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Oral-B Vitality Review

Oral-B Vitality Review 1

Our Verdict

The Oral-B Vitality serves a purpose, it does what it needs to do.

It is functional, fairly robust and practical.

In truth, it is hard to argue with what you get for the money.

But, spend a little bit more and you get an all round better product in my opinion.

Pros

  • 1 cleaning mode
  • Built in timer
  • Grip on handle
  • A small round brush head
  • Value for money

Cons

  • No 30 second pacer
  • Battery life/status
  • Cleaning power
  • Better options exist (see other choices)
Preview Product Rating Price
Oral-B Vitality CrossAction Oral-B Vitality CrossAction 1 Reviews $ 22.50

The 3 BIG questions about the Oral-B Vitality electric toothbrush

If you are short of time, the answers to the following 3 questions should let you know all you need to about the Oral-B Vitality power toothbrush.  If I have missed something, let me know in the comments.

If you want more detail, you can read my full Oral-B Vitality Review further down the page.

1. Is there anything drastically wrong with this toothbrush?

No, in all honesty, for the price it is hard to really complain about what you get.

It is practical and functional.

2. Which other brushes should I consider?

If I were buying a new electric toothbrush today, my choice would be the Oral-B Pro 2 2000.

It’s affordable with the features you need. It is our number 1 choice for the best electric toothbrush.

Whilst the Vitality delivers pretty reasonable value for money, there are lots of worthwhile extras with the 2000.

A more powerful cleaning action, longer battery life, visible pressure sensor and travel case are the main benefits.

If you want something a little more premium but can’t justify the 2000, consider the Pro 500 from Oral-B it is in my opinion a better investment.

It is a balance between the 2 models.

The motor is more powerful and the cleaning action better than the vitality. It has a pressure sensor (not visible) built-in and a battery status icon on the slimmer handle.

Our Choice
Oral-B Pro 2 2000 Black Electric Toothbrush and Travel Case
Oral-B Vitality Plus CrossAction (2up) Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush (powered by Braun), 0.26 kilograms
Oral-B PRO 500 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush, Powered by Braun
Brush Name
Oral-B Pro 2 2000
Oral-B Vitality
Oral-B Pro 500
Customer Rating
Electric Teeth Rating
5/5
5/5
5/5
Price
$ 79.00
$ 22.50
$ 48.00
Prime Status
Shaver Shop
Oral-B Vitality Review 2
Oral-B Vitality Review 2
Oral-B Vitality Review 2
Our Choice
Oral-B Pro 2 2000 Black Electric Toothbrush and Travel Case
Brush Name
Oral-B Pro 2 2000
Customer Rating
Electric Teeth Rating
5/5
Price
$ 79.00
Prime Status
Shaver Shop
Oral-B Vitality Review 2
Oral-B Vitality Plus CrossAction (2up) Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush (powered by Braun), 0.26 kilograms
Brush Name
Oral-B Vitality
Customer Rating
Electric Teeth Rating
5/5
Price
$ 22.50
Prime Status
Shaver Shop
Oral-B Vitality Review 2
Oral-B PRO 500 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush, Powered by Braun
Brush Name
Oral-B Pro 500
Customer Rating
Electric Teeth Rating
5/5
Price
$ 48.00
Prime Status
Shaver Shop
Oral-B Vitality Review 2

3. Where’s the best place to buy the Oral-B Vitality?

The Vitality is a fairly widely stocked product. From Amazon, to the Shaver Shop to Woolworths, there are multiple stockists of this product.

Most tend to be fairly competitviely priced too, so I can’t give a recommendation of a ‘best’ place to buy.

Pick the brush head style you want and shop around.

Why should you listen to us?

Electric Teeth is an independent website with a mission to simplify dental health.

Our team is a mixture of consumers and dental professionals.

We strive to create honest, informative content, telling you the facts, good or bad.

We are not sponsored by big brands or healthcare companies. Our site is funded by affiliate revenue and ads, but we only recommend products that we have tested and truly believe to be worth your money.

Why not watch this short video to find out all about us?

And now for a bit more detail…

The Vitality has been designed to be a good value, everyday electric toothbrush.

It isn’t bogged down with unnecessary features, you get what you need in the box, plus a bonus extra brush head.

Variants of this toothbrush

At the time of writing, there are 6 different variants of the Vitality.

The difference between each is simple. The brush head provided differs.

Your choices are:

  • Vitality – CrossAction
  • Vitality – FlossAction
  • Vitality – Sensitive
  • Vitality – Precision Clean
  • Vitality – 3D White
  • Vitality – Gum Care
Preview Product Rating Price
Oral-B Vitality Oral-B Vitality 1 Reviews $ 22.50
Oral-B Vitality Oral-B Vitality 77 Reviews $ 24.00
Oral-B Vitality Oral-B Vitality 17 Reviews $ 22.50
Oral-B Vitality Oral-B Vitality 2 Reviews $ 34.99
Oral-B Vitality Oral-B Vitality 2 Reviews $ 43.61
Oral-B Vitality Oral-B Vitality 30 Reviews $ 22.50

What’s in the box?

  • 1 x Oral-B Vitality rechargeable electric toothbrush
  • 2 x Oral-B brush heads (style depends on the variant selected)
  • 1 x Charging stand
  • Documentation
Orla-B Vitality Box Contents

Key Features

  • Oral-B Oscillating & rotating movement
  • Rechargeable battery
  • 5 day battery life
  • Built-in timer

Pro & Cons

What are the pros and cons to this Vitality electric toothbrush?

The Positives

  • 1 cleaning mode – A simple no nonsense toothbrush.  Easy to use with 1 cleaning mode.
  • Timer – A 2 minute timer is built into the brush handle to encourage brushing for the right amount of time.
  • Brush heads – Small round brush head to effectively clean the teeth and that is easy to move around the tight spaces of the mouth.
  • Grip – The handle has a large rubber grip that wraps around the handle making it easy to grip, especially when slippery.
  • Value for money – It is a fairly cheap electric toothbrush and hard to complain about what you get for the money.

The Negatives

  • No 30 second pacer – No quadpacer to encourage you to brush the teeth evenly.
  • Battery status – No indication of how much power is in the brush apart from the slowing motor. Premium models have an LED for the battery.
  • Battery life – 5 days of battery life. Pretty weak in comparison to some other models.
  • Cleaning power – 2D cleaning action with a lower powered motor compared to the 3D cleaning action and more powerful motors on other models.

Design, usability, clean & general use

There are 2 key parts to the Vitality from Oral-B.

There is the brush handle, that contains the rechargeable battery and motor.  And there is then, of course, the detachable brush head.

The handle and head work together to offer a pretty good clean.

The Vitality range appears more confusing than it actually is. There are 6 different variants. Importantly though, there is just 1 difference between all of these. The difference is the brush head supplied.

The variants section above lists out all the different brush head options.

If you want to know more information about each brush head style, then do have a read over our Oral-B brush heads guide. The key thing to note is whilst they are all designed to do slightly different things, they all give a good overall clean.

It is nice to see you get 2 included in the box. Quite a bonus at this price.

CrossAction Oral-B Vitality

Whilst you may pick the CrossAction for example, you are not tied to this style for life, you can change.

All the heads can be purchased separately and are interchangeable with the Vitality handle.

Small round heads they all are. The shape makes it very easy to move around the surfaces of the teeth and in particular move around the teeth at the back of the mouth, which are traditionally harder to get to and clean around properly.

All of the brush heads have fading indicator bristles. These are blue bristles on the brush head that dull to a translucent white colour over a 3 month period.

Be sure to replace them approximately every 3 months, sooner if they are showing obvious signs of damage or wear.

The Vitality brush handle itself has a tapered design.

It is thinnest at the bottom and gets wider/thicker to the top of the handle, where the brush head attaches.

The shape moves from a round/cylindrical shape to almost oval by the time you reach the neck of the brush.

It will stand upright on a worktop if you want it to.

On the base of the brush is a recess into which the prong on the charging stand fits.  More on the charging stand in the ‘battery life’ section of the review.

The front of the handle is mainly a smooth touch plastic but is accented by the large blue rubber grip around the power button, the one and only button on the handle.

On the rear of the brush handle, but wrapping around partially onto the front, is a large grip.

The rubber is a turquoise colour and has a series of ridges on it, which the fingers catch on to allow a firm grasp of the brush.

The sizing works well and the extensive grip should mean that for the most part its held securely, even when wet.

Towards the bottom of the brush handle, on the front, is a small Oral-B/Braun logo whilst regulatory icons adorn the same area on the rear of the brush.

Normally, there would be a battery status icon/LED on the front of the handle. So you have no indication of how much power remains in the built-in rechargeable battery.

Oral-B Vitality rubber grip

A small rubber protrusion on the neck of the brush handle at the rear helps the brush stay in one place if laid flat on a worktop.

At the top of the brush handle is a metal shaft that is attached to the motor sealed inside the handle.

The motor inside this handle is satisfactory.

It provides significantly more movements to the brush head than a manual toothbrush to help you achieve a greater standard of clean.

However, do be aware that the motor is a little less powerful than the more premium models you can buy from Oral-B. This will be very obvious to existing electric toothbrush users, and I think even new users of the Vitality might feel it is a bit weak.

Don’t get me wrong, more power doesn’t necessarily equal better cleaning results. But, it can help. Technique, routine and total brushing time all has a part to play too.

Another factor affecting the clean is the cleaning motion. The Vitality offers a 2D cleaning action (oscillations and rotations), not the 3D cleaning action (oscillations, rotations and pulsations) of more premium models.

You will find the 3D action on the Pro 500 model and above.

For comparison, the Vitality offers 7,600 oscillations compared to the 8,800 oscillations and 20,000 pulsations of the Pro 500.

Oral-B Vitality Review 8

The Vitality is powered on by a single press on the power button on the front of the handle.

This same button has to be used to turn the brush off. It will not turn itself off at the end of a cleaning cycle.

There is just 1 cleaning mode on the Vitality. There are no differing modes or speeds as is the case on some brush handles.

Compared to a manual brush, these bristles are going to pass over the tooth surfaces a lot more and increase the chances of sweeping away plaque build-up and debris.

It is important to make sure you are using the toothbrush correctly, to gain maximum advantage from the additional brush head movements.

Dentists recommend brushing the teeth twice a day and doing so for 2 minutes each time.

Unfortunately, too many fail to brush for this amount of time, so there is a useful feature built-into the Vitality, a 2 minute timer.

At the time of pressing the power button, you activate the 2 minute timer.

This runs silently in the background until you achieve 2 minutes (120 seconds) of brushing time. At which point, the brush motor will pause briefly 3 times and as such case a change in the brushing sensation and sound.

This is your alert that the 2 minutes has been achieved.

However, what the Vitality from Oral-B lacks that you get on virtually all other Oral-B brushes is the 30 second pacer.

A what? The quadpacer/30 second timer.

At 30 second intervals, the brush motor will pause briefly causing a change in the sound and motion.  It is this that signals you to change from 1 quadrant to another.

It is just like the 2 minute timer, expect it kicks in at 30 seconds intervals.

The principle is you brush the 4 sections of your mouth (upper right, upper left, lower right, lower left) for 30 seconds each so you essentially give and equal clean to all teeth, rather than focusing just on the front ones for example.

It is a bit of an oversight in my opinion that the Vitality does not have this.

Those brushes that have this essentially allow users to level up their brushing routine and standard. The Pro 500 that I suggest does have this.

The brush handle itself is water resistant and is designed to survive everyday use, exposure to water, toothpaste, and saliva.

The handle should not be immersed in water though, so whilst a rinse under the tap is fine, a trip in the bath is not.

The brush comes with a 2 year warranty and will likely continue working longer than this, but you have that peace of mind.

Summary of design, usability, clean & general use

  • 1 colour choice
  • 6 variants – the difference is the brush head supplied
  • Interchangeable brush heads
  • Lots of grips on the brush
  • No battery status indicator
  • 1 cleaning mode
  • 2D cleaning action
  • 7,600 movements per minute
  • Built-in timer
  • No quadpacer
  • Water resistant handle
  • 2 year warranty

Battery life

Oral-B claims you get 5 day between charges.

This is a total of 20 minutes running time, based on a child brushing twice a day for 2 minutes.

In my hands-on testing I achieved double this.

Why, I am not sure.

I managed a total of 44 minutes of usage time from the brush, which is equivalent to 22 cleaning sessions or 11 days of usage time.  Perhaps not all brushes are created equal?!

What I suspect this means is that the minimum usage time will be 20 minutes and there is a very good chance you will get longer from it.

However, I can’t be assured you will get the same experience and although more expensive, the likes of Sonicare’s brushes offer a minimum of 14 days, that is a reasonable improvement.

Whilst most of us are going to be close to a charging stand most days, I often think 2 weeks is the minimum battery life we should expect froma toothbrush.

I always think of the scenario of a holiday. If you were to be travelling for 2 weeks, ideally you would want to travel without having to take the charging stand with you. However, you couldn’t with the Vitality.

But, for the price perhaps I am asking too much.

What makes things more difficult is that you get no feedback from the battery in terms of remaining power, as there is no status light on the handle.

Where my testing exceeded the quoted life, I just didn’t know when the battery would go flat, because there was no way of knowing like there is with most other models.

The Pro 500 and above in the Oral-B range all have these indicators.

Oral-B NiMH battery

When the battery is low, you will feel the speed of the brush head decrease and the sound of the brush will get weaker.

As a fairly regular habit you are going to want to sit this on the provided charging stand.

The charging stand supplied is white in colour and has an Australian power adapter.

The stand supports 220-240v.

If you travel you are potentially going to need a plug and voltage adapter to use internationally, depending on where you are travelling to.

When it is connected, the toothbrush sits upright on the charging stand, with the prong on the stand fitting into the recess on the bottom of the brush.

If the brush is completely flat, it will take up to 16 hours to charge it fully.

If you already own an Oral-B electric toothbrush, this is the same charging stand that is supplied with other models.  So you need not have different charging stands in the bathroom if you and other members of the family are using other Oral-B brushes.

Summary of battery life

  • 20 minutes of usage time or 5 days usage based on 2 cleans a day
  • Own testing achieve up to 44 minutes, double the suggested life
  • No battery status icon
  • Can be left on the charger
  • Takes about 16 hours to charge fully
  • A charger included in the box
  • Works on 220-240v

Price & where to buy

I have included links to buying options here at the start of the review.

In the section below, I discuss the price more generally and in relation to similar products.

The recommended retail price of the Vitality is $50.

However, the good news is that you do not need to pay this much. In fact, I really do not encourage you to pay anything more than about $30.

This is because the majority of Oral-B brushes sell for up to 50% less than their retail price. So with that logic the Vitality can be purchased for around $25.

This does too mean that more premium models in the range are lower than their retail price, normally. This is in part why the Pro 500 is recommended. It is twice the price, but I feel you are getting a much better product.

I have to be honest, for $25, to get the brush handle, 2 brush heads and a charger is great value, even if this isn’t the ‘best’ toothbrush you could own. It packs a punch for the price.

Vitality with CrossAction brush head fitted

Brush heads need to be replaced every 3 months on average and they will normally cost about $7 each on average.

Here at Electric Teeth, we like to work out a rough average cost to purchase and own electric toothbrushes.

With a typical working life of 5+years, we work out the cost over a 3 year period for consistency.

Priced at full retail price the Vitality would work out at $120 or $0.11 per day.

At the discounted price of $25, it costs $95 or $0.09 per day.

This excludes the cost of toothpaste, water, and electricity, but you get the idea.

All told I think this is a very fair price for what you get.

The premium Pro 500 will set you back $0.12 per day.

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.

Summary of price & where to buy

  • A retail price of $50
  • Typically sells for $25
  • Replacement brush heads cost $7 on average
  • Works out at $0.09 over 3 years
  • Live price comparison here

Reliability & long term use

As one of the leading brands within the electric toothbrush market, you can expect the Oral-B Vitality to be well built.

Here at Electric Teeth, although we do not have any special testing equipment or tools to really test the brush to its limits,

We have our experience and knowledge of other brushes to make comparison and comment on.

The overall build quality and construction of the brush is very good and this is thanks in part to Oral-B’s tried and tested approach and refinements over the years.

The weakest point is the battery.  After repeated charges and discharges it can fail and should it, they are not easy to replace.  But, by the time this happens, you will likely have gotten your value from the brush.

Backed by a 2 year warranty, should something go wrong, it can be returned for repair.  Although in truth, the cost is so low it might not be economically viable.

To prolong the life of any brush giving it a rinse and a wipe down to remove grime that builds up is a must.

Conclusion

The Vitality is a satisfactory product, it does the job it needs to for the price.

It can clean the teeth better than a manual brush, if used correctly.

However, given that you are going to be holding onto an electric brush for a good few years, I think a little extra spent upfront will serve you better over time.

The Pro 500 might for example be about twice the price, but you get a better battery life and battery status icon.

You too get a more powerful cleaning action as well as a built-in pacer to encourage you to clean the teeth evenly. And, with savvy shopping, you should get a travel case included in the box too.

Our Choice
Oral-B Pro 2 2000 Black Electric Toothbrush and Travel Case
Oral-B Vitality Plus CrossAction (2up) Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush (powered by Braun), 0.26 kilograms
Oral-B PRO 500 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush, Powered by Braun
Brush Name
Oral-B Pro 2 2000
Oral-B Vitality
Oral-B Pro 500
Customer Rating
Electric Teeth Rating
5/5
5/5
5/5
Price
$ 79.00
$ 22.50
$ 48.00
Prime Status
Shaver Shop
Oral-B Vitality Review 2
Oral-B Vitality Review 2
Oral-B Vitality Review 2
Our Choice
Oral-B Pro 2 2000 Black Electric Toothbrush and Travel Case
Brush Name
Oral-B Pro 2 2000
Customer Rating
Electric Teeth Rating
5/5
Price
$ 79.00
Prime Status
Shaver Shop
Oral-B Vitality Review 2
Oral-B Vitality Plus CrossAction (2up) Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush (powered by Braun), 0.26 kilograms
Brush Name
Oral-B Vitality
Customer Rating
Electric Teeth Rating
5/5
Price
$ 22.50
Prime Status
Shaver Shop
Oral-B Vitality Review 2
Oral-B PRO 500 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush, Powered by Braun
Brush Name
Oral-B Pro 500
Customer Rating
Electric Teeth Rating
5/5
Price
$ 48.00
Prime Status
Shaver Shop
Oral-B Vitality Review 2

Electric Teeth Rating

Electric Teeth 3 Star Rating

FAQ

  • Is the Vitality an oscillating brush?
    • Yes, with Oral-B 2D motion that oscillates and rotates.
  • What is daily clean mode?
    • This is the comprehensive everyday cleaning mode that works with the provided Sensitive brush head to effectively clean the teeth using the Oral-B 2D oscillating and rotating technology to clean the teeth and remove up to 100% more plaque than a manual brush.
  • What brush head does it come with and what alternative ones can be used?
    • The brush head supplied with the Vitality depends on the variant you select. There are 6 variants, each offering a different brush head style.
    • All heads can be replaced with any from the Oral-b range that includes CrossAction, FlossAction, Precision Clean, 3D White, Sensitve and Gum Care.
  • Does the Vitality have a pressure sensor?
    • No, it does not.
  • Does the Vitality have Bluetooth?
    • No, it does not.
  • Does the Vitality come with a warranty & how long is it?
    • If purchased new from an approved retailer the Vitality will come with a 2 year warranty.
  • Does the Oral-B Vitality have a built-in timer?
    • Yes. It has a timer which vibrates as the 2 minute daily cycle has been completed.
  • How long does the battery last?
    • The battery lasts up to 20 minutes, which if used on the standard daily clean mode is 5 days based on 2 cleans per day.
  • Does it come with a charger?
    • Yes, a charging station is included with the Oral-B Vitality.
  • Can this be fixed to a wall?
    • The charging station has not been designed to be fixed to a wall.
  • Can I use it in the shower?
    • Yes, the brush handle is water resistant.
  • Does it come with a travel case?
    • No, there is no travel case included.

Your Opinions

Do you own or have your children used the Oral-B Vitality?

Are there certain features that you or your kids really like or dislike?

Let us know what you think about this brush and let others who may well be considering purchasing one know your opinions before they do.

About Jon Love

Jon is a leading voice on electric toothbrushes and has been quoted by mainstream media publications for his opinions and expertise.

Having handled & tested hundreds of products there really is very little he does not know about them.

Passionate about business and helping others, Jon has been involved in various online enterprises since the early 2000s.

After spending 12 years in consumer technology, it was in 2014 that he focused his attention on dental health, having experienced first-hand the challenge of choosing a new toothbrush.

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