The 7 Best Electric Toothbrushes, Based On Rigorous Testing (2024)

While you can maintain good oral hygiene with a regular toothbrush, the best electric toothbrushes offer features like timers, pressure sensors and app compatibility to help you achieve optimal brushing habits and techniques—and motivate you to brush in the first place. After testing 12 models, we found that the best electric toothbrush overall is the Oral-B Pro 1000, thanks to its blend of smart features and affordability. If you want a high-tech brush with more options for customized brushing, the Oral-B iO Series 7G is our pick for the best smart electric toothbrush.

Here is the full list of winners:

Since electric toothbrushes are one of the best oral care products you can invest in, we spoke with Dr. Ada Cooper, a National Spokesperson for the American Dental Association, and Dr. Sonya Krasilnikov of Dental House in New York to get more information on how to pick the right one. We personally tested eight dentist-approved toothbrushes in 2023 and an additional four models in 2024, subjecting them to various cleaning and usability tests. Below, find a breakdown of the seven best electric toothbrushes that came out on top, along with a helpful buying guide with expert tips.

Based on extensive testing in 2023 and 2024, we found that the Oral-B Pro 1000 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush offers the best brushing experience for the price. This basic option doesn’t have as many gimmicks as a high-tech brush, but it struck the best balance between value and function. In fact, it performed just as well as other brushes two or three times its price, thanks to features like a timer and pressure sensor. (You can read more about this model in our full Oral-B Pro 1000 review.)

Easy To Use

If you’re looking for an electric toothbrush to amp up your oral hygiene routine, the Oral-B Pro 1000 was one of the easiest to use—there are no brushing barriers here. While this brush offers only a few features, they are very effective and provide just enough guidance without being overwhelming. The Pro 1000 has a timer that alerts you to change the brushing area (separated in quadrants) every 30 seconds and also lets you know when two minutes have elapsed. It also has a pressure sensor that stops the normal pulsations of the toothbrush when you push too hard, though it’s more subtle than others we tested.

Multiple Brushing Modes

The Pro 1000 has three brushing modes: Daily Clean, Whiten and Sensitive. A push-button on the front of the handle gives you the option to toggle between modes. The rotating brush delivers a rigorous clean, though it is noisy compared to other brushes we tested; if you are sensitive to noise in the morning or don’t want to wake your partner, there are quieter electric toothbrushes on this list.

Lack Of Travel Case

One downside: This brush doesn’t come with a case. After several trips out of town while testing, we found that the lack of a travel case is definitely a drawback. The brush, when broken down into component pieces, does fit into a standard toiletry bag, but this made it significantly more annoying to pack and transport than brushes that come with a case or are designed for portability.

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The Oral-B iO Series 5 electric toothbrush goes beyond the basics of brushing. It has a smoother, quieter motor compared to the Pro 1000 that we found more pleasant to use early in the morning or late at night while testing. While the round brush head takes a similar approach to cleaning as what you’ll find on the Oral-B Pro 1000, the bristles are fuller and softer, creating a superior foam from toothpaste and enhancing the effectiveness of the fast-oscillating brush head.

Basic Bluetooth Functionality

Part of the iO Series, this smart toothbrush has Bluetooth functionality to give you feedback on your brushing habits. It shares this feature with the similarly designed Oral-B iO Series 7 toothbrush, but that pick has a more advanced display screen that gives you extra information, including access to settings right from the handle of the toothbrush.

Informative Pressure Sensor

Even without the app, the iO Series 5 toothbrush gives you on-the-spot coaching regarding your brushing pressure with the help of a glowing LED ring at the top of the brush handle. If its user is brushing too lightly, the iO Series 5 will encourage an increase in pressure to ensure teeth are left feeling extra smooth and polished.

The Oral-B iO Series 7G Electric Toothbrush is the best smart toothbrush we tried and worth the price if you want a state of the art, high-tech toothbrush. It was the easiest smart toothbrush to use out of the ones we tested and allows you to easily track your brushing for optimal cleaning.

Luxurious And Intuitive

Using the iO Series 7G toothbrush was a delight: It made brushing feel like a luxury instead of a chore. The many customization options are intuitive, including the five brushing modes. Graphics on a small light-up screen on the front of the brush itself indicate each mode clearly and make the process of choosing a cleaning mode easier than toggling through each cycle. The timer is also easy to understand: It shows a frowny face that gradually turns into a smiley face as you approach, and then hit, the two-minute mark.

Well-Designed Bluetooth App

Oral-B’s Bluetooth app is the best of any we tried. The brushing feedback is a genuinely useful tool. The app analyzes your brushing in real time, lets you know what areas you tend to skip over and where you tend to brush too hard. This feedback is fun, helpful and applicable; if you respond to this kind of gamification, you might find this feature will make the difference between good, regular brushing habits and not bothering to brush at all. Over the course of several months, however, it’s easy to forget to use the app consistently. But even without the app, this brush still earns high marks thanks to its attractive design, low noise and gentle bristles that are still able to reach into small spaces.

More Features For A Higher Price

The iO Series 7G comes with two replacement brush heads and a magnetic charger, which was sleeker and easier to clean than others on this list. This brush also comes with a two-year warranty. However, it’s worth pointing out that the iO Series 7G costs about five times as much as the best electric toothbrush overall, the Oral-B Pro 1000. If the app compatibility, extra features and aesthetics of this brush are what will motivate you to brush thoroughly every day, though, this is a great option. To learn more about this model, read our Oral-B iO Series 7G review.

If you want a brush with an automatic shut-off timer and a quadrant timer, go with the Philips Sonicare 4100. It’s affordable and simple to use but includes handy features, like a charging indicator light and an LED reminder when it’s time to replace the brush head. About half of the brushes we tested (the Oral-B Genius 8000 and 9600, the ProSys VarioSonic and the Goby) had an automatic shut-off set as a default, but the ProtectiveClean 4100 performed the best of those that offered this feature.

Gentle And Thorough Cleaning

The ProtectiveClean 4100’s brush head feels comfortable and effective. It’s a sonic brush head, meaning it’s oblong and flat instead of round (like you’ll find on the Oral-B picks). It has a variety of bristle lengths and shapes, which makes it surprisingly good at getting into hard-to-reach spaces between teeth. It struck the best balance between being gentle and still rigorous enough to make teeth feel refreshingly clean after brushing. This brush is also smaller and lighter than others on the list, which may make it better for travel.

Not The Best For Sensitive Gums

This brush may not be the best for those with sensitive gums as the pressure sensor feature was difficult to ascertain. It’s a bit tricky to tell the difference between the pressure sensor and timer alerts, since the two indications are very similar. Overall, however, we think it’s a great, easy option if your main goal (or biggest struggle) is to establish a consistent two-minute, twice-a-day brushing routine. Also worth noting: It comes with a two-year warranty.

If you have particularly sensitive teeth, you should prioritize oral care products that are especially gentle, whether it’s an electric toothbrush or teeth whitening products. The Pro-Sys VarioSonic brush comes with several different brush heads to suit a range of needs and sensitivities.

Five Brush Heads That Vibrate Gently

This toothbrush has five brush head options, all of them various versions of “soft,” and five different brushing modes. Sonic brush heads are flat and oblong instead of round and small. Sonic toothbrushes vibrate more quickly than rotating brushes, sweeping from side to side while vibrating instead of spinning in a circle. While neither sonic nor rotating brush heads are considered more effective by the dentists we spoke with, this is a good option if you prefer the feel of a side-to-side vibration instead of a spinning brush head.

Soft Brushing For Sensitive Teeth

The multiple brushing modes and heads make it easy to adjust for the gentlest possible brushing experience while still being effective at teeth cleaning. In total, there are 25 possible combinations—the most of any toothbrush we tested. All five brush heads included with the ProSys VarioSonic had the softest bristles of any brush heads we tested (the very softest option felt maybe too soft). In our opinion, these different brush heads and brushing modes were even more helpful than a pressure sensor.

This is the tallest electric toothbrush we tested, measuring 10 inches tall and 11 inches on its charging base. That may make it harder to stash in a medicine cabinet or pack while traveling.

No doubt about it, the Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige is the fanciest electric toothbrush we tested. Everything about the toothbrush and its accompanying accessories, from the charger to the travel case, feel sophisticated. In our tests, this toothbrush brought a touch of luxury to the everyday chore of brushing teeth.

Sleek And Modern Design

For starters, the toothbrush’s handle has a silky-smooth matte finish, available in Navy, Champagne and Blush Pink color options. The coordinating travel case is more than a pretty accessory. It functions as a charging case, so you don’t need to worry about bringing along (and potentially forgetting) the charging base on your travels. For its part, the charging base is worth calling out— its removable frosted cover makes it easier to clean than other electric toothbrush chargers we tested, which developed gunk around the charger and underneath the base.

Of course, this toothbrush wouldn’t be worth the splurge if it offered subpar cleaning action. The included Sonicare Premium All-in-One brush did a remarkable job at cleaning and polishing teeth, with an especially gentle approach for sensitive gums. The one downside is the size of the brush head; the brush was bulkier compared to other Sonicare brush heads (like the one included with the Sonicare 4100) or the round-style Oral-B brush heads.

Seamless App Integration

Our favorite feature on this brush is the Sonicare app, which takes advantage of the brush’s built-in sensors to provide live feedback on your brushing coverage and intensity—even reminding you to move the brush less and let the bristles work more. After the two-minute brushing cycle was completed, the app prompted us to revisit neglected areas.

Buying a high-end toothbrush like the Sonicare 9900 Prestige isn’t a necessity, but it is worthwhile if you’ll take advantage of the brush’s advanced features and you frequently travel. It also makes great eye candy for the bathroom counter, compared to more basic electric toothbrushes.

While nearly all of the electric toothbrushes we tested require regular recharging, the Quip Electric Toothbrush is a battery-operated electric toothbrush. It relies on a single AAA battery that needs to be replaced about every three months. If you opt for Quip’s brush head refill program, the brand will send you a new battery, so you can ensure that you keep up with regular battery replacement.

Simple And Convenient

This is the simplest electric toothbrush we tested—which is to Quip’s credit. It looks and feels similar to a manual toothbrush (you can also upgrade to a sleek, sturdy metal handle for an extra $5 at time of publication). The oblong brush head has a combination of soft bristles and rubber fingers to effectively brush and scrub the contours of your teeth. It also has must-have features, like a two-minute timer (with 30-second pacing beeps) and a pressure sensor. If an app is important to you, an upgraded Bluetooth-capable brush is an option, and the Quip app will keep tabs on your brushing habits.

Requires More Effort Than Others

Here’s what you really need to know about using the Quip Electric Toothbrush: It doesn’t do all the work for you. Think of it like a supercharged manual toothbrush. The motor inside the brush handle supplies enough power to vibrate the bristles, but there’s only one cleaning mode and you’ll still need to move the brush back and forth along the top and sides of your teeth for a complete clean.

We recommend the Quip for a basic, battery-operated toothbrush—especially for travel. It’s slim and comes with a multi-use case that sticks to your bathroom mirror or can be easily packed into a small suitcase.

Other Electric Toothbrushes We Tested

Here are the toothbrushes that didn’t make the cut in our testing process. While they didn’t end up on our final list, they may end up fitting your specific needs.

Hum by Colgate Electric Toothbrush: The Hum is an interesting new product at a great price, but it wasn’t easy to use. It has a too-small handle that was difficult to grip, uncomfortable brush head bristles and few customization options. It was the loudest brush we tested, and it’s the only brush we tried that isn’t ADA approved.

Oral-B Genius 9600: This high-end smart electric toothbrush is among the top tier of brushes that Oral-B offers. It comes with a lot of extras and cool features, but the advanced technological aspects sometimes felt like they created a higher barrier to basic daily use.

Oral-B Genius 8000: This brush also offers a lot of high tech features, which created a less accessible experience than that of the comparable iO Series 7G. It performed well, but not better than much less expensive options.

Oral-B Pro 500: This basic electric toothbrush is equipped with two brushing modes and a two-minute timer, punctuated by 30-second intervals to keep you moving at an even pace during your brushing routine. We like its grippy, rubberized handle, but it lacks a pressure sensor and the motor is noisy.

How We Tested The Best Electric Toothbrushes

The best electric toothbrushes will motivate consistent brushing, so our testers used each brush in real life to see how well they were incorporated into a daily oral hygiene routine. Forbes Vetted contributor Helena Fitzgerald tested eight models in 2023; then, fellow contributor Erica Puisis tested an additional four models in 2024.

ADA Approval

After extensive research, we narrowed the testing pool to only include rechargeable electric toothbrushes approved by the American Dental Association. From speaking with Cooper, we learned that the American Dental Association maintains a list of accepted toothbrushes. Scientists test these brushes to ensure they meet the rigorous standards set by the ADA’s Council on Scientific Affairs. (Note: we did test the Hum By Colgate electric toothbrush even though it isn’t on this list because it was a new and noteworthy product that we wanted to compare to ADA-approved brushes.)

Ease Of Use

To observe how easy it was to use each toothbrush, we noted whether the controls and displays were intuitive, and how easy it was to change brush heads. While brushing, we assessed the ergonomics of each brush, including how easy it was to hold, how heavy it was and how it maneuvered. We also considered whether the bristles were comfortable to use.

Extra Features

Some brushes have extra features, and our testers used all of these to gauge their effectiveness and usability. The majority of brushes offer two features: a timer and a pressure sensor. We looked for timers that made it effortless to keep brushing for the dentist-recommended two minutes each time and for additional alerts, like an automatic shutoff. For pressure sensors, which alert you if you’re brushing too hard, testers noted how effective alerts were and whether they were distinct from the timers. Finally, testers closely evaluated ease of cleaning, battery life and portability, as well as the warranty options for each toothbrush.

How To Pick The Best Electric Toothbrush

The many options for electric toothbrushes can quickly become overwhelming to wade through, but— as Cooper tells us—the best electric toothbrush is one that will get you to brush consistently for two minutes twice a day. Here are some factors to consider.

Grip

Some brushes are more ergonomic than others, and you can consider their size, shape, weight and grip. Some brushes have rubberized or ridged areas on the back of the handle to make them easier to hold. There are also significant size and weight differences between different models. While we found larger, heavier brushes to be easier to hold while brushing, you may find you prefer a smaller, lighter brush for easy transport.

Brush Head Shape

In general, electric toothbrushes come in two categories:

• Rotary brush head: Rotary electric toothbrushes have round brush heads that spin and pulsate, effectively clearing away plaque and dislodging bits of food. The circular shape of the brush head allows you to clean your teeth from all sides, making this type of electric toothbrush ideal for deeper cleaning. Rotating brush heads tend to be noisier than sonic brush heads, and the sensation of the brush hitting your teeth is a bit more intense, which may take some getting used to for first-time users.
• Sonic brush head: Sonic toothbrushes have heads with a flat, oblong shape. Instead of employing a rotating or oscillating motion, these brush heads use high-frequency vibrations that break up plaque and debris. Sonic toothbrushes focus more on providing an overall cleaning by covering more tooth space with greater ease. Because sonic toothbrushes are battery-operated, they aren’t as powerful as a rechargeable rotary toothbrush; you still have to supplement the brush head’s vibrations with your own manual brushing motions.

The choice between the two comes down mostly to personal preference and which type of brush head and motion you think you would find more comfortable and helpful. As Krasilnikov says, “neither one is scientifically better for brushing than the other.”

Special Features And Extras

When it comes to features, look for ones that will make you more likely to reach for the brush each morning and evening. Based on our experience testing electric toothbrushes, we found that the timer function was by far the most important feature. This was followed by customization options, whether that means extra brush heads or different brushing modes. Many toothbrushes include pressure sensors, too. In our testing, customizable options made more of a difference in careful brushing than the pressure sensor. If you travel frequently, you should also consider picking a toothbrush with a travel case.

Value

The best value brush will be the one that motivates you to establish and keep up with a consistent brushing routine. If that means the luxurious extras offered by a $200 brush do that job for you, then that brush has the best value. But in general, if you just want to get started with better dental hygiene, a great electric toothbrush doesn’t have to cost more than $40 or $50. Consider which features are most important to you, and weigh those when you consider which brush will offer you the best value.

Our Expertise

In 2023, Helena Fitzgerald tested and reported on eight electric toothbrush models for this piece. Over her 12-year journalism career, she has researched and reported on makeup, personal fragrance and fashion, as well as on food, drinks and cooking for publications including The Cut, Elle, Marie-Claire, Food52 and Food & Wine. To learn more about what makes a great electric toothbrush, she spoke with two experts: Dr. Ada Cooper, a National Spokesperson for the American Dental Association, and Dr. Sonya Krasilnikov of Dental House in New York.

In 2024, Erica Puisis updated this article with additional testing of four more electric toothbrushes, along with notes about the performance each. She has six years’ experience as a writer and specializes in researching and testing home products and appliances. For Forbes Vetted, she has previously tested water filter pitchers and tower fans, and her work has also appeared on The Spruce, MyDomaine and U.S. News and World Report.