Oral-B Pro 500 vs Vitality

Detailed comparison: what’s the difference between the Oral-B Pro 500 and Vitality?

On first glance, you would be excused for thinking these are the same electric toothbrushes.

The differences between these 2 models are very subtle indeed.

The first and most noticeable difference is the brush heads that come supplied with each model.

With the Vitality, you get a single brush head included in the box.

The brush head supplied depends on the variant you are looking at. It is either a FlossAction or DualClean brush head. It is the FlossAction that is more widely stocked.

With the Pro 500, you get just 1 x PrecisionClean brush head.

These 3 different styles of brush head all work towards achieving the same goal, getting your teeth and gums clean, but the bristle configuration on all is slightly different.

Arguments can be made for and against each and although all 3 styles are still technically ‘current’ within the Oral-B range.

The DualClean is an older style head that is being phased out, due to its size. It does not conform quite so well to the small round brush head style Oral-B favor.

The FlossAction and PrecisionClean are now generally less popular than the newer style CrossAction head which is the default on most models, but they still offer a good overall clean.

MicroPulse bristles on the FlossAction head, as the name somewhat implies are geared to trying to clean interdental spaces that bit better.

Ultimately it is personal preference, but I would generally side with the PrecisionClean head as being the better all round option, making the Pro 500 a bit more desirable here.

Oral-B have a range of different brush head styles, all of which are explained in detail in our guide here.

What you should know is that the heads are interchangeable with both brush handles, so even if the brush does not come with the brush head you prefer, you can purchase, attach and use any of the Oral-B heads on either handle without issue.

Another more obvious difference is the color of the brush handle.

Now, the 2 handles actually share the same chasis, so in terms of size, weight and feel in the hand, they are the same.

At the time of writing, the Pro 500 comes with a black colored rubber grip on the handle, whilst the Vitality comes with either a white, pink or black.

This could change, in that the 500 may come in other colors, but for now this is the situation.

The third difference between these two brushes is one you would not realize until you actually use it.

The Pro 500 has a quadpacer or what some will call a 30 second timer built-in.

A fantastic addition, the pacer works in conjunction with the 2 minute timer already built into the brush.

Once powered on, at 30 second intervals, there is a pause in the brush head motion, which results in a change in the brushing sensation and sound the handle makes. This is the alert you need.

Imagine breaking your mouth up into 4 sections, upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right.

The idea is you spend 30 seconds cleaning each of these sections, known as quadrants and by the time the 2 minutes is up, you have spent an equal amount of time brushing all teeth in the mouth, rather than focusing on just top, bottom or front teeth.

The pacer is essentially an aid to help you achieve that all over, even clean.

It is great as it tries to address the inconsistencies that many of us have within our brushing routine, to make us better at brushing the teeth and improving our oral health.

So those are the big differences.

The last difference is the price.

Oral-B offers a suggested retail price of $30 for the Vitality and $40 for the Pro 500.

In reality, the market prices are very close to the Vitality selling at about $25 and the Pro at $30.

For the all important pacer, I think this is a worthwhile extra spend.

Aside from the differences, there are many similarities more of which can be learned about by reading the reviews we have available, but the main similarities are:

• Built-in 2 minute timer
• Built-in Nickel Metal Hydride Battery
• A battery life of 8 days (16 brushing sessions)
• Charging stand provided
• No battery status icon
• 2D cleaning action
• Water resistant handle

With all this said, if you are considering the Vitality or the Pro 500, please take a moment to add the Pro 1000 into your considerations.

It is just a few dollars more expensive but it gives you so much more and I feel will be for most people a much better investment, primarily because it has a better cleaning action, a slimmer handle, better battery life, and battery status icon.

Does one clean better than the other?

No.

Both brushes use the same cleaning action and have the same motor built into the handle.

The motor offers up to 7,600 movements per minute with what Oral-B call a 2D cleaning action.

Essentially the brush head moves back and forth quickly in a circular motion.

Although the brush heads supplied on each handle are different and could potentially affect the brushing results, every person is different so really determining this is essentially very difficult.

Both brushes will provide a superior clean over a manual toothbrush.

Is one better priced than the other?

Yes.

The Vitality is on average $10 cheaper.

Oral-B offers a suggested retail price of $30 for the Vitality and $40 for the Pro 500.

In reality, the market prices are very close to the Vitality selling at about $25 and the Pro at $30.

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.