Like many tools, the once-humble toothbrush has been transformed by technological advancements. There’s no good reason to continue using an old-fashioned manual brush when its electric, motor-driven counterpart is superior in almost every way. And there’s the key word: almost.
If there’s one factor that dissuades the diehard disposable toothbrush user from making the switch to electric, it’s cost. Some of the best electric toothbrushes are jam-packed with premium features and can set you can back a hefty £200, or more. Well, there’s good news if you’re looking for an electric toothbrush that provides the same brushing performance, at a fraction of the cost.
Without further ado, let’s explore the top 4 best electric toothbrushes for teens – under £100, from the biggest brands in the business – Oral-B and Philips.
1. Oral-B Pro 3 CrossAction Electric Toothbrush
If there’s one brand that springs to mind when someone says “electric toothbrush”, it’s Oral-B—and no wonder: it’s the number-one dentist recommended brand worldwide. An umbrella company of Braun—famous for its premier electric shavers and other personal care products—Oral B’s blue and white logo is immediately recognizable.
The Oral-B Pro 3 is an affordable, mid-priced option that features Oral-B’s round, dentist-inspired CrossAction brush head, and meets all our criteria for a great value electric toothbrush for teens, and is on par with the latest Oral B io4.
Braun Oral b Pro 3 3500 Key Features
- Up to one hundred per cent better at removing plaque than a manual toothbrush
- Triple-movement cleaning action oscillates, rotates and pulsates to break apart plaque
- Four cleaning modes
- Integrated pressure sensor
- Includes three brush heads: CrossAction, Sensitive and 3D White
- Uses 2-pin UK shaver plug (included)
- Stores brush heads in charging station
Superior Plaque Reduction
The round, CrossAction brush head was inspired by professional dental tools to surround each tooth. As the Pro 3 3500 advanced motor causes the brush head to oscillate, rotate and pulsate, plaque is broken apart and swept away. Oral-B electric toothbrushes are proven to remove up to one hundred per cent more plaque than a manual toothbrush.
Multiple Cleaning Modes and Brush Heads to Suit Most Needs
The included CrossAction brush head is well-designed. If you’ve never seen one before, the bristle clusters are set at 16-degree, crisscrossed angles, which allows them to reach around teeth and along the gum line, where the most stubborn and damaging plaque resides.
If the CrossAction design isn’t to your liking—though most people find it suits them very well—two other brush heads are included: Sensitive, for those with sensitive teeth and gums; and 3D White, whose brilliant (no pun intended) rubber polishing cup helps scrub away surface stains for a cleaner, whiter smile. The included brush heads work well with the four cleaning modes (Daily Clean, Sensitive, Gum Care and Whitening).
Timers and Sensors Keep Your Brushing on Track
The Pro 3 3500 helps prevent overbrushing, thanks to the integrated pressure sensor that lights up when too much pressure is applied. You’ll soon get the hang of brushing with a light touch, and your teeth and gums will thank you.
Every thirty seconds, an on-handle timer buzzes, reminding you to brush the next quadrant of your mouth. You’re also alerted after brushing for a dentist-recommended two minutes, letting you focus on cleaning your teeth, instead of watching the clock.
Why You Should Buy It
Oral-B’s Pro 3 is a solid contender. It’s no-frills, but not lacking in useful features. The included charging station keeps extra brush heads clean and out of sight, and the toothbrush performs very well, evidenced by an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on over 1,800+ customer reviews. We highly recommended the Pro 3 3500 to those seeking an outstanding electric toothbrush at a price teenagers could afford, that’s under 100 pounds.
2. Oral-B iO3 Electric Toothbrush
At a modest price increase compared to the Pro 3, in the range of £10 – £30 more depending on retailer pricing – Oral-B Oral-B iO3 is a technological step up from the Pro 3 3500. How does the 5 differ, and is the extra feature worth your money for adolescents?
Oral-B iO3 Toothbrushes 6 Key Features
- Integrated Bluetooth technology provides professional guidance and helps you track your brushing in real time
- Superior results vs. a manual toothbrush—removes up to one hundred per cent more plaqueOscillating, rotating and pulsating dentist-inspired round head thoroughly cleans teeth and deep along the gumline
- Four cleaning modes: Daily Clean, Gum Care, Sensitive and Whitening
- Travel case stores and protects toothbrush
- Includes 3 brush heads: CrossAction, Sensitive and 3D White
- Convenient charging station stores brush heads, uses included 2-pin UK electric shaver plug
Powers Away Plaque for Healthy Teeth and Gums
Like the Pro 3, Oral-B’s iO3 uses a dentist-inspired, round-shaped CrossAction brush head to surround each tooth with16-degree angled bristles that oscillate, rotate and pulsate – a triple-threat cleaning action that breaks apart and sweeps away stubborn plaque from around teeth and along the gumline.
Three Brush Heads and Four Modes for Versatile Brushing
The iO3 usually includes an Ultimate Clean brush head. The unique angled arrangement of the head bristles contributes to the brush’s superior plaque removal ability.
If the this brush head doesn’t suit you, don’t worry – the Oral-B iO3 may also come with Sensitive and 3D white brush heads – depending on the package you have bought. The former is great for those with sensitive teeth and gums, while the latter features a clever rubber polishing cup that removes surface stains, revealing whiter, healthier-looking teeth. The included brush heads work with any of the Oral-B iO3’s four brushing modes: Daily Clean, Gum Care, Sensitive and Whitening.
High-Tech Features: Bluetooth, Pressure Sensors and Timer
What most differentiates the Oral-B iO3 from the Pro 3 is its integrated Bluetooth technology. Bluetooth is a short-range wireless communications standard found on virtually all smartphones —and the Oral-B iO3 electric toothbrush, which communicates with your phone through the Oral-B app.
The app lets you know when it’s time to clean the next quadrant of your mouth—even showing a clever on-screen illustration to help you visualize exactly where to brush—and reminds you to replace the brush head.
Additionally, an onscreen warning appears if you’re overbrushing, reducing wear and tear on both the toothbrush and your teeth and gums. Built into the app are professional tips for maintaining optimum oral health, and the ability to track your progress and share results with your dentist.
Of course, if using an app isn’t for you, the iO3 pressure sensor and two-minute, four-quadrant timer work independently of your Bluetooth-enabled device (simplifying matters and sparing battery life).
Why You Should Buy It
Like the Pro 3, the iO3 Electric Toothbrush provides great cleaning performance in an affordable-priced package and an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. The Oral-B iO3 is geared more toward users that would enjoy using an app to monitor, track and record their brushing progress. Ask yourself if such a feature is worth extra money. If you answered, yes – get this brush! If you’re looking to max out your budget at £100 on an electric toothbrush, then this model would be the best choice.
3. Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4300
In the world of electric toothbrushes, two companies reign supreme—Oral-B, two of whose products made our list – and Philips, founded in 1891 in the Netherlands, as a manufacturer of carbon-filament lamps. Philips has come a long way – today, their sonic electric toothbrushes are loved and recommended by patients and dentists around the world.
The Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean electric toothbrush is a high-rated (4.4 out of 5 stars) mid-priced model whose appearance belies the advanced teeth-cleaning technology lurking within.
Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean Key Features
- Clinically proven to remove up to one hundred percent more stains than a manual toothbrush
- Available in verity of colours, including lush pink and matte black
- Smart Brush Heads alert you when it’s time for replacement for optimal brushing performance
- 3 cleaning modes – standard clean, whitening, and gum care
- Pressure sensor alert and Quadpacer system
Exceptional Plaque Removal at the Speed of Sound
Included with the Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4300 is a Philips DiamondClean brush head, so named for the diamond-shaped bristles. These geometrically-arranged bristle clusters remove up to seven times more plaque than a manual toothbrush, even from difficult-to-reach areas, like between teeth and along the gums.
Philips’ patented sonic cleaning technology vibrates the brush head a staggering 31,000 times per minute, allowing the bristles to hit every nook, cranny and crevice, and creating a fluid dynamics effect, whereby fluid in the mouth becomes so agitated, it’s driven between teeth, breaking up and flushing away plaque.
Integrated Timer and Multiple Brushing Modes
There are three cleaning modes on the Philips ProtectiveClean 4300 which doesn’t sound like much compared to orals-b’s five – until you consider the three intensity settings, which allow you to choose from one of what are essentially six customizable cleaning modes. And to keep your brushing on track and your mind on the task at hand, the Quadpacer Interval Timer alerts you to move onto the next quadrant of your mouth every thirty seconds, ensuring an even cleaning.
Why You Should Buy It
The Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4300 lacks some of the features found on Oral-B’s brushes—but for most users, it more than makes up for that lack with its excellent sonic cleaning performance. It’s considered a premium electric toothbrush that can retail for more than our £100 threshold for making this list, but we have found many places online selling it for less.
4. Colgate ProClinical Whitening Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush
Enter the Colgate ProClinical – an effective and affordable electric toothbrush that cleans brilliantly without punishing your bank account, and the perfect bathroom upgrade for your morning brush.
Key Features
- Keeps teeth and gums healthy by removing five times more gumline plaque than a flat-trim manual toothbrush.
- Soft-bristled brush head is easy on gums, minimizing irritation.
- Features integrated, dentist-recommended two-minute timer to ensure a complete brushing.
- Whitens teeth in just one week with included Max White One toothbrush head.
Made by a Company You Can Trust
Colgate has over two centuries of experience in designing and manufacturing home and health products. They’ve teamed up with Omron, a leading healthcare and technology company, to create the Colgate ProClinical electric toothbrush – a powerful, yet cost-effective, electric toothbrush that provides incredible cleaning power, at an incredible price.
Outperforms a Manual Toothbrush in Every Way
Strong, clean teeth are the foundation of a healthy smile – and the Colgate ProClinical cleans teeth better than any manual toothbrush, removing five times as much gumline plaque.
How?
Ultrasonic action, which generates an astonishing 25,500 brush strokes per minute, powers away plaque from around the gums, where, if left unchecked, it can cause decay and periodontal (gum) disease. And the ProClinical’s brush head features a carefully selected combination of bristles to polish teeth and remove surface stains, for a beautiful smile in as little as one week!
Features in a Top Teen Budget Electric Toothbrush
Clinically proven, superior plaque removal. The question isn’t if an electric toothbrush will remove plaque—for any toothbrush, properly used, will—but how well. We only recommend electric toothbrushes clinically proven to thoroughly and effectively remove the plaque that causes tooth decay and gum disease.
Built-in timers. Did you know that dental professionals recommend brushing your teeth for a full two minutes, twice daily—and evenly spacing out those two minutes between all four quadrants of your mouth? That means a lot of clock-watching—unless you opt for a built-in timer, a feature found on all of our top electric toothbrushes.
Pressure sensors. If you’ve ever noticed that the bristles on your toothbrush wear out quickly – say, within a week or two of daily use – you’re probably overbrushing. Don’t worry, many people are. Overbrushing is a term that describes the excessive application of pressure whilst brushing one’s teeth. In the short term, it damages toothbrush bristles; in the long term, it may damage tooth enamel. Fortunately, many of our most-recommended budget electric toothbrushes feature integrated pressure sensors.
Multiple cleaning modes. Most of the electric toothbrushes on our list allow you to switch between cleaning modes, letting you choose what’s best for your needs—for example, daily cleaning, extra whitening or gum massage. User-selectable modes make electric toothbrushes far more versatile than their manual counterpart.
Professional recommendation. Don’t just take our word for it—our list of electric toothbrushes carry the endorsement of professional dentists and oral hygienists. Yes, even an electric toothbrush under £100 can get the thumbs up from a dentist.
Positive customer feedback and reviews. Brands are built as much on trust as quality. We suggest electric toothbrushes based not only on the above criteria but consistently positive customer feedback and reviews provided by major online vendors.
