compared various brushes so that you can easily choose the best one for you.

We looked at: ease of use, extra included features and of course the ratio of price to quality.

The best electric toothbrushes of 2023

1. Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000

The Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 is the ideal electric toothbrush for almost everyone. You can choose from four different brushing modes and easily adjust the intensity.

It’s often difficult to find out with which brushing mode you should use, but through the brush sync feature, you automatically get to see which mode suits you best.

The sync in question also ensures that you always handle your brush head hygienically, because it signals when your brush head needs to be replaced.

Are you looking for an electric toothbrush that pays extra attention to your teeth? Then you should definitely go with the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000.

You can even link your toothbrush to a smartphone app so that you know exactly how to improve your brushing behavior.

For all these reasons, we believe the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 is the best all-around electric toothbrush on the market. We give this device a 4.85.0.

It comes with a long warranty and because it’s made by the high-tech department of Philips, you can be sure that you are buying quality.

In short, this product is highly recommended if you are looking for an all-rounder electric toothbrush.

Product features:

Good and could be better:

2. Oral-B Genius X 20100S

In addition to the Philips brush, we also tested the Oral-B Genius X 20100S.

Just like the DiamondClean 9000, it allows you to brush your teeth in different positions. The Oral-B Genius X 20100S has no fewer than 6 different positions, including a special position for infected gums and cleaning your tongue.

The Oral-B Genius X 20100S is an electric toothbrush from Oral-B’s high-tech range that is also linked to a smartphone app.

Through the app, you can see your brushing technique as well as get feedback on your brushing technique.

That means you can see exactly which tooth needs extra attention and you will receive a notification if you brush too hard.

We have also tested the Oral-B Genius X 20100S to determine how easy to use and effective it is.

Battery life is a crucial feature, and this one means you can use the toothbrush for up to 2 weeks.

You can also use the toothbrush in the shower. In short, we are very satisfied with the Oral-B Genius X 20100S. We give this device a 4.65.0.

Product features:

Good and could be better:

3. Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4300

The Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4300 HX680763 is a slightly cheaper version of the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000.

This model has fewer features, but it does signal when it’s time to replace your brush head.

That means you can be sure that you won’t be brushing with a worn-out brush attachment.

When we tested the Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4300, we used the EasyStart program. This allows you to increase your brushing power for 14 brushings.

The Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4300 also has a brush pressure sensor that indicates if you press too hard on the teeth.

We think this is definitely a must if you are looking for an electric toothbrush. It is obviously nice to not have too much to think about, but safety for your teeth is paramount!

We definitely think the price-quality ratio of this product is good. If you have less to spend on an electric toothbrush, then the Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4300 is a great pick. We give this product a 4.15.0.

Product features:

Good and could be better

4. Oral-B Vitality 100

The Oral-B Vitality 100 only has one brushing mode and not many features. However, this does not detract from the brushing quality.

The device has a CrossAction brush attachment that deep-cleans between the teeth.

It also has a built-in timer that gives you a signal to stop brushing after two minutes.

We are very satisfied with the Oral-B Vitality 100 and definitely recommend this device if you are looking for a starter electric toothbrush. For this reason we give it a 4.05.0.

Note that the charging time, in contrast to the battery life, is very long.

If you want an electric toothbrush that can last longer, you may need to look at one of the previous products.

Product features:

Good and could be better

5. Colgate’s Hum Toothbrush Kit

Hum by Colgate is one of the first smart toothbrushes to be released. Connect the toothbrush to your smartphone and you’ll be able to control Hum through an app.

Hum will be able to trach the frequency, duration, and coverage of your brushing style. It should be able to help you in keeping track and watch out for the best way to brush your teeth!

The best thing is that you don’t always have to keep your phone by the sink. Hum Smart Toothbrushes will be able to track your progress with or without the app open.

Hum has multiple modes that allow you to choose the vibration level that would best suit you. It also has smart sensors that help you target spots that need that extra cleaning.

Most importantly, it comes with an ergonomic design giving you the best and most comfortable time brushing your teeth.

Product features:

Good and could be better

Who is this buying guide for?

For every man who considers grooming important. Brushing your teeth is of course a daily activity, but in addition to being healthy for your teeth, good dental hygiene also gives you a leg up in life.

Several studies have shown that having good teeth leads to many benefits. It could increase your sales as well as your chances with women.

Your smile, and therefore your teeth, is the first thing people see when you start a conversation. If you don’t have beautiful teeth, this will negatively impact people’s perception of you — which you want to avoid.

Of course you can choose to brush with a manual toothbrush and there’s nothing wrong with that. But having an electric toothbrush brings many benefits.

Using an electric toothbrush means you don’t have to make a rotating movement. In addition, the toothbrush will keep track of your two minutes’ brushing time, so you don’t have to set timers.

Are you looking for an electric toothbrush? Then make sure to read our reviews to determine which electric toothbrush is best for you and your budget.

We like the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 best. It’s a bit more expensive, but it truly is the total package!

Reliability of this buying guide

As you may be used to from us, we have made the best selection based on intensive research into the latest trends in combination with our personal experience.

When writing our buying guides, we use as many resources as possible to make as accurate a recommendation as we can.

For example, we don’t only check user reviews on different websites, but we also watch videos in order to bring you a review that is as exhaustive as possible. Our buying guide is very reliable!

Do you have any questions about our electric toothbrush buying guide? Don’t hesitate to contact us! We are happy to help you make the right choice.

The steps to brushing your teeth with an electric brush

Step 1: Charge the electric toothbrush

You cannot use an electric toothbrush without power. You could always use it manually, but it’s the power that will make it rotate the way it was meant to.

Set your brush to charge or replace the batteries if necessary if you notice that the toothbrush is running low. When charging, make sure you don’t put it too close to the water, as you want to avoid getting electrocuted.

Step 2: Pay attention to the shape of the toothbrush.

Is your electric toothbrush charged? Now take a look at the shape of your brush head. Your electric toothbrush should have soft nylon bristles for optimal brushing.

As you use your electric toothbrush, the bristles will wear out.

That means you should regularly replace your attachment. This is not only good for preventing wear and tear, but also from a hygienic point of view.

Various studies have shown that thousands of germs live on a toothbrush, but you can easily prevent this by periodically replacing your brush head.

Step 3: Wet your electric toothbrush

Wet your toothbrush and apply toothpaste. Use fluoride paste if possible and measure out a pea-sized amount.

If you end up using too much toothpaste, it will foam, which will make you more likely to spit out the toothpaste.

Step 4: Divide your mouth into quarters

Brushing can almost begin, but first, split your mouth into four quarters in your head, namely: top left, top right, bottom left and bottom right.

Now you can start brushing. Press gently and move the brush in small circles, paying equal attention to all teeth.

Step 5: Brush thoroughly

In total, it is recommended to brush your teeth for two minutes, so try to spend 30 seconds on each quarter. You have to brush the inside, between the teeth and the outside.

Do not press too hard on the teeth, because this can damage your gums and even your enamel.

Step 6: Brush your tongue

Many people forget this, but you should also brush your tongue. This will help clear away bacteria on your tongue, which can also cause bad breath. Don’t scrub too aggressively as this will damage your tongue’s tissue.

There are electric toothbrushes on the market that have special modes for brushing your tongue.

Step 7: Rinse your mouth

Take a drink of water, circulate it around your mouth, then spit it out. Do this regularly so that all the toothpaste is out of your mouth.

Step 8: Rinse your toothbrush

Brushing your teeth is done, but to extend the life of your electric toothbrush you should also thoroughly clean it.

Remove the brush from the handle and hold it under the tap for a few seconds. You can then place it upright in the stand to let it dry properly.

Summary

If you want good teeth, it’s important that you use an electric toothbrush. Of course, you can opt for manual toothbrushes, but an electric toothbrush offers many more benefits.

It means you don’t have to make any movements yourself, your teeth are cleaned much more thoroughly and you even receive a notification when you have finished brushing your teeth.

We have chosen the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 as the best all-round electric toothbrush.

If you want to go a bit lower in terms of budget to experience the experience of electric toothbrushing, we like the Oral-B Vitality 100.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an electric toothbrush?

An electric toothbrush is a toothbrush that, unlike a regular manual toothbrush, is electronically controlled. You do not have to make a rotating movement yourself as the toothbrush will do this for you. In addition, there is also a built-in timer so that you can make sure to brush your teeth for two minutes. This means you don't have to set a timer, which makes brushing your teeth a lot easier.

What's a good electric toothbrush brand?

Various brands offer electric toothbrushes. If you want to go for a good quality, we always recommend choosing the best-selling brands, in this case Philips and Oral-B. However, the choice of an electric toothbrush is very personal and depends on various factors such as budget, time and use.

What is the best electric toothbrush?

As already described in our buying guide, we currently think the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 is the best all-round device. If you go for a budget toothbrush to experience electric toothbrushing, then we recommend the Oral-B Vitality 100.

How does an electric toothbrush work?

Brushing teeth with an electric toothbrush is very easy. In principle it works the same as a manual toothbrush, but you don’t have to make the rotation movement yourself. Click on the electric toothbrush, hold it against your teeth and the rest will happen automatically!

What should I consider when buying an electric toothbrush?

Buying an electric toothbrush can be very tricky because it comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. For this reason, we help you make the right decision in our buying guide. Pay attention to personal preferences, budget, time and mirrors.

When should I replace my electric toothbrush?

In general, an electric toothbrush lasts between 3 and 5 years. In addition, you have to periodically replace the attachment. If you choose the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000, the smartphone app will tell you when your toothbrush needs to be replaced.

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