Oral-B iO Series 6 Review: Everything But Fast Charging

Value When Reviewed

$149.99

Greatest Costs Immediately: Oral-B iO Collection 6

Shopping for an electrical toothbrush is a good suggestion. An
11-year research on whether or not electrical is best than handbook discovered that those that used electrical toothbrushes had more healthy gums, much less tooth decay and in addition stored their tooth for longer. It additionally discovered that fashions with oscillating heads had been “actually efficient at eradicating plaque”.

However do you might want to purchase an costly electrical toothbrush with an OLED display screen, Bluetooth and a companion app?

The quick reply is not any, however there’s an extended reply which isn’t fairly as definitive. And if you wish to know what it’s, hold studying.

There are such a lot of iO fashions obtainable (9, together with the newly launched iO2) that you will discover one to completely match your preferences. Nonetheless, it’s not simple to decide on between them should you don’t know what every one gives. To check brush options and costs in addition to professionals and cons, take a look at our Oral-B iO Collection information. In it, we evaluate all of the iO fashions, clarify how they differ and advise on what it is best to pay for every one. It’s also possible to take a look at our greatest Oral-B brush round-up, which has our high suggestions for Oral-B electrical toothbrushes of all kinds.

Options & Design

• Monochrome show
• Charging stand
• Journey case

The Oral-B iO Collection 6 is a mid-range electrical toothbrush within the iO Collection. In some ways it’s equivalent to pricier fashions: the design is identical, it makes use of the identical brush heads, the identical app (though not all the identical options inside it) and gives the identical cleansing energy.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Jim Martin / Foundry

Jim Martin / Foundry

However just a few cost-saving measures have introduced down the value considerably so it’s merely very costly versus ludicrously costly. (I’m speaking concerning the UK RRP particularly, however as you’ll see you don’t should pay that.)

What’s totally different is that the Collection 6 has the identical charging stand because the traditional Oral-B brushes, as a substitute of the Collection 9’s magnetic puck, and there’s a fundamental plastic journey case as a substitute of 1 which additionally costs the toothbrush.

The display screen is monochrome as a substitute of color, however these are trade-offs which can be simple to dwell with.

While you first energy on the comb you utilize the 2 buttons to decide on the language and set the color of the sunshine ring. You can then use it with out ever putting in the app, as you possibly can cycle by the modes with out it.

However the app has a helpful guided cleansing mode which works effectively as it could detect which tooth you’re cleansing. Extra on that later.

The comb deal with doesn’t provide a lot in the best way of grip, however should you hold it dry, it’s probably not an issue. Retaining it dry is the exhausting half, as the comb head’s stem is kind of huge, and this – in my testing no less than – made it troublesome to type a seal round to cease water working down the comb deal with.

App & Efficiency

• Guided brushing
• Customise LED color
• 5 cleansing modes

There are 5 modes: day by day clear, delicate, gum care, intense clear and whitening. Each day clear is the usual mode, with delicate and gum care turning down the facility and intense clear and whitening ramping it up.

With every, the comb will pulsate each 30 seconds to immediate you to maneuver to a brand new quadrant. While you end, a smiley or unhappy face tells you ways you probably did. That’s partly based mostly on time (a dentist-approved two minutes is the goal) and partly on protection: you possibly can’t get away with 1:50 in your high tooth and 10 seconds on the underside set.

It additionally displays strain, exhibiting a inexperienced ring across the deal with if you apply the correct quantity of power, purple when it’s an excessive amount of and white (or whichever customized color you select within the app) when there’s too little or no strain.

After all, should you use the app, you get the power to decide on that color, resolve which modes ought to and shouldn’t be proven on the show, modify the goal time for brushing and use the guided mode.

With that, you get real-time suggestions on protection with an animation that slowly adjustments from blue to glowing whereas when these tooth have been correctly cleaned.

As my colleague Emma famous in her overview of the
iO Collection 9, this gamification can result in longer brushing instances which implies the battery lasts for fewer periods.

Attaining complete protection in two minutes appeared unattainable in my testing, although a few instances it solely required an additional 25 seconds. On different events, the whole brushing time was approaching three minutes.

With roughly 10 days of battery life, brushing for a 3rd longer reduces this (clearly) by round a 3rd. That’s probably not a difficulty if you’re at dwelling and might both go away the bottom plugged right into a shaver socket or plug it in when required, however on an prolonged vacation, you’ll have to take that base with you.

Having used different electrical toothbrushes such because the Ion-Sei, it’s a disgrace Oral-B didn’t resolve to make a stand with a USB port on it and the power to cost from a USB mains adapter or energy financial institution.

Nevertheless, importantly, the cleansing itself is implausible and it’s completed very quietly. Each qualities are because of the frictionless magnetic drive system which implies the comb head gives each oscillation in addition to micro-vibrations (a bit like sonic brushes).

And whereas I didn’t carry out any scientific assessments to find precisely how a lot plaque and filth was eliminated in comparison with different brushes, my tooth felt clean and exceptionally clear, even utilizing the day by day clear mode.

It’s price understanding that you simply rapidly get used to the vibrations in a day or two. Initially it feels too highly effective, however after that ‘break-in’ interval, solely the extreme mode looks like it’ll rattle any fillings free.

Value & Availability

For those who purchase the Oral-B iO Collection 6 at its launch value, you’ll be paying £300. However that’s an excessive amount of. Just like the Collection 9, it could often be picked up for half the launch value or much less.

In addition to direct from Oral-B, you can too purchase the Collection 6 from Amazon, Argos and different retailers. The colors on provide rely upon the place you purchase, however the full vary is: Alabaster White, Black Onyx, Anthracite Gray and Pink.

That’s an excellent deal for a brush that cleans this effectively, however do beware that substitute heads are additionally costly at round £15 for a pair, and that’s half the RRP. Hopefully these will drop nearer to the value of brushes for the Genius vary, which sadly aren’t suitable with the iO Collection.

Within the US, the place the launch value is extra smart, it’s typically obtainable for $149.99, which is way nearer to the ‘discounted’ value within the UK. And also you get two Final Clear substitute brush heads within the field as a substitute of the one you get within the UK.

For those who’re unconvinced by the iO Collection 6, you will discover options in our roundup of the very best electrical toothbrushes and, if finances is tight, the very best low-cost electrical toothbrushes. You’ll be able to evaluate all of the iO fashions in our iO Collection information.

Do you have to purchase the iO6?

For those who’re questioning precisely what that longer reply was that I discussed at first of this overview, it’s this. When you don’t want a Bluetooth-equipped electrical toothbrush with a magnetic drive, there are actually advantages on provide right here.

Not solely does it clear tooth very effectively certainly, the companion app (which labored flawlessly) is surprisingly helpful. For those who care about taking care of your tooth, that is a method of creating certain you’re cleansing them correctly each time you sweep.

Think about it an funding in your well being relatively than an overpriced gimmick. And purchase it when it’s on sale, not at full value.