Best electric toothbrushes 2025: Oral-B, Philips and more (2025)

There are two main brands when it comes to the best electric toothbrushes. Oral-B and Philips have a dizzying selection to choose from, ranging from the sub-£20 Philips One to the super-expensive Oral-B iO10 and Philips Sonicare 9900 range. But what’s the difference between all of these brushes? Are they really better than a manual? Why are some of them so pricey? And are there any alternatives?

The best electric toothbrush isn’t necessarily the most expensive model with the most advanced features. You probably don’t need a Bluetooth-enabled coaching app to tell you how to brush your teeth, and you might not need a faux-leather travel case that doubles as a charger.

We asked Dr Praveen Sharma – a specialist in restorative dentistry and scientific advisor to the British Dental Association – about which features are most important. The expert recommends an electric toothbrush that’s rechargeable and has a timer, medium-stiffness bristles and a small brush head. “Don’t let the cost of really expensive brushes put you off,” says Dr Sharma. “Even the most reasonably priced ones can have the features listed above. Other features are in the category of ‘nice to have but not essential’.

“Whether you use a manual or an electric toothbrush, the most effective way to clean teeth is to use the correct technique, brushing all surfaces of the teeth for at least two minutes, with a fluoride toothpaste,” says Dr Sharma. “Your dentist or dental hygienist will be happy to advise on individualised oral hygiene regime/aids, including tooth-brushing training.”

The brushes we’ve featured have all of the basic necessities included, and many come with extra features, such as pressure sensors, which you may find useful. Where there are exceptions, we’ve pointed them out. We’ve also tested some more environmentally sustainable electric toothbrushes, which aim to reduce plastic waste by using recyclable brush heads.

How we tested

We tested a wide range of electric toothbrushes in the real world, by asking our reviewers to swap out their regular brush for each of the models featured below. Using these models for several weeks, our testers paid close attention to how well each toothbrush removed plaque and lingering food debris, as well as how comfortable each brush felt to hold, how user-friendly each model’s app was, how long each brush lasted on a single charge, and how easy they were to recharge.

The brushes in our round-up were tested on a variety of mouths, including those going through teeth-straightening with invisible braces and those with implants and sensitivity. We asked testers to rate the brushes on how thoroughly they felt their teeth had been cleaned after one- and two-minute intervals, as well as ranking them for battery life, portability and comfort.

We also considered the price of each electric toothbrush versus the ongoing cost of replacing the brush heads. Some of the more premium brushes require expensive replacement brush heads, but it’s worth shopping around online for off-brand replacements, particularly for the most popular toothbrush brands. There’s no quality guarantee when buying third-party brush heads but, during testing, we noticed no difference in results.

Why you can trust us

IndyBest is The Independent’s expert-driven shopping section. We thoroughly test every product we feature in real-world conditions to bring you unbiased reviews based on our extensive testing. We include products to suit all budgets, from premium to affordable, and we only recommend products we think you’ll love. Steve Hogarty is a tech journalist with more than a decade’s experience testing and reviewing gadgets. For this review, he personally tested dozens of electric toothbrushes, from big and small brands, enlisted the help of other testers with a range of dental-care needs and consulted oral health experts to determine which features to look out for.

The best electric toothbrushes for 2025 are: