Included extras: Investing heavily in an electric toothbrush might also mean you get a few extra bits and bobs alongside the device. For instance, some come with travel cases, replacement brush heads as part of the main purchase, or UV cleansing cases to totally clean your brush ready for the morning. It's also worth checking to see if the device arrives with a warranty. Most of these brushes below are far from cheap, so protecting your purchase is often a good idea.
Battery life: Almost all electric toothbrushes feature lithium, rechargeable batteries to power the motor, and in almost all cases that we've tested, they last around two weeks of brushing before requiring a trip to the wall socket. Some may last longer (the spennier ones will have more endurance) but anything longer than a week saves you the regular headache of having to top it up before you brush.
Do I need a Bluetooth-enabled toothbrush?
Modern toothbrushes are packed full of smart tech that goes a long way in elevating your brushing technique, but this impressive modernity requires a Bluetooth connection to your smartphone to make it work. Chances are you've got a Bluetooth-enabled handset, so it's not too much of an interruption to your normal routine, but it will require you to have your phone while standing in front of the mirror.
Essentially, this connection will sync up your two devices so you can keep track of the smart features on your phone. This might be monitoring your brushing routine, showing you the quality of your brush with trackable graphs or, in the more extreme and expensive cases, showing you a 3D live map of your gob so you can see which teeth are getting the most love and where you need to work harder.
To get it connected, you'll have to enable Bluetooth on your phone and then likely download an app from the brand. This will hook the two up so you can track your progress on your phone. Admittedly, you don't really need this to brush your teeth. The devices will work without this feature, but you do get a tonne more things to play around with if you choose to do so and, given that you're paying a fairly hefty cost for the models with this option enabled, you may as well use all the features available.
How often should I replace my electric toothbrush heads?
Hygiene should be upfront in your thoughts as you purchase a new toothbrush. One of the biggest concerns? How often you should replace the brush part of the tool itself? The brush is the part that interacts with your gob the most, so it's always going to deteriorate over time as well as accumulate the stuff you don't want to be putting back in your mouth. Therefore, getting into the habit of regularly replacing them is only going to be beneficial.
Most recommendations suggest you replace your brush head every three months to keep them in pristine condition, and you can usually buy a year's worth of brush heads from retailers like Amazon when you pick up the brush, but that does require some future planning to know when you need to buy more.
However, most of the time, that stress can be removed from your thoughts, as you can sign up to subscription packages that automatically send you a shiny new set of heads when you need it. Alternatively, some dentistry practices have a store of replacement heads to keep you topped up until your next visit.
What are the best men’s grooming tools 2024?
There’s nothing wrong with taking care of yourself, but for many, collecting all the grooming tools you need to do a decent job is about as tough as Thanos’ hunt for the Infinity Stones: possible, but takes a lot of time and effort. However, our shopping experts are well-versed in finding the best devices to keep you looking sharp and feeling healthy, whether you’re looking to trim down your beard, hydrate your skin or improve your flossing game with a high-powered jet of water.
We’ve got dedicated roundups on all sorts of grooming essentials to help you find out what’s worth buying. Check out our guides on the best beard trimmers, hair clippers, electric shavers, body hair trimmers, nose hair trimmers, moisturisers, water flossers and toothpaste to complete your bathroom cabinet.
For more fashion, grooming and technology releases delivered straight to your inbox,sign up for our GQ Recommends newsletter.
