5 Best Electric Toothbrushes, Backed by Dentists and Hygienists

What About U-Shaped Toothbrushes? 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 are as effective as standard electric toothbrushes. Bill Busch of North Kansas City Dental and Joseph Salim, owner of Sutton Place Dental Associates, agree that these aren't replacements. “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: Adrienne So Willo AutoFlo+ Fully Automatic Kids Toothbrush - Starter Kit for $249: This toothbrush is ridiculous. The amount of maintenance is appalling—approximately a 20-minute cleaning cycle with a whole bottle of hydrogen peroxide, every two weeks. The liquid toothbrush bottles ($28) are expensive and don’t have fluoride, and should you lose the included cleaning plug and bottle, it will be impossible to replace. It’s also hard to fit correctly. According to Willo’s size guide, my 7- and 10-year-olds should have had medium brush heads, but they fit the small brush heads. Also, the bubble gum liquid toothbrush flavor tastes disgusting, or so my kids say. Nevertheless, brushing your teeth isn’t always simple for young kids. It’s a constant battle to make sure my kids brush for an adequate amount of time and get full coverage on the top and bottom, and this toothbrush solves our problems. My kids love it. They just place the vibrating brush head in their mouths and the light-up countdown timer shows them exactly how much time they have left and I can be sure they’ve gotten the back right molars. I’m no longer cleaning up a gigantic smeared toothpaste mess every day because the spit/water/toothpaste mix drains directly into the sink. My 10-year-old finds the Super Scrub setting to be a little harsh, but Daily Clean works great. —Adrienne So AutoBrush Sonic Pro for $94: AutoBrush is the original in the category, and Medea has tried both the old silicone-bristle model and the new nylon version. She 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. SymplBrush for $99: Former WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar used SymplBrush, which looks like a mix of Willo and AutoBrush, and liked 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 gumline, so she'd have to go in with a brush anyway. As someone who brushes too hard, she felt this offered a gentler brushing experience for her gums. Y-Brush DuoBrush Sonic for $80: This is a great option because it has a U-shaped attachment and a standard brush head and isn't crazily priced. Medea was impressed by how clean her teeth felt, and having both reminded her that she still needed a deep clean in between quick sessions. More Electric Toothbrushes to Consider 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. Courtesy of Laifen Laifen Wave Special Electric Toothbrush for $90: Laifen's original toothbrush was fine—it maybe had too much power. The intense vibrations made the whole body buzz and felt a bit too abrasive, especially on the front teeth. But the new Laifen SE fixes all of that. It's a gentler experience with 26,000 vibrations per minute, enough to be effective without overwhelming sensitive teeth. A 60-degree oscillation pattern helps sweep away plaque, and the thin bristles slip easily between teeth without irritating gum lines. If that isn't enough, there are 1,000 customization settings via the companion app, letting you fine-tune your dental routine. Plus, extras like a travel mode and an array of pastel colorways make it as stylish as it is thoughtful. Snow LED Whitening Electric Sonic Toothbrush for $79: I found myself leaning toward sensitive options with brands like Moon, but I have been plenty happy with the standard setting for Snow's LED toothbrush. There are settings for whitening and polishing too. The brush also has blue-light technology built into it to help whiten your teeth even on the non-whitening settings, and I do think mine look a touch brighter after weeks of use—you won't get the same effect as a true whitening product if you're looking for serious brightness, but I like that this can help me try to keep the tea stains away. My only complaint is the price, but if you're looking for something powerful but gentle, this is a great choice. —Nena Farrell Philips One by Sonicare Toothbrush for $25: This was our original 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. Photograph: Oclean Oclean X Ultra S Electric Toothbrush for $130: 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. The voice frustrated one of our testers—but maybe that's a good thing. 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. AquaSonic Black Series for $50: 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. Compare Top 5 Electric Toothbrushes Product Brush Type Features Modes Battery Life Price Oral-B Pro 1000 Oscillating 2-minute timer; pressure sensor; durable build 3 (Daily Clean, Whiten, and Sensitive) ~10 days $50 Philips Sonicare 4100 Sonic 2-minute timer; pressure sensor; brush head reminder 2 (High and Low) ~14 days $50 Quip Ultra Next Generation Smart Sonic Electric Toothbrush Sonic 2-minute timer; pressure sensor; progress trackable via app 16 ~30 days $100 Suri Sustainable Electric Toothbrush Sonic 2-minute timer; repairable; includes UV-C travel case 2 (Everyday Clean and Polish) ~40 days $115 Brusheez Kids’ Electric Toothbrush Set Oscillating Hourglass timer; fun designs; includes rinse cup and extra brush head 1 AA batteries $23 Frequently Asked Questions Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that's too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.