Quip cordless water flosser review

How the Quip cordless water flosser looks, feels and works

The Quip cordless water flosser comes packaged in a very simple and relatively nondescript cardboard box.

White in color the front has the outline of the flosser printed on it in black.

2 color matched stickers seal the box and show which colored unit is inside.

I purchased the copper metal unit for this review.

The box might look a bit boring to some, but there isn’t the need for it to be too glam as you won’t likely be shopping for this in a store. It doesn’t need to capture your attention.

Quip is sold online and the box is doing nothing more than holding the unit pieces together and protecting it for transportation.

The good news is because the box is paper based everything is recyclable. There are no single use plastics in use here.

Included is just what you need to get up and running, no unnecessary extras.

It's a premium looking flosser

I am using the premium metal handled flosser and I have to say it is one of, if not the best looking cordless flosser on the market today.

In this copper metal color it looks fantastic.

Quip does offer more affordable options made from plastic, but there is something about the feeling of the metal.

I must give Quip praise for the design and styling. There is a great deal of consistency across their product range and synergy between products that just work. You can really tell the toothbrush and water flosser are from the same company.

It is nice to have the option of color matching too.

It is not all that often that you can get a copper metal toothbrush and water flosser.

Cordless flossers by their very nature are a little bulky, but Quip has done its best to make it look and feel more compact in the hand.

My small to average sized man hands grip the unit fairly well.

It doesn’t feel, in my opinion at least, quite as comfortable and secure in hand as the more shapely Waterpik Cordless Advanced, but I have held products that feel far less comfortable.

There is a definite minimal look to the flosser which I defy you to dislike.

In the upper half of the unit are 2 buttons. The top one, with Quips ‘q’ icon in it, controls the water flow. The lower circular button with the LED in the middle allows you to switch between the different pressure settings/modes.

The remainder of the front is free of any notable ports or controls. The only other stand out feature here is the Quip logo debossed into the material. 

From a top or side profile, you will see how the unit has a rounded rectangle/ovalish shape to it. It certainly isn’t a cylinder like a toothbrush.

The sides of the flosser are smooth to the touch.

There are essentially 2 halves to the flosser, albeit they do not detach from one another.

The front half has the battery, pump and electronics needed to power this unit.

The rear half is the water tank or reservoir if you prefer.

On this copper unit and with most other variants the tank is a slightly opaque plastic. You can see the water level through it easily.

On the all-black option, this reservoir is black in color.

The base of the flosser is flat, so it stands upright on a countertop. There is a recess into which the magnetic charging cable attaches.

The top of the flosser is split in two. It is angled too for a more interesting design aesthetic.

In one half the magnetic flosser tip attaches. The other half is the hinged lid for the water tank.

The lid doesn't stay open, but is larger than some which makes filling easier

The water tank on the back of the Quip cordless flosser holds up to approximately 150ml or 5 fluid ounces.

This is quite a bit less than the 7oz /207ml of the Waterpik Cordless Advanced and the 8.4oz/250ml of the Sonicare 3000.

However, as I will explain later it isn’t necessarily as big an issue as one might think at first.

The lid or reservoir door, if you prefer, is actually a bit larger than most meaning it is a bit easier to fill the tank quickly and potentially with less spillage and mess.

But, there are too a couple of inconveniences or things to be aware of.

Because this has to be filled from the top the basin in which you are filling it needs to be quite deep to allow the flosser to fit under the tap.

With most flossers, you can tilt the unit into an almost horizontal position which means you don’t require such depth to the sink to fill the tank. It is a small thing, but something that could be an issue for some.

Linked to this is that the lid doesn’t stay open.

Unless you can tilt the unit a little, when filling the flosser you need to hold the lid open as it will flop closed otherwise.

It might sound silly, but in practice, it can potentially make filling up more awkward. With other flossers, the doors are positioned and hinged in such a way (most of the time) that this doesn’t pose an issue.

When it comes to drying out the tank to help keep it clean and prevent any mold buildup inside it is also more challenging. Ideally, you want the lid to remain open to allow plenty of airflow for thorough drying. Unless you push down on it to clip it shut properly, there is a small gap for ventilation, but it isn’t what most would want.

2 pressure settings and 2 mode settings

In use, you have a few different ways of using or configuring the flosser.

The upper of the 2 buttons control the water flow.

Your choices are:

• On-demand
• Continuous/steady

Give the button a more gentle press and it will activate the on-demand flow. As soon as you let go the water stops flowing.

Press the button firmly, hear the click and the steady or continuous mode is now active. The water keeps flowing until you press the button again or the water runs out.

Both buttons give a bit of feedback. They are quite firm but not too stiff. They are certainly not spongy and not really clickly. You don’t get that audible feedback from the button as you might with some.

The lower of the 2 buttons control the pressure of the water flow.

You have 2 choices:

• Gentle - White light
• Deep clean - Blue light

As the names imply the pressure of the water flow out through the tip is either softer and more gentle or faster and more powerful.

Which mode you opt for is your choice and personal preference.

There are likely arguments that the deep clean mode is more effective, but the pressure of the water is only one part of the equation, time and technique play a key role too.

It is better to floss every day with the gentle mode than to floss every couple of days with the deep clean mode for example.

It will remember the mode you last used, you don’t have to select the mode each time you use the flosser.

Therefore combined you essentially have 4 different combinations to choose between, based on your preferences. Your choices are:

• Gentle & on-demand
• Gentle & continuous
• Deep clean & on-demand
• Deep clean & continuous

If you are used to water flossers already, you might be wondering how the power or pressure of the water flow of Quip compares.

I am unable to confirm exactly as Quip doesn’t make public the pressure of the water on each mode.

From my testing, I would suggest that the gentle mode is equivalent to approximately level 4-5 on a Waterpik unit, therefore about 40-50 PSI.

The deep clean mode is much more intense and likely around the 8-9 setting on Waterpik, thus about 80-90 PSI. Do be aware these are just my assumptions based on my testing.

Irrespective, I am very pleased with the pressure options and the results.

Flossing time might not be long enough

When used continuously with the gentle pressure setting, it takes about 60 seconds to drain the tank of the Quip cordless water flosser.

Change the mode to deep clean and you get about 35 seconds of use.

You might feel differently, but having tested many flossers we feel that you need about 45 seconds of usage time to be able to achieve a thorough clean of the gumline and interdental spaces. Therefore the deep clean mode might not be long enough for you. You may need to refill the tank to get a complete clean.

This is not an issue if you are happy with the gentle mode.

No timer or pacer built-in

It isn’t commonplace, but some cordless water flossers have a timer and pacer built into the unit.

This works like a pacer would on an electric toothbrush, the idea being it helps you to achieve an even clean of the teeth.

This cordless flosser does not have one. Therefore it is down to you to make sure you clean all the teeth evenly.

Quip suggests spending approximately 2 seconds cleaning each tooth.

1 floss tip style only

At the time of review, Quip offers one style of flossing tip/nozzle.

It is what is often known as a jet tip.

A plastic tube with an angled tip that narrows to help push the water out. The angled tip is set to about 45 degrees. This means when the flosser unit itself is angled at about 45 degrees (the natural angle to hold it at), the tip is at 90 degrees, or thereabouts to the gumline.

There isn’t a lot of evidence to say there is a need for multiple tip styles, but market leader Waterpik offers quite a few.

The different styles are designed to aid different people who have different needs.

There are those designed to help clean around braces and orthodontic appliances and others to help clean gum pockets and around restorations such as crowns and implants.

Often these alternatives have bristles attached to them or soft tips rather than hard plastic to aid with cleaning.

It is open to interpretation, but as a general rule Quips flosser and the current jet tip are going to be best suited to the user who doesn’t have periodontal disease or more complex oral care needs.

To find which is right for you or if you need a specialized tip at all, consult with your dentist or dental hygienist.

The magnetic flossing tip is neat but does not effortlessly rotate

The flossing tip provided magnetizes into place. This is neat, I like it. I don’t think I have seen any other water flossers do this. Most use some sort of physical clipping mechanism.

Where other flossers require you to press a button to release the tip, this doesn’t. You just release it by pulling the tip away from the body of the flosser.

It is designed to rotate a full 360 degrees, like tips on many other flossers.

There is a problem though.

The magnet is just too strong. It holds the tip in place, but too securely.

I could not remove the nozzle with wet hands. I had to dry them and even then pull really quite hard to cause it to detach.

Yes, it will spin a full 360 degrees, which in principle is perfect. But, in reality, it doesn’t. It is difficult and nigh on impossible to rotate whilst in use.

You really have to rotate it when the flosser is off.

It requires a really strong pinch on the flosser to rotate it. It does not effortlessly rotate as the Quip sales page would suggest and it is not therefore easy to get the right angle.

You can rotate it in use if you use the opposite hand to the one you are holding it with.

If the magnet was weaker it would be a bit easier. But, I still think it would be tricky as you have little to grip onto. Waterpik does it right with large finned rotating wheels that allow you to rotate the nozzle with a fingertip, whilst flossing. It really is effortless on the Cordless Advanced.

Gum protection feature doesn’t work 

It isn’t mentioned on Quips sales page, but on this page about the flossers features, a gum protection mode is written about.

It says “ You’ll want to be extra careful not to floss with the Floss Tip pressed directly against your gums as this will trigger the automatic shut-off sensor. (And can also damage your gums!)”

A similar message is repeated here when it comes to troubleshooting.

“Please note, that the Rechargeable Cordless Water Flosser has a built-in sensor and will shut down if the nozzle is placed too close to your gums. If you are finding that your Water Flosser is shutting down frequently while in use, you may be flossing too close to your gum line”

It doesn’t work for me. Whatever I tried it just carried on, no shut-off. Even when I placed my finger over the tip, nothing.

It is another neat feature if it works. I don’t think I have used a water flosser with this before.

Automatic shut-off at 2 minutes

No matter what pressure setting you use, you will have exhausted the water if you leave it running for more than a minute.  Therefore, this water flosser is designed to automatically power off after 2 minutes of continuous use.

This is a safety feature to avoid wearing out the pump etc.

If you want to use it for several minutes, you don’t need to.  It is best to stop and restart the device between each refill of the tank.

Water flossing can be messy

This is more applicable to new users of water flossers as you need to learn and practice the technique to limit the amount of water that gets sprayed around you.

Even for long time users it is easy to make a mess. One false move and water is shooting in all different directions.

This applies to all water flossers and isn’t unique to Quip alone, but it can be messy.

It is a trade-off for the easier approach than regular string floss. I raise it as something to be aware of because it will likely happen.

Familiarize yourself with how you should use it and remember as best as possible to close the lips around the flosser tip to limit unwanted spray.

Being cordless has its advantages and disadvantages

Being cordless can be useful because you are not bound by wires.

You can move around a little more freely, you can travel with it and it can be used in places where there isn’t a fixed power supply.

Compare this to the generally more bulky and heavy countertop units that have to have a power outlet to function.

The disadvantage is that you don’t get the same usage time from a full tank. You get only 35-60 seconds from Quip compared to the several minutes you can get from the countertop units.

Some of the larger ones have tanks of 600ml in capacity which is 4x the 150ml on offer here.

Another downside is the lack of additional pressure settings. You don’t necessarily need them, but many countertop units have 10 settings rather than the 2 available on Quip.

Water resistant

By the very nature of the device, it has been designed to be water resistant.

Quip doesn't specifically state that you can or can’t use it in the shower, but it should be ok to do so. 

Where’s the travel case?

I will be the first to say it isn’t essential, but I would have thought Quip would have included or at least offered as an optional accessory some sort of travel case or pouch.

It need not be some hard plastic case, but a soft drawstring pouch would’ve be nice. 

When on the go the nozzle can be stored in the water tank, but that doesn’t prevent any residual moisture from dripping out from the top of the flosser.

A soft pouch would absorb some of this and prevent the unit a little from damage and accidental activation.

Sadly no such case is provided or offered.

It is a little surprising to me given a big unique selling feature of Quips toothbrush is the case cum wall mount.

1 year or lifetime warranty subject to subscription

The warranty you get with Quips flosser depends on whether you remain subscribed or not.

Remain subscribed, and your warranty is extended for the life of your subscription. I can’t fault this.

Cancel the subscription or not take it out in the first place and the warranty is just 1 year from the date of the original purchase.

1 year is ok, but most companies now offer 2 years.

A lifetime warranty is great, but the catch is the subscription, which as I demonstrate in the pricing section can work out more expensive.

Environmental impact

There is limited data to really determine the environmental impact of a water flosser, but it is likely similar to an electric toothbrush, which don’t fare well.

But, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use one. You need to balance effective cleaning and disease prevention against the environmental impact.

Water flossers can assist with keeping your mouth healthy and reducing the need for dental treatment. And avoid the need for planetary impacts that come from procedures such as fillings.

There is a lack of detailed evidence to confirm that a filling is worse than the use of a water flosser. But using data for an electric toothbrush, dentist Gemma Wheeler believes that a single filling is worse than an electric brush with a usable life of 5 years. Thus it is likely a similar story for the flosser.

There is no perfect solution as yet. We want to see manufacturers doing more to tackle this issue and achieve significant improvements.

Schemes to recycle used nozzles only scratch the surface of what needs to be done.

Related to the Quip flosser specifically:

Pros

• Limited box contents – not lots of unnecessary extras. This reduces the weight of transportation
• Smallish box with limited weight and recyclable cardboard inner tray.
• No USB play adapter included - many already own such.

Cons

• The recommendation for nozzle replacement time is half the industry average.
• Proprietary USB charging cable.
• 1 year warranty unless subscribed
• No user serviceable parts.
  • The manual specifically states that the unit isn’t designed to be serviceable.