Our verdict
The Ordo Sonic+ is a very good electric toothbrush that I could happily use on a daily basis.
It cleans the teeth well, has a good battery life and the subscription plan is appealing.
The lack of a travel case and pressure sensor is a bit of a disappointment, as is having no brush head only refill plan.
Nonetheless, there is a lot to like and the Sonic+ is worth serious consideration. I rate it as the best subscription toothbrush you can buy in the UK at the moment.
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
Subscription service |
No pressure sensor |
|
Built-in timer and pacer |
No travel case |
|
Automatic power off |
Subscription plan options |
|
Battery life |
|
|
USB charging stand |
Consider these brushes
If I were buying a new electric toothbrush today, my choice would be the Oral-B Pro 3 3500.
It’s affordable with the features you need. It is our number 1 choice for the best electric toothbrush.
If convenience is more important to you, then Ordo Sonic+ is the answer.
Subscription and costs
When purchasing the Ordo Sonic+ you have a number of choices, the primary being whether you subscribe or not.
The main appeal is the subscription service.
With a subscription service you pay a fee at a regular interval and in exchange you receive the agreed product/service at predetermined intervals.
It works like a physical magazine subscription would, the difference being rather than a magazine you get oral health care products.
Subscription services have become more prevalent in our lives and offer a certain convenience and predictability which many of us welcome.
When selecting Ordo, you will make an initial purchase of the toothbrush, be that on its own or with additional accessories.
- Brush & Starter Kit - £55
- Brush Only - £50
The box contents is as follows:
- Brush & Starter Kit
- Ordo Sonic+ Toothbrush
- Ordo Brush Head
- Travel Cap
- Induction Charger
- Instruction Manual and Brushing Tips
- 18 Interdental Brushes (3 packs of 6 - 0.4mm, 0.45mm, 0.5mm)
- Reusable Mouthwash Bottle
- Mouthwash Concentrate
- Large toothpaste (80ml)
- Travel Toothpaste (25ml)
- USB Adapter
- Floss
- Brush Only
- Ordo Sonic+ Toothbrush
- Ordo Brush Head
- Travel Cap
- Induction Charger
- Instruction Manual and Brushing Tips
You CANNOT subscribe to the ‘Brush Only’ option.
You can only subscribe to the ‘Brush & Starter Kit’ option.
You do not have the option to buy the ‘Brush & Starter Kit’ as a one off purchase, without subscription.
You do get quite a bit of extra value from the starter kit option though, as you can see.
If you select the starter kit, you will then select whether you would like to subscribe at 1, 2 or 3 month intervals.
You then choose what you would like to be delivered at the agreed intervals.
At the time or writing, the choice is as follows:
- Basic refill - £10
- Recommended refill - £15
The refills include:
- Basic Refill
- Sonic+ toothbrush head
- 80ml tube of toothpaste
- 25ml tube of toothpaste
- Recommended Refill
- Sonic+ toothbrush head
- 80ml tube of toothpaste
- 25ml tube of toothpaste
- 18 Interdental brushes
- Dental floss
- Mouthwash concentrate
Once set up, the refills will automatically be dispatched to your door as and when you expect them.
Unfortunately and in my opinion rather frustratingly, there is no option to subscribe to replacement brush heads only.
I do feel that this is ultimately a bit of an oversight.
The only option you have is to manually purchase a replacement brush head every 3 months or bulk buy a load and keep them for when you need them.
That said, for the £5 premium to get the ‘Recommended Refill’ you are getting pretty good value here.
You can cancel or amend your subscription at any time. If you remain subscribed, the 1 year warranty on the toothbrush is extended for the life of your subscription.
Being a bit cynical, one of the appeals of the subscription services is convenience and choice, yet you are restricted with Ordo. I would love to be able to subscribe to the heads and the mouthwash for example, but not include the toothbrush and dental floss.
That said, more choice can make things much more complicated for us as the buyer and Ordo as the seller. Ordo are ultimately trying to offer some choice and simplicity at the same time.
Environmentally, I am not sure I quite understand the need for a 80 and 25ml tube of paste on each subscription. The 25ml is useful for the odd week away, but I can’t help but think for the vast majority, this is not a requirement and money or packaging could be saved.
Design, usability, clean & general use
Ordo comes packaged in a smart cardboard box, which calls out the key features as you might imagine.
As you lift the lid on the box it reveals the brush handle.
Underneath are the charging stand and brush head in separate cardboard boxes.
An instruction manual is then found at the bottom of the box, this is nicely laid out and worth a quick read.
Included is everything you need and not lots of unnecessary extras. This is a positive, but it would be nice if extras such as a travel case and power adapter were included. I will talk more about this later.
Ordo is available in 3 different colours, but it is the grey colour option that I have here and I have to say it looks really quite smart.
The main handle is a more muted grey colour, whilst the very top of the handle and the brush head is a slightly darker and glossier grey colour.
Whilst the handle is not perfectly round, the very slight squaring to the side makes it easier to hold onto.
The finish to the handle is smooth, but whatever the coating is, it has a very slight resistance which is great and helps avoid slipping in the hand, as the handle has no notable raised points or surfaces that really help the hand or fingertips get a firm hold.
Within the upper third of the handle is a grey Ordo logo that contrasts slightly with the handle colour.
Below this sits the round power button, that is surrounded by a thin, darker grey ring, which makes it stand out. The button has a slight depression to it and there is a power icon embossed on it, so you know the finger is correctly placed.
Underneath this sits a rounded rectangle panel that has the cleaning mode names and battery status information.
Each cleaning mode is backlit with a white light when selected.
The battery icon is actually the Ordo logo. This is a smart touch, but not necessarily obvious on first glance.
The sides and back of the handle are free of any controls.
On the back, at the very bottom, 2 raised dots act as stability when laid on a countertop. This means you don’t need to worry about it rolling about.
The handle will stand upright. On the base is a recess into which the prong on the charging stand fits. You will also find some regulatory information printed on the base too.
At the top of the handle is the metal shaft, to which the provided brush head attaches.
The head simply pushes on and pulls off, no twisting etc needed.
Ordo offers just 1 style of brush head, which makes things nice and simple. It is also colour matched to the handle which is good.
It is designed to offer a decent overall clean.
The brush head is an ovalish shape, like most other sonic toothbrushes. It is not a small round brush head like Oral-B toothbrushes.
The bristles are cut at varying lengths to create a W profile, when you look at it side on, to help give an overall clean of the teeth.
Clusters of white bristles are found around the edge, with shorter grey bristles in the middle. There is also a grey X shaped bristle in the middle, this helps give a bit of a polishing effect to the teeth as far as I am aware.
There are no fading indicator bristles built into the brush head, so you get no reminder as to when you should replace it. You will need to replace it approximately every 3 months, or if you are subscribed, a new brush head will arrive on your doorstep right when you need it.
On the back of the head, are a number of very small, but raised silicone nodules. This is actually a tongue scraper. Turn the head over and scrape the tongue surface to help keep it clean and your breath fresh.
Powered by the motor inside the handle this sonic toothbrush delivers up to 40,000 brush strokes per minute to the teeth.
It provides a very good clean overall and I have no complaints about how well it cleaned my teeth.
To get the best results, you need to make sure you are using the correct brushing technique, but you shouldn’t be dissapointed.
The number of strokes does depend on the mode used.
The 4 modes on the brush are:
- Clean
- White
- Sensitive
- Massage
Clean is designed for everyday superior cleaning, whilst white is the highest frequency mode ideal for removing surface stains.
Massage mode uses a pulsating action for a gentle massage, whilst sensitive mode is a lower power mode for a more gentle brushing of the teeth and gums.
You may find benefit in particular modes, but you really only need, and most will only use 1 mode, ‘clean’.
On the brush handle is a single power button, which produces a small ‘click’ sound and gives a fairly reasonable feedback when pressed. You press this once to turn the brush on.
To change the cleaning modes, you need to press the power button again quite quickly after turning the brush on. Continue to press it to cycle through the modes.
As each mode is selected, the mode name is lit white on the brush handle so you know which is selected.
There is no method to change the mode prior to turning the brush on.
The brush will remember the last mode used.
Whilst you can press and hold the power button to turn it off, the brush will automatically turn itself off at the end of a 2 minute brushing session.
All cleaning modes last for 2 minutes.
During each clean, at 30 second intervals the brush pacer will kick in.
This pacer is designed to help you brush the teeth evenly.
Known as a quadpacer, the brush motor will pause briefly at 30 second intervals to alert you to change quadrants of the mouth. This pause causes a change in the sound and brushing sensation.
Spend 30 seconds brushing teeth in each quadrant (upper left, upper right, lower left, lower right) and by the end of 120 seconds (2 minutes) you will have a good overall clean of the teeth.
You can’t turn this timer off.
Being a sonic toothbrush, whilst the handle does make an audible humming sound in use, it is fairly quiet, much quieter than an Oral-B toothbrush.
A common issue is that people brush their teeth with too much force. Brushing harder does not mean better or more effective brushing. In reality, the bristles need to essentially skim the tooth surface. Brushing too hard can damage teeth and gums over time.
Unfortunately the Ordo Sonice+ does not have a pressure sensor built-in. It is not a deal breaker, but a pressure sensor would alert you if you were brushing too hard.
In the box is a plastic travel cap that can slide over the brush head, to protect the bristles when not in use or when travelling. It is functional, but there is no option to protect the brush handle itself.
The handle is robust, but there is the potential the power button could be pressed by mistake. It would be nice if a travel case was included, or at worse an option to buy one separately.
There is a lot to like about this Ordo Sonic+ and to be honest what criticisms I have are far from deal breakers.
For those who are not so convinced, Ordo have a 60 day money back guarantee, which means you can use the brush and return it if you are not happy.
Summary of design, usability, clean & general use
Battery life
Built-in and sealed inside the toothbrush handle is a 3.7v 700mAh Lithium-Ion battery.
It is not user replaceable and is designed to be recharged using the provided charging stand.
Ordo claims a 3+ week battery life, 42 cleaning sessions to be precise.
This easily surpasses what I feel should be the minimum of 2 weeks (28 sessions) from a rechargeable toothbrush. However, my hands-on testing resulted in a much more impressive result.
On a full charge, which can take up to 16 hours, I achieved 88 brushing sessions.
That is double the claimed 42!
This equates to 44 days or a little over 6 weeks on a full charge. This is quite simply superb.
When the battery is getting low, the Ordo icon (under the cleaning modes) will flash red at the end of the brushing session.
In my testing, this began flashing when I had about 10 brushing sessions left, so when the battery is at approxaimtely 10% remaining power.
When on charge, this icon is lit a solid red colour. Once fully charged, the light will turn off.
Sadly you get no more accurate feedback in use. For example the Ordo logo does not light up yellow to suggest less than 50% charge remaining in the battery.
Supplied in the box, is a colour matched charging stand.
It is made up of 2 parts, the main stand itself and then a cap/frame that fits on top and makes the whole stand look a little smarter. This cap has the Ordo brand name printed on the front.
The handle sits on the pring in the centre of the stand and is fairly stable once in place.
The stand is larger than the likes of that supplied with Oral-B and Sonicare brushes, but it looks nicer, in my opinion.
4 rubber feet on the base stop it slipping on a countertop.
Hard wired into the base is a USB cable.
This cable can be connected to a USB port on a computer, power bank or wall socket to charge the toothbrush.
Unless you buy the starter kit, you don’t get a USB socket adapter, to allow you to connect to a 3 pin socket. However, many technology products, such as mobile phones come with such adapters, you can connect Ordo to these.
Being USB, it is a bit more convenient for international travel. The stand supports 100-240v.
Summary of battery life
Price & where to buy
Ordo sells its products directly on its own website and also via Boots.com.
Some dental practices around the UK do stock this, but there is not currently a map or listing of all the practices that you. It is possible yours might but I think the odds are they won’t.
You need to go online to Ordo’s own website www.ordolife.com to purchase this and get the best deals.
The price does depend on the package and refill you opt for, but it is either £50 for the toothbrush only or £55 for the brush with starter kit.
The starter kit represents very good value considering what you get for the extra £5.
Ordo does not have a high retail price and discount heavily, as is the case with many other brands. Although from time to time there will be discount codes for extra savings.
Whilst brush heads can be purchased for £5 each, you cannot subscribe to deliveries of replacement brush heads only.
The cheapest refill plan is £10, which includes toothpaste as well.
We like to try and provide a benchmark for cost comparison with other toothbrushes over a 3 year period. It is a bit trickier to do that with a subscription service.
However, assuming you bought the Sonic+ and the replacement heads without subscribing, it would cost you £105 (£50 for the brush £55 for the heads). This is equivalent to 10p per day.
With subscription to the Basic Refill every 3 months, the total cost would increase to £165 or 15p per day. But, you would have your toothpaste included in this cost as well as the convenience of deliveries to your doorstep.
At £5 per head, this is somewhere in between the cost for Oral-B and Sonicare heads.
The handle costs of around £50 is about £10-£20 more than the Pro 3 3500 from Oral-B.
If you are looking for absolute value for money, then the Pro 3 3500 at 7p per day is cheaper. It has the pressure sensor and travel case. But, it does not have a battery life as good as the Sonic+ and no subscription service.
The Sonicare will work out more expensive, but it comes with a couple of neat features, pressure sensor and travel case. But, no subscription option.
Whilst there are prices differences, there isn’t a massive amount of difference and you could do a lot worse than any of these 3 brushes.
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.
Summary of price & where to buy
Reliability & long term use
I have only been using Ordo for a few weeks for the purpose of this review, so I cannot comment on the long term reliability.
I have little concern for the ongoing durability of this product. It looks and feels fairly well made and I can find no obvious cause for concern with the construction.
By default you get a 1 year warranty, which is half that offered by the likes of Oral-B, Sonicare and Colgate. However, if you are subscribed to Ordo, that warranty is extended for as long as you are subscribed, so in 5 years time, if the brush fails it will be repaired or replaced if you are subscribed.
Their 60 day money back guarantee is also a nice touch and at least gives you plenty of time to try the brush and return it for a refund if you are not happy.
Conclusion
The Ordo Sonic+ is a very good electric toothbrush and one that I could happily use on a daily basis.
It cleans the teeth well, has an excellent battery life and looks smart too.
It has what it takes to compete with the likes of Oral-B’s Pro 3 3500.
The subscription plan is a unique offering that the brand leaders don’t currently offer.
It is the best subscription toothbrush you can buy at this time in the UK.
As good as it is, what stops this brush from achieving 5 stars is the lack of pressure sensor, option of a travel case, the 1 year warranty and no option of a brush head only subscription.
Size guide
- Toothbrush height with head - 25.5cm
- Toothbrush height without head - 19.3cm
- Width - 2.7cm
- Depth/thickness - 2.8cm
- Weight with head - 113g
- Weight without head - 107g
- Package weight - 550g / 19.4oz
Noise
- 58dB
Country of manufacture
- China
Can you immediately switch it on again after the 2min timer has gone out or is there a delay? Thanks
You can switch it on again immediately.
Is this brush noisy? Is it similar in sound to the oral b which are very noisy when using?
David. It is quieter than Oral-B. It is similar in sound to a Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush. It produces more of a strong humming sound. I haven't put it agsint the decibel meter, but you are looking at around 62-65 decibels compared to the 70-75 of the Oral-B.
Thank you for your answer! I currently use an Oral B pro something which I have had for 2-3 years and was saving up for a new brush, is the Ordo worth getting (as it looks nice) or hold out for the Oral B iO 8/9 when it is back on offer? I am torn?
David. I am assuming you have no desire you use the toothbrush with a smartphone application? If not, definitely do not hold out for the iO 8/9. And to be honest, even then I rarely recommend it as a must buy. The Pro 2 2500 from Oral-B is my top recommendation for best electric toothbrush for most people. The Ordo Sonic is a nice brush for sure. I could happily use this on the daily basis. If you like the look of Ordo I would certainly pick this over the iO series purely on value for money. The Oral-B Pro 2 2500 is slightly cheaper and it is a little easier to get replacement brush heads too.
This helps a lot!! Thank you!!