AVOID BUYING THIS BRUSH – FOR NOW AT LEAST
Brush head availability issues.
We are receiving an increasing number of comments and communication from existing Bruush users to highlight availability issues with replacement heads.
Customers have been unable to buy them for many months with no response from customer service about the issue or guidance on when they might become available again.
We have reached out to Bruush and have not received a reply either.
We advise not buying a Bruush brush until such time as this issue is resolved and an explanation is given.
A toothbrush you want to subscribe to
Bold colors, stylish design, multiple cleaning modes, box contents and great brushing results make Brüush a sonic toothbrush that I would use, without issue on a daily basis.
The subscription is convenient, if a bit unusual in its offering of bi-monthly brush head replacement.
Pros |
Cons |
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Great design & color options |
No pressure sensor |
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6 cleaning modes |
Subscription |
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Long battery life |
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Magnetic charger |
Other brushes to consider
If you want to have replacement brush heads delivered to your door just when you need them, then a subscription-based toothbrush is for you.
Burst Sonic is probably the best all-round option, sticking to the more conventional quarterly brush head replacement rather than the bi-monthly of Bruush.
If you are not fussed about a set it and forget it subscription, consider our most recommended brush, the Oral-B Smart 1500.
It has a different cleaning action to Bruush, but the overall cleaning results are more than comparable. It benefits from the pressure sensor that Bruush lacks, whilst being affordable and and manufactured by a leading dental brand. It is our top recommended electric toothbrush.
Design, usability, clean & general use
Brüush comes shipped in a rather chunky, but classy looking box.
In this particular instance it is all black in color, with a glossy Brüush logo on the front, that catches the eye.
You would have difficulty working out that there is a toothbrush inside.
Open it up and the brush is presented in the middle and looks quite sleek.
Underneath the foam insert are the accessories, each in their own cutout in the foam lining.
It is a nice unboxing experience. But use of more cardboard and less foam inserts would be a little more planet friendly.
Putting this aside, initial impressions are good.
The brush looks good, feels good in hand and appears well built.
The handle has a squarish design. You don’t have sharp rough edges. There is a slight curvature, but the flatter sides give it a little more of a presence in hand. It also helps prevent the brush rolling when placed flat on a countertop.
Bruush is actually a fraction taller than most other brushes. But the handle itself is a similar thickness and weight.
You can get the toothbrush is a few different color options (black, white, pink, red, blue and yellow). Some of these are quite bold which I like. It feels like there is a touch more personality to the brush.
I have the black colored unit which has a matt finish to it. It is not glossy black plastic. A little hard to describe, but the coating to the handle actually makes it feel slightly soft and warm to the touch.
A plastic satin chrome accent around the power button contrasts nicely against the black color scheme. Another chrome accent can be found and at the top of the brush handle, just below the point the head attaches.
Only on the front of the brush handle are there buttons and controls. The other sides of the handle have no raised grips etc.
Even the base of the brush handle is flat. Finished in satin chrome plastic with no regulatory information, which is rather surprising.
On the front of the handle, in the upper third is the Brüush logo with the power button below it.
The power button has a squarish shape like the handle itself. But, positioned on the corner, so it looks almost like a diamond. It has a power icon debossed on it and is frames by a chrome satin strip.
Below this are the 6 brushing modes, stacked on top of each other.
Each mode name is backlit with a white light when activated.
And lastly, there is a small dot, which is the battery status LED.
Extending from the top of the handle is a metal shaft that connects to the motor inside the brush handle.
You get 3 brush heads in the box with the toothbrush. All the heads slide on and off of this metal shaft.
Bruush toothbrush heads are specific to Bruush. You can’t use Sonicare brush heads on this handle for example.
This is a sonic toothbrush. It uses the same technology as Philips Sonicare brushes.
I will get straight to the point and say that the cleaning experience has been great with Bruush. My teeth have felt clean after every use.
For me, the Sonic cleaning action is not quite as intense and thorough as the oscillating-rotating that Oral-B brushes offer. But, by no means am I suggesting the more gentle experience is bad, it is different.
Brüush offers 6 different modes on this brush. Those brushing modes are:
- Daily
- White
- Gentle
- Gum
- Max
- Tongue
Describing the differences between each is not the easiest task. Here is the explanation that Bruush themselves offer.
- Daily: Suitable for everyday use. The Daily mode utilizes 31,000 brush strokes per minute to efficiently remove plaque and provide a thorough clean.
- White: White mode penetrates deep with stronger vibrations to remove tough surface stains for a brilliant polish.
- Gentle: For those with sensitive teeth and gums, this mode cleans with subtler sonic pulses.
- Gum: Focusing on gum health, this mode’s vibration pattern is ideal to gently massage around the gum line and promote blood circulation.
- Max: For those hard-to-reach problem areas. The Max mode digs deep with a unique pattern of sonic vibrations for a thorough power clean lasting 3 minutes.
- Tongue: The tongue cleaner is located on the back of the toothbrush head. Fight bad breath by gently massaging the tongue cleaner up and down the tongue’s surface.
All of the modes, bar max, last for 2 minutes. The brush turns itself automatically at the end of the brushing cycle.
Only for the daily mode are the number of strokes quoted as 31,000. To me it felt that the White mode might be even more powerful than this. So I am not sure if 31,000 is actually the maximum this offers or not. The difference wasn’t significant but noticeable.
This 31,000 strokes is the same as Sonicare brushes. There are other brushes available today that offer more strokes per minute. The difference in the cleaning results are very difficult to actually determine though.
I can see the value in some of these extra modes, but I have to be honest and say that they are not essential.
In the vast majority of cases, the standard daily mode will be more than sufficient.
If you were to opt for any extra mode, it would be gentle or gum as softer, less intense brushing cycles.
Perfecting your brushing routine and technique will bring the most benefit to you. Any one cleaning mode is unlikely to make a big difference if you are not brushing correctly.
The brush remembers the last mode used, so you do not have to change the mode each time you turn the toothbrush on.
To change the brushing mode, you turn the brush on with a single press of the power button. Within a couple of seconds, you need to press the power button again. Keep doing so, until the mode you want is lit on the brush handle.
If, within a few seconds, you do not press the power button for a second time, you cannot change the mode until you turn the brush off and on again.
As you activate the toothbrush, so too is the built-in timer and pacer.
It is recommended that you brush your teeth twice a day for 2 minutes each time.
As you brush it is important to try and clean all the tooth surfaces evenly. You want to avoid spending 2 minutes brushing the front teeth alone.
This is where the pacer comes in.
Ideally, you want to break the mouth up into 4 sections (upper right, upper left, lower right and lower left), and spend 30 seconds cleaning each. If you do so, you should achieve a good overall clean. Be sure to hold the brush head at a 45 degree angle to the gumline as you do.
To help keep your brushing even, after 30 seconds there is a slight pause in the brush head motion. Therese is a change in the brushing sensation and noise of the brush too. This is your cue to move from one section of the mouth to another.
The brush will continue to give these notifications at 30 second intervals. It will do this until the 2 minutes have passed. At which point it is clear the brushing is over because it will turn itself off.
When using the max mode, the brushing time is increased to 3 minutes and 45 second intervals.
It is quite common for users like you and I to brush with too much force. You do not need to scrub the teeth when you brush. Unlike some models that have a built-in pressure sensor, Brush does not. There is no mechanism to alert you when you do.
By no means is this a deal breaker, but it is a shame that it is not present.
The brush heads that attach to this handle have a W profile to the bristles. This means longer bristles at the tips and in the middle of the head, with shorter ones between.
The principle being this profile cups around the teeth. It then cleans more effectively. It reaches between the teeth, better than those heads with bristles of the same length.
When in use, you can feel the movement of the longer bristles working.
Nylon bristles are used. This is the most common bristle material. Despite those shown in the image being black in color, they do not have charcoal in them.
On the back of the brush head is a tongue cleaner. There are a whole load of small raised nodules on the back of the head. These help you clean the pitted surface of the tongue as you pull it along the tongue surface.
Unlike some brush heads that have fading indicator bristles built into the head these do not. You need to remember when you last replaced the head.
It is a shame there is no reminder system here, it would be nice.
Now, this is where you could argue the subscription system that Bruush offers could play its part.
It is possible to get replacement brush heads delivered to your door. Yet, unlike many systems that deliver a brush head every 3 months, Brush delivers 3 heads every 6 months.
Other subscription services make it easier to know when to change your brush head. Services like Quip and Burst ship a refill at the point you should need it. Bruush don't.
It is more efficient and cost effective for Bruush to offer less frequent deliveries. But here then is another issue. They ship 3 heads every 6 months. They work on the basis of you replace your head on average every 2 months. This is instead of the 3 months which is the recommended average.
You can replace the heads every 2 months if you want, that is up to you. But, the typical period is 3 months.
You can stop and start the subscription as often as you like. Be aware if you stick to changing every 3 months, over time, you will end up with a surplus of Bruush heads.
Unfortunately, the heads work out no cheaper either, with each head costing on average $6.
My top tip is to cancel your subscription earlier than you might otherwise. You can then use up the replacement brush heads. When you need more, order or re-subscribe. This way you don’t end up paying over the odds and are not left with lots of surplus heads.
Making one-off purchases are more expensive. There is a cost saving to be had by buying on subscription. It is important to be aware that the brush head delivery approach is different to most others.
The Brüush toothbrush provides an audible humming sound when in use. This is comparable to a Sonicare toothbrush. It is by no means as loud as an Oral-B electric brush.
Should you travel, the handle and 1 brush head are protected in the provided travel case.
Made from plastic it is not as bulky as some cases I have used. It is slightly thicker at one end, slimming at the other.
Lay it horizontally and it hinges on the top edge. The black plastic is accented with a silver Brüush logo on the lid of the case.
There are 4 small feet on the bottom to help lift it off a surface slightly and give some grip. There are no holes for ventilation.
The handle is water resistant, which means you can use it whilst in the shower if you wish. A rinse under the tap is also fine. The electronics including the rechargeable battery are sealed inside. But, don’t go pretending it is a submarine in the bath!
As standard, you get a 2 year warranty. This covers you against the manufacturing defects etc. User damage is not covered. There is also a no questions asked, 90 day money back guarantee. This allows you to try Brüush and return it if you don't get on with it.
Summary of design, usability, clean & general use
Battery life
Opinions on the importance of battery life differ.
Some users are not that worried about whether the usage time is a matter of days or weeks. Others would like many weeks between charges.
A long batter life is not a dealbreaker for most. But, I think it is fair to expect a usage time of at least a couple of weeks for a full charge.
A couple of weeks covers most use cases and in particular should you need to travel or go on vacation.
Few of us want to take a charging stand with us.
Bruush claim a battery life of up to 4 weeks and in my hands-on testing it achieved this exactly.
56 brushing sessions on the standard ‘Daily’ mode.
This is equivalent to 28 days or 4 weeks.
If you like to brush for longer than 2 minutes, or brush 3, rather times a day you may need to recharge the toothbrush more often.
Brushing modes such as ‘Gum’ and ‘Gentle’ might achieve an extra day of two’s usage time. This is because they use less power from the brush motor. But, don’t expect any radical differences.
On the brush handle is a small LED below the brushing mode labels. This will flash red 10 times when the battery is close to running out. This is your cue it needs charging. This happens when there is about 20% or less power remaining.
When the brush does need a recharge, you can sit it on the provided magnetic charging stand.
The stand is about twice the width and depth of the toothbrush handle itself. The stand is color matched to the handle. There is a slight weight to the stand. This is so it stays in place and 4 rubber feet on the bottom help prevent it from slipping.
Squarish in shape, the edges are rounded and it looks smart. The brush magnetizes to the top of the stand. They are not the strongest magnets. It is fairly easy to knock it off the stand, but the brush can be placed at any angle and recharge.
This charging stand has a USB cable hardwired into it.
The cable is about 3.2 feet (100cm) in length.
The USB connection is a real bonus as it is more accepted internationally. It is more convenient when traveling and gives more options when it comes to finding a power source.
Included in the box is a compact USB to 2 pin US power brick to be able to connect it to and charge it from the wall.
The stand supports 100-140v or 50-60Hz power supply. All you need to ensure is that you have the right plug adapter.
It can take up to 24 hours to recharge the battery fully. You do not have to leave it on the stand and wait until it is fully charged to use it.
Sealed inside the handle is a Lithium-Ion battery.
Summary of battery life
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 Bruush toothbrush is available (at the time of review) from www.bruush.com and Amazon.
The Bruush subscription system is one reason why Bruush is not stocked elsewhere.
You can make one off/one time purchases, but it is more cost effective to subscribe.
More and more companies are now offering toothbrushes with some form of subscription.
In this instance, the subscription is for the replacement brush heads.
If making a one time purchase, the price for the toothbrush is $95.
You can save 15% or $16 but signing up to their refill plan.
The brush head refills sell in packs of 3 at a cost of $24 or $8 each.
But, this price drops to $18 or $6 each if you subscribe.
3 brush heads come included in the box irrespective of your subscription status.
You can buy the toothbrush and then subscribe to the refill plan at a later date. You will not make the savings on the cost of purchasing the toothbrush in the first place though.
The subscription can be amended and cancelled when you like. This gives you extra flexibility.
Here at Electric Teeth we like to price the toothbrush over a 3 year period. This gives a benchmark for ownership costs.
If you do not subscribe, the cost for Bruush will be $167 or $0.15 per day.
That is $95 for the handle itself and then a further $72 for the replacement brush heads.
If you subscribe, the cost of owning Bruush over 3 years, would be $133 or $0.12.
As you would expect there are cost savings to be had by subscribing. But, there is too a little bit of a catch/something to be aware of.
Our recommendation is to replace your electric toothbrush head every 3 months. This aligns with the advice of dental professionals.
But, the way Bruush have worked their subscription is that they send a pack of 3 brush heads every 6 months. This works on the theory of you replacing your brush head every 2 months instead of the more typical 3.
There are arguments for changing the brush head sooner than 3 months. But this recommendation is not commonplace.
It is up to you whether you want to replace your brush head every 2 or 3 months. If you opt for every 3 months, you may end up with a surplus of brush heads at some point.
My calculation above, assumes replacement of the head every 3 months.
So, if subscribing, cancel your subscription after your third box of brush heads. This will leave you with enough come the end of year 3.
If you remained subscribed for 3 years, but only changed the brush head every 3 months, you would pay a total of $169 or $0.15 per day. That is an extra $36. PLus you would have a further 6 brush heads spare.
There is no option (that I am aware of) to change the number of brush heads supplied.
The best advice I can give is to stop the brush head subscription if you end up with a surplus.
If you do the maths, over the long term (3+ years) it does work out better value. This is because you will be using the brush heads you have paid for, received, and not used.
I suspect the Bruush brush will still function in 3+ years, but you are well outside your warranty period. You could potentially be left with unused brush heads should it fail. Your choice would then be to take the loss or buy another Bruush brush.
The way the system works makes it a little more difficult to compare ownership costs.
The costs listed above certainly give you a good guide though.
Alternatives to consider are Burst and Boka. All are available with a subscription.
Our calculations work them out as $0.10 for Burst or $0.13 for Boka. As you can see, there isn’t a significant difference.
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
Reliability & long term use
I would like to test the Bruush toothbrush for an extended period of time. Unfortunately, it is not possible.
I have spent a few weeks with it. During that time I have had no issues with the brush. Nor do I have any reason to be concerned about the long term reliability of this toothbrush.
The overall construction of the brush appears to be pretty good with no obvious weak points. There are not lots of extras on this brush that add risk factors.
A 2 year warranty is included as standard, irrespective of whether you are subscribed or not. There is no extension to the warranty for those that remain subscribed.
There is too a 90 day ‘no questions asked’ returns policy should you find that Bruush isn’t the right brush for you.
Conclusion
This is a lovely toothbrush. I can and would be prepared to use on a daily basis. I have little reason not to recommend to others.
It looks good and is available in many different color options.
Most importantly cleans the teeth well. The built-in timer and pacer help encourage you and me to brush for the right amount of time.
6 cleaning modes are far from essential, but they are there if you want them. It does lack a pressure sensor, but that is not a dealbreaker.
The subscription plan is a little unconventional. It centers around replacing the brush head every 2 months rather than the more standard 3.
Despite this, it still remains affordable and the 4 week battery life is a bonus as is the included travel case.
Brüush is good, but as are a lot of other brushes within this price range. Sadly, for me it has little to really make it stand out and be an absolute must buy over the competition.
Size guide
- Toothbrush height with head - 25.5cm / 10 inches
- Toothbrush height without head - 19.5cm / 7.7 inches
- Width - 2.6cm / 1 inches
- Depth/thickness - 2.6cm / 1 inches
- Weight with head - 115g / 4oz
- Weight without head - 108g / 3.8oz
- Travel case size - 21cm / 8.3 inches (L) x 5cm / 2 inches (W) x 3.7cm / 1.5 inches (D)
- Travel case weight - 90g / 3.2oz without brush or 205g / 7.2oz with brush
Noise
- 59dB
Country of manufacture
- China
I bought this toothbrush based on the Consumer Reports review & rating. However, during the six months I've had the unit, I've been checking their website trying to order replacement brush heads and they ARE NOT available! I've emailed their customer support, but no reply. I've called their customer support and left messages (the only option), but no reply. I've tried to find a way to join the subscription service, but have not been able to find a way to do it on their website. So, while I love the toothbrush, the company is forcing me to abandon their product because I have now used the 3 brush heads that came with the kit and don't seem to be able to purchase replacements. So unless you see the option to purchase replacement heads on their website (I've been looking for 6 months now), I would not purchase this product.
Thanks for sharing this with us. We have had a couple of people mention this to us now. Concerning that their customer service has been so poor. Even if they have supply issues, some communication is better than none.