Oral B vs Sonicare which is better? These two giants are always trying to out-compete each other by inventing different new models in a constant Sonicare vs Oral B electric toothbrush unending battle for outright domination.
The numerous models produced by these two titans can be a maze for consumers to sort out. Here is where it gets interesting: both Sonicare and Oral B have tantalizing features that make teeth cleaning effective, fun and cool. They are equally backed by numerous scientific studies that indicate that they remove way more plaque than any manual toothbrushes.
We have spent an enormous amount of time to research the best picks from low priced to high-end electric toothbrushes that remove most plaque and improve the health of your gums.
Top Models…Price Comparison
1. History
Braun Oral B was first started by a doctor from California called DR. Robert W. Hutson. It was the first company to make toothbrushes with soft bristles that were gentle to gums.
The Californian doctor later sold his patented Oral B toothbrush (then called Oral B 60) to Gillette and Braun that is owned by Proctor and Gamble. Oral B is now a subsidiary of Proctor and Gamble.
Meanwhile, Philips Sonicare initially started as an entrepreneurial project by an electric engineer named David Gulliani. He teamed up with two University professors to form a company called Gemtec.
They launched their first toothbrush in 1992. They later rebranded themselves as Optiva. Optiva was sold to Philips domestic appliances subsidiary and renamed Philips Oral health.
It became very popular and became the best selling toothbrush in the USA, In 2003 they renamed it Philips Sonicare for marketing purposes.
2. Key Features and Similarities
- Two Minutes Timer: Both have a minute timer: One common feature between Philips Sonicare and Oral B is the two minutes timer. The timer alerts you when you have brushed for the dentist recommended two minutes. It also alerts you every 30 seconds to move from one section/quarter of the mouth (quadrant) to the next one, so that all sections of your mouth are given adequate care and attention.
- Charging Stations: Both have charging stations with relatively small footprint.
- Two Years Guarantee: Both brands offer two years guarantee on their toothbrushes. Oral B offers to return your money if at all you are not happy with your purchase within 60 days while Sonicare allows only 28 days money back guarantee after the purchase.
- They both have LCD screen display: Both have models that have LCD screen display.
3. Differences
As we have seen the two cleaning techniques by Oral B vs Sonicare electric toothbrush are comparably effective– there is no clear winner when using brushing technique as a basis of making a decision. There are other facts that may help you decide which of the two brands to go for.
- How long does the battery last after charge: In general, toothbrushes by Philips Sonicare have long-lasting battery life. They last up to three weeks after only one full charge. This can be quite helpful especially if you are traveling (Check Top 9 Best Travel Electric Toothbrush 2019). Meanwhile, Oral B brushes have a far shorter battery life of between 7 to 10 days. The new Oral B Genius 8000 has a battery life of 12 days. This might however not be a big deal if you mainly use your toothbrush at home. You can choose to charge it after a couple of days to keep the charge topped up.
- Voltage Features: All Oral B toothbrushes operate only on American standard voltage of 110 volts. This means they can only be used in the USA. In case you travel abroad you will need a converter. Sonicare toothbrushes on the other hand support both 220V and 110V which enables you to charge the toothbrush both on American standard volts sockets and international sockets that support 220V system.
- Noise and Feel: Philips Sonicare toothbrushes are relatively quiet when in use compared to Oral B which are generally noisier. However, once you get used to your toothbrush, the noise is not such a bother. It is tolerable noise.
- When it comes to look and feel: Sonicare brush heads look like traditional manual brushes. They are oblong in shape while Oral B brush heads are rounded and do not look like traditions toothbrushes. According to Oral B, the rounded shape of their brush heads is inspired by dentistry tools. High-end Sonicare brush handles are made of rubber and matte. Oral B, on the other hand, has an ergonomic handle made of rubber.
4. Timers, Quadpacers and Pressure Sensors
Although both Sonicare and Oral B have timers and quad-pacers, the Sonicare one only sounds off every 30 seconds to alert you that you should move to another quadrant in your mouth when brushing while Oral B especially the more recent ones like Genius 8000 buzzes and also visually signals you by flashing light on the customizable 360 smart ring. They also have a digital timer which you can view in their flagship smart guide. This way you also easily monitor visually that you are brushing for the recommended 2 minutes.
Pressure sensors alert you when you are brushing too hard. Brushing too hard can be harmful to your gums. Almost all Oral B brushes have pressure sensors integrated into them apart from Oral B Deep Sweep 1000 and the battery operated Oral B Vitality Series.
Meanwhile, in the Philips Sonicare range, only the Philips Sonicare Flexcare HX6921/02 and the new DiamondClean Smart Sonic Series 9500/ 9700 with Bluetooth connectivity features a pressure sensor. However, all Sonicare toothbrushes will starter and stall when you apply too much pressure. This is as close they come to having an inbuilt pressure sensor.
5. Brushing Modes
Sonicare and Oral B both have different toothbrush modes in their range; However, Oral B has a wide selection of brushing modes than Sonicare. For instance, Sonicare’s high end toothbrush, Philips DiamondClean has five brushing modes compared to the Oral B that has six brushing modes.
6. Brush Heads Difference
Oral B has a wider selection of brush heads than Sonicare. The cool thing is that all variations of Oral-B’s brush heads are compatible with all different Oral B toothbrush models, from high end to basic models. This means you can use Oral B 7000 brush head on an Oral B 3000 toothbrush. Their brush heads are also relatively cheaper than Sonicare.
On the other hand, not all Sonicare replacement brush heads are compatible with different models. Their replacement brush head is slightly more expensive than Oral B.
Grapevine has it that Sonicare’s brush head last longer than Oral B. Initially Sonicare brush heads (according to official e-manuals of E-series models like Elite and Essence) lasted for six months but they recently changed that to three months just like Oral B.
Philips Sonicare brush heads come in two versions: standard and compact. The standard one is similar to manual brushes while the compact is smallish.
DiamondClean, Adaptive Clean, Simply Clean, E-series, ProResults and Sonicare for Kids come fitted with the compact brush head.
All Sonicare models have a compatible compact brush head. The compact small brush heads easily access those difficult to reach areas in our mouth.
For this reason and the noise aspect, some people consider Sonicare brushes to be more comfortable to use than Oral B electric toothbrush.
7. Price
Philips Sonicare toothbrushes are generally considered more costly than Oral B. However, a lot also depends on where you buy from, if you buy from Online stores like Amazon, you are bound to get a discounted and competitive price.
Though Oral B clearly has more variety when it comes to brush heads and also employ advanced technology in their toothbrushes, they are cheaper than Sonicare.
8. Variety and Comfort when in Use
Sonicare have put much effort into making their toothbrush as comfortable and easy to use as possible. Their brush heads are small, just like manual brushes, they are relatively less noisy when in use and they have an easy-start feature that reduces the number of rotations the bristles make to enable a new user get accustomed to using the electric toothbrush.
The rotations will be gradually increased until you get comfortable with using an electric toothbrush.
All these efforts and features make it easy for you to effortlessly transition from using a manual toothbrush to an electric one. My research of hundreds of customer feedback indicates that many people find Sonicare toothbrushes more comfortable to use than Oral B., In my opinion, this is why Sonicare brushes are still popular, in spite of their relatively higher price point compared to Oral B.
9. Design
Oral B brushes especially the top end ones have classy features like Bluetooth connectivity and the wireless Smartguide that tracks your brushing progress. Most have a visual digital timer. They have differently designed brush heads and generally look more modern and cool.
Sonicare on the other part has a simpler look. They look like traditional manual brushes. Its high end brushes like the FlexCare Platinum also have additional features like charging glass (DiamondClean), USB connectivity and smart sensors that have Bluetooth connectivity.
10. Brushing Technology
One of the defining differences between these two toothbrush producers is the cleaning technology. These two brands employ different patented brushing technology.
Philips Sonicare uses sonic Vibration, while Oral B employs Rotations and Oscillations (In the more recent versions like Oral B 7000 and Genius 8000, they have added pulsations).
Philips uses vibrations also called Sonic technology. This involves movements of the bristles at ultra high speeds (62000 movements per minute) alongside your teeth.
Phillips Sonicare deploys the ultrasonic technology.
Ultrasonic technology simply means that the bristles make numerous circular movements around your teeth that sweep fluid around your teeth and in between crevices of your teeth to remove any food residue and plaque.
Unlike ordinary electric toothbrushes that vibrate between 2000-7000 strokes per minute, the Philips Sonicare Ultrasonic movements hit 31,000 strokes per minute.
These high-frequency vibrations enable Sonicare toothbrushes to be quite effective in removing plaque and providing overall dental care. Sonicare toothbrushes remove up to 7 times more plaque than ordinary electric toothbrushes according to Sonicare vs Oral B clinical study by over 50 Universities. The latest Adaptive brush head by Sonicare is clinically proven to clean 10 times better than a manual toothbrush.
The overall effect of ultrasonic movements is that your teeth become whiter and your gums get stronger and healthier because most of the plaque that makes your gums weak is easily removed when cleaning.
Oral B Rotation and Oscillation Technology: When Oral B first produced their first electric toothbrush over twenty years ago, they employed rotations movement in their teeth cleaning technology. Later they added Oscillations.
The combination of rotation and oscillation technique is the one used in almost all Oral B toothbrushes. In the Rotation and Oscillation technology, the brush head makes semi-circular back and forth movements as you brush from tooth to tooth.
This technology ensures that each tooth is brushed effectively. It dismantles any built-up plaque in the teeth and under the gum line. Recently Oral B has added pulsating movements in their high range brushes. Pulsations make the bristles to move in between teeth in an “in-out” movement of 0.5mm made by the brush head.
The movements start from the rear to the front. According to almost every Sonicare vs oral b study, the pulsations improve penetration of bristles in between teeth and hard to reach areas where it is difficult to dislodge and remove plaque.
This 3D technology (rotation, oscillation, and pulsation) is now generally referred to as Oral-b professional care Series. It involves angled movements of the brush that make 40,000 pulses per minute and 8,800 bristle oscillations that remove plaque around your tooth.
The brush is angled at 16 degrees for best results that cover all dimensions of your teeth. Scientific research indicates that 3D rotary technique of cleaning teeth is effective in removing plaque and organic stains.
It also reduces gingivitis inflammation and stain formation. This technique can make your teeth a few shades whiter in a matter of two weeks and removes four times more plaque than a manual toothbrush.
11. Differences in Bluetooth Connectivity
Philips Sonicare has only two models with blue technology embedded in it: DiamondClean Smart Series and Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Connected, These two brushes have smart sensors that send your brushing data to Sonicare App that will give you feedback and coach on how to improve your brushing experience for better results.
Oral B has the smart guide technology the uses Bluetooth to connect the toothbrush to a smart device. This enables users to track their tooth cleaning regime to know the progress they are making. The Bluetooth connectivity enables users to visually see their oral cleaning on a Smartphone screen.
These are the Toothbrushes by Oral B that have the Bluetooth technology feature: Pro 5000, 6000, 7500 and 8000 Smart Series
Only Philips Sonicare Has Ultra Violet Sanitizer
Philips Sonicare introduced UV Sanitizer in their top-end models. The UV sanitizer ensures that your toothbrush is 100% of free of germs and bacteria.
When your brush is stored in the open, there is a chance that stray microorganisms might get in contact with your brush. This could be in form of dust or any in the imaginable thing.
Boiling the brush in water is out of the question since the bristles are made of plastic. Running cold water on the brush does not get rid all microorganisms that may be on the toothbrush.
However, with a UV sanitizer, all germs and microorganisms will be denatured by Ultra Violet rays.
Availability of Tongue Cleaning Feature
Philips Sonicare brand toothbrushes don’t have tongue cleaning feature in their toothbrushes but they sell a tongue cleaner separately. Meanwhile, Oral B has the tongue cleaner functionality in its Oral B precision 7000 model.
Philips Sonicare Has Dual Charging System
Philips Sonicare, as already mentioned has a double charging system. You can charge the electric toothbrush on American standards sockets and on international electric sockets that usually operate on 220 voltages.
Oral B Electric Toothbrush Models
- Braun Oral-B Genius 8000, 9600 (Check Oral B Genius 9600 vs 8000 )
- Oral-B Pro series 7500, 7000, 6000, 5000, 4000, 3000, 1000 (Find Oral B 5000 vs 6000 vs 7000)
- Oral-B Deep Sweep 5000
- Oral-B Vitality
- Oral B Kids electric toothbrush (Check it on our Top 7 Best Electric Toothbrush for Kids 2019)
All the Oral-B models have been specially designed such that they can be placed back on their charging unit after using them without being on the risk of overcharging. It is usually recommended that after every 6 months, you completely discharge its battery then charge it fully again to keep it at its optimal level.
These toothbrushes use s a newly designed brush-heads that have an increased tooth coverage with a broader sweeping motion. This gives an overall better result when removing plaque. They feature a high speed bristle action that gives you that powerful yet gentle brushing action that ensures a deep cleaning action along your gum lines and in between your teeth. The oral-B models feature a slim design that allows you to easily access the hard-to reach ares of your mouth.
Apart from the cleaning action, the brushes have an illuminated display that when the brush is turned on, the back light will let you know which brushing mode you are on. A convenient charge indicator is also available to let you know of the battery levels at all times or when the toothbrush requires recharging.
These models feature a start-timer and a quad-pacer that ensures you brush your teeth properly and effectively. The smart-timer encourages you to brush your teeth for 2 minutes while the quad-pacer lets you know when it is time to change to the next quadrant of your mouth by beeping in intervals of 30 seconds.
The brushing modes. Oral B has different cleaning modes for the 2000 model upwards. The models start with the daily clean mode, and you simply have to press the mode button on the on/off switch to change to the preferred mode.
- The deep clean mode. This mode sets the timer to clean your teeth for 3 minutes.
- The daily clean mode. This mode is the regular mode of cleaning your teeth. -The massage mode. This mode is specifically designed to clean sensitive areas like the gums.
- The sensitive mode- This mode is the option to use whenever you want to clean sensitive gums or teeth.
- The polish mode. This mode is intense and helps to whiten your teeth giving them an extra sparkle. To achieve the best results, it is recommended that you use the ProBright brush head with this mode.
The Oral-B Vitality model
In the Braun range, The Oral-B vitality is the simplest and basic option. This model has a simple on and off switch, a simple timer that buzzes after the two recommended minutes to let you know that your brushing time is over and the lowest rotations. The base is also the heaviest and the thickest in the Braun range. This model comes with a couple of different colors. This lets you buy the preferred base unit with a given brush of your choice. This model is compatible with various other heads including the deep sweep head thus allowing you to customize the toothbrush to your needs.
Philips Sonicare Electric Toothbrush Models
- DiamondClean (Check Philips Sonicare 9300 vs 9500 vs 9700 DiamondClean Smart Series Reviews)
- Protectiveclean (Check Philips Sonicare 4100 vs 5100 vs 6100 Protectiveclean Reviews)
- Philips Flexcare Platinum connected (Find Sonicare Flexcare Platinum vs Sonicare Diamondclean)
- Philips Sonicare essence: HX5610/04, HX5610/30, HX5620/20, HX5630/50 (Philips Sonicare Essence vs. Sonicare Essence Plus)
- Philips Sonicare healthywhite: HX6731/02
- Philips Sonicare for kids: HX6311/02, HX6311/07
- Philips Sonicare Flexcare+: HX6921/02, HX6921/04, HX6911/02
- Philips Sonicare 2 series and series 3 plaque control (Check Sonicare Series 2 vs Series 3)
- Philips Sonicare easy clean: HX6511/50
Philips Sonicare Powerup Model
The Powerup is the cheapest of all rechargeable sonic toothbrushes in this range of toothbrushes. It vibrates at half the speed, has a smaller battery life and has no extra features. This is not a bad start if you are new to the sonic toothbrushes. Nevertheless, those who bought better Sonicare models and downgraded to this model have been bitterly disappointed with it. If you have a tight budget, this model is very affordable and worth its price.
Sonicare Easy-Clean Model
The easy-clean has a sleek design and with essential features. It comes with a Pro head. This head gets the balance between being soft enough for your gums and also hard enough to remove plaque from the teeth. This toothbrush received the “Best Buy” Award from the magazine. The easy-clean model is very compatible with other brush heads in the Sonicare range thus giving you a wide variety of heads to choose from if you may not prefer the default brush head.
This toothbrush takes 13 hours to charge it fully. After a full charge, this brush will last you 42 sessions if you brush your teeth for 2 minutes. This is approximately three weeks. It has an LED indicator on the on and off switch that alerts you of how much battery life is left. A flashing green light with 3 beeps means that there is less than 5% battery left and the toothbrush needs a recharge, a flashing light means that the battery is running low, and a solid green light means that the toothbrush is fine. This toothbrush gives you a basic yet effective way of removing plaque from your teeth. A perfect toothbrush for you.
Oral B 8000 vs Philips Sonicare Diamondclean
Let us compare the new Oral-B Genius Pro 8000 vs Philips Sonicare Diamondclean Smart. According to Oral B the new Oral B Genius 8000 is their most highly developed toothbrush yet.
As we all know the Philips Sonicare and Oral B are the key players in the electric toothbrush industry.
They are always head to head with each other in producing the best electric toothbrush in the market.
Oral B was the first to design a brush that connects to a smartphone app via Bluetooth connectivity. Sonicare did not waste time; they came up with Sonicare Flexcare Platinum connected that uses blue tooth connectivity to aid users in improving their teeth cleaning skills.
However, the flagship DiamondClean which is arguably the most prestigious Sonicare brush did not have Bluetooth connectivity.
All that changed in May 2017 when Sonicare unleashed The DiamondClean Smart Sonic Series with an App that provides a 3D mapping of your teeth cleaning progress.
Comparison Chart
| Electric Toothbrush |  Oral-B Genius Pro 8000 |  Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9700 |
|---|---|---|
| Key Difference |
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Sonicare Diamondclean vs Oral B 7000
It is no doubt that Oral B 7000 and Sonicare DiamondClean are top range premium electric toothbrushes with features that make teeth cleaning effortless, fun and most importantly effective. They both leave you with that feeling you get after you leave a dentist chair after a thorough clean. So what exactly makes these two flagship toothbrushes tick? Let’s find out by first exploring key features and how they can benefit you in your teeth cleaning regime.
Comparison Chart
| Electric Toothbrush |  Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean |  Oral-B 7000 |
|---|---|---|
| Key Difference |
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| Check it on Amazon | View it on Amazon |
Oral B 5000 vs Sonicare Flexcare Plus vs Oral B 6000
These two have different number brushing modes:
In this case, the Oral B 5000 has an edge because it has teeth whitening mode. However, this will depend on your personal preferences.
The Flexcare plus HX6921/30 runs on patented sonic technology that most customers find comfortable. It’s batteries last three weeks and like most Philips Sonicare, toothbrushes, it has a dual charging system.
However the Oral B 5000 precision professional not only do you get a whitening and gum mode unlike the Flexcare Plus that only has gum care, you also get smart guide Bluetooth connectivity.
With the smart guide, you can track your tooth cleaning regime to see where to make an improvement.
Choosing the Oral B pro 5000 here over the Sonicare Flex plus will give you more bang for your money.
Oral B pro precision is highly recommended by dental experts largely because of its tooth by tooth cleaning and has proved to be a hit with many customers.
In this case, you are better off going for Oral B 5000 pro smart series with blue tooth connectivity if you are looking for a toothbrush in this price range.
However when you compare Philips sonicare diamondclean vs oral b 5000, the DiamondClean is a winner because is has superior cleaning modes, long lasting battery and runs on patented sonic technology that is clinically proven to dislodge more plaque than a manual brush.
DiamondClean
also has the adaptive brush head that flexes the contours of every tooth to ensure that every inch of surface on your tooth is covered.
The swirling sonic revolution sweep fluids in between your teeth and they form ripples that remove plaque hidden plaque including under your gums.
Oral B Pro 6000 vs Sonicare Flexcare Plus
Although the Flexcare Plus has quality features like illuminated lighting, premium travel case, and long lasting brush. We think the Oral B 6000 comes close to offering more or less the same features yet it is more fairly priced compared to the Sonicare Flexcare Plus. However when it comes to oral b vs sonicare whitening, the Flexcare platinum with whitening mode is a strong contender.
Oral B Pro 3000 vs Sonicare HX6511/50 Easy Clean vs Sonicare 2 Series Plaque Control
These two are fairly mid-priced toothbrushes by Oral B vs Sonicare. Which one of this gives you more value for your money?
Oral B Pro 3000has three brushing modes (Daily Clean, Whitening and gum care (for sensitive teeth). It also has a bristle indicator that notifies you when your brush heads need replacement and a pressure sensor to alert you when brushing too hard.
Unlike Oral B Pro 3000 the Sonicare Easy Clean doesn’t have a pressure sensor. You might argue that all Sonicare toothbrushes are specially calibrated to starter and stall when brushing too hard, but that is not at the same level as a dedicated pressure indicator.
The Philips “pressure sensor” is a default generic setting while the one in Oral B 3000 one is a dedicated hands-on pressure sensor that will beep whenever you brush too hard. Brushing too hard can be harmful to your gums.
The Sonicare Easy Clean only has one brushing mode, which can be limiting in case you want to explore different brushing modes. Sonicare Easy Clean HX6511, however, has a long lasting battery that lasts up to three weeks compared to Oral B pro 3000 battery that lasts only 7-10 days on a full charge.
All in all, you will get more value if you go for the Oral B 3000 because it offers more specifications and brushing modes that will enhance your teeth cleaning experience.
Oral B 3000 vs Sonicare 2 Series Plaque Control HX6211/30
In this case, though the Oral B 3000 has more cleaning modes, it does not offer dedicated brushing modes that dislodge caked in plaque. As we know complete removal of plaque is quite crucial in oral care.
Sonicare Plaque control has a dedicated Proresults brush head that is said to be quite effective in removing plaque.
It also has three intensities to cater to diverse dental hygiene needs and has a long lasting battery for your convenience. For this reason, you will be better off going for Sonicare 2 Series. In our opinion, it offers better value for money given that it is competitively priced. Its closest model Sonicare 3 Series is arguably the best electric toothbrush for sensitive and receding gums, it will easily win any oral b vs sonicare receding gums contest.
Oral B Pro 1000 vs Sonicare Essence
Both these low priced toothbrushes are simple but still effective at cleaning your teeth. They both have one basic brushing mode: Clean/daily clean. They also have the two minutes and timer and quadrant.
Apart from the bristle indicator in the Oral B 1000 black or white , there is nothing that really separates these two other than:
Philips Sonicare trademark long-lasting batteries and comfortable cleaning experience (Sonicare brushes are relatively less noisy than Oral B.
Sonicare brush heads look similar to manual brushes and most customers find this comfortable when in use.
Philips Sonicare Essence features an angled neck handle and bristles that are contoured that make for a comfortable brushing experience.
It also has the easy start feature that enables new users to get used to the Sonicare cleaning experience by reducing the number of vibrations of the brush when they initially start using Sonicare brushes. The vibrations are then gradually increased to the maximum 31000 strokes per minute when one gets used to cleaning with Sonicare brushes.
If you are looking for a functional affordable toothbrush then the Philips Sonicare HX5610 is the one to go for.
Which is Better? Oral B or Sonicare?
In the battle between Oral B vs Sonicare , we all agree that both of them are the best electric toothbrush brands on the market:
Both these patented techniques of oral hygiene have data-driven evidence that proves them to be effective in cleaning teeth. They have both been scientifically proven to remove plaque hidden under the gum and in-between teeth. In spite of the high-speed movements in Philips Sonicare Sonic technology and Braun Oral B 3D (rotating, oscillating and pulsating) technology, both of these patented cleaning techniques are gentle on the gum and offer overall comfortable cleaning experience.
Some studies indicate that Sonicare is slightly better at reducing gingivitis inflammation than Oral B. However the margins are so small to make any solid conclusion.
References:
- sheffield.academia.edu/PeterRobinson/Papers/387134/Manual_versus_powered_toothbrushing_for_oral_health
- A six-month clinical comparison of the efficacy of the Sonicare and the Braun Oral-B electric toothbrushes on improving periodontal health in adult periodontitis patients.
- A comparison of the Braun Oral-B 3D plaque remover and the Sonicare plus electric toothbrush in removing naturally occurring extrinsic staining
- Comparison of an oscillating/rotating electric toothbrush and a ‘sonic’ toothbrush in plaque-removing ability.
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