Goby Toothbrush Review

Design, usability, clean & general use

Most electric toothbrushes look quite similar and in many respects, the Goby conforms to the convention, but it has its own edge.

For a start, it is a little more novel in that it is a subscription based service.  It is appealing to the younger generation as the fixed price and regular delivery fits in with many of the other services we are used to be that Spotify, Netflix, Amazon Prime and many more.

The unboxing experience is one of the best I have had for a toothbrush.

My unit was delivered in a nice Blue colored cardboard box.  Although the Goby logo on the box was a giveaway, it was simply designed and does not have lots of loud marketing messages screaming at you, which is the case with many others.

Pull a tab on the side and you are able to get into the box.  I noticed immediately the vibrant Pink color that adorned the inside of the box lid, with the words ‘Get your buzz on’, which I like a lot, it adds a bold, fun and playful dynamic to the experience.

A pull out card gives clear instructions on how to get up and running and the accessories are neatly packaged under the brush itself.

Whilst hopefully you will not need to, I like the fact that the box has an adhesive seal available, should you need to return it.  Just peel off the tape and seal the box shut.  It is a small touch that makes life a lot easier should you have to make use of it.

There is a 60 day money back guarantee if you are not happy.  This is good to see. Plenty of time to test the brush and adds extra peace of mind.

The edge to this brush is really the simplicity and the slightly unconventional design.

Where most electric toothbrushes stand upright because they have a long cylindrical body, the Goby brush is tapered at the bottom and can only lay on its side or flat on its back, unless you mount it within the provided stand.

I like it for being different, the tapered design feels good in the hand, but there is a part of me that would like it to stand upright without the need for the stand, maybe I am stuck in my ways.

I have the Midnight Blue colored unit, but you have the option of Blue, Tangerine, All-Black and the Rose Edition.

The Midnight Blue, Blue, and Tangerine refer to the color of the thick rubber grip that runs around the edge of the brush handle.  The colors accent the gloss White front and back panel and brush head nicely.

The accessories in the box are White in color with these color options.

With the All-Black and Rose Edition the brush head, front and rear panels of the brush and the in box accessories are color matched, hence the slight premium in price.

The rubber grip which is smooth to the touch around the edge makes it easy to hold the brush even when your hand is wet.

The brush is well balanced and does not feel too heavy, but it is not the lightest brush I have used either.

On the front panel, right at the top is a single power button, the is smooth to the touch and slightly concave in its design.

Halfway down the handle is the Goby logo printed in a deep blue/black and matches the G icon on the power button.

Towards the very bottom of the brush handle on the front, not visible unless the brush is switched on or charging, are 3 LED’s that light up Green to offer up status information on the battery.   The brush offers a couple of weeks usage time, more on this in the battery section of the review.

The back of the brush handle is all White, no buttons, grips or controls.

At the neck of the brush handle is where the removable brush head fits.  Just pull it off and slide a new one in place onto the metal shaft that protrudes from the inside of the brush.

Inside the brush handle is the motor and the rechargeable battery.

Press the power button once to turn the brush on and launch the normal cleaning mode.  Press it once more to activate the Sensitive cleaning mode is activated.  Press it a third time and the brush will turn off.

It is worth noting that if you want the Sensitive cleaning mode, but do not press the power button for a second time within about 5 seconds of powering the brush on, that second press will just turn the brush off.

The brush does not remember your preference.  If you want to use the Sensitive mode all the time you need to press that power button twice each time you use it.

Both cleaning modes run for the dentist recommended 2 minutes.

During the cleaning cycle the timer in the brush will be running.  The brush will provide an audible warning via a slight pause in the brushing at 30 second intervals to tell you to change quadrant. This is your built-in pacer.

You should break your mouth up into 4 sections.  Upper right, upper left, lower right and lower left and spend 30 seconds cleaning each.  It is the pacer that gives you the reminder to move between quadrants and ensures a fairly evenly clean across the mouth and teeth.

After 2 minutes/120 seconds, the brush automatically turns itself off, to signal the end of the clean.

Almost all electric toothbrushes irrespective of the brand will be more effective at removing plaque than a manual toothbrush, primarily because the number of movements it delivers in the time it is powered on for.  No human will be able to achieve several thousand movements a minute with a manual brush.

It does rely on you using the right technique.  So do be sure to make yourself familiar with how to brush, because the approach is different with an electric toothbrush to a manual one.

Goby makes no bold claims about how much more plaque it removes or how much better your gum health will be or that you will have whiter teeth after the first brush, which I like.

They are not selling you false promises.  Some will see improvements in gum health, whitening and plaque removal, but that is just a possible result of opting for an electric toothbrush.

Too often bold claims are made that really only relate to a small proportion of target users, but this does not stop brands from claiming such as they have the data to back it up.

Goby has achieved the American Dental Association (ADA) seal of acceptance which means it has undergone testing by leading professionals. They state ‘Goby is safe and has shown efficacy in removing plaque and helping to prevent and reduce gingivitis when used as directed.

Although ADA approved, it has not gone under a strict clinical trial with a weighty report written up to support the findings. If you want this, then Goby may not be for you. In my own testing and everyday use it has not given me any cause for concern and cleaned the teeth well.

I like how it performs, it feels powerful, almost as powerful as my normal toothbrush, an Oral-B Genius model.

The normal cleaning mode offers up 9,000 oscillations per minute, whilst the Sensitive mode is reduced to 7,500.  For those wondering, this is a very similar number of movements to Oral-B and their Pro range of electric toothbrushes.

Personally I felt the clean was comparable, I do believe I could differentiate between the 2 in a blind test.

When running, the Goby brush is quite loud.  Not the loudest I have heard, but louder than my Oral-B brush, which in itself is noisier than Sonicare.  It is a small thing to be aware of. It has more of a mechanical sound rather than a humming of Sonicare.

Goby offer just 1 type of brush head with the brush and in their subscription package.

I love this simplicity.

Whilst other heads could be designed and serve different purposes, in reality, for most users the differences between heads and the cleaning results are negligible.

The head on the Goby is very similarly sized to that on an Oral-B brush, it is round like Oral-B and you would be forgiven for thinking it was their Sensitive brush head.  It is not.

The handle does not fit or work with other brush heads other than that one made by Goby.

There is a pale Blue ring of bristles on the outside with White bristles in the center.  They are all the same length and are soft to the touch.

Unlike some brush heads, these bristles do not fade in color over time, which is a shame.  But, Goby has a neat trick up its sleeve.

You probably know you should replace a brush head every 3 months.  Well with Goby, the power button has a subtle Blue light that emits from it when the brush head has been used for 3 months,  This is your reminder.  Of course, if you subscribe your new head will have arrived in the post.

Replace the head and press and hold the power button for 5 seconds to reset the counter.

It is a neat touch and is based on the brush calculating/remembering how long the brush has been used for based on the number of cleans.  So if you replaced the head and did not reset the counter it would light up as some point, before that head was 3 months old.

Of course, if the head is showing signs of wear, do replace it sooner, but for most, it should last 3 months.

Whilst it is not essential, a feature I do like found primarily on Oral-B brushes is a pressure sensor.  It is a great tool for new electric toothbrush users to avoid doing too much damage to their teeth and gums, being alerted when you are brushing too hard and need to ease up.  Sadly the Goby does not have this.

Brush too hard and if you listen carefully you will hear the brush motor strain.

Provided in the box is a travel case for the brush head.  This is a small clear plastic tray that opens up to protect the head and the bristles.  It is small, lightweight and has vents to let airflow dry the bristles.  It protects the delicate bristles from touching other items in your bag and becoming damaged.

It works, but personally I would prefer a travel case for the whole brush handle.  This way you can reduce the chances of accidental activation of the brush itself.

The small brush head case could easily be lost.

Perhaps what I class as a proper travel case will be made available as an optional accessory in time.

There is the supplied stand that holds the brush upright and is likely to be what most will mount the brush into when not in use.  You could lay it on a worktop, but the stand gives it a nice home.

The stand does not have a power cable built into it.

The charging for this brush is quite novel.

Supplied in the box is a USB cable with a small charging plate at the other end.

This plate magnetizes to the back of the Goby toothbrush.  It also fits into the back of the brush stand if you wish.

The full-sized USB connector can be fitted to a USB port on a computer, in a socket you may have or you can use the provided plug adapter to charge it from mains power.

I like the fact you have the option to charge it from the mains, a USB socket and indeed in and out of the stand.  It makes it more practical and versatile, particularly if you travel, just take the USB cable with you.

Sealed inside the brush handle is the motor and battery and whilst this brush can be rinsed under the tap and is protected against water, toothpaste and saliva, do not submerge it in water.

I can see few areas of weakness in the brush and so confident are Goby, they actually provide a lifetime warranty, not just 2 years like many other brands.

You can find full details on the lifetime warranty here.