The Swiss magazine K-Tipp put 12 of the best-selling electric toothbrushes to the test, analyzing the quality of the bristles under a microscope, testing the battery life and evaluating the impact resistance. And the results were a bit surprising: the most famous brands such as Oral-B and Philips do not dominate the ranking as one would expect. Indeed, some of their models end up at the bottom with insufficient or barely sufficient ratings.
Pay attention to the shape of the bristles
The test essentially shows us that not all electric toothbrushes are the same. The detail that really makes the difference? The shape of the bristles. According to a study by the Swiss Society of Dentistry, the bristles must have perfectly rounded ends to ensure effective cleaning without damaging the gums. If they are crushed, cut or blunt, they risk injuring the delicate tissues of the oral cavity.
It is impossible to evaluate this aspect with the naked eye. For this reason, the Ipi testing institute in Stuttgart examined each brush head under a microscope, magnifying the bristles 100 times to check their quality. On average, the toothbrushes tested had 92% well-rounded bristles, but not all reached this standard.
The best and worst electric toothbrushes
First place went to Oclean X Ultra S, a toothbrush that many Italians probably don’t know. It got top marks thanks to perfectly rounded bristles, an exceptional battery (58 brushings on a single charge) and excellent handling. The only flaw? Small scratches on the body after 20 drops from 80 cm. The price is around 80-100 euros.
Silver medal for Waterpik Sensonic Toothbrush STW-03, also “very good” according to tests. It passed the resistance test brilliantly without a scratch, but the battery life was lower: 27 brushings per charge. Also in this case the price is around 80 euros.
What about Oral-B and Philips? The two giants of the sector are present in the test with 5 models, with very contrasting results.
Oral-B takes home a “good” with the Pro Series 1, economical (around 35 euros) and reliable, with excellent quality bristles and a good autonomy of at least 20 brushings. The iO Series 6+ also gets a positive rating.
However, Pro Vitality fared poorly, in last position with an “insufficient” rating. The main reason is that the battery ran out after just 9 brushings, forcing continuous recharging. The manufacturer Procter & Gamble disputed the results, claiming that in its tests the battery life was actually double.
Philips didn’t fare much better. The Sonicare Diamond Clean 9000 comes in mid-table with a “good”, but only after a review of the test: it was initially rejected for poor quality bristles. Philips had reported that the heads tested were counterfeit, and a second test with original heads actually improved the result (89% of rounded bristles instead of the previous 74%).
The Sonicare 5300 model, however, finishes in tenth place with a barely sufficient rating, penalized precisely by the quality of the bristles of the standard “Optimal White” head.
This is the complete ranking:
Very good:
Good:
Sufficient:
Insufficient:
As this test reminds us, price and famous brand do not always guarantee quality. It is always worth informing yourself and choosing carefully.
