Waken More Sustainable Sonic Electric Toothbrush review: A small but powerful rival to the big brands

The majority of us use an electric toothbrush these days, but with so many options and some of the biggest names costing hundreds, it can be hard to decipher which models can be relied on. Promising up to 60 brushes per charge and a thorough and precise clean, the Waken More Sustainable Sonic Electric Toothbrush is a sustainable option that stands up against its more well-known competitors,  yet with a considerably lower price tag.

It sounds weird, but I have a bit of a vendetta against electric toothbrushes. I don’t know whether it’s my bad luck or my poor charging habits (like leaving it to charge overnight), but I have had a long-running issue with electric toothbrushes. In the last few years, I’ve gone through more than I’d like to count and every time they fail me - either dying completely in a matter of weeks or refusing to charge for longer than one use. It’s genuinely become a bit of a (sad) joke between my partner and me. So, it’s fair to say that when it came to testing out one of the best electric toothbrushes, a strong battery was number one on my list of priorities.

Another must, of course, is a comfortable yet powerful design with soft enough bristles so as not to hurt my fairly sensitive teeth and gums, as well as an easy user experience and a brush that won’t harm the planet or my bank account. This may sound like a high bar, but the amount of electric toothbrushes I’ve had to throw away or replace - including even the best Oral-B electric toothbrushes - has caused me to place a lot of expectations on any new brush I try. No pressure, then. 

Waken More Sustainable Sonic Electric Toothbrush: Was £39.50 Now £19.50 at Amazon
This 4-star rated brush is a top pick of woman&home's shopping writer Hannah Holway, thanks to its extra sensitive brushing design and long-lasting battery life. Now 50% cheaper at Amazon!

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Waken More Sustainable Sonic Electric Toothbrush review

Specifications

• Size: 2.5 x 9.2 x 2.15 cm 
• RRP: £39 (extra heads cost £12 for three)
• Battery life between charges: Up to 60 according to the retailer (but in our experience, many many more) 
• Cleaning modes: 3
• Pressure sensor: No 
• Timer: Yes, the toothbrush stops after two minutes (but can be started again)
• Bluetooth functionality: No 
• Extra heads included: No 

Overview

Unassuming in a small cardboard box that houses the brush body, one head and a charging cable, the Waken Sonic Toothbrush is, on first impressions, a standard-looking toothbrush. Dare I say, it looks even cheaper than its already inexpensive RRP. The brush is incredibly light, which is ideal for popping into a travel washbag, but on first impressions, this does contribute to the feeling that it’s a bit of a ‘cheap’ electric toothbrush.

I’m willing to admit when I’m wrong, though, and I’ll put my hands up to say that I was proven completely incorrect by my initial impressions (more on that in a second). Before first use, I was happy to find I didn’t need to charge the toothbrush, and all I had to do was attach the head to the brush’s body and test it out. I also noted that the bristles had a good balance between firm and comfortably malleable. I have a variety of sensitivities across my teeth, ranging from chipped canines that expose some of my nerves to a messed-up-looking wisdom tooth that’s always on the verge of being impacted. With toothbrush bristles that are too firm, there’s a good chance I’ll end up hurting myself and making my gums bleed, something that used to be a common occurrence. 

Daily brushing with the Waken More Sustainable Sonic Electric Toothbrush

When you press the power button on the Waken, you’ll first find a setting that’s quite intense and fast. Press it again lightly for a staggered, ‘massaging’ amount of pressure, and a third time for a more relaxed speed. There’s no pressure sensor here for notifying you that you’re pressing down too hard on your teeth or gums, but I didn’t find that’s something I missed - possibly because I know my sensitivities quite well anyway. 

What I did like is that the brush momentarily pauses every 30 seconds, and on the fourth cycle (after two minutes) it stops completely. There’s nothing to stop you from pressing the power button and brushing for more than this time, and I often do, but two minutes (with 30 seconds on each quarter of the mouth) is how long you should brush your teeth. 

Charging the Waken More Sustainable Sonic Electric Toothbrush

The Waken site states that this brush can last up to 60 uses without charging it, but in my experience, it’s a lot more than this. I genuinely had this brush for about three months without having to put it on to charge. So much so, I actually forgot where I had put the charging cable when the time finally came, because I hadn’t seen it or had to think about it for so long. 

If we take that to be roughly 90 days and assume I brushed my teeth twice every day (although I have a habit of brushing three and sometimes four times a day, as I hate the feeling of plaque), that would be: 90 x 2 = at least 180 brushes. Considering my fear of toothbrushes dying on me, the charging capabilities of this brush is 100% the biggest plus for me.  

Results using the Waken More Sustainable Sonic Electric Toothbrush

I’m lucky enough to have never had any major issues with my teeth (other than some unfortunate fillings), so my main objectives when buying a toothbrush are generally more to do with charge, ease of use, and comfort than expecting to see a huge difference in whiteness or plaque reduction.

My teeth have stayed pretty much in the same condition since using this brush, albeit with slightly less sensitivity due to the softer bristles. I still keep up with my dentist and hygienist appointments, but the last time I saw my dentist he did tell me that my teeth were the best set he’d seen that whole day, so do with that what you will. I think this is a strong and capable brush which will see you through two brushes a day for a long time, but if you’re looking for something that will completely transfer the state and/or colour of your teeth, you might need to spend a bit more money and opt for a more specialised dental product, along with one of the best whitening toothpaste. 

How does the Waken More Sustainable Sonic Electric Toothbrush compare?

One of the most impressive things about this toothbrush, which I haven’t even mentioned in detail yet, is its sustainability credentials. The handle of the brush is made from post-consumer recycled plastic and the heads are made from bioplastic, which was produced using completely renewable energy. The bristles are made with castor oil, which is a biodegradable and eco-friendly product. Plus, there’s no need to throw the old toothbrush heads away. When you’ve got six ready to dispose of, you can freepost them to Waken and they will properly recycle them - something that might not be possible by the normal route due to the unique materials they use.

While it’s not the only sustainable toothbrush out there, for the price, this is one of the best value-for-money sustainable (electric) brushes there is, especially when you consider that the popular SURI toothbrush retails for around double the price. Granted, I haven’t tried the SURI yet and it may well blow the Waken out of the water, but I do think that if you’re on a budget but you still want to ensure your new brush is kind to the planet, this is one of the best on the market.

I’ve used a range of different toothbrushes before this one, with the majority being from Oral-B. While I used to like the smaller, circular heads that Oral-B brushes tend to have, I’m so used to the shape of the Waken More Sustainable Sonic Electric Toothbrush head that I don’t think I could go back. Oral-B brushes are often much heavier too (especially new models like the Oral-B iO 10), and not as easy to travel with, while this small and light option can be charged using any micro-USB lead and power source. And, as I’ve mentioned, when it comes to the battery life, there’s no other brush I’ve tried - even the big brands and the much more expensive options - that comes close to this one.

Should I buy the Waken More Sustainable Sonic Electric Toothbrush?

You may have already guessed that I’m a big fan of this toothbrush, but there are, naturally, a few tiny downsides. The first is that I’ve found the heads do need replacing fairly regularly, before the bristles start splaying and it gets uncomfortable to use. Spare brush heads are also not included in the price of the brush - you have to buy these separately. 

Having said this, I do brush my teeth both more often and for longer than a lot of people do, which will necessitate a more regular change of heads and increase how often you should change your toothbrush. The only other negative I’ve found is that, due to the design of the brush, there are quite a few little nooks and crannies where detritus can build up and go a bit gross. If you make sure you’re not leaving the brush in a wet place, and even better, if you remember to remove the head after each use to let it dry out, this can be avoided. It’s also very easy to clean this electric toothbrush - but it's a bit of a faff, and it would be ideal if the design didn’t allow for it to dirty so quickly instead.

But these are very small things. Generally, I would recommend this toothbrush to anyone looking for a sustainable, long-lasting and effective electric toothbrush that has great value for money. I’ve inspired a friend to buy the same one as me - another bonus is that along with the ‘graphite grey’ colour, it’s also available in minty green and dusty rose shades - so I can attest to the influence that my recommendation of the brush has had.