Detailed comparison: what’s the difference between the Pro 1000 and 500?

The number of differences between these 2 brushes is fairly limited in comparison to some other models.

However, of the differences a couple stand out as being quite important.  They affect the cleaning results, but also your experience using the brush on a daily basis.

Both the Pro 500 and 1000 are at the lower end of the Oral-B product range in terms of features and price.

This isn’t necessarily as negative.  You don’t need lots of features in a good toothbrush.  Our top recommended brushes are those that deliver the best performance and features for the price.

The Pro 500 is certainly the inferior brush here.  To be fair, it isn’t terrible.  It is perfectly satisfactory. But satisfactory isn’t really enough when there are many better brushes available, the Pro 1000 is a perfect example.

The first and most obvious difference between the 2 is the handle design.

Both have a cylindrical handle and a removable brush head.

However, the Pro 500 has a tapered design to the handle, wider at the top than the bottom, compared to the consistent cylindrical shape of the Pro 1000.

From a size and weight perspective, here is how they compare:

Pro 1000:

• Height (without head) – 19.5cm/7.68 inches
• Height (with head) – 23.2cm/9.13 inches
• Width – 2.5cm/0.98 inches
• Thickness – 2.9cm/1.14 inches
• Weight (without head) – 118g/4.1oz
• Weight (with head) – 123g/4.3oz

Pro 500:

• Height (without head) – 18cm
• Height (with head) – 22cm
• Width – 3.2~2.5cm
• Thickness – 3.2~2.5cm
• Weight (without head) – 99g
• Weight (with head) – 105g

The Pro 500 is definitely the more grippy toothbrush and feels more secure in the hand.  It has a grip that covers approximately two thirds of the brush handle, with only the lower third of the handle not covered, exposing gloss white plastic body.  

This grip wraps 360 degrees around the handle, it isn’t limited to just the front or just the back of the handle.

The 1000 on the other hand has an all plastic body with little in the way of grip on the front of the handle.  There is a small silicone/rubber panel around the power button, but this is not significant enough to make a big difference.

The back of the handle does have a dimpled texture running top to bottom which is better than being completely smooth, but if wet the 1000 definitely feels less secure in the hand.

The pro or con, depending on how you look at it, is that the Pro 1000 is easier to keep clean.  A simple wipe or rinse of the plastic bodied 1000 washes away a lot of the grime that otherwise builds up within the textured grip of the Pro 500.

Linked to the design is the handle colours.  

The grip on the handle of the Pro 500 is typically black in colour.  It is normally this 1 colour option only. 

The Pro 1000 on the other hand is available in 3 colours, white, black and pink, although white and black are most common.

Depending on the colour variant, the rubber panel around the power button does differ in colour slightly.  

It is worth noting that the black, green and pink variants of the 1000 actually have a white coloured base to them. Therefore the whole unit is not black or pink. The images best demonstrate this.

A more significant difference is the cleaning action of the 2 brushes.  Although similar, there is a difference.

The Pro 500 has 2D cleaning action compared to the 3D cleaning action of the 1000.

What this means is that the 1000 benefits from pulsations, another word for vibrations that aid in the cleaning of the teeth and gums.

A form of ‘non contact’ brushing. the high frequency pulsations generated by the Pro 1000 agitate fluids that surround the teeth and can loosen and remove dental plaque in locations that are beyond the physical touch of the toothbrush.

In addition, the available movements from the brushes motor is a little different. The Pro 500 enjoys 7,800 oscillations per minute, but that 1000 has an extra 1000 oscillations, so 8,800 in total. 

There is then the 20,000 pulsations which are not present on the 500.

Both models use Oral-B’s small round brush heads, which have been clinically proven.

Typically, both come with 1 brush head in the box.

The style included does differ.  The Pro 500 tends to come with a Precision Clean brush head whereas the 1000 comes with a CrossAction head.

Although they come with different heads, they are interchangeable.  This means you can use any of the click-on style Oral-B heads on either the Pro 500 or 1000.  Certainly don’t base your purchasing decision on the brush head alone.

Another extra feature the Pro 1000 has, is a pressure sensor.

What happens is if the brush detects too much pressure, the speed of the motor and in turn, the number of movements the brush head makes is reduced.

Such a response by the brush limits the potential damage the brush can do to your teeth and gums. Full speed is resumed when the pressure is no longer detected.

The 1000 does not have a visible pressure sensor like some other models in the range.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to actually know when the sensor has been activated with the 1000 though, s it is not perfect in that regard.

The last difference between these 2 models is the battery.

You don’t necessarily need weeks of usage time from the built-in rechargeable battery, but the average is now about 2 if not 3 weeks.

Both these brushes fall below that, but the Pro 500 has 8 days or 16 brushing sessions compared to the 10 days or 20 brushing sessions of the Pro 1000.

Both use a Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery and will take 12-16 hours to recharge.

If you are a regular traveler, neither of these are ideal as you would likely need to take the charging stand with you.

However, what does make a difference is the inclusion of a battery status icon on the brush handle of the Pro 1000.

You will get a notification when power is low when the brush is charging and when charging is complete. 

The 500 offers no LED to give feedback on the battery.  You don’t know the battery is low until such time as you hear, see and feel the movements in the brush head slowing, or it just stops working.

Because you don’t get a warning you need to remember to recharge regularly or hope it does not run out mid clean.

If you always leave your toothbrush on the charger after use, it might not be a big issue, but it is a frustration that can play out in real life for most people.

Does one clean better than the other?

Yes, it is the Pro 1000 is capable of cleaning the teeth better.

Where there is little difference between the cleaning abilities of most electric toothbrushes, the difference here is more significant.

Both brushes provide a more consistent cleaning action than a manual toothbrush and will be beneficial for your dental health if you use them correctly.

What sets these 2 brushes apart, is whilst they both use the clinically superior small round brush heads, the Pro 500 has only an oscillating-rotating (2D) cleaning action compared to the oscillating-rotating and pulsating (3D) cleaning action of the Pro 1000.

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.

It is a non contact brushing as the high frequency pulsations generated by the brush agitate fluids that surround the teeth and can loosen and remove dental plaque in locations that are beyond the physical touch of the toothbrush.

Pulsations are essentially Oral-B’s description for sonic technology.

The 500 offers 7,800 oscillations per minute, whereas the 1000 is more powerful with 8,800.

0 pulsations are available on the Pro 500, whereas the Pro 1000 offers 20,000.

If you brushed your teeth with each brush, it is possible to tell the difference.

Although the Pro 500 is perfectly usable as a daily toothbrush, the Pro 1000 will longer term help deliver a much better cleaning experience.

Given the whole point of a toothbrush is to clean the teeth, it is well worth benefiting from the extra cleaning ability the 1000 offers if you can.

Do remember your brushing time, how often you brush and your brushing technique play a big part too.  To get the best clean, make sure you learn how to brush your teeth properly.

Is one better priced than the other?

Yes, typically, the Pro 500 is the cheaper of the 2 models.

It has a retail price of around $50-55 compared to the 80-100 of the Pro 1000.

A $30-50 premium for the 1000 seems hard to justify.

But, when you factor in the actual selling prices, things change.

Both models will typically sell quite a bit less than their retail price.

Expect to pay around $40 for the Pro 500 and $64-80 for the Pro 1000.

That difference of $30-50 is reduced to just $24-40.

Given the benefits of the 1000, I believe this is a justifiable additional spend unless you are on a really tight budget.

The ongoing cost to use these brushes is the same because both use the same Oral-B brush heads.

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.

Detailed comparison: what’s the difference between the Oral-B Pro 1000 and Smart 2000?

In all honesty, these brushes are similar in more ways than they are different, but some notable differences do exist.

Whilst neither will radically change nor improve how well you or the brush cleans the teeth, the 2000 is the better product.

They way they look is very similar, but there are subtle differences in the colour of the brush handles.

The Pro 1000 is available with a white, black and pink brush handle.

With the 1000, whilst the majority of the handle is the specified colour, the base of the handle remains white.  This means the black handled unit has a white ring of colour at the base.

Each has a colour accent rubber grip around the power button. This is a light grey colour on the white and black models, but white on the pink variant.

The Smart 2000 on the other hand is available in white colour only.

Like the Pro 1000, the grip around the power button of the Smart 2000 is a light grey colour.

With both the Pro 1000 the brush head provided with the black coloured unit is black also. All others have white brush heads.

Around the neck of the Smart 2000s brush handle is a clear panel.  It runs a full 360 degrees around the handle.

This is not a customizable LED light ring as found on models like the Genius Pro 8000 and Genius X, but instead a 360 degree visible pressure sensor.

Both of these models have a pressure sensor built-in, but it is only the 2000 that has the visible sensor.

When activated, the 360 degree sensor will be lit red, giving a visual warning to the user that the sensor has been activated.

You do not get this visual alert with the Pro 1000.

Both do still slow the brush head movements when activated, but, it is virtually impossible to know if the sensor has been activated on the 1000 as there is no light, or significant change in sound or brushing sensation.

For new and experienced electric toothbrush users alike, the visible sensor is much more practical.  It should help prevent you from doing damage to the teeth and the gums quicker than the 1000 might.

Whilst 1 cleaning mode is perfectly sufficient for most, many desire additional modes.

The Smart 2000 offers this.  Officially it offers 1 extra cleaning mode, so 2 in total.

Both models have Daily Clean, but the Smart 2000 also has a Sensitive cleaning mode.

Sensitive is a slower and more gentle brushing mode, ideal for those with inflamed gums.  It pairs well with the soft bristled brush head that is included in the box.

A more detailed description of the differences between these modes is available in our Oral-B brushing mode article, but ultimately the extra mode gives more choice to find the cleaning power and effect you prefer most.

Another difference, albeit relatively subtle is the amount of cleaning power the motor inside the brush handle delivers.

The Pro 1000 has a motor that offers 8,800 oscillations and 20,000 pulsations, whereas the 2000 has a slightly more powerful motor offering the same 8,800 oscillations, but 40,000 pulsations.

What this means is that it can potentially clean the teeth a little better, but the actual difference would still be relatively limited.  It is not possible to say from this alone that 1 brush would clean the teeth significantly better.  Add into this that different modes use a different amount of power from the motor and it complicates things a little further.

Both brushes come supplied with a single brush head.  The Pro 1000 typically comes with a CrossAction head, whilst the 2000 comes with a Sensitive brush head.

The Sensitive head has softer bristles and is a good compliment to the additional cleaning mode available on the brush.

Oral-B brush heads are interchangeable, so if you have a preference you can acquire and fit your preferred brush head to either handle.  You do not have to stick with the one supplied.

Sealed inside both handles is a rechargeable battery.

The Pro 1000 has a Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery that is said to last 10 days on a full charge compared to the 14+ days that is possible with the Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery built into the Smart 2000.

In my hands-on testing, the Pro 1000 achieved 10.5 days whilst the Smart 2000 managed 20.

Whilst many of us do not need weeks of power on a single charge, having double the battery life on the Smart 2000 is very compelling. It is certainly a more attractive option to travellers.

Does one clean better than the other?

Technically, yes, the Smart 2000 could potentially, but in reality, no.

The increased power of the Smart 2000s motor (8,800 oscillations & 40,000 pulsations) could potentially mean that the teeth are cleaned more effectively than if the Pro 1000 (8,800 oscillations & 20,000 pulsations) was used.

This issue is that there are many variables and proving this is quite difficult.

My hands-on testing has not been conducted in any scientific way that would be able to determine this.  I suspect even if it was, the differences would be minimal and not clinically significant.

The additional cleaning modes available on the Smart 2000 may also have a beneficial effect for some users.  The Sensitive mode likely being the one with the most appeal as it is a little more gentle.

An argument can also be made that the visible pressure sensor can play a part in the overall clean, but again it is tricky to conclusively measure.

The likelihood is that for most Canadians, perfecting their brushing routine and the regularity with which they brush will have the most significant benefits over selecting between either of these particular brushes.

Is one better priced than the other?

Yes, the Pro 1000 is the cheaper of the 2 brushes.

The 1000 has a recommended retail price of $80-100 compared to the $100 of the Smart 2000.

Up to an additional $20 for the Smart 2000 isn’t a significant extra spend given the specification.

However, in reality, both brushes sell for less than their recommended prices.

The Pro 1000 tends to sell for around $64-80 whereas the Smart 2000 is nearer $80.

So, on average you are looking at up to $16 lower price in favour of the 1000.

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.

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

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

The overall size and weight of the brushes are similar.

The Genius X is:

• Height (without head) – 8.07 inches (20.5cm)
• Height (with head) – 9.25 inches (23.5cm)
• Width – 1.06 inches (2.7cm)
• Thickness – 1.26 inches (3.2cm)
• Weight (without head) – 4.69oz (133g)
• Weight (with head) – 4.87oz (138g)

The iO is:

• Height (without head) – 7.2 inches (18.5cm)
• Height (with head) – 9.3 inches ( 23.7cm)
• Width – 1.1 inches (2.8cm)
• Thickness – 1.1 inches (3cm)
• Weight (without head) – 4.6oz (131g)
• Weight (with head) – 4.9oz (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 X 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 X 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 X 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 Genius X is available in 5 colour options, black, white, orchid purple, sakura pink, and anthracite black.  The iO is available in 4, white alabaster, onyx black, violet ametrine and rose quartz.  Some colours are for specific variants only.  

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 X, but it achieves the same results.  The benefit being really that it is quite a bit quieter than the Genius X.  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 X.  

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.

All Series of the iO come with Ultimate Clean brush heads.  It is essentially a revised design of the CrossAction head typically offered with a lot of Oral-B brushes. You get 2 with the Series 7, 3 with the Series 8 and 4 with the Series 9.

The Genius X comes with different brush heads, depending on the variant.  You get either 3 with the standard Genius X (1 x CrossAction, 1 x 3D White & 1 x FlossAction) or you get7 with the Luxe variant (2 x CrossAction, 1 x 3D White, 2 x Pro GumCare & 2 x FlossAction)

It is worth noting that the iO brush heads cannot be fitted to the Genius X 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 X 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 X.

But, another slight difference is that the iO does not change the sound of the brush like the Genius X 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 X 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 X, the stand provided with the iO is either black or white subject to the colour variant chosen.

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 X 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 seperate power adapter provided for the travel case.

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

On the Genius X 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 X 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 X case feels the more premium, although the iO’s is lighter.

The Genius X 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 X 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 X 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.

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 X  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 different.

The Genius X has a recommended retail price of $300 and $350 for the standard and luxe models

The Oral-B iO 9 Series has a retail price of $360.

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.

However, the reality is that the iO and the Genius X are typically sold for approximately 20-25% less than their advertised retail price.

The average price of the Genius X is around $240-255, whilst the iO is around $288.  

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 X works out at around 27 cents per day over 3 years compared to the 37 cents of the iO.

Clearly there is a reasonable 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 X 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.