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Published: January 16, 2024

Oral-B Clic review

Author: Jon Love (1 Comments)
Oral-B Clic review 1

Our verdict

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The Oral-B Clic is one of, if not the best manual toothbrushes I have ever used.

It is a lovely, albeit expensive, manual toothbrush that takes a slightly different approach to sustainable oral healthcare.

It allows you to be more environmentally considerate without forgoing on style, performance and practicality.

It is a toothbrush that you want to use, more so because of the concept rather than how clean your teeth feel.

Pros

Cons

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Stylish design

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Lack of focus on recycling brush head

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ClicFit brush head attachment mechanism

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No travel cap/case

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Magnetic holder

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Expensive

Full review

The Oral-B Clic is an alternative approach to sustainable toothbrushes.

With a premium handle, the idea is you replace just the brush head every 3 months.  

By replacing the brush head and not the handle at 3 month intervals, you use 60% less plastic compared to a conventional plastic toothbrush.

The replacement brush heads simply push on and pull off the handle thanks to the ‘ClicFit’ system.

Oral-B ClicFit system

As you will have already found out, the Oral-B Clic isn’t like all other manual toothbrushes. There are a few things that set it apart from the rest.

The Clic is without doubt a premium quality toothbrush that was designed with style and the environment in mind.

It sounds crazy to write this, but this is the best manual toothbrush I think I have ever used.

Whilst there are a couple of oversights in my opinion, what I really cannot fault is the way in which the Clic has been designed and engineered.

Oral-B has not reinvented the wheel, but they have implemented small and very well thought out ideas that make the Clic a pleasure to use.

Matte black Oral-B toothbrush

From the first glimpse of the brush to actually using it, the brush feels great.

It is not light like most other manual brushes, there is satisfying weight to the handle.

It is not surprising that it has won a Red Dot award for product design.

The ‘ClicFit’ mechanism for the head is super simple and effortless.  The removable brush head pulls off and slides on with such ease and yes, you guessed it, it ‘clicks’ when the head is pushed on or pulled off the handle.  

At the top of the handle is a metal ball/bearing that protrudes ever so slightly from the metal and plastic frame in which it sits.  That ball has a full 360 degree rotation and is spring loaded, allowing the removable and replaceable brush heads to securely clip into place.

Oral-B Clic toothbrush

As easy as it is to place the brush head on and remove it, there is no fear of the brush head coming loose whilst in use.

The handle is a similar width and thickness to a regular ballpoint pen.  Perhaps a fraction wider.

It has an ovalish shape around the neck of the handle but tapers away, slimming gently down to the base of the handle.

I really like this.  However I think some people will not and will prefer the more consistent shape that you often get with most manual brushes.

Made from a type of metal, the handle is heavy but well balanced.  It is certainly not as light as a plastic or even bamboo alternative.

It is available in a range of color options.  I have the matte black which has a coating over the metal to give the handle a sleek, yet slightly grippy texture.

Just below the point at which the brush head attaches is a chrome ring that runs around the next.

Matte black Oral-B Clic toothbrush

The sides and back of the handle are smooth to the touch.

On the front, about half an inch or so from where the brush head attaches is a rubber/silicone panel.  It is about 1 inch tall and half an inch wide. The thumb naturally falls here to hold and secure the brush in hand.

Towards the very bottom of the handle is the Oral-B logo within a chrome panel.

Because the core of the handle is metal, it is magnetic.  This was clearly intentional because included in the box is what I would describe as a metal puck.

About 1.5 inches in diameter this magnetic brush holder has the Oral-B logo on one side and an adhesive pad on the other.

The idea is the pad gets stuck to a flat surface such as a tiled wall in the bathroom and then you attach the toothbrush to it when not in use.

It keeps the toothbrush off the countertop and out of the way.  It works perfectly as you would hope.  It is simple and ingenious.  

Oral-B Clic brush handle attached to magnetic brush holder

In my hands-on testing I also found that the holder was not that picky about where you placed the brush.  It worked best if you placed it just below the brush head attachment, but it wasn't like you had to fiddle to get the perfect placement.

I have seen some others complaining that it does not work.  I really haven’t had such issues.

The detachable and replaceable brush heads are bespoke to the Clic.  It is not like Oral-B electric toothbrush heads that are interchangeable with a number of handles.

At the time of review, there is just 1 style of brush head.

Like most manual brushes, the head is larger, not small and round like the Oral-B electric toothbrush.

I would rate the bristles as ‘medium’ in terms of stiffness.  They are certainly not super soft nor super stiff.

Side profile view of Oral-B Clic brush head

Oral-B says the Clic has next generation bristle technology.

When you look at the brush head side on you can see the longer bristles at the top and bottom of the head.  Shorter bristles in the middle.  You can also see how the bristles are angled differently to help with the cleaning of the teeth.  There are 3 clusters of bristles in the middle of the head that are slightly longer too.

I don’t know all the science, but these ‘Next-Gen CrissCross’ angled bristles are designed to give great reach between the teeth and the X-Filament technology is Oral-B’s advanced filament tech for plaque removal.

Marketing materials imply the bristles have a unique X shape to help with the cleaning.

Matte black Oral-B Clic in hand

With my eyes I wasn’t able to see these and I don’t have the tools to look this close at them.  

I can’t honestly say the brush head gave me any noticeable better cleaning results than a regular manual toothbrush. But, I certainly can’t complain.  

The bristles were relatively gentle on the teeth and gums and my mouth feels clean after brushing.

The Clic is centered around being a premium but more sustainable toothbrush.  The data suggests that using replaceable heads will use up to 60% less plastic over 2 years compared to a manual toothbrush, assuming the brush head is replaced every 3 months.

Anything to help save some of the earth's resources has to be a good thing.

60% less use with Oral-B Clic toothbrush

That said, perhaps Oral-B could have reduced the types of materials in the box.  You have the cardboard box, a PET 1 plastic panel over the brush and then an LDPE (4) lining to hold the brush in place.  This could be awkward for recycling, depending on your local schemes.  I think an all cardboard box would have been possible?!

I haven’t been able to run a test with the Clic for long enough to know whether it has fading indicator bristles built into the brush head, but none of the information suggests they do.  So, you will need to remember to replace your brush head every 3 months, sooner if the bristles show obvious signs of wear or damage.

Considering this is supposed to be a long lasting handle with a more sustainable approach it is a shame Oral-B are not doing more themselves at the point of purchase or in the box to promote recycling or appropriate disposal of used heads.

There is nothing to suggest how best to replace the heads and where to send them too.

However, if you purchase through www.loopstore.com you can take advantage of the recycling program they offer so that you can essentially do the best you can.

Oral-B Clic recycling system with Loop

Maybe I am being overly fussy, but it would be nice to see larger packs of brush heads.  Currently, they come as packs of 2, but why not a pack of 4 or 8 to continue with the greener theme. You could stock up etc and help the world a little more by requiring less packaging and fewer deliveries.

Maybe even a subscription system for replacement heads?

Most toothbrushes don’t come with any kind of travel case or cap for protecting the toothbrush when in a bag.  This is not surprising for a $1 toothbrush, but I think Oral-B have missed a trick here.  The Clic is designed to be for the long term, so why not include a case?!  Heck, even an optional accessory.

A neat thin travel case or at least a cap to protect the head itself would stop bristles becoming damaged when in a wash bag for example.

It feels like the designers took some inspiration from Quip and their electric toothbrush.  Whilst this is a manual toothbrush, the simplicity feels similar.  Quip has implemented an ingenious toothbrush holder come case and whilst Oral-B could not directly copy this, could they not have thought about this?!

I don’t want to be all negative here on the Clic, because it is great, but the last and final kicker is really the price.

Of course prices can change and different packages do affect the price, but a basic chrome/white brush starts at $15.  A regular plastic manual toothbrush is, approximately $2-3 on average?!  A bamboo toothbrush is a similar price.

At around 5x the price, is this a premium worth paying? Only you can really decide that.

The matte black deluxe starter kit is $25.  Admittedly it includes 3 brush heads, rather than 1.

Replacement brush heads at $9.99 for a pack of 2.  At $5 each, that is still a couple of dollars more to buy just the brush head compared to a full manual toothbrush.

Oral-B Clic manual toothbrush box

Part of the price premium is because of the design and uniqueness of the product.  It is still relatively new and often you have to pay a premium for being sustainable, but for many, this is perhaps a bit too much.

I think unfortunately many will see this as nothing more than an overpriced toothbrush.

Had Oral-B priced the basic kit at $10 and made replacement heads $3 each, it would entice more people to buy.

Overall I do believe this is a positive step forward from Oral-B in offering more sustainable products.  

I think the company has a long way to go before the majority make the switch from cheaper plastic brushes.  It would be nice to see Oral-B just make a few more tweaks to price and their promotional strategy to educate and empower you and me to make smarter decisions.

With all this said, if you want a premium manual toothbrush this really is it.

Conclusion

From a design and engineering standpoint, the Oral-B Clic ticks a lot of boxes.

It is super stylish and even the most image and fashion conscious would have a hard time to find fault here.

The brush cleans the teeth well and does what it really should do.

For the price and considering the concept I think Oral-B could have done better.

A travel case or cap would have been beneficial.  Knocking a few dollars of the price tag would be good.  

But, biggest of all they could do more to educate you and me and the wider public on smarter, sustainable choices.

The Clic is a brilliant toothbrush and I could happily use this on a daily basis.

But, a bamboo toothbrush at a fraction of the price, can still offer a good clean of the teeth and that is what the Clic is designed to do.

Author: Jon Love

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MD
Marko Djordjic
October 6, 2020

Never saw an manual toothbrush with replacable brush heads

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