Our main recommendation
Our overall recommendation for the best Oral-B electric toothbrush is the Oral-B Smart 2000. It has the essential features recommended by our in-house dentists — a pacer, a timer and a visible pressure sensor.
If you’re on a tight budget our recommendation is the Pro 500. It has a 2 minute timer as well as a 30 second pacer. It lacks the pressure sensor, has a shorter battery life and it doesn’t provide the 3D cleaning action like the Smart 2000. But, the benefit is the much lower purchase price. As long as you use the correct brushing technique, it will still clean your teeth perfectly well.
The very best Oral-B toothbrush you can buy in terms of technology is the Oral-B iO range, notably the Series 9, which is a smart toothbrush. Typically we don’t recommend smart toothbrushes because they include more features than the average person needs, which drives up the price.
Best Overall
Oral-B Smart 2000
*Prices correct at time of writing
Why we chose it:
The Smart 2000 has a 2 minute timer, pacer and visible pressure sensor that our dentists recommend be present in an electric toothbrush.
The small round brush head is clinically proven to clean the teeth well and the size makes it easy to move into the tighter spaces within the mouth.
As you brush, the visible pressure sensor will light up red to alert you if too much force is being applied.
You have the choice of the default daily clean mode or a slower and more gentle sensitive mode. The power button is used to change modes. There are no icons on the handle to make it clear which mode is selected, though.
It isn’t quite as grippy in hand as some other brushes, but the benefit is that the handle can be very easily wiped clean.
It’s worth noting that despite the name, this is not a ‘smart’ toothbrush. It has no Bluetooth connectivity.
What we like
- Timer and pacer encourage brushing for the recommended time
- Visible pressure sensor – alerts you when brushing too hard
- 2 weeks use on a single charge
- Multiple cleaning modes
What we dislike
- No icons on the handle to show which cleaning mode is selected
- Confusing name — it is not a ‘smart’ (Bluetooth connected) toothbrush
Best top of the range
Oral-B iO
*Prices correct at time of writing
Why we chose it:
The Oral-B iO Series 9 is Oral-B’s top of the line brush.
It cleans the teeth really well and includes various high tech features to assist you in brushing your teeth better.
The essential features — 2 minute timer, 30 second pacer and visible pressure sensor — are included. In fact, the iO’s pressure sensor lights up green to show when the correct pressure is being applied, in addition to red, when the brushing force is too great.
The iO has a new magnetically driven motor. This makes the brushing experience thorough but slightly more gentle, and quieter, than other Oral-B models.
The 7 different cleaning modes can be changed via the power and function buttons on the handle.
The selected mode is shown on the color LED display built into the handle. One of the only brushes to offer this, it also gives visual feedback via emoji style faces on how well you have brushed.
Like many other smart brushes, it has real-time tracking, but the iO9 has the most comprehensive monitoring of the iO series. It tracks 16 zones with clear visual feedback via the smartphone app. You can take corrective action immediately to achieve maximum coverage with each brushing session.
It is supplied with a magnetic charging stand and the lithium battery can be replenished in just 3 hours. 2 weeks use is possible from a full charge.
Also included is a hard protective travel case that doubles up as a charger.
What we like
- Premium looking handle with built-in display
- The small round brush head cleans the teeth really well
- Visible pressure sensor – alerts you when you are brushing with the correct & incorrect force
- Rapid recharging with the magnetic charging stand
- Bluetooth & AI technology works well
- Quieter than other Oral-B brushes
What we dislike
- Expensive – better value options exist, like our best overall choice
- iO specific heads required which are more expensive
- Travel case comes with a separate power adapter rather than a built-in USB cable & accepts only 1 brush head
- Bluetooth connectivity isn’t essential and adds to cost
Best budget
Oral-B Pro 500
*Prices correct at time of writing
Why we chose it:
The Pro 500 brings many of the benefits of an electric toothbrush at an affordable price.
It is a really good option for a first electric toothbrush.
Unfortunately, it does lack a pressure sensor. This means that there are no alerts when you brush too hard.
This is somewhat made up for by how incredibly grippy the handle is. It is suitable for children, adults and seniors.
The single cleaning mode is more than satisfactory and when used correctly provides a good clean of the teeth.
Oral-B’s small round brush head performs well and is easily moved between the tooth surfaces.
Using a 2D cleaning action, it isn’t as intense a clean as premium models that offer a 3D action, but is more than good enough.
Built-in is a rechargeable battery which offers 8+ days of use on a full charge. Unfortunately, you get no feedback from it when the power is low. There is no LED notification light.
What we like
- Easy to use single cleaning mode
- The grip on the handle helps to securely hold the brush
- Timer and pacer encourage brushing for the recommended time
What we dislike
- No pressure sensor
- No battery status feedback
- Battery life
- 2D cleaning action
Comparison of our 3 recommendations
The table below compares the features and cost of our 3 recommendations.
We have a more detailed comparison of the full range of Oral-B brushes in our Oral-B Comparison Chart.
Our choices explained
Picking an electric toothbrush is far more difficult than it needs to be.
This is in part because of the huge number of options Oral-B offers. Which one of the 10+ models do you select?
And once you have decided on the model, what color or brush head option do you want?!
Having spoken to many people and tested many different brushes, I suspect, like most, you just want a toothbrush to clean your teeth well, have a reasonable battery life and be good value for money, all things considered.
If so, the Oral-B Smart 2000 is the absolute best choice.
It strikes the balance between features, functions, and price.
You get the features dentists recommend, a very good tooth brushing experience and 2 weeks of battery life.
You are not gaining extras that you don’t need or simply won’t use.
Expect to pay around CDN $80 on average for the Smart 2000.
An electric toothbrush is a luxury for some and our in-house dentists will be the first to tell you that a CDN $2 manual toothbrush is perfectly adequate when used correctly.
The Pro 500 is a good budget option. It is usually half the price of the 2000 at around CDN $40, yet still offers many of the electric toothbrush benefits.
There are inevitably compromises, but for the price asked of it, that is fair.
The iO Series 9 on the other hand really doesn’t provide value for money. Of course, value is relative to your earnings and expectations.
But, to put it into perspective, you can get 7 or 8 Pro 500 brushes for the same price. It certainly doesn’t clean the teeth 7 or 8 times better.
Marginal improvements are possible, particularly if you really buy into the tracking and coverage detection offered.
You don’t need a smart toothbrush to teach you how to brush properly, but it can help and you are able to log and review your performance over time.
I admit the pressure sensor setup is neat and desirable. The handle does look and feel more premium too.
This extra tech potentially does come at an environmental cost too. It is a bit of a waste if you use the smart features for just a week or 2 and never again.
I review these products and I can honestly say I don’t go into the app every week. I have also had many others tell me they have invested in the premium models, only to rarely use the extra features they desired when they bought the brush.
Buyer’s Guide
Useful pre-purchase advice
In the sections below we’ve shared some more advice based on our hands-on testing of many Oral-B electric toothbrushes.
In our more generalized best electric toothbrush post, we included more evidence-based advice on choosing an electric toothbrush, from our in-house dentist Dr. Gemma Wheeler.
Oral-B cleaning action explained
Oral-B brushes have a small, round brush heads. These heads turn 45 degrees to the right and then 45 degrees to the left. This is a rotation movement. In addition to rotating in a circular motion, they also oscillate back and forth.
This oscillating-rotating movement is referred to as ‘2D’ cleaning by the brand.
Add in Pulsations (essentially vibrations) and this now becomes ‘3D’ cleaning. This pulsations is a movement back and forth – i.e. towards the tooth surface and away again.
Pulsations offer a more sophisticated motion and give another dimension to the brushing.
Whereas the 2D cleaning requires the physical movement of the brush head against the teeth, pulsations are essentially a ‘non contact’ form of brushing and relies on pulsations/vibrations like Sonicare brushes do.
There has and continues to be debate about what is the ‘best’ cleaning action. The main alternative is the sonic cleaning toothbrushes where the bristles move back and forth in a sweeping motion.
Most people have a preference, but essentially both will clean the teeth well.
Clinical studies and reviews by the Cochrane Library and others do favour Oral-B, albeit marginally. But, they do acknowledge more research is required.
Associated with the cleaning is the power of the motor and the number of movements and pulsations it offers.
There is an argument that the more movements and the more pulsations, the better the results. This is perhaps true if you compare the budget brush vs the top of the range model. But, when comparing mid-range brushes the differences are subtle and it is unlikely that the extra movements have a clinically significant impact.
In fact, with the introduction of the iO, Oral-B does not share the number of movements and micro-vibrations (equivalent to pulsations)
Even though there are lots of technical aspects to electric toothbrushes, the biggest difference comes from your brushing time & and frequency, and technique.
Here are the differences between some of the main models in the Oral-B range.
- Pro 500
- Oscillations: 7,800
- Pulsations: 0
- Pro 1000
- Oscillations: 8,800
- Pulsations: 20,000
- Smart 2000
- Oscillations: 10,500
- Pulsations: 48,000
- Smart 3000
- Oscillations: 9,900
- Pulsations: 45,000
- Pro 6000/6500
- Oscillations: 10,500
- Pulsations: 48,000
- Genius Pro 8000
- Oscillations: 10,500
- Pulsations: 48,000
- Genius X
- Oscillations: 10,500
- Pulsations: 48,000
Although these are the maximum number of oscillations and pulsations, the exact number used depends on the cleaning mode selected. Our Oral-B brushing modes article goes into more detail on this.
What features do you get if you go higher in the range than the Smart 2000?
The Oral-B Smart 2000 is our main recommendation because it has the essential features our dentists recommend without costing a fortune.
Once you start to spend more than the price of the Smart 2000, brushes come with more features. They tend to be more expensive too.
These features tend to bring with them diminishing returns.
Fundamentally the cleaning experience and results are comparable between models.
I have described a bit more about each of these in case you think any of them would be useful to you.
Cleaning modes
As you go up through the range extra cleaning/brushing modes are offered.
Oral-B brushes offer up to 7 different modes in total.
You only really need 1, or possibly 2 cleaning modes.
The standard ‘daily clean’ is generally enough.
Although a second slower mode such as ‘sensitive’ can be appealing for a more gentle clean.
See our post on Oral-B Cleaning Modes for more detail.
Buttons/icons
A simple addition of a button dedicated to changing the cleaning mode, rather than having to use the power button only to cycle through the options.
The higher mid range models will have icons/LEDs on the handle that get lit to show which mode is selected.
Bluetooth connectivity
The ability to connect your toothbrush to a smartphone, via the Oral-B application.
The facilities available via Bluetooth vary by model.
At the most basic level you get a timer that is in sync with the handle and logs when you brushed and how long for.
The most capable allow the handle to be configured and log extra data such as pressure and the coverage achieved.
Real-time tracking
The ability to see and record what areas of the mouth you have and have not brushed.
Offers the ability to take corrective action immediately.
Encourages better brushing habits.
Requires you to use your smartphone at the same time you brush for best results.
Brush heads
As you go up through the range extra brush heads of differing styles are offered.
Alternatively, multiples of the same styles.
Some heads pair better with particular cleaning modes.
More than 6+ styles of heads to choose from.
CrossAction or Sensitive / Pro GumCare are the best options.
See our post on Oral-B Brush Heads for more detail.
Travel case
A protective case is included to offer a place to stow the handle and up to 2 heads when traveling.
Most cases hold the handle and the heads only, but some allow the toothbrush to be charged inside the case.
The Power2go charging case requires a proprietary power adapter and must be plugged in for the brush inside to charge.
Other accessories
Brush head storage – Stands or storage compartments are offered to make the box contents more comprehensive.
These can be useful for families where the handle is being shared or if you make use of multiple brush head styles.
Smartphone holders – A holder for your smartphone to be able to position it at the ideal angle when you brush your teeth.
Faster charging – The ability to recharge the toothbrush quicker. In just a few hours rather than the typical 12.
Other features
colored light rings – Allow you to personalize the brush with your choice of light color when in use.
LED display – Digital display, be that color or black and white to interact with the handle and give more feedback on brushing, such as brushing time.
Smart pressure sensor – Change the pressure sensor light between red or green to show too much or the correct amount of pressure.
What about mid-range brushes? Does it make sense to pay more?
Mid range brushes are perfectly good at cleaning the teeth. But they are often ‘lost’ between the good value models, lower in the range, and the feature rich options, higher in the range, which are often promoted by Oral-B.
These mid-range models don’t necessarily stand out amongst all the other choices. They either offer only a little bit more than the cheap models or just a bit less than the top of the line options.
These extras can sound more appealing and useful than they really are. Few really get the benefit of them long term.
And to complicate matters further there tends to be just a few dollars price difference between them all.
The Genius 8000 is a great example.
It was once a top of the line electric toothbrush. It offers real-time tracking, but the setup is clunky in comparison to the newer iO Series 9. Yet, it is arguably more capable than the Smart 2000, because of this position tracking.
The benefit to you and me is a cheaper product than the iO range, but the compromise is the accuracy and configuration of the tracking. For someone set on having tracking, paying a premium and going for the iO is likely the better choice.
In my opinion, Oral-B produces far more toothbrush models, and as a result choices, than the average consumer needs. It only complicates the decision making process.
Oral-B really does have options fitting budgets from $30 all the way up to $500+.
We wouldn’t criticize you for buying a mid range option, but unless you have a specific requirement, often other models will serve you better.
How do brush heads differ?
Just like Oral-B’s toothbrush range, the brush head choices are just as complicated.
The first and most important thing to be aware of, is that the iO Series has its own range of brush heads. These are suitable for only the iO Series handles.
There are currently 2 brush head options available for the iO Series, these are, Ultimate Clean and Gentle Care.
Just like the brush handles, the iO heads are more expensive too. About twice the price in fact: CAD $10-15 per head compared to the more typical $8.
For all other brush handles that are not part of the iO range, there is a wider choice of styles.
Although there is choice, the CrossAction and the Pro GumCare brush heads are our preferred options.
It is the softer Pro GumCare head which most dentists recommend, due to the ultra soft bristles.
Although other styles exist, and could potentially offer different brushing results, they all remove plaque and can help achieve a good overall clean.
Like the toothbrushes themselves, it is better to pick a head and use it properly, rather than worrying too much about the style.
All of the Oral-B heads are ‘push-on and pull-off’ style heads. You don’t need to twist them on or off the handle.
The heads are interchangeable. This means you can use a CrossAction, FlossAction or 3D White brush head with your brush.
Heads should be replaced on average every 3 months. Worn bristles clean less effectively and can potentially damage the teeth and gums.
Built into the heads are fading indicator bristles that change from (usually) a blue color, to a pale blue/translucent color to alert you it is time to change.
There are also Clean Maximizer bristled brush heads that change from green to yellow. When the bristles are all yellow, it is time to replace the head.
Our comprehensive guide to Oral-B brush heads explains each in more detail.
How do Oral-B’s smart toothbrushes differ?
Arguably there are many ‘smart’ features built into even the most basic toothbrushes. A timer and pacer require microchips etc.
However, typically when referring to smart toothbrushes, the differentiating factor here is the addition of Bluetooth.
The features of a Bluetooth enabled Oral-B toothbrush differ between ranges and models.
Whilst it is a little bit more nuanced than this, fundamentally you have 2 choices.
- Oral-B smart toothbrush without real-time position tracking
- Oral-B smart toothbrush with real-time position tracking
The key difference here is that the brush either does or does not track and record the areas of the mouth you have and have not brushed during the cleaning cycle.
Those without real-time tracking will record a brushing session, including when and for how long you used the toothbrush.
During a brushing session, it will show a timer on the screen along with other data like what brushing mode you are using and it will alert you if you brush too hard.
Those with real-time tracking are doing the same, but with the additional data, which includes detailed visuals for review at a later time.
The way this works has evolved over the years. It first relied on your smartphone camera. The latest models rely on sensors in the brush handle.
During a brushing session, the app is highlighting which areas to brush and changing the visuals to denote those teeth you have brushed, in addition to the brushing time and pressure applied.
It is a more subtle difference, but those with real-time tracking can differ further. The vast majority track 6 zones of the mouth, whereas the most premium track 16.
Whilst we like many of the features and functionality that smart toothbrushes offer, we don’t believe they are essential. And, for most people, smart toothbrushes are best avoided. Doing so saves you money and reduces the environmental impact of your dental health.
For many, ourselves included, we don’t stick to using these long term. Some will. If this is you or you think a Bluetooth enabled toothbrush will really help you, then by all means purchase one. You will be better served by the top of the line models.
If you wish to learn more about how each smart toothbrush works with the Oral-B app, it is best to refer to hands-on reviews we have available of each.
The following table summarizes the key differences between smart models.
| No Position Tracking | Real-Time Position Tracking with smartphone camera | Real-Time Position Tracking – 6 Zones | Real-Time Position Tracking – 16 Zones | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of tracking included | On screen timer, pressure alerts, logs brushing sessions | On-screen timer, coverage visuals, logs brushing sessions | On-screen timer, coverage visuals, logs brushing sessions | On-screen timer, coverage visuals, logs brushing sessions |
| Smart 3000 | X | |||
| Pro 5000 | X | |||
| Pro 6000 / 6500 | X | |||
| Pro 7000 | X | |||
| Genius Pro 8000 | X | |||
| Genius 9600 | X | |||
| Genius X | X | |||
| iO Series 4 | X | |||
| iO Series 5 | X | |||
| iO Series 6 | X | |||
| iO Series 7 | X | |||
| iO Series 8 | X | |||
| iO Series 9 | X | |||
| iO Series 10 | X |
What do the different names mean? Pro, Genius, Smart iO, etc.
Oral-B produces a number of different toothbrush models. These are grouped into ranges, or families of brushes if you prefer.
Each range tends to have one or two significant differences between them. For example better battery life, or additional cleaning modes.
As more features and functions get added, the price of the brushes tends to increase too.
Within each range, there are usually a number of different models. The differences amongst these tend to be subtle. They are often technically the same, but one might come with a travel case whilst another doesn’t.
The key ranges are:
- Vitality ($)
- The essential features you require and no more.
- Satisfactory, but better options exist.
- Pro ($$)
- The essential features, plus a little more.
- The ideal brushes for the vast majority.
- Smart ($$$)
- Premium handles with more features and accessories
- Offer what you need and a little of what you don’t
- Genius ($$$$)
- Premium handles with more features and better box contents.
- iO ($$$$$)
- Top of the line with the most advanced toothbrush technology.
Although this is the general rule, be aware exceptions do exist.
Our Oral-B toothbrush comparison article describes and compares the range in more detail.
What’s the quietest Oral-B toothbrush?
The quietest Oral-B electric toothbrush is any from the iO Series.
The magnetic motor used within these models produces less noise than most other Oral-B brushes.
Cleaning modes and the environment in which you use the brush will impact the exact sound, but the iO operates at around 70-72 decibels whereas most other Oral-B brushes produce 75-79 decibels.
If toothbrush noise levels are really important to you, our quietest electric toothbrush article gives you more options.
What’s the best Oral-B toothbrush for travel?
With some exceptions, the vast majority of Oral-B brushes now offer 2 weeks use on a full charge.
The best toothbrush for travel depends on how long you will be away from power for.
If you are backpacking then the Oral-B Pro Health Clinical is likely your best choice. It lacks most of the features we look for in an electric toothbrush, but because it is powered by AA batteries, they are easy to source and last a long time.
Should you be going away on vacation for a week, then the Smart 2000 is still likely your best choice. It doesn’t come with a travel case, but you can buy Oral-B or aftermarket cases for a few dollars. And because it lasts 2 weeks on a full charge, you should have plenty of power remaining.
If you are traveling for a bit longer, but want some versatility in the way you use and charge the brush, the Genius Pro 8000 is worth considering. It has a 2 week battery life, comes with a premium travel case and can be charged inside the case too.
We have a separate article dedicated to the best travel toothbrushes if you want more detail.
What’s the best Oral-B brush for sensitive teeth?
The Smart 2000 is our top pick here too.
However, the key thing to note is that you want to buy and fit the Pro GumCare or Sensitive brush head the company makes, instead of the default CrossAction head.
Select the second brushing mode available on the 2000 and you will have the sensitive cleaning action with the softest bristled brush head the company offers.
Together they are gentle, but effective at cleaning the teeth and gums.
See our post on the best electric toothbrush for receding gums and sensitive teeth for more advice.
How does Oral-B compare to Sonicare?
Simply put, if used correctly, both an Oral-B and a Philips Sonicare toothbrush can clean your teeth really well.
It is ultimately better for you and your teeth to just begin using one or the other than worrying too much about which is ‘best’.
If we consider the cleaning results alone, there is evidence that supports both brands being good. But in a review of all the pre-existing clinical evidence, Oral-B has the slight edge.
Of course, cleaning results are important, but there are other factors that come into play when making a choice between models or brands. Things like features, box contents and price all have a part to play.
Our Sonicare vs Oral-B toothbrush comparison goes into more detail on a number of different factors, and we also have a post that looks at the best sonicare toothbrushes.
Overall Oral-B takes the win, primarily based on cleaning results and value for money.
