A great alternative flossing tool, that's a little expensive
The Quip Refillable Floss Pick is a sturdy reusable floss holder which will help you clean between your teeth.
It is easy to use, and can be used with a floss of your choice if you don’t want to use the Quip floss refills.
It makes it easier to reach the back teeth as well as making the right technique easier to achieve.
It comes with a protective carry case which includes a mirror and space to store floss.
Pros |
Cons |
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Helps with flossing technique |
Difficult to source (only available online) |
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Reduces total amount of floss used |
More expensive option than other floss holders |
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Easy grip handle |
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Comes with a case |
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American Dental Association Approved |
Design, usability, clean & general use
The exact design and colour of the Quip floss holder and case depends on the variant selected, but for this review I have been testing the black metal version.
The colour choice refers to the travel case. The options available are:
- White plastic
- Metal - silver, slate, copper, gold, all-black and all-pink.
The case is hard, made of plastic and has a mirror on the inside. The case is designed to hold the device in place, and has a magnetic close. There is a floss holder, so that the refills are stored under a cover. This cover is held in place by a magnetic closing device. The floss is threaded through to the surface you can see, and there is also an in-built floss cutter.
The handle itself is made of plastic or metal (you choose). The metal handle comes in a choice of colours.
The case comes in different colours, whilst the handle is grey.
The handle is a Y shape and is made mostly of hard plastic. The grip is wide and flat rather than circular. There is a rubber grip on the underside of the handle. The parts which grip the floss are a serrated hard plastic.
There is a rubber button with a “q” on it. This is the button you press to open the floss holder.
During use I found the handle to be comfortable. It helped to reach the back teeth. Generally the floss is very taught for the first 3 or 4 teeth. After that, it became too stretched to really clean effectively and needed to be re-strung. This is slightly worse than disposable floss picks.
I tried this floss holder with the Quip floss, as well as a PLA floss, a silk floss, and a dental tape. All worked about the same.
The floss and the available refills are made of waxed polyester, are mint flavoured, and are vegan. It also comes in a paper “pod” which is recyclable when you have finished the floss.
It is designed to be expanding floss, as Quip says this provides a better clean (there is no evidence to support or deny this). This does make it more prone to shredding during use in my experience.
The polyester floss that Quip supplies is not the most environmentally friendly material option for floss due to it being made from petroleum based oil and not being recyclable or compostable. But, there is no reason you can’t use an alternative (although it won’t fit in the dedicated space in this case), see our guide to eco-friendly floss for more information about choosing the right floss for you.
It uses very short amounts of floss - about 2.5 cm per usage. Overall this means less floss is used than if you were to floss with a conventional technique. Reducing use of materials is one way to lessen impact on the environment.
Quip really play on this being an alternative to single use floss picks. I agree that this is a very good alternative as there is no wastage of a plastic handle being disposed of after a single use. It’s a shame that there is a lack of information about how sustainable their manufacturing processes are.
Summary of design, usability, clean & general use
Reliability & long term use
I used the Quip refillable floss pick once per day for two weeks. It held up well, and I can’t see why this wouldn’t be the case long term.
The tips may become grimy over time, but this can be easily cleaned with cool water and an old toothbrush.
How to recycle the Quip Floss Pick
This product is designed to last many years so should not need disposing of any time soon.
With the current recycling facilities, both the handle and the case would not be recyclable due to the multiple materials. This might change in the future, or if you were to dismantle the device yourself at home.
Are there any similar products you should consider?
At the moment there are not many equivalents to the Quip flosser.
We have also tested the Durapik floss holder, but would not recommend this product.
An alternative would be single use floss holders, but generally we would recommend against these due to the environmental impact. There are slightly better options like The Humble Co Floss Pick or Wisdom re:new Floss Harps.
Instead of floss, you could consider interdental brushes as these are more effective at cleaning.
Conclusion
This is an easy to use device and I would recommend it if you really want to use a floss holder — you can order the starter kit here from Quip.
If you have advanced gum disease or struggle to handle floss, I would recommend using interdental brushes instead.
Size Guide
- Handle Length – 3 inches / 7.7cm
- Handle Width (widest point) – 1.1 inch / 2.7cm
- Handle Thickness – ¼ inch / 0.5cm
- Weight (without case) – 0.3oz / 8g
- Case length - 3.75 inches / 9.3cm
- Case width - 1.75 inches / 4.3cm
- Case thickness - 1 inch / 2.5cm
- Weight (in the case) – 1.9oz / 55g
All are approximates
You better reevaluate this review or you'll lose your credibility. As someone that owned and used this, it's great for the short-term but ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE in the long-run. First, the floss that comes with it is garbage. You're better off not using the refillable case and buying your own floss to put in. Second, they use RUSTABLE METAL as the spring. They care more about making it cheap than about it being hygienic. It's a product that comes into frequent contact with spit and water and they make it super inconvenient take apart and clean. Once the metal rusts, it's over. I broke mine trying to take it apart to maybe clean off the rust, obviously didn't work out cause it broke. If you're reading this, find a different option. This thing is terrible.
Thank you for sharing your expereince Alex, this is helpfil to know. We try and test the products as best as we can but there is only so long we can test each for. Different environmental conditions will impact products differently. Have you spoken to Quip to get feedback or a response from them on the matter?
I saw one at WalMart for $9.98 so apparently they are now available for retail ..
Don't buy it. They use a metal spring which rusts. Give it three months and you'll probably have to buy a whole new pick.