To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories.To revisit this article, select My Account, then View saved storiesMedea GiordanoIf you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIREDI hate brushing my teeth. I do it, yeah, because I have to, but it’s a time-consuming, uncomfortable process—two minutes standing in front of the mirror can feel like an eternity. My dentist says I Brush too harshly as well. And don't even get me started on flossing.Electric toothbrushes make the whole experience easier. Their vibrations and oscillations can more effectively get rid of plaque on your teeth and gums, and most brushes have a timer that encourages you to brush for the full two minutes. We've tested several types, from basic models to fancy ones with oscillating brushes and everything in between. A good brush doesn't need to cost you more than a few Hamiltons. Listed below are the best electric toothbrushes you can buy. We also have eco-friendly nonelectric options if you don't want to own yet another device that needs charging.Updated September 2023: We have new picks from Sonicare, Bitvae, and Moon. We've also updated our honorable mentions.Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.Christopher Null's reporting contributed to this guide.There is a seemingly endless array of electric toothbrushes to pick from, but they generally fall into two categories: sonic and oscillating—for U-shaped brushes, see below. The best toothbrush is the one you'll use twice a day for two minutes. You can buy the most highly rated toothbrush around, but if it feels weird in your mouth or hurts your gums, you might not want to reach for it.Ada S. Cooper, a dentist and consumer adviser spokesperson for the American Dental Association, told me that both styles are effective in reducing plaque, according to recent studies. She notes that you should talk to a dentist about which one will work best for you, and she says to look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance—most, but not all, of our picks have it. (If they don't, that doesn't necessarily mean they're bad.)The Colgate Hum (9/10, WIRED Recommends) sonic brush is our favorite smart toothbrush. It's slim and light, with a small brush head that can reach the back of your mouth without causing discomfort. It connects to a companion mobile app that offers insight into your habits too. The Hum costs significantly less than most app-connected brushes, and the mobile app's features are superior to its competitors.The system accurately tracks your brushing and shows you spots you've missed. You don't have to open the app every time you brush your teeth as your brushing sessions are stored on the brush for 10 days (they get uploaded to your phone when you open the app). You can collect "smile points" every time you brush, which translates to a few dollars off things like replacement brush heads. The biggest downside is the Hum only has one type of brush head, so you can't swap out different heads made for sensitive teeth or more powerful cleaning. It comes with a travel case and a charging base, or you can get the battery-powered version.★ A cheaper alternative: The Hum Smart Rhythm for $25 is a battery-powered brush with two cleaning modes. (The regular Hum has three.) It has less cleaning power overall, but it makes for a great first electric brush for a kid.You don't need a smart brush. You can spend a little bit less and get a more powerful cleaner with Oral-B's Pro 1000. Oral-B's electric toothbrushes all have oscillating brush heads, which are those circular bristles that get right in between all your teeth. The Pro 1000 has been around for a while and continues to outshine more expensive models with fancier features. Though we haven't tried all of them, most of the Pro models are probably a good bet if the price is right for you.It's rechargeable, but the whole thing is chunky and can easily get grimy from toothpaste. You need to rinse it thoroughly after every brush. It's so powerful that my first few brushes left me feeling dizzy, but it has a wide array of compatible brush heads. You can subscribe to get them mailed to you automatically every few months.★ What about the Smart Oral-B iO?: I tried the iO Series 8 in 2020 and wasn't a fan of the app or the price. In 2021, Oral-B released the slightly less expensive Series 6 ($150), which is the fourth of the iO lineup, with five cleaning modes. It's a fantastic brush in terms of cleaning, but other brushes have better apps. I found the tracking to be much better while I brushed, but I would occasionally see my post-brushing coverage stat as 0 percent. It's just clunky.If you find oscillating brushes to be too intense, you may prefer a sonic brush. You'll probably like any of Sonicare's brushes, but it comes down to features and price. At $50, the 4100 is a good mid-range brush with two intensity levels, a pressure sensor, and a two-minute timer. It does what it needs to do without a bunch of unnecessary bells and whistles.I've also tried the very expensive Sonicare brushes that we mention in the honorable mentions below. They're also great cleaners, but you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars when good brushes are this price.Simon HillAdrienne SoJulian ChokkattuSimon HillI wasn't sure what to expect from this brand I'd never heard of, but Bitvae's sonic toothbrush was powerful and cleaned my teeth effectively. It also comes with eight (!!) replacement heads and typically costs just $16 to $18—if you're seeing it for more, consider waiting for the price to drop. There are a bunch of cute colors to choose from, too.The worst thing about it is its charger. Most electric toothbrushes sit on a charging base, but this one has to be plugged in directly from the bottom of the handle. So you either have to lay your brush down sideways on the sink while it charges or stick the included holder to the wall. I don't particularly like having to do that.★ Alternative: The battery-powered Philips One by Sonicare toothbrush for $25 was our affordable pick, but Bitvae's is more powerful, rechargeable, and cheaper. But this one is cute, thin, and offers gentle vibrations for a step above a manual brush. It also comes with a carrying case. If you're willing to go up to $40 for the rechargeable version, consider a more powerful brush like the Sonicare or Oral-B above.Goby and Oral-B's brushes are quite similar in design and function, with chunky bodies and round brush heads. Goby feels a bit more modern, especially with its options (sadly pink is no longer available), and I enjoyed brushing with it. It's lightweight, relatively affordable, and has a nice stand with a charger that clips onto it when it needs some juice—you won't have to do that often, because the battery lasts a while. It was one of the first to offer subscriptions for brush-head replacements, but nearly every brush on this list offers that now. You can get a new one for $6 every one, two, or three months.You don't necessarily need a kid-specific toothbrush, but this is a well-priced rechargeable option. The companion app is filled with cartoon lessons and rewards, and your kids can monitor progress even when they aren't viewing the app in real time (so you don't have to be in the bathroom with them).WIRED senior writer and reviewer Scott Gilbertson had his 8-year-old give it a try, and the two-minute timer kept her brushing until it was done—no shortcuts. She eventually lost interest in the app, but younger kids may stick with it longer. Even without the app keeping his kid's attention, he said he would still purchase this brush. Plus, the battery lasted through nearly three months of daily use. It comes with stickers to customize the handle, though in Gilbertson's experience, they didn't stick for long.Simon HillAdrienne SoJulian ChokkattuSimon HillThe Suri toothbrush's soft bristles and gentle vibrations clean well, and even the most sensitive gums won't suffer in the process. I also appreciate the slim, lightweight handle. Beyond clean teeth, the company offers a more sustainable approach to electric brushes.Electric toothbrushes are less wasteful than nonelectric models in the short term since you don't have to throw away the entire thing every time you're done with it. But electric toothbrushes have an expiration date too, as their batteries and motors will eventually give out. Suri wants to offer a more sustainable approach. It takes back and recycles used brush heads (made from cornstarch with castor oil bristles that should break down without leaving microplastics behind). The body of the brush isn't sealed, meaning the company can repair the battery or motor should the need arise. If you decide you don't want it repaired and simply want to get rid of it, you can send it back to be recycled.Snow started out with a handful of whitening products, and has rounded out its lineup with a toothbrush that has LED lights right in the brush head. They typically work in conjunction with a gel. When I spoke to Bill Busch, a dentist at North Kansas City Dental, he explained that LED lights work by warming the toothpaste gel, which makes it more efficient. To get the full effect, you'll want to use a whitening toothpaste too. Snow sells one, but any should be fine.My teeth aren't shining bright after a month of use, but they are clean. I'll keep monitoring the color, but I like that it lights up my mouth as I brush. The battery lasts a while, so you won't be caught with a dead battery in the morning. It's just really pricey.We tried Moon's toothbrush for our roundup of the best Barbie collabs. Whether you want this pink version or one of the other colors—it comes in all your classics like black, silver, and gold—it's a solid brush that cleans well and is moderately priced. There are five cleaning modes. It's nice to have options, but I tend to think anything over two or three is overkill, and you won't notice much of a difference between them. Moon's brush comes with two brush heads plus a travel case.Simon HillAdrienne SoJulian ChokkattuSimon HillIf you go to the dentist regularly, you have probably fibbed once—or 100—times: Yes, doctor, I have been flossing regularly. For something that is so simple, it's also annoying and sometimes makes your mouth bleed, and you have to squeeze your hands all the way to the back of your mouth. Water flossing is a good alternative. Though it's not a substitute for regular string floss, it's better than nothing or for use in between.There are a lot of water flossers available, but most that I've seen are big, requiring a chunk of your sink space. This one from SmileDirectClub is small because its tank is right on its body. (The company has an even smaller pop-up version we didn't try.) It really did get the gunk out of my teeth that my toothbrush couldn't. Water flossing does hurt at first, unfortunately, so start with the soft-pressure setting.There are far more electric toothbrushes than we can recommend in a single guide. If none of the above options appeal to you, one of these might do the trick.Brushes Under $100Brushes over $100Electric toothbrushes have their perks: They can help you get a deeper clean, they (usually) come equipped with a two-minute timer to ensure you're brushing long enough, and they create less waste since you're only throwing away a brush head. Disposable plastic lingers in a landfill forever. However, we've found a few planet-friendly alternatives for more traditional toothbrushing.Simon HillAdrienne SoJulian ChokkattuSimon HillThere are many U-shaped toothbrushes available now that use a mouthpiece full of bristles to brush one section of teeth—or sometimes the entire mouth—all at once in around 30 seconds. We've tried three and think they're fine to use in addition to regular brushing, like for those nights when you just want to hit the sheets or your kids are being difficult. None of them left us feeling perfectly minty fresh and none can clean your tongue.The dentists I spoke to, Bill Busch of North Kansas City Dental and Joseph Salim, owner of Sutton Place Dental Associates, agreed that these aren't replacements. At the time we spoke, they and their patients had used the older, now unavailable silicone version of the AutoBrush. The current iteration uses nylon bristles. “I find the best use for it is for children and in nursing home environments, where to get quick and easy compliance to brush is critical," Busch says.In addition to a good toothbrush, you'll need a few other things to keep your mouth clean.Boone AshworthRyan WaniataScott GilbertsonRyan WaniataMichael CaloreMichael CaloreSimon HillSimon HillTurboTax coupon: Up to an extra $15 off all tax servicesExtra 20% off sitewide - Dyson promo codeGoPro Promo Code: 10% Off all sitewide purchases + Free shipping+30% Off with this Samsung promo codeDell Promo Code 10% offDeal of the Day Best Buy coupon: Enjoy up to 50% offMore From WIREDContact© 2023 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. WIRED may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. 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