The Best Electric Toothbrushes, Tested and Reviewed (2024)

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Featured in this articleBest Oscillating BrushOral-B Pro 1000

Read moreBest Sonic BrushPhilips Sonicare 4100 Electric Toothbrush

Read moreThis One Auto-StartsBe Lucent Prism Sonic Electronic Toothbrush

Read moreA Cheap Electric ToothbrushBitvae Sonic Electric Toothbrush

Read moreI hate brushing my teeth. I do it because I have to, but it’s a time-consuming, uncomfortable process—two minutes standing in front of the mirror can feel like an eternity. My dentist says I brush too harshly as well. Don’t even get me started on flossing. Electric toothbrushes make the whole experience easier. Their vibrations and oscillations can more effectively get rid of plaque on your teeth and gums, and most brushes have a timer that encourages you to brush for the full two minutes.

Sonic or Oscillating Toothbrush?

There is a seemingly endless array of electric toothbrushes to pick from, but they generally fall into two categories: sonic and oscillating (for U-shaped brushes, see below). The best toothbrush is the one you’ll use twice a day. You can buy the most highly rated toothbrush around, but if it feels weird in your mouth or hurts your gums, you might not want to use it.

Ada S. Cooper, a dentist and consumer adviser spokesperson for the American Dental Association, told me that both styles are effective in reducing plaque, according to recent studies. She notes that you should talk to a dentist about which one will work best for you, and she says to look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance Most of our picks have it. (If they don’t, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re bad.)

A sonic toothbrush looks similar to a manual brush, with an oval brush head. It vibrates gently and quietly, using high-speed side-to-side bristle motion to break up plaque. Sonicare was the first brand to introduce a sonic toothbrush and is probably the most well-known name in the category.Oscillating toothbrushes rotate and pulsate—oscillate means to move or swing back and forth—around the whole tooth. They tend to be louder than sonic brushes and might make your head vibrate more while you brush. You will get used to this if you’re new to electric brushes. Oral-B is probably the best-known brand for these types of electric toothbrushes.Other Factors to Consider

In addition to choosing between oscillating and sonic toothbrushes, these are a few other factors that you might want to think about.

Future cost: You need to replace the brush head about every three months—more if you tend to brush with too much pressure. They range in price depending on the brand and type of head, so it’s a good idea to check beforehand. Oral-B offers various types of heads in packs ranging from $9 for one to $55 for 10. Many brands offer subscriptions for cheaper. You can often find off-brand heads that cost less but work with the handle, though you might not get the same quality.Charging: Electric toothbrushes have either rechargeable batteries or replaceable ones. Battery life depends on the brush, but it could need charging every week to every few months. Do you want to commit to keeping it charged or keeping a spare battery on hand or do you prefer the ease of a manual brush that works anywhere anytime?Brand history: If you buy from a brand like Sonicare or Oral-B, there’s a high likelihood that you’ll be able to buy replacement brush heads or get ahold of customer service should you need anything. You can also get these in store instead of having to order online. We recommend a few newer brands here, many of which only have online storefronts and there’s no way to predict if they’ll be around in five years or not. Some make great brushes, however, so it may be worth it if the initial cost isn’t too high.How to Brush Teeth Effectively

Getting the best toothbrush money can buy won’t mean anything if you don’t brush correctly. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to do right:

Floss: Once a day, you should floss your teeth before brushing. I prefer floss picks to a string, and switched to a refillable version from Quip, but it seems to be no longer available.Brush for 2 minutes: Brush twice a day, spending about a minute each on your top and bottom teeth—30 seconds for each quadrant, which is why most electric toothbrushes have 30-second timers to remind you to move on to the next one. Make sure you get the front and back of teeth, and focus on cleaning the gum line, where food can stick and plaque can build up.Be gentle: If your toothbrush bristles look like they’ve been crushed, you’re brushing too hard. You want to keep your teeth clean, but you don’t need to actually scrub to do that. Electric toothbrushes often help people be gentler, but you still need to be mindful of it.Don’t forget your tongue: Bacteria builds up on your tongue, which can cause bad breath despite clean teeth. You can brush it with your toothbrush or use the tongue cleaner that’s on the backside of some brush heads. I like to pair that with a tongue scraper for $10 to remove most of the buildup first.Don’t rinse: If you’re using fluoride toothpaste—which helps prevent tooth decay—you shouldn’t rinse your mouth or use mouthwash right away.A good brush doesn’t need to cost you more than a few Hamiltons. We’ve tested many types, from basic models to fancy ones with oscillating brushes and everything in between. We test brushes for at least two weeks but try to use them for their estimated battery life, switching between modes and noting the cleaning power of each.

Listed below are the best electric toothbrushes you can buy. We also have eco-friendly nonelectric options if you don’t want to own another device that needs charging. Don’t forget to check out our guides to the Best Hair Dryers and Best Shower Water Filters for more.

Updated October 2024: We’ve added the Brusheez and Moon electric toothbrushes as picks. plus notes on the Feno Smartbrush.

Christopher Null’s reporting contributed to this guide.

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Photograph: Amazon

Best Oscillating BrushOral-B Pro 1000

Oral-B’s Pro 1000 is a reliable brush for a solid price that you can pick up at most stores. It has been around for a while and continues to outshine more expensive models with fancier features. It’s so powerful that my first few brushes left me feeling dizzy, but I got used to it. Battery life isn’t as long as pricier ones, but you should still get around 10 days. All brushes get grimy from toothpaste, but I felt like this one somehow got a little more gross. Just rinse it thoroughly after every brush.

All the brand’s electric toothbrushes have oscillating brush heads, which are those circular bristles that get right in between all your teeth. Though we haven’t tried all of them, most of the Pro models are probably a good bet if the price is right for you.

Photograph: Philips

Best Sonic BrushPhilips Sonicare 4100 Electric Toothbrush

If you find oscillating brushes to be too intense, you may prefer a sonic brush. You’ll probably like any of Sonicare’s brushes, but it comes down to features and price. At $50, the 4100 is a good midrange brush with two intensity levels, a pressure sensor, and a two-minute timer. It does what it needs to do without a bunch of unnecessary features, and a charge should last about two weeks.

I’ve tried the very expensive Sonicare brushes listed in the honorable mentions below. They’re also great cleaners, but you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars when good brushes from the brand are this price.

Photograph: Be Lucent

This One Auto-StartsBe Lucent Prism Sonic Electronic Toothbrush

The Prism sonic toothbrush took one feature from manual brushing that other brands haven’t figured out: Just put it in your mouth and brush to start the vibrations automatically. No button pressing needed. It cleans well, and the back of the head has the best tongue cleaner of any brush I’ve tried. It’s rough enough to really scrub.

Don’t worry, there is a button for controlling the modes or manually turning it on and off. It took me a few times to stop the automatic gesture of pushing it that I’d developed from years without an automatic brush. The charging dock is also fun. It reminds me of an ’80s glass block wall, which is a compliment.

Photograph: Bitvae

A Cheap Electric ToothbrushBitvae Sonic Electric Toothbrush

Bitvae’s sonic toothbrush was powerful and cleaned my teeth effectively. It also comes with eight (!!) replacement heads and typically costs just $16 to $18—if you’re seeing it for more, consider waiting for a sale like Amazon Prime Day for the price to drop. There are a bunch of cute colors to choose from, too.

The worst thing about it is its charger, which is inconvenient. Most electric toothbrushes sit on a charging base, but this one has to be plugged in directly from the bottom of the handle. You either have to lay your brush down sideways on the sink while it charges or stick the included holder to the wall.

Photograph: Nena Farrell

Great for KidsBrusheez Kids’ Electric Toothbrush Set

My 2-year-old resisted teeth brushing pretty heavily until I had him try the Brusheez Electric Toothbrush Set. He’s suddenly thrilled to brush his teeth, though sometimes it’s just him holding the vibrating bristles against his tongue and smiling. It’s plenty gentle against his teeth and is powered by two AA batteries—not included.

It comes with a little storage base that holds the toothbrush, a two-minute hourglass timer, a rinse cup, and an extra brush head. There’s a fun cover for the toothbrush when it isn’t in use—we got my son the shark set, but there’s also a bear, giraffe, unicorn, dinosaur, and more options to get your kid excited about their new brush.

★ A Built-in Timer, Plus an App: The Philips Sonicare Kids Electric Toothbrush ($35) is a more expensive than the Brusheez, but it’s rechargeable and has a built-in two-minute timer—great for older kids who will know they have to brush until it stops. It’s also got a companion app with cartoon lessons and rewards for brushing your teeth.

Photograph: Oclean

If You Need Voice PromptsOclean X Ultra S Electric Toothbrush

Oclean makes great electric toothbrushes that clean well without vibrating your brain around. They’re a bit pricey, but if you or your kid would benefit from a voice assistant telling you that you’re brushing too fast or applying too much pressure, this particular model might be worth the money spent. This voice frustrated me to no end—but maybe that’s a good thing. Combined with the on-handle screen that shows where you’ve brushed and where you’ve missed, it made me brush more thoughtfully instead of vigorously scrubbing for 30 seconds and giving up.

Oclean brushes connect to the brand’s app where you can access detailed reports about your brushing habits and efficiency, but it isn’t necessary thanks to the screen on the actual brush itself.

Photograph: SURI

A Repairable, Sustainable BrushSuri Sustainable Electric Toothbrush

The Suri toothbrush’s soft bristles and gentle vibrations clean well, and even the most sensitive gums won’t suffer in the process. I appreciate the slim, lightweight handle. Beyond clean teeth, the company offers a more sustainable approach to electric brushes.

You need to brush your teeth, which means you’re going to throw brushes away eventually. Electric toothbrushes are less wasteful than nonelectric models in the short term since you don’t have to throw away the entire thing every time you’re done with it. But electric brushes have an expiration date too, as their batteries and motors will eventually give out. Suri takes back and recycles used brush heads (made from cornstarch with castor oil bristles that should break down without leaving microplastics behind). The body of the brush isn’t sealed, meaning the company can repair the battery or motor should the need arise. If you decide you don’t want it repaired and simply want to get rid of it, you can send it back to be recycled.

Photograph: Nena Farrell

Great for TravelMoon Electric Toothbrush

If you’re often on the go and want to easily take your electric toothbrush with you, Moon’s Electric Toothbrush comes with a sleek little carrying case that leaves you with no excuse not to pack it. It’s similar in size to an eyeglass case but a little taller and flatter. When you’re at home, that same carrying case has spots to store both brush heads it comes with, so you never have to worry about losing your extras.

The Moon has five sonic cleaning modes and a built-in two minute timer to ensure you’re brushing for as long as you need to be. The included charger is nice and compact, so it won’t take up much space on your counter. It’s easy on the eyes with sleek black or gold color options, plus colorful partnerships with Hello Kitty and Barbie.

Photograph: Quip

A New Brush From QuipQuip 360 Oscillating Toothbrush

Quip is the original Instagram toothbrush, and its first model was divisive. As we note in our honorable mentions, people either love it or hate it when they try it. I liked it enough, but in 2024, Quip released its first oscillating brush, which I prefer. Whether or not round brush heads actually clean my teeth better or it just feels like it does, I tend to gravitate toward this shape. If you want a more modern feel than Oral-B, consider trying this one.

It comes with a small stand, but because the bottom of the brush handle is rounded, it won’t stand on its own. I don’t love that, but it isn’t a dealbreaker for me. A refill plan brings the cost of the toothbrush down $5 to $50, plus $8 every three months for a new head.

Photograph: Medea Giordano

What About Alternative Toothbrushes?What You Need To Know

There are many U-shaped toothbrushes available now that use a mouthpiece full of bristles to brush one section of teeth—or sometimes the entire mouth—all at once in around 30 seconds. We’ve tried a few and think they’re fine to use in addition to regular brushing. None of them left us feeling perfectly minty fresh and none can clean your tongue, but for those with mobility difficulties, or those nights when you just want to hit the sheets, they can help.

SymplBrush for $129: WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar has been using the SymplBrush, which looks like a mix of the Willo and AutoBrush, and she likes it. “I can tell it hits each tooth and each side of it that might be missed with a standard toothbrush,” she says. “It’s a nice, all-around, clean-type feeling.” But she notes that it didn’t always get the buildup around her gums, so she’d have to go in with a brush anyway. As someone who brushes too hard, she felt this offered a gentler experience for her gums.Y-Brush DuoBrush Sonic for $80: This is a great option because it comes with both the U-shaped attachment and a standard brush head and isn’t crazily priced. I was impressed by how clean my teeth felt, and having both should help remind you that you still need a deeper clean in between quick sessions.AutoBrush Sonic Pro for $119: AutoBrush is the original in the category, and I tried both the old silicone-bristle model and new nylon version. I wasn’t wowed by either, but if you want a U-shaped brush and can get this one on sale, try it. You can read about AutoBrush’s study with Salus Research here.Willo Essential Kit for $150: The original Willo was my favorite and left my mouth feeling cleanest. It works by pushing water and tooth rinse through the mouthpiece as it pulsates. It’s recently been redesigned and seems to be more for kids than adults, though we haven’t tried it yet.Feno Smartbrush for $299: Feno’s Smartbrush has a lot of extra features. You’ll send in a photo of your mouth to get a remote fitting, and the brush has cameras built into it that allow you to take photos and submit them in the app to get analyzed for oral health issues. Feno uses both AI and humans to analyze the images, so it takes about a week to get your results back. We haven’t tested it, and it’s available only in preorder batches, but we plan to test it soon.The dentists I spoke to, Bill Busch of North Kansas City Dental and Joseph Salim, owner of Sutton Place Dental Associates, agreed that these aren’t replacements. At the time we spoke, they and their patients had used the older, now unavailable silicone version of the AutoBrush. The current iteration uses nylon bristles, which provide a better clean. “I find the best use for it is for children and in nursing home environments, where to get quick and easy compliance to brush is critical,” Busch says.

Photograph: Better and Better

Honorable MentionsMore Toothbrushes We Like

There are far more electric toothbrushes than we can recommend in a single guide. If none of the above options appeal to you, one of these might do the trick.

Brushes Under $100

Philips One by Sonicare Toothbrush for $25: This was our budget pick, but Bitvae’s is more powerful, rechargeable, and cheaper. Still, this one is cute, thin, and offers gentle vibrations for a step above a manual brush. It also comes with a carrying case.Quip Toothbrushes for $30-$65: People either love or hate Quip brushes. They aren’t the most powerful, but they’re comfortable to use, easy to maneuver around your mouth, and importantly, affordable. Choose between plastic or metal handles, battery-powered or rechargeable, all of which have smart or regular-brained options. If you have the basic brush and decide you want Bluetooth, you can swap out your motor for a smart one for $25. No other brush I’ve seen has this option.AquaSonic Black Series for $40: This brush also comes with eight brush heads, like the Bitvae above, which is nice for the price. I think it cleans well, but the heads are a bit small, and the whole thing was too vibratey for me, like the body was vibrating the plastic of the brush head more than the bristles.Laifen Wave Sonic Toothbrush for $70: From the design to the packaging, it’s obvious this was meant to look like a toothbrush that Apple designed. It’s a perfectly fine toothbrush most of the time but suffers from the same flaw as the AquaSonic above—the entire thing vibrates too much, so plastic sometimes vibrated against my teeth while trying to brush.Better & Better Bamboo Sonic Toothbrush for $70: This is another great brush that doesn’t exceed the $100 mark. The entire thing isn’t made from bamboo, but the brush heads—which get swapped out more frequently than the body—are. That makes it a little more eco-friendly.Colgate Hum for $47: The Hum (9/10, WIRED Recommends) was our favorite smart toothbrush given the impressive app that works better than smart brushes that cost double the price. But it has been discontinued. You can still find it as of this writing, but we’re not sure how long you’ll be able to get replacement brush heads.Brushes Over $100

Made by Dentists Sonic Toothbrush for $100: This sonic brush is, you guessed it, designed by two dentists. It cleans well, and it’s lightweight with a long battery life. But it sounds and feels a little tinny, and it’s a bit pricey for what it is.Mode Electric Toothbrush for $148: Mode’s bristles are soft but not too soft. The round charging block plugs directly into the outlet, and the brush handle attaches to it magnetically—plus it can rotate so you don’t block the other outlet, and there’s a dim nightlight.Photograph: Goby

You May Want to Skip TheseOther Brushes We Tried

Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9300 for $230: This is a great toothbrush as far as cleaning abilities and comfort, but its smart features leave something to be desired. I couldn’t get the app to accurately track my brushing sessions. Plus, it’s just too expensive when the brand makes great brushes for way less.Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige for $380: Like the Sonicare above, the 9900 Prestige is a great toothbrush, and it has SenseIQ that detects pressure and changes the intensity if you’re pushing too hard. That’s helpful for me, because I tend to scrub too hard, but that isn’t a good enough reason for me to spend this kind of cash on a toothbrush.Oral-B iO Series Brushes: Similarly to my experience with the Sonicares above, I tried the iO Series 8 in 2020 and wasn’t a fan of the app or the price. In 2021, Oral-B released the slightly less expensive Series 6 for $150, which is the fourth of the iO lineup, with five brushing modes. It’s a fantastic brush in terms of cleaning, but other brushes have better apps. I found the tracking to be much better while I brushed, but I would occasionally see my post-brushing coverage stat as 0 percent. It’s just clunky. Get a basic Oral-B for great cleaning power.Goby Electric Toothbrush for $90: Goby’s modern brush was a top pick. It’s lightweight and cleans well, with a two-week battery life and a nice stand with a charger that clips onto it when it needs some juice. However, customers were complaining on a now-banned Subreddit that they could no longer get replacement brush heads despite paying for them. The company told us it should be back to normal soon, but we checked a few months later and now you can’t even buy the brand’s brush on its site. This is still the case as of October 2024.