Be sure you’re charging for the full time noted in the manual. For iO series as of 7 it takes 3 hours. For iO 6, Genius and Smart range and Pro 3 it takes 12 hours. For our Vitality toothbrushes, that’s 16 hours. For the other brushes, they should be charged for up to 24 hours. What’s more, it delivers an excellent clean, with three modes – Sensitive, Daily Clean and Whitening – that take you all the way from a softer brush that’s easy on the gums to a more intense polish that should help get rid of staining. Battery life, meanwhile, is exceptional; you’ll easily get through two weeks of brushing and probably three without a recharge. It’s the king of sensibly priced brushes and one of the easiest recommendations in the Oral-B range.

If you want to save some money, you’re not restricted to the manufacturer’s own heads. A few smaller, third-party manufacturers make Sonicare- or Oral-B-compatible brush heads, which usually sell for much less than the real deal. Philips and Oral-B will tell you that you’re not getting the same quality or clean from these cheaper heads, but in our tests some have been perfectly effective. Kids/Junior series: Variations of the Vitality, Pro and Smart Series brushes aimed at kids and teens. Often slightly smaller and featuring favourite characters or more colourful designs.

Looking to replace your old toothbrush or treat yourself to the latest tech? We’ve tested the best electric toothbrushes for every budget

With our Vitality and PRO toothbrushes, it can sometimes be difficult to know when they’re correctly switched off. If they’re on the charger while switched on, they won’t charge correctly. The best thing to do is to put it on the charger for 30 minutes or so, and then try to switch it on. If it switches on, that’s great, and it was correctly switched off while charging. However, if doesn’t switch on, that might mean that it wasn’t switched off during charging. The best Oral-B electric toothbrushes to buy in 2023 1. Oral-B Vitality Pro: Best cheap Oral-B electric toothbrush However, the best reason to get the DiamondClean 9000 is that you’re still getting the best clean available in the Sonicare range. The Deep Clean + mode might even be too intense for some people, but you can turn down the intensity or switch to the regular Clean or White + mode to enjoy a clean that will leave your teeth feeling polished, and even get rid of much of the plaque and debris that can accumulate between your teeth. Meanwhile, the Gum Health mode is brilliant for treating and toughening up soft gums. Not everyone wants the bother of an app-enhanced dental routine, so if you’d rather spend a little less but still get a great toothbrush, then the iO Series 3 could be for you. It delivers the same magnetic drive technology as the other brushes in Oral-B’s flagship iO-Series range, but comes without the advanced sensors and Bluetooth connectivity to monitor your brushing and send the data to your smartphone. In practice, that means a quieter brush with a more comfortable vibration, and one that still leaves your incisors feeling polished and your molars super-clean, as well as doing a fantastic job of clearing plaque from between your teeth.

If you’re not bothered with the whole idea of apps and smart toothbrushes, then the iO Series 3 is amazing value and, arguably, the best brush in Oral-B’s whole range. It boasts the same magnetic drive technology as the other brushes in Oral-B’s flagship iO-Series range, but comes without the advanced sensors and Bluetooth connectivity to monitor your brushing and send the data to your smartphone. In practice, that means a quieter brush with a more comfortable vibration, and one that still leaves your incisors feeling polished and your molars super-clean, as well as doing a fantastic job of clearing plaque from between your teeth. READ NEXT: The best electric toothbrushes to buy Are all Oral-B brushes compatible with the same brush heads? Ordo electric toothbrushes boast Sonic Pulse technology with 40,000 pulses per minute that not only cleanses the surface of your teeth but deep cleans them as well. Not only this, but they also come with more than 3 weeks of battery life and a smart 2-minute timer. Whether you're looking for a men's range or a women's, we've got it all. Battery life is also solid for a budget brush, while it takes just four hours for a recharge. Most importantly, though, this is a big step up in cleaning from manual brushes or cheaper battery models, and you can kit out the whole family without breaking the bank. Smart Series: The Smart series builds on the Pro series with Bluetooth connectivity and basic smart features. Some models are quite old now, but still effective.

Confused by Oral-B’s sprawling range of toothbrushes? Well we’ve picked out the best of the brand’s brushes for every need and budget

To assess battery life, we leave the toothbrush running while standing up and time how long it takes for the battery to run down. We then divide this figure by the four minutes per day brushing recommended by dentists to get an accurate idea of how many days and weeks a single charge should last. Battery life isn’t up there with some Sonicare models – you’re looking at a recharge roughly every three weeks – but if you want the latest and greatest toothbrush tech for less, there’s no better buy.

The best electric toothbrushes are clinically proven to do a better job than the manual brushes of old and should be part of everyone’s everyday dental routine. After all, we would all like squeaky clean teeth and a whiter smile – and absolutely no-one enjoys fillings or root canal surgery. The One doesn’t have the brushing power of a larger Sonicare brush, but it’s ahead of other battery-powered electric toothbrushes and does a great job of leaving your teeth feeling shiny and clean. The relatively gentle movement is also brilliant for massaging along the gumline. The best electric toothbrushes you can buy in 2023 1. Oral-B Vitality Pro: Best cheap electric toothbrush Make sure you are not charging the toothbrush on a metal surface. The metal can interfere with the charging process. It’s basic, with just one setting, but you do get a timer, with the brush pulsing every 30 seconds and switching itself off after two minutes. We also like the unusual pink, blue and yellow colour choices.

The best Oral-B electric toothbrushes to buy in 2023

All our toothbrushes apart from the Vitality and PRO 500 have a charging light. It should blink green during charging. Note that this can take up to 15 minutes to start happening if the toothbrush was entirely drained of battery during brushing. When charging is complete, the blinking should stop. iO Series:>Oral-B’s flagship range, using a new magnetic motor and redesigned heads for a gentle yet effective clean. Smart features come as standard, while the higher-end models come with magnetic chargers and other premium accessories. Does it deliver as good a clean as the more expensive Sonicare models? Maybe not. Even when you move beyond its Soft and Gum Care modes for the White and Polish options, you don’t quite get the power of a mid-range Philips brush, not to mention alternatives from Oclean or Ordo. However, your teeth feel clean after brushing and the Gum Care mode gives your gums a decent massage, while the Soft mode is ideal for first-time electric toothbrush users or those with sensitive gums. What’s more, it delivers an excellent clean, with three modes – Sensitive, Daily Clean and Whitening – that take you all the way from a softer brush that’s easy on the gums to a more intense polish that should help get rid of staining. Battery life, meanwhile, is exceptional; you will easily get through two weeks of brushing and probably three without a recharge. It’s the new king of sensibly priced brushes. However, finding the best toothbrush for you can be a minefield. Not only do all the toothbrushes look nigh-on identical, but the manufacturers seem to have decided that confusion is good for business, producing several different ranges with different characteristics all at the same time. It’s hard to distinguish between so many similar products, while the boxes and adverts bombard you with pseudo-science and marketing-speak.