Oral-B Genius X vs Sonicare DiamondClean Smart

Detailed comparison: what’s the difference between the Oral-B Genius X and the Sonicare DiamondClean Smart?

Make no mistake about it, these are 2 very capable electric toothbrushes.

Both are very similarly featured, but the DiamondClean Smart does take the edge slightly on technical advances.

Everyone will have their own preferences, but it is the DiamondClean that will fit into the lives of most users with a little more ease.  That said, both come with our recommendation.

Stand the 2 models side by side and whilst there are subtle differences the general design and arrangement of features are the same.

Tall cylindrical handles, the DiamondClean Smart measures in at:

• Height (without head) – 7.4 inches / 19cm
• Height (with head) – 10 inches / 25.5cm
• Width – 1 inches / 2.7cm
• Thickness – 1.1 inches / 3cm
• Weight (without head) – 0.30lbs / 137g
• Weight (with head) – 0.31lbs / 142g

Whilst the Genius X measures in at:

• Height (without head) - 8.07 inches / 20.5cm
• Height (with head) - 9.25 inches / 23.5cm
• Width - 1.06 inches / 2.7cm
• Thickness - 1.26 inches / 3.2cm
• Weight (without head) - 4.69oz / 133g
• Weight (with head) - 4.87oz / 138g

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

Both have a second button that allows you to switch between the brushing modes available on the handle.

In the case of the DiamondClean Smart, this second button also controls the cleaning power/brushing intensity.

When in operation, both handles have icons that illuminate to display which of their cleaning modes are active, in addition to a battery icon.

On first impression and after extensive use, I do believe it is the DiamondClean Smart that looks and feels most premium.

It is finished in a matt textured coating which looks great but also offers a slight resistance so that the brush does not feel slippery in hand.

The Genius X body has more gloss plastics, particularly on the front and sides.  A textured rubber grip runs down the back of the handle, to give the resistance and tactile feel required for the fingertips to keep a firm hold.

The DiamondClean Smart is available in 4 colors:

• Black
• White
• Pink
• Silver

The Genius X, on the other hand, is available in 5 colors.

• Black
• White
• Orchid purple
• Sakura pink
• Anthracite black

The sakura pink and anthracite black color options of the Genius X are only available as a luxe variant.  The standard edition of the Genius X 10,000 is available in black, white and orchid purple. The luxe variants have an extra 5 brush heads included and a slightly different pattern on the travel case.

You don’t NEED lots of cleaning modes on a toothbrush, but if you desire it, then these 2 have you covered.  

The DiamondClean has 5 modes, whilst the Genius X has 6.  Most are like for like, just with slightly different names. Don’t get too worries that the Genius has an extra mode.

The 5 modes of the DiamondClean Smart are:

• Clean
• White+
• Deep Clean+
• Gum Health
• Tongue Care

The 6 modes of the Genius X are:

• Daily Clean
• Gum Care
• Sensitive
• Whitening
• Pro-Clean
• Tongue Cleaning

Essentially how these modes differ are the running times and amount of power/movements produced by the brush head.

We have covered the cleaning modes of both manufacturers in the following posts:

• Sonicare cleaning modes explained
• Oral-B cleaning modes explained

A noteworthy point is that when you select a cleaning mode on the DiamondClean, that mode is shown on the handle thanks to a white backlight.

The Oral-B Genius has icons that are also backlit.  Whilst the icons serve a purpose, the clear text of the brushing/cleaning mode names is much easier to understand.

For example, the DiamondClean will show ‘Deep Clean’ lit up, whilst the X will show a tooth with a + icon.

Another silly, but relevant difference, is that the Genius X has 5 icons on the handle, despite having 6 modes.  The standard daily clean does not get an icon. If no icon is lit and the brush is running you have daily clean selected. I can’t explain why it is designed this way.

Remaining on the topic of brushing modes, with the DiamondClean you can change the cleaning mode before powering the brush on. You can’t do this on the Genius X.  You need to turn the brush on, then press the cleaning mode button the appropriate number of times to select the most appropriate mode on the Genius X.

The DiamondClean also offers an extra dimension to the cleaning experience, which I think really adds to the ‘smart’ features of this toothbrush.  Each mode can be set to 1 of 3 different brushing intensities.  

You can select between low, medium and high.  The power of the brush motor is adjusted and the brushing sensation is then affected as a result. 

There are then 3 bars that light up according to the intensity selected.  

• 1 lit bar on the handle = low power
• 2 lit bars on the handle = medium power
• 3 lit bars on the handle = high power

The brush will default to the pre-programmed intensity, for each brushing mode, unless overridden by the user.

You have no such intensity control settings on the Genius X.

Another nifty feature of Sonicare brushes is the automatic power off feature.

What happens here is at the end of any cleaning cycle, the brush will turn itself off automatically, meaning you don’t need to press the on/off button, like you would on the Genius.

As you are likely already aware Oral-B and Sonicare are two of the major dental healthcare brands and one of the things that set them apart is their brush heads and cleaning action.

Ultimately both are designed to try and deliver the best cleaning results. Both use very similar technology but it is implemented and named differently.

Sonicare uses a sonic cleaning action whilst Oral-B uses an oscillating-rotating and pulsating cleaning action.

Sonicare heads are typically a little larger with a rectangular/oval shape to them compared to the smaller round brush heads of the Oral-B Genius X 10000.

Oral-B’s bristles essentially move side to side like Sonicare, but the circular shape means the bristles sweep in more of an arc formation than the straighter path of Sonicare bristles.

In both instances the heads are working to clean plaque and bacteria off the teeth, the gumline and even under the gum tissue.

The small round brush heads from Oral-B tend to be a touch easier to use and move around the teeth.

All heads are user replaceable and interchangeable and both brands offer a variety of different styles of brush heads.

Slightly different bristle configurations and designs they are very similar in what they are working to achieve.

You can learn more about each by reading our guide to Oral-B brush heads or our guide to Sonicare brush heads.

The DiamondClean Smart comes with 4 brush heads:

• 1 x Premium Plaque Control
• 1 x Premium Gum Care
• 1 x Premium White
• 1 x TongueCare+ tongue brush

The Genius X comes with 3 or 7 brush heads in the box, depending on the variant selected.

Standard variant:

• 1 x CrossAction
• 1 x 3D White
• 1 x FlossAction

Luxe variant:

• 2 x CrossAction
• 1 x 3D White
• 2 x FlossAction
• 2 x Pro GumCare

It is the standard variant which is more widely stocked and generally the best value.

Whilst both brushes are packed with more features than are absolutely necessary, something the Sonicare DiamondClean Smart has is a technology called BrushSync.

Thanks to a microchip built into the brush head, the handle tracks the usage time of each head and will via an amber light on the brush handle alert you when it is time to replace the head.  

The light goes out and the tracking of the brush head reset, when a new head is fitted.

The Sonicare brush heads still have color changing indicator bristles to show wear, like Oral-B heads do, but this technology is one step further forward.

The downside is the higher cost to the replacement heads.

If using these premium brush heads, the DiamondClean Smart will also automatically select the best mode for the brush head attached to the handle.

For example, the default mode selected when the plaque control head is fitted is different to the mode selected when the Premium White head is fitted.

Both brushes have pressure sensors built into the brush handle. This sensor alerts you when you apply too much force to the teeth and gums as you brush.

In both cases, the pressure sensor will reduce the speed of the brush motor until it is relieved.

In both cases, there is an LED that illuminates when it is activated. The difference is how they are implemented.

The base of the DiamondClean has a slim LED ring that will be lit with a purple light when the sensor is triggered.

On the Genius X, around the neck of the brush handle is what Oral-B call the LED SmartRing. During daily operation, this will be lit 1 of 12 colors, set by the user.

It is the LED SmartRing that will change to red when the sensor is triggered.

I think the Oral-B pressure sensor is more noticeable.

As both of these brush handles are top of the range models, they both benefit from Bluetooth connectivity.

This allows for the brush handle to communicate wirelessly with an application on your smartphone. It is a different app for each brush, but each app is free to use. Available for iOS and Android devices, the app and brush combination are designed in both cases to improve your brushing technique and log your performance for your own records.

Whilst I won’t go into great detail about each, they do fundamentally the same job. 

Both handles have sensors built-in that send data to the app and give real-time feedback to you and me as users.

I personally think the Sonicare implementation is a bit better.  It is more refined and user friendly. The Oral-B approach is not far behind and could easily be improved.

Rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries are built into both brushes.

Both use inductive Qi (chee) charging to replenish the batteries.

The DiamondClean Smart comes with a more premium looking, but heavier and bulkier charging glass in which the brush stands, whilst the Genius X comes with a more traditional charging stand that the handle sits on.

Smaller and not as heavy, the charging stand for the X is perhaps a little more practical and benefits from a detachable power cable.

The Genius relies on the protuberance on the stand fitting into the depression on the base of the brush handle, something not required with the DiamondClean Smart.

When fully charged you will get 3 weeks usage time (based on 2 x 2 minute cleans per day) from the DiamondClean Smart and up to 16 days (just over 2 weeks) from the Genius.

With an extra week’s battery life over the Genius X, the DiamondClean Smart performs well in regards to battery life.

Included as standard with both brushes is a travel case. Each holds the brush handle and up to 2 brush heads.

Both cases allow for the brush handles internal battery to be recharged whilst it is sat in the case, doing away with the need for the charging stand and potentially being more convenient for travelers.

Oral-B’s case is slightly larger and requires the proprietary power cable to be connected. The case is finished in a smooth, but grippy soft touch silicone/rubber material.

Philips case is finished in a leather effect material, but has a USB cable hardwired into the case for charging the battery. This cable tucks away into the base of the case whereas the Genius X power cable needs to be stored separately.

The USB is a more convenient solution in my opinion. Having to carry a separate power cord for the Genius X case is a bit of a hassle.

The Genius X case does have a USB port on it, into which you can connect and USB device that requires charging, like your smartphone. Nice idea, but not sure how useful it really is as you still need the proprietary power adapter connected

There is too a plastic molding within the lid of the Oral-B case that will hold a smartphone when the case is open, so you can more easily use the brush and app at the same time.

The last major difference between these 2 models is the price, which I explain in more detail in a later section in this comparison.

Of course, this comparison has focused on the ways in which these 2 brushes are different, but there are similarities too.

The main one to be aware of is that both have a built-in timer and pacer which can help ensure you brush for the right amount of time and evenly.

Both brushes are made by leading brands within the space and come with a 2 year warranty. There are money back guarantee schemes with each, should you want to try them out.

Does one clean better than the other?

This is a difficult question to answer conclusively for a number of reasons.  However, as a general rule, no, they each clean the teeth as well as each other.

If you were to go by the average results of clinical studies, then the Genius X with its small round, oscillating, rotating and pulsating brush head is the one to go for.

But, I must stress the conclusions reached can vary from 1 study to another.

Dental professionals will also, for certain reasons, have their preferences.

However, the reality is that both offer a very good standard of clean. Far superior than that of a manual brush.

Both brushes left my mouth feeling clean and fresh.

In day to day life, improving the amount of time you brush for and ensuring your technique is correct are going to bring the biggest wins over opting between either of these brushes.

Even if you used the correct brushing technique every time, I don’t think it would be possible for a dental professional to say which brush you had used.

The only benefit is that potentially, Oral-B can deliver better results a bit faster and for those with smaller mouths the smaller Oral-B brush head might be a touch easier to maneuver around the back of the mouth in particular.

Is one better priced than the other?

Yes.

The official retail price of the Genius X is $220 and $250 for the standard and luxe models.

The DiamondClean Smart (9500 variant) has a suggested retail price of $270.

Brushes like this, particularly Oral-B can often be found selling for around 20% less than this, making the standard Genius X around $175.  

If the DiamondClean Smart was discounted this much it would be approximately $215.  Although Sonicare are often dearer and subject to 10% discount, so a price of around $240 is more common.

Whilst prices are always subject to change and do vary from one store to another, generally speaking, the Genius X, although newer than the DiamondClean will be cheaper.

Over a 3 year period, the DiamondClean can work out much more expensive, especially when you factor in the premium brush heads. As a benchmark $0.30 per day for the Sonicare compared to as little as $0.20 per day for the Oral-B.

As prices are always changing, it does, of course, depend on just how much difference in price there is when you are looking to buy.  However, I would argue that the DiamondClean is worth the investment as a result of the more premium experience and refinement in the product.  

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.