29 Aug
Blog

Oral-B iO Series 9 Smart Toothbrush Review: Pearly Whites at a Steep Cost

Oral-B iO Series 9 hand held smart toothbrush

Oral-B iO Series 9 Smart Toothbrush

"With so much time devoted to development, it does justice to the best brushing performance."

  • Exceptional cleaning performance

  • Comes with four brush heads

  • LED ring helps with pressure sensitivity

  • Robust build quality

  • Expensive

  • Eats up battery

Earlier this year during CES 2020, I got a glimpse of Oral-B's new intelligent toothbrush: the iO series 9. I only had the opportunity to attend a single brushing session, but I got away from the intrigued experience. If a company has been developing a smart toothbrush for six years, expectations will surely be high. Months after this brief encounter, I've been better informed to tell you if it's worth the wait.

High tech in every way

I've owned several manual and electric toothbrushes, but the iO Series 9 is the first that I'd call downright imposing. While it looks like just another electric toothbrush from a cursory inspection, it's undeniably fancier to look up close and equipped with technology that makes it one step above the other. It's made of plastic, but much stronger than other brushes. The weight and the solid feel go together. A tiny screen displays battery life, brushing modes, and even an emoji face after each brush to evaluate my performance. Oral-B has put a lot of work into the brush mechanism, which consists of a frictionless, sleek magnetic drive system to create powerful micro-vibrations while brushing (more on that later).

Oral-B iO Series 9 Smart Toothbrush Display Close-upJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

Pearl white clean

To be honest, I am thrilled with how well this toothbrush cleans my teeth. When using one of Oral-B's entry-level electric toothbrushes in the past, I've never been convinced they are any easier to clean than Philips' Sonicare line. The iO Series 9 is a whole different beast. In fact, it's the best toothbrush I've ever used including the Colgate Hum that I checked out right before this one.

It's the best brush I've ever come across.

Part of his world class performance comes from his ability to see how much pressure I am applying while brushing my teeth. An LED ring around the toothbrush lights up red, blue or green to indicate whether it is too much, too little or just right. The Oral-B app does the same, but I prefer the visual representation of the light, even when brushing with my smartphone in hand. In addition, a distinctive vibration indicates when it's time to switch to another quadrant.

Thanks to its intense micro-vibrations, the Oral-B iO series 9 offers the best brushing performance I've ever experienced. I feel like my teeth are getting a polishing job in addition to a power wash – this is how my teeth feel squeaky every time. The hard-to-remove plaque buildup between teeth isn't completely eliminated, but to be honest, I haven't come across a toothbrush that is good at this. Sorry, you still need to floss.

Oral-B iO series 9 smart toothbrush brush your teethJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

After each brush you will see how much battery is left. Unsurprisingly, it's a battery eater, draining around 10% of its battery after each use. So yes, it will require frequent fees.

More of the same smart features

So far, most of the smart toothbrushes I've come across don't differ too much in their smart features. The Oral-B iO 9 tracks a total of six zones during the tour with the app, so that I can see exactly how well I brush each area. However, the tracking function is not available when the brushes are not guided, which is rather puzzling for something "smart". At the end of each brush, I get a score from zero to 100 to indicate my cleaning performance.

While it can tell me how well I brush each quadrant, part of me craves for more accurate brush dates. For example, I can spend a lot of time brushing the front of my teeth while neglecting the back, but it treats the two sides as one. It doesn't paint a true picture of my brushing and my habits. This is not an isolated problem, but a common problem shared by most of the products in this category. I want a smart toothbrush that learns my exact brushing habits and guides me to practical improvements. I don't want to clean to chase after a score.

Our opinion

Impressive cleaning comes at a price, which for the Oral-B iO Series 9 means more than $ 300 to fork. It's ridiculously expensive, but it's also one of the most advanced toothbrushes out there, and delivers a satisfactory clean every time. Fortunately, the purchase comes with a travel case and four brush heads, which saves the difficulty of buying replacements soon after. Even so, a two-pack replacement costs $ 30.

How long it will take?

I'm confident that with its considerable build quality, it will hold up for a while. Oral-B offers a 2 year warranty that covers defects but not normal wear and tear.

Is there a better alternative?

If you're looking for an exceptional clean with connectivity features, it's hard to find anything else that comes close. You may be able to get similar performance with the other models of Oral-B, possibly with the iO Series 7 smart toothbrush for $ 200.

Should you buy it?

Yes, mostly because cleaning takes precedence over everything else. All intelligent functions and tracking are extra. If cleaning is unsuccessful, there is an error.

Editor's recommendations




17 Aug
Blog

Hum by Colgate Smart Toothbrush Review: Get Paid To Brush

Hum from Colgate Smart Toothbrush on ledge

Hum from Colgate Smart Toothbrush

"Too lazy to brush? Colgate Hum awards points every time you use it to get you off the couch. "

  • Earn reward points for brushing

  • App guides you to effective brushing

  • So-so cleaning performance

  • Can be tricked into brushing teeth

  • Limited selection with online shop

Smart toothbrushes are not new. They have been around for years, collecting data and providing us with useful information to improve our cleaning skills. The question is whether or not any of the new technologies or advances will make a practical difference. Sure, it's wonderful that some of them have gyroscopes, accelerometers, and pressure sensors inside, but at the end of the day, they're all meaningless if they can't change their habits.

This is where Hum by Colgate is different: it redirects the conversation to focus on changing our brushing habits – with the help of incentives. It's probably the smartest thing that happens to the smart toothbrush.

The charm to please

Colgate's intelligent toothbrush has a certain charm. That's because it's not about being a souped-up, tech-savvy toothbrush. There is no such thing as an imposing stature. Instead, Colgate's approach is rather reserved and, because of the pastel colors, often reminds me more than anything of a painter's brush. Available in two versions, rechargeable or battery operated, you can choose from three colors – in my case blue.

Hum from Colgate Smart Toothbrush in handJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

Aside from the charming design, there isn't much that sets it apart from other toothbrushes. Although it is light and hollow, it is ergonomically designed to be comfortable while brushing. It comes with a carrying case and a charging station. I don't know why, but I was forced to see if the Colgate Hum could charge using one of my smartphone's wireless charging pads. And sure enough!

Superficially clean, tough in between

Before I get into the intelligent functions of the Hum by Colgate, I would like to describe in detail the cleaning performance that I prefer above all. The Colgate brush head is similar to others that vibrate, like Philips Sonicare electric toothbrushes, to break up plaque and dirt. The brush itself combines rigid brushes with softer, almost plastic-like brushes.

The overall brush performance is average I would say. The vibration is not as strong as I would like it to be, but it still managed to fix the superficial cleaning. However, it is not effective at removing stuck pieces of food from between your teeth. Therefore, floss is still required. I appreciate that it comes with a tongue cleaner, which you don't often find.

Hum from Colgate Smart Toothbrush AppJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

You can brush your teeth in two ways: on your own or with the mobile app. The former have vibrations that indicate when it is time to move on to another area of ​​your mouth – while the latter visually showed me how long and where to brush. I prefer the app experience as it makes sure I cover all areas of my mouth properly. On the other hand, it's nice that the toothbrush saves data from my brushes for up to 10 days. So you don't have to bring your smartphone with you every time you clean.

Incentives for brushing

As a smart toothbrush, the Colgate Hum does not exceed any of my existing expectations. It can tell where I'm cleaning and whether I'm cleaning fast enough. You can find this in every other smart toothbrush on the market. Where it stands out from the crowd are the incentives Colgate has for you to brush your teeth and in some ways it's a brilliant idea.

Whenever you brush, you will earn “smile” points – one point every time you brush, no matter how long or how well you do it. Reaching 100 points equals USD 1 in credit that can be used to purchase replacement heads (USD 10 for a two-pack) or a new toothbrush. It's worth noting that there is a hard cap of three allowable brushing sessions per day so you can't do something outrageous like brushing 100 times in a single day.

Currently the shop has a relatively limited selection so I hope more things have been added to it. Maybe toothpaste or floss? While it seems like it takes forever to collect enough points to get a significant discount, the app has Activities that you can use other ways to collect more points.

I was able to fool Colgate's buzz by pretending to brush my teeth.

This is without question the smartest thing that can happen to the smart toothbrush in a while. Oddly enough, I was able to fool Colgate's buzz by pretending to brush my teeth. In fact, I don't think it can actually sense whether it's in my mouth or not – so it depends on movement more than anything. It's not a bad thing in and of itself, especially considering how many points you can earn in a day.

Our opinion

Functionally, the $ 70 Hum from Colgate is no different from any other smart toothbrush on the market. What's special about this is how Colgate promotes the brushing experience by collecting points for discounts on actual products. It's a smart move and motivational tool to get you to brush more often.

How long it will take?

The all-plastic construction makes it feel light and hollow, but I'm confident that it will hold up well over time. There is a two year limited warranty that covers defects.

In my experience, the battery drain is around 3% to 4% for every three minute session. It's not terrible, but you'll get at least a handful of brushes before you need a recharge.

Is there a better alternative?

When it comes to cleaning and features, there are others out there who do a better job. The iO series from Philips Sonicare and Oral-B have impeccable cleaning capabilities. If this is the most important thing to you, then they are the better recommendations.

Should you buy it?

If you're on a tight budget and can overlook its mediocre cleaning performance, then definitely buy it, especially if there is an incentive to brush your teeth.

Editor's recommendations