1. The list in brief
2. Best overall
3. Best value
4. Best premium
5. Best without an app
6. Best mid-range
7. Best minimalist design
8. Best for quiet brushing
9. How to choose
10. How we test
The best electric toothbrushes are essential for oral hygiene. Clinically proven to remove more plaque than a manual toothbrush, electric toothbrushes' improved cleaning power is a result of their vibrating sonic brush heads or oscillating bristles. Most of them also have timers built into handsets and some have charging bases. We're also seeing more of them offer AI guidance to help you improve your brushing and hit all the right zones in your mouth.
Manual toothbrushes are becoming increasingly obsolete. Many peer-reviewed studies like this one from SGT Dental College and Research Institute have found that electric brushes are more effective than ordinary brushes at removing sticky plaque and preventing gum disease.
We've tested a wide variety of different toothbrushes, from relatively simple oscillating brushes right through to advanced models that work in the same way as the best fitness trackers or the best smart scales: by encompassing a smart element or integrating an app into their design. Some of them are sleek-looking, with a wall mount, while others are pretty basic.
To help you choose the right one, read our comprehensive guide below to ensure you're selecting the right brush to keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy. We're currently testing the Ordo Sonic Lite to see if it's worthy of inclusion for our Best Budget category.
Matt is TechRadar's Fitness and Wearables Editor, which means he's an expert on all things wellness tech. Matt's spent years covering the health technology beat, and the toothbrushes below have either been tested by him or other experienced health writers.
The quick list
If you don’t have time to read our full list of the best electric toothbrushes, you can read the round-up below for a shortcut to the top options for your needs and budget. If you find one that takes your fancy, use the links to jump to our full write-up.
Best overall
The Oral-B iO Series 10 is the smartest, and best, toothbrush we've ever tried. It comes with comprehensive mouth-tracking software via the companion app, thoroughly cleaning each "zone", a WiFi connected dock, and it's quiet to boot.
Best value
Not a true "smart brush" but a fantastic budget offering, the Colgate Hum comes in a removable battery and rechargeable option, and is pressure-sensitive: the handset will flash red if you're pressing too hard. It's reliable, easy to use, and a good value sonic brush.
Best premium
The Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige is a powerhouse of a brushing system. It's very quiet, sleekly designed and packed with smarts, offering real-time guidance to improve your technique. It ain't cheap though.
Best without an app
Small and light, with good sonic vibration technology and very cheapt o boot, the Ordo Sonic + is a no-fuss, no-frills brush that will hold its charge for weeks and improve your brushing experience without tethering you to your phone. The low barrier to entry makes this a no-brainer.
Best mid-range brush
For those who want the Oral-B iO Series but don't want to pay through the nose for it, this is the model to get. Very quiet, very powerful, a wide variety of modes, but a less luxe carry case and fewer AI smarts.
Best minimalist toothbrush
The simple, elegant Mode electric toothbrush is a slender, one-setting toothbrush that looks slick when attached via the wireless charger-slash-wall hook with the built-in light. Although it's only got one setting, it's seriously stylish.
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Best for quiet brushing
Can't fire up your electric toothbrush without rousing your partner or housemates? The Oclean X Pro, with whisper-quiet brushing technology, might be the one for you. It's reasonably priced to boot.
The best electric toothbrush overall
The Oral-B iO Series 10 takes our award for the best electric toothbrush, thanks to its valuable smart tech and real-time feedback that encourages you to improve your brushing technique. This is done with a neat chipset that calculates the position of the brush in your mouth, allowing it to read your technique and nudge you to thoroughly clean each "zone" of your mouth.
We found the brush to be very quiet (much more so than a typical oscillating brush) and felt smooth as you work your way around your mouth. The in-built pressure sensor not only warns you if you're pressing too hard, but also if you're not applying enough pressure to get a good clean, helping you achieve an optimum result. The dock itself will connect to WiFi to display the time and date.
Once done, the Series 10's bright color display will rate your brushing, and show the battery life remaining on the brush. It's a quick way to get feedback on your technique, and surprisingly motivating, but for more in-depth guidance you can turn to the Oral-B app, which has heat maps of your mouth to show how thorough your clean was. This is updated in real-time.
The downside of the Oral-B iO Series is that it's one of the most expensive electric toothbrushes around, though its price has dropped significantly in the months since its release and you can now pick it up far more cheaply. Additional brush heads are also pricey. If your budget can stand it, though, this is an extremely well-designed electric toothbrush that will have a real impact on how you clean your teeth, and will help set you up with better habits that can have a long-term effect on your oral health.
Read our full Oral-B iO Series 10 review
The best value electric toothbrush
The Colgate Hum Smart Rhythmic Sonic toothbrush is the cheapest brush on our guide, and a great way to pick up a smart toothbrush for less. It interfaces with the Colgate app on your phone, which can tell when the brush is turned on, and guides you through cleaning the zones of your mouth for a more effective, thorough clean.
It's not a true smart brush like the above Oral-B, as it has no sensor to detect mouth position, but it will flash if you put too much pressure on your gums and has both regular and sensitive modes. For thirty dollars, or the equivalent? It's excellent.
The brush comes with a travel case and AAA batteries. its biggest downside is the need to replace batteries, along with brush heads, every few months, which isn't particularly eco-friendly nor cost-effective in the long run. However, each replacement will last at least three months, as the brush isn't particularly power-hungry. If you're looking to travel frequently and want a spare toothbrush, or you're looking for an affordable way to start smart-cleaning, this is the brush for you.
Read our full Colgate Hum Smart Rhythm review
The best premium electric toothbrush
The Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige is another impressive electric toothbrush designed to improve your technique long-term by monitoring your brushing and giving real-time feedback. If you make too much of a scrubbing action, the app will display an alert advising you to reduce your movements, and the handle will buzz gently. Press too hard, and the handle will pause, then resume with lower intensity in reaction to your technique.
The Sonicare app monitors the brush's position in your mouth, helping ensure you clean every surface thoroughly, with on-screen graphics and timers to ensure you don't miss a spot. The app is less kid-friendly than the Oral-B equivalent and won't shower you with emojis and awards for a job well done, but it will give you personalized tips, track your brushing technique and allow you to monitor it over time.
It's a seriously stylish electric toothbrush, too, with a sleek, minimalist design and chic carry case to keep it charged on the go. It's also the quietest electric toothbrush we've tested to date, emitting only a subtle hum.
The only downside is that there are no controls for adjusting modes or choosing an intensity setting on the brush itself. Instead, all the customization is done through the mobile app. That's not an issue once you've set it to your exact preferences, though; provided you don't like to switch modes on the fly, it's a superb brush.
Read our full Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige review
The best electric toothbrush without an app
The Ordo Sonic+ works on the same principle as Philips Sonicare electric toothbrushes, sending rapid pulses of water between teeth to dislodge sticky plaque, but in our tests we found it delivered a more gentle clean – something helped further by its soft bristles, which help avoid damage to your gums.
This isn't a smart toothbrush – there's no Bluetooth connectivity or smartphone app – but it's very impressive for the price. Not only does it have a premium design that's just as smart as a top-end brush from the likes or Oral-B, but during our test we found it held its charge for weeks, cleaned thoroughly, and could be supplemented by great value subscription packs containing mouthwash concentrate, toothpaste, replacement heads, and dental floss.
These packs also include three packages of interdental brushes that, combined with the gentle brushing action and small head, make the Ordo Sonic+ a particularly good choice for anyone with braces. There's no need to worry about damaging wires or brackets.
Our only real complaint about the Ordo Sonic+ is that its charger has a USB connector, but no adapter for a standard shaver socket. There's no pressure sensor either, but aside from that, it's a superb option if you're looking for an entry-level electric toothbrush that doesn't skimp on features or performance.
Read our full Ordo Sonic+ review
The best mid-range electric toothbrush
If the Oral-B iO Series 9 is a little beyond your budget, this is an excellent alternative. The Oral-B iO Series 6 is essentially the same as the top-end brush but with a lower price tag, thanks to fewer fancy accessories.
The iO Series 6 has the same near-frictionless magnetic motor as the Series 9, resulting in a quiet and effective cleaning action. The toothbrush also has the same intelligent pressure sensor, plus an accelerometer to detect its position as you brush. Install the Oral-B app on your phone, and you can get real-time feedback as you make your way around your mouth.
The main difference between the two is the travel case. While the Series 9 has a luxurious case that'll keep your brush charged while you're on the road, the Series 6 has a much more basic plastic holder. The charger is also different; rather than a stylish magnetic puck, it's a standard charger that holds the brush in place using a prong that fits into a recess in the handle. We found it easy to use and very secure, even though the case and charger don't look as good as their premium sibling.
It's not quite as chic. However, if you want a brilliant toothbrush and aren't a frequent traveler, it's one of the best options around.
Read our full Oral-B iO Series 6 review
The best minimalist electric toothbrush
The Mode Electric Toothbrush is simple to use and easy to navigate. A wall-mounted charger with in-built sensor-based nightlight, only one mode and no companion app, it's a back-to-basics approach to smart toothbrushes that is intuitive rather than frustratingly simple.
It looks slick with its sleek, matte black design and performs well with great battery life, over 30 days, and deep-cleaning, powerful sonic vibrations. It's not going to be the best option for users with sensitive teeth, but for people who are bored of frills, don't want an app telling them how to brush, and just want to get on with it in the morning, the Mode is the perfect "basic" toothbrush.
It would be outclassed by the others with lots of different features, if it wasn't so damn good.
Read our full Mode Electric Toothbrush review
The best electric toothbrush for quiet brushing
The Oclean X Pro Elite is the quietest electric toothbrush we've tested. In fact, when you close your mouth, it's barely audible – but don't let that fool you. This is still a powerful sonic toothbrush that delivers thorough cleaning on par with much more expensive brushes.
It's well designed, too. A bright touchscreen display built into the brush handle allows you to choose from various modes and intensity settings, with a timer that counts down as you brush. It works surprisingly well with wet hands and is more intuitive than pushing a series of physical buttons.
The Oclean X Pro Elite might not come with a charging case (the simple carry case supplied with our review unit is sold separately), but at an extremely reasonable price of $99.99 / £75 / AU$141 for the handle and one head, it's hard to complain.
Unfortunately, the brush doesn't come with a charging cable or adapter for a regular shaver socket – only a USB connector – and the mobile app is excessively confusing. Whereas Philips and Oral-B have created apps that are as simple as possible, Oclean overwhelms the user with a barrage of options that should have been pared back.
The X Pro Elite is an excellent brush by itself (it really is astonishingly quiet). But, in our opinion, it's best when used without its 'smart' functionality.
Read our full Oclean X Pro Elite review
Electric toothbrush FAQs
How to choose the best electric toothbrush for you
When choosing an electric toothbrush, the most important factor to consider is its effectiveness at removing plaque. The difference is sometimes small, but the brush heads' design, the motor's power, and the type of movement (oscillating or sonic vibration) can all have an effect. The most powerful or fastest vibrating/oscillating brush isn't necessarily the best, though, particularly for people with sensitive gums. If that's you, for a brush with a 'gentle' mode, which will dial down the intensity.
It's also important to consider whether you want something that will help you improve your technique or you're confident that you're doing a thorough job. Most premium electric toothbrushes (such as the Oral-B iO Series 9 and Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige) include position sensors and Bluetooth units that detect which part of your mouth you're currently brushing and provide real-time feedback in a smartphone app. That could be extremely useful if you're concerned that you're missing spots (something that your dentist may have pointed out), but it adds to the cost.
Another factor is how frequently you travel. Most of the electric toothbrushes we've tested come with a travel case, but the higher-end brushes have cases with rechargeable batteries, so your brush doesn't run flat during long trips away. A typical electric toothbrush won't need charging more than once a week, so if you're rarely away from home longer than that, you could save money by skipping the fancy case.
Noise is another consideration that's easy to overlook and tends to correlate with price; a cheap electric toothbrush might be effective, but paying more will get you a higher-end motor that won't wake a sleeping partner in the morning.
Is a sonic or oscillating toothbrush better?
There are two different kinds of motion in most modern electric toothbrushes; sonic and oscillating.
Sonic toothbrushes are engineered to vibrate the brush filaments from side to side, and often resemble manual brushes with oval or diamond-shaped heads. These brushes are capable of vibrating up to ~40,000 per minute, depending on the model – meaning they move more rapidly than oscillating toothbrushes. Powerful vibrations force toothpaste and fluid between the teeth, granting a more comprehensive clean.
Oscillating toothbrushes feature rotating and pulsating round brush heads that can rotate up to ~8,000 times per minute, depending on the model. While they're slower in this department, oscillating toothbrushes benefit from the rotating head, which is fantastic for fighting plaque.
As of writing, no clinical evidence suggests either type of toothbrush is definitively better for your dental hygiene. Oscillating toothbrushes do tend to cost more than simple sonic brushes, but many tend to be packed with features.
How we test
We test each electric toothbrush by using it twice a day for two weeks, brushing for two minutes morning and night, then using a disclosing tablet at the end of weeks one and two. Disclosing tablets help to reveal how much plaque remains on our teeth after our final brushing session by coating your teeth with a harmless dye. If the toothbrush has a smartphone app, then we use that to guide our brushing.
We compare the results against a benchmark set by using a disclosing tablet after cleaning with a manual toothbrush for two weeks.
