What the cleaning experience is like and how clean our teeth felt after brushing.
How well it cleans Score SummaryWhat the brush is like in-hand; how grippy it is, what the balance is like, how easy it is to remove brush heads.
How it feels Score SummaryDoes the brush have our recommended features of a timer, pacer & pressure sensor and how well do they perform?
Recommended features Score SummaryHow long does the battery last, how long does it take to charge and does the brush have a battery level indicator?
Battery performance Score SummaryWhat are the total ownership costs over the space of several years and how expensive are replacement brush heads?
Price Score SummaryHow easy is it to clean the brush, how noisy is it, does it come with a travel case or any other useful items?
Additional items & features Score SummaryHow long is the warranty, what is the manufacturer's reputation and how strong are its environmental efforts?
Support & reputation Score SummaryApplies to smart toothbrushes only. How well does the smart technology work and how useful is the app?
Smart features Score Summary
Our verdict
I've tested lots of electric toothbrushes and I can confidently say that the 4100 Series is among the very best. It has the essential features, as well as some extras, all for an affordable price.
We rate the 4100 Series as the best electric toothbrush, all things considered. It is a must-buy for those looking for a sonic brush from a reputable brand.
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
Slim, stylish & easy to keep clean |
No indicator lights to show which intensity is selected |
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2 intensity settings – choose between low and high power |
Sonic motor configured differently to premium models |
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Reminds you when to replace your brush head |
How well it cleans
I've given the 4100 Series full marks here. The plaque disclosing tests I conducted during testing confirm that the 4100 does a very good job of cleaning your teeth. I got that deep and invigorating clean feeling after each use. I certainly have no complaints.
The motor is configured differently, but it doesn’t impact results
The 4100 doesn’t have 62,000 movements like some of Sonicare’s premium brushes.
Existing Sonicare users might notice the slight difference in power. Even for me, as someone who has tested scores of brushes, this difference isn’t immediately obvious due to the way the motor has been tuned.
The power and the number of bristle movements are only part of the equation in achieving clean teeth, so the fact that the motor in the 4100 is programmed slightly differently isn’t a massive issue.
It's reassuringly simple and easy to use
The 4100 Series includes 1 brushing mode with 2 intensities, which keeps things reassuringly simple and easy to use.
Pressing the power button switches between the two intensities, giving the option of a more gentle or more intense setting.
The low intensity mode is ideal for when your teeth and gums feel a bit tender or inflamed. It’s good for new toothbrush users too. Should you be a new electric toothbrush user, the 4100 does have an EasyStart mode that gradually increases the brushing intensity over the 14 sessions to ease you in.
You can tell the difference between the two modes based on their sound and intensity. The more powerful mode is my preferred setting for everyday brushing. There are no labels or icons on the handle to confirm which is selected, but it's easy enough to distinguish between the two.
There is no whitening or gum care mode. Additional cleaning modes and their benefits are often overrated, rarely do they bring significant benefits.
It’s worth sticking with the supplied brush head
Philips offers a diverse range of interchangeable brush heads that are compatible with the 4100 Series.
The C2 Optimal Plaque Control that's included in the box is one of our favorites, giving a good overall clean.
Premium alternatives of these push on and pull off heads exist, but they cost more and don’t provide any significant benefit. The main difference is the silicone backing to the head.
Worry more about your technique and brushing time than brush head style. None are going to provide dramatic differences in the cleaning results.
How it feels
First impressions of the 4100 Series are great. It has a minimal design that is easy to keep clean. It’s lighter and slimmer than its predecessor, which impacts battery life, but thankfully not too much.
Durable and quality feeling in the hand
It definitely isn’t the most grippy of toothbrushes I have used. There is a lack of raised notches and rubber panels compared to others. Yet the matte finish somehow gives a reassuring resistance against the palm and fingertips. The squarer edges to the handle - which isn’t a perfect cylinder - help too.
The minimal design and lack of textured surfaces make it easier to keep clean.
It looks good and feels quality in the hand. It’s water resistant too — you can use it in the shower or rinse it under the faucet.
If you like variety, it’s available in a number of different color options:
- Sugar rose- HX3681/21
- White – HX3681/23
- Black – HX3681/24
- Deep pink – HX3681/26
- Azure blue – HX3681/27
- Dark forest – HX3681/28
The power button gives a nice clicky feedback
The only button on the handle has a concave shape, with a rubber finish and power icon embossed. It’s easily detected by the fingertip and when pressed gives reassuring feedback whilst producing a clicky sound.
It isn’t very firm, which is great for those with limited dexterity.
Recommended features
The 4100 comes with the essential, dentist-recommended features you need. They are well-implemented and perform as expected.
No travel case is provided, which is a bit of a shame. There is a 4900 Series variant that comes with a case, but it isn’t worth paying much more for.
The timer and pacer help you to brush for the right amount of time
Most dental professionals, our in-house dentists included, recommend cleaning your teeth twice a day, for at least 2 minutes each time.
The 4100 Series helps you to achieve this. The timer kicks in as soon as you press the power button. It then turns the brush off automatically after a 2 minute brushing session. So, if you turn the brush off, you know you haven’t brushed for long enough.
To keep your teeth healthy you need to give them all equal attention. The QuadPacer or 30 second timer pauses the bristle motion. It creates a change in sound and brushing sensation. This is your cue to move between the 4 sections of the mouth until all have been brushed.
The pressure sensor alerts you when you brush too hard
Too much pressure can cause wear on the teeth and gums and in the long term result in irreversible damage. The 4100’s built-in pressure sensor can help you if you know you brush too hard.
The handle vibration pattern changes when it detects too much force is being applied. At the same time, the brushing sensation and sound alter.
Where you get a large visible light on many Oral-B brushes, you don’t on the 4100. The BrushSync replacement reminder LED does flash amber, but given its position and size, it is not the easiest to see.
Don’t worry if you end up activating the pressure sensor occasionally, I still do. You just want to correct frequent forceful brushing.
Additional items & features
The 4100 Series scores below average in this category because it comes with the essentials only. This is great because it means you are not paying for unnecessary extras. Additional features can enhance daily user experience, but their benefits can be hard to justify once you factor in price.
BrushSync reminds you when your brush head needs replacing
The provided C2 head, along with the majority of other brush head options now have Radio Frequency Identification Chip (RFID) built-in.
Communicating with the 4100 handle, the usage time of the head is tracked. After the equivalent of 3 months use, a light illuminates on the handle and a vibration is emitted to alert you that it’s time to change the head.
Continuing to use it for a bit longer isn’t a big issue, but it could be cleaning less effectively and the tips will likely have become worn and could be more abrasive on the surfaces in your mouth.
If you’re not too hot on remembering when you last replaced your head this can be a handy reminder.
This clever system is otherwise known as BrushSync technology. Our guide to BrushSync explains the things you need to know.
USB charging has some advantages
The provided charging stand is a newer design for Sonicare. It has a slightly smaller footprint than previous designs. It still has a protuberance that fits into the base of the brush handle. The 2 pin adapter is replaced with a USB cable (approximately 43.3 inches long) hardwired into the round charger.
USB connectivity enables you to power it from more sources, such as a computer or portable battery bank. It does also make it more travel-friendly.
It’s for environmental reasons that no 2 pin USB power adapter is provided. Now that USB cables are so ubiquitous, Sonicare doesn't include one based on the logic that you will already own at least one (for phone charging, for example).
A full charge can take up to 24 hours.
An LED on the handle gives feedback on the charge level when on and off the charger.
Battery performance
The battery gives a minimum of 2 weeks use.
I achieved 17 days of use on the higher of the 2 brushing intensities but a staggering 41 days on the lower. So it is safe to say that the minimum you will achieve is the 2 weeks Philips claim.
This is more than acceptable from the rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery, but the industry average does tend to be around 3-4 weeks. So the 4100 perhaps falls marginally behind here. The benefit is the slimmer and lighter handle.
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Philips Sonicare 4100 Series
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Philips Sonicare 1100 Series
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SURI 1.0
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Oral-B iO Series 3 (iO3)
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Price & buying advice
The 4100 Series is fairly priced for the features included. This is one of the few brushes for which I would be happy paying the retail price ($49.96).
Yet, as is common with electric toothbrushes, a discount is usually available. You should be able to buy this for around $40 most of the time. If you can't, $50 is justifiable.
Brush heads do negatively impact long-term ownership costs. At around $10 each, they are typically twice the price of an Oral-B equivalent. But, those don’t have RFID chips in them.
The 4100 Series will cost around $150 to own over 3 years.
This works out around $50 cheaper than our most recommended Oral-B brush, the iO3.
If you do want to spend even less, the 1100 Series is a great budget option, but lacks a pressure sensor.
| Overall Score |
| How well it cleans |
| How it feels |
| Recommended features |
| Additional items & features |
| Battery performance |
| Smart features |
| Price |
| Support & reputation |
| Buying options |
|
Our Choice
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|
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|---|---|---|
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83
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68
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80
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100
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69
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100
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88
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88
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88
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82
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45
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100
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42
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66
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22
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60
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60
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53
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| - | - | - |
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87
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87
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43
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77
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77
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77
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Support & reputation
A 2 year warranty is included as standard with the 4100 Series.
I can often find any notable weaknesses in the product design having handled so many toothbrushes. I’ve no reason to complain or be concerned about the 4100. The handle looks and feels well built, with no meaningful gaps between parts.
Philips has many years of manufacturing, research, and design experience. I trust that they have done a good job and learned from any previous mistakes. I nor Sonicare would ever suggest 100% reliability, but the failure rate should be very low indeed.
Unfortunately, no parts on the brush are designed to be user serviceable thus, should it fail, in most cases they will send you a new brush.
With a need to move to more sustainable approaches the lack of repairability is disappointing.
Environmental impact
Philips exclude a 2 pin power adapter from the box contents, citing the environmental benefits. This is good, but feels somewhat silly when the handle and charging stand still come wrapped unnecessarily in plastic.
The paper based packaging is recyclable and the box is relatively small all things considered.
We don’t know the exact environmental impact of this particular model, but as a general rule the impact of electric toothbrushes is around 11 times more than a manual brush.
Not being a smart brush reduces the total number of components used and means not as much waste is created when the brush no longer works.
RFID enabled brush heads do add to the impact of e-waste though.
Petroleum based plastic is used in the construction of the brush which uses up the planet’s finite resources compared to using plant-based plastics.
It has not been designed to be easily repaired at home. Trying to replace parts like the battery will likely break the brush. This makes it more likely to be discarded rather than repaired if broken.
Philips partnered with schemes such as TerraCycle in some countries, but making use of this facility isn’t always easy.
Conclusion
Slim and stylish, equipped with the essential features recommended by dentists, and priced reasonably, there’s little to find fault with here. This is why we rate it as the best overall Sonicare toothbrush.
You won’t be disappointed if you buy this brush.
Video review
You can watch my Sonicare 4100 Series video review below.
![Video Thumbnail: Philips Sonicare 4100 Series Review [USA/CA]](https://www.electricteeth.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/philips-sonicare-4100-series-rev-3.jpg)
Size guide
- Toothbrush height with head - 23.4cm / 9.2 inches
- Toothbrush height without head - 17.3cm / 6.8 inches
- Width - 2.5cm / 0.9 inches
- Depth/thickness - 2.7cm / 1 inches
- Weight with head - 97g / 3.4oz
- Weight without head - 92g / 3.2oz
- Package weight - 245g / 8.6oz
Noise
- 60dB
Country of manufacture
- China
FAQ
How to turn EasyStart on and off
- Put the handle on the plugged-in charger.
- Press and hold the power on/off button while the handle remains on the charger.
- Keep the power on/off button pressed until you hear a single short beep (after 3 seconds).
- Release the power on/off button.
- Triple tone of low-med-high means the EasyStart feature has been activated. The battery level light indicator will also blink green 2 times to confirm activation.
- Triple tone of high-med-low means the EasyStart feature has been deactivated. The battery level light indicator will also blink amber 1 time to confirm deactivation.
How to turn on and off the brush head reminder
- A smart brush head must be fitted to the handle to activate or deactivate.
- Put the handle on the plugged-in charger.
- Press and hold the power on/off button while the handle remains on the charger.
- Keep the power on/off button pressed until you hear a series of two short beeps (after 5 seconds).
- Release the power on/off button.
- Triple tone of low-med-high means the Brush head replacement reminder feature has been activated. The battery level light indicator will also blink green 2 times to confirm activation.
- Triple tone of high-med-low means the Brush head replacement reminder feature has been deactivated. The battery level light indicator will also blink amber 1 time to confirm deactivation.
How to turn the pressure sensor on and off
- Put the handle on the plugged-in charger.
- Press and hold the power on/off button while the handle remains on the charger.
- Keep the power on/off button pressed until you hear a series of three short beeps (after 7 seconds).
- Release the power on/off button.
- Triple tone of low-med-high means the pressure sensor feature has been activated. The battery level light indicator will also blink green 2 times to confirm activation.
- Triple tone of high-med-low means the pressure sensor feature has been deactivated. The battery level light indicator will also blink amber 1 time to confirm deactivation.
- If you continue holding the power on/off button after the three short beeps, the activate/deactivate sequence repeats.
Sonicare 4100 vs 4300 vs 4900
- The 4300 and 4900 are technically the same as the 4100 Series.
- However, the 4300 Series (HX3684/23) comes with 2 x C2 Optimal Plaque Control brush head rather than 1. Plus, a slim travel case is provided in the box.
- The 4900 comes with a different brush head and a travel case.
- The 4900 comes with a single W2 Optimal White set of bristles. This is compared to the C2 Optimal Plaque Control of the 4100.
- Within the travel case you can hold the brush handle and 1 brush head.
- There are 4 versions of the 4900 Series
- Light blue - HX3683/32
- White - HX3683/33
- Black - HX3683/34
- Deep Pink - HX3683/36
| Retail price |
| Number of cleaning modes |
| Brushing intensities |
| Timer |
| Pacer |
| Pressure Sensor |
| Battery life |
| Brush heads included |
| Travel case included |
| Colour |
| Buying options |
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|---|---|---|
| $50 | $50 | - |
| 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | 2 |
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| 30 second quadpacer | 30 second quadpacer | 30 second quadpacer |
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| 14 days | 14 days | 14 days |
| 1 x C2 Optimal Plaque Control | 2 x C2 Optimal Plaque Control | 1 x W DiamondClean |
| - |
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| Black, White, Pink, Blue | White | White, Black, Blue, Pink |
Sonicare 4100 battery how mah?
I'm sorry we don't have such information. Philips does not publicize such.
I never recommend this toothbrush, in two months all my teeth have stains and my white teeth turned to yellow color.
I return to my old toothbrush 😡😡😡😡
This would be an odd thing to happen. WHat was your old toothbrush?
Has anything in your diet or lifestyle changed at the same time as you changed toothbrushes?
This site has an error in their understanding of Sonicare models. They repeat the misunderstanding that high-end Sonicare models have 62,000 cycles per second, double that of low-end models. In reality, Philips states that their high-end models have 62,000 "movements" per second and they change their wording to say that low-end ones have 31,000 "strokes" per second. In other words, there is no difference in the frequency of the brush head between models.
Hi.
Thanks for the comment.
We apologise if anywhere on the site we have made an error, we do our best not to, but we are human so mistakes can happen.
You are correct, that 31,000 strokes is equal to 62,000 movements.
You are too correct that Philips generally use storkes for lower end models vs movements for high end models. Making the premium models appear more powerful on the spec sheet, when in fact the motors are the same.
However, as far as I can see we don't make any such remarks as you suggest in this review. Nor do we generally make such remarks across the site and it's content.
We have said in this review 'It doesn’t achieve 62,000 movements like many of Sonicare’s premium brushes.' We haven't commented on the number or strokes or given a different number of movements.
From using the brush we can feel it isn't as powerful as other Sonicare brushes. And having spoken to Philips staff have had it confirmed that this brush does not offer the 31,000 strokes or 62,000 movements. Thus the 4100 Series is different to other models, notably premium models. This also applies to other lower end and more affordable models including the 1100, 2100 and 3100 Series.
Philips own website makes no reference to the number of strokes or movements for this model.
As far as I am aware I have presented and described the information as accurately as possible. I am happy to be corrected and make adjustments, if proven otherwise.
For what it's worth, the Philips website now does claim that the 4100 series has 31,000 strokes per minute. Not sure if they changed the models or it always had this number of strokes per minute.
Thanks Travis. I'm not aware of them changing the model. I can see it states this in part of the product description but not in the technical specification like other models, which is a bit odd.
Shame on Philips for using the same numbering for models with very different technical features!
I have a 3 years old 4300, was thinking about buying a 4100, so googled on their difference, that is how I find this page, where you write these are "technically the same" - which is only true if both "ProtectiveClean", otherwise the new 4100 has half the movements.
Even worse, many webshops lists the new 4100 still as "ProtectiveClean 4100", but that is false, if you check the full model number, it is HX3681 while the old (and discontinued) ProtectiveClean 4100 was HX6810.
It's a shame, as most people search for the easy to remember "4100", and not aware of this huge difference... :(
Henrik
I understand your frustration.
For clarity, my mention of 'technically the same' refers to the 4300 Series and 4900 Series handles in comparison to the 4100 Series, not in comparison to the ProtectiveClean 4100.
Need to talk to someone - HOW?
Assuming you need to speak to someone at Phillips? If so you can use the contact options ont heir website.
We are not Philips, but might be able to answer some quesitons if you leave them here in the comments.
I’ve just recently replaced my worn out 5100 with the 4100 and so far like it very much. I have one minor annoyance that I encounter every time I use it however. Most people will likely want to use the high intensity rather than low intensity setting. For some reason, they decided to make the low intensity setting the default setting when you turn the toothbrush on. It’s very easy to switch to high intensity, just press the power button a second time within the first two seconds of use, but I don’t see why it can’t just remember to turn on with whatever intensity level was previously set. As I said, it’s certainly minor yet still an annoyance. It just seems to have been poorly thought out in this regard.
Thank you so much for your thorough review. I have decided to purchase the 4100 series and I'm avoiding the Protective Clean per your suggestion. The one I found on Amazon instead of saying "4100 series" it says "Configuration: New 4100." Is this the same thing and a good choice?
Thanks, Sharon
Hi Sharon.
I would suspect so, but it's worth checking the model number listed vs the Philips Sonicare website.
It's also worth double checking that the seller is Amazon. Not to say 3rd party sellers are selling anything other than the real thing, but you reduce the risk of any issues when Amazon is the seller and the shipper.
Could you please answer two questions? I read that the Sonicare 4100 sold now has less power than it used to have (you said it has 32K brush strokes vs. 62). Do you know when they changed it? I bought mine four years ago (it doesn't have 2 intensities) and wondered which I have.
Re: the Oral-B, doesn't it take more time to brush since the round head is a lot smaller and you have to focus on each tooth individually vs. Sonicare that covers more teeth at once? Thanks much!
Hi Lee,
Sonicare made the change to the power/brush strokes with the introduction of the 4100 Series which was in 2021.
If your toothbrush is 4 years old you likely have the ProtectiveClean 4100 which is a different model, the predecessor to the 4100 Series.
As regards the time difference in brushing between Oral-B & Sonicare. No, this is not the case. Whilst the larger Sonicare heads typcially cover more than 1 tooth surface, you still spend the same 2 minutes. You just move the Oral-B head from tooth to tooth more than you do with the sonic brushes.
Wow, this is one of the best electric toothbrush review I have read so far. Thank you so much for such a detailed review.
I have used Sonicare 5100 for 4 years, and I am looking for a new one. 4100 seems the best deal for me since I found I don't really use other cleaning modes. (The only concern is that it has less power, but that shouldn't be a big deal as you already reviewed.)
And I also really like your other post - Bluetooth feature is not recommended in general as most users don't use it. That single post saved me more than a hundred dollars!
Glad you have found the review and our other content helpful. 😁