Fed up of electric toothbrushes breaking. Are there any reliable brands?

[SettledAndHappy]

We've always used Oral B but they just stop working after a while. I've lost track of how many we've had but we probably have to replace one a year.

Are there any (not too expensive) brands which are more reliable?

I’ve never had one break, but do get frustrated as they don’t hold their charge very well. Philips sonicare work better in this regard

Oral B io, charge really short and then most of the time it doesn't recharge properly on the charger, as it seems to be completely random whether it bothers to charge or not. Don't recommend.

Oh, that's a shame, I have one and it charges and lasts okay. The charge time is very long though. The brushing results are great!

Same with my Philips sonic. The battery is fine but its the switch button that has broken repeatedly! Will look at the other brands

Had one years and years, oral b the cheapest one. Hasn't broke.

I had a basic Oral B, stopped turning on after a couple of years. Then Ordo, stopped working just after the 2 year warranty, now I’m on a basic Phillips with a pressure sensor. I’ve had it about a month and just given it a second charge. Other people I know have had Oral B’s last for yonks, maybe they are not as well made as in the past, or I was just unlucky

What goes wrong with them , @SettledAndHappy ? If it is the battery, are you keeping them on constant charge when not in use - that wrecks battery life.

I just charge mine overnight when it slows down and flashes. I've had two Oral B basics and each have lasted for years and years

I've had two Fairywill since 2020, battery lasts ages, charges quickly and it's not hard on my teeth.

I bought an Oral B a couple of months ago and only used it about half a dozen times, it took ages to charge and found the vibration was really uncomfortable on my teeth. I gave it to my brother and carried on with the Fairywill.

I'll probably jinx it now but my bottom-of-the-range Oral B rotating style one is still working after over 3 years.

The battery seems OK. When I go on holiday I don't take the charger and it still lasts for 10 days without it. I let it fully run down between charges.

This has happened to me quite a few times OP. They lost about a year or so and then just give up the ghost. Usually, I bought them from Tesco or somewhere where they’ve already been knocked down to half price. I take the view that I would probably be paying as much for decent manual toothbrushes over the course of a year. It isn’t great of course because all you can do is throw it away (in neighbourhood recycling of course). Then again, what would you do with a years worth of manual toothbrushes?

Have you tried washing out the charging base and the slot it goes into in the toothbrush? If any gunk gets between the two, it won't charge probably. A rinse will sort it out if that's the issue.

What are you doing with them? Mine must be decades old.

That said at my last hygienist appointment, where I always get told off, no matter how hard I try, she told my they should be replaced every four years (not the brush, the unit) because they lose power and effectiveness, which was a new one on me and sounded like marketing nonsense to me. (She also gave me a coupon which would get me a discount and them a kick back).

We always had Philips Sonicare. My OH has one which has lasted ages, but mine kept giving up the ghost after about a year so I replaced like with like a couple of times but I’ve now moved on to a Suri. I’ve only had it a few months but so far so good. It’s a pretty colour and I like the sustainability efforts.

The whole family have Oral Bs. They are about 6 years old and none of them has any problems.

Putting them on a charger overnight does 2 to 3 weeks of brushing.

We have an oral b toothbrush, its older than our relationship.

I much prefer a Philips Sonicare. Mine must be about 15 years old and the charge lasts for weeks.

I think they do actually lose a bit of power as they age. When I got a replacement for my ancient Oral B, it was a bit of a shock to feel the extra power.

Having said that, I agree that hygienists seem to tell you off no matter what you do, especially when they have a way to monetise their reprimands.

Really? Is this true? I’m slightly concerned now that I’m using an Oral B that I’ve had for around 20 years?!

I've never had one break either. We've had two over 20+ years. We recently bought Suri sonic toothbrushes, which are fab. The battery lasts 40 days before needing to recharge, the heads are recyclable (you just send them off in the post) and they come with a magnet you stick to your mirror so they are up out of the way.

Another basic Oral B user. I do find that the battery doesn’t hold its charge well after a couple of years. I only charge when it’s empty.

Never actually broken one though…

My Sonicare is around 4 years old, it’s the top spec, was around £100/£150 from Boots on offer

I had Oral B for years and then switched to Philips for better brushing results The Philips one is now broken( switch button not working) after only two years .Not amused to say the least.

😆 Dare I ask how long you've been together? If you got together a couple of months ago that might not really be a selling point.

Have you found it worthwhile buying a top end one - is the cleaning performance better for getting rid of stains, plaque etc?

I would invest if I could be confident I wouldn't still have to supplement brushing with whitening strips etc.

I've no idea, it sounds like a ruse to sell more brushes to me, but I'd say she believed it.