Best sonic toothbrush 2024: Eight brilliant brushes we’ve tested
The best sonic toothbrushes offer powerful cleaning and fantastic battery life. We’ve tested and selected the top options for every budget
Sonic toothbrushes clean the teeth and gumline using superfast sonic vibrations. These buff the tooth’s surface and remove plaque and debris between the teeth and gumline. Ultrasonic toothbrushes use higher-frequency vibrations to push toothpaste even deeper into any microscopic pockets in the teeth to provide a deeper clean.
Over our years of testing electric toothbrushes, we’ve learned that the best sonic toothbrushes offer excellent battery life, and powerful, versatile cleaning options.
Big companies such as Philips and Colgate have been offering sonic toothbrush technology for a long time, and many smaller manufacturers have now also joined the trend. We’ve tested various options to bring you this list of our favourite sonic toothbrushes. If you need more information and advice on choosing the best sonic toothbrush for you, click the link below to read our detailed buying guide.
Best sonic toothbrush: At a glance
| Best budget sonic toothbrush | Bitvae D2 Ultrasonic (~£25) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best sonic toothbrush under £50 | Ordo Sonic+ (~£40) | Check price at Argos |
| Best sonic toothbrush for most people | Philips Sonicare ExpertClean 7300 (~£180) | Check price at John Lewis |
How we test sonic toothbrushes
The testing methodology we use for sonic toothbrushes is the same as the one we use with every electric toothbrush. We put sonic toothbrushes through their paces by using them twice a day for at least two weeks to make sure we get a decent feel for how they handle and perform when cleaning.
During the test period, we will try all specific brush modes and attachments and install any apps that are required to get the most out of built-in smart features.
For at least one brushing session, we will use plaque-disclosing tablets to check that all areas of the teeth are getting a proper clean, with some allowances for a little user error.
We also check battery life by leaving the toothbrush running while standing up, and time how long it takes for the battery to run down. We then divide this figure by the four-minute daily brushing time recommended by dentists, to get an accurate idea of how many weeks and days a single charge will last.
READ NEXT: Best Oral-B electric toothbrush
The best sonic toothbrushes you can buy in 2024
1. Colgate ProClinical 150: Best cheap battery-powered sonic toothbrush
Price when reviewed: £18 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… first-time electric toothbrush users, battery life
- Not so great for… a powerful clean
The light, slim, battery-powered design of the ProClinical 150 makes it a sensible option for first-time electric toothbrush users and those who travel often. Its small size and compact head make it an easy brush to work with, especially for younger brushers – it will easily squeeze into every nook and cranny of the mouth. The quiet motor offers 20,000 motions per minute, which is easy to deal with if you find more powerful brushes disconcerting.
We think the ProClinical 150 would be an even better travel brush if Colgate bundled a case or a plastic cap to go over the brush head, but sadly that is not the case. If you want those features and a more powerful clean, consider the Philips One listed below. Thankfully though, the batteries lasted for weeks on end in our tests, and you can replace the heads with Colgate’s Deep Clean refills every three months.
If you’re looking for a toothbrush for everyday use, then you might want to up your budget. The ProClinical 150 gives you a better clean than a manual toothbrush, but not the kind of in-depth clean you’ll get from rechargeable sonic brushes, nor the same smooth, polished feel on the surface of your teeth. What’s more, while you get a two-minute timer, there’s no battery indicator or even any extra cleaning modes. However, we love the simplicity of this brush, and those with more sensitive teeth or gums may prefer its easy-going manner.
Key specs – Cleaning modes: 1; Battery type: 2 x AAA; Accessories included: Brush head; Battery life: Approx 2-3 months; Warranty: Not stated
2. Philips One Electric Toothbrush: Best sonic toothbrush for battery life
Price when reviewed: £30 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… travel, battery life
- Not so great for… a really powerful clean
We think the Philips One is a great entry-level toothbrush that doubles as a brilliant travel brush. Philips has effectively built its Sonicare tech into a brush that’s just 20cm long and weighs only 34g, with a grippy, moulded handle that packs neatly into a minimalist travel case.
While the One doesn’t have the brushing power of the larger Sonicare brushes, it’s way ahead of other battery-powered brushes, and we thought it did a great job of leaving our teeth feeling clean and shiny. The relatively gentle movement is also brilliant for massaging along the gumline. With just one setting, it’s pretty basic but you still get a timer – the brush pulses every 30 seconds and switches itself off after two minutes. We also like the unusual pink, blue and yellow colour options available.
The single AAA battery keeps the toothbrush going for up to 90 days, although Philips also sells a more expensive rechargeable version that boosts cleaning power and offers a 30-day battery life. We’d opt for the latter if the One will be your one and only toothbrush, but the battery-powered model is perfect for packing in your suitcase or weekend bag.
Read our full Philips One Electric Toothbrush review
Key specs – Cleaning modes: 1; Battery type: 1 x AAA NiMH; Accessories included: Travel case; Battery life: 6hrs; Warranty: 1yr
3. Bitvae D2 Ultrasonic: Best budget sonic toothbrush
Price when reviewed: £25 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… avoiding added costs
- Not so great for… a powerful clean
It’s not hard to find a Philips Sonicare clone for around £25 on Amazon, but the Bitvae D2 is our favourite. Bitvae’s budget brush uses a different mechanism, with a chunky plastic shaft to transfer the vibrations between the handle and the brush head. While the head pulsates at a speed of 40,000 strokes per minute, the handle doesn’t transmit as much buzz as similar brushes.
Bitvae also throws in eight heads, which should keep you covered for up to two years of brushing, and the battery is charged by a USB cable, with a barrel-type plug that slots into a socket on the bottom. Its 93-minute battery life is also solid for a budget brush, and it only took four hours to recharge in our tests.
Does it deliver a clean as good as the more expensive Sonicare models? Not exactly – even when you use the strongest White and Polish options, you don’t quite get the power of a mid-range Philips brush. However, your teeth still feel clean after brushing and the Gum Care and Soft modes are ideal for first-time electric toothbrush users or those with sensitive gums.
Most importantly, though, this is a big step up in cleaning from manual brushes or the cheaper battery models, and you can kit out the whole family without breaking the bank.
Key specs – Cleaning modes: 5; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: 8 x brush heads, USB charging cable, holder; Battery life (tested): 93mins; Warranty: 1yr
4. Ordo Sonic+: Best sonic toothbrush under £50
Price when reviewed: £40 | Check price at Argos
- Great for… mastering the basics
- Not so great for… those who want a pressure sensor
Not all budget-friendly sonic toothbrushes have the elegant design and rock-solid build quality to rival Oral-B or Philips. The Ordo Sonic+ is an exception, thanks to a mix of great design and technology.
The brush itself feels and works much like a mid-range Sonicare toothbrush, with four brushing modes designed for cleaning, whiting, sensitive teeth and a gum massage, and a nice, slim handle with a grippy, rubber feel. It switches itself off when the usual two-minute brush is done, and pulses every 30 seconds during use to remind you to brush another quadrant.
Battery life is brilliant, with enough charge to get you through a good month of brushing before recharging via the USB cradle. Sadly, like most wallet-friendly brushes, it doesn’t come with a pressure sensor, but this is a great sonic toothbrush at a very competitive price.
Read our full Ordo Sonic+ review
Key specs – Cleaning modes: 4; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: Brush head, charging cradle, travel cap; Battery life (tested): 2hrs 27mins; Warranty: 1yr
5. Oclean X Pro Elite: Best mid-range sonic smart brush
Price when reviewed: £75 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… high-quality design at a reasonable price
- Not so great for… flawless smart features
Can’t stretch to one of Oral-B’s iO Series brushes? Don’t panic. It’s not the only brand with an OLED display and a quiet, magnetic motor. It has a colour OLED touchscreen, Bluetooth app connectivity and a quiet brushless magnetic motor that keeps the brush head vibrating 42,000 times per minute.
As well as four modes (standard, delicate, whitening and gum massage), you can also set the duration and the intensity of your brush, giving you plenty of ways to customise your routine. While you brush, the screen gives you feedback on where you’re brushing and how long you’ve been brushing for. Disappointingly, the app simply tracks the frequency and efficiency of your brushing, and sometimes struggles to make a stable connection to the brush.
As a toothbrush, though, the Oclean proved to be a fantastic option in our tests. It’s quiet but surprisingly powerful, working effectively along the gumline and doing a fine job of keeping the teeth feeling fresh and clean. As a bonus, you can charge it using nearly any wireless charger – not just the USB pad provided. In our tests, the battery lasted for over 160 minutes. That’s enough to maintain your routine for a solid 40 days or more.
Read our full Oclean X Pro Elite review
Key specs – Cleaning modes: 4; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: One brush head, charger, magnetic wall mount; Battery life (tested): 167mins; Warranty: 2yrs
6. Philips Sonicare ExpertClean 7300: Best sonic toothbrush for most people
Price when reviewed: £180 | Check price at John Lewis
- Great for… battery life, useful smart features, powerful cleaning
- Not so great for… people on a budget
Philips’ ExpertClean 7300 is arguably the best sonic toothbrush you can buy without paying over £200. Like the top-of-the-range DiamondClean models, it works with the Sonicare app to track your brushing and dish out reminders, guidance and tips. It can tell you if you’re not brushing for long enough or if you’re applying too much pressure, and with three different cleaning modes – Clean, Gum Health and Deep Clean+ – it’s easy to vary them or find the ideal mode for you.
It’s a very comfortable and well-designed brush, with pulse alerts to help you keep track of your brushing if you’re not using the app, and a clear battery indicator to let you know when it’s running down. Not that this is too much of an issue: Philips states that the battery should last you three weeks of brushing, and our tests put that on the conservative side.
While you don’t get all the extra brushes or charging glass of the flagship model, it does come with a handy USB charging case, making this a fantastic toothbrush for home and travel. It’s still not what you might call cheap, but it’s a premium brush at a price you might find easier to swallow
Read our full Philips Sonicare 7300 review
Key specs – Cleaning modes: 3; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: 2 brush heads, charging travel case, charger; Battery life (tested): 1hr 33mins; Warranty: 2yrs
7. Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 Special Edition: Best high-end sonic toothbrush
Price when reviewed: £320 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… the most powerful Sonicare brush we’ve tested
- Not so great for… cheap replacement heads
The DiamondClean 9000 is a step up from the ExpertClean 7300, adding important features from Philips’ flagship Prestige series, but without all the gimmicky extras that really add to the cost. The slim handle, clear indicators and easy-to-find tactile buttons make it a very easy brush to use and, while you don’t get the position-sensing features of the Prestige brushes, you can still track your brushing habits through a companion smartphone app, receiving tips on how to improve them.
However, the top reason to get the DiamondClean 9000 is that you’ll get the best clean available in the Sonicare range and one of the best from any electric toothbrush. The Deep Clean+ mode might be too much for some people, but with three intensity settings, you can adjust the brush to suit your teeth or simply switch to the regular Clean mode or the White+ mode that will leave your teeth feeling polished. Meanwhile, the Gum Health mode is brilliant for treating soft, sensitive gums.
Throw in the epic battery life and a neat charging cradle, and this is a fantastic package. If you’re looking for a quiet, comfortable and powerful toothbrush, this is the high-end model to buy
Read our full Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 review
Key specs – Cleaning modes: 4; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: 4 x brush heads, travel case, charger; Battery life (tested): 1hr 52mins; Warranty: 2yrs
8. Oclean X Ultra S: Best smart toothbrush for instant feedback
Price when reviewed: £200 | Check price at Oclean
- Great for… instant audible feedback, high-quality design
- Not so great for… affordable replacement heads
One of our biggest gripes with smart electric toothbrushes is that they don’t provide instant feedback. That is, without needing to connect your phone and use an app while brushing or contort the brush to look at an inbuilt screen. Thankfully, the Oclean X Ultra S has been designed to provide the most convenient, seamless smart brushing experience.
While the brush has five cleaning modes and all the same customisation features as the more affordable Oclean X Pro Elite model, it also includes an “AI” voice assistant. This voice gives you audible prompts, such as “too much pressure”, “moving too fast” and “switch area” to guide you as you brush and improve your technique over time. Don’t worry about this waking the whole house – the sound travels through bone conduction, making the instructions clearly audible to the person using the brush, while others can only hear a muffled sound.
You can also use the app to track your brushing progress over time. This includes zoned brush tracking, a record of your brushing time and a brushing score – while our reviewer found other apps to be disappointing, they described the app as a “data lover’s dream”.
The brush performance is fantastic, too. It operates at 84,000 oscillations per minute, giving the teeth a great polish and even helping to reduce tooth staining over time. If you can afford it and don’t want the hassle of using an app every time you brush, the Oclean X Ultra S is an easy recommendation.
Read our full Oclean X Ultra S review
Key specs – Cleaning modes: 5; Battery type: Li-ion; Accessories included: Three brush heads, charger, magnetic wall mount, travel case; Battery life (tested): 1hr 12mins; Warranty: 2yrs
How to choose the best sonic toothbrush for you
All sonic toothbrushes follow the same basic design. In the body there’s a metal rod driven by a high-speed vibrating motor, and when this clicks into place inside the brush head, the brush head vibrates at speeds of up to 62,000 movements per minute, depending on the brush.
The vibrating head and bristles don’t just clean the surface of your teeth, but also propel microbubbles of fluid across the gumline and in between your teeth, shifting any food debris and helping break down any plaque. This keeps your teeth squeaky-clean and your gums nice and healthy, although some floss and mouthwash will still help you maintain an effective dental regime.
Philips is widely seen as the technology leader with its Sonicare line of brushes, but we’ve also found several smaller brands that make excellent alternatives. As you move through the price range, you’ll generally find that you get higher speeds, quieter and more efficient motors, slimmer handles and a longer battery life. Keep going upwards and you’ll also find additional features including Bluetooth connectivity, built-in sensors and smart app support or a built-in screen. You don’t necessarily need these features to give your teeth a good, consistent brush, but they can help.
Is there anything else worth looking out for?
With any electric toothbrush, heads are a big deal. Philips manufacturers a range of different heads aimed at specific dental needs, ranging from the basic Plaque Defence and ProResults head to the Whitening heads, Optimal Gum Care heads, Intercare and A3 Premium All-in-One heads. Some other brushes may be compatible with Philips heads, but on others you’ll get a basic head with high-quality DuPont bristles, but nothing special. On the plus side, they’ll often throw in a replacement head or two, and you may find the heads cheaper to replace in future.
Also, keep an eye on the accessories. You’ll usually get a charger, but premium models will also throw in a travel case, a more sophisticated charging stand and other bonus items. We’re also seeing a growing number of toothbrushes where the charger – or the toothbrush itself – takes power from a standard USB socket, which can save you packing a separate charger or power supply when you’re away from home.
