Oral-B Pro 1000 vs Smart 1500

Detailed comparison: what’s the difference between the Oral-B Pro 1000 and Smart 1500?

In all honesty, these brushes are similar in more ways than they are different, but some notable differences do exist.

Whilst neither will radically change nor improve how well you or the brush cleans the teeth, the 1500 is the better product.

They way they look is very similar, but there are subtle differences in the color of the brush handles.

The Pro 1000 is available with a white, black, pink or green brush handle.

With the 1000, whilst the majority of the handle is the specified color, the base of the handle remains white. Each has a color accent rubber grip around the power button.

This is a light grey color on the white and black models, but white on the pink and green.

The Smart 1500 on the other hand comes in navy blue, rose pink, black and jet white.

The blue and pink brush handles are actually white in color, but it is the grip around the power button that is the color accent.

With the black Smart 1500, the handle is all black in color and the power button grip a very dark grey/black.

With both the Pro 1000 and Smart 1500, the brush head provided with the black colored units are black too. All others have white brush heads.

Around the neck of the Smart 1500’s brush handle is a clear panel.  It runs a full 360 degrees around the handle.

This is not a customizable LED light ring as found on models like the Genius Pro 8000 and Genius X, but instead a 360 degree visible pressure sensor.

Both of these models have a pressure sensor built-in, but it is only the 1500 that has the visible sensor.

When activated, the 360 degree sensor will be lit red, giving a visual warning to the user that the sensor has been activated.

You do not get this visual alert with the Pro 1000.

Both do still slow the brush head movements and change the sound of the brush slightly when the sensor is active.

For new and experienced electric toothbrush users alike, the visible sensor is much more practical.  It should help prevent you from doing damage to the teeth and the gums quicker than the 1000 might.

Whilst 1 cleaning mode is perfectly sufficient for most, many desire additional modes.

The Smart 1500 offers this.  In fact, it offers 3 cleaning modes in total.

The modes on offer are Daily Clean, the same as the Pro 1000 but it also has a Sensitive and Whitening mode.

A more detailed description of the differences between these modes are available in our Oral-B brushing mode article, but ultimately the extra modes give more choice to find the cleaning power and effect you prefer most.

Another difference, albeit relatively subtle is the amount of cleaning power the motor inside the brush handle delivers.

The Pro 1000 has a motor that offers 8,800 oscillations and 20,000 pulsations, whereas the 1500 has a slightly more powerful motor offering the same 8,800 oscillations, but 40,000 pulsations.

What this means is that it can potentially clean the teeth a little better, but the actual difference would still be relatively limited.  It is not possible to say from this alone that 1 brush would clean the teeth significantly better.  Add into this that different modes use a different amount of power from the motor and it complicates things a little further.

Sealed inside both handles is a rechargeable battery.

The Pro 1000 has a Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery that is said to last 10 days on a full charge compared to the 14+ days that is possible with the Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery built into the Smart 1500.

In my hands-on testing the Pro 1000 achieved 10.5 days whilst the Smart 1500 managed 20.

Whilst many of us do not need weeks of power on a single charge, having double the battery life on the Smart 1500 is very compelling. It is certainly a more attractive option to travelers.

Does one clean better than the other?

The short answer is no, one brush does not clean better than the other.

However, the increased power of the Smart 1500s motor could potentially mean that the teeth are cleaned more effectively than if the Pro 1000 was used.

This issue is that there are many variables and proving this is quite difficult.

My hands-on testing has not been conducted in any scientific way that would be able to determine this.  I suspect even if it was, the differences would be minimal and not clinically significant.

When comparing the 2 brushes side by side, paying great attention you can see and feel the speed differences.

The additional cleaning modes available on the Smart 1500 may also have a beneficial effect for some users.  The Sensitive mode likely being the one with most appeal as it is a little more gentle.

An argument can also be made that the visible pressure sensor can play a part in the overall clean, but again it is tricky to conclusively measure.

The likelihood is that for most Americans, perfecting their brushing routine and the regularity with which they brush will have the most significant benefits over selecting between either of these particular brushes.

Is one better priced than the other?

Yes, the Pro 1000 is the cheaper of the 2 brushes.

The 1000 has a recommended retail price of $69.99 compared to the $79.99 of the Smart 1500.

$10 is really not that great and based on price vs specification the Smart 1500 is definitely worth the extra spend.

However, in reality, both brushes sell for less than their recommended prices.

The typical selling price opens up a bit of a wider gap in the pricing.  The Pro 1000 tends to sell for around $40-50 whereas the Smart 1500 is nearer the $65.

So, on average you are looking at a $15-20 lower price in favor of the 1000.

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.