Best Electric Toothbrushes Under $50 - Smile Credentials (2024)

Unfortunately, there are some horrifying stats on the poor plaque removal efficiency of manual toothbrushes…

According to a study published in the International Journal Of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, a manual toothbrush only has a maximum average reduction in plaque score of 29.18%, compared to 64.61% with a multidirectional (rotating) toothbrush and 52.58% with an ultrasonic one.

This can be worrying for manual toothbrush users.

If they’re only removing 29% of their plaque, they could risk gum disease and bleeding gums, which, worst case scenario, could even lead to loss of healthy teeth.

So, the clear solution here is to invest in a good electric toothbrush and, at the same time, invest in your long-term health.

In this article, I’ll share my reviews on 5 of the best electric toothbrushes you can buy for under $50.

These reviews are unbiased and contain details of my personal experience with them.

Then, I’ll provide you with a handy buying guide that will walk you through the key points to consider when buying, topped off with a section where I answer some of your most frequently asked questions.

And without further ado, let’s get straight down to it!

Best Electric Toothbrushes Under $50 Reviewed

OUR TOP PICK

Oral-B Pro 1000 CrossAction Electric Toothbrush

EDITORS CHOICE

Philips Sonicare Essence+ Rechargeable

BEST VALUE

Oral-B Kids Electric Toothbrush

OUR TOP PICK

Oral-B Pro 1000 CrossAction Electric Toothbrush

I decided to make this one my number one pick – it’s THE most raved about electric toothbrushes under $50 on the net, and I would say these recommendations are well deserved.

It also happens to have earned the title of Amazon’s Choice in the category of Rotating Power Toothbrushes by Oral-B.

Such a title is only given to products that are not only of excellent quality but are also available at a good, reasonable price.

However, when this article was written, it only came under the $50 benchmark, so when you read this, it may have gone up.

It comes from a top brand Oral-B, and it is a rotating electric toothbrush, which, as discussed in the introduction, is the best type for removing the most plaque.

And Oral-B states that this brush provides a whopping 300% more plaque removal than a standard manual toothbrush.

It has been clinically proven to be better than many other toothbrushes, thanks to its ability to rotate and pulse.

This means that the vibrating, pulsing motion loosens the plaque from the surface of the teeth, which then gets brushed away by the rotating bristles.

And if you happen to have sensitive gums or gum disease, that’s no problem with this toothbrush because it features a pressure sensor which is designed to stop the pulsing motion if you brush too hard.

And it even has a timer built into the handle, so you can be sure to brush for the recommended brushing time of at least 2 minutes.

As for the brush head, the bristles are precisely angled at 16 degrees to reach deep between teeth.

It gives a floss-like clean and removes surface stains to make your teeth whiter.

It’s rechargeable, so you don’t have to keep buying batteries to keep using it.

Moreover, this is the first electric toothbrush brand to be accepted by the ADA (American Dental Association).

You can get it in black, white, or pink, and replacement toothbrush heads are readily available online, and it’s compatible with almost the whole range of Oral-B replacement toothbrush heads.

Personal Experience: I liked using this brush; it left my teeth feeling clean and smooth.

The battery didn’t last as long as I liked, but I imagine most people would just leave it plugged in.

Pros

• It comes highly recommended & has the title Amazon’s Choice
• Clinically proven to remove 300% more plaque than a manual brush
• Pressure sensor to stop you from brushing too hard
• There’s a timer built into the handle
• Angled bristles for a floss-like clean
• It’s rechargeable, and replacement brush heads are readily available online.

Cons

• It would cost almost the whole of your $50 budget to buy
• Some customers have complained about the short battery life and the length of time it takes to recharge the battery

Also available to buy at

• Target
• Walgreens
• Walmart

EDITORS CHOICE

Philips Sonicare Essence+ Rechargeable

This is also one of the most talked about electric toothbrushes on the net under $50, and it’s a whole $10 cheaper than my number one pick, the Oral-B Pro 1000.

And it has some really great features. Foremost is the innovative sonic technology that provides a superior clean to most other sonic toothbrushes.

The dynamic fluid action drives toothpaste deep between the teeth and along the gum line for a really thorough clean.

And at 31,000 brush strokes per minute, it’s very effective.

But where this toothbrush really comes into its own is when users are transitioning from a manual toothbrush to an electrical one.

That’s down to its EasyStart feature, where the power is gradually increased over the first 14 uses so that the user gradually gets used to the higher power levels.

There’s also a built-in Smartimer, to ensure that you brush for the recommended minimum of 2 minutes.

And another thing that’s really handy is that the color of the bristles gradually fades away to let you know when a replacement brush head is needed.

And on the subject of replacement brush heads, these are readily available online.

You won’t have to keep buying batteries for it because it’s completely rechargeable, and it will last up to 10 days on a full charge.

Personal Experience: I found the brush to be comfortable and ergonomic, giving my teeth a really good clean every time.

Pros

• It’s a whole $10 cheaper than the Oral-B Pro 1000
• Innovative sonic technology for a superior clean
• EasyStart feature, so you gradually get used to more power
• Built-in time to ensure you brush your teeth for the required time
• Fading bristles to let you know when to replace the brush head
• Rechargeable & a full charge lasts 10 days

Cons

• It’s not a rotating toothbrush, and it’s sonic rather than ultrasonic (more on this in the buying guide later)

Also available to buy at

• Walmart
• Walgreens
• Best Buy

BEST VALUE

Oral-B Kids Electric Toothbrush

I wanted to include a dedicated kid’s toothbrush in my shortlist because all parents should take an interest in their children’s teeth cleaning.

This particular toothbrush is a prominent bestseller with leading online retailers such as Amazon. It has earned an average customer rating of a whopping four and a half stars, even after well over 2,000 individual customer ratings.

Kids need to be trained to brush their teeth correctly, and that’s where this brush’s app comes in particularly handy.

There’s a free-to-download Oral-B Disney magic timer app, available on both Android and iOS devices, that encourages kids to brush their teeth for twice as long.

There’s also a pressure sensor built in, and an indicator light comes on when the child is brushing too hard.

Kids can be particularly upset when they do something that makes them uncomfortable, which is why this kid’s toothbrush has a round brush head designed to be sensitive and gentle for the kid’s teeth and gums.

Sadly, however, it isn’t as effective at removing as much plaque as some of the brushes in the brand’s range.

However, it still removes 100% more plaque than a manual toothbrush.

Personal Experience: I had my little one try out this toothbrush, and they didn’t complain once about it being uncomfortable, and they liked using the timer app.

Pros

• A prominent bestseller with excellent customer ratings
• Free Oral-B Disney magic timer app to encourage longer brushing
• Designed to be gentle & features a pressure sensor with an indicator light

Cons

• It isn’t as effective at removing plaque as some of the other brushes from the brand
• It’s relatively expensive for a child’s toothbrush

Also available to buy at

• Walmart
• Ebay
• Bells Palsy Coach

RUNNER UP

hum by Colgate Smart Battery Toothbrush Kit

Now, this is a toothbrush with a difference!

It comes from the top, well-known brand Colgate, and it features smart sensors that can detect where and how you are brushing.

These sensors work in connection with a smartphone app, hum by Colgate, via Bluetooth.

This will then provide you with guided brushing instructions so that you can give your teeth a thorough clean, including all those hard-to-reach areas.

The app is very intuitive and easy to use. It will track the coverage of your brushing, the frequency and the duration.

The app also works with the Apple Health app.

The other great thing about this app is that it works with Amazon Alexa, and you can ask Alexa to order you some more brush heads whenever you need them.

It has 2 power modes, so you could perhaps have it in normal mode, but if your teeth become too sensitive, you can switch modes.

It runs off 2 AAA batteries, which come in the box, so the device is completely cordless.

This is great because most bathrooms these days don’t have open electrical sockets.

The kit includes the toothbrush handle, batteries, a handy travel case, and a spare brush head for when the original needs to be replaced. The kit is available in blue, green, and slate grey.

It’s a prominent bestseller with the leading online retailers, and after well over 3,000 customer ratings, the average still comes out at an impressive 4 and a half stars out of 5.

Personal Experience: I thought the app (and of course, the sensors) were very good; I haven’t seen many systems like it just yet, although that could change.

I also found the brush comfortable to use, and my teeth certainly felt cleaner after each use.

Pros

• It comes from a top brand, is a bestseller & has excellent ratings
• It features smart sensors & app to guide your brushing
• The app is easy to use and tracks coverage, duration and frequency of brushing

Cons

• It’s not a rotating toothbrush, and it’s sonic rather than ultrasonic (more on this in the buying guide later)
• The replacement brush heads are relatively expensive
• It’s not rechargeable

Also available to buy at

• Walmart
• Target
• Ebay

RUNNER UP

Oral-B Vitality FlossAction Electric Toothbrush

This is a great budget-friendly pick from the top brand Oral-B.

It’s a prominent bestseller with leading online retailers and is backed by excellent customer ratings and reviews.

The FlossAction brush head has special micropulse bristles that help to clean deep between the teeth for much better plaque removal than you’d get with a standard manual toothbrush.

The brush head was inspired by dental professionals, and its unique action loosens the plaque build up between teeth for a better clean.

Like many at this price point, this toothbrush has a built-in timer to ensure you brush your teeth for the minimum time (2 minutes).

Personal Experience: It was different to experience a micropulse motion compared to a regular one, but I soon became accustomed to it.

I chose to floss my teeth afterwards, not because of any issue with the toothbrush, but because this is just something I like to do anyway out of thoroughness.

Pros

• A prominent bestseller with excellent customer ratings
• Special FlossAction brush head for a better clean between teeth
• Built-in time to ensure you brush your teeth for the required time

Cons

• Despite having “FlossAction” in the title, the manufacturer points out that this brush doesn’t replace flossing, and you would be well advised to floss in addition to brushing.

Also available to buy at

• Oral-B
• Walmart
• Walgreens

Buying Guide

As promised, here’s your buying guide. Let me walk you through the key points when shopping for an electric toothbrush.

Type Of Electric Toothbrush

Different electric toothbrushes have different ways of working. Let me explain.

Sonic Versus Ultrasonic Toothbrush

A sonic toothbrush relies on physical motion to clean teeth.

These sonic toothbrushes use a large sweeping brush stroke over the teeth and have an audible humming sound as they vibrate due to the relatively high amplitude and low frequency of the vibration.

In contrast, an ultrasonic toothbrush uses a very high frequency of vibration, and low amplitude, which means it is not audible.

It doesn’t use a physical motion as such, but it has the added benefit of breaking up the bacterial chains found in the mouth that make up the plaque.

Oscillating / Rotating Toothbrush

As I mentioned in my introduction earlier, an oscillating or rotating electric toothbrush is significantly better in reducing plaque (and gum disease).

This is because when you press the bristles against your teeth, the vibrating motion loosens the plaque from the surface of the teeth, which then gets brushed away by the rotating bristles.

Brush Head Shape

You may also want to consider the brush head shapes that you use.

For more information on this, you will find a good explanation of this on YouTube, which you can access through this link.

Battery Life

The battery life of electric toothbrushes can vary. Cheap electric toothbrushes sometimes last less than two weeks if you brush twice daily.

Oral-B brushes are designed to last about 12 days, and Sonicare brushes can last about three weeks.

It can be handy to have a rechargeable electric toothbrush because it would save you from having to repeatedly buy new batteries.

Brand

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the biggest brand names in the electric toothbrush arena are Oral B, Colgate and Phillips.

These brands have a strong reputation to maintain and can be trusted to be of excellent quality.

All of the brushes in my shortlist come from these three brands.

Value For Money

No one wants to pay more than they need to for their electric toothbrush…

But, I’m going to level with you here. Some of the best electric toothbrushes come for way more than your $50 budget, such as the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9300 and the Oral-B Smart 1500 Electric Toothbrush.

But with manual toothbrushes being so cheap, it really does seem excessive to pay over $50 for an electric one.

Whether to stick to your $50 budget is totally down to you, but to make a more informed decision, you may want to check out the higher-end toothbrushes first.

But for the particularly budget-conscious among you, you might be interested that you can often pick up an electric toothbrush for as little as $6.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Most Recommended Electric Toothbrush By Dentists?

The most commonly recommended electric toothbrush by dentists is the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9700 Electric Toothbrush. But please be aware this toothbrush costs over a whopping $300.

Which Electric Toothbrush Lasts The Longest?

I mentioned this earlier in the buying guide, but it bears repeating here. Cheap electric toothbrushes sometimes last less than two weeks if you brush twice daily.

Oral-B brushes are designed to last about 12 days, and Sonicare brushes can last about three weeks.