We hate to break it to you, but not all toothbrushes are created equally. While they work to achieve the same common goal of cleaning teeth, there are some that are undoubtedly better than others. Case in point: Oral-B’s top-rated selection of electric toothbrushes. These innovative devices go the extra mile, cleaning plaque from hard-to-reach places, removing stubborn stains to reveal whiter smiles, and keeping mouths free from bacteria, food build-up, and other gross gunk.
How do we know that Oral-B reigns supreme, you ask? We took it upon ourselves to test out nine of their most popular electric toothbrush models to determine which ones are the most effective when it comes to brushing teeth. To do so, we implemented these toothbrushes into our daily brushing routine for one month, making sure to evaluate each one’s ease of use, design qualities, functionality, special features, and overall quality and value. After conducting our tests, we narrowed down the five best toothbrushes Oral-B has to offer.
Whether you want to freshen your breath, whiten your smile, or get a pat on the back from your dentist the next time you go in for cleaning, these Oral-B electric toothbrushes will help you do all that and more.
Best Overall
Oral-B Genius X Limited
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Amazon
Our Ratings
What We Love: This toothbrush features six different modes that allow you to customize your brushing experience depending on your specific needs.
What We Don’t Love: It's prone to tipping over, so we suggest keeping it in a toothbrush holder or cup.
The Oral-B Genius X Limited Electronic Toothbrush has all the features an effective toothbrush should have — and more. Its sturdy spinning bristles expertly cleaned our teeth and gums, removing bacteria and build-up from hard-to-reach places. The bristles were powerful enough to separate grime and plaque from teeth, yet soft enough to keep enamel safe. On top of that, it has some special features that really set it apart from others, like the two handy timers: One buzzes every 30 seconds to let us know when it’s time to move to the next section of our mouth, and another that buzzes after two minutes to signal the end of the brushing session. We really appreciated the red light feature, though, that flashed when we brushed our teeth too hard, ensuring that we didn’t accidentally damage our teeth and gums.
This toothbrush also has Bluetooth capabilities that allowed us to track our brushing experience from our phone. Throughout our test, we received feedback about our brushing habits and techniques, as well as information about how we could better improve our overall experience.
We were also able to customize each brushing session to specific needs because of the six built in settings (including one for sensitive teeth and one for whitening). And, though we found so much to love, the cherry on top was the included small charger and hard-top travel case that makes it easy to take on the go.
We did notice that this toothbrush is prone to tipping over because the base is a bit small, so we suggest keeping it in a toothbrush holder or cup. But overall, this top-rated product is ideal for anyone who wants to step up their brushing game and keep their mouth extra clean.
Brush Heads: 1 | Travel Case: Yes | Charger Type: Cord | Timer: Yes
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InStyle / Joy Kim
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InStyle / Joy Kim
Best Tech
Oral-B iO Series 9
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Best Buy
Our Ratings
What We Love: This toothbrush features smart pressure sensors that notify you if you are brushing your teeth too hard or too gently.
What We Don’t Love: It takes three hours to fully charge.
If you’re looking for a future-forward toothbrush, we have just the thing for you: The Oral-B iO Series 9 toothbrush comes equipped with innovative bells and whistles that gave us the cleanest (and coolest) brushing experience of our lives.
During our test, we were especially impressed with what the brand refers to as ‘iO Magnetic Technology.’ This is basically the use of strong micro-vibrations on the toothbrush’s head that ensures every nook and cranny is free from bacteria, plaque, food build-up, and more. On top of this, the robust round shape of the toothbrush head was designed to reach every crack and crevice in the mouth, including the backside of teeth as well as the roof of the mouth and tongue. The combination of these two features left our teeth with a glass-like smoothness. Every part of our mouth felt clean after brushing, and each tooth felt equally clean without putting in much effort.
Truthfully, we could pretty much sit back and let the toothbrush do the dirty work because it has seven different brushing modes including Daily Clean, Whiten, Gum Care, Super Sensitive, Tongue Clean, and more. This allowed us to personalize each brushing session based on our needs that day. Plus, the smart pressure sensors turned red if we brushed our teeth too hard, white if we brushed them too lightly, and green when we brushed them just right.
The one downside? We found that it takes three hours to fully charge the toothbrush if it runs out of battery, so keep this in mind if the battery is running low. However, this product comes with a charging travel case, so when we forgot to bring our charger on a trip, we just popped it in the case and were good to go.
Brush Heads: 4 | Travel Case: Yes | Charger Type: Cord | Timer: Yes
Best For Gums
Oral-B Electronic Toothbrush
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Oral-B
Our Ratings
What We Love: This toothbrush has pressure sensor technology that automatically slows down the brush speed when it comes in contact with gums.
What We Don’t Love: The motion detector feature isn’t very accurate.
We tested the Oral-B Smart Limited toothbrush on sensitive gums, and it made a major difference in the entire brushing experience. This is because the toothbrush is designed with pressure sensor technology that automatically slows down the brush speed when it comes in contact with gums. We found this extremely helpful for all kinds of gum sensitivity, but especially gum recession because it kept our gums safe and comfortable while also adequately cleaning them.
Like many of the picks on this list, this toothbrush has five settings for customizable brushing, and we were able to connect to the Oral-B app to track our brushing journey. Through the app, we saw which spots in our mouth needed more attention as well as how much time was left on our two-minute timer. (Note: The toothbrush itself did not notify us when the two minutes were up; we needed to check the app to see when our brushing session was over.)
While this toothbrush is ideal for people who want to protect their gums, we did find one flaw: This product does not have the most accurate brushing motion detection. We noticed that it incorrectly tracked the area we were brushing (i.e. when we were brushing the upper left side of our mouths, the app said we were brushing the lower right side of our mouths). We suggest contacting Oral-B if this happens to you so you can get a replacement toothbrush with more accurate brushing motion detection.
Brush Heads: 2 | Travel Case: Yes | Charger Type: Cord | Timer: Yes, but only through the app
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InStyle / Joy Kim
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InStyle / Joy Kim
Best For Braces
Oral-B iO Series 5
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Target
Our Ratings
What We Love: This toothbrush connects to the Oral-B app, letting you see exactly where you brushed as well as the areas in your mouth that might need more attention.
What We Don’t Love: It’s suggested to take apart the toothbrush base and head after each use to wash it, which can be time-consuming.
Having braces means you need a toothbrush that’s robust enough to clean out all the hard-to-reach places. Luckily, the Oral-B iO Series 5 toothbrush can do exactly that. This tech-savvy toothbrush can be connected to the Oral-B app, a feature that gave us very important details about our brushing session. With the app, we were able to see a detailed picture of our mouth with all the spots we brushed — as well as the ones we missed. This gave us an upper hand to sufficiently clean every area of our mouth, which is especially important when wearing braces to avoid staining. Additionally, this toothbrush worked overtime to remove plaque and food from the gums, which can often get stuck due to brace placement.
Similar to other Oral-B toothbrushes, this device also has smart pressure sensors that notified us when we brushed too hard or too lightly, which may not seem like a super impressive feature, but it actually helped protect both our gums and enamel. We loved that we could to choose between five different brushing modes including Daily Clean, Whiten, Sensitive, Super Sensitive, and Intense, too. (Intense is a great option for braces because the bristles move fast, loosening plaque and build-up from the metal).
To ensure the toothbrush stays squeaky clean, the brand suggests taking the head off the base and washing both parts after each use (which can be time-consuming). We made this process more efficient by washing the base with warm water and sticking the head in a small cup of mouthwash — the mouthwash cleaned the head itself so we didn’t have to.
Brush Heads: 1 | Travel Case: Yes | Charger Type: Cord | Timer: Yes
InStyle / Joy Kim
Best For Travel
Oral-B iO Series 8
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Oral-B
Our Ratings
What We Love: This toothbrush comes with a premium hard-shell travel case that can protect the device.
What We Don’t Love: This toothbrush can be very loud when it’s in use.
Going somewhere? Not without this travel-friendly electric toothbrush. The Oral-B iO Series 8 Electric Toothbrush is ideal for anyone on the go because it comes with a premium hard-shell travel case that keeps the device protected, no matter where it’s packed. Aside from being extremely portable, this toothbrush also has great features that gave our mouth a pristinely clean feeling.
Don’t let the small round brush head fool you — it still managed to clean every part of our mouth because it can easily maneuver its way in and behind teeth, thus removing stubborn plaque and bacteria. It also has smart sensors that notified us when we brushed our teeth with too much or too little pressure.
This Oral-B bestseller also has six smart modes that make personalized brushing easy. We tried all six in our test — Daily Clean, Whitening, Gum Care, Sensitive, Intense, and Super Sensitive — but found that Intense was, well, very intense, to the point where toothpaste was flying out of our mouth. Daily Clean on the other hand, is a great every day mode.
It’s worth calling out that this toothbrush is a bit louder than the others on this list, so if you are sensitive to noise, be sure to keep that in mind.
Brush Heads: 3 | Travel Case: Yes | Charger Type: Cord | Timer: Yes
InStyle / Joy Kim
Our Testing Process
To start, our team spent hours researching the top-rated Oral-B electric toothbrushes on the market. After learning about the products and dissecting customer reviews, we were able to narrow down the pool to the nine bestselling options from the brand. From there, we purchased each of the toothbrushes and put them to the test. Our panel of testers (some of which have sensitive gums) implemented one of the nine toothbrushes into their daily routine – morning and night – for four weeks.
Each tester analyzed the performance of their toothbrush and documented their insights during the process. They paid attention to important factors like the size of the brush head, the different settings, the lifespan of the battery, and the way their teeth felt after each brushing session. Then, they rated each toothbrush on a scale of 1 to 5 in these key categories: Ease of use, design, functionality, special features, overall quality, and overall value. Once the data was collected, we were able to uncover the five best Oral-B electric toothbrushes.
InStyle / Joy Kim
What to Look for in an Electric Toothbrush
Brush Movement
In terms of how an electric toothbrush moves, there are three main ways – sonic, rotating, and oscillating. These different styles determine how deep of a clean you’ll get. “Sonic toothbrushes have an oval-shaped toothbrush head and vibrate. The head size and shape allow for more brushing surface to be covered at once,” says Dr. David Frank, a Texas-based dentist and founder of Walden Dental. This means the toothbrush will be able to easily clean the width and surface of teeth.
Alternatively, there are brush heads that rotate. “Rotating toothbrushes have a circle-shaped toothbrush head and vibrate as well as rotate back and forth at the same time,” says Dr. Frank. “This is ideal for reaching small crevices throughout your mouth.” If you have small teeth or braces, a rotating toothbrush could be best because it will be better able to navigate hard-to-reach spots in the mouth.
Last but not least, there are toothbrush heads that oscillate. “Oscillating toothbrushes combine the technology of both sonic and rotating toothbrushes, and typically add a third feature of movement,” explains Dr. Frank. “With a small circle head like the rotating toothbrush, this is an ideal option for the deepest clean.” If you are someone who struggles with plaque or buildup or you just want your mouth to be extra clean, this kind of toothbrush would be best for you. Luckily, all five of the Oral-B toothbrushes on this list are oscillating.
Bristles
There are three different kinds of bristles found on toothbrushes: Soft, medium, and hard. New York City-based general and cosmetic dentist, Dr. Lauren Becker, recommends soft-bristle toothbrushes for all her patients, and thankfully, every electric toothbrush on our list has soft bristles. “Soft means that the bristles are more flexible. They move around your teeth, getting to all the hard-to-reach places in your mouth,” she explains
Because the bristles are soft, they are generally gentler on gums, which can help protect them from harm as well as from receding. “Medium- and hard-bristle toothbrushes are much more aggressive on your teeth than soft ones,” Dr. Becker adds. “The bristles are not as flexible, causing you to neglect certain areas of your teeth. Beyond this, with a firmer hand and a medium- or hard-bristle toothbrush, you can cause damage to your teeth.”
Additionally, the type of bristles (soft, medium, and hard) make a difference when it comes to getting into tight spots. “Soft bristles are more flexible, so they move around your teeth to get to all areas of your mouth for proper oral hygiene,” says Dr. Becker. This means you’ll be able to get rid of gunk, no matter where it might be hiding.
The bottom line: Be aware of how hard a toothbrush’s bristles are and do not brush your teeth too hard. This can wear on enamel and cause bleeding or pain.
Technology
Out with old, manual toothbrushes and in with high-tech electronic devices. The toothbrushes of this day and age are equipped with future-forward features like built-in timers, smart pressure sensors, Bluetooth-connected apps, and more. Plus, they come with useful accessories like travel cases, charging stands, and additional brush heads.
Let’s start with a built-in timer.:“This is an important feature for toothbrushes to ensure you are spending a sufficient amount of time cleaning and polishing each of the teeth in your mouth,” says Dr. Frank. “If a toothbrush does not come with a timer built-in, you can, of course, use a watch, phone, or app to time yourself.” (The general rule of thumb is to brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes at a time.) All of the toothbrushes on the list, except the Oral- B Smart Limited Electronic Toothbrush, have built-in timers.
Though this may not seem like a necessary feature, smart pressure sensors can completely change how you brush your teeth. Toothbrushes designed with this feature – including each one on this list – will notify you if you are brushing your teeth too softly or too hard. “Pressure sensors are important because they guide how much pressure you should apply to your teeth when brushing in order to effectively clean,” adds Dr. Frank. “Similarly, they warn if you are pushing too hard or forcefully against your teeth.” (Essentially, these sensors help ensure you are applying enough pressure to adequately remove plaque from teeth while also not harming enamel or gums.)
There’s an app for almost everything these days — including toothbrushes. Each toothbrush on this list can be paired with the Oral-B app. By pairing your toothbrush with the app, you can get details and information about your brushing habits, style, and techniques. The Oral-B app can help brush your teeth more effectively by informing you about what areas you might have missed. The app can also time your brushing session and alert you if you are brushing your teeth too hard or too soft.
When shopping for an electric toothbrush, you should also consider what accessories it comes with. Does it have a travel case? Travel cases are great spots to keep your toothbrush, whether you're on the road or just at home. (Each toothbrush on this list comes with a travel case, and the Oral-B iO Series 9 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush even comes with a charging travel case, which is ultra-handy!) Additionally, does it have a convenient charging stand? These stands can not only charge the toothbrush, but they can also hold them up when they’re not in use. On top of that, does it come with more than one brush head? It’s recommended to change the brush head every three months, so be sure you have extras.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an electric toothbrush better than a manual toothbrush?
“Electric toothbrushes are much better than manual toothbrushes,” explains California-based celebrity cosmetic dentist and veneer specialist, Dr. Tyler Hales. “An electric toothbrush creates more power and brush strokes per minute without the user having to do as much work.” On the flip side, people who use manual toothbrushes might not be able to remove plaque and buildup. There’s also a chance that they won’t brush their teeth for the full two minutes if they do not have a timer. Essentially, electric toothbrushes do the dirty work for you so you can have the most pristine smile possible.
How often should brush heads be changed?
Brush heads should be changed every three months. This is because bacteria can build up within the bristles. (Luckily, most electric toothbrushes come with replacement heads.) “A good tip to look for is once the bristles start flaring out or lose the color along the tips it is time for a change,” says Dr. Hales.
How do you pick an electric toothbrush for sensitive teeth?
When it comes to finding an electric toothbrush that is safe for sensitive teeth, look for one that offers different brushing modes. “Most electric toothbrushes have a lower power setting that can be used to brush sensitive teeth,” says Dr. Hales. (In the case of Oral-B toothbrushes, this is referred to as ‘Sensitive’ mode.) “Make sure that the toothbrush has soft bristles so that it is not creating more sensitivity,” he adds. “Many times sensitivity is caused by teeth grinding or recession of the gums, both of which are symptoms that should be looked at by the dentist.”(Each toothbrush on this list offers a ‘Sensitive’ and/or ‘Super Sensitive brushing mode.)
Why Shop With Us
Lauren Harano is an experienced beauty editor with over seven years in the industry. During her time as an editor, she has tested hundreds of products including an array of electric toothbrushes. For this article, Lauren compiled insight from InStyle testers who put nine different electric toothbrushes to the test in their own routines. She analyzed their insights as well as reviews from verified customers. She also conducted interviews with celebrity cosmetic dentist and veneer specialist Dr. Tyler Hales, general and cosmetic dentist Dr. Lauren Becker, and owner and founder of Walden Dental, Dr. David Frank for expert information on toothbrushes and overall dental care. Throughout her research, she uncovered the best electric Oral-B toothbrushes on the market.
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