Oral-B’s electric toothbrush range isn’t the easiest to shop. The names blur into one another, the designs look almost identical and the feature differences can feel frustratingly minor. And yet, the prices vary massively. So, which model is actually worth it?
For those that don’t know, Oral-B is stripping back much of its older range in favour of the iO series, which first launched in 2020. This means longstanding models outside this collection – such as the Pro 3 – are starting to disappear, leaving shoppers to choose between 10 different iO models, plus a handful of limited edition variations.
On the one hand, this streamlined line-up removes the question of whether iO outranks previous models from the brand, like its Vitality and GeniusX toothbrushes. On the flip side, you’ll still need to decide which iO device feels worth the spend for your concerns, be it the affordable iO2 to the eye-wateringly expensive iO10.
The questions we asked in testing varied from ‘do pricier models really deliver a better clean?’ to ‘are added costs tied up in extras such as AI coaching, tracking and colour screens?’ After months of twice-daily cleaning, we concluded which of the brand’s numeric roster proved worthy of your attention, no matter your budget or oral care needs. Scroll on for everything I learned.
Read more: 7 best water flossers to upgrade your home dental routine
How we tested
We spent months testing each of the seven Oral-B toothbrushes, swapping them in for our usual brushes one after the other to measure results. To test on a range of different mouths, we enlisted the help of a six-year-old family member, and called on a handful of experts to weigh in where needed. Together, we considered a number of factors, ranging from price to unique design features. Further down this article you’ll find a full rundown of everything we took into consideration.
The best Oral-B electric toothbrushes of 2026 are:
- Best overall – Oral-B iO3: £68, Amazon.co.uk
- Best value – Oral-B iO2: £100, Amazon.co.uk
- Best smart features – Oral-B iO6: £129.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for guidance – Oral-B iO10: £300, Boots.com
- Best for kids – Oral-B iO kids: £40, Currys.co.uk
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Oral-B iO3
Best: Oral-B electric toothbrush overall
Modes: 3
Display: None
Smart features: Mode button changes colour to signal you need a new brush head
Battery life: 14 days
Charging time: 16 hours
Why we love it
- Most affordable of iO collection to feature smoother-feeling magnetic drive
- Reasonable sub-£100 price at most times (sales-dependent)
- Effective pressure sensor and thorough clean
The iO3 marks a turning point in Oral-B’s collection where you’ll really start to notice the brand’s promise of a ‘professionally clean feeling’. As aesthetic dentist Dr Edoardo Felici explains, the model “strikes a good balance between affordability and functionality. It includes pressure sensors and a timer, which are two of the most important features I look for”.
When you compare the iO3 with its slightly cheaper predecessor, the iO2, you’ll find the former is the first in the iO series to feature Oral-B’s magnetic drive. Instead of the linear pulse drive used in the iO2, this frictionless system powers the oscillation in a way that feels noticeably silkier in use, without the slightly churning sensation of its cheaper sibling.
It forgoes the LCD display found on the iO6 model (and those above it), but this is a feature I never found myself missing. The practical features mattered more to me and I enjoyed everything from the quadpacer vibrations that prompt you to move to the next section of your mouth to the pressure sensor light beneath the brush head, which gives a clear visual cue if you’re brushing too hard or too lightly. I also liked that the mode button turns amber when it’s time to replace the brush head.
As for battery, the quoted two-week life proved more than dependable enough in daily use and feels in keeping with the brush’s affordable to mid-range price point. That said, I still wouldn’t rush to pay the full £160 asking price, given it’s so often reduced to £75 or less.
– Lucy Smith
Buy now £75, Boots.com
Oral-B iO2
Best: value Oral-B electric toothbrush
Modes: 3
Display: None
Smart features: None
Battery life: 14 days
Charging time: 24 hours
Why we love it
- Same cleaning performance as the most expensive iO brushes
- Simple, no-frills operation
Take note
- Slightly noisier than others in the iO range
- Slow charging speed
The Oral-B iO2 is the entry point to the flagship iO range and, for my money, the smartest purchase of the lot. It gives you the same core, high-end cleaning technology that makes the iO series so good, while stripping away all the expensive extras you don’t actually need.
What you get is the powerful oscillating brush head, the essential pressure sensor, one-button operating and the two-minute timer. While the motor is a little louder and less powerful than the iO3 and above, the cleaning performance is identical to its pricier siblings. As I said in my full Oral-B iO2 review, “there isn’t a dentist in the world who could tell the difference between the iO2’s results and those of an Oral-B brush costing ten times as much.”
So what do you miss out on? The iO2 has no on-handle display, no app connectivity and no fast charging. The latter is its only real drawback. A full charge from empty takes 24 hours compared to just three for the iO9, but, with a battery that lasts for weeks, it’s a compromise that’s easy to live with, especially if you pop it back on a charger when you’re not using it. The best value electric toothbrush in the iO series, the iO2 delivers a premium clean for a non-premium price.
– Steve Hogarty
Buy now £100, Amazon.co.uk
Oral-B iO6
Best: Oral-B electric toothbrush with smart features
Modes: 5
Display: Black and white
Smart features: Bluetooth app (real-time tracking)
Battery life: 14 days
Charging time: 12 hours
Why we love it
- On-handle display
- Real-time tracking of brushing progress
Take note
- Lacks fast charging
The Oral-B iO6 is the cheapest model in the series to include an on-handle display, and it’s a worthwhile addition for those who want a bit more tech in their electric toothbrush. The black-and-white screen gives you at-a-glance information on your selected cleaning mode, a smiley (or sad) face to reward your brushing efforts, and a reminder when it’s time to change your brush head.
The simple emoji system was a hit with our tester, Jon’s daughter. In his Oral-B iO6 review he said the grinning faces “really struck a chord with her and motivated her to brush better and more regularly.” For families, or anyone who wants a bit of encouragement without the faff of opening an app, the on-handle display is a delightful addition.
On the practical side, the iO6 includes five cleaning modes and a faster 12-hour charge time. There’s app connectivity too, though the on-handle display makes it redundant for day-to-day use. A big upgrade over the more basic models, the iO6 falls well within the premium price range.
– SH
Buy now £129.99, Amazon.co.uk
Oral-B iO4
Best: Mid-range Oral-B electric toothbrush
Modes: 4
Display: None
Smart features: Bluetooth app (no real-time tracking)
Battery life: 14 days
Charging time: 16 hours
Why we love it
- Faster charging than the iO2
- Quieter motor than the iO2
Take note
- Sit in an awkward middle-ground of features
Sitting two spots above the iO2 is the Oral-B iO4. It uses the exact same cleaning technology as the most expensive iO brushes, but comes in at a higher price than the iO2. For the extra cash, you get four brushing modes and Bluetooth connectivity. This allows you to connect to the Oral-B app for basic coaching, without the real-time tracking of iO brushes further up the range.
This is where the iO series starts to get bogged down, with each brush adding features you probably don’t need as you move up the ladder. Being able to dial in your preferred brushing intensity is a bonus, but app connectivity adds a pointless complication to a twice-daily habit.
Compared to the iO2, you do get a slightly faster charging time (16 hours vs 24 hours), but you’re essentially paying a premium for a novelty app experience you’ll quickly drop. While it’s a perfectly good brush, the iO2 offers better value for those who don’t care for smart features, and the iO6 offers a more practical and engaging user experience for those who do.
– SH
Buy now £85, Boots.com
Oral-B iO9
Best: Premium Oral-B electric toothbrush
Modes: 7
Display: Colour
Smart features: Bluetooth app (real-time 3D tracking)
Battery life: 14 days
Charging time: 3 hours
Why we love it
- Super-fast charging
- Includes premium charging travel case
Take note
- Expensive
The Oral-B iO9 delivers the full, uncompromised iO experience. The biggest upgrade here is the charging system – the iO9 comes with a sleek magnetic charger that delivers a full charge in just three hours, the same as that found in the iO7 and iO8. It also includes a premium charging travel case, allowing you to top up your brush on the go.
The on-handle display is now in full colour and wishes you a good night when you turn in. A whopping seven cleaning modes include a tongue cleaning setting, for those brave enough. The in-app experience is also more advanced, offering 3D teeth tracking that maps 16 zones in your mouth for the most detailed feedback possible.
In the Oral-B iO9 review, the powerful but gentle oscillating action was particularly effective for those with orthodontics, as “the mechanical action of the fast-moving brush can more easily get into those hard-to-reach areas” – but it bears repeating that the same can be said of every iO brush in the series.
Do you need these fancy features? Almost certainly not. The cleaning performance is no better than the humble iO2, but the fast charging and the charging travel case are undeniably useful features for frequent travellers (or the forgetful). The iO9 is a premium product with a premium price tag to match.
– SH*
*As shown in imagery, Lucy has also tested the iO9
Buy now £499.99, Amazon.co.uk
Oral-B iO10
Best: Oral-B electric toothbrush for guided brushing
Modes: 7
Display: Colour
Smart features: iO sense technology provides cleaning feedback on the charging dock
Battery life: 14-days
Charging time: 3 hours
Why we love it
- Real-time brushing guidance on iO sense magnetic charger
- Smart adapt automatically slows down oscillations when pressure is too strong
- In-built brush head replacement timer
Take note
- Exorbitant pricing
The iO10 combines the polished cleaning performance you’d expect from a top-of-the-line brush with some of the most useful feedback tech out of all of Oral-B’s toothbrushes.
The feature I continue to shout about is the included magnetic charging dock which mirrors your real-time cleaning progress through six illuminated bars circling the base, gradually turning white as it marks each zone effectively clean. Unlike rival premium brushes (such as the iO9 above) that bury this kind of guidance inside an app, the iO10 puts it exactly where you’ll actually see it: on your bathroom shelf.
That sense of live coaching continues on the handle itself. The LCD screen brings playful feedback addtions and shows a smiling face if you’ve done a good job, starry eyes if you’ve done an especially thorough clean and an unhappy face if you stop short of the full two minutes. For a brush at this level, those instant visual nudges make the whole experience feel intuitive.
You’re also paying for the smart adapt setting, which automatically softens the intensity of oscillations if you start pressing too hard. Of course, there’s the variety of modes. too. With a personal penchant for chewing gum and breath mints, I particularly appreciated the dedicated tongue-cleaning mode for an extra bad breath-banishing scrub.
My only real hesitation is the inflated £800 RRP, which feels deliberately dramatic given it’s so often listed closer to £300–£400. Even at that level it’s still expensive, but the dock-based feedback and real-time coaching make it feel significantly more advanced than both Oral-B and its competitors’ brushes.
– LS
Buy now £300, Boots.com
Oral-B iO kids
Best: Oral-B electric toothbrush for kids
Modes: 3
Display: None
Smart features: Auto-adjusts pressure in response to over zealous brushing
Battery life: 14 days
Charging time: 24 hours
Why we love it
- Cheerful two-minute timer and Disney magic app incentivise brushing
- Automatic pressure adjustments minimise the need for parental intervention
- Sensitive and super sensitive modes are a must for milk teeth and young gums
Take note
- Quadpacer vibrations could be louder for parents
- Prone to toppling, unlike some sturdier kids models
For parents, the appeal of the Oral-B iO kids electric toothbrush runs deeper than its child-friendly Stitch design. As dentist and London clinic director Dr Hannan Imran describes it: “The iO kids toothbrush is a solid kids brush (for children aged six and above) because it has a kid-friendly sensitive mode and a two-minute music timer through the Disney magic app to keep them brushing long enough.”
In practice, that playful timer really helped to keep my six-year-old niece engaged, with the post-brush melody making the routine feel more rewarding. With the magic timer app open on a parent’s phone, it aims to help kids practice independent brushing for a full two minutes by unlocking characters and rewards the longer they brush. But, as Dr Imran caveats: “You still need an adult to supervise technique until they have good enough manual dexterity.”
For my niece – unlike her parents – the brush’s appeal lay almost entirely in the fact “that it has Stitch because he’s [her] favourite”. Though, she also remarked how the “fast” oscillations felt comparable to the way her dad brushes manually. For her parents, its most reassuring feature was the pressure-sensitive oscillation control, which automatically eases off if a child presses too hard. This, they said, is paramount when dealing with delicate gums and wobbling milk teeth. However, he argued the quadpacer vibrations (the same ones featured on adult iO devices) and end-of-clean tune could both be a touch louder to better guide section changes for parents overseeing brushing.
One extra practical note from testing was the charging time, which can take up to 24 hours from flat. In reality, though, this felt less of an issue than it sounds, as most parents (including my niece’s household) are more likely to pop it on charge for two or three hours here and there, which was enough to keep it topped up.
– LS (tested by Aurelia, six years old)
Buy now £39.99, Amazon.co.uk
Which Oral-B toothbrush should you buy?
When it comes to the iO series, you’re not paying for a better clean, you’re paying for more features. The brushing performance across the iO4, iO6 and iO9 is identical. And while technically it uses a less powerful motor, we found the iO2 made no difference to the resulting clean of my teeth.
With the basics of brushing in mind, the Oral-B iO3 is our top recommendation and the best choice for most people. Not only was it recommended to us by dentists, but it delivers the premium cleaning power of the iO range for (usually) less than £100. Compared to the iO2, it also felt smoother and more luxurious to use, and made the price jump from manual to electric feel worthwhile.
For those who absolutely must add a bit of gizmo-sparkle to their handle, the iO6 marks the sweet spot between techy features and price. The on-handle display looks great, and it’s a practical enough addition that provides feedback without the hassle of an app.
And for those who want to spoil their teeth? Look to the iO9 and iO10 models which take coaching to the next level, alongside helpful features such as fast charging and a handy travel cases with its their own in-built charging systems.
Lastly, pint-sized pearly whites won’t go amiss with the iO kids brush, which brings a sense of fun to daily brushing while giving parents enough cues to monitor performance.
How were Oral-B electric toothbrushes tested
During testing, Steve and Lucy paid attention to the following characteristics:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Steve Hogarty is IndyBest’s tech writer and has spent years testing and writing about smart home and wellness gadgets. He personally tested dozens of electric toothbrushes in 2025 for a previous iteration of The Independent’s guide to the best models, meaning he was able to cut through the marketing fluff and identify the features that genuinely make a difference when rounding up some of the best Oral-B devices.
Meanwhile, Lucy Smith is one of the team’s senior shopping writers and, this year, pulled together her definitive list of the best electric toothbrushes. Much like Steve, this means she has a great understanding of where the bar sits for an effective toothbrush. She’s also covered the best teeth whitening kits and spoken to numerous dentists in her time as a journalist, so she was able to use her experience and acquired expert titbits to inform her choices when reviewing Oral-B’s top brushes.
There’s more to brushing than Oral-B. Check out our round-up of the best electric toothbrushes in 2025