Our Verdict
The Reswirl toothbrush is a manual toothbrush which feels good to use. The company has gone above and beyond in trying to make this brush one of the most environmentally friendly options available, and still produced a toothbrush that cleans well.
What makes this brush special is it is one of the only toothbrushes fully made in the UK.
Pros
- Subscription available to reduce costs
- Multiple bristle hardness available
- Easy grip handle
- Eco-friendly and sustainable product
- Company provides recycling options
- Plastic free external packaging
- Transparent website
- Ethical company
- Gives to charity
- Made in UK
- Vegan
Cons
- Difficult to source (mostly available online)
- Plastic packaging for individual brush
- Relatively expensive option
Where to buy Reswirl
At the time of writing, the main place you can buy the Reswirl toothbrush is directly from their website.
You may find it locally in some independent shops, but it is not currently available in major stores or on any third party websites.
Other brushes to consider
If you want a basic manual toothbrush, there are other cheaper options available such as those in our best manual toothbrush article.
Other environmentally friendly options to consider are replaceable head brushes such as the Radius Source or Colgate Link.
Bamboo manual toothbrushes are another popular option for people looking to reduce waste, and there are several affordable options which we discuss in our post about the best bamboo toothbrushes.
Reswirl toothbrush in-depth review
Reswirl is a manual toothbrush that I have enjoyed using.
I’ve also been impressed with the steps they have taken to reduce the impact of their toothbrush.
In the sections below I’ve included my full Reswirl review and hands-on photos taken during testing.
Variants of this toothbrush
Reswirl only offer a manual toothbrush.
There are two bristles hardnesses available – soft and medium.
There are 4 different bristle colour options: aqua, gold, white, purple.
Handles only come in one colour, off white.
There is no child option, and no option for a smaller head toothbrush.
What’s in the box?
This is a manual toothbrush and so the contents of the box are pretty simple.
Reswirl send you their product in a small box made from recycled packaging. Part of this box also has the prepaid return label already printed on it, so you use the box to send your toothbrushes back for recycling.
Also printed on the box is some interesting information about the company and the product.
Inside the box are the toothbrushes you ordered, each in their own home compostable plastic packaging.
Key Features
- Manual toothbrush
- Bio-based plastic handle
- Bio-based plastic (nylon) bristles
- Different bristle hardnesses available
- Toothbrush return scheme for recycling by the company
- Subscription option available
Design, usability, clean & general use
The exact design and colour of the Reswirl toothbrush depends on the variant selected, but for this review I have tested both the soft and medium hardness toothbrushes.
Refer to the variants section of this review to see the other designs.
The Reswirl Toothbrush is fully manufactured within the UK – bristles, handle, and packaging.
As a company, they obviously have good ethical principles for managing waste and also reducing impact, whilst also supporting social causes e.g. donation to charity.
The first step taken to reduce the environmental impact of this brush is the use of bio-based plastics instead of conventional oil based plastics. The handle is partially bio-based plastic and partially recycled plastic, minimising carbon footprint. A small amount of calcium carbonate (a naturally occurring mineral) is also added to the handle for colour and stiffness.
The brush handle is round with raised spots. It is easy to grip and most people should have no problem holding this toothbrush. It is an off-white colour.
The design itself is very lightweight. This is because of the hollow handle. This minimises the amount of material used and also the weight during transportation (and transport emissions are a large contributing factor in the carbon footprint of a toothbrush).
Also because only one single type of plastic is used to mould the handle, it is much easier to recycle than brushes which have multiple materials.
The bristles are coloured, with a few choices. The bristles are made from bio-based nylon, are arranged on a flat plane, and are available in soft or medium.
The brushing experience of this brush is pretty average. There is nothing to set it apart from most other manual toothbrushes. But there is also nothing wrong with it.
I have tested these brushes. I didn’t have any problems when using the brush and found it comfortable to hold. The dimples of the handles would make it easier to grip for people who sometimes struggle.
Whilst this brush is on the pricier end of the scale, it does include postage to you and then back to the company for recycling, as well as the cost of recycling. They recommend returning 4 brushes at a time to reduce the impact from postage.
Summary of design, usability, clean & general use
- Handle made from bio-based plastic and some recycled plastic
- Round handle
- Raised dots on handle improve grip
- Bio-based bristles
- Bristles on a flat plane
- Reasonable cleaning ability
About Reswirl as a company
Reswirl stands out for their efforts to produce a more environmentally friendly product.
They have managed to produce a brush which is a good alternative to many other brushes.
When I contacted them for additional information, the company was really transparent with their responses. This is a welcome change to many other manufacturers, who often don’t reply at all, or if they do, they cannot fully explain the materials used.
The team at Reswirl are also very receptive and did take on board some suggestions we made, which I think really is the marker of a good modern business.
On top of the good environmental policies, Reswirl supports Ocean Generation by making a donation for each toothbrush returned to them.
Price & where to buy
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.
The brush is only available online via the Reswirl website. The costs are as followed:
Individual brush: £3.99
Shipping: Free
A subscription is available which reduces the cost per brush, with the annual subscription working out at £3.49 per brush
Here at Electric Teeth, we price the brush over three years to give some benchmark for comparison.
It is recommended that you change your manual toothbrush every 3 months.
You would need four brushes per year, 12 in total.
At an average of £3.50 per brush, this is £47.88 — including all postage and recycling costs.
This does work out more expensive than a regular manual toothbrush, but is still a good price for a brush that is taking proactive steps towards reducing its planetary impact.
Reliability & long term use
I used this brush twice daily, for two minutes, for a week.
I didn’t continue to use it beyond this as there are numerous other brushes to test.
But it held up well over the week and there is nothing to suggest there will be any problems over three months in terms of cleaning ability.
How to recycle the Reswirl toothbrush
The best way to recycle the Reswirl toothbrush is through their own scheme.
Reswirl have created their own closed loop system, meaning that you send your waste back to them when you are finished and the material is put back into making new products.
They call their brush “The infinite toothbrush” because of this process, and it is unique to any brand I have seen.
The do this by separating each of the components of the brush: the bristles, the handle, and the anchor wires (used to hold the bristles in place). The cardboard packaging and hygienic plastic wrappers are recycled too.
A portion of the handle plastic is reused, although the specific amount varies.
The company tries to recycle and reuse as much material as possible.
If there is any material left over, they then send this off for industrial composting, ensuring there really is no “waste” at the end of a product’s useful life. No waste goes to landfill when recycling this brush with the manufacturers.
Conclusion
The Reswirl toothbrush is a leading product in terms of the sustainability of the materials and recycling systems.
There is not much to make this stand out from most manual toothbrushes in terms of cleaning ability, but it is reasonable, and the brush itself is comfortable to hold because of the raised plastic dots.
If your aim is to use the most eco-friendly toothbrush around, I really would recommend this toothbrush.
Size Guide
- Height (with head) – 7.5inches/19 cm
- Head Width (widest point) – 0.45 inch/1.1cm
- Handle Diameter – 0.5inches/1.4cm
- Weight (with head) – 0.6oz / 18g
All are approximates
Your Opinions
Do you own or have you used Reswirl?
Are there certain features that you really like or dislike?
Let us know what you think about this brush and let others who may well be considering purchasing one know your opinions before they do.
