Have you been thinking that the cost of brush heads for your electric toothbrush are a bit expensive?
Do you want to save a few dollars each time you buy them or find some cheap alternatives?
If you are like me, then I suspect the answer is yes.
With prices ranging from just $3 through to $10+ per head, a saving of just $1 can seem like a little win.
Over time these savings can add up.
In this article, I will share with you a few what that you can save a few dollars or even tens of dollars on your Oral-B, Sonicare or any other brand of toothbrush heads.
1. Buy in bulk
One of the best methods that I have found to save money is to buy in bulk.
Bulk buying is a common method across all product types that generally results in a lower price for the more you buy.
Now, with a brush head lasting 3 months at a time, you are not going to want to go out and buy hundreds of these.
However, buying a larger pack or multiple smaller packs at one time can bring the cost down. It is amazing how much can be saved by simply buying 10 brush heads rather than 2.
For example, at the time of writing (prices always subject to change) a pack of 2 x Oral-B Precision Clean replacement brush heads costs $10.76 on a well known online retailer website. This makes the price of each head $5.58.
However, a pack of 10 is on the face of it more expensive at $25.39 per pack, but split that by 10 and the cost comes down to just $2.54 per head. That is a saving of $3.04 per brush head.
Buying the 10 heads (which you will use) brings over a $30 saving compared to the 2 pack.
Do be aware though. Buying more doesn’t always equal better prices. Look at how the 5 pack is actually more expensive than the 2 pack per brush head.
This is not limited to Oral-B, so let’s look at Sonicare in this next example.
A pack of 3 x DiamondClean brush heads costs $35.95 or $11.98 per brush head (at the time of writing).
Change the pack size to 4 and the headline price increases to $44.95, but the individual head cost is $11.24. The saving per head is $0.74. It’s not as big a saving as with Oral-B, but it is a saving none-the-less.
These are just 2 examples from one supplier. Many others will offer the same sort of savings.
2. Vouchers & promotions
If you want to be a super nifty shopper, search or look around for any coupons or promotions that might be going on.
There are no set times when these coupons or other promotional offers will be running but it can be worth checking in every now and again to see what is going on.
Whilst coupons and promotions are always subject to change and differ from retailer to retailer, you might find there are a few extra dollars to be saved.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are often a good time to pick up some deals on electric toothbrushes and their accessories.
Big shopping days, Black Friday and Cyber Monday fall in this period. Products are often discounted around this period of gifting.
However, this need not always be the case and some coupons you need not do any work for.
Coupons can vary from a few dollars off, to a percentage (%) discount or to maybe free shipping if buying online.
Take a look at the image below. I could select the coupon on offer and save another $4 if I was prepared to sign up to the subscribe and save option.
Quite often there is no additional commitment. I quite often see save $2+ on brush heads.
3. Subscribe and save
A newer but increasingly popular option is a subscribe and save method.
A subscription based service works on the basis of you choosing what you want and how often you want it delivered. It then turns up at your door in regular cycles as you requested.
Like a magazine being delivered every month, you can select to have a new toothbrush head delivered at set time periods. You may have a pack of 4 delivered once a year every year, or if you have a family, every 3 months.
The big benefit here is that you do not need to remember to order, the retailer does that for you and you win as a result. The retailer gives you the benefit of lower pricing as thanks for subscribing.
The terms of the subscriptions vary between suppliers, but most offer a discount for subscribing and allow you to change or cancel at any point. However, do check this before signing up.
Amazon is the largest provider of such a service, but brands like Sonicare do offer this on their own website.
4. Shop around
Quite possibly the simplest advice I can offer is to shop around.
You may have a favorite store, be that online or on the high street, but that does not mean they are cheapest.
Sure, feel free to purchase from whoever you are most comfortable shopping with, but be aware that by shopping around you may save money.
Do not spend too long shopping around though, as the time spent looking for better prices may well be outweighed by the savings.
Some of the best stores to consider for purchase include:
- Amazon
- Walmart
- eBay
- CVS Pharmacy
- Target
Even your own dental practice could be worth a consideration.
Do be more vigilant if you are being offered toothbrush heads from private or smaller sellers on the likes of eBay or other marketplaces. There is often a market for fake or counterfeit brush heads. Whilst we are not suggesting that a seller on such a marketplace is not genuine, these outlets are harder to police so they are more prone to such and sadly it is you as the buyer who is a victim to this.
5. Buy third party
Whilst buying manufacturer original brush heads is often the preference, there are third party options.
Third party or aftermarket options are brush heads made by companies/brands that are not the manufacturer of the toothbrush.
Most of us would prefer the manufacturer branded brush heads as then you can be assured of the fit, quality, reliability and performance. However often these come at a price.
Third party options can deliver a similar experience, the difference being you tend to pay less because the brand/manufacturer of these does not command the same price.
There are many different companies who offer brush heads, but one of the more popular is Alayna. They make replacement brush heads for Oral-B toothbrushes.
Alayna make a few different styles to match the originals made by Oral-B, but the big difference is price.
An individual brush head generally works out at around $1 or less compared to Oral-B originals that are priced at $2.50-5.00+
There is a quality difference, which you can see and feel when you compare the heads side by side. However, you can’t fail to ignore the price difference given that in use the cheaper alternatives appear to perform pretty well.
This is just one aftermarket brand I have mentioned, but there are many others with very similar offerings.
Whilst many other third party options could deliver comparable products do be careful.
If something sounds too good to be true, maybe it is. Very cheap heads tend to be much worse quality.
That quality may show in several ways. The bristles on the brush head may not last all that long, nor be of a good quality and you may not get indicator bristles either. The physical fit and construction of the head may also be poor and in extreme cases could break whilst in use.
We have heard a few horror stories where cheap brush heads have not lasted and even cut the mouth of users because of this.
Be smart, question if it is too good to be true. Do you trust the seller? Are you able to find other reviews of the brush heads?
It is also worth being aware here of the fake or counterfeit brush heads. They may look like the real deal, be at a particularly good price but sadly are not genuine. It could be well worth a few minutes of your time reading over fake brush head posts, the links are provided below.
Cheapest Oral-B toothbrush heads
If you are looking for the absolute cheapest Oral-B brush heads, then you need to look at the aftermarket brush heads.
I mean the brush heads made by companies other than Oral-B themselves, but are designed to work with an Oral-B toothbrush.
There are many companies that offer such products.
I mentioned Alayna as one example.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Alayna Replacement Brush Heads | 5,945 Reviews |
$13.99 |
View on Amazon |
However, there are many brands, a large proportion of which are from China, that offer even cheaper brush heads.
You will typically find these on marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon.
At the time of writing, the cheapest I could find worked out at just $0.87 per head.
I cannot comment on the quality of these products and suggest you are cautious of the cheapest options.
Please be aware also, that using aftermarket brush heads, those that are not made by Oral-B is likely against their warranty conditions, as highlighted in my article on aftermarket brush heads.
Cheapest Sonicare toothbrush heads
The cheapest Sonicare brush heads are not those made by Philips Sonicare themselves.
You will need to look at those heads designed to be compatible with Sonicare brush handles but are made by other companies.
There is not necessarily 1 brand or company that produces the cheapest. Prices and suppliers are always changing.
You will typically find these on marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon, with most brands/sellers being from China or similar markets where these products can be made very cheaply.
At the time of writing, the cheapest I could find worked out at just $1.25 per head.
I cannot comment on the quality of these products and suggest you are cautious of the cheapest options.
Please be aware also, that using aftermarket brush heads, those that are not made by Philips Sonicare is likely against their warranty conditions, as highlighted in my article on aftermarket brush heads.
Your comments and opinions
All being well the tips and advice given above will help you save a few dollars when next shopping for toothbrush heads.
If you have any advice, tips or suggestions for other readers, leave them below.
