Oral B Smart 4 4500 Black Edition Boots

The best electric toothbrushes are clinically proven to do a better job than the manual brushes of old and should be part of everyone's everyday dental routine. After all, we'd all like squeaky clean teeth and a whiter smile – and absolutely no-one enjoys fillings or root canal surgery.

However, finding the best toothbrush for you can be a minefield. Not only do all the toothbrushes look nigh-on identical, but the manufacturers seem to have decided that confusion is good for business, producing several different ranges with different characteristics all at the same time. It's hard to distinguish between so many similar products, while the boxes and adverts bombard you with pseudo-science and marketing-speak.

Well, rest assured that we've done our homework to help you pick the right toothbrush. All the models reviewed here will get your teeth squeaky clean, even if they vary widely in terms of brushing technology, battery life, accessories, extra functions and price. Do you want a toothbrush that gives detailed real-time feedback via your smartphone? Do you want a choice of brush heads? Do you need a charging travel case? Or do you just want something simple that gets the job done? We're here to help you work that out.

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Best electric toothbrush: At a glance

The best cheap electric toothbrush: Colgate ProClinical 250+
The best-value budget toothbrush: Oral-B Pro 2 2500N
The best mid-range electric toothbrush: Oral-B Smart 6 6000N
The best high-end electric toothbrush: Philips DiamondClean Smart
The best electric toothbrush for children: Philips Sonicare for Kids

The best electric toothbrushes to buy

1. Colgate ProClinical 250+ Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush: The best cheap electric toothbrush

Price: £26 | Buy now from Amazon | Buy brush heads now from Amazon

Colgate's brush is much lighter and more compact than other electric toothbrushes – great if you need to carry it around with you – has an impressive battery life (40 full brushes) and recharges quickly (in under ten hours). It lets you know when it's been going for 30 seconds, so that you move onto a new section of your mouth, as well as telling you when the full two minutes is up.

It's quiet, which is great if you don't want to wake anyone up, but there's only one sonic speed setting and no rotation, which might help explain why it didn't feel quite as effective at removing plaque as some brushes, although it's not bad and leaves teeth feeling pretty clean. Perhaps the best thing about this brush is its price, which makes it a great bargain brush or travel standby.

Key specs – Cleaning modes: 1; Battery type: NiMH; Accessories included: One brush head, travel cap, charger; Battery life (tested): 28mins; Warranty: Two years

2. Oral-B Pro 2 2500N: The best-value budget toothbrush

Price: £24 | Buy now from Amazon | Buy brush heads now from Amazon

The Oral-B Pro 2 2500N is one of the brand's best-value brushes, coming in significantly cheaper than its Smart and Genius models, but compatible with the same standard, 3D White, Sensitive, Precision and FlossAction heads. It also includes a pressure sensor, which slows down the brush and warns you with a red light if you're pressing it too hard. There might only be two modes to choose from – daily clean and gum care – but the round brush heads do a great job of cleaning teeth and getting into the gaps. While cheaper, it manages the same 40,000 pulses and 8,000 oscillations per minute as the more expensive Oral-B brushes.

What's more, the Pro 2 2500N feels sturdy and well made, even if the small opening halfway up the brush head is liable to get clogged with gunk. Oral-B also scores points for including a basic travel case in the box.

While the previous-generation Pro 2500 was dogged by poor battery life, the new model features a lithium-ion battery that lasts around two weeks, and there's now a warning light to tell you when it's running out. If you don't need the fancy connected features of Oral-B's high-end brushes, this does a great job of brushing – nothing more, nothing less.

Key specs – Cleaning modes: 2; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: One brush head, travel case, charger; Battery life (tested): 43mins; Warranty: Two years

3. Philips Sonicare DailyClean 3100: The best budget sonic toothbrush

Price: £40 | Buy now from Amazon

The DailyClean 3100 is now Philips' entry-level Sonicare brush, but in actual use you'd struggle to tell; the core technology still works brilliantly and it's compatible with all the same brush heads.

In fact, in some ways this is your ideal first Sonicare brush; the chunky handle is comfortable to hold while brushing, and there's an easy start feature where the brush takes things easy during the first week of use while steadily ramping up to its full 31,000 brush movements per minute. There's still the usual subtle vibration alert to encourage you to brush each quarter of your mouth for 30 seconds, with a bigger alert when it's time to stop.

Now for the negatives. This brush is based on Philips' last-generation Sonicare technology, which isn't a huge issue, but it still uses a NiMH battery. Normally we'd consider this a dealbreaker, as you need to run the toothbrush down completely then charge it for a full 24 hours. What saves it, however, is that the battery life is exceptional; while Philips says it's good for two weeks of brushing, we reckon you could easily get away with a month or more. A great budget electric toothbrush with all you need to keep your teeth and gums in shape.

Read our full Philips Sonicare DailyClean review

Key specs – Cleaning modes: 1; Battery type: NiMH; Accessories included: Brush head, charger; Battery life (tested): 2hrs 27mins; Warranty: Two years

4. Oral-B Pro 3 3000: The best affordable brush

Price: From £43 | Buy now from Amazon

The new version of Oral-B's most affordable mid-range brush, the Pro 3 3000, is a winner. The sleek new design drops the rubber grip of the old model, but it's still easy to handle and easier to rinse clean. The rear pressure sensor is now a 360-degree ring, which makes it a little more visible while you're brushing, and Oral-B's timer works as well as ever. If you don't need Bluetooth or smart features, this brush covers all the fundamentals in style.

What's more, it delivers an excellent clean, with three modes – Sensitive, Daily Clean and Whitening – that take you all the way from a softer brush that's easy on the gums to a more intense polish that should help get rid of staining. Battery life, meanwhile, is exceptional; you'll easily get through two weeks of brushing and probably three without a recharge. It's the new king of sensibly priced brushes.

Key specs – Cleaning modes: 3; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: One brush head, charger; Battery life (tested): 87 mins; Warranty: Two years

5. Ordo Sonic+: A serious challenger to the big-name brands

Price: £50 | Buy now from Boots

While there are dozens of cheap electric toothbrushes for sale on Amazon, there still aren't many serious alternatives to Colgate, Philips and Oral-B. The Ordo Sonic+ makes a pretty good case for itself, though, thanks to a mix of great design, good technology and an interesting subscription model.

You can buy the brush and buy heads as normal, but Ordo also offers a starter kit with toothpaste, floss and mouthwash for £55. Meanwhile, you can subscribe to ongoing refills, either giving you an extra brush and two tubes of toothpaste for £10 every two or three months, or £15 for the whole kaboodle, including toothpaste, mouthwash and floss. This isn't for everyone – most of us would rather stick with our own favourite dental products – but it's a nice way to make sure you have everything you need at a reasonable cost.

As for the brush itself, it feels and works much like a mid-range Sonicare toothbrush, with four brushing modes designed for cleaning, whiting, sensitive teeth and a gum massage, and a nice, slim handle with a grippy, rubber feel. It switches itself off when the usual two-minute brush is done, and pulses every 30 seconds during use to remind you to brush another quarter of your mouth. Battery life, meanwhile, is brilliant, with enough charge to get you through a good month of brushing before recharging via USB. A great electric toothbrush for not a lot of money, even without the subscription plans.

Key specs – Cleaning modes: 4; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: Brush head, charging cradle, travel cap; Battery life (tested): 2hrs 27mins; Warranty: One year

6. Oral-B Smart 6 6000N: The best mid-range electric toothbrush

Price: £90 | Buy now from Amazon | Buy brush heads now from Amazon

The Smart 6 6000N could be described as the sweet spot in the Oral-B range, giving you the features you won't see on the cheaper Pro 2 2500N, but with a much smaller price tag than the Genius X or iO9. You still get a top-notch cleaning experience, with Oral-B's oscillating brush heads leaving teeth feeling smooth and polished, along with five different modes including gum care, whitening and sensitive.

There are cheaper Oral-B brushes with Bluetooth support (the Smart 4 4000N and 4500N also have it) but the 6000N includes a holder for your smartphone along with a conventional charging stand. With the app, you still get real-time feedback through the LED ring and a timer to make sure you brush all four quarters of your mouth. The app will also track your use over time and give you hints, tips and news. And while you lose the smiley SmartGuide module of the old SmartSeries 6500, you gain a lithium-ion battery with over two weeks of brushing from a single charge. Sure, it's not quite as luxurious as Oral-B's high-end models, but it's not crazy expensive, either, making it the best value of the mid-range brushes.

Key specs – Cleaning modes: 5; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: Three brush heads, charger, travel case, smartphone holder; Battery life (tested): 1hr 7mins; Warranty: Two years

7. Oral-B Genius X: A great smart toothbrush for less

Price: £95 | Buy now from Amazon | Buy brush heads now from Amazon

Electric toothbrushes that give you feedback via Bluetooth are nothing new, but the Oral-B Genius X goes one better. Like the newest iO9 model, it has embedded sensors that work with an app to give you detailed live data about which areas of your mouth you have neglected. The app shows the different sections of the mouth turning from blue to white to show when you've brushed them for long enough, and afterwards, it uses the data to score your brushing and show you how you can do better.

Like Oral-B's Genius 9000 and iO9, the Genius X also offers multiple brushing modes and gum pressure detection, with the 360-degree smart ring glowing red when you apply too much pressure. Meanwhile, the bundled charger doesn't just charge your toothbrush, but also your phone via USB. It's a pricey toothbrush, though it is now turning up in sales due to the release of the latest model and if you make the most of the app, it takes the whole smart toothbrush concept to another level.

Read our full Oral-B Genius X review

Key specs– Cleaning modes: 6; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: USB travel case with integrated charger; Battery life: Two weeks; Warranty: Two years

8. Philips ExpertClean 7300: The best smart toothbrush for travel

Price: £150 | Buy now from John Lewis

Fancy the performance and app-enabled features of the DiamondClean Smart? Not quite so keen on the price tag? Well, the ExpertClean 7300 gives you most of the good stuff for a bit less money. Like the Diamond Clean Smart it works with the Sonicare app to track your brushing and dish out reminders, guidance and tips. It can tell you whether you're not brushing for long enough or you're applying too much pressure, and with three different cleaning modes – Clean, Gum Health and Deep Clean+ – it's easy to vary them or find the ideal mode for you.

It's a very comfortable and well-designed brush as well, with pulse alerts to help you keep track of your brushing if you're not using the app, and a clear battery indicator to let you know when it's running down. Not that this is too much of an issue; Philips states that the battery should last you three weeks of brushing, and our tests put that on the conservative side.

Plus, while you don't get all the extra brushes or charging glass of the flagship model, it does still come with a handy USB charging case, which makes this a fantastic toothbrush both for home and for travel. It's still not what you might call cheap, but it's a premium brush at a price you might find easier to swallow.

Key specs – Cleaning modes: 3; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: 2 brush heads, charging travel case, charger; Battery life (tested): 93mins; Warranty: Two years

9. Oral-B iO9: The best smart toothbrush with superfast charging

Price: £500 | Buy now from Amazon | Buy brush heads now from Amazon

This is the priciest toothbrush we've ever tested, but with bundles of smart features, a new design, significantly improved charging and a new drive system, it's a step up from the brand's previous flagship, the Genius X. While the bristle heads remain the same, the new magnetic iO drive system transfers motor energy directly to the bristle tips. So not only does the motor power the bristle rotation, but it also uses some of that energy to gently vibrate the brush head at the same time. This is, in theory, meant to improve how well it brushes your teeth.

Like its predecessor, there are multiple brushing modes to choose from, including whitening, intense and tongue clean. It uses granular mapping that's been upgraded since the Genius X, so you can pinpoint specific areas of your mouth more accurately and follow progress live via the app. Progress is tracked using sensors in the brush that have been trained via an algorithm and, when used in tandem with the app, can highlight areas for improvement over time.

Then there's that improved charging. The Oral-B iO's magnetic charging dock provides a full charge that lasts up to two weeks in just three hours. While it won't replace your dentist, this is as close to a professional clean at home as you're going to get.

Read our full Oral-B iO9 review

Key specs – Cleaning modes: 7; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: One brush head, brush head refill holder, magnetic charger, travel case with integrated charger; Battery life (tested): 14 days minimum; Warranty: Two years

10. Oral-B iO Series 6: Cutting-edge toothbrush tech at a sensible price

Price: £110 | Buy now from Amazon | Buy Brush heads now from Amazon

You might call Oral-B's iO9 the Tesla supercar of toothbrushes, but it also has the price to match. The newer iO6 is a different story, with nearly all the same core technology, but at a much more approachable price point. While the RRP is £300, we've seen it slip to under £150 and even £110.

You don't get the full suite of sensors of the iO9, but the iO6 still does a great job of tracking where and how you're brushing and relaying it back to the Oral-B app. Plus, like the more expensive iO brushes, its pressure-sensing indicators and built-in OLED screen give you instant feedback on your brushing and whether you've done the full two minutes or slinked off early. Thanks to Oral-B's magnetic motor technology, the clean is as quiet as it is impressive, with five different brush modes to cover gum care, whitening and sensitive teeth as well as intense and daily cleans. As long as you can live without fast charging, it's arguably the best value smart brush out there.

Key specs – Cleaning modes: 5; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: One brush head, charger, spare head holder, travel case; Battery life (tested): 14 days minimum; Warranty: Two years

11. Philips Sonicare for Kids: The best electric toothbrush for children

Price: £50 | Buy now from Amazon | Buy brush heads now from Amazon

Getting kids to clean their teeth well is rarely easy, but a decent electric brush can help, and this one will make it fun, too. The interactive Bluetooth app puts the character Sparkly, who loves nothing more than cleaning his teeth, at the centre of the action on your device. Not only can kids mimic Sparkly cleaning his teeth in real time, focusing on different sections of the mouth, but they can gain rewards including food, accessories and new skills for him by cleaning as they should and for the required two minutes.

Even if you don't use the app, it's a hit with kids thanks to the replaceable stickers and the built-in timer and jingle. It's durable, lasts well and has a good battery life. A great way to transform your children's teeth-cleaning.

Key specs – Cleaning modes: 2; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: One brush head, charger, 8 customisation stickers; Battery life (tested): 56mins; Warranty: Two years

How to choose the best electric toothbrush for you

Video of How to choose the best electric toothbrush | Expert Reviews Buying Guide

What types of electric toothbrushes are there?

Generally speaking, electric toothbrushes have settled down into two basic types. The first, as manufactured by Oral-B, have a small, round head that oscillates at high speed, rotating quickly one way then the other many thousands of times a second to scrub your teeth and gums. They combine this with a pulsating action, designed to break up plaque along the gum line, making it easier to brush away.

Alternatively, you can opt for a "sonic" or "ultrasonic" brush, which has a head that vibrates very quickly at frequencies that buff the tooth surface, break up plaque and force toothpaste through the gaps between your teeth and around the gum line. This makes them more effective at cleaning around and in-between your teeth where plaque and tartar tend to build up. Ultrasonic toothbrushes are even faster, creating millions of sound waves per minute to push a special "nano bubble" of toothpaste into your teeth and gums, helping to clean and protect them with even greater efficiency.

What features should I look out for?

Battery life is the biggie. Even some of the most affordable brushes now come with a lithium ion battery, and we wouldn't generally recommend buying one with an old-school NiMH battery unless your budget is limited to £30 or less. With a lithium ion battery you can brush without a recharge for anywhere between two and four weeks, as opposed to the seven days you might have had from the older brushes. Find out how often you'll need to replace the brush heads, too. Most last for around six months, but if they need replacing more often and the brush heads are expensive, the running costs can soon mount up.

Other nice-to-have features include a brushing timer and pressure sensors to warn you when you're pressing too hard and risking damage to your gums. Bundled extras such as travel cases may also come in handy, and especially so if the toothbrush can be charged in the case using a USB cable – it's one fewer charger to carry. Finally, check if the handle is comfortable to hold. Some of us just can't get on with a brush that's too chunky or too thin, while others need extra grip around the handle.

Do I need a Bluetooth-enabled toothbrush?

Bluetooth-enabled "smart" toothbrushes are growing in popularity. They work with companion apps that time your brushes, keep a diary of your activity and provide oral hygiene tips or snippets of news. The more advanced models have sophisticated pressure and motion sensors to allow them to track your brush's progress around the mouth and make sure you're reaching every corner, and not skimping on the back teeth or the areas behind your teeth.

These features are fun and can be genuinely useful if you sometimes neglect your dental workouts. The apps from Oral-B and Philips have had some time to mature, and they can guide you towards a better technique that could keep your teeth and gums healthier for longer. All the same, these features aren't essential, and not everyone is prepared to take their smartphone to the bathroom twice a day or check their app to monitor their brushing. If you can develop a good routine that covers all your teeth and around the gums, then you arguably don't need a smart brush.

Which replacement heads should I buy?

This can be a confusing experience, but these days you'll find that most modern toothbrushes make buying replacement heads a relatively simple affair.

Many of Oral-B's current heads work on its entire range of brushes, although, as Oral-B makes several different designs of head, it's worth buying smaller twin-packs to decide which you like best. Its CrossAction, FlossAction and PrecisionClean heads all feel quite different in use.

It's a similar story with Philips and its Sonicare brush heads. Just because your brush came with a DiamondClean or ProResults brush, that doesn't mean you can't use an Optical Gum Care or Premium Plaque Defence head – although certain features, such as BrushSync mode and brush head matching, won't be available with all handles.

We've included links to compatible brush heads in the reviews above, so you can stock up when you run out.

Oral B Smart 4 4500 Black Edition Boots

Source: https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/health-and-grooming/1405326/best-electric-toothbrush