Oral-B electric toothbrush comparisons

There are quite a few differences that separate these 2 models. The design and cost are the most obvious.

The Pro 500 is twice the price, but for the vast majority it is the brush to go for because of the benefits it offers.

With a slimmer handle, the Pro 500 has a brush moder that is more powerful and offers a 3D clean compared to the Vitality.

The motor in the Vitality offers 7,800 oscillations only, compared tot eh 8,800 oscillations and 20,000 pulsations of the Pro 500.

Both have a rechargeable battery built into the handle that powers the motor, but it is the 500 that has the better battery life at around 7 days compared to the 5 of the Vitality.

With the Vitality you have no feedback on the remaining power, whereas you do with the Pro 500 thanks to the battery status LED on the front of the brush handle.

Making the 500 the better pick is the fact that is has a 30 second timer/pacer built into it, in addition to the 2 minute timer.

It does to have a pressure sensor built-in. Although not visible, the sensor will reduce the power of the motor when it detects excessive force, powering back up when the pressure is relieved.

The Pro 500 is a perfectly good electric toothbrush that will serve the majority very well.

However, the Pro 2 2000 just has a few extras which make it the choice for most.

The 2000 delivers an overall user experience that is a little bit better. The Pro 2 is the perfect blend between features and price.

Compared to the 500, the 2000 is more appealing for the extra cleaning mode, twice the battery life, visible pressure sensor and more powerful motor.

The extra cleaning mode, known as Sensitive, is a slower, more gentle mode that will suit those not used to the power of electric toothbrushes or who have tender gums.

And because brushing with too much force can make this problem worse, the Pro 2 has a visible pressure sensor built into the handle. This lights a panel on the rear of the handle red and slows the brush motor until such time as the additional brushing force is reduced. It acts as a very clear visual alert when you may be doing more harm than good to your teeth.

Although the brush motor is technically more powerful, offering 9,900 oscillations and 45,000 pulsations vs 8,800 and 20,000, it is not a make or break feature, more of a nice to have. That extra cleaning power could have a positive effect, long term.

Perhaps most pleasing for most is the battery life, which lasts around 2 weeks compared to the 7 days of the 500. It offers a bit more versatility, especially if you travel.

The downside? The Pro 2 2000 is around twice the price.

The Genius 9000 is a premium electric toothbrush from Oral-B and takes the crown in this comparison for the technical abilities.

But, we think that for many the Smart 5 might be the better all round purchase  

The most obvious difference on first glance is the design.  

The Smart 5 5000 is slimmer and lighter than the Genius 9000.

However, depending on your viewpoint the 9000 is has the more premium look to it.

There is not much difference in the size and weight all told, only a few grams but sit them side by side and we think that most would prefer the in-hand feeling of the Smart 5.

BUT, one of the biggest flaws of the Smart 5 is the fact that you can't easily tell what cleaning mode you are using.  The Genius resolves this issue to a point with a series of icons that illuminate on the handle when the selected mode is in operation.

You have a dedicated cleaning mode button too.  Press this to change cleaning modes on the 9000.  With the 5000 you have to press the power button multiple times.

With either you have to power the brush on to change mode, but the Genius will remember the cleaning mode and start on this next time it is powered on, the 5000 does not.

On the subject of cleaning modes, the Genius 9000 has an extra brushing mode known as 'Tongue Cleaning' mode.  This is a cycle that lasts for 20 seconds with 7300 oscillations and 30,000 pulsations and designed for as the name suggests, cleaning the tongue.  

The reality is that you could use any mode on the brush to clean your tongue just ending the clean sooner.  Although the speed and number of oscillations will be different.

Both have pressure sensors built-in, but the 9000 has an LED smart ring that goes all around the neck of the brush.  Customisable one of 12 colours, the whole ring lights up when pressure is detected.  On the Smart 5, just a smaller rear mounted LED panel illuminates.  It's a nicer design on the Genius, but by no means essential or has limited enhancement on the overall experience.

The marginally thicker profile is also likely as a result of the extra technology that is built into the brush.  

Whilst both brushes have Bluetooth connectivity and are considered 'smart' as they connect to a smartphone, the Genius has something known as enhanced tracking.

This enhanced tracking uses the front facing camera on your smartphone and sensors in the brush handle to accurately detect the position of the brush within the mouth.  

The idea is that it provides and enhanced cleaning experience and feedback as a result.  Its clever, but requires dedication and commitment that many are not prepared to give, particularly due to the setup.

What do we mean?  Well in the box comes a smartphone holder with the Genius 9000.  It has a suction cup on it that needs to attach to a mirror or wall in your bathroom.  You put your smartphone in before brushing, stand in front of it and the app, camera, and brush work together to give you this data.

It's a bit of a hassle as you need to stand almost perfectly still in front of your camera and a smartphone holder like this is not what most of us want in a bathroom.

The Smart 5 5000 does not have the enhanced tracking but does offer still a good range of connectivity features and feedback on how you cleaned.  We think on the whole whilst more data is better what the Smart 5 offers is more than enough for most!

The last difference is the battery life and this is a bit of a shocker.   Given that the Genius 9000 is the more expensive of the two the Smart 5 actually has the better battery life.

Lasting up to 16 days or 66 minutes in our testing, that is an extra 4 days or 16 minutes of usage time.

Place these brushes side by side and it is almost impossible to tell the difference between each of them.

There are more similarities between these 2 brushes than there are differences.

However, despite their looks, there is 1 significant difference that separates these 2 brushes.

The Genius AI has built-in sensors and Artificial Intelligence which track the movement of the brush handle when in use.

This does away with one of the biggest frustrations of the Genius 9000 when it came to real-time tracking of the toothbrush in use.

With the 9000 you have to stand still in front of the camera on your smartphone for it to track, you do not have to with the AI.

The tracking technology is clever on both models and it can encourage and help you achieve a better clean, but the Genius AI makes the whole process much more user friendly, with a lot less hassle.

It does not mean the brush will actually clean the teeth better. In fact, both have the same motor inside and the same cleaning modes.

The trade off in many respects is the price.

The Genius AI does command a premium for this technological upgrade and you get a little less in the box.

Both come with a premium travel case and a 2+ week battery life. A visible pressure sensor, 2 minute timer and pacer are built-in too.