Sonicare Electric Toothbrushes Can Be Pricey—Grab a Rare Sale On Our Favorites (2024)

If you feel like you’re doing everything to keep your teeth in top shape but aren’t getting stellar marks from your dentist, it may be worth investing in a better toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes, like Philips Sonicare, can enhance your dental routine with their superior cleaning power compared to regular toothbrushes. A Sonicare toothbrush can be a good way to clean hard-to-reach areas without over-brushing and damaging your gums. Ada S. Cooper, DDS, a spokesperson for the ADA, adds that a good electric toothbrush can also be useful for people who struggle with dexterity issues, such as arthritis.

We tested the top Philips Sonicare toothbrushes to find the best on the market. We evaluated the toothbrushes based on their setup, brushing experience, and overall cleaning ability. From there, we chose the ones we think are a worthy investment. An orthodontist from our Medical Expert Board has also reviewed the content in this article for medical and scientific accuracy.

What to Know About Sonicare Toothbrushes

When it comes to features that are important in a toothbrush, Lisa Creaven, Galway-based dentist and co-founder of Made By Dentists, tells us you should consider vibrations per minute, a lengthy battery life, and a smaller head to be able to reach all of the areas of your mouth. Other features that Sonicare products feature include:

• Built-in Timers: Sonicare toothbrushes feature a timer that stops after two minutes of brushing and a pacer that alerts every 30 seconds to switch areas of the mouth. Dr. Cooper recommends that you brush for at least two minutes to clean your teeth thoroughly. Even the most affordable option on our list, the 4100 series, includes a timer feature.
• Replacement Alerts: With all of the Sonicare products on our list, you will be alerted with a symbol that lights up to let you know that it is time to replace the head on your toothbrush.Dr. Cooper notes that a worn-out toothbrush won’t clean your teeth well and tells us that replacing it three or four times yearly will be ideal.
• Brushing Modes: Our list of Sonicare includes toothbrushes with various modes catering to different mouth sensitivities and specific brushing needs. For example, the ProtectiveClean 6100 enables you to choose between a cleaning, whitening, or gum care setting, while the DiamondClean 9300 features an additional setting for deeper cleaning. Dr. Lilya Horowitz, DDS, fa*gD, founder at Domino Dental, likes Sonicare toothbrushes because they allow users to choose the proper setting for their teeth and gum sensitivity.
• Pressure Sensors: If you brush your teeth too hard, the toothbrush will automatically lower the vibrations to avoid damaging your gums, and a pulsing sound will alert you. This feature is important since overbrushing can result in gum sensitivity and recession.
• Bluetooth Connectivity: While not all of the Sonicare toothbrushes on our list feature Bluetooth connectivity, a handful do. The DiamondClean Smart 9300 app will highlight areas you missed so you can brush more thoroughly. With the ExpertClean 7300, app connectivity provides progress reports showing how much your brushing habits have improved.
• Battery Life: A long-lasting battery accommodates flexibility and enables you to take it on the go without having to sacrifice your hygiene habits. All of the Sonicare products on our list have at least a two-week battery life.
• Accessories: All the toothbrushes on our list include a head, body, and charger. Some have a travel case and multiple heads. The ExpertClean 7300 has a replacement head, while the DiamondClean Smart 9300 has a plaque control brush head, a white brush head, and a gum health brush head. Not all heads are compatible with all models, so check compatibility before buying replacements.

Our Top Picks

Our Testing Process

To find the best Sonicare toothbrushes, we tested over 10 of Sonicare's top-rated electric toothbrushes. We followed a uniform brushing pattern and used the same technique with each toothbrush. During our tests, we rated each brush based on the following attributes:

• Setup: When we received each toothbrush, we first noted if it came pre-charged or required a charge. We also paid attention to how easy the handle was to hold, where the controls were located, how easy the buttons were to access, and if they included timers.
• Brushing Experience: We noted how the cleaning experience went, paying attention to how clean our teeth felt and whether or not we were alerted after two minutes of brushing. We also noted the noise level of each toothbrush we tested.
• Results: After each test, we documented how clean our teeth felt and how effectively the brush cleaned the spaces between our teeth.

The Experts

We spoke with experts to understand the benefits of Sonicare toothbrushes and how they can be implemented into a proper dental hygiene routine. The experts we spoke with include:

• Lisa Creaven, Galway-based dentist, co-founder of Made By Dentists
• Lilya Horowitz, DDS, fa*gD, founder at Domino Dental
• Ada S. Cooper, DDS, ADA Spokesperson
• Marc Schlenoff, DDS, fa*gD, Dentist and VP of Clinical Development at Tend
  

More Sonicare Toothbrushes to Consider

In addition to the four products we recommended, we tested two other Sonicare toothbrushes that didn’t end up on our list for a few reasons, but we still think they are worth mentioning.

• Sonicare 9900 Prestige Power Toothbrush: While this option offers excellent cleaning abilities to get between every crevice of your teeth and provides access to the Sonicare app, we felt it was a bit too expensive. We also thought connecting to the app could be slightly more intuitive and easier.
• Philips One by Sonicare Power Toothbrush: This option is a good starting point for those new to electric toothbrushes. It's affordable and has features like a built-in timer and 13,000 micro-vibrations per minute. However, it lacks advanced features and has room for improvement.

Who We Are

Jack Byram is a freelance writer who covers all things health and wellness related. He has written published works for numerous outlets and has interviewed dozens of experts. As a health fanatic, he is always researching and trying new products to upgrade his teeth care regimen.