Fairywill E11 Review

Design, usability, clean & general use

The E11 comes packaged in a smart cardboard box.  The outer sleeve that highlights the key features and functions of this toothbrush.

You are unlikely to actually see this on the shop shelves.  Nonetheless the box has all the things you really want or need to know on it.

Initial impressions are really quite good.  It looks quite smart and you might even use the term classy.  It is also very light.

When you hold it, you are reminded by the materials that this is a cheaper product.  But, it isn’t all bad.

The handle itself is finished in more of a matte black compared to the more glossy black of the brush heads.  There is therefore a little contrast here.

The overall profile is similar to most electric toothbrushes, the handle has a nice design touch to it in.  

Look at the hands-on images to appreciate the design.  The depth and width of the rounded handle are the same at the top and bottom. But the sides of the handle taper in very slightly as you move up from the bottom of the handle. 

At around a third of the way down the handle this tapering stops to almost create a bit of a waistline to the handle.  It is a small design touch that makes it look a bit more interesting.

The sides and back of the rounded handle are free of ports and controls.  With the exception of 2 small raised dots on the back of the brush handle, right at the top.  These prevent the toothbrush from rolling around when laid on a tabletop.

The front of the handle is where the action happens if you like.

There is a good sized power button in the upper third of the handle.  It has a power icon debossed into it. A thin copper coloured plastic ring around the button helps make it stand out.  It doesn’t require much pressure to activate the button and it doesn’t provide the best feedback, but it works.

Below the pinched waistline to this handle, are the cleaning modes.

There are 5 modes available on the handle and they are listed in the following order.

• White
• Clean
• Sensitive
• Polish
• Massage

Above each mode label, which is a dull white colour, is a small LED. Each lights up with a white light as the mode is selected.

Beneath the last mode, massage is another LED this time in the shape of a battery.  This is the battery status LED that lights up when the brush is being charged or when the power is low.

The base of the brush handle is flat, so the toothbrush will stand upright on a countertop.

There is regulatory information printed on the bottom along with model numbers etc.

Right in the center is the power connector for recharging the brush.

The pin is ever so slightly recessed and the brush is supposed to be waterproof. I can’t help fear that long term this port is susceptible to water ingression and corrosion.  It is very possible that the brush may sit in a small pool of water.

There are no rubber grips or raised plastic ridges on the handle to help with holding it.  It is not that slippy in hand.  However, the plastics used are not as resistive as some. It can potentially feel a little less secure in hand, particularly when wet.

Extending from the top of the brush handle is a white plastic shaft.  This delivers the vibrations to the bristles found on the detachable brush head.

Each brush head is pushed onto and pulls off of this.  There is no need to twist the head.  You will hear when it is securely in place. A clicking sound is emitted as the head passes over a small plastic notch on the white plastic shaft.  You need a small amount of force to attach and remove the heads.

You get an impressive 8 brush heads included in the box with the E11.  Based on 1 user replacing their brush head every 3 months, you do not need to buy any replacement heads for 2 years.

Replacement heads are sold in packs of 4 for $10.  This makes each head just $2.50 each.

Arguably there is $15+ of extra value included in the box as standard.  You would not get so many brush heads with Oral-B and Sonicare.

The bristles have a W profile to them to help give an effective clean of the teeth and gums.

A slightly unusual observation is that the body of the brush head is wider on the Fairywill than most other toothbrushes. It is only marginally wider. But, believe it or not, I had to adjust how open I kept my mouth when I brushed. I found the head and shaft would make more contact with my teeth than a Sonicare or Oral-B brush.

This is not the case with the Pro P11, as the head is a bit thinner.

Another notable inconvenience, is that the toothpaste residue seems to make its way down the handle and build-up on the flat top of the handle, where the brush head attaches. Just be aware, you will need to wipe it a bit more often.

As you might expect, the overall cleaning performance is good. 

I can’t quite explain it, but it feels to me that the Sonicare toothbrushes clean slightly better than the E11.

It might be me just thinking this rather than there actually being any real evidence. Overall through the clean was fairly comparable to any other sonic electric toothbrush. 

The brushing sensation feels a little more ticklish to the teeth and gums than the oscillating and rotating brush heads of Oral-B.  

The debate to which is better will always roll on.  Oral-B brushes feel like they give a marginally more intense clean, which I like.  But, my teeth certainly felt clean and plaque free after each use of the E11.

American Dental Association Approved you and I get a little extra peace of mind.

Such approval means the brush has undergone an independent assessment. It has then been certified as meeting certain standards and claims.  In short, you can have a good level of trust that the brush will clean your teeth well.

The blue or green bristles on the brush head are too designed to fade over time.  As the colour fades to an almost translucent colour, it will be time to replace the head.  This should happen over approximately a 3 month period.

Indications are that the bristles are considered soft.  To me, they feel a touch stiffer/firmer than most soft bristles.  I would not class them as hard.

This is a sonic toothbrush.  This means the bristles move side to side in a sweeping motion.  This is the same as a Philips Sonicare toothbrush.

The E11 is said to have 40,000 vibrations per minute.

Sonicare brushes are quoted as having strokes or movements per minute.  I am not quite sure how the vibrations per minute correlate to this?!

Irrespective, the experience felt very comparable to other sonic toothbrushes I have used.  I would in truth be hard pushed to determine the power difference between them, even when used side by side.

The exact number of brush strokes/vibrations varies between the different cleaning modes. Precisely how many vibrations are used on the sensitive mode, I do not know.

The vast majority of users don’t need the extra modes, but there are some differences between them.

The modes and how they differ are in Fairywill’s words:

• White – In this mode, the white indicator light turns on in the “White” mode position. The swing of the brush is large and the vibration intensity is the strongest.  It is suitable for users who have high requirements for cleaning effect and do not have sensitive teeth.
• Clean – In this mode, the whIte indicator light turns on in the “Clean” mode position. The swing of the brush is normal and the vibration intensity is medium speed.  It is suitable for normal oral conditions to gain the strongest cleaning effect and maintain healthy oral hygiene.
• Sensitive – In this mode, the whIte indicator light turns on in the “Sensitive” mode position. The brush swing is soft and the vibration intensity is the softest of the five modes.  Suitable for users with sensitive teeth.
• Polish – In this mode, the white indicator light turns on in the “Polish” mode position. The bristle swing and vibration intensity changes rapidly.  The simulated effect can be used for additional treatment of the incisor area, which has a whitening effect.
• Massage – In this mode, the white indicator light turns on in the “Massage” mode position.  The bristle swing and vibration intensity changes slowly.  This is for gentle stimulation, designed to keep gums firm and healthy.

To access each mode, you press the power button. You then press it again multiple times to cycle through the modes.  The LED on the handle above each mode will be lit when the mode is selected.

There is no separate button to change the mode.  You also can’t change the mode before turning the brush on.  

It will remember the last mode used though, irrespective of how long you brushed for.

For me, the 2 most appropriate modes are clean and sensitive.  These serve the majority of users like me best.

When the brush is running it produces an audible humming sound.  It is fairly quiet overall, but not silent.  It is comparable to a Sonicare or other sonic toothbrush.  It is much quieter than an Oral-B electric brush.

A standard brushing cycle lasts for 2 minutes. The E11 will automatically turn itself off at the end of the cycle.  This is a clear signal that you have brushed for the recommended amount of time.  If the brush hasn’t turned itself off, you haven’t brushed for long enough.

To further help you with this the E11 has a pacer built-in.

It is all very well brushing for 2 minutes, but it is no good if you spend 2 minutes brushing just the front teeth.

For many, the biggest improvements in oral care come from adjusting:

• The amount of time spent brushing
• How often you brush
• The brushing technique used

What you want to do, ideally, is to brush all the teeth evenly.  This includes the front, back and biting surfaces of the teeth.

To do this, you need to spend 30 seconds on each quadrant of the mouth.  The 4 quadrants are the upper right, upper left, lower right and lower left.

The pacer activates at 30 second intervals.  A pause in the brush motor causes a change in the sound of the brush and the sensation.  This is the brush giving you a nudge to move from one quadrant to another.  Over a 2 minute brushing session, this will happen 3 times and at the end of the 2 minutes the brush will turn off.

One potential negative of the E11 is the lack of a pressure sensor.  Now, in truth, this is by no means a deal breaker, but something to be aware of.

A pressure sensor will alert you if you are using too much force as you brush.  The way it will alert you varies.  Normally it is a light or a vibration pattern in the handle.

Although the E11 does not have it, you should just remember that the bristles really need to only skim the teeth.  You do not need to apply lots of pressure to brush better.

I feel pretty mean to also suggest that the lack of travel case is a negative. Particularly when you consider the price, but it would be nice to have, even if it added a little extra to the cost.  

You do get a very basic plastic cap with 1 of the 8 brush heads.  This can be used to protect the bristles should you travel.  However, it is very easy to lose and this still leaves the power button prone to activation when in a bag for example.

You of course get a USB cable to charge the brush, more on that in the next section of the review.

Fairywill claims that the brush is waterproof. Water resistant is really a better description.  A rinse under the tap or in the shower is fine, but avoid submerging the brush completely in water.

There are a lot of positive things to say about the E11, particularly when you factor in the cost.

I do worry that such a low price point might mean corners have been cut in terms of long term reliability.  But I really do have limited evidence to support this.

You do only get a 1 year warranty with the E11. It would be nice if they did at least offer a 2 year warranty. That said, if you are prepared to register as part of their VIP program, you can extend it by 6 months.

The E11 really is a solid little performer that packs a punch at a budget.