It's great, just buy it - but check the Pro 2 2000 price first
The Pro 1500 has the essential features we recommend, including a timer, pacer and pressure sensor.
You get a great cleaning experience and it even comes with a travel case and set of soft bristles.
Be sure to check the price of the Pro 2 2000 though before buying.
Slim handled brush with good grip |
No cleaning mode icons/labels |
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Small round brush head cleans the teeth well |
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Travel case included |
If the Pro 2 is cheaper, buy it
The Oral-B Pro 1500 is essentially identical to the Pro 2 2000, which is our top pick for the best electric toothbrush in Australia.
The main difference is the brush head supplied and possibly the colour of the grip on the handle.
The 2000 is more widely sold than the 1500, so prices are typically more competitive. There can be quite a bit of money to be saved by opting for the 2000 instead of the 1500.
You will need to buy the black gripped Pro 2 in order to get a travel case included too.
Do be aware that there is also a Pro 1500 sold in other parts of the world, notably the USA. Although similar there are subtle differences such as the charging stand supplied.
Design, usability, clean & general use
Make no mistakes, the Pro 1500 has been designed to give you what you need at a relatively affordable price, but be one step up from the entry level models.
I would go as far to say it is pretty much perfect.
It comes in a fairly slim box, that calls out some of the key features. It is very on brand for Oral-B.
The one extra you get in the box, a travel case is a welcomed extra I will touch upon more shortly.
The 1500 has a fairly typical look to the brush handle.
A slim and grippy handle with a detachable brush head at the top.
The handle is a sealed unit with all the important electronics and battery inside. This makes it water resistant so you can rinse it under a tap and use it in the shower if you so desire. I would always advise avoiding submerging the brush entirely though.
The front of the brush is dominated by a rubber grip that runs the length of the handle. This is a dark blue colour.
Providing an element of style as well as practical grip, this contrasts the rest of the high gloss white plastic body.
Positioned almost at the top of the handle is a power button that is white in colour with a blue power icon on it. It stands out against the blue rubber grip and has a nice resistance when pressed. Not too soft that it can be accidentally activated, but not too firm that it is difficult to press.
Above and below this power button are contours in the rubber that drive the eye and the finger and thumb to it.
The lower third of the brush handle has the Oral-B and Braun logo in white and then a battery and charging LED below them.
The rear of the handle has a series of raised plastic ridges that run from the top to about halfway down the handle. These act as gripping points for the hand and fingers when in use, these are particularly good if your hands are wet. Arguably a bit harsher than the soft rubber, but they do the job well.
The brush will stand upright on a flat surface. The base of the brush has a recess in it into which the prong on the charging stand fits, to replenish the battery.
Right at the top of the brush handle is a metal shaft. This is what the brush head connects to and feeds the power from the brush motor.
Just beneath this, around the neck of the handle is a red plastic panel that sweeps around the back half of the handle before tapering to a point on the side of the handle.
Behind this plastic panel is an LED that lights up to produce a bright red light when too much pressure is detected during the brushing, this is the very useful visible pressure sensor.
The 1500 is very similar to other models in the Pro series, such as the 500 and 2000. There is even a similarity to the Smart 4 4000.
Unfortunately, the Pro 1500 doesn’t quite have the premium handle design of the iO range, but then again it is a fraction of the price.
I can’t really fault the overall styling. Yes, it might not be quite as minimalistic and clean looking as some other brushes such as those from Sonicare. That said the large rubber grip that makes it feel more secure in hand.
A noteworthy downside to the rubber grip is that toothpaste residue and grime can build up with more ease than on some of the all plastic, smooth touch handle designs.
A single press of the power button launches you into Daily Clean mode. This is the first of 2 brushing modes on the 1500. The other mode is Sensitive.
You need to press the power button a second time to access this mode. A third press will turn the brush off.
Our guide to Oral-B cleaning modes explains the difference between these in a bit more detail, but essentially the sensitive mode is a slower and more gentle mode that doesn’t use the full power of the brush motor. It is ideal for those with sensitive teeth and gums.
It is worth noting that you can’t change the cleaning mode prior to turning the brush on and it will always default to the daily clean mode. You will always have to press the power button a second time if you want to use the sensitive mode.
Even when selected, you have no confirmation of what mode you have chosen as there are no LEDs or icons on the handle to confirm this. But, you normally quite quickly learn which you have selected as you can easily detect the power difference.
Supplied in the box with the Pro 1500 is a Gentle Care brush head. This is a very thin and soft bristled head that is designed to be very gentle on the tooth and gum surface.
I really like this head and it is a good everyday option whether you have sensitive teeth or not.
Bristles need not be firm, in fact, many dentists recommend soft bristled heads over the medium options that exist.
The head is interchangeable, so you can change it if you so desire. Therefore if you prefer the Cross or FlossAction from Oral-B there is nothing stopping you from using it.
You can find out how the brush heads differ by reading our Oral-B brush head comparison article.
Just remember to try and replace the head every 3 months to avoid doing damage to the teeth and for hygiene reasons. It can be difficult to remember when you last changed or replaced the heads.
Thankfully the blue bristles you see on the head will fade over time. When they are a very pale blue or white, you need to replace it.
To replace simply pull the head off the shaft and push the new one on. There is no need to twist etc.
As you might expect as a dentist approved brand, Oral-B has made sure the Pro 1500 cleans well. I have no complaints.
To get the best cleaning results make sure you are brushing twice a day for 2 minutes with the correct toothbrushing technique. And be sure to clean between the teeth too!
Once activated, the Pro 1500 is far from quiet. It is one of the noisier toothbrushes. Well, it is comparable to most Oral-B models producing around 76 decibels when in use.
Sonicare and other sonic toothbrushes are quieter, generally by about 10-15 decibels than the oscillating and rotating cleaning action Oral-B offers.
Having been powered on, either of the 2 cleaning modes last for 2 minutes.
Hopefully, you know that the recommended brushing time is 2 minutes, 2 times a day.
If you didn’t or are guilty of not brushing for as long as you should, the Pro 1500 can help.
Built-in as standard is a 2 minute timer and quadpacer.
Imagine your mouth broken up into 4 sections. Upper right, upper left, lower right and lower left.
You should spend 30 seconds cleaning each section. The pacer helps you keep an even brushing time on these 4 sections.
At 30 second intervals, the brush will provide an audible warning via a slight pause in the brush motor to tell you to change quadrant. Once the 2 minutes are up 3 brief pauses in the brush motor will be heard and felt.
Unlike some other brands of toothbrush, Oral-B models such as the 1500 don’t turn themselves off automatically at the end of the session.
I mentioned the pressure sensor earlier. This operates in 2 ways.
When the brush detects too much force is being used, it slows the movements in the head and illuminates the LED behind the red panel. You may too hear the motor straining a little. It is most likely the LED that will catch your attention.
Applying too much pressure when brushing can cause more damage than you might think. A brush need only skim the surface of the teeth and gums.
The pressure sensor is designed to try and avoid this.
When you notice it has been activated, reduce the force and the light should go out. The motor will too speed up again.
The sensor will activate as many times as is necessary during a cleaning cycle. Don’t worry if you activate it often, over time you will learn and avoid doing lasting damage to your teeth.
I mentioned how a travel case comes included in the box. This isn’t essential, but it is more useful than you might think, even if you are not regularly away from home.
Even for that 1 night trip it gives you a way of protecting the handle and the bristles and avoids any accidental activations of the motor.
It is simple in its design and function. It is made from a relatively thin clear plastic. The case itself is a bit longer than the brush handle and about 2.5 times as wide. It has a bulbous shape to it which adds to the overall size, but gives more strength to the case.
It holds the 1500 brush handle and up to 2 brush heads.
Oral-B offers an impressive 180 day money back guarantee.
Whether you are a new electric toothbrush user or not, this is a great way to test out a product and decide whether it is right for you. Should you not like it you can return it for a refund. Just be sure to familiarise yourself with the conditions of this guarantee before purchase.
In the unlikely event something goes wrong, there is as standard a 24 month warranty is provided with the Pro 1500.
Summary of design, usability, clean & general use
Battery life
Sealed inside the handle of the 1500 is a rechargeable, Lithium-Ion battery.
It is claimed to last 2+ weeks on a single charge.
2 weeks is really the minimum I expect of a good electric toothbrush, although many of us don’t need it to last this long. It is at least nice to know we can go on vacation and not need to worry about taking the charger.
The good news is that based on 1 user, brushing twice a day for 2 minutes, I achieved 16 days of use.
That is equivalent to 66 minutes of usage time.
Satisfactory this is, but the likes of Sonicare’s 4300 ProtectiveClean put the 1500 to shame.
When you do need to charge the Pro 1500, you can use the included charging stand.
Made of plastic, there is a prong on the top, on which the 1500 will sit to be recharged.
This charger has a power cable hardwired into it, that can connect to a power socket.
The stand supports 220-240v. Should you want to travel with the charger, you may need both a voltage and plug adapter, subject to your destination.
It usually takes up to 15 hours to recharge the brush fully. It is a relatively slow charge.
When charging the battery charging icon flashes green.
When off the charger and the power is low, the battery LED will flash red and you will likely feel the decrease in brush power.
It would be nice if we got a bit more feedback. For example, the battery LED flashed orange when the battery had around half its battery life remaining for example.
For those that are wondering, it is quite safe to leave the brush on the charging station/dock all the time. Technology built-in stops the battery from overcharging.
Summary of battery life
Price & where to buy
$130 is the retail price of the Pro 1500.
This is pretty good, particularly when you consider the Pro 2 2000’s retail price is $30 dearer at $159, despite the same specification.
I would say this retail price is justifiable if brushes were not typically discounted.
Yes, the good news for you and me is that more often than not you can save up to 50% off the retail price.
At the time of review, the Pro 1500 is selling for just $65.
Of course, prices are always subject to change, but I think for $100 or less and you are getting a good toothbrush. This included taking into consideration the alternatives, including those from Philips Sonicare.
Woolworths is the main stockist of the Pro 1500 so you will likely get some of the best prices when you buy from them. But I do recommend checking eBay too.
This Pro 1500 like every other requires replacement brush heads for each user every 3 months. Replacement heads can be purchased in packs of varying size, but typically you are going to be looking at an average price of $7 per replacement head.
We like to price a brush over 3 years here at Electric Teeth, to give a little bit of a benchmark to compare products and give you an idea of what ownership costs might look like.
As only 1 brush head comes in the box, you will need another 11 over 3 years, totalling approximately $77.
Add in the typical purchase price of $65 and the total cost is $142.
The Pro 2 2000 costs around $157.
If you did decide to pay the full retail price (please don’t), that cost would increase to $207.
The Sonicare equivalent, the 4300 would cost $222. It’s more expensive as result of its brush heads.
This price does exclude the cost of water, toothpaste and electric to charge it. This price also works on some assumptions, but you get a rough idea.
You can bring the cost down further if you were to share it with other members of your household. All you need to invest in is extra brush heads.
Please note that all prices quoted are approximates and should be used only as a guide during your decision process.
Summary of price & where to buy
Reliability & long term use
I really have little concern for the ongoing usability and reliability of the 1500.
Despite having tested lots of Braun brushes, I have rarely had one fail.
But, by the very nature of the product, it is not immune to failure. Particularly when you consider it is being exposed to moisture.
Users have reported that over time the rubber grip can perish. It is possible issue, but should not be a deal breaker.
In the unlikely event that it should go wrong, you have the 2 year warranty to fall back on.
You do too get that 180 day money back guarantee.
During my testing, I have looked for possible weaknesses. It is something we do when testing any product.
The body of the 1500 comes from a long line of brushes that have been tried and tested and for the most part, Oral-B has managed to perfect the design and reliability. I see no reason for concern.
Sustainability
Dr. Gemma Wheeler has looked in detail at the environmental impact of electric toothbrushes. Our guide to eco-friendly dental health offers advice on steps you can take to reduce your own impact.
With regards to the Pro 1500 specifically; it has limited box contents which reduces its weight during transportation compared to others that come with more items in the box.
Our preferred variant does come with a plastic travel case, which is more resource intensive and adds to the shipping weight. But, it is very light and is a worthwhile impact for the advantages the case brings.
It is not a smart brush, which reduces the total number of components used and means not as much waste is created when the brush no longer works.
Oral-B has not designed the Pro 2 2000 to be easily repaired by yourself. Trying to replace parts like the battery will likely break the brush. This makes it more likely to be discarded rather than repaired if broken.
While Oral-B has partnered with schemes such as TerraCycle in some countries, it does not yet have its own recycling scheme for used brush heads or faulty products.
Its brush heads are made from petroleum-based plastic, which uses up the planet’s finite resources compared to using plant-based plastics.
Summary of reliability, long term use & sustainability
Conclusion
A superb electric toothbrush. It is one you might just as well purchase without too much consideration for the other options.
There are more feature rich and more expensive models, but you don’t need them to clean the teeth well.
Those extras you might get, for extra money are unlikely to bring any meaningful benefits to your brushing, unless you are really committed to certain features such as Bluetooth connectivity.
There really is little to find fault with here, it has the dentist recommended features and it is fairly affordable.
I like the slim and grippy handle.
The 2 week battery life is satisfactory and a travel case is included in the box.
Size guide
- Toothbrush height with head - 23.5cm / 9.25 inches
- Toothbrush height without head - 19.5cm / 7.68 inches
- Width - 2.3cm / 0.91 inches
- Depth/thickness - 2.9cm / 1.14 inches
- Weight with head - 129g / 4.6 ounces
- Weight without head - 123g / 4.3 ounces
Noise
- 76dB
Country of manufacture
- -
