I would say they are about 10 percent larger than non-iO heads. What you get in the box with the standard iO3 (for illustration purposes) It’s not as quiet as many other brushes, but far less noisy than non-iO models This is common amongst electric toothbrushes, but it has not been designed to be easily repaired by yourself. Trying to replace parts like the battery will likely break the brush. This makes it more likely to be discarded rather than repaired if broken. This feature protects your gums by signalling you if you're brushing too hard. The 360° pressure sensor turns red and automatically slows brush speed.

There are cheaper alternatives from Oral-B and other lesser known brands but these come with compromises. Oral-B has published impressive clinical results and the iO Series. It has not yet been tested and approved by any UK organisation, such as the Oral Health Foundation, but has been awarded the American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance, confirming it meets the claims made by the manufacturer. The round head is small enough to get into tight gaps, but bigger than non-iO heads

Great cleaning, useful features and superb battery life – this is the best affordable electric toothbrush

The brush isn’t slippy in hand by any means. It feels solid and generally secure. But, some might not be quite so enamoured with the more minimal look. There are no gloss plastics here. Instead, there is a matt finish to the plastic body that somehow feels quite grippy to the touch despite the reduced number of textured surfaces and gripping points compared to models like the Vitality Pro. Like many brushes today, I anticipate that in 5 or more years, this could still easily be your daily toothbrush, there isn’t a need for regular replacement. It is relatively easy to spot out of the corner of the eye or in the mirror if you brush in front of one. You don’t get any vibration or alert through the handle like you do with the Sonicare 3100 Series. Oral-B's round head surrounds each tooth for cleaner teeth and healthier gums, removing up to 100% more plaque vs. a manual toothbrush

Typically, my recommended model, the Pro 3 3500 is the same price if not cheaper than the Pro 3 3000. It will stand upright on a countertop and strategically placed raised dots on the rear of the handle prevent the brush from rolling along a flat countertop.Included in the box is a single brush head. Oral-B’s oscillating-rotating brush heads are smaller than the sonic ones from the likes of Sonicare and can feel quite aggressive in comparison. They do make it easy to reach the tightest of spaces, though. We don’t have an extensive list of must-have features, but there are a few that our in-house dentists feel are really worthwhile: a 2 minute timer, a pacer and a pressure sensor. These are included in all but the cheapest of brushes these days. The 2 minute timer and pacer help you clean your teeth evenly If you are sensitive and don’t like such a powerful clean, the softer Sensi UltraThin brush head and the lower powered cleaning mode can be beneficial. If the iO3 is potentially your first electric toothbrush you will notice the deeper and more effective clean it offers compared to a manual toothbrush. Do learn about the correct technique though, as it is different from a manual brush. It’s not as harsh on the teeth and gums as other Oral-B models Whilst power is far from the most important factor in achieving good cleaning results, I am often asked how many oscillations and pulsations models offer.

If you have a perfectly functional toothbrush already. It’s not enough of a difference to justify the switch alone. The pressure sensor implementation in the iO Series handle is one of the best enhancements to electric toothbrushes I have experienced in recent times. weeks is the claimed usable life of the Lithium-Ion battery sealed inside the brush handle, based on 2 cleans per day each 2 minutes in length. I achieved 19-20 days and have noticed much more consistent battery performance than the iO Series brushes.If you know you have a habit of brushing with too much force, the Pro 3 will help you rectify this.

Oral-B toothbrushes are designed with dentists and are the number one toothbrush brand most used by dentists worldwide. Unlike the Smart 5 5000 and older models from Oral-B, the Pro 3 doesn’t have any large rubber panels on the handle to aid with grip. There’s a small section around the power button, but the result is a much cleaner look to the handle. Each function button has a slightly concave shape and a different material finish to the rest of the handle, thus it’s obvious to the fingertip where it is positioned To be frank, there’s little difference in the clean from some of Oral-B’s more expensive models – once you move up the price range, you’re mainly paying for the extra features that help you get the best clean that you can. The worst thing you can say about this brush is that it’s noisy, and even then only the Whitening mode is unusually so. Without moving up to the iO range and its more advanced motor system, you’re not going to get much better.The iO heads are still fairly small and round, but they are marginally taller, which might, for a small minority, pose a bit of an issue reaching some spaces in the mouth.