The Best Oral-B Brush

Why you should trust us

At TestHut, we spend hours researching and testing products to bring you reviews that you can believe in. We purchase every product we test and are not beholden to any company. We test products and give you honest results.

Research and testing

To choose the best Oral-B brush, the TestHut team spent hours researching the Oral-B lineup with all its models and brush heads. We wanted to understand what Oral-B offered from top to bottom around the world.

We read both professional reviews and user reviews to see what features people were praising and complaining about.

The most challenging part was to break down the product line and really understand the differences between each model. The variations are quite subtle coming down to features like modes. We wanted to know exactly what you pay for when you choose one model over another.

In the end, we ordered several Oral-B brushes, and then we put them to the test both in our home and lab tests. After months of careful brushing, plaque testing, lab tests, and more, we have chosen the best Oral-B brushes for you.

One note – In our testing to find out what is the best electric toothbrush we actually find our that Sonicare brushes overall provide better cleaning results.

Testhut’s Top Choice: The Oral-B Pro 2 2000

After our extensive tests and research, we came to the conclusion that our favorite brushes in the Oral-B line are the simplest ones that offer the basic features we think are most necessary to keep your teeth clean.

We think the Pro 2 2000 does everything a good electric toothbrush should do at a great price. We call it the 2 2000 because sometimes you will see it listed in shops as the Pro 2 and sometimes it is labeled the 2000, but these are both the same exact brush with the same features that we are highlighting here.

This brush does not come with any fancy features and the box contents are very simple. You get the brush handle, a single brush head and the induction charger. It takes a minute to put the brush head on and get right into powerful cleaning.

In our tests, the Oral-B 2000 cleans just as well as the much more expensive Oral-B models, including the Genius X. The Pro series is the lowest-priced Oral-B brush that offers 3-D cleaning which means it both oscillates and pulses as it cleans. The power is right up there with the most powerful brushes that we tested with 9,900 oscillations per minute and 45,000 pulsations.

It is also equipped with an accurate visible pressure sensor which lowers the brushing speed and flashes a red light when you push too hard. When you brush with an electric toothbrush, there is the risk of pressing too hard and damaging your teeth and gums, so a pressure sensor is a solution to this potential problem. It activates when you apply more than 300 grams of force which will keep you from doing any damage. This brush also comes with the only two modes we think you will ever need: daily Clean and sensitive.

Even though you are paying much less, this brush will work with exactly the same brush heads as the more expensive models, so you have the luxury of choosing any of the many Oral-B brush heads.

In our tests, we found that the brush is solidly built passing all of our durability tests, and we never had a problem with reliability. However, battery life is just average, lasting about 2 weeks between charges. When it comes to charging, you just plug it in and set it on the induction base overnight, and it should be fully charged by the next day. In our test, it took just over 13 hours to complete the charge.

What we didn’t like

The styling of the Pro Series is outdated. The brush handle looks and feels like something from the last century with its 2-toned clinical look. It seems more at home in a dentist office than in your bathroom.

Another issue with all Oral-B brushes is that when the battery is low, and the charging light comes on, power to the brush drops, so you may end up feeling the need to charge the brush before you can get a good cleaning.

This brush is notoriously loud running at about 70 decibels which is just a bit quieter than a vacuum cleaner.

The power also comes at a price. It does take getting used to the oscillations and pulsations of the powerful Oral-B brush, but if it is too harsh, you can drop down to the sensitive mode, especially if you are a first-time user.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a good cleaning for a nice price, then we recommend the Pro 2 2000 as the Oral-B brush right in the sweet spot of the line up giving you the features you need without a lot of bloated features that you won’t use.

Travel Option: Oral-B Pro 3 3000 and Pro 2 2500

The Pro 3000 is basically the same brush as the 2000, but it comes with a standard Oral-B travel case and one extra brush head. The 2500 is the 2000 model with an included travel case, but still just one brush head. Either of these would make a good option for travelers as they offer the powerful cleaning we tested along with a useful travel case.

The travel case is not as luxurious as the one that comes with the Genius X or other higher-end models, but it will do the job. Ours was made of transparent plastic and shaped a bit like a coffin. It holds the handle and two brush heads, and will keep your toothbrush safe on the go.

So if you like a good cleaning but are also on the road a lot, we recommend upgrading to the Pro 3 3000.

What we didn’t like

We would like to see a USB charging option for Oral-B brushes for travelers as many other manufacturers offer, especially for travelling.

Premium Choice: Oral-B Genius X 20000 Luxe Edition

If you want to enjoy all the smart features of the Oral-B line, then we have to recommend skipping the midrange and opt for the Genius X. It offers a real-time brushing coach with the app. We are not sold on the value of smart brushes, but of the ones we researched and tested, we like the Oral-B app and features the best.

We opted for the Genius X Luxe edition which came with 4 brush heads and the deluxe travel case.

In our tests, we found that it cleaned well, but it is loud, and the power can be a bit too much, especially for new users. In our blind plaque removal tests, we found the Oral-B lagged behind the Sonicares but was able to remove most of the plaque and it left us with a very clean feeling. It was also one of the most powerful brushes in our lab tests. Fortunately, the Genius X model offers 6 modes to choose from, so if the Daily Clean mode is too much, you can opt for the Sensitive or Gum Care modes which may be more tolerable.

The modes are labeled on the handle using LED lights in the shape of icons like feathers and a diamond. We would rather they used words so the modes were easier to recognize.

The brush is called “Genius” because it includes smart features allowing you to track your brushing via your phone. It includes a real-time brushing coach which tracks the brush as you move it in your mouth while cleaning, and lets you know which areas you may have missed. This may help improve your overall brushing technique.

In our tests, we liked the freedom that the Oral-B Genius allows while it tracks the brush head movement and scores the final performance. As we worked through our 2-minute session, we could watch the teeth turn from blue to white knowing which ones we had cleaned and which ones needed more attention. Then, after we finished, it gave us a score out of 100% with suggestions for improving next time. This type of brushing coach could help improve your brushing technique, especially if you are new to electric toothbrushes.

The app offers many other features like journeys and a calendar to improve various aspects of your oral health, as well as brush head monitoring to let you know when to replace your brush head. We found most of these to be less helpful than the brushing coach, but as it tracks your brushing you can also earn medals for your efforts which can incentivize your brushing and improve your oral health habits.

It comes with a standard 2-minute quadpacer that will guide your brushing as you clean. The brush vibrates once every 30 seconds, and after two minutes it vibrates 3 times. The brush continues to run allowing you to keep cleaning as needed.

As with most Oral-B brushes, the Genius X works with any of the various brush heads that Oral-B offers. Ours came with the Cross Action brush head which we found to be the most effective for overall plaque removal.

We really liked the grippy handle and the LED ring which also doubles as a visible pressure sensor. Using the app, you can customize your brush by changing the color of the LED ring. There are two buttons, one that turns it off and on, and the other which changes modes. However, you cannot change modes when the brush is not running. We would like to be able to select the mode before we start our brushing session.

The deluxe travel case is very nice. It holds the brush secure and you can store two brush heads in the case as well. It can charge the brush, but you need to take along the original charging cable and power brick. We would like to see it using a USB cable like other manufacturers are doing. The case has a USB port which can charge your phone or other device while your toothbrush is charging. It also has a place to hold your phone as you brush your teeth, but for some reason it holds the phone in landscape mode, while the Oral-B app only works in portrait mode.

The Genius X has about the same battery life as other Oral-B brushes. We got about 2 weeks of full-powered brushing on a single charge. When it is time to charge, a red light on the handle starts to blink, and the power of the cleaning diminishes, which we think needs to be improved. It takes about 12 hours to fully charge.

What we didn’t like

As with the other Oral-B brushes, the Genius X is very loud and powerful. The noise, which can reach 76dB (as loud as a vacuum cleaner), and cleaning discomfort might discourage some users.

The brushing coach is excellent, but it does not keep track of which surface of your teeth you are cleaning. We think this is an oversight because knowing whether or not you are getting your back teeth and surfaces clean is very important.

We also hope that future Oral-B brushes will run the battery until it dies rather than cutting power when the battery is low. This is an annoyance that serves no real purpose.

Conclusion

Overall, the Genius X cleans well, and it offers a lot of nice features and options. You get a toothbrush that will connect to your smartphone helping improve your brushing habits, but all of this comes at a premium price.

The Most Advanced Oral-B Brush: Oral-B iO 7

Another upgrade option from the Pro Series is the new iO option from Oral-B. We tested the iO 7 to see what it offers.

Oral-B has made a few major changes with the introduction of the iO.

iO stands for microvibrations and oscillations. Oral-B calls this a whole new technology as far as the cleaning system is concerned. The result is a slightly smoother oscillation with a deeper somewhat quieter sound when cleaning. However, the overall cleaning is still a bit harsh, and the decibel level is still at about 70 which is like a loud conversation. So there is a bit of an improvement over the Genius series, but it is not as revolutionary as they claim.

The other big change is that they have adopted a magnetic charger instead of the standard induction charger that most other models use. We used this type of charger with the Oclean line-up. The advantage is that the brush will now charge in just 3 hours which is great. However, the magnets are not very strong, and the brush will fall off the charger if bumped or nudged.

Finally, there is the built-in LED screen on the handle. The iO 7 has a monochrome screen, while the 8 and 9 include full-color screens. With this built-in screen, you can change modes as well as control some other settings like the color of the LED ring. We found this to be a nice feature for making the modes very visible and giving us a way to control the brush without using the app.

Like the Genius X, the LED ring doubles as a pressure sensor turning red when you apply too much pressure, over 220 grams. One advanced feature is that the ring also turns green when you apply the right amount of pressure, around 50 grams of force.

The iO 7 cleaned well in our tests. We found that it was cleaning at about the same level as the Genius X, but it did perform better in the lab coffee ground/corncob test. However, the brushing power might cause discomfort for those with sensitive teeth or gums, and we found it to be ineffective when brushing with braces.

The brush has 5 cleaning modes: daily clean, sensitive, gum care, intense clean, and whitening. As with all other brushes, we found the daily clean mode to be the most useful.

We felt that the handle feel was a downgrade from the grippier Genius X. Overall, the iO series looks more modern and more sleak than any other Oral-B brush, but we wish that the plastic handle were not so slippery. The base is also tapered so the brush is not very stable and can fall over if you are not careful.

The two-button operation is simple and very easy to use. The top button turns the brush on, and the bottom button allows you to scroll through the screen options and change modes whilst brushing.

The iO series uses an entirely different brush head technology than the rest of the Oral-B line up, so none of the standard brush heads will work. They currently only offer two options: Ultimate Clean and Gentle Care. These brush heads are more expensive than any other we tested, and can be purchased for about 30 pounds for a pair.

The iO 7 works with the same Oral-B app as the Genius, and offers the same live brushing coach as well as other app features. We found it to be accurate and useful for making sure we were covering our whole mouth while brushing.

The battery life was disappointing. In our lab test, the iO seemed to run forever. We were able to get it to run for over 120 sessions before it needed to be recharged. In theory, that is over 60 days of cleaning. But in our home test, it lasted less than the advertised 14 days. We think this is due to the standby mode. The screen turns on when it senses movement, so the battery depletes constantly.

The brush came with a basic plastic travel case, which is okay, but it does not hold the brush as securely as we would like. It also comes with a brush head stand made of plastic and silicone. We found that this was a necessary item because the new brush heads are cut at an angle and will not stand up on their own.

What we didn’t like?

The iO series feels like a step sideways rather than forward for Oral-B. We wish that they would work with the standard Oral-B brushes to give us the wide variety of options at a lower price point.

We think that the new drive system is an improvement, but it is still too loud and too harsh to provide a really comfortable brushing experience.

As it stands, the biggest and easiest fix that would improve the overall experience is to have the battery life on display in the app and easily accessible on the handle.

Conclusion

Overall, if you want the latest, greatest toothbrush from Oral-B and cost is not an object for you, then the iO series is your best option. We think that if just getting your teeth clean is your priority, then we would still opt for a basic Pro-series brush.

The Oral-B product line explained

As of right now, most of the rechargeable electric Oral-B toothbrushes available offer a round brush head that oscillates, as opposed to the sonic vibrations of Philips Sonicare brushes and most other electric toothbrushes on the market. There are other brushes that offer an oscillating brush head, but they are not nearly as common.

Note: They do offer two brush heads, the trizone and clean sweep, which look and act more like a traditional toothbrush head but still oscillate back and forth instead of vibrate.

Note: You may also find sonic brushes from Oral-B, the Pulsonic line which has limited availability.

Depending on where you shop, Oral-B might name a brush using a number like 5000 or it might be called a Pro 5. They do this up and down the product line. Throughout the article, we will refer to both of these numbers just to help guide you along.

They also may add incremental numbers, for example, you might find the Oral-B Pro 2 2000, the 2500, or the 2900. If you see an x500 brush, then it means it comes with some extra accessory like a travel case or brush holder. If you see the x900 in the name, it means that this package comes with 2 brush handles instead of one.

The Oral-B electric toothbrushes range from about 18 pounds all the way to 290 pounds, so let’s see what each brush offers and which one is right for you.

Vitality Series: The Essentials

The most basic brushes that Oral-B offers is the Vitality series brush. These are bulky and incorporate NiCad batteries that last only about 8 days.

The biggest downfall of this brush is that it only offers 2D cleaning instead of 3D. This means that the brush head oscillates, but it does not pulsate as well. The brush head will move quickly back and forth, but the higher-end models also pulsate to give you more cleaning power.

You can get this brush in 3 colors: blue, black and white. Each brush comes with one brush head, and the type of brush head will determine the name on the package. For example, you might see the “Vitality Plus Blue Cross Action” toothbrush which means it comes with the Cross Action brush head. Or you might see the 3D White which means it comes with the whitening brush head.

But other than the brush heads and colors, these are essentially the same brush.

They all come with an induction charging base and take about 16 hours to charge.

Pro Series: Adjustable Modes

The Pro Series is a big step up from the Vitality, and in this series you have several options. You may see the Pro 600 followed by the Pro 1 700 or 900 which are rebranded versions of the Pro 2 or 2000, and Pro 3 or 3000 series. There used to be a Pro 500 which is really just a Vitality Series brush.

Pro 600

The Pro 600 is available in blue, white, pink and black and just like the Vitality series, each package will come with one brush head and you know which one based on the name. Based on our testing of all the Oral-B brush heads, we prefer the Cross Action for every day cleaning.

Two drawbacks of the 600 series are that they come with the old NiCad battery and no pressure sensor, so we would recommend stepping up to the 2000 or 3000 which come with Lithium Ion batteries and the pressure sensor. The 600 also only comes with the Daily Cleaning mode and no other options.

Pro 2000 (2 series or Pro 700/900)

The 2000 is a solid brush which comes with the modern 3D brushing system, a pressure sensor, Lithium Ion battery and two modes to choose from: Daily Clean and Gum Care.

Pro 3000

The 3000 is the exact same brush as the 2000, but it comes with two brush heads and a travel case standard. So depending on the price, it can be a better deal.

For us the Pro Series 2/2000 or 3/3000 are the sweet spot of the Oral-B line up. You get a good brush that cleans very well for a decent price. This brush has all you need for maintaining a clean, healthy smile.

You can find these brushes in a range of colors including white, black, blue, and pink. And again, the name on the package tells you which brush head is included.

These brushes include a pressure sensor in the form of a bright red light on the back of the handle. In my own personal tests, this light was bright enough to notice even with my eyes close, and it lets you know if you are pushing too hard while brushing. We like this feature because it is easy to overbrush with these powerful oscillating Brauns, so it is good to know when you press too hard!

Smart Series: Bluetooth Connectivity

The next line of Oral-B brushes introduce connectivity. The idea is that you can learn to brush better by downloading the Oral-B app and connecting your brush to your smartphone.

On paper, this seems like a great idea, but in practice we found that it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

The Smart Series includes the 4/4000, 5/5000 and 6/6000/6500 models.

These brushes all have the same 3D brush movement as the Pro Series, but each adds a few features.

4000

The 4000 looks and feels much the same as the brushes in the ProSeries, but includes real-time brushing tracking via bluetooth and the app. You also get 3 modes: daily clean, whitening and sensitive. You get 2 brush heads with this package and it comes in pink, white, or black.

5000

The 5000 also continues to use the same basic handle and bluetooth connection as the 4000, but it offers 5 modes: daily clean, pro clean, sensitive, gum care, and whitening. You also get 3 brush heads, a travel case and a phone stand.

6000/6500

The Smart 6 6000 or 6500 is a shift in the aesthetic of the Oral-B line. This comes with a more modern looking handle with LED lights instead of the standard simple lights of the previous generation handle.

This brush includes 6 modes: daily clean, deep clean, gum care, sensitive, whitening, and tongue cleaning.

The package includes 4 brush heads, a travel case, and the wireless SmartGuide.

The SmartGuide is a timer that tracks your brushing which you attach to the mirror, so you don’t need to have your phone with you to do a connected brushing session.

All of these brushes will connect to the Oral-B app which displays a 3-D model of teeth and shows you which quadrant to brush as you perform your 2-minute cleaning session. It also displays news, weather, and other information to give you something to do as you polish your pearly whites.

Genius Series: Artificial Intelligence

Oral-B offers 3 brushes in the Genius line including the Genius 8000, 9000, Genius X (10000) and the Genius X Luxe Edition (20000). For some reason, they no longer show the series 7/7500 on the Oral-B website, but you might find this out there in the wild.

The Genius 8 and 9 series offer position detection technology, but they implement it in an odd way. These brushes come with a suction cup for your phone so you can stick it to the mirror as you brush because they use detection technology that relies on your smartphone to see where you are brushing.

The idea is that it can detect whether or not you are brushing all areas of your mouth when you brush while looking at your phone.

Other advancements of the Genius series include a customizable LED ring that doubles as a pressure sensor. The LED ring color can be changed using that app, so it lets you add a little personalisation to your brushing experience.

8000

The 8000 comes with 5 brushing modes: daily clean, pro clean, whitening, gum care, and sensitive. It also includes 3 different brush heads. You can get the 8000 in black, rose gold, or platinum colors.

9000

The 9000 is the same brush with the same suction cup technology, but the package gives you a few more goodies. This comes with a charging station that has a brush holder tray, 6 modes (adding a tongue cleaning mode), a USB charging case, and 4 brush heads. The 9000 comes in black, rose gold, white, and orchid colors.

10000

In 2018, Oral-B released a 10000 model that is identical to the 9000 except for the box contents.

Genius X 20000 (also 20100)

The Genius X is a bit more refined. This brush comes at a higher price because it includes detection technology built into the handle. So you no longer have to rely on your smartphone to tell where you are brushing. Now the brush has sensors that pair with the app to follow along with your brushing routine using AI.

The app works pretty well at detecting where you are brushing and then gives a score after you are finished with suggestions for improvement. This could help some people improve their brushing habits, but in general, we don’t think the smart technology of these brushes is worth the high price. This may get better in the future, but it just isn’t that great yet.

The Genius X also includes a nice travel case with a built-in charger and a USB port so you can also charge your smartphone. You get 6 cleaning modes: daily clean, pro clean, gum care, sensitive, whitening, and tongue care. However, we only got one cross action brush with our package (there are different packages out there with different accessories). It comes in pink, black and rose gold colors.

The Luxe edition of the Genius X (which we tested) offers a designer travel case, a premium-coloured handle, and four brush heads. You can get this in a special anthracite color or rose gold.

iO Series: Oral-B’s Most Advanced

Most recently, Oral-B has unveiled their new flagship model, the iO which includes a series 7, series 8, and series 9.

Upfront, we want to say that the biggest problem with the iO brushes is that they are no longer compatible with the line of brush heads that all of the other Oral-B handles use. So you enter a whole new territory with the iO brush. These are also the most expensive brushes and brush heads that Oral-B offers.

The cleaning effect also changes with the iO. Instead of oscillations and pulsations like the rest of the brushes, these combine oscillations with “micro-vibrations” which seem to be more in line with a sonic brush. The “i” in the name stands for micro-vibrations and the “O” stands for oscillations.

The handle also has an interactive mini display which gives you some brushing information without having to use your smartphone.

All of these brushes still work with the same Oral-B app as the other smart brushes and offer you a real-time brushing coach to help you improve your technique.

iO 7

The iO 7 is the entry-level iO model. It comes with one brush head, and in just one available color—white.

It features the exact same cleaning operation at the iO 8 and 9, but it offers fewer modes (5 in all) and the built-in screen is monochrome, where the higher-end models feature color screens.

The iO 7 includes the same magnetic charger as the rest of the iO series which will charge the brush in about 3 hours. Battery life is average for Oral-B at about 14 days.

You also get a standard travel case with this brush that is a simple plastic case with no extra features. It also includes a refill case which is a storage case for your brush heads. This is necessary because the brush heads are cut at an angle and will not stand up on their own.

iO 8

The iO 8 comes in 3 colors—alabaster white, violet ametrine, and black onyx.

In addition to the standard features of the 7, it has one more brushing mode and an interactive color display.

Other than that, it is basically the same as the 7.

iO 9

The iO 9 also comes in 3 colors—alabaster white, rose quartz, and black onyx. It is physically different from the 7 and 8 in that the base is metallic instead of colored the same as the handle.

In addition, it comes with 7 brushing modes, 3D Teeth Tracking (better AI for brushing), and a Power2Go Travel Case. This travel case includes a charger as well as a USB port for charging other devices. However, you still have to pack the bulky charging adapter which is not convenient for travel.

Ultimately, the iO series is a departure from the standard product line that Oral-B offers, and we just do not see the value of upgrading to an iO with the upfront premium and additional brush head cost.

Conclusion

Oral-B continues to push the envelope of oral care. They have an extensive range of products from manual toothbrushes, to dental floss, and, of course, their flagship electric toothbrushes. Because they have been doing this for years, you can expect quality up and down the line.

We found that the basic cleaning for these brushes was very similar from the Pro 2000 line on up to the Genius X. The iO series claims to use a different technology and different brush heads, so the cleaning experience will also be different.

The bottom line is that you should choose the brush that has the features you need at the best price.