Oral-B’s new electric toothbrush will stop you going cross-eyed

Oral-B has unveiled a new electric toothbrush at CES 2022, and it’s designed to stop you going cross-eyed while you clean your teeth. The Oral-B iO Series 10 is a successor to the iO Series 9 (our current pick for the best electric toothbrush) – and has one big upgrade.

Most electric toothbrushes vibrate every 30 seconds to remind you to move onto a different quadrant, plus a timer display on the handle. However, it can be easy to lose count of the vibrations if you’re half-asleep first thing in the morning, and looking at the display means either peering awkwardly at the brush in your mouth with, or pausing your cleaning partway through.

The Oral-B iO Series 10 solves that problem with a charging base that doubles as a secondary display. Four lights indicate which quadrant you should be cleaning, and digits on the side show how long you’ve been brushing. The time is displayed on the side of the base when it’s not in use.

Lights on the Oral-B iO Series 10’s charging base show which quadrant of your mouth you should be brushing (Image credit: Oral-B)

This isn’t the first electric toothbrush to show your brushing stats somewhere other than the handle, but it’s the most convenient. Earlier brushes like the Oral-B Smart Guard range used a separate LCD display unit to show brushing time, which took up extra space in the bathroom. Showing the same info on the charging base means there’s no need for an extra device cluttering your countertop.

Oral-B has yet to announce a release date for the iO Series 10, but if you’re in the US you can register for updates and be first to know when it’s available to buy.

Budget-friendly brushes

Oral-B also used CES 2022 to reveal a pair of new entry-level brushed in the iO lineup. The Oral-B iO Series 4 and 5 have the same quiet brushless motor as other brushes in the range, but drop a few of the fancier features to lower the price tag.

In a briefing, TechRadar saw that, unlike other iO brushes, neither of the two new budget models has a touchscreen display on the handle. They also have fewer brushing modes (four, compared to five for the iO Series 6), and the iO Series 4 lacks real-time tracking and coaching in the Oral-B app. The entry-level brushes have simpler charging bases than higher-end models too.

Oral-B hasn’t announced final prices or release dates for the Series 4 and 5, but both will be under $100, making them the cheapest brushes in the line.

Opinion: Bluetooth brushes make sense

We’re still waiting for Oral-B to announced a retail price for the iO Series 10, but we can safely say it’s likely to be pretty steep. The iO Series 9 launched at $300 / £500 / AU$400 in 2020, and the new brush is likely to be cost around the same – or possibly even more.

You might baulk at the idea of spending so much on a toothbrush, but very few retailers actually sell them for the full RRP. The Series 9, for example, is now available for less than half its initial price, making it a much more tempting proposition.

The iO Series 9 connects to the Oral-B smartphone app, and gives you real-time feedback as you brush (Image credit: Oral-B)

It’s still not cheap, but a Bluetooth brush is well worth considering. It may initially seem like overkill (after all, how many appliances do you really want installing apps on your phone?) but the real-time feedback you get from a smart toothbrush can help improve the way you brush, highlighting any areas you often miss, and building better technique that’ll stand you in good stead in the long run, even if you decide to switch back to a cheaper brush in the future.

Even if you don’t use the app, Oral-B’s brushes also give you quick feedback in the form of an emoji on the handle’s display. If you did a particularly good job, you’ll be awarded a smiley face with stars for eyes. Acceptable brushing will earn you a regular smile, and poor cleaning will result in a frown.

It might seem childish, but in our experience it actually works. Nobody wants to be ticked off by their toothbrush, and earning the starry smile gets you day off to a good start.

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