Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart Review

Design, usability, clean & general use

The Smart offers a lot of features, so this review is quite lengthy and this section probably the biggest, but you will know all there is to know by the end of it. If you have a question or think we have missed something, let me know in the comments.

First things first, let me talk about the design of the brush, how it looks, how it feels.

Smart and stylish this brush most certainly is.  It is clearly part of the DiamondClean range with the aesthetics that are present here, there is a continuity.

Now, depending on the model you opt for depends on the color.

The 9300 comes in 4 different color options, black, pink, white, and silver, with the 9500 also available in rose gold.

This color relates to the brush handle.

The detachable brush heads made by Sonicare are available in white or black color too.

With the white or pink handle, you get white colored brush heads, whilst with the silver or black handle, you get black colored brush heads to match.

The most premium DiamondClean Smart 9700 Series comes in one color only, lunar blue.  The brush heads provided with this handle are black in color.

I personally really like the lunar blue but the black and grey are nice too.  In fact, they are all very smart!

Continuing the color theme, the provided travel case changes too.  The lunar blue, black, and silver come with a lack case, whilst the pink and white come with a white colored case.

The brush handle itself has a smooth premium finish to it.  Just like the DiamondClean (non smart version) if you have ever seen or used that.

It is hard to explain what it actually feels like.  It is not like a glossy hard plastic. Of course, it is a solid construction but it feels more premium than most other brushes.

On the front of the brush handle, on towards the top is the Philips Sonicare logo in a muted gold color.

Below this (about two thirds of the way up the handle) is the main power button.

It is of a concave design and the thumb sits comfortably into it.  There is a large power icon on it.

It is not as resistive as some power buttons or does not give the same level of feedback, but you can, of course, tell when you have turned the brush on or off.

Below this button are 3 lights, that increase in size left to right.  It looks a little like a phone signal might on your smartphone screen.  Each light represents the intensity setting of the brush.

If 1 light is lit, the brush is set to the lowest intensity.  This is referred to as ‘Low’.  2 lights lit and the intensity is now at ‘Medium’, and if all 3 lights are lit, that is the ‘High’ setting which will give the full power of the brush (subject to cleaning mode).

Below this sits another concave button.  This is the mode/intensity button.  You press this to change between the 5 cleaning modes or change those 3 levels of brushing intensity.  The modes can be changed when the brush is switched off, whilst the intensity can be changed when the brush is switched on.

Towards the bottom of the handle, the names of the available cleaning modes are built into the handle.  Each one lights up when selected.  They do not all light up at the same time.

The light that shines out from these cleaning modes and the brushing intensity icons is a white light.

Below this is the brush head replacement reminder and the battery icon.

The brush head icon is one of the most innovative features of this brush and what makes it smart whilst setting it apart from the rest of the electric toothbrushes on the market.

It will illuminate and pulse when it is time to change the brush head for a new one (normally at 3 months).  It is an excellent extra visual reminder over and above the fading indicator bristles found on the brush head itself.

This works in conjunction with the smart RFID chip built into the brush head to know when to remind you.  It doesn’t just log when you first attached the head, it actually knows how long each head has spent brushing!

At the base of the brush is the LED light ring or the pressure sensor indicator.  I will explain this in a bit more detail later in the review.  But when activated it lights up a nice purple color and addresses what I have felt to be one of the bigger failings in previous models.

Commonly the base of the electric toothbrush will have a recess into which a prong on the charging stand for the brush will fit.  Not here.  The base of the brush is flat.  It still receives the charge via this flat surface but does so

The remainder of the rounded square handle is smooth to the touch with no additional icons, grips or features to speak of.  I would really like a bit more grip on the handle, be that rubber or raised contours to the back of the handle.  Many other brushes offer this.  I understand why Sonicare have omitted this and to be fair the brush is not super slippy in hand.

Right at the top of the brush handle, just under where the brush head connects is a ring.  On most models, it’s a dark grey/black color but on the Blue model, it is gold.  It contrasts the brush handle slightly.

The primary reason we buy an electric toothbrush is to clean our teeth and the Sonicare does a fantastic job of this.

Delivering up to 31,000 strokes per minute the bristles of the brush head skim across the tooth surface and along the gumline to sweep away plaque, bacteria, and debris.  It is according to Sonicare able to remove up to 10x more plaque and give you healthier gums in just 2 weeks compared to a manual toothbrush.

Studies have suggested that Oral-B’s oscillating, rotating and pulsating heads offer better overall cleaning performance.  But there is too plenty of supporting evidence to show how Sonicare does an equally good job.

As good as the Sonicare clean is, my personal preference is for Oral-B.  I actually find the clean a bit more aggressive and a bit rougher, which I like.

There is clinical debate over which is better.  Ultimately, both provide a significant improvement over a manual brush.

On the other hand, the Sonicare is quieter, producing a humming sound when in use whereas the Oral-B models have a much louder mechanical sound to them when running.

Brushing the teeth is not possible without the brush heads.  These come included in the box.

There are 4 styles of brush head included with the DiamondClean Smart.

These are:

• Philips Sonicare C3 Premium Plaque Control Toothbrush Head
• Philips Sonicare G3 Premium Gum Care Toothbrush Head
• Philips Sonicare W3 Premium White Toothbrush Head
• Philips Sonicare T1 TongueCare+  Toothbrush Head (Not provided with DiamondClean 9300 Series)

All new brush heads, these are not quite like the brush heads you may already know and used.

They have been scientifically engineered with the bristles to be the right length and angle, they are available in black or white color options to complement the brush handle, but the brush heads themselves are smart.

Built into every brush head is a little chip.

This radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip acts as a way for the brush head and handle to communicate.  It is core to the Brushsync technology built into this toothbrush.

Brushsync is made up of 2 parts, brush head reminders, and mode pairing.

When connected to the DiamondClean Smart brush handle (or other brushsync enabled handle) the brush will automatically be set to the most appropriate cleaning mode for that brush head.  The chip and the brush handle communicate to trigger this action.

The heads also know how often and for how long they have been used.

The DiamondClean Smart offers up to 5 cleaning modes (model dependent), those modes are:

• Clean
  • It lasts for 2 minutes and is designed to be used with intensity level 3. It gives a thorough and complete clean.  It is recommended that you use the Premium Plaque Defense brush head with this mode.  This is the mode most will use on a daily basis.
• White+
  • It lasts for 2 minutes and 40 seconds and is designed to be used with intensity level 3.  The best brush head to use is the Premium White brush head.
• Gum Health
  • It lasts for 3 minutes and 20 seconds and is designed to be used with intensity level 3.  The best brush head to use is the Premium Gum Care brush head.
• DeepClean+
  • The amount of time DeepClean+ runs for depends on whether or not the handle is connected to the app. In connected mode, DeepClean+ runs for 2 minutes and provides BrushPacer feedback every 20 seconds. In non-connected mode, DeepClean+ runs for three minutes and provides BrushPacer feedback every 30 seconds.
• Tongue Care
  • It lasts for just 20 seconds and is to be used with intensity level 1 and the Tongue Care+ brush head.

You may wish to consult the instruction book that comes with the brush for a step by step guide on how to make the best use of each of these modes. We also cover them in detail here.

Now, when considering these modes with the Smart brush heads, if you were to fit the Tongue Care brush head and the brush will know to operate the Tongue Care mode, selecting it for you.

Replace with the Plaque Control brush head and the brush will change to the Clean mode.

It might be a super lazy approach, but in the age of modern convenience why not?! It is a neat touch and something we have thought brushes available today should be able to do.

You can manually change what mode is used with each brush head and what intensity setting you want set.  The brush heads will work on any mode at any intensity, but the brush is clever enough to know and preset some settings for you for the ‘ideal’ clean and performance.

To change the cleaning mode used, whilst the brush is off, press the mode/intensity button the correct number of times until the desired mode is selected.

When the brush is powered on that button can be used to change the intensity of the brush.  The cleaning mode can be changed only when the brush is powered off.

The brush will remember the last cleaning mode used if the brush automatically powers off at the end of the cleaning cycle. So, if clean was the last mode used and the brush turned itself off, it will launch into this when powered on, if the brush head has not been changed.

As I suggested earlier, these heads go one stage further and work in conjunction with the brush to light up a brush head reminder icon (when appropriate) to give you a visual clue it is time to replace the brush head. It knows how long each head has been used for because of the chip.

So if you were to use the same brush head every day for 3 months the icon would light up around the 3 month period.  If you have only used that head 3 times in 3 months it will not light up until you have had 3 month’s use from the head.

All Sonicare brush heads (with exception of tongue clean) have reminder bristles that are the blue in color, which over a typical 3 month period will fade from a relatively strong blue to white color.  If they turn white, replace the head.  This is another visual clue if the flashing light on the handle doesn’t do it for you.

You can tell if it is a smart brush head by the icon towards the bottom of the brush head, it looks like a WiFi logo.

New technology comes at a price, unfortunately.

A pack of 2 heads has a retail price of $35 whilst a pack of 4 has a price of $60.

This gives an average cost per head between $15-17.50 each.

Thankfully retailers are knocking the prices a bit and if you buy a 4 pack you can get the average cost per head down to about $13 each.

Compare this to a non-smart brush head and there is an extra charge of about $3 per head.

You can use standard Sonicare brush heads (cheaper) on the DiamondClean Smart, but the brush will not automatically change cleaning modes, it will also not tell you when it is time to change the brush head.

Smart brush heads like these provided will also not offer any smart functionality on any other brush other than those with Brushsync.

Built into the handle is the battery, motor and all the other clever tech.

The battery is not user removable and is a Lithium-Ion battery for those who are interested.  It lasts for a minimum of 2 weeks, but can last for a lot longer (over 3 weeks), subject to the cleaning mode used.

Sonicare brushes produce some of the longest performing batteries in the market.

One way in which they conserve power is by having the brush automatically turn off at the end of each cleaning cycle.  You need not turn the brush off, it does it itself at the end of the clean.  It conserves power and is another example of a small but useful convenience and is the best way I can think of to tell you that the clean is over.

This functionality ties in with the built-in timer that is in the brush.  At 20 second intervals, you get a notification via a beep, a pause in the motor and brush head motion that it is time to change area and focus on cleaning the next section of the mouth.

You get 6 x 20 second intervals per 2 minute clean, so you focus on the following areas:

• Upper right back teeth
• Upper front teeth
• Upper left back teeth
• Lower left back teeth
• Lower front teeth
• Lower right back teeth

These timings are all based on professional recommendations and most modes last for 2 minutes.

As important as the brush is the way in which you clean your teeth.  Sonicare goes to quite some detail in the manual about how to clean your teeth, so pay attention. The technique is different for an electric toothbrush to a manual one.

This brush is water resistant.  You can rinse it under the tap and it will survive a life in a bathroom.  Sonicare does not advise use in the shower and you should not submerge the brush in water.

One feature that I believe helps a lot with achieving a good habit is the pressure sensor.  A feature that has for a long time been on Oral-B brushes but has never really been present on Sonicare models.

Built into the handle when the sensor detects when too much pressure is applied to the teeth it reduces the speed of the brush motor and the light ring on the bottom of the brush emits a purple light.  It will remain purple until such time as the pressure is released.

The bristles need only skim the teeth.  Too much pressure can be damaging and lead to gum recession.  There is a bit of a false myth that electric toothbrushes cause recession.  They do not.  If anything they are better for recession!

If you use the smartphone app it will show on screen too that you are brushing too hard and need to relive some of the force.

As pretty as the light is, you do not want it to come on.  Don’t worry though if it does, just know how to solve the issue.

Some might argue the purple light is a bit of a feminine color.  There is no option to change it.  It’s not my favorite color, but I don’t dislike it and it is noticeable, that is the main idea.

I like the principle of how it is implemented, it looks smart without detracting from the design.  However, unless in a darker room the light is actually not that obvious.  You may see it if brushing in front of a mirror, but I think Oral-B’s neck placement is more obvious, not to mention brighter.

It would be nice if there were some of the customization options like there is with the Oral-B Genius X LED Smart Ring.

Another novel piece of tech built into the Smart handle is something present on cheaper Sonicare brushes too.  It is called Easy-start.

It is an option that gently increases the power over the first 14 brushings to help you get used to the brushing with the electric toothbrush and is really designed for those moving to the brush from a manual one, where the extra power may seem too much.

The Easystart feature works in all modes other than TongueCare+ mode.

The brush comes with the mode deactivated, but it can be turned on. Refer to our FAQ’s for details on this process.

Part of what makes the DiamondClean Smart unique and indeed Smart is the Bluetooth connectivity and the application that is available for Android and iOS.

The ethos is education.  Encouraging and advising to clean better.  The app is not geared to offer up a lecture on what’s right and wrong, but tips and diagrams to show you how to be better and improve over time.

Paying attention to what the app says will help your oral health and could in time decrease your dental bills because you are taking better care of your mouth.

To get the best value and functionality from the brush, you need to use the app at the same time as you brush your teeth.

This will allow you to see in real-time how well, or not, you are brushing.

When using the app and brush together you do not need to be actually looking at your phone the whole time, but it is good to glance at it occasionally.

For me, this is one of the biggest oversights made by Philips.  There is no smartphone holder included.

A basic cradle that would hold the phone at a nice viewing angle would have been a nice touch, to keep your hand free and the phone safe.  It need not have been a bulky suction cup affair as per the Oral-B Genius Pro 8000.

It would cost just a few dollars to include and finish the package nicely.

Sadly instead, you will either need to hold the phone in hand to see what’s going on in the app and track your performance or fashion your own stand.

Via an on-screen graphic of the teeth in your mouth, the app guides you around the sections of the mouth you need to brush.

The theory is that you clean the teeth evenly when you follow this.

The teeth turn from a dull colour to a bright white as you brush. The longer you brush the whiter they get. Areas that get insufficient brushing time remain dull.

Although it is best to follow the graphic on screen, you can clean the teeth in any order you see fit and the app will acknowledge the position of the brush and change the colour of the teeth on-screen accordingly. Whilst its not always 100% accurate it is fairly good most of the time.

At the end of the brushing session, areas of the mouth you missed or did not give enough attention to are coloured yellow.

Essentially, the colour changing teeth allow you to really easily see how well you are doing and make improvements straight away, because you are being shown where to pay more attention.

If you don’t use the app when you brush, you won’t get the same level of real-time feedback. However, it will sync data when the 2 are next connected. It stores up to 28 sessions of data.

The app has recently been updated and presents a summarized view of your brushing data for the last 7 days. This is a positive because there is less opportunity to become overwhelmed by all the data.

You can dig further down into the app for a bit more historic data if you want it, but you don’t get as much historic data (months & years) as you once did.

The main progress screen shows the average time per session and per day. It also shows the pressure levels used.

Green icons are good. Orange icons highlight areas you need to work on.

This information is helpful for sure, particularly for new electric toothbrush users.

Within the app, it gives you details about the brush heads you have been using. It will log each one and show how many brushing sessions you have left.

You can within your profile set details about yourself. You can also get more information about your particular brush handle, as well as update the software that your brush handle is using.

Sonicare I think have done an ok job with the app. Initial setup and configuration are straightforward and I had no issues pairing the app with the brush. That said there is room for improvement. I think bringing back more data logging would be useful.

In an ideal world, we would like to see the ability for more people to share a brush handle between users (changing the brush head of course) to get more value from it.

Whilst possible, sadly the Bluetooth connectivity option becomes redundant.  This brush can pair with multiple phones but is only capable of logging one set of data.  There is no way to differentiate between users.  The handles see’s any brushing session as that of the main user.  Thus sharing the DiamondClean Smart handle will defeat the very point of the brush.

I am sure in time there will be a solution to this, but presently there is not.  The only option is to buy another brush.

A great experience overall.  Some may find it overkill.  Sometimes I think this. Do I want or need such?  It is clever, but you do need to form a  bit of a habit.  For some, it could become obsessive to log everything completely.

If you have any question over the value of the app and think it is a bit of a gimmick, the DiamondClean Smart is not really for you, go look at the DiamondClean.

Depending on the variant you go for will depend slightly on the box contents.

All have a premium travel case, the difference being the 9500 Series I am reviewing here and the 9700 allow for the brush to be charged in the case.  This is not possible with the 9300.

Without a doubt, the best travel case I have experienced to date for a toothbrush, the hard case is finished in a soft touch leather.

Robust, it will certainly take some knocks and can hold the handle and up to 2 brush heads.

A magnetic closure keeps the lid shut, not fiddly clasps or buttons, but easy enough to open too. It looks and feels every part as premium as the brush.

A charging cable (which is 60cm in length) is actually built into the case and tucks away underneath it.  On the standard DiamondClean it is a detachable cable, that could easily be lost.

On the underside of the case, you remove a large panel to reveal the cable neatly nestled within the case.  With one end firmly wired into the case, at the other end is a standard USB Type A connection that can be connected to a USB port on a computer, on a wall charger, to a battery bank and more, to charge the brush where you like whilst in the case. I love this, despite the fact you need not charge the brush all that often with a 3 week battery life.

The cover that hides the cable has been cleverly designed and can actually be refitted whilst allowing the cable to be fed out through the back.

Given the price, including a USB power adapter for a mains connection would have been a nice touch.

With all models, you get the charging glass.

Think of a glass tumbler you might have a drink of spirits like Whiskey from.  Put the Sonicare logo on the front of it and sit it on a plate that has a power connector attached to it and you get the idea.

Lent in the glass, the brush does not stand upright.

The power connector is a 100-240v and connects to the Canadian mains power outlet.

The good news here is that it supports international voltages if traveling, all you may need is a plug adapter.  But then again you may just use the charging case?

Another complete oversight, in my opinion, is not providing a brush head storage compartment.

As a minimum, the DiamondClean Smart comes with 3 brush heads, but with the 9700 it comes with 8.  There is nothing to store these in.

For years Oral-B have provided a basic brush head storage compartment that held those you used regularly within close reach.  But the DiamondClean does not benefit from such.

Sonicare do make a stand, it holds up to 4 brush heads upright inside a stylish clear plastic container.  It protects them from dust and debris and makes access to them easy.  This is offered with the DiamondClean Smart in other countries, just not in the Canada & the USA.  I do not understand why.

For the price paid it should have been included with the 9700.

Finally for this section, for added peace of mind, the DiamondClean Smart comes with a 2 year warranty which covers any brush faults that are not as a result of user damage.  You can extend this by a further 6 months if the brush is registered online, there is no cost to this.