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Medically Reviewed
Published: January 4, 2024

Oral-B Pro 600 review

Author: Jon Love (22 Comments)
Medical reviewer: Dr Gemma Wheeler, BDS
Oral-B Pro 600 review 1

Cheap, cheerful and functional

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There is no arguing that this is a good electric toothbrush and will serve the majority well.

But, there are a couple of shortcomings which are rectified in other models.

Pros

Cons

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Slim and grippy handle

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The pressure sensor isn’t obvious

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Easy to use with 1 cleaning mode

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Battery life could better

Spend a bit more on this brush

I strongly urge you to opt for the Oral-B Pro 3 3500 over the Pro 600.

Make no mistake, the Pro 1 600 performs well all things considered. But, the 3500 is a more refined model and addresses shortcomings of the 600.

A visible pressure sensor, more powerful brush motor, longer battery life and additional cleaning modes are all part of the reason it is our top pick from all your options of best electric toothbrushes.

If you are on a budget however and you want something now rather than saving up for our recommended model, the Vitality 100 is the brush to go for.

Design, usability, clean & general use

Out of the box, the Pro 600 offers what you need and no unnecessary extras. It is about getting the job done and that is commendable.

The handle colour and brush head supplied will depend on what variant you purchase, there are a few different ones. The difference is the brush head supplied in the box.

Whilst the pink or blue handle may appeal to you, each brush does the same job of cleaning the teeth and they all do that really well.

There are essentially 2 key parts to the toothbrush, the handle and the head.

The handle houses all the electronics.  They are sealed inside, which means the toothbrush is water resistant.

The Pro 600 has a  pretty nice design overall.

Oral-B Pro 600 Electric Toothbrush

It does not have quite the premium look and feel of some Sonicare toothbrush models, in my opinion, but the overall shape and form factor is very practical.

It has a rounded shape to the handle and is not perfectly cylindrical. It is a little deeper than it is wide, but it does feel relatively slim in hand.

What always impresses me about the Pro series from Oral-B is that the design and size suit most people, from an older child right through to pensioner with limited movement in the hand. Each can normally comfortably hold, grip and use the brush.

This is a form factor that exists on all the Pro series brushes. The handles get a little larger with the more capable Genius series.

Making the brush feel particularly secure in hand is the rubber grip that runs down the front of the handle.

On my brush this is a light blue colour, but as the 'variants' section above shows, other choices exist.

The splash of colour makes it a little less clinical looking in comparison to some other brushes.

Oral-B Pro 600 in hand

The sides and back of the handle are a gloss white plastic that contrast with the grip.

There is a single button on the front of the brush handle, that stands out because it is white in colour. 

It has a convex design, and it slightly recessed into the handle.  It is not the stiffest button to press, but it is not the softest either.  There is a bit of resistance to it.

When pressed it starts and stops the one cleaning mode on this brush, which I will cover in more detail very shortly.

Above and below this power button are contours in the rubber that drive the eye and the finger/thumb to it.

The lower third of the brush handle has the Oral-B and Braun logo embossed into the grip.

Below these sits the battery and charging icons which illuminate when the handle is being charged or when the power is low.

The 600 is supposed to offer up to 10 days of use on a full charge.

The rear of the handle has grips running down from the top towards the bottom. These raised plastic notches are functional but slightly rougher to the fingertips. A pro and a con, using rubber here would be nice as it would feel even better and look more premium.

The Pro 600 will stand up on a flat surface, even though the base of it has a recess into which the prong on the inductive charging stand fits.

Oral-B Pro 600 review 11

A small but neat touch is on the back of the brush handle, right at the bottom is a small plastic notch which looks a bit out of place until you understand that this stops the brush rolling about if laid flat on a countertop.

Extending from the top of the handle is a metal shaft to which the replaceable brush heads fit.

1 brush head is included in the box. The exact style will depend on the variant you choose. One of the most popular options is the CrossAction head.

Oral-B offers a range of different brush heads, each of which are explained in detail in our brush heads article.

All of the heads work with the Pro 600, simply pushing onto and pulling off of the brush handed. One particular style may be better suited to you, but generally, I recommend the CrossAction or Sensi UltraThin for daily use.

Clinically proven to be effective, the small round heads clean the teeth well and are a little easier to move around the cramped spaces of the mouth in comparison to some larger brush heads.

CrossAction brush head

The Pro 600 has an oscillating, rotating and pulsating cleaning actions. The head moves in a side to side circular motion and back and forth too.

It delivers up to 8,800 oscillations and 20,000 pulsations per minute on the daily clean mode.

Each brush head should be replaced every 3 months on average, sooner if the bristles are showing obvious signs of wear.  

The blue bristles within the head will fade over time to a pale blue/translucent colour.  This is a cue for you to change.  

Using for longer than 3 months can potentially result in the head not cleaning as well and even doing damage to the teeth and gums.

To activate the 1 cleaning mode on the Pro 600 all you need do is press the power button.

Oral-B Pro 600 review 12

At this point the brush head spins into action and the built-in timer and pacer are activated.

These help you and me brush for the recommended 2 minutes and encourage us to brush the teeth evenly too.

The logic is you spend 30 seconds cleaning the teeth in each quadrant of the mouth (upper right, upper left, lower right and lower left).

At the end of the 2 minutes you will have achieve a good clean of the teeth and gums.

Once powered on, at the 30 second intervals, the Pro 600 will provide an audible warning via a slight pause in the brush motor.  This is your cue to change from one quadrant to another. 

Once the 2 minutes are up 3 brief pauses in the brush motor will be heard and felt.  This is your cue that the clean is over. If you don't hear or feel these pauses, keep brushing, you haven't achieved 2 minutes.

The brush does not turn off after 2 minutes. To turn the brush off you will need to press the power button again.

The Pro 600 provides a very good clean overall. You will unlikely have any complaints. The increased number of movements from the brush head really help give a thorough clean.

For your own benefit, do try and perfect your technique so you remove as much plaque as possible. We show you how in our article, how to clean your teeth properly.

Some might question whether 1 mode is enough and for most people it is.

Additional modes are by no means essential. But, if I were to demand any additional mode it would be a lower powered sensitive cleaning mode that the likes of the Oral-B Pro 3 3500 has.

This is particularly nice for first time users to use as it helps get you more used to the power of the electric toothbrush, but from time to time even experienced users might enjoy the slightly more gentle brushing.

A small but noteworthy point is that the motor in the Pro 2 series is a little more powerful on the daily clean mode.  What this means is that the head moves a bit more during each clean.  It could help produce better results in the long term, but honestly, it does not make a significant difference, you still get a great clean from the 600.

Oral-B Pro 600 laid on back

Although not heavily promoted by Oral-B or the retailers stocking this brush, it does have a pressure sensor. 

Although it exists, it is implemented a little differently to most other Oral-B models.

There is no visible pressure sensor.  This means no red light on the handle that lights up to tell you it has been activated.

Instead, if you brush the teeth with too much force, the sound of the brush changes slightly as will the cleaning action.  The motor slows down and the pulsations are stopped.  It can be quite difficult to notice this change, particularly for new users.

The key here is that the brush will take the steps to try and prevent doing any unnecessary damage.  If the pressure is relieved the motor will power back up again.

Just be aware that bristles really only need to skim the teeth.  Only a little brushing force is needed.  More scrubbing pressure does not equal a better clean.

So whilst it is a useful feature, the fact that it is hard to spot or realise it is even activated is a negative.  The Pro 3 3500 has the visible sensor, which is much easier to detect.

It would be nice if the Pro 600 cam with some extra brush heads or a travel case in the box. It is by no means a deal breaker, because actually it is a good value toothbrush, but these would make it a more attractive offering.

This is another potential appeal for the Pro 3 3500 as it comes with a case.

Existing Oral-B users will likely be pleased with the performance of the Pro 600. It is definitely a worthwhile investment over the cheaper Vitality models.

New electric toothbrush users might take some convincing, so to help with that Oral-B offer a 30 day money back guarantee/test drive programme which allows you to return the brush if you are not happy for any reason, and get a refund.

As standard, a 24 month warranty is provided with the Pro 600, but register the brush online and you get an extra 12 months at no extra cost, so 36 months or 3 years in total.

Summary of design, usability, clean & general use

Slim and comfortable brush to hold and use
Looks good - different colour options available
1 cleaning mode
Cleans the teeth well
1 brush heads included
Alternative brush heads available
Built-in quad pacer and 2 minute timer to help you achieve an even clean for the recommended time
Pressure sensor built-in
Not a visible sensor so hard to detect when activated
Water resistant and can be used in the shower

Battery life

What you expect in terms of battery life from a toothbrush may well be different from what someone else expects.

For me, I generally like to see a brush offering 2 weeks use on a full charge.

I think this is an ideal amount, because it covers the use cases for most people.

You can go away on holiday for a couple of weeks and not have to worry about charging the brush and having to take the stand with you.

Most toothbrushes will exceed this. Sonicare have a very good reputation here.

In all honesty, for many of us, we don’t need this because we are often at home and the charging stand is the natural place to leave the brush when not in use, thus the battery is constantly topped up.

It is perhaps no surprise that budget models like the Vitality series offer just 5 or so days on a single charge.

The Pro 600 has a claimed life of up to 10 days.

‘Up to’ feels a bit vague.  Given that there is only 1 cleaning mode, what changes that it might achieve less?  Well the brushing time is usually what causes the variance, but the standard brushing time is 2 minutes, or at least it should be.

My hand’s on time achieved a maximum of 9 days or 18 brushing sessions of use.  This is based on brushing twice a day for 2 minutes each time.

Although I managed 9, by day 8 the motor was slowing, the battery indicator flashing and really it needed charging.

I am quite disappointed that the battery did not last a full 10 days.

Battery/Charge Icon Oral-B Pro 600

The rechargeable battery is sealed inside the handle.  It is not user removable.  It is a Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery.  

Whilst there is nothing particularly bad with an NiMH battery, Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) tends to be more common and popular now.

The vast majority of other toothbrushes in the Oral-B ranges now offer a 2+ week battery life.

Safe to say the 600 failed my 2 week test. Not necessarily a reason to write it off completely, but just something to be aware of, particularly when the frequently mentioned Pro 3 3500 offers nearly twice the performance from its battery.

When in use, you don't actually get too much feedback from the battery icon on the handle, it will just flash red when the power is low.

By the time it begins flashing, you may also notice the motion of the head slowing slightly to and feel the decrease in brush power.

In the box when you buy the brush is a fairly basic but functional charging station. 

The white charging stand has a 2 pin plug hardwired into it.  This 2 pin connector is for use with the 2 pin socket found in many bathrooms in the UK. 

If you do not have one, you can purchase an adapter and recharge your brush using the conventional 3 pin mains in the UK. 

Pro 600 toothbrush being placed on charging stand

The small prong on the top marries up with a recess in the bottom of the brush handle and will charge the brush fully in about 8-12 hours. I tend to leave it on charge overnight. 

When charging the battery charging icon flashes green and it will stop flashing and go out when the brush is fully charged.

The charging stand itself supports 220-240v.

If you were to take this with you on holiday in Europe, you would need a plug adapter, but not a voltage adapter.

If off to the USA, you would need a voltage and plug adapter to handle the different power supply found here.

Summary of battery life

Claimed battery life of up to 10 days
Achieved up to 9 days or 18 brushing sessions
Really needed recharging by day 8
A charger included in the box
Takes about 8-12 hours to charge fully
Can be left on the charger
The status icon flashes green when charging and red when the battery is low
Works on 220-240v

Price & where to buy

I have included links to buying options here at the start of the review.

In the section below, I discuss the price more generally and in relation to similar products.

It is not totally clear what the recommended retail price of the Pro 600 actually is. It seems to vary from one retailer to another. Typically it is between £50 and £60.

Do not pay this price.

Of course, it is your money and ultimately your decision, but I want you to know that Oral-B brushes in the UK actually sell for around 50% less than retail most of the time.

This means the typical selling price is somewhere between £25-30.

It sounds ridiculous to have such a big discount, but that is the situation and I wouldn't want you to feel cheated. Particularly when you don't have to do much in the way of shopping around to get that price.

Of course, it is always subject to change, but most large retailers follow this pricing model. If you think the price is a bit high it's also worth checking other retailers before you buy.  It can be worth checking eBay too.

Box of Oral-B Pro 600 Toothbrush

I purchased this model for just £25.

At £25 this is a very fair price for what you get, I can't really grumble.

Here at Electric Teeth to try and give a benchmark for comparison, we like to price the brush over a 3 year period.

Based on 1 user, you will require 11 additional brush heads over the 1 supplied in the box.  At an average price of £3 per head, this is a further £33 to add to the price.

This gives a total cost of £58 or just £0.05 per day to own.

This price does exclude the cost of water, toothpaste and electric to charge it, but you get a rough idea and is one of if not the cheapest decent electric toothbrushes available at the moment.

3 years is just a benchmark. It does in this instance tie in with the length of the warranty you can get with the Pro 600. There is a very high likelihood it will last much longer and deliver even better value.

I do still believe the Pro 3 3500 is a better buy all things considered, although it is more expensive to buy. It works out at £0.07 per day.

Please note that all prices quoted are approximates and will vary based on location, supplier and time of purchase.  These figures were correct at the time of writing and should not be relied upon as hard fact, but used as a guide during your decision process.

Summary of price & where to buy

Recommended retail price of £50-60
Generally available from £25-30
Works out at around 5p per day over 3 years
A great value toothbrush
Possibly worth spending £10 more on the Pro 3 3500

Reliability & long term use

Having been using Oral-B brushes for many years personally along with having put many through extensive tests we can be pretty confident that your brush will still be functional 4 or 5 years down the line.

With a regular rinse and wipe down the brush will stand the test of time.

Plastics and rubber may start to discolour but you should not really expect failure.

The weakest point is the battery. After this time this is most likely to fail due to the constant charge and discharge and internal parts could wear out but anything beyond three years and you are doing well.

Remember, register your brush online to get a 3 year warranty, which is better than most would expect and gives you added peace of mind.

Conclusion

It is cheap, cheerful and functional.

It may sound like there are sacrifices but the performance and build quality are as good as any brush three times the price.

There is no arguing that this is a good electric toothbrush for the majority and you are not wasting money if you buy one.

However, as good as it is, the Oral-B Pro 3 3500 is, for many a better buy.

The Oral-B Pro 3 is pricier it is, but it brings more cleaning power, double the battery life, extra cleaning modes and a pressure sensor.

Size guide

  • Toothbrush height with head - 23cm / 9 inches
  • Toothbrush height without head - 19.5cm / 7.7 inches
  • Width - 2.5cm / 1 inches
  • Depth/thickness - 3cm / 1.2 inches
  • Weight with head - 124g / 4.4oz
  • Weight without head - 119g / 4.2oz
  • Package weight - 400g / 14.1oz

Noise

  • 72dB

Country of manufacture

  • Germany
Author: Jon Love
Medical reviewer: Dr Gemma Wheeler, BDS

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S
Shelby
July 12, 2021

Is this toothbrush suitable for kids ages 6?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
July 12, 2021

It can be used by children aged 6. Best to ensure you have a sensitive brush head attached. You also want to monitor the childs reaction to the power etc. Most should be fine.

A
Ahn
July 17, 2020

I've used elec OralB for more than 20 years. Model 600 is the best for sensitive teeth and it is slim. I order it from UK, receive a 220VAC plug. I have to messed with it to get the plug correct. Wish I known it is from UK

M
Michelle
October 14, 2019

Hi, I bought a Oral-B pro 600 toothbrush, do I have to fully charged before I first time use it ? Thanks.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
October 15, 2019

No you do not Michelle. You can use it straight out of the box.

SL
Sheila Lawrence
November 30, 2017

I bought one of these for my husband and although very efficient it takes getting on for 2 days to fully charge. Even if he uses the brush more often surely it shouldn't take that long to charge

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
December 1, 2017

Hi Sheila, Thanks for the comment. As we point out in our article 'Charging an Electric Toothbrush', the Pro 600 will take up to 16 hours to charge. Sounds like something could be wrong with the brush/charger you have.

E
Engjell
September 23, 2017

How many ROTATIONS per minute does the Oral B Pro 600 have?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
September 25, 2017

The Pro 600 has 8,800 oscillations and 20,0000 pulsations per minute.

T
Tasha
March 1, 2017

Whats the recommended age for this? Can i get it for my 8 year old?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
March 2, 2017

Yes Tasha, this is perfectly fine for an 8 year old.

Gk
Graeme king
October 19, 2018

What about a 6 year old?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
October 21, 2018

Hi Graeme, This could work for a 6 year old yes. To be honest with you, 6 years old is the youngest age for a child to use this with due to the size of the brush head. Even for some 6 year old's the brush head might well be a bit big. I would also encourage getting a sensitive brush head, as this will be more gentle on the childs teeth and gums. You may want to consider the Oral-B Pro 2 2000 which has the benefit of a pressure sensor, so you can help teach the child not to brush with too much pressure.

G
Gaz
January 4, 2017

Ok. I bought this for my other half from Home Bargains last week. Charging it up fully took 27+hrs. Used twice a day, it has lasted 3 days & has been back on charge for the past 15hrs & is still flashing green. My Philips Sonicare lasts for 3-4 weeks b4 it needs charging & that only takes 12hrs. This will be going back to the store for a full refund.

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
January 6, 2017

Sorry to hear this Gaz. It should be lasting about 7 days based on 2 x 2 minute cleans a day. Is your partner brushing for longer than 4 minutes in total a day which could affect it?

N
Nernst
December 5, 2016

Currerntly £19.97 on Boots web site. Don't know if it is the same in store.

CM
Charlie McFarland
November 30, 2016

How many pulsations per minute does the Oral B Pro 600 have?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
December 1, 2016

Hi Charlie, it has 8,800 oscillations per min and 20,000 gentle pulsating movements per minute. It only has one standard brushing mode so operates at these specifications whenever in use.

AC
Anon Comment
November 26, 2016

It used to be easy to research if the actual motor used in the various models provided the same oscillations. Do you have any information comparing this?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
December 1, 2016

Hi, The Pro 600 has 8,800 oscillations per min and 20,000 gentle pulsating movements per minute. It only has one standard brushing mode so operates at these specifications whenever in use. The next step up from this would be the Pro 2000, this is the first standard full power one in the Oral-B range. It has the same 8,800 oscillations as the 600 but has 40,000 pulsations so is slightly more powerful. The brushes in the range above this continue with this same oscillation and pulsation count until you get to the top of the range Genius models which offer the most powerful 10500 rotations and 48000 pulsations per minute. We hope this helps.

H
Howard
September 21, 2016

Can the charging base of the Oral-B Pro 600 be used to charge the Oral-B Pro 6500? Are the charging bases identical?

JL
Jon Love - Chief tester
September 21, 2016

Hi Howard. Yes you can use the same charger. We do not have an original boxed unit of each to give 100% confirmation that they are identical but we are 99% sure that they are.

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