Sonicare vs Oral-B: 2024 head-to-head

Sonicare vs Oral-B: the short answers

I know you might be short of time and want quick answers, so I've included them in the table below.

If you click on one of the questions it will jump you to a more detailed explanation.

And the long answers

In the following sections I look more closely at the headline answers I've given above. For some of the categories it is not quite as simple as selecting just one brand that is better, so I explain the nuances in more detail below.

Which has the best brushing technology?

In my short answers, I said Oral-B.

Evidence shows Oral-B to remove more plaque. Although in reality this may not be as important as it seems.

Both Oral-B and Sonicare use slightly different technology and engineering to do the same job.

It’s a bit like having a gas or electric heating in your home.  Both can heat your home but they do so in slightly different ways.

Both are better than using manual toothbrushes. Pitchika et al published the results of an 11 year study in 2019. They proved that powered toothbrushes were effective in reducing the probing depth for people with gum disease. This is the distance between the top of the gum and the tooth - a smaller gap indicates better gum health. They also found that people using electric toothbrushes retained more teeth.

Back to which has the better technology.

Philips uses Sonic technology whilst Oral-B uses an Oscillating-Rotating approach.

This animated gif shows how the sonic and oscillating-rotating motions differ.

We also have separate buying guides on Oral-B brush heads and Sonicare brush heads that explain the difference between the brushes.

Sonicare technology has two methods to clean the teeth. There is a mechanical method and also a non-contact method.

The mechanical cleaning uses physical contact between the bristles and the tooth surface. The motor causes the head to vibrate. This vibration causes the bristles to move side-to-side and remove plaque by scrubbing the surfaces. This is similar to a manual brush except the motor moves the head, not you.

To be called a sonic toothbrush this vibration must be at a speed that causes and audible hum. This is up to about 20,000 Hz (or vibrations per second). Vibrations faster than this are "ultrasonic" and can not be heard by the human ear.

The second method is a non-contact approach. The vibrations or sound waves themselves disrupt plaque beyond the tips of the bristles, without the bristles actually touching that area.

The exact way that this happens is not fully understood, but it is thought that very high frequencies cause liquids to move and create "hydrodynamic forces" which damage the plaque layer in hard to reach areas (1). This intense vibration agitates fluids that surround the teeth and can loosen and remove dental plaque in locations that are beyond the physical touch of the toothbrush. To have this effect the waves actually need to be working at a much higher speed, in the ultrasonic range, greater than 20,000 Hz.

The ultrasonic (non-contact) method of cleaning is good, but not effective enough by itself. This is which Sonicare (and similar toothbrushes) work at a range of vibrations that also includes speed which physically remove debris. Because you can hear the vibrations, these brushes are called sonic brushes. Purely ultrasonic brushes should not be used on a day to day basis because they do not remove all the plaque.

Many brushes in the Sonicare range offer up to 31,000 brush strokes/62,000 movements per minute. The exact number of movements depends on the cleaning mode and intensity selected. Not all brushes have different cleaning modes or intensity choices.

The brush head on a sonic brush is a lot like a manual toothbrush in its size and shape. It covers several teeth at the same time, and is oval shaped.

Oral-B’s cleaning is completed via an Oscillating-Rotating series of movements.

Oral-B brushes have a small, round brush head that moves in a circular motion to help remove plaque and dental debris.

When using an oscillating-rotating toothbrush, you should gently move the brush head from tooth to tooth, letting the brush do the cleaning.  The movement of the bristles and the head itself essentially scrub the teeth clean. You don’t need to repeatedly move the bush up and down, back and forth.

Oral-B brushes have a small, round brush heads. These heads turn 45 degrees to the right and then 45 degrees to the left. This is a rotation movement. In addition to rotating in a circular motion, they also oscillate back and forth.

This oscillating-rotating movement is referred to as '2D' cleaning by the brand.

Add in Pulsations (essentially vibrations) and this now becomes '3D' cleaning. This pulsations is a movemen back and forth - i.e. towards the tooth surface and away again.

Pulsations offer a more sophisticated motion and give another dimension to the brushing.

Whereas the 2D cleaning requires the physical movement of the brush head against the teeth, pulsations are essentially a 'non contact' form of brushing and relies on pulsations/vibrations like Sonicare brushes do.

Overall, research does support the Oral B technology as being better at removing plaque than the Sonicare technology. There are individual studies in favour of each respective company. Both are better than using a manual toothbrush.

Clinical studies such as this one suggest a marked difference in the clean offered by the oscillating rotating brush compared to the sonic option.

That study was published by Procter & Gamble, the parent company of Oral-B. 

In 2014, Klukowaska et al again concluded that the oscillating rotating brush from Oral-B outperforming Sonicare. They reported

"The oscillating-rotating brush with the novel brush head demonstrated statistically significantly greater reductions in all gingivitis and plaque measures compared to the sonic toothbrush. The benefits for the oscillating-rotating brush over the sonic brush were 32.6% for gingivitis, 35.4% for gingival bleeding, 32% for number of bleeding sites, 22% for whole mouth plaque, 24.2% for gingival margin plaque, and 33.3% for approximal plaque".

Other research, such as that by Strate et al also agrees. They conclude "Based on the findings of this single-use clinical evaluation, the action of the oscillating/ pulsating power toothbrush is more effective at plaque removal than a high frequency power toothbrush.".

On the other hand a 2019 study in the Journal of Clinical Dentistry (page A9) funded by Philips Oral Healthcare shows their sonic toothbrush to outperform the oscillating-rotating of Oral-B.

This is backed up by a 6 month study by Robinson et al that concluded: "Sonicare brush is superior to the Braun brush in reducing gingival inflammation and probing depth".

There are plenty of other individual studies in either direction.

Part of the problem is that studies require a large amount of funding. Inevitably, it is the larger organisations who can make the monies available, hence much of the data comes from research financed by the likes of Oral-B and Sonicare.

There is independent research available. These come in the forms of reviews of all available papers, and are considered a better quality of evidence than individual studies.

One such independent study was completed by Cochrane in 2020 and they report that there is some evidence that oscillating technology used by Oral-B is more effective.

Two other 2021 research reviews - by Thomassen et al and El-Chami et al also agree- the oscillating-rotating technology removes more plaque than the sonic technology.

Whilst the evidence is that there is a fairly certain small benefit, whether this will make much difference in the mouth is unclear. This is because results from tests in the lab do not automatically translate to real world scenarios.

For example, you also have to consider your technique - how you brush with an electric toothbrush. Both types of toothbrush need a different technique to manual toothbrushes.

But the technique is different for the different technologies too. The correct way to use an Oral-B toothbrush is different to a Sonicare.  So, whilst the studies may suggest Oral-B is better, if someone used a Sonicare with the correct technique, compared to an Oral-B user with the incorrect technique, the Sonicare would likely perform better for that user.

The way the cleaning is done will have different sensations in the mouth. This will influence your decision on the best brush for you.

Having used many different models and different cleaning modes from both brands, Oral-B’s clean can feel more abrasive/aggressive. You are left with a ‘clean’ feeling, this can be at the expense of a slightly more uncomfortable clean for some people.  Sonicare models feel softer and more delicate whilst still leaing your mouth feeling clean and fresh.

This is clearly personal preference. Some people will want to feel the clean, whilst others may find it overbearing.

Whilst perhaps Oral-B has the edge the good news is that both are beneficial.

Which has the best design?

In my short answers, I said Sonicare.

So this is perhaps one of the most personally influenced categories on which to judge a toothbrush.

Generally speaking, Sonicare brushes have a more clinical look and feel to them.  Many of them are a matte white with very mild/soft colour accents on the power buttons and occasionally a rubber grip.

The most premium range, the DiamondClean series is much more focused on design and whilst there is a white option there is a rose gold, pink and black too.

Oral-B brushes often have a gloss white plastic body that is accented by a large rubber grip that runs down the front handle.  The colour of the grip depends on the model.  From black, to pink to blue to green, you generally do not have much choice when actually buying the brush model you want (although this is improving), but the accent makes the brush a little more appealing and different and generally less clinical to look at.

Which offers the most features?

In my short answers, I said Sonicare.

In recent years, Oral-B was the winner here, but since Sonicare have introduced BrushSync, I feel they now have more features available on some of their brush handles. What you might class as a feature may differ, to me.

Despite claiming Sonicare win this category, Oral-B tends to offer more features on cheaper brush handles. More cleaning modes, a pressure sensor and Bluetooth connectivity on models that are cheaper than Sonicare, allowing those with a restricted budget to get more for their money.

Most Sonicare brushes have 1-2 cleaning modes unless you go up to the most premium model which offers 3-5; whereas Oral-B has 1-4 modes until the most premium models that offer 5-6 modes.

• I explain Oral-B cleaning modes here
• I explain Sonicare cleaning modes here

A pressure sensor is something that you didn't see all that often on Sonicare brushes, but newer brush handles come with it as standard. Although present, the implementation is not quite as good as Oral-B.  With Oral-B it is a light on the back of the brush handle that illuminates when the brush detects you are brushing too hard.  It is a simple and easy way to become aware of the issue that is brushing too hard. Sonicare have a vibration alert, whilst functional is less obvious.

A newer feature (although it has been around for a few years now) is Bluetooth connectivity which shares brushing data with your phone.  Sonicare have 2 models that can do this whereas Oral-B have 8.

Sonicare offers an Easy-Start mode which increases the power of the brush over the first 14 cleans, easing in a new user.

They do also offer an automatic power off feature which in my opinion is the best feature and most applicable of all additions over the basic cleaning mode.

What propels Sonicare forward is BrushSync, which I explain in detail here, but essentially it is a 2 part system that alerts you when it is time to change your brush head and selects the most suitable cleaning mode, based on the brush head fitted to the handle.

Whilst all these features are great, there is one thing that many of us, myself included forget or overlook and that is how we use them.  It is all very well having 6 cleaning modes, but what is the point if we only use them once or twice.  Most of us fall into the trap of just using the standard ‘Clean’ mode most of the time.  We either forget about the others or simply don’t bother.

The pressure sensor is great, but after about 2 weeks, you know how hard or soft to brush.

Sonicare’s easy start mode, brilliant.  Not really worthwhile after those first 14 cleans….

Box contents could also be considered here, however, I have given this its own category.

Which is quietest?

In my short answers, I said Sonicare.

There is no contest here, Sonicare brushes as a whole are much quieter.

Sonicare produce a strong vibration and humming sound, whereas the Oral-B brushes produce a much louder mechanical noise.  It is hard to explain the difference.

The best thing to do is watch the following video.

For a more detailed scenario, imagine cleaning your teeth in the bathroom of a house in the middle of the night when everyone else is asleep.  With an Oral-B brush unless you closed the bathroom door you would likely wake someone up.  With Sonicare you could leave the bathroom door open and probably nobody would hear you.

Some Sonicare models get close to the sound levels of the Oral-B brushes but this is usually on specific deep clean/power intensive modes.

Oral-B's iO range is quieter than most other Oral-B models, but it is still on average about 10 decibels louder than Sonicare.

If the noise of the brush is particularly important to you, take a look at our article, what's the quietest electric toothbrush which includes decibel readings to show how loud or quiet popular brush models are.

Which has the most accessories?

In my short answers, I said Oral-B.

I stand by this as you do generally get more in the box with Oral-B brushes.  Be that brush heads or other useful items.

As you would expect, generally speaking, the more you pay, the more you get.

Take Oral-B Smart 5 5000, you get a brush handle, a couple of brush heads, a charging stand, and a holder for your brush heads, travel case and smartphone stand.

With the more premium Genius 9000, you get the handle, multiple brush heads, a charging stand, a brush head storage compartment, a travel case and smartphone holder.

The accessories often look to serve a purpose and tie in with the brush.  For example, the brush head storage compartment that can store up to 4 heads is normally provided with a brush that has different cleaning modes and in an ideal world a specific brush head would be used for each cleaning mode, thus the tray is provided to give a home to those heads when not in use.

For most, I think the travel case is most useful as it is one of those things we do not need every day, but when travelling it can be a great accessory to keep things together, protect the brush and the head and avoid accidental activation.

Sonicare brushes tend to be supplied less frequently with a series of accessories but the ones that they do, could be considered to be more useful, this is personal opinion of course.

For example, some models have the option of a UV sanitiser.  Not only does this provide a home for up to 2 brush heads, but it also cleans bacteria and germs off the brush head via a light bulb emitting UV rays.  To me, this has more perceived value and usefulness than a plastic moulded tray that accommodates 4 brush heads.

The Sonicare travel case that comes with the Sonicare DiamondClean and Prestige range can charge from a USB port on your computer, or connect to a charger like you might use for your smartphone, making it more versatile than the Oral-B equivalent.

Which has the best battery life?

In my short answers, I said Sonicare.

Oral-B fall a bit short of the mark set by Sonicare.

Typically Sonicare brushes last for 2 or more weeks. 3 weeks is the average, with some lasting as long as 5 weeks between charges, and that is with twice daily use.

Oral-B’s longest lasting toothbrush brush lasts about 16 days.  This is quite disappointing in comparison.

How important this is will depend on your routine.  It is safe to leave either brand of brush on charge for a prolonged period of time but for frequent travellers, the extended life of the Sonicare may be preferred.

Although subject to model most in both ranges have battery indicators that give a guide as to when a charge is required.

The reason behind this power difference primarily is the battery technology used.  Sonicare have for a long time been using the more desirable lithium-ion batteries whereas Oral-B have only just begun using lithium and although improved from older standards have not quite perfected it yet like Philips.

Some extra life is achieved by Sonicare I believe via the quieter and possibly more efficient motor as well as the automatic power off feature, something Oral-B does not have.

Which is the most innovative?

In my short answers, I said Sonicare.

This is one of the most difficult categories to pick a winner for and both Sonicare and Oral-B are innovative in their own right.

Oral-B was the first to introduce Bluetooth to the toothbrush and their implementation of the pressure sensor is more user friendly.

Oral-B does appear most innovative as their flagship iO has artificial intelligence.

This is very cutting edge and does work.  However, Sonicare toothbrushes offer a similar thing, with less prominent marketing and actually, in my opinion, is implemented better from a user perspective.

Sonicare have too introduced BrushSync technology which Oral-B have yet to match.

Is the more practical travel cases offered with some Sonicare toothbrushes innovation?  You decide.

There are limits to the innovation that can exist within a toothbrush, but Sonicare appears to be shaping change more than Oral-B.

Which is the best quality?

In my short answers, I said Sonicare.

This is much harder to quantify and say for sure.

I was using an Oral-B electric toothbrush which was 5 years old and still working perfectly, is this a sign of quality?!

Is the look and feel of a brush in hand how you should judge the quality?

I think both feed into the 'quality'.

The reason I believe that Sonicare is the best quality overall is because of the feel and performance in hand.  Sonicare, to me at least feel more robust and premium, the plastics look and feel stronger and the overall experience is that more effort and attention to detail has been put into the product.

Oral-B do offer a better warranty, 2 years as standard with an optional 3rd year if you register online.  This shows confidence in the product that Sonicare does not.

Sonicare offer a 2 year warranty.

Which is the cheapest?

In my short answers, I said Oral-B.

Oral-B brushes tend to start from about £15 whereas a Sonicare starts at around £30.

Oral-B rushes tend to be about 20-25% cheaper for like equivalents, but this can stretch even further.

There is a perception of better value for money with Oral-B brushes that is often justified.

However, matters like battery life have a personal value that is not equal for all.

Whilst both brands are subject to discounts and typically can be purchased for 40+% off their RRP with a little shopping around, it is Oral-B brushes that are more heavily discounted on the whole and more actively marketed as being on offer, particularly around Christmas.

Which is best for families?

In my short answers, I said Oral-B.

Neither Sonicare or Oral-B are perfectly suited to families in my opinion, but out of the two, Oral-B is certainly the better for a couple of reasons.

I'll explain these briefly below, but we do have a separate guide on sharing an electric toothbrush.

Often budgets kick in more frequently with a family, as does the likelihood of different users having different needs.

On this basis Oral-B brushes offer more cleaning modes at a cheaper price, meaning it is more cost effective for a family.

Many Oral-B models come packaged with a number of different brush heads, and acquiring new ones is often a few pounds cheaper per head for an Oral-B compared to Sonicare.  As a rough guide, an Oral-B replacement heads average around £3 compared to the £6 of Sonicare.

Oral-B brush heads have coloured rings, to help identity whose brush head is whose.  This is not a feature found on Sonicare models.

There is often the inclusion of a brush head storage tray which can accommodate up to 4 brush heads, whereas Sonicare models do not tend to come with any storage compartment for brush heads.

Oral-B does also offer select models that come with dual handle packages.  Meaning the same accessories but two brush handles included.  A his and a hers maybe, or one for the parents and one for the kids.  This is a nice touch.  Although more expensive than the single handled pack, the dual handled models do have an overall cost saving.

As good as this is, only one charging stand might be a bugbear for some.

One thing to point out is that brushes with Bluetooth can only properly support one user.

Which is best for travel?

In my short answers, I said Sonicare.

If compact and lightweight is the biggest draw as a traveller then neither brand really has that box ticked.  Ok, they are not huge or mega heavy but Colgate’s 250R is lighter and thinner as is a regular manual toothbrush but may lack features.

I do look at travel options more closely in my post on the best toothbrushes for travel.

For me, Sonicare wins because of battery life primarily.  With up to 3 weeks on most models, that covers most people for more than enough time when travelling.  Just take the brush and no charging stand.  With Oral-B, even with the most premium brush, you may need to consider taking a charger for a 2 week holiday.

If you invest in the Sonicare ExpertClean, DiamondClean or Prestige series you get provided with an excellent quality travel case that allows the brush to be charged in the case.  Just connect the cable to a USB port.

Oral-B does offer a travel case, that allows you to charge the brush inside. However, you need to take a proprietory travel adapter, not the internationally accepted USB power cable.

Other models from Sonicare that do not come supplied with a case, do come with a charging stand that supports voltages from 110-240 volts. Oral-B, on the other hand, comes with stands that typically only support 220-240 volts.  This means it is more difficult to travel with an Oral-B brush as there is less global support for different voltages used around the world.

With either, you will often need an adapter to connect them to different power sockets and that adapter will often regulate the voltage but with Sonicare, you have peace of mind that it will work safely because of the support for the broader voltage range.

Which has the best warranty?

In my short answers, I said Oral-B.

As standard, both brands come with a two year warranty, but UK residents can extend the warranty on most Oral-B brushes by an extra year if you register it online.

Three years is an extra year compared to Sonicare and it is free!

Sonicare put a clause in their warranty that the battery is only supported for twelve months (one year) whereas no such clause exists for Oral-B models.

In most instances warranty issues are dealt with on a case by case scenario and it would appear that Sonicare are more likely to replace than repair should something go wrong, but Oral-B does have quite a slick warranty repair process with quick turnaround times.

Additional considerations

I believe that the twelve categories on which I have used to judge Sonicare vs Oral-B cover most instances and factors that you might consider when choosing a toothbrush.

However, you might have even more specific factors to base your decision on.

For example, if you are specifically looking for something with a sensitive cleaning mode and a pressure sensor that costs less than £40.  Despite what might be a personal desire to go for Philips because you trust the brand and like the quality etc, your only option is likely to be an Oral-B model.

Water Resistance

Whilst both brands typically are designed to resist water and can safely be rinsed under the tap and used in the shower, neither brand would really recommend or advise prolonged exposure to water and certainly advise against immersion/submersion in water.

Timers

Most Oral-B and Sonicare brushes have timers built in. These come in two forms, a timer that tells you when to change quadrants in the mouth and a timer that tells you the clean is over.

A normal clean lasts for 2 minutes and you should spend 30 seconds cleaning each of the 4 quadrants of the mouth.  Most Oral-B and Sonicare brushes have both timers built in.  The 30 second pacer is a pause in the brush head motion that in turn changes the sound emitted from the brush.

The 2 minute timer on Oral-B is a longer/different pause pattern whereas with Sonicare the brush usually automatically turns off. Nether are essential, but both go a long way in making sure you clean your teeth for the right amount of time.

Trial Period

Both brands offer a small but possibly useful option.  Their money back guarantees/trial periods, allow you to test a product and return it for a refund if you are not happy.

Oral-B call this the 30 day money back guarantee.

Sonicare has a 28 day money back guarantee.

Sonicare vs Oral-B: which brushes in each range are equivalent?

At the time of writing both Sonicare and Oral-B have about 15 different models each in their ranges.

That excludes the different colour options and those that come packaged with different brush heads in the box.

I am commonly asked what the equivalent brushes are within the Sonicare and Oral-B ranges.

For example, readers may ask, 'I am looking at the Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4300, which is the equivalent from Oral-B?'

Or: 'I am looking at the DiamondClean from Sonicare, which is the best from Oral-B?'

There is rarely an exact like for like, there are always differences between the 'equivalent' models.

The following table gives my opinion on which models most closely match between the 2 brands.

You will notice some brushes occur twice from the same manufacturer. This is intentional and happens because of the cross over of features between the two manufacturers.

Within the table, I have linked to my review of each brush — to read the review simply click the brush name.

Typically I do not create detailed comparisons for cross-manufacturer brushes, however, I have compared the two flagship models in my Oral-B iO vs 9900 Prestige post.

There are further comparisons available via our electric toothbrush comparisons hub page.