This Black Series electric toothbrush will leave your pearly whites feeling especially fresh. (Aquasonic)
Brushing your teeth is probably one of the most important things you do every day, yet it's usually done on autopilot. Most of us just reach for the same manual toothbrush we've been using for months and get it over with. But if you're after a truly thorough clean, it might be time to rethink your routine.
If you're looking for more cleaning power — or you simply value a mouthful of healthy choppers for decades to come — it's time to think about investing in an electric or sonic toothbrush. Not only are these high-tech scrubbers clinically proven to be especially effective at removing plaque, many of them come with features that improve your brushing technique. But with so many options on the market, it can be hard to know which one to choose. So we turned to the experts — dentists — to learn how to shop for the best electric toothbrush for your needs. Then we put 21 electric toothbrushes to the test to find the ones that truly brushed up.
Updated July 10, 2025: We’ve confirmed current pricing and availability for all products. Our No. 1 pick remains unchanged.
Electric toothbrushes tend to vary based on their brush head size and bristle type. Many have additional key features that can help to improve oral health and your overall brushing experience.
Brush head size: Bigger isn't always better when it comes to toothbrush heads. Sheila Samaddar, DDS, a dentist practicing in Washington, D.C. says that smaller brush heads are often more effective, especially for reaching difficult areas. A compact brush head can maneuver around tight spaces in your mouth with greater precision, ensuring a thorough clean. Look for one that puts maneuverability over size.
Bristle type: The type of bristles on your electric toothbrush aren't simply a matter of preference. And while you might think that firmer bristles provide a deeper clean, Joseph Goodman a cosmetic dentist based in Beverly Hills, Calif., recommends opting for soft bristles endorsed by the American Dental Association (ADA). Hard bristles can potentially harm enamel and root surfaces, leading to long-term damage. Soft bristles offer gentle yet effective cleaning without causing undue harm to your teeth and gums.
Key features: If you struggle with brushing long enough, you can look for a toothbrush with built-in timers or reminders. These features can alert you every 30 seconds, prompting you to switch to a different quadrant of your mouth for a comprehensive clean. Additionally, if you share your toothbrush base with family members, consider a model that allows for easy head swapping. Ergonomic design and multiple setting options are also crucial factors to consider. A toothbrush with an easy-to-grip handle and adjustable settings is ideal. Cu recommends starting with a "sensitive" setting.
We've actually put hundreds of oral healthcare products to the test, including a range of manual and electric toothbrushes, water flossers, whitening toothpastes and dental hygiene tools like floss and tongue scrapers. In addition to the products listed above, we've also tried (and liked) the following:
Burst Curve Sonic Toothbrush: Our tester really liked the convenience of the subscription and how pretty the toothbrush looked in her bathroom, but she felt it didn't clean her teeth as well as she had hoped, so she wouldn't plan on giving it another go unless the brush was redesigned and optimized for a deeper clean.
Aquasonic Vibe Series Ultra-Whitening Toothbrush: This is very similar to our top overall pick — the AquaSonic Black Series — and has the same four cleaning modes, as well as the 40,000-vibrations-per-minute technology. It also comes with eight brush heads and a travel case. This one easily could have taken the top spot, but our tester (who also tested the Black Series) noted that the Black Series looks a little bit sleeker, which upped its rating. That said, this one ranked highest in our testing of 20 manual and electric toothbrushes, so it's clearly a solid all-around choice.
Oral-B Genius 8000 Electric Toothbrush: Our tester was initially drawn to this toothbrush for its app-connected tracking capabilities. While she enjoyed that it showed her “how well I brushed and where I needed to brush more as well as the pressure with which I brushed,” she added that sometimes “you just want to brush your teeth without bringing your phone into the bathroom and risking it falling into the sink or ... toilet!” Maybe there was something to her concerns because this toothbrush is no longer available at major retailers or on the Oral-B website.
Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige Electric Power Toothbrush: In testing 20 different manual and electric brushes, this model from Philips actually came out on top. However, it's an expensive option at $329.
SpinBrush Pro+: If you're looking for a budget pick that does the trick, this low-cost SpinBrush+ comes in handy. It's battery-powered, so there are no charging ports or wires to contend with. It makes a great pick if you're a frequent traveler — just toss it in your Dopp kit to have ready wherever you go.
Suri Electric Toothbrush: This toothbrush may be a good pick if you're conscientious about the environment as it's made from plant-based materials. The company also offers a mail-in recylcing program for your used brush heads. That said, it didn't leave our tester with quite the teeth cleaning she was hoping for, although she did like the brush's "polishing" mode.
Willo AutoFlo+: Granted, this kids' toothbrush is spendy, but in terms of automating the teeth-brushing experience for kids 5-13, our tester loved this pick. She says her son was a fan and she was confident he was getting an especially clean mouth with each brush.
Ordo Sonic+ Toothbrush: While this is a no-fuss, reasonably priced electric toothbrush, we found that it was prone to shedding bristles during our testing period.
Quip Ultra Next Generation Smart Sonic Toothbrush: While we found this to be a quality electric toothbrush, and our tester liked the pressure sensor and the ability to customize the brush intensity, she didn't like it as much as other electric brushes she tested. And, she noted that it's more affordable than many similar brushes.
Supermouth Ultim8 Smart-Brush System: Our tester noted that after trying many electric toothbrushes, this one deserves an honorable mention. The full system costs about $200, but she noted that it left her mouth feeling "ultra clean." She also liked that this is a waterproof toothbrush which makes it a good option for anyone who likes to brush their teeth in the shower.
According to cosmetic and reconstructive dentist Lior Tamir, “The purpose of a toothbrush is to physically remove plaque from the teeth. Plaque is the decomposed food and bacteria that cause cavities. Electric toothbrushes have been clinically shown to be significantly more effective at removing plaque from the teeth.”
Besides giving you that fresh-from-the-dentist feeling, using an electric toothbrush can also help improve your brushing habits. Cu tells Yahoo Life, “One of the biggest benefits to using an electric toothbrush is consistency — we have our great days and our lazy ones, but our electric toothbrush will brush our teeth the same way every time.” Hence, that's the reason why most options feature a two-minute timer that lets you know exactly when you’ve hit your goal.
While sonic toothbrushes are in the electric toothbrush family, there are a few differences. “Regular electric toothbrushes have rotating heads that can spin several thousand times per minute, but sonic toothbrushes spin tens of thousands of times per minute, which can give you a cleaner smile in a shorter period of time,” says Goodman.
The short answer is yes. While it’s still recommended to brush for two minutes whether you use electric or manual, electric toothbrushes make it so you do less of the work. According to Dr. Jeffrey Rappaport chief dental adviser at Quip, an oral care company, “For a sonic/electric brush, the vibrations and/or brush movements do a lot of the brushing work for you; therefore, you should be gentler when maneuvering the brush around your mouth. Be sure to move the brush slowly around each tooth to ensure the vibrations and/or brush movements have enough time to clean effectively.”
No matter what you’re using, Rappaport said, “Remember to be gentle with your teeth and gums, as brushing too hard can hurt your teeth and gums and cause them to recede.”
Think you might be ready to take the plunge and go electric? Good, because we've tested out nearly 20 options to see which worked the best. Keep reading to see all 11 of the best electric toothbrushes.
Dr. Joseph Goodman, cosmetic dentist in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Dr. Jeffrey Rappaport, chief dental adviser at Quip in N.Y.
Dr. Chrystle Cu, DDS and cofounder of Cocofloss in San Mateo, Calif.
Dr. Lior Tamir, cosmetic and reconstructive dentist in San Mateo, Calif.
Dr. Sheila Samaddar, dentist practicing in Washington, D.C.
Our health content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional on questions about your health.