Oral-B Pro 3000 vs Pro 5000

Detailed comparison: what’s the difference between the Oral-B 3000 and 5000?

Oral-B’s model range works in such a way that the higher the model number, the more feature rich it is.

Therefore the 5000 is, in theory, the more premium model to the 3000.

That theory plays out here, but for all, the more premium brush is not necessarily the best purchasing decision.

What is the point of buying the most feature rich with a great box contents if you will not make use of such?

Let me guide you through the key differences of these 2 brushes, so you can make a more informed decision as to which is right for you.

Just before I do, let me make you aware of the similarities of these models.

Both come with a 2 year manufacturers warranty that covers manufacturing faults, but no user damage.

Water resistant both handles are, they can get wet and be rinsed under a tap, but do avoid prolonged exposure to water and submerging of the handle.

A 2 minute timer and 30 second pacer are built-in too.

Inside the handles are Nickel Metal Hydride batteries, which can be recharged by sitting the brush on the provided charging stand.

The charging stand fits into the base of the brush handle and sits upright on a worktop.

A 2 pin US power adapter is attached to the charging stands, which work on voltages of 110-130v.

If you travel with either brush and intend to take the charger.  You may need to consider a voltage and plug adapter, subject to your destination.

The motor that is powered by the battery is the same in both handles, so they deliver equal cleaning performance.

Built into the handles of both brushes is a pressure sensor.

The sensor will light up the Orange/Red panel found on the back of the brush handles.

When it is lit, the pressure applied should be reduced to avoid damaging the teeth and gums.

It is a visual alert to the damage you could be doing.

As it lights up, the brush will automatically reduce the power delivered to the brush head until such time as the pressure is relieved.

The brush handles come with a brush head storage compartment included in the box.

A plastic made product, it is a tray with placeholders for up to 4 brush heads.  Clipping around the charging stand, the brush heads and handle can be neatly tidied away.

An opaque lid can be fitted to the tray to protect the heads from splashes.

The last major similarity is the Bluetooth connectivity.

Using a free app available for Android and iOS you can connect either brush to your smartphone for real-time tracking of your clean.

See how long you have brushed for, get encouragement to brush for longer and much more.

Dental hygiene and health tips are included in the app, along with facilities such as dental reminders and particular journeys, which you can customize to help achieve your goals with your brushing.

It is a feature that not all want or desire and you need not use it.

The brush will retain the brushing data from the last 20 cleans and sync with the app next time the phone and brush are within range of each other.

It can act as an extra encouragement and allow you to log your performance if you desire.

Right, back to the differences then.

The Oral-B Pro 3000 is the slimmer and lighter brush handle.

Personally I think the slimmer profile looks and feels better in hand.  However, for some, the chunkier profile of the 5000 might be more desirable.

The 3000 has a rubber strip that runs down the front of the handle, with plastic ridges on the rear for grip.

The 5000 has a rubber grip on the back of the brush handle.  This is nicer to the touch and not quite as harsh as the plastic.

Both have a power button on the front of the brush handle that turns the brush on and off.

The 5000 does, however, have an additional button, a cleaning mode button.

This can be used to change between the 5 modes, whereas on the 3000 you need to press the power button.

Neither brush gives any visual clue as to which mode has been selected, so you have to mentally remember the order or make use of the Bluetooth connectivity they offer.

Both brushes have a battery status icon, but the 5000’s is larger and broken into 3, giving a bit more detail and better visual feedback on the remaining power within.

Here are the key dimensions and weights for each brush.

Pro 3000:

• Height (with head) – 23cm
• Width – 2.5cm
• Thickness – 3cm
• Weight (with head) – 130g

Pro 5000:

• Height (with head) – 24cm
• Width – 3cm
• Thickness – 4cm
• Weight (with head) – 168g

The slightly larger size of the 5000 likely accommodates the extra capacity required to give 3 days extra battery life over the 3000.

The 3000 will last 7 days, based on 1 user brushing twice a day for 2 minutes each time.  Essentially 28 minutes of running time.

The 5000 lasts 10 days or 40 minutes between charges.

The 5000 comes in just 1 color, White whereas the 3000 comes in 2 colors.  The rubber grip on the front of the brush handle is what changes. Typically it is White, but a Blue colored option exists.

Please note that it can be that the brush heads/box contents differs with the Blue colored Pro 3000.

Whilst most of us stick to the default ‘Daily Clean’ mode, these 2 brushes offer more in the way of cleaning modes.

The 3000 comes with 3 modes, Daily Clean, Gum Care and Sensitive.  The 5000 comes with those, plus Whitening and Deep Clean.

How these modes differ is that the motor spins at different speeds with each.  Therefore, modes like Sensitive use a lot less movement and power than those like Whitening.

Of course, you need a brush head to make use of the brush and each handle comes supplied with 1 head.  The Pro 3000 comes with 1 x 3D White brush head whilst the Pro 5000 comes with 1 x FlossAction.

In the box with the 5000 is a plastic travel case.  It holds the brush handle and up to 2 brush heads. Fairly basic in construction, it is far from the most premium or best quality, but it is more than adequate for protecting the brush from accidental activation or damage in transit in most situations.

As you might expect, given that the 5000 offers more in the way of features it tends to be slightly more expensive, making the 3000 the cheaper option.

That said the difference in price tends not to be that great and typically worthwhile spending a little more to get what the 5000 offers.

Does one clean better than the other?

As far as I am aware, the motors used within these brush handles offer the same power and speed and therefore both brushes offer a like for like cleaning experience.

Of course, the 5000 does have 2 additional cleaning modes compared to the 3000.

For those who desire the extra modes then it is, of course, possible you might consider the 5000 to offer a better clean than the 3000.

But, select the Daily Clean, Gum Care and Sensitive mode on each handle and the experience will be the same, particularly if you use the same brush head.

Of course, differentiating these 2 brushes is the brush head that is included in the box.

The 3000 comes with the 3D White brush head, which is more focused on polishing the teeth to give a Whiter smile.

The FlossAction head that comes with the 5000, however, is more focused on a deep clean of the teeth and reaching into interdental spaces.

Whilst each brush comes with a different head, these are just 2 different styles from a broader range available from Oral-B.

All the heads are interchangeable so you can use the head you prefer.

My testing has not been conducted in scientific or clinical conditions to be able to test or make comment on how well they really clean in comparison to each other and other brush types.

I do love the small round brush heads.

They give good control and maneuverability, allowing you to get to the back teeth with more ease.  The clean feels very controlled.

At no point using either brush would I have suggested that they delivered a poor clean.

Is one better priced than the other?

Yes, normally the Pro 3000 is cheaper.

The price difference is reflective of the features and box contents.

The Pro 5000 has a suggested retail price of $130-160 compared to the $130 of the 3000.

The good news is though, that the actual selling price of the 5000 is around $100 or less, giving somewhere between a $30-60 saving.

Shop around and you might even find the odd deal that brings the price down even further.

Amazon are particularly good for such deals and getting the 5000 for just $85 is not impossible.

The 3000 is discounted most of the time too and can be purchased on average for around $75.

Of course, these prices are always subject to change and they do vary from one seller to another.

For what is perhaps on average a $10-20 difference the extra features of the 5000 are worth investing in.

Please note that all prices quoted are approximates and will vary based on location, supplier and time of purchase.  These figures were correct at the time of writing and should not be relied upon as hard fact, but used as a guide during your decision process.