Sign up for our daily newsletter
Oral-B is the biggest brand for electric toothbrushes in the UK, but that doesn’t make it any easier to decide on a specific brush to buy. The manufacturer has several different ranges serving different customers and price points, and you’ll often find its older models being sold in chemists or supermarkets alongside its newest lines. To make things harder, prices fluctuate like crazy, so you’ll find brushes at half price at certain times of year, or new, mid-range brushes selling for less than budget brushes if you happen to catch them in a sale.
Well, that doesn’t mean you should just buy the first Oral-B brush you see. In this guide we’re going to run through our pick of the best of the brand’s line-up and explain some of the differences between the different models, so that you make the right choice.
READ NEXT: Our guide to the best water flossers
All Oral-B toothbrushes use a variant of the same rotating head technology, where the round head of the toothbrush oscillates clockwise and anti-clockwise at speeds of up to 10,800 movements per second to clean your teeth. Most combine this with micro vibrations, designed to break up any debris, plaque or tartar so that it’s swept efficiently away. However, the motors, batteries and features in the brushes differ, particularly as you move up through the price range.
Right now, the main Oral-B lines include:
Vitality Series: Oral B’s most basic brushes, stripped back to the most basic features and with an old-school NiMH battery rather than a longer lasting, faster charging Lithium-Ion effort. You also get no micro-vibrations on these models.
Pro Series: Oral-B’s affordable, mainstream brushes. These bring in the 3D action, with micro vibrations, oscillation and rotation for a better clean, along with pressure alerts and a Lithium-Ion battery (on most models).
Smart Series: The Smart series builds on the Pro series with Bluetooth connectivity and basic smart features. Some models are quite old now, but still effective. Genius Series: Oral-B’s flagship series before the new iO line took over. High-end, smart toothbrushes, and still worth picking up if they’re on sale at a low price.
iO Series: Oral-B’s new flagship range, using a new magnetic motor for a gentle yet effective clean. Smart features come as standard, while the higher end models come with magnetic chargers and other premium accessories.
Kids/Junior series: Variations of the Vitality, Pro and Smart Series brushes aimed at kids and teens. Often slightly smaller and featuring favourite characters or more colourful designs.
Be aware that prices can vary wildly from season to season and sale to sale. Sometimes you’ll find iO Series brushes selling for less than older Genius series brushes, or Smart series brushes selling for more than a better Genius series brush. This means you should never just buy the first brush you see, but quickly compare prices to make sure that you couldn’t get a better deal elsewhere.
Up to a point. Oral-B’s CrossAction, FlossAction, Precision Clean, Sensi and 3D White brush heads work across brushes in the Vitality, Pro, Smart and Genius lines, but iO Series brushes have their own specific Ultimate Clean and Gentle Care heads.
Lithium-ion batteries, timer features and pressure alerts are the big must-haves. With the newer battery tech you can get away with charging your brush every few weeks, while a timer – usually a pause or pulse every 30 seconds – makes it easier to check that you’re brushing for the two minutes that dentists recommend. Pressure alerts warn you when you’re brushing too hard; one of the great advantages of an electric brush is that you don’t need to brush so hard, potentially doing damage to your gums, in order to get a decent clean.
It's worth having Bluetooth connectivity and smart app support, but only if you’re going to use them. Working with the app, you can track your brushing routine and – with the sensors on the more expensive Oral-B smart brushes – make sure that you’re reaching every corner of your mouth. The feedback can help you improve your brushing and keep your teeth in shape. However, to make the most of these features you may need to take your smartphone to the bathroom and keep an eye on the screen while you brush. If you’re not realistically going to do this, then the Smart features won’t earn their keep.
READ NEXT: Want to check out Oral-B’s competition? See the best electric toothbrushes
Price: £20 | Buy now from Amazon
The Vitality Plus is as basic as electric toothbrushes get, but it’s still a worthy step up from the cheapest AA battery-powered brushes. You don’t get much in the way of features, with only the one brushing mode and no pressure sensor, leaving just a pulse every 30 seconds to help you track when your two minutes is up. What’s more, it’s the only Oral-B brush in this line-up with no 3D action, just a simple, back-and-forth oscillation to clean your teeth.
All the same, while the action feels a little rough and rattly in comparison to the brand’s more expensive models, it still gives your gnashers a thorough clean, which you can tailor by switching out the CrossAction brush head. And while we feared the worst from the NiMH battery, it actually lasted a reasonable 43 minutes in our tests, although you’ll still need to charge it overnight. We’d like to see a pressure sensor and a charging indicator, but if you only have £20 to spend on a toothbrush, this is the Oral-B to buy.
Key specs – Cleaning modes: 1; Battery type: NiMH; Accessories included: One brush head, charger; Battery life (tested): 43 mins; Warranty: Two years
Price: £40 | Buy now from Amazon
Oral-B’s affordable Pro 3 3000 feels like a real step up, both from the Vitality Plus and the previous entry-level favourite, the Pro 2500N. The sleek new design drops the rubber grip of the older model, but it’s still easy to handle and easier to rinse clean, while the rear pressure sensor – now a 360-degree ring – can be seen while you’re brushing. Throw in the normal two-minute timer, and this brush covers all the fundamentals.
What’s more, it delivers an excellent clean, with three modes – Sensitive, Daily Clean and Whitening – that take you all the way from a softer brush that’s easy on the gums to a more intense polish that should help get rid of staining. Battery life, meanwhile, is exceptional; you’ll easily get through two weeks of brushing and probably three without a recharge. It’s the king of sensibly priced brushes and one of the easiest recommendations in the Oral-B range.
Read our full Oral-B Pro 3 3000 review
Key specs – Cleaning modes: 3; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: One brush head, charger; Battery life (tested): 87 mins; Warranty: Two years
Price: £65 | Buy now from Amazon
The Smart 6 6000N hits the sweet spot in the Oral-B range, giving you features you won’t see on the cheaper models, but with a smaller price tag than the Genius X or iO6. You still get a top-notch cleaning experience, with Oral-B’s oscillating brush heads leaving teeth feeling smooth and polished, along with five different modes including gum care, whitening and sensitive.
There are cheaper Oral-B brushes with Bluetooth support (the Smart 4 4000N and 4500N also have it) but the 6000N includes a holder for your smartphone along with a conventional charging stand. With the app installed, you can expect real-time feedback through the LED ring and a timer to make sure you brush all four quadrants of your mouth. The app will also track your use over time and give you hints and tips on how you might improve your brushing. Meanwhile, the Lithium-ion battery is good for well over two weeks of brushing from a single charge. Sure, the Smart 6 isn’t quite as luxurious as Oral-B’s high-end models, but it’s not crazily expensive, either, making it worth the extra you might have to pay over the Smart 3 3000.
Key specs – Cleaning modes: 5; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: Three brush heads, charger, travel case, smartphone holder; Battery life (tested): 1hr 7mins; Warranty: Two years
Price: £100 | Buy now from Amazon
The Genius 8000 launched as a cut-down, value version of the original Genius 9000 brush, and it still feels like a high-end toothbrush despite its sub-£100 price. It also gives an excellent clean, with a choice of six brush modes and three brush heads – CrossAction, 3D White and Sensitive – to cover a wide range of dental needs. Its Lithium-Ion battery still needs charging overnight but will last for over an hour of brushing from there on in, which should cover you for a couple of weeks.
The Genius 8000 connects via Bluetooth to your phone, giving real-time brushing feedback, an activity diary and gentle chastisement when you miss a brush or finish early. It can even use the phone’s camera to make sure you’re brushing each area sufficiently. It’s quite entertaining and educational, although the novelty may wear off with time. The box includes a suction-based phone holder along with a sleek travel case. The only reason not to buy the Genius 8000 is that the Genius X and iO Series 6 are only slightly more expensive and even better still. If you catch it cheap in a sale, however, it can be an absolute bargain.
Key specs – Cleaning modes: 5; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: Three brush heads, charger, travel case, smartphone holder; Battery life (tested): 1hr 2 mins; Warranty: Two years
Price: £110 | Buy now from Amazon
Electric toothbrushes that give you feedback via Bluetooth are nothing new, but the Oral-B Genius X goes one better. Like the newest iO9 model, it has embedded sensors that work with an app to give you detailed live data about which areas of your mouth you have neglected. The app shows the different sections of the mouth turning from blue to white to show when you’ve brushed them for long enough, and afterwards, it uses the data to score your brushing and show you how you can do better.
Like Oral-B’s Genius 9000 and iO9, the Genius X also offers multiple brushing modes and gum pressure detection, with the 360-degree smart ring glowing red when you apply too much pressure. Meanwhile, the bundled charger doesn’t just charge your toothbrush, but also your phone via USB. This was at launch a very pricey toothbrush, and it still feels like a flagship model. In fact, it makes a good alternative to the more modern iO Series 6 if you want to stick with the old Oral-B brush heads, or you just find with a price cut in the sales.
Read our full Oral-B Genius X review
Key specs – Cleaning modes: 6; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: USB travel case with integrated charger; Battery life: 58 mins; Warranty: Two years
Price: £110 | Buy now from Amazon
You might call Oral-B’s iO9 the Tesla supercar of toothbrushes, but it also has the price to match. The newer iO6 is a different story. It has nearly all the same core technology, but at a much more approachable price point. While the RRP is £300, we’ve seen it slip to around £110.
You don’t get the full suite of sensors of the iO9, but the iO6 still does a great job of tracking where and how you’re brushing and relaying it back to the Oral-B app. Plus, like the more expensive iO brushes, its pressure-sensing indicators and built-in OLED screen give you instant feedback on your brushing and whether you’ve done the full two minutes or slinked off early. Thanks to Oral-B’s magnetic motor technology, the clean is as quiet as it is impressive, with little of the vibrating skull effect that drives some electric toothbrush users mad. And with five different brush modes to cover gum care, whitening and sensitive teeth as well as intense and daily cleans, it’s a good bet for any set of gnashers. As long as you can live without the Series 9’s fast charging, it’s arguably Oral-B’s best buy.
Key specs – Cleaning modes: 5; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: One brush head, charger, spare head holder, travel case; Battery life (tested): Two weeks minimum; Warranty: Two years
Price: £160 | Buy now from Amazon
The iO Series 8 is more expensive than the iO Series 6, but the extras and features might make the premium worth your while. For a start, you get a fast magnetic charger, capable of recharging your toothbrush in around three hours. What’s more, it has an extra ‘Sensitive’ mode and a colour OLED display.
Otherwise, it has the same tech and the same key strengths as the iO Series 6 and iO Series 9, giving you a smoother brush with less vibration than the older Genius models, yet still delivering an excellent ‘fresh from the dentists’ clean. You also get the same pressure sensor and timer, the same two weeks plus battery life, and the same OLED display and app-connected features. Given that the differences between this brush and the Series 9 are minor, the Series 8 makes a pretty strong case for itself as the best Oral-B brush to buy.
Key specs – Cleaning modes: 5; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: One brush head, charger, spare head holder, travel case; Battery life (tested): Two weeks minimum; Warranty: Two years
Best hair dryer: The finest hair dryers we've tested
Our favourite beard trimmers from £20
Pamper your feet with the best foot spas you can buy
The best hair thickening products you can buy from £7
The best teeth whitening kits to buy
Best lip plumper 2022: For naturally plumper lips
Best heated rollers 2022: Create waves and curls at home
The best yoga mats you can buy
The best condoms to buy
Oral-B Pro 3 3000 review: The price is white
Oral-B iO Series 6 review: State-of-the-art cleaning
Oral-B iO review: The smart toothbrush with a smart app
Find the best Oral-B electric toothbrush for your needs
Best deals on electric toothbrushes
The best teeth whitening kits to buy
The best water flossers to buy
The best mouthwash for all-round protection
The best Wi-Fi extenders to buy from £35
Copyright © Expert Reviews Holdings Ltd 2022. All rights reserved. Expert Reviews™ is a registered trade mark.