I was very surprised to find that this brush is still available. This brush is interesting because rather than just having a replaceable brush head, the entire brushing mechanism is replaced each time you put on a new brush head. This was the first kind of sonicare toothbrush I owned circa 2012. Oral-B’s longest lasting toothbrush brush lasts about 16 days. This is quite disappointing in comparison.

Sonicare vs Oral-B: 2023 head-to-head (UK) - Electric Teeth Sonicare vs Oral-B: 2023 head-to-head (UK) - Electric Teeth

The 5100 and 6100 also include the BrushSync feature which uses the chip detection to not only tell how long you have been using the brush head, but also automatically matches whichever brush head you use to the right mode. So if you switch from the Gum Care brush head to the Whitening brush head, the mode on the brush will automatically detect this and change. You can override the automatic syncing if you want to. This is a cool feature, but again, we aren’t sure if any of these modes are better than the daily clean mode. My recommendation for the vast majority of people is to choose between the Oral-B Pro 3 3500 and the Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4300. One downside of this series is that these have the old NiCad batteries which do not last as long as the newer Lithium Ion batteries, so we would recommend stepping up to the next run on the Sonicare ladder. ProtectiveClean The brush head on a sonic brush is a lot like a manual toothbrush in its size and shape. It covers several teeth at the same time, and is oval shaped. You also have a wide range of options. From the Plaque Defence brush (C2 or C3) to a Gum Care (G2 or G3) brush which is the sensitive model, and a whitening brush head series (W2 or W3) as well. We had good results with all the brush heads we tested, and we found the sensitive brush Philips offers is one of the best! Battery lifeEvidence shows Oral-B to remove more plaque. Although in reality this may not be as important as it seems. The in-built pressure sensor alerts you when you are brushing too hard to ensure that you do not damage your teeth and gums. Dental Professionals recommend to replace your brush head every 3 months, however we understand it can be hard to remember when you switch brush heads and is your current brush head still okay to use? Our NEW brush head replacement reminder technology measures your usage and brushing pressure and alerts you to replace your brush head when it’s no longer performing optimally to ensure you are consistently getting the best cleaning results. Once you know what to look for, the system is pretty easy to understand. In general, there are 3 series of modern Sonicare brush heads. The first series which are called ProResults have no numbers, and the brush heads do not come with chips, so you will not get the benefit of brush syncing, but you may save some money as they are less expensive. There is rarely an exact like for like, there are always differences between the ‘equivalent’ models.

ProtectiveClean | Philips Sonicare Compare our ProtectiveClean | Philips Sonicare

To access all tests and scores of brushes we tested, read our full best electric toothbrush article. Battery life for the DiamondClean was better than expected giving us 37 days of battery life which is well-above the advertised 2 weeks. The glass cup which doubles as an induction charger will take almost 18 hours to completely recharge the battery.Having used many different models and different cleaning modes from both brands, Oral-B’s clean can feel more abrasive/aggressive. You are left with a ‘clean’ feeling, this can be at the expense of a slightly more uncomfortable clean for some people. Sonicare models feel softer and more delicate whilst still leaing your mouth feeling clean and fresh. The main feature this brush offers, which is why it is so much more expensive than any of the others, is the “smart” coaching feature with the app.

PHILIPS Electric toothbrushes - Cheap PHILIPS Electric

The first rule of Sonicare is that all of their products begin with an HX followed by a stream of incomprehensible numbers, a slash and another set of numbers. This is the only way you know exactly which product you have. Whilst all these features are great, there is one thing that many of us, myself included forget or overlook and that is how we use them. It is all very well having 6 cleaning modes, but what is the point if we only use them once or twice. Most of us fall into the trap of just using the standard ‘Clean’ mode most of the time. We either forget about the others or simply don’t bother. We also have separate buying guides on Oral-B brush heads and Sonicare brush heads that explain the difference between the brushes. For our in-house plaque test, the 4300 not only outperformed all the other brushes, but it also made the next brushes that we tested look better because our teeth were already so clean! The powerful cleaning action of up to 62,000 vibrations per minute combined with the C2 (Optimal Plaque Control) brush head made our mouths feel fresh and clean. It offers a feature that no other Sonicare brush has: A brush head base that includes a UV sanitizer. We had explored a few of these types of brushes in our initial research, but found that most reputable studies show no significant benefits from having a UV sanitizer for brush heads. But it seems like a cool idea.

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In addition, you get a bluetooth connection so that you can record and monitor your brushing sessions using the Sonicare app. So this is the first brush in the Sonicare line up that will give you some smart features. The Platinum is basically a precursor to the DiamondClean Smart series with 3 modes and 3 intensities and a pressure sensor. It also claims to connect to the app and have real-time brush coaching. We have not tested it, but it seems like a very advanced brush! CleanCare+

Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4300 Electric Toothbrush Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4300 Electric Toothbrush

In recent years, Oral-B was the winner here, but since Sonicare have introduced BrushSync, I feel they now have more features available on some of their brush handles. What you might class as a feature may differ, to me. In the following sections I look more closely at the headline answers I’ve given above. For some of the categories it is not quite as simple as selecting just one brand that is better, so I explain the nuances in more detail below. Which has the best brushing technology? For example, you also have to consider your technique – how you brush with an electric toothbrush. Both types of toothbrush need a different technique to manual toothbrushes.Naturally, as you move up the pricing range the number of brush features increases, but for us the 4300 more than covers the basics. Sonicare Comparison Chart The 2 minute timer on Oral-B is a longer/different pause pattern whereas with Sonicare the brush usually automatically turns off. Nether are essential, but both go a long way in making sure you clean your teeth for the right amount of time. Trial Period