Oral-B iO vs Genius AI

Detailed comparison: what’s the difference between the Oral-B iO and Genius AI?

The iO still retains the typical design for an electric toothbrush, but it does look different to the Genius.

The overall size and weight of the brushes are similar.

The Genius AI is:

• Height (without head) – 20.5cm
• Height (with head) – 23.5cm
• Width – 2.7cm
• Thickness – 3.2cm
• Weight (without head) – 133g
• Weight (with head) – 138g

The iO is:

• Height (without head) – 18.5cm
• Height (with head) – 23.7cm
• Width – 2.8cm
• Thickness – 3cm
• Weight (without head) – 131g
• Weight (with head) – 139g

The hands-on images throughout demonstrate this design differences best but it is my opinion that the iO looks the more premium model.

It is still of a primarily plastic construction but there is a certain sleekness to the handle as there are smoother lines and less interruptions to the handle, which give it this look.

Both handles are of a rounded design, although neither are perfect cylinders.

Both brushes have separate power and mode buttons in the upper third of the handle.

With the Genius AI these buttons are themselves in a rounded oval panel and have a convex design to them.  The iO buttons are concave.

Running down the majority of the handle of the AI is a panel within which the icons for the brushes cleaning modes are placed, stacked on top of each other. There is also the battery status LED.

It is this panel that also highlights any particular colour accent the brush handle may have.

Compare this to the iO that does not have the same panel design, because sat between the power and mode button is an LED display that allows you to interact with the handle.

All the cleaning modes and battery information is displayed on this screen, rather than on icons on the handle.

The display allows you to select the mode you want and it allows you to see the battery charge status.  You can set the colour of the LED light ring and emoji style graphics appear on screen after each brushing session.

It is a nice way to interact with the handle.  It is a colour screen with the exception of the iO Series 7 which is black and white.

Whilst it offers a unique way to interact with the brush, the biggest benefit here is the feedback it gives at the end of the clean with these faces.  They act as encouragement around your brushing.

On the back of the Genius AI’s handle, and wrapping around to the right and left side is a large rubber grip.  This helps retain a firm hold of the brush, even when wet.

The iO does not have such rubber grips and it arguably prioritises aesthetics over practicalities.  That said, the paint finish to the handle isn’t glossy and the brush does not feel all that slippy.

The iO Series 9 is available in 1 colour compared to the 2 of the AI. The iO is available in onyx black and the Genius AI is available in black and white. 

One of the biggest differences between these 2 brushes is the motor inside.

The iO has a new frictionless motor which has been designed specifically for the iO.

Basically, it works slightly differently to the motor in the Genius AI, but it achieves the same results.  The benefit being really that it is quite a bit quieter than the Genius AI, about 10 decibels quieter.  

Another subtle difference on the back of the change in motor is that the iO now offers micro vibrations compared to the pulsations that are offered on the Genius.  

They pretty much do the same thing adding a 3rd dimension to the standard oscillating-rotating cleaning action that these brushes offer.

As part of both the mechanical motor change and the changes in handle design, the brush heads for the iO have changed too.

It comes supplied with 2 x Ultimate Clean brush head.  It is essentially a revised design of the CrossAction head typically offered with a lot of Oral-B brushes.

The Genius AI comes with different brush heads. You get 1 x CrossAction, 1 x 3D White and 1 x Gum Care.

It is worth noting that the iO brush heads cannot be fitted to the Genius handle and vice versa.  The design has changed in such a way that the iO can only use heads designed specifically for this model.

Both models have multiple cleaning modes.  The iO has up to 7 in total.  Those modes are:

• Daily Clean 
• Sensitive 
• Gum Care 
• Whiten
• Intense 
• Super Sensitive (not available on Series 7)
• Tongue Clean (not available on Series 7 or 8)

The Genius AI on the other hand has 6.  They are:

• Daily Clean 
• Gum Care 
• Sensitive
• Whitening
• Pro Clean
• Tongue Clean

Yes, they are different but don’t worry too much about these.  Ultimately the differences are subtle. The likes of the intense mode is basically a renamed Pro Clean mode.

Both models have an LED ring around the neck of the brush handle.  With each, this ring will be lit with a red light when excess pressure is detected during brushing.  This is designed to alert the user to relieve the pressure.

However, the iO’s light ring will also be lit green when the correct brushing pressure is applied.  You actually want the green ring to be lit for the full 2 minutes of brushing if you can.  You don’t have this on the Genius AI.

But, another slight difference is that the iO does not change the sound of the brush like the Genius AI does when too much pressure is applied.  You only get the light warning with the iO, which is a real shame.

These brushes are both Bluetooth enabled and considered smart.  They both pair with the Oral-B app and log key data that the sensors in the brush handle records. This is often referred to as AI and 3D tracking (3D tracking not available on Series 7 & 8).

Both brushes offer this real-time tracking, showing on-screen via a graphic which teeth you have and have not brushed.  The iO has been enhanced slightly to be more accurate on the tracking and build a better picture of your overall oral health.

The setup with the iO is in principle more advanced, but unless using side by side and being extremely meticulous, the differences are quite hard to tell.  

Charging stands are provided in the box with both models.

Whilst both essentially do the same job, they are designed differently and transfer the charge at different rates.

The Genius comes with a round sit-on style stand that has a prong (protuberance) on it that fits into a recess in the base of the brush handle.

Like the Genius, the stand provided with the iO is colour matched.

The iO does not have a recess in the base of the brush handle.  The base of the handle has a slight concave design which aligns with the slightly convexed top of the iO’s charging stand.

Round in its design it has a slightly larger footprint than the normal charging stand.  However, it is magnetic, which means the iO is essentially attracted to the stand and held fairly securely in place.  This stand is also less sensitive to how the brush is positioned. 

The Genius AI has a detachable power adapter that is used for both the stand and the travel case.  With the iO, there is a power cable hardwired into the charging stand and a separate power adapter provided for the travel case.

The iO’s charging stand supports 100-240V compared to the 220-240V charging stand of the Genius.

With the magnetic charging stand, you can recharge the iO’s battery in around 3 hours, compared to the 12 hours of the Genius AI.

On the Genius AI brush handle, there is a battery status icon.  You don’t have this with the iO, it has been moved to the display.  The display will show the battery charge remaining with a graphic and text percentage (%).  This percentage is set at 10% increments.  It won’t ever read 44% for example.

This is more accurate battery data than the Genius offers, which is limited to 3 bars on the battery icon*.

Both toothbrushes have travel charging cases, but there are some subtle differences.  The Genius AI case feels the more premium, although the iO’s is lighter.

The Genius travel case has a USB port to charge other devices such as a smartphone at the same time as you charge a toothbrush. The iO’s power2go case does not have this USB port.

The Genius travel case has a smartphone stand in the lid of the case, which the iO’s case does not.

And rather oddly, the iO’s case holds the handle and 1 brush head when every other Oral-B travel case, the Genius AI included holds the handle and 2 heads.

The cases supplied with the iO Series 7 and 8 don’t offer in the case charging, but they do hold 2 brush heads.

The last difference is that the iO comes with a brush head refill case.  This is a plastic case that holds 2 brush heads upright when placed on a worktop.  It has an opaque lid that protects the heads from damage or splashes when inside and can be used to transport spare/replacement heads.  The Genius AI has no such case specifically for brush heads.

Does one clean better than the other?

Simply put, no.

Technically the motors in these brush handles are different, which results in a very slight difference in the brushing action.  

Yes, there is an extra brushing mode as well as slightly renamed modes on the iO.

But, the reality is that these differences are so minute, they would likely be clinically insignificant.

There is little need to worry about these, worry more about how you use the brush on a daily basis.

It could also be argued that the enhanced real-time tracking, reporting and OLED display available on the iO would bring benefits.  There is some possible truth to this.  But, the Genius AI  has real-time tracking. It just lacks some of the minor enhancements the iO offers in the app.  Even then, it is not the brush cleaning any better, it is you being educated on how to use the brush more effectively.

Is one better priced than the other?

Yes.

The retail prices of these brushes are significantly different.

The Genius AI has a recommended retail price of $499.99.

The Oral-B iO 9 Series has a retail price of $749.

Yes, there is an 8 and 7 Series that are marginally cheaper, but I am focusing on the top of the line model here.

I would not advise you to pay full price for either of these brushes, and I certainly would not advise the approximate $250 premium of the iO over the Genius AI.

That $250 could buy about 3 or 4 perfectly satisfactory electric toothbrushes alone.

However, the reality is that the iO and the Genius AI are typically sold for approximately 50% less (if not a bit more) than their advertised retail price.

The average price of the Genius AI is around $250, whilst the iO is around $375.  In fact, I expect that the iO will hit a price as low as $350.

With such sizeable discounts, these prices are more reasonable, even if they are technically still fairly expensive toothbrushes.

However, the initial purchase price is one thing, long term ownership is another.

When you factor in the price of brush heads this changes things further.

The iO has a new style of head which commands a price premium.

The Genius AI works out at around $0.29 per day over 3 years compared to the $0.46 of the iO.

Clearly there is a sizeable price difference between these 2 models.  But both of these are not your standard toothbrush.

I am assuming that you want the best, so although it is quite a bit more expensive, the iO is the brush to go for.

However, if you do have a budget, the Genius AI is still a very good choice.

Ultimately you should only commit to buying a brush at a price you are prepared to pay and deem valuable to you.

Please note that all prices quoted are approximates and will vary based on location, supplier and time of purchase.  These figures were correct at the time of writing and should not be relied upon as hard fact, but used as a guide during your decision process.