Curaprox Hydrosonic Pro review

The small brush heads are probably the best feature — they make reaching tight spaces much easier

The teardrop shape of the heads is approximately 30-50% smaller than most other sonic brush heads. This means you focus on 1 tooth at a time, compared to the 2 or 3 of larger brush heads.

It does also allow for the head to be more easily positioned into some of the tightest spaces in the mouth, much like Oral-B’s round heads. If you have a very small mouth or struggle to reach certain areas, the Hydrosonic could be a good choice for you. 

The heads are backed with rubber, which means they are gentle on the soft tissues in the mouth. You also get less of that horrible plastic sound if you knock it against your teeth as you brush.

Where the majority of quality toothbrushes use nylon bristles, the Hydrosonic Pro instead has CUREN filaments. Made from polyester, each filament is thinner and absorbs water 6 times slower than nylon. 

Curapox offers 3 different styles of head and 1 of each is included.

The power and sensitive heads have longer outer filaments, with shorter ones in the center. The head shaft is angled at 10 degrees to help reach the areas at the back of the mouth.

The power has 1,404 filaments whereas there are 2,184 in the softer sensitive head

More specialized is the single head. Designed for interdental spaces and dental fixtures such as braces. It has one large pointed tuft, angled at 15 degrees.

All heads push onto and pull off of the handle and should be replaced every 3 months on average. Unlike competing products, there are no fading indicator bristles or lights on the brush handle to alert you when it is time to change. Not an issue if you remember to change regularly, but if you know you have a habit of using a toothbrush for longer than you should, competing brushes offer timely reminders you don’t get with the Hydrosonic.

The six sided handle helps get the right brushing angle

Whilst few brushes are perfect cylinders, the Pro actually has 6 very defined sides. 2 are rounded and there are a further 4 flat sides that run the length of the handle. It creates a more angular design that might initially seem a bit odd.

But, these noticeable edges help grip the brush. It made me think more about how I positioned the handle in the palm of the hand, compared to a rounded handle to achieve the recommended 45 degree angle to the gumline. 

I can’t say the more unique shape of the Pro was definitely better. Being different, I felt like I was thinking more intentionally about how I handled the brush, which has to be a good thing. 

The plastic handle has an almost soft touch matte finish which feels premium and durable in hand. The clean lines and minimal design looks great, but perhaps a bit too clinical with only a white color option.

It’s able to stand upright, doesn’t roll on a countertop and feels well balanced.

It’s water resistant too, so if you like to brush your teeth whilst in the shower, you can with the Hydrosonic Pro.

More brushing intensities than you need, but plenty of choice to suit different preferences

There are 7 different brushing intensities to choose from.

They range from the lowest, gentle option at 44,000 vibrations per minute to the most powerful at 84,000. There is a noticeable difference between each.

Such a choice means you can really dial into an intensity that is right for you. If you like an intense clean, set the highest intensity. Or if you have gum disease and tooth sensitivity, you may benefit from a lower mode with the ability to very gradually increase the cleaning power as and when you desire. 

For most users, 2 settings are generally sufficient. A low setting for when your gums and teeth are perhaps feeling a bit sensitive and a higher setting for that more invigorating clean. Power plays a limited role in the cleaning effectiveness. Whichever you use there won’t be much difference — technique and brushing time usually have a bigger impact.

The brush will default to the last mode used. Press and hold the power button to cycle through the intensities. Just be aware you can’t change them prior to turning the brush on. This means you will want to pop the brush in the mouth first to stop it from spraying paste or water across the room. It also makes it challenging to see the LED notification if you wish to rely on this for helping choose the power level. 

The LED notification strip is hard to see & use

As you select the brushing intensity, the length of the blue light strip beneath the power button changes. Full power lights up 7 LEDs with lower power resulting in a shorter strip of light

It looks sleek, but text labels would have worked better. Level 1 and 7 are a bit easier to see, but if you select one in the middle it’s tough to actually tell what intensity is set.

Use it in a bright environment and it’s even more difficult to see.

It’s used to also show when the battery is low. In this instance, it lights up red.

On several occasions, I came to find that the battery was flat because I had missed the LED notification.

There’s a blue light around the power button This is always lit and doesn’t change with the intensity or battery charge status. It would look better if the light strength was consistent too, but it’s stronger at the bottom, and duller at the top.

It’s noticeably quieter than many other brushes

It certainly isn’t the quietest brush I’ve tested, but with a maximum decibel reading of 68 decibels, this is one of the quieter electric toothbrushes. 

It is quieter than most Oral-B models, and similar to most Philips Sonicare brushes.

The exact noise level does depend on the intensity selected. The pitch changes through the intensities, with the lowest intensity producing t 59 decibels and a low audible tone

It costs 3x more than comparable brushes

Over 3 years of ownership, the Hydrosonic Pro will cost around $325. That is 3x more expensive than the Oral-B Smart 1500, our top recommended electric toothbrush. From my own testing, I would say the Hydrosonic is worth paying a bit more for, but not that much.  

$199.99 is the Hydrosoinc Pro’s retail price.

Replacement heads cost around $12.50 each compared to the $5 for Oral-B and $8 for Philips.

Competing brands' products are often sold with a 20% discount hence the lower ownership costs.

Oral-B’s iO Series 6 offers real-time tracking and a display in the handle It costs $252 over 3 years, and is arguably better value even if you don’t need the features.

For each dollar spent per feature, other brands clearly win here.

If you like the benefits the Curaprox brings, you can get these with their ‘Easy’ model. It’s around $70 cheaper. A small but not significant saving. The main difference is fewer intensity options.

The 15 day battery life is average compared to others

Curaprox suggests a 60 minute battery life from the Pro. Assuming twice daily use, for 2 minutes a time, that is 15 days. I achieved no more than this from the rechargeable Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery.

Whilst satisfactory, this is on the lower side of average. Many offer 3 weeks on a single charge. Given the costs and quality, I had hoped that it would perform better.

A redeeming factor is when the battery is low, the cleaning power remains consistent.

The USB charging stand can be used in a bathroom

You recharge the battery via the Included charging stand. Comparably sized to most toothbrush charging stands, there are 4 black rubber feet that lift it up off the countertop and reduce slipping. It has a USB cable hardwired into it.

Unlike many USB charging stands a 2 pin power adapter included. The adapter supports 100-240v.

A full charge can take up to 10 hours.

The notification LED lets you know when a recharge is due and when a charge is complete

Feedback on the battery charge level is given when the brush is taken off the charging stand or when the toothbrush is powered off.

The more blue light you see the higher the charge level. When only 20% battery power remains a red LED is activated. 

Like the intensity LEDs, the low battery warning can be difficult to notice.

Soft, yet ticklish cleaning action cleans the teeth well

The cleaning action is soft despite the intense sounding 84,000 movements per minute when set to the highest mode. It gives a ticklish feeling to the teeth and gums but isn’t as aggressive and harsh as the likes of Oral-B. It is certainly comparable, if marginally more gentle than most sonic toothbrushes.

Technically the brush creates a hydrodynamic cleaning action. Simply put it means fluids are pushed around and between the teeth to blast away plaque and bacteria for a dentist clean feeling.

I’m pleased with the results. I can’t personally say my teeth felt any cleaner using the Hydrosonic Pro compared to an Oral-B or a Philips Sonicare brush. It was a softer brushing experience.

The pacer encourages you to brush all your teeth evenly

It’s vitally important that all the tooth surfaces are given equal attention, not just the front teeth I would see when you smile.

The pacer is a dentist recommended feature that helps you to brush evenly for the correct amount of time. It’s configured to 30 second intervals and works as expected.

Nearly all of the Sonic toothbrushes I have tested automatically power off after 2 minutes, whereas the Pro powers off after 4. Oral-B’s brushes, which use oscillating-rotating technology rather than Sonic, don’t have automatic power off. 

Depending on how long you like to brush your teeth for, automatic power off can be helpful or annoying, but it’s not a big factor overall. 

It won’t alert you if you brush too hard

Brushing with too much force over prolonged periods will result in wear on the tooth and gum surfaces and can lead to sensitivity and gum recession.

You don’t need to scrub the teeth hard as you brush. In fact, you really want to have the bristles skim the tooth surfaces.

There is no pressure sensor built into the Pro, so you won’t be alerted If you brush with excessive force.

Curaprox recommends tilting the brush back and forth over the teeth, as per this video. The constant repositioning of the head makes it more difficult to brush too hard as you are making regular adjustments. This is not a technique I’ve seen widely promoted and takes a bit of getting used to. I still think a pressure sensor would be beneficial, particularly to first time electric toothbrush users.

The included travel case is bulky but has some nice touches

The travel case has a squarer design, which makes it look and feel bulkier. This isn’t uncommon given it has space for the handle and 2 brush heads. It is more than adequate for occasional travel. Nice touches include 4 feet on the base, 2 vents for airflow and magnets to keep it closed.

My experience of other Curaprox products is great

I’ve tested many electric brushes from the likes of Oral-B and Philips, but this is the first Curaprox electric brush I have used. They only offer 3 models at the time of review. Therefore I don’t have previous experience as I do with competing brands. But, I do own other Curaprox products which give me some indication of the company's approach to dental care.

I personally use the Curaprox CS 5460 manual toothbrush and have recently been won over by their environmentally considerate Prime interdental brush system. Well-made, functional products, they are a pleasure to use.

Swiss firm Curaden, the company behind Curaprox might not be as well-known as Oral-B and Sonicare, but they have a solid reputation within the dental profession.

Where many brands are building lots of tech and features into their toothbrushes, Curaprox is innovating by making subtle changes that have a long term positive impact.

The 3 year warranty is more generous than the standard 2 years

A 2 year manufacturer warranty is provided as standard. This is pretty commonplace, but you can extend this for a further year if you register online.

It’s a nice touch and brings additional peace of mind.

I have no reason to be seriously concerned about the ongoing reliability of the Hydrosonic Pro. It appears solid and well built. Only long term use can really determine the durability; no electric toothbrush is immune to failure.

It would be advantageous if simpler tasks like replacing a battery could be completed yourself, but they can’t.

Should you not be satisfied for any reason, Curaprox offers a 30 day money back guarantee.

Environmental impact

The Hydrosonic Pro has an extensive box contents, including a 95 page user manual in various languages. The box was wrapped in cellophane wrap, which only adds to the impact. 

The inclusion of a USB power adapter isn’t essential as most people have one already, but many expect it to be present.

It is not a smart brush, which reduces the total number of components used and means not as much waste is created when the brush no longer works.

Sadly it has not been designed to be easily repaired at home. Trying to replace parts like the battery will likely break the brush. This makes it more likely to be discarded rather than repaired if broken.

There are no recycling schemes for the brush heads and they are made from petroleum based plastic which uses up the planet’s finite resources compared to using plant-based plastics.

Thankfully the box and all innards are recyclable with limited extra plastics being used.