The Best Electric Toothbrush

If you find an automated two-minute timer helpful or you need or prefer to brush with a powered assist, it may be worthwhile to upgrade from a manual to an electric toothbrush. After more than 100 total hours of research, interviewing dental experts, considering nearly every model available, and testing 36 toothbrushes ourselves in hundreds of trials at the bathroom sink, we’ve found that the Oral-B Pro 1000 is the best electric toothbrush. Although it has among the fewest fancy features of the rechargeable brushes we’ve tested, it does have the most important things experts recommend—a built-in two-minute timer and access to one of the most extensive lines of replacement brush heads available—at an affordable price.

Dentists recommend brushing for two minutes twice a day. An onboard automated timer helps you brush for the full two minutes.

A quality electric toothbrush does most of the “brushing” for you. All you need to do is glide the brush head gently across teeth.

The Oral-B Pro 1000 toothbrush, which is compatible with nearly all the brand’s replacement brush heads, has an onboard two-minute timer with helpful quadrant pacing, keeping you on task (moving the brush around your mouth, cleaning all your teeth) for the recommended amount of brushing time. It also has a pressure sensor to let you know when you’re brushing too hard. Our testers have found its oscillating brushing motion especially effective: It feels plenty powerful to deliver a reliable cleaning. The Pro 1000 comes with a minimalist charging pedestal that simply requires dropping the brush onto a peg. Fully charged, it lasts for at least a week of twice-daily two-minute brushing sessions before needing a recharge, which is on a par with the other toothbrushes we tested in this price range and plenty for most people. The biggest drawback: It’s louder than other brushes we’ve tested.

Sample replacement brush head costs:

Approximate cost of ownership ($45 brush handle + four Oral-B replacement heads) after:

One year: $67
Three years: $111

If you can’t find the Oral-B Pro 1000, or if you prefer a quieter brush with a head that vibrates back and forth instead of oscillates, we recommend the Philips Sonicare 4100. Like the Pro 1000, the 4100 has a two-minute timer with quadrant pacing plus a pressure sensor and is not trumped up with unproven features. The 4100 runs much more quietly than the Pro 1000, but unlike the Pro 1000, it comes to a full stop after two minutes of brushing (rather than restarting the cycle as the Pro 1000 does) and has a less diverse, more expensive range of brush heads, giving you fewer options for head shapes and bristle textures. However, the 4100 has two intensity settings (meaning you can brush with strong or stronger vibrations), and its battery lasts longer on a full charge than that of the Pro 1000. Since October 2021, the charging pedestal that accompanies any new 4100 has only a USB plug. Customers can request a free two-prong plug adapter from Philips Sonicare.

Sample replacement brush head costs:

Philips Sonicare: $9
Generic: $1

Approximate cost of ownership ($50 brush handle + four Philips Sonicare replacement heads) after:

One year: $86
Three years: $158

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