Oral-B iO3 Review

How the iO3 looks, feels and works

Oral-B isn’t going to win any awards just yet for sustainability and environmentally conscious product design, given electric toothbrushes are more harmful than their manual counterparts.

But, the multinational giant has in recent years made improvements, by ditching polystyrene and switching to cardboard internal packaging instead.  This is good to see.

What I also like is that the retail box has more meaningful information printed on it.  At times this was once vague, but key features and box contents are now clearly labeled. 

It looks good and is easier to keep clean

When the iO Series was first introduced in 2020, it brought with it a new handle design, that looked much more modern, sleeker and generally cleaner than other models.

Although the iO3 doesn’t have the in handle display like the iO9 which was the first iO model to launch, the remainder of the handle design is nigh on identical.

The handle has a rounded design, with no harsh edges.

And compared to models like the Pro 500, there are very minimal rubber grips.

Instead, the handle is primarily all plastic, but thankfully not the harsh and very clinical gloss white plastic of some electric brushes.

The plastic has a matt color finish. 

It is too somehow smooth yet grippy in hand. It is hard to explain, the coating on the handle just works.

Where the iO Series 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 Series have a display, the iO3 has 2 buttons placed inside an elliptical rubber grip. 

On the matte white variant I have, this grip is a muted grey color. It is a classy and subtle contrast to the white handle. It is a little more pronounced on the black and blue variants.

The upper button is the power switch that turns the brush on and off. It has a power icon within it. It has a concave design, so it is easily picked up by the fingertip.

The lower one is the mode button that you use to change between the 3 cleaning modes. It has a solid circle in the middle that lights up as part of the brush head replacement reminder system.

The rubber grip is functional and helps retain a secure hold of the brush in hand, but isn’t as effective as the 360 degree grip that wraps around the Vitality.

What this ultimately means is that the iO3 looks nicer.

And because there is little in the way of textured grips the handle is much easier to keep clean. A quick rinse and wipe are all that you need.

The Pro 500 will after a few months of use usually have a white buildup of residue paste within the textured surface. This is almost impossible to remove unless you are very thorough with your cleaning.

The benefit is the handle looks sleek and is a little easier to keep clean compared to those with more extensive rubber/silicone grips. The contours in the grips are known for catching toothpaste residue and being a bit tricky to keep clean.

The iO3 feels good quality and durable

The iO Series has a very minimal design and this remains true on the iO3 despite being the less feature rich model.

On the front of the handle, aside from the aforementioned buttons, there is an Oral-B and iO logo printed in the lower third. 

The back and sides of the handle are free from any notable ports or controls.

Although of a plastic construction it feels solid and well built when in the hand.

It stands upright on a countertop, despite having a recess in the base to allow it to sit on the charger.

Laid flat the shape and weight mean it can wobble a little, but it doesn’t have a tendency to roll away.

The iO 3 is water resistant

This means it has been designed to resist the water, toothpaste and saliva that it will come into contact with.

This does too mean a rinse under the faucet or use in the shower is completely fine. 

However, it isn’t designed to be submerged in water for long periods. If it does fall in a sink full of water it will likely be fine, but avoid it if you can.

3 different cleaning modes but no icons or labels on the handle

Over the years of testing electric toothbrushes I have learned from users and dental professionals, that generally speaking 1 cleaning mode is sufficient for most people  

Some toothbrushes offer as many as 7 different modes, but nobody needs this many.

Adding more modes can make the task of just using the brush more complex. This is because you have more things to think about and decide if is this right etc.

And truth be told, I have yet to see any really meaningful evidence that additional modes equal better results.

Yes, there will be some examples, but for many, the differences are going to be marginal and unlikely clinically significant.

Your dentist isn’t really going to be able to tell if you have been using the standard clean or whitening mode.

Over and above the standard clean, or in the case of Oral-B, Daily Clean, if I was to request 1 additional mode, it would be a sensitive mode. Or something that is a little less powerful and a more gentle option for users.

The iO3 has this, which is good news.

The more gentle sensitive mode is an option for those with sensitivity, inflammation and those adjusting to the power and intensity of using an electric brush.

The iO3 does in fact have 3 brushing modes.  The additional mode is whiten.  Thus your options are:

• Daily Clean
• Sensitive
• Whitening

To change between each, you press the lower of the 2 buttons on the front of the brush handle.

Unfortunately, there is no indication from the brush handle itself as to which mode you have selected.

Many brushes have labels or icons on the handle that are lit to inform you. You don’t get this on the iO3.

You will eventually learn the difference between the modes, the sound, and the cleaning action is a little different, but this is frustrating. I don’t think anyone would say that they don’t want some form of label or icon on the handle to tell them which mode is selected.

I will just point out that you can’t change the mode prior to turning the toothbrush on.

Should you want to learn more about the different brushing modes on Oral-B handles, do check out our guide to Oral-B cleaning modes.

The timer and pacer help you to brush for the right amount of time

The default recommended brushing time is 2 minutes.

You should be brushing your teeth twice a day 2 minutes at a time and cleaning in between the teeth at least once a day too.

The reality is far too few do, with the average brushing time being just 45-70 seconds in total per day.

If you are guilty of this, you are putting your oral health at risk.

The iO3 has a built-in timer to encourage brushing for the recommended time, but to also help achieve even brushing.

It is not good to brush for 2 minutes if the entire time is spent brushing just the front teeth.

As the brush is turned on the pacer and timer are activated.

At 30 second intervals, the pacer kicks in. You will note a pause in the bristle motion, a change in sound and brushing sensation and a vibration in the handle. This is your cue to move from one section of the mouth to another.

This then repeats every 30 seconds, until the brush gets to 120 seconds (2 minutes).

The idea is that you break the mouth up into 4 sections: 

• upper right
• upper left
• lower right 
• lower left

You spend 30 seconds cleaning each section. As you do, you try to give equal attention to the front, back and biting surfaces of the teeth. 

If you do, come the 2 minutes of brushing time, you should have achieved an even clean to the teeth and gums.

Of course, you don’t have to follow it, but it is good practice.

At the end of a cleaning cycle, the light ring will run through a series of colors in a rainbow like display as confirmation you have achieved the recommended brushing time.

Unlike some toothbrushes, this does not turn itself off automatically at the end of a cleaning cycle. You must turn it off. 

The smart pressure sensor alerts you when you brush with the correct and incorrect amount of pressure

This is probably one of the best pressure sensor implementations in any electric toothbrush on the market today.

Around the neck of the brush handle is a light ring that changes color depending on the pressure applied.

The colors and what they mean are as follows:

• White  – Low pressure – not enough force is being applied. This is the default setting.
• Green – The right amount of pressure is being used.
• Red – High or excessive pressure is being applied and the force should be reduced.

As best as possible you want the light ring to be lit green for the entirety of the brushing session.

Too much pressure can damage the teeth and gums. As such when the red light is active, in the daily clean and sensitive modes the number of brush head movements will be reduced until the pressure is relieved.

The sound of the brush handle does differ very slightly when excessive force is being used. It does not alter the vibration pattern felt via the handle, like Sonicare brushes do.

The iO’s motor is quieter

When the iO Series was introduced so too was a new motor.

Different from motors used in other models, the brushless magnetic drive system used exclusively in the iO Series results in a slightly different, albeit similar cleaning experience.

The motor used in the iO3 is the same as all other iO models.

But another benefit is that the brush is quieter in operation, with a different pitch to the sound. Some other brushes are really quite loud. 

The iO operates at approximately 64 decibels.

Good cleaning results as expected

As you would really hope for, I can’t fault the cleaning experience.

After each use, my teeth felt lovely and clean. 

Just like other Oral-B brushes the iO3’s head has an oscillating and rotating cleaning action. This means the head moves rapidly from side to side in a circular motion.

There is an extra dimension to the cleaning known as micro vibrations that help to ensure the best possible results.

Compared to the motor in the Smart 1500, Pro 1000, and Genius X for example, the sensation of the brushing is different.

It is hard to describe exactly, but it is softer and a little less intense. This is a good thing. But, it still moves in such a way that the cleaning is really invigorating.

When it comes to dental advice and information on how to take care of your teeth, the American Dental Association (ADA) is one of the leading bodies.

Therefore you gain extra peace of mind and reassurance in knowing that the iO3 has achieved the ADA’s Seal of Acceptance.

The association awards products this seal when they are proven to be safe and when they have shown efficacy in removing plaque and helping prevent and reduce gingivitis. 

Oral-B has iO specific brush heads you must use

The number of supplied heads with the iO3 depends on the variant chosen.

All models come with at least 1 x Ultimate Clean brush head. However, the premium versions come with 1  Gentle Care brush head too.

You can learn about the specific differences between each head and why we select each by reading our Oral-B brush heads article.

The Ultimate Clean has firmer bristles that are angled at 16 degrees to effectively remove plaque from the teeth and along the gumline.

The Gentle Care is the softer bristled head that will often be recommended by dental professionals.

These are 2 styles of heads available for the iO Series.

You can choose between:

• Ultimate Clean
• Gentle Care
• Radiant White
• Targeted Clean (also known as Specialized Clean)

The ultimate clean and gentle care are our top choices. 

You can choose the one you prefer, you don’t have to stick with the style that comes included in the box.

Despite Oral-B having produced electric toothbrushes for many years, the refills for most Oral-B brushes are not compatible with the iO Series.

Only iO Series heads will fit the iO Series 3.

The heads compatible with the Vitality, Pro, Smart and Genius series do not fit the iO3.

These iO specific heads do unfortunately command a price premium twice that of the regular ones.

Be reminded when it is time to replace your brush head

The lower of the 2 buttons on the iO3’s brush handle has an LED in the middle of it.

It won’t light up all that often, but when it does, a yellow/orange light is emitted and the handle will vibrate.

This is the brush head replacement reminder.

When you see this it is time to replace the brush head you are using with a new one.

It is recommended to replace the head on average every 3 months. This is because the bristles on a head become worn and clean less effectively.

If the bristles are splayed or heavily worn before achieving 3 months of use, replace the head sooner.

Once you have replaced the head, you need to reset the brush head replacement reminder. To do this, press the mode button for 2 seconds. A vibration and illumination confirm the reset.

If you don’t replace the head and no action is taken, an automatic reset happens after several days.

The reminder system is a neat feature that will be beneficial for some.

I can see the reminder annoying some users, albeit the intention behind it is good. 

I am a little concerned that it turns itself off automatically after a few days.  Doesn’t it defeat the point? 

But I suppose this is the happy medium to suit all users.

The iO3 is not a smart toothbrush

Unlike all the other iO Series toothbrushes, the iO3 is the only one not to offer Bluetooth connectivity.

As such it does not connect to a smartphone via an app and it cannot and does not track the position of the toothbrush in the mouth for real-time or post brushing feedback.

It is your conventional electric ‘dumb’ brush without all the extra tech.

I don’t think this is a bad thing.

Don’t get me wrong, used appropriately, the smart tech can be good and useful, but for many it isn’t necessary.

Accessories and extras

As you will likely have gleaned from the review so far, what you get in the box depends on the variant you select.

The cheapest model doesn’t come with any additional accessories other than those you need like the brush head and charging stand.

With the other variants, you can get a travel case, which holds the handle and up to 2 brush heads.

The case is pretty basic but perfectly functional. It does the job of protecting the handle and preventing accidental activation. 

Holding the case vertically, it is hinged on the left side, opening up like a book.

It is made from lightweight molded plastic and is either black or white in color.

The ends of the case are rounded, as is the top lid. The base is flat, so it sits on a worktop.

Debossed onto the top lid is the Oral-B iO logo with a push style clip on the right side to lock the case close or to open it up.

There are a couple of small openings to allow for airflow so that a wet brush head can dry out whilst inside.

You can also get a brush head refill holder, which is kind of like a separate travel case for brush heads.

It consists of a rubber/silicone base which is flat so it sits on a countertop. On top are 2 raised nodules onto which iO brush heads can be placed. 

An opaque plastic lid or cap if you prefer can then be fitted over the top to hold and protect the heads. It is ideal for storing on a countertop or as a way of transporting heads. 

There is a vent in the holder to allow air to circulate so the heads can dry.

The color of the silicone base depends on the color of the brush handle.