Philips Sonicare HX6511/50 EasyClean Review

No, its a good brush which we have given a rating of 4/5. It is a little basic, however.

We look at the pros and cons further down the page, but one of the main drawbacks is that is expensive for an equivalent from Oral-B. The HealthyWhite Deluxe HX6731/02 offers more cleaning modes but is nearly double as much again.

2. Which other brushes should I consider in this price range?

Two other options from Philips are the HealthyWhite Deluxe HX6731/02 if you are willing to spend more to get more, or the Sonicare HX3110/02 which offers a little less in performance but is cheaper.

Going cheap means primarily you sacrifice the battery life which goes from 3 weeks to just 1 week, but there is around £15 to be saved. But if willing to spend £30 more you can get 2 extra cleaning modes, an extra brush head an a travel case.

We have put together a series of lists which look at budgets and user needs which could help you in making a decision. Take a look at these lists in our best electric toothbrush roundup.

3. Where’s the best place to buy the HX6511?

Typically we recommend Amazon because it is very competitive on price and often has special offers running. It also offers free delivery. However, it’s always worth checking out other retailers as well.

Design, Usability, Clean & General Use

The EasyClean HX6511 is a rather clinical looking brush, there is little in the way of unique design cues or colours to really catch your eye.

Some may argue that this is fine of a toothbrush, but I would personally like to see a little more personality in a brush.

The gloss white plastic body that houses the internal workings of this electric brush is almost perfectly cylindrical.

On the front is a mint green colour power button just above halfway up the body of the brush.

The soft rubber button has a raised power icon on it which not only signifies that it is the power button but offers a little grip when using with wet hands.

Contoured into the body of the brush, it provides a good feedback when pressed and is not too stiff, so even those with small hands or limited movement will find this ok to use.

Within the power button itself is an LED indicator light that illuminates when in use to feedback the battery power.

It is on the back of the brush that we find a series of ridges on the plastic body that offer up additional grip to hold the brush firmly in the hand.

 The EasyClean HX6511 offers only 1 cleaning mode and that is the common ‘Clean’ mode designed for the everyday user.

This brush is not really ideal for those who have specialist oral health requirements.

The clean mode last for 2 minutes in total or 120 seconds.

Activated by pressing the power button, the brush head with kick into life with the bristles on the brush head moving to offer up to 31,000 strokes per minute.

Built into the brush is a timer or quadpacer.  At 30, 60 and 90 seconds the quadpacer will provide an audible tone to indicate to you that it is time to move to another quadrant of the mouth.

Spending 30 seconds on each of the 4 sections of the mouth will allow you to get a good clean of the teeth and gums.

At the end of the 2 minute cycle the brush will automatically switch itself off so you do not have to and ultimately indicates that the recommended 2 minute clean is complete.

If you wish to use it for longer, you will have to switch the brush back on again.

When in use the brush is very quiet and there is just a high pitched humming sound that comes from it.

A nice touch with this brush is that out of the box, the brush does not initially begin working at full power.  An ‘Easy-start’ mode is enabled which means that over the first weeks usage or first 14 cleans, the brush  intelligently increased the amount of power and number of strokes the brush head completes.

This mode is designed to ease you and your teeth and gums into the increased power and efficiency offered by an electric toothbrush compared to a manual one.

Some will find this very handy, others not so.  It can be turned off, through a precise process explained in the manual.

Over the days and weeks that you use the brush the LED indicator will change colour to reflect the remaining battery power in the brush.  A solid green light indicated 50-100% power remaining, whilst a flashing green light suggest 5-49% remaining. A flashing green light and 3 beeps after the brushing cycle means that there is less than 5% remaining and toothbrush has to be recharged

Included in the box is just one brush head, the standard ProResults brush head. This can be detached from the brush and should be changed every 3 months.

Optional extras that can be fitted to this brush include a mini ProResults brush head which has a smaller head suitable for smaller mouths or those with limited jaw movement and assists in getting into tighter positions within the mouth. 

Summary of Design, Usability, Clean & General Use

• Clinical looking brush
• All white with mint green power button
• LED indicator on power button for battery status feedback (different colours for different power percentage remaining)
• Ridges on the rear for grip
• Slim and comfortable to hold at just 130g
• 1 cleaning mode known as ‘clean’
• Built in quad pacer and 2 minute timer tells you when to change quadrant and finish brushing
• Quiet brush with a high pitched humming sound
• EasyStart feature which increased brushing power over 14 days

Battery Life

There is no faulting the battery life on this brush.  It is superb and knocks the competition for six.

Based on one user, the EasyClean will last for 42 x 2 minute cleans, that is 84 minutes of brushing time or 3 weeks usage.

Marginally larger than comparable brushes the slight increase in size is outweighed by the battery life.  If you went away on holiday you would no need to worry about taking a charger with you.

If multiple people use this brush (remember to change the brush head) the usage time will still be up to 84 minutes of brushing, but the number of weeks usage will decrease.

Part of why the brush is so efficient is that at the end of a 2 minute cleaning cycle it automatically powers off.

It is a simple feature which not only conserves power but saves a button press for the user and is a great indicator that brushing time is complete.

Less noisy than an Oral-B brush, the Philips motor appears to be more efficient in its power use.

Included in the box is a charging station.  Connect this charger to the 2 pin socket in the bathroom.  If you do not have one, purchase an adapter and you can use with conventional 3 pin mains in the UK.

When not in use the brush can be kept on the charging to keep the battery topped up.  Do remember constantly being sat on the charger can reduce the working life of the battery, but doing so does not invalidate the warranty.

To prolong the battery life it is good to run down the battery life completely occasionally.

Summary of Battery Life

• 84 minutes of usage time or 3 weeks usage based on 2 cleans a day
• Powers off the brush at the end of a cleaning cycle
• A charger included in the box (comes with a 2 pin shaver socket connector)
• Prolong battery by discharging fully every so often

Price & Where To Buy

The HX6511/50  has a recommended retail price of £90.  However it is easy to pick this up for around half the price.

With a little savvy shopping you may get this for less than £40 but at the time of writing we were able to purchase this from £40 to £50.  You tend to find the best prices online (we recommend checking out Amazon), with the high street often being a little more expensive.

For the price you get a reasonable brush. You can source equivalents cheaper but the battery life is not so good.  An extra brush head or travel case in the box would give the feeling of a little more value for money.

Here at Electric Teeth we like to work out the cost of ownership over what we deem to be the average life of an electric toothbrush, which we deem to be 3 years.

Sadly Philips only offer a 2 year warranty where Oral-B offer 3.

This brush requires replacement brush heads for each user every 3 months.  Replacement heads can be purchased in packs of 4 and are priced on average between £18 and £20

Using the average cost (based on one user), the EacyClean HX6511 will cost £88 or just 8p per day to own.  This does not exclude the cost of water, toothpaste and electric to charge it, but you get a rough idea.

There is a good chance the brush will last longer, which means you will obtain even better value from it.

Please note that all costs quoted are approximates and prices will vary based on location, supplier, time of purchase.  These figures should not be relied on as hard fact but as a guide, based on real information at the time of writing.

Summary of Price

• RRP of £90
• Available for around £40
• Replacement brush heads are about £19 for a pack of 4
• Works out at around 8p per day over 3 years

Reliability & Long Term Use

Any brush exposed to water, toothpaste and saliva will over time built up deposits of grime on the brush handle and around the brush head attachment.

The plastics and other materials used on the brush are designed to resist wear as a result of the chemical makeup of things it will come into contact with.  However, it is always advantageous to rinse and wipe down the brush with a cloth or towel to remove any excess grime and ensure a longer life for the brush.

Conclusion

It is not a feature rich electric toothbrush.  It looks really quite clinical too, but what it does is do a job and do it well.

Your teeth will feel clean after using the HX6511/50.  The sonic technology helps remove up to 2 times more plaque than a manual brush.

A little more expensive than some the big win when using the Philips brush compared to any other is the battery life, 3 weeks without a charge is simply brilliant.

Electric Teeth Rating

Size Guide

Height (without head) – 19cm

Height (with head) – 25cm

Width – 2.7cm

Thickness – 3.3cm

Weight (without head) – 127g

Weight (with head) – 132g

All are approximates

Frequently Asked Question & Answers

• What is clean mode?
  • This is the comprehensive everyday cleaning mode that works with the provided brush head to effectively clean the teeth using the pulsating bristles of the brush head of the Philips brush that move at up to 31,00 strokes per minute.
• Does it have any other cleaning modes?
  • No, the HX6511 has only 1 cleaning mode.  For more consider the HX6731 or HX9332.
• What brush head does it come with and what alternative ones can be used?
  • The HX6511 comes with 3 different brush head options.  The /50 reviewed here comes with the ProResults head but there is the /43 DiamondClean and the /44 Sensitive brush head options which can be purchased separately and interchanged with the brush handle.
• Does the Sonicare HX6511 have a pressure sensor?
  • No, it does not.
• Does the Sonicare HX6511 have Bluetooth?
  • No, it does have Bluetooth connectivity.
• Does the Sonicare HX6511 have sound connectivity?
  • Yes, it does although it is not advertised with it.
• Does the Sonicare HX6511 come with a warranty & how long is it?
  • If purchased new from an approved retailer the Sonicare HX6511 will come with a 2 year warranty.
• Does the Sonicare HX6511 have a built in timer?
  • Yes.  Often referred to as the quadpacer; subject to the cleaning mode the brush will provide an audible warning through a slight pause in the brushing mode to tell you to change quadrants.  There are 4 quadrants to the mouth, and brushing is normally for 2 minutes.  The timer will active at 30 second intervals, with a different sound at the end of the 2 minutes.  
• How long does the battery last?
  • The battery lasts up to 84 minutes, which is 3 weeks worth of cleans based on 2 cleans per day.
• Does it come with a charger?
  • Yes, a charging station is included with the Sonicare HX6511.
• The charger is 2 pin, how can I use it?
  • The charger is a 2 pin/prong charger designed to be used on voltages of 220-240 volts.  It is a 2 pin charger suitable for connecting to shaver sockets found in many bathrooms in the UK & Europe.  If you do not have a shaver socket, you can purchase an adapter that will allow the charger to be connected to a standard 3 pin UK mains socket.
• Can this be fixed to a wall?
  • The Sonicare HX6511 charging station or brush head holder has not been designed to be fixed to a wall.
• Can I use the Sonicare HX6511 in the shower?
  • Yes. The Sonicare HX6511 is waterproof so if you choose you can use it in the shower
• Does it come with a travel case?
  • No, a travel case is not included in the box.

Philips Sonicare EasyClean HX6511/50 Electric Toothbrush User Guide/Manual

http://download.p4c.philips.com/files/h/hx6511_50/hx6511_50_dfu_eng.pdf

Your Opinions

Do you own or have you used the Philips Sonicare HX6511/50?  

Are there certain features that you really like or dislike?

Let us know what you think about this brush and let others who may well be considering purchasing one know your opinions before they do.