The Quip has an attractive design and uses AAA batteries, making it convenient to take anywhere with you on the go. Our cleaning tests also yielded positive results and it comes equipped with both a charging travel case and replacement brush heads for optimal use.
Though electric toothbrushes can make your teeth cleaner, good technique must still be observed to ensure a thorough clean. Look for features such as two-minute timers and vibrating alerts every 30 seconds as a reminder to change quadrants.
Battery Life
One of the greatest benefits of electric toothbrushes is their long lifespan – typically three to five years on average, far outlasting traditional models which need replacing monthly and can end up costing hundreds over their lifespan.
Longer-lasting models may last two weeks between charging sessions; however, it’s important to keep in mind that even when they aren’t charging they still draw power – therefore unplugging it from its charger when not in use is highly recommended as repeated top-ups decrease battery lifespan over time.
Strategist editor Jenna Milliner-Waddell recommends the Philips Sonicare Prestige 9990 due to its sleek appearance, rechargeable battery and user-friendly app. Furthermore, it comes equipped with a pressure sensor which warns users when brushing too hard as well as travel case and pressure sensor for extra safety when brushing too hard – plus pairing options allow users to track their brushing progress over time!
Brushing Modes
For those seeking to maximize their brushing routine, most toothbrushes offer various modes. These range from daily clean, which provides 48,000 pulsations and 10,500 oscillations per minute to remove plaque effectively and leave teeth feeling clean, to an intense cleaning mode which provides 48,000 pulsations and 10,500 oscillations per minute to completely eradicate plaque from teeth and leave them feeling fresh.
This mode is the default and includes a two-minute brushing timer to ensure good brushing habits are established and adhered to. For those needing more aggressive scrubbing, Pro-Clean mode offers up to 48,000 pulsations and 10,500 vibrations per minute to thoroughly scrub each corner of your mouth and ensure no area goes unnoticed.
Some brushes feature a smart app that lets you track cleaning sessions and assess pressure being applied, something one of our testers found particularly helpful for people who struggle with brushing evenly or hard enough. Other models feature color displays ranging from blue (too little pressure) to green or red (too much), along with end-of-session smiley or frowny faces for easy tracking of sessions.
Comfort
Electric toothbrushes offer many advantages over their manual counterparts. They don’t require as much muscle power to move around your mouth and usually come equipped with features to make brushing more comfortable – particularly for those suffering from hand or wrist conditions.
Olivia Lipski, who led recent categorical Lab and consumer tests of electric toothbrushes for Good Housekeeping (GH), recommends an electric toothbrush equipped with an internal timer to help ensure two minutes of brushing (as recommended by the American Dental Association). Look for brushes with vibration frequency signalling every 30 seconds or an app which shows you exactly how long you have been brushing for.
Oral-B iO Series 9 and Pro 1000 offer key comfort features, including handle size and pressure sensor that alerts when your use becomes too aggressive; its scale ranges from blue (light pressure) to green (just right pressure), red (too hard) with either a smiley face at the end of a session, as well as an indicator for battery life indicator and battery recharge reminders.
Design
An electric toothbrush may cost more than its traditional counterpart, but they typically last three to five years while saving thousands of plastic toothbrushes from landfill. There are more expensive models, while others boast additional features like app connectivity, sleek travel cases and different chargers; we compared their costs against their features to find great values.
Colgate’s Hum Smart App-Connected Toothbrush proved popular with our testers due to its real-time renderings that gradually whiten as you brush. Furthermore, its pressure sensor ranged from blue (light pressure) through green and finally red (too much).
Some brushes feature modes to target specific parts of the mouth, like the gums or tongue. Others provide reminders when it’s time to change toothbrush heads or batteries, and still others include timers so you know you are brushing for two minutes straight.
