It is important to be flossing (cleaning between the teeth). We generally recommend flossing before brushing, but ultimately flossing at any time is better than not at all. All modes are designed to be used for 2 minutes. The only exception is tongue clean which is set for 30 seconds.

You now need an iO-specific head, of which there are 4 styles, when using the iO9. 4 different styles of brush heads are available and fit to the iO Series brush handles. I can’t categorically say what’s causing such variance. My suspicion is the colour displays. I will often see it activated as a result of vibration or movement nearby, thus drawing power from the battery. The iO7, 8 and 9 come with a premium magnetic charging stand Oral-B has kept the toothbrush's cost down by providing a very basic plastic carry case for the iO Series 6 (Image credit: Future) The iO 7 comes with 5 available brushing modes. As we have said before, we aren’t a big fan of modes. We have found that the daily clean mode is pretty much all you need. If this brush causes some discomfort, we can see some value in having a sensitive mode, but remember that using this mode will also reduce the cleaning power.After having tested other Oral-B brushes, we were excited to see how different the iO would be. Oral-B claims that this has a revolutionary motor with micro vibrations. The Series 5 comes with a refill holder that holds and protects 2 brush heads. The iO6 does not come with this. Using the iO7 is a slightly more enjoyable experience as the motor produces a less mechanical and intense sound. I’ve yet to find anyone who uses them all or any real justification for having so many. The reality is the cleaning results between each are very similar.

A second, lesser powered mode such as sensitive is a welcome addition for new electric toothbrush users, or those with gum disease or sensitivity. The Series 9 comes with a power2go charging case that allows the iO to be charged inside whereas the Series 7 comes with a standard travel case. The Series 8 has 6 cleaning modes (daily clean, sensitive, super sensitive, intense, whitening & gum care) compared to the 5 of the Series 7 (daily clean, sensitive, intense, whitening & gum care). The extra mode the iO8 has is super sensitive. iO Series smart pressure sensor – different LED colors and their meaning They all clean as well as each otherFrustratingly, the alerts are visual only. Blind or partially sighted users will struggle. It would be even better if the handle used a vibration alert, particularly when too much pressure is being applied. Brush your teeth evenly and for longer The iO gave us a bit of confusion in our battery test. We ran a lab test to see how many times we could get through the 2-minute Daily Clean cycle on one charge. It surprised us by giving us 124 sessions on a single charge. This is about 60 days of brushing, which is way higher than the advertised 2-week run time. Battery life testing results after three months of use Colour or not, they operate in the same way and provide extra functionality. For example, you can change the handle language, change the colour of the smart ring or even reset the brush. She’ll be gifting me the 7 from my Christmas wish list. In a surprise plot twist, I’ll be handing her the 9 at the same time.

Those models with a display will show a notification on the screen. If connected to the Oral-B app, a notification will be displayed here too for compatible models.There is a noticeable difference with the iO Series. It is much softer and ultimately makes for a more enjoyable time using the brush. Importantly it still cleans the teeth just as well. Quieter, but still quite loud