The best water flossers make it easy to keep up with your oral hygiene. While switching to an electric toothbrush can help, regular flossing is essential to healthy teeth and gums.
Traditional dental floss can also be hard to use correctly, especially if you wear braces or have crowns, and it’s non-biodegradable, so, it’s not a great choice for the environment. That’s where water flossers and Waterpiks come in.
Also known as oral irrigators, water flossers spray a high-pressure jet of water between your teeth to clean the spaces that brushing misses, and remove food and bacteria. This helps to keep plaque at bay, reduce the risk of cavities, help prevent gum disease, fight bad breath and, in some cases, whiten teeth.
“Water flossers can be a great option for people who have trouble flossing by hand,” says dentist Dr Rhona Eskander, co-founder of Parla and owner of Chelsea Dental Clinic. “People who have had dental work that makes flossing difficult – like braces or permanent or fixed bridges – might also like to try water flossers.”
Although they can take a little getting used to initially, it’s best to only switch on the device once the tip is inside your mouth, then keep it at a 90-degree angle to the gum line as you go, and always lean over the sink, as it can be messy.
They come with a refillable water tank, so you can spray as you work from the back teeth to the front, and may include extra features such as a massage feature for healthy gums; variable pressure settings; and even a tongue scraper. It’s worth looking for a flosser that comes with an orthodontic tip, too, if you wear a brace, or gentler settings or dedicated heads if you have implants, crowns or sensitive teeth.
How I tested
To narrow down the best water flossers and Waterpiks, I used them one at a time, over several weeks, using each once a day on consecutive days. With each product, I followed the strict criteria below.
- Ease of use: I considered how easy each was to use and how efficiently it slotted into my evening routine. I didn't want the flossers to be fiddly or time-consuming.
- Cleaning job: Above all, I assessed how well each water flosser and Waterpik cleaned my teeth. I considered how they looked and felt after a flossing session, taking note of any sensitivity or irritation. I also flossed my teeth with ordinary tape floss afterwards, to check how effective the water flosser had been.
- Value for money: I tested water flossers at both ends of the budget, from no-frills, sub-£50 models to technologically-advanced designs with extra features.
The best water flossers for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Philips sonicare cordless power flosser 3000: £55.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for travelling – Spotlight oral care water flosser: £61.79, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for whitening teeth – Waterpik whitening water flosser: £74, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for beginners – Waterpik cordless plus water flosser: £74, Amazon.co.uk
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Philips sonicare cordless power flosser 3000
Best: Overall water flosser
Reservoir capacity: 250ml
Number of water pressure settings: Five
Battery life: Two weeks
Why we love it
- 360 degree rotating nozzle
- Comes with travel kit
Take note
- Expensive at full price
This was the priciest water flosser we tested but I really noticed the difference. The relatively slim handle meant it was also one of the easiest to use, even though it still had a fairly decent 250ml reservoir, which lasted around a minute before needing an easy refill.
Once I got the hang of flossing, this was almost enough time to manage my whole mouth, thanks to a nozzle that rotates 360 degrees and pulse wave technology that guides the device from tooth to tooth in Deep Clean mode. When using the quad stream nozzle, I could finish cleaning even faster as the flow is separated into four water jets, which cover more surface area between teeth in less time. Just keep your mouth closed while you do it or you’ll get an unexpected soaking.
There are three intensity settings and two flossing modes and even the standard clean mode left our mouth feeling super fresh, visibly dislodging any food particles trapped between teeth. The device comes with a travel bag, power adaptor and a USB charging cable, so, you won’t be able to charge it in your bathroom, but our battery showed no sign of fading even after nearly two weeks of daily use.
Our one grumble is that, for the price, I would’ve loved a tongue scraper included as well as the quad stream and standard nozzle. Still, my mouth has never felt cleaner.
Buy now £55.99, Amazon.co.uk
Spotlight oral care water flosser
Best: Water flosser for travelling
Reservoir capacity: 190ml
Number of water pressure settings: Three
Battery life: 30 minutes
Why we love it
- Compact, space-saving design
- 360-degree rotating head
Take note
- Smaller reservoir
Space is always tight in a bathroom cupboard, so, it makes sense to choose the most compact water flosser you can find. Developed by dentists Dr Lisa and Dr Vanessa Creaven, this dinky device was one of the smallest and most portable I tested, and is cordless and rechargeable just like an electric toothbrush making it one of the few flossers small enough to take on holiday.
Its water tank is fairly easy to fill and has a 190ml capacity, but I did have to refill this more than once during cleaning. There are three operating modes – normal, soft and pulse – which is useful so you can build up from the gentlest setting when you first start using it. I especially liked the 360-degree rotating nozzle, which really made me feel like I was getting into every nook and cranny, and my mouth felt sparkling clean afterwards.
The device also comes with four different tips, so you can really adapt this flosser for your needs, and these include a classic jet tip, an orthodontic spray tip, a periodontal pocket sprinkler and even a tongue scraper for a full mouth makeover.
Buy now £61.79, Amazon.co.uk
Waterpik cordless plus water flosser
Best: Water flosser for newbies
Reservoir capacity: 210ml
Number of water pressure settings: Two
Battery life: N/A
Why we love it
- Compact design
- 360-degree rotating head
Take note
- Average-size reservoir
Waterpik are the world’s best-selling water flosser brand and therefore knows a thing or two about keeping your teeth clean. The brand claims its flossers are scientifically proven to be more than 50 per cent effective than traditional dental floss, when it comes to improving gum health, and remove up to 99.9 per cent of plaque from treated areas.
This cordless and rechargeable flosser certainly feels like it’s getting the job done. It has a 360-degree rotating head and four tips – classic jet, orthodontic tip, plaque seeker tip and tongue cleaner. There are just two pressure controls but the lowest setting is perfect for sensitive gums or those trying water flossing for the first time, without being too weedy. The non-slip grip makes it easy to hold when wet and it’s straightforward to operate without too many gizmos to complicate matters.
My only grumble is the 210ml water capacity needs refilling around every 45 seconds, but I liked the fact this kept the flosser compact. You can even add a small amount of mouthwash to the water for minty freshness, making this an all-around great buy for anyone new to water flossing.
Buy now £74.00, Amazon.co.uk
Waterpik whitening water flosser
Best: Water flosser for whitening teeth
Reservoir capacity: 651ml
Number of water pressure settings: 10
Battery life: N/A
Why we love it
- Whitening tablets help restore natural whiteness
- Large reservoir lasts a whole flossing session
Take note
- Takes up more space
This whitening water flosser delivers a double whammy when it comes to keeping your teeth and gums in tip-top condition. As well as water flossing, this clever device whitens as it works, with Waterpik claiming it removes an additional 25 per cent of stains versus brushing alone.
Simply pop one of the included fresh mint whitening tablets into the flip-top tablet compartment and floss as normal – I definitely thought my teeth looked a little brighter after a couple of weeks of use. When the initial supply of 30 tablets runs out, it can then be used as an ordinary water flosser although replacement tablets can be bought whenever you need a whitening boost.
It’s an excellent flosser (even without the additional tablets), with a choice of 10 pressure settings – start low if you’re new to water flossing, as the higher settings are quite forceful. It comes with four tips, including two jet tips, so it could even be shared between a couple, if needed. That’s handy, as the separate reservoir – attached by a cord to the device – does take up quite a bit of space on a bathroom shelf, although, this means the water lasts for a whole flossing session, without needing to be refilled. It’s definitely not one you’ll be able to travel with, though.
Buy now £74.00, Amazon.co.uk
Your questions about water flossers answered
What is the best water flosser?
For maximum cleaning power in moments, the Philips sonicare cordless power flosser 3000 is unbeatable and got my teeth noticeably cleaner faster. If colour is a concern, try the Waterpik whitening water flosser instead to do two jobs in one and keep those pearly whites sparkling.
How to use a water flosser
Using a water flosser may seem messy at first but, once you get the hang of your device, it’s a convenient alternative to manual flossing. Firstly, you’ll want to make sure your flosser is charged and the reservoir is filled with water. Once you’ve got that sorted, you should be leaning over a sink before you get started, to enable the water to drain. Choosing a low pressure setting to begin with, and holding the flosser at an angle to where your teeth and gums meet, begin by testing if the water pressure is right for you and adjusting accordingly. Take a second or two on each tooth as you move around your mouth, until you have finished flossing. Once complete, make sure you empty your device of any leftover water, to make sure it remains clean.
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