The best Oral-B electric toothbrushes for a bright and healthy smile

When investing in an electric toothbrush, you’ll want to make sure you’re buying a top-quality product that helps you keep your teeth and gums healthy. If you're new to electric toothbrushes, we suggest starting with one of the best Oral-B electric toothbrushes. 

With so many brands on the market, it can be tricky to know which is worth spending your money on (see our guide to the best electric toothbrush for top recommendations). Oral-B is one of the market leaders, and a brand recommended by dentists because it offers a range of electric toothbrushes with different features varying in price from $40—$300 (£30—£500). 

For beginners, a basic Oral-B toothbrush like the Vitality Plus Cross Action Electric Toothbrush is a great place to start. For those passionate about their dental health, a high-tech Oral-B toothbrush such as the iO Series 9 could be worth the investment. If you to shop with Oral-B, our guide to the best will help you choose the right product for you. 

How we tested the best Oral-B electric toothbrush

If you’re ready to swap in your manual toothbrush for an electric one, here's what you should consider and what we took into account when assessing Oral-B electric toothbrushes: 

• Features offered—depending on your dental care needs, you might want an Oral-B toothbrush with all the bells and whistles, or a basic electric toothbrush might be all you need. We tested a range of models, all offering different features—from brushing timers to speed ranges. Some offered multiple cleaning modes, with modes for teeth whitening and sensitive teeth, while others only offered basic deep cleaning. 
• Battery life—it's important your electric toothbrush has a long-lasting battery to avoid any mishaps (especially when traveling without a charger). A rechargeable electric toothbrush will usually need to be charged every two weeks, but some of the more affordable options need to be charged every couple of days. 
• Value for money—if you're new to electric toothbrushes you may want an affordable option to assess how much you like using them before investing. We tested a variety of toothbrushes across a range of price points to bring you affordable and premium recommendations. 
• Effectiveness—the benefit of an electric toothbrush is it can get hard-to-reach areas that a manual toothbrush may struggle with. Our tester considered how effective the Oral-B electric toothbrushes were in cleaning their teeth and gums. For the products offering more (such as gum pressure checks and teeth whitening modes), our tester assessed how well the model lived up to its claims. 

The best Oral B electric toothbrush, as chosen by our experts

As far as electric toothbrushes go, the Oral-B iO Series 9 is top quality. In fact, we rated it the best electric toothbrush overall in our tests. With a sleek-looking design and plenty of smart features, our tester enjoyed trailing this model the most. The iO Series 9 has an interactive display showing the different modes of which you can switch between during your brushing session. But, the user-friendly interface isn’t as imitating for technophobes, as you can simply swipe through the modes using your finger. You can also connect to the Oral-B app for real-time feedback on how effectively you're cleaning your teeth. 

If you hit the dentist-recommended two-minute mark, the brush rewards you with a smiley face. The pressure sensor also turns green when you apply the optimum amount of pressure, ensuring you don't brush too hard or too little and irritate gums. Our tester enjoyed using all the modes which include Daily Clean, Sensitive, Gum Care, Intense Clean, Whitening, Super-Sensitive and Tongue Cleaner. They found it was the best brush for giving that squeaky-clean feeling. While the features of this product are great for people looking for a smart Oral-B electric toothbrush, it's definitely pricey compared to other options. 

One of the most affordable electric toothbrushes in the Oral-B line-up, the Vitality Plus Cross Action is great for beginners. It comes with the basic charging stand and bonus brush head, and costs under $30 (£20). Despite it being quite basic, it works to effectively clean teeth. A standout feature of this brush is the easy-to-grip handle that some of the other models lack, and the raised rubber that stops it from rolling around if you place it on a flat surface. While not as sleek as some of its pricer counterparts, this toothbrush is still a significant improvement on a manual brush and includes a two-minute timer to help you monitor your brushing time. 

However, as this is a budget buy, don’t expect it to come with lots of battery life. Without a device light to monitor how much battery power our tester had left, they found the brush would unexpectedly run out of charge and cut out during brushing. It also only comes with one cleaning mode, so if you want something a bit more specialized, it would be wise to look at Oral-B’s more premium options. 

Promising 100% healthier gums and plaque removal, the Oral-B Pro 3 3000 is a great option for those with a mid-range budget looking for a more advanced toothbrush than the Oral-B Vitality Plus Cross Action, but still with an affordable price tag. The Oral-B Pro 3 3000 has three modes, one for sensitive teeth, one for whitening, and one for daily clean. It also comes with a pressure indicator to tell you how hard you’re brushing—essential if you have sensitive gums. 

Our tester found this re-chargeable toothbrush worked well on the whitening and daily clean modes (and effectively helped remove plaque stains, thanks to a combination of the oscillating brush head and using one of the best toothpastes), but it wasn't great for sensitive teeth. Even in the sensitive setting, the brush head seemed a little hard. However, this could be remedied by swapping it for a softer head. Oral-B also claims the battery life on the Pro 3 3000 can last up to two weeks, but our tester found it needed re-charging after five days of using it twice a day. It's worth keeping in mind if you're a keen traveler and in need of an electric toothbrush with a long battery life. 

With five different cleaning modes, the Oral-B SmartSeries 6000 means business and could be the best option for those looking to upgrade their first electric toothbrush. It features pressure control, Bluetooth technology, and two weeks' worth of battery. The design is sleek and it comes with three brush heads, a travel case, and a storage case for the brush heads, too. 

The clock timer tells times how long you've been brushing your teeth and, via the Oral-B App, you can enable Smart Coaching for feedback on your brushing habits and how to improve them. Turn the toothbrush over, and the rear pressure sensor allows you to see how much force you’re using. If it flashes red, then you know that you need to use less pressure. Thanks to the battery icon, our tester could see how much usage was left before it would need recharging. They also rated the vibration warning that sounded when the recommended two-minute cycle was completed during every brush, however, this might be a downside for some as it is quite an intense vibration.

For a high-tech upgrade, let us introduce you to the Oral-B Genius X. It features six cleaning modes, gum pressure control, and a 30-second pacer. All of the modes can be seen on the brush handle, which is round with no rough or square edges, making it easy to hold. 

Even in normal brushing mode, our tester found the speed fast and pressure firm, allowing them to get right in-between their teeth and gums, without causing them to bleed. The model also allows you to see the battery status information on the main panel of the brush, so you don't get caught short in-between cleans. You can pair the toothbrush with the Oral-B app to track your brushing and receive real-time feedback on how well you're doing. The only downside to the Oral-B Genius X was the battery didn’t seem to last quite as long as the two weeks stated on the packaging—still, its battery life is adequate enough that you could take it on a short-haul trip if needs be.

Is an electric toothbrush better than a manual one?

“Electric toothbrushes are generally considered to be more effective at reducing plaque buildup, due to their ability to apply more brush strokes to your teeth,“ explains Dr Kailesh Solanki, dentist for Dental Phobia. “However, manual toothbrushes can work well if you know how to brush your teeth correctly. When you're choosing a manual toothbrush, the first thing to consider is the size of the head. A smaller toothbrush head means you're more likely to be able to reach all of your teeth at the back, to brush them properly. It's not necessarily true that hard bristles will give a more thorough clean though—in fact, they're more likely to damage your tooth enamel and gums, so try to choose medium or soft bristles instead.“

Some people prefer an electric toothbrush to a manual one because it helps them create better dental hygiene habits. Most models come with a two-minute timer to ensure you're brushing your teeth for the dentist-reccomended time. Plus, the high-tech Oral-B models connect to the brand's app and provide real-time feedback of how well you're brushing your teeth, if you're applying the correct pressure and hitting the right spots. This can make a big difference to someone who has struggled to care for their teeth and gums correctly with a manual brush. 

How often should you replace your toothbrush head?

“Remember to replace your manual toothbrush or electric toothbrush head every three months,” advises Dr Solanki. “But most importantly, ensure your brushing technique is correct, as no toothbrush will be effective if the technique is wrong.”

Most electric toothbrush brands, including Oral-B, offer toothbrush head refill packs so you can stock up on packs of four, six, or eight replacement brush heads for your specific toothbrush. 

w&h thanks Dr Kailesh Solanki, a dentist for Dental Phobia (opens in new tab) for his time and expertise.