We think that electric toothbrushes are the way to go. But what makes a good electric toothbrush? Not all are built the same.
THE PRODUCT
This is the Huawei Lebooo electronic sonic toothbrush, and
it goes for about ₱1,300. Heads cost ₱300 a pair. With the replaceable
toothbrush head, it measures 25cm. The main body, where you hold the brush, is 3cm
in diameter. It weighs less than 200g, so while it’s heavier than a manual
toothbrush, it’s not heavy enough to strain your grip as you use it.
The model here is matte black, though it also comes in white
and pink. The replaceable head is 8 cm. The bristles are arranged in an oblong,
and when you turn on the brush, you’ll notice the bristles oscillate side to
side (this is the horizontal direction). There is only slight movement in the
vertical direction. The box includes 2 of these heads. There is a single button
down the middle of the main body, and pressing repeatedly cycles you through 4
modes:
- Cleaning mode: 33,000 times/minute
- Massage mode: 32,000-33,000 times/minute (you’ll notice in this mode that the speed of the brush changes)
- Bright whiting mode: 27,000-38,000 times/minute
- Personality mode: Customized
The modes each have an icon, which light up. A single LED dot is below and is used as a charging indicator. At the base is the charging socket, a USB Type B. This is revealed by popping off the cover, which includes a silicon seal for water proofing. This is an IPX7 Waterproof toothbrush, which means it can be submerged up to 1 meter for 30 minutes.
It has a battery of 2,800mAh, and this lasts about 3 months.
It also has a Bluetooth feature but as many reviews have pointed out,
instructions and app are in Chinese. Also included in the box is a stand, which
is meant to be mounted on a wall via the double-sided tape it comes with.
Weirdly, the stand cannot keep upright on its own if unmounted (you’ll need the
brush so it can balance upright). I also has a timer, it’s a distinct pause and
buzz that tells you you’re at 1 minute, and turns off after 2 minutes.
BUYING GUIDE
- Oral-B: These are the most popular ones. You can get battery replaceable ones for ₱500 or less. Rechargeable ones are ₱1,200 for the Vitality and ₱2,500 for the Pro’s. These are effective toothbrushes, but the 8-day battery life on these are not good. They also lack multiple modes. The ibrush is the model you will want for multi-mode, but these are expensive at the ₱5,000 range.
- Philips Sonicare: These brushes are a bit more expensive ₱5,000 primarily because of the multi-modes.
- China-brands: Like the Lebooo there are a lot of China brands like that of Huaweii’s or Realme. You’re looking at the ₱2,000 range for these.
ANG OKAY
The main reason I chose this toothbrush was the battery life.
Having used this for more than a year, I can attest to it: not only do I charge
every 3 months but charging also takes around 2 hours or less. It’s also a very
cheap toothbrush. Finally, the mode cycle is surprisingly useful, especially if
you have multiple users that need a different speed. As you know, some people
need a less vigorous setting to take care of gums. To be honest, you’re likely
to choose the same setting anyway, but it’s good that you have the choice. The
timer is also very useful.
ANG HINDI OKAY
My biggest issue with the toothbrush is bristle movement
because it’s very limited. One other brand, the Oral-B vitality (the most basic model), rotates at 7,600 per minute. The rotation allows for the bristles to move in more directions, which is what you need to dislodge any food stuff that is stuck. Now I understand that this is one reasons why the battery life of the Lebooo is so good, but when you brush with it, you’ll
have to put in some movement as well: in other words, the bristle movement is
not enough. I replaced by Oral-B because of battery life, but with that
previous toothbrush, I literally just had to put the head on the tooth without
any additional movement. The size of the brush head itself is an issue for me
because it’s too big. I know it is a standard size, but I liked the Oral-B
head, with is circular one instead of an oblong one. I may be in the minority
since I have kept my wisdom teeth, but I need special care to clean those, and
it’s a tight fit with the oblong shaped brushes.
There is also an issue with the toothbrush heads as unlike
the Oral-B versions, they do not come with colored rings that you can replace
so you can distinguish between heads. This will be an issue if the toothbrush
body is shared. Finally, the Bluetooth is a feature that I don’t particularly find
useful. It won’t make sense if you share the body.
VERDICT
■□□□ Oscillation issues are the big damper.
I won’t underestimate how convenient the battery life is. With
my previous Oral-B, I hated mornings when it ran out of battery. This is
probably the best in its class for battery. However, the brush movement is the
biggest issue here. It just isn’t good enough.