The Oral-B iO2 is the newest and cheapest electric toothbrush in the brand’s flagship iO range. That lineup culminates in the outrageously expensive Oral-B iO10 – which costs either £400 or £800, depending on whether any offers are available.
With the iO2, the proposition is simple: take the superior, near-silent magnetic cleaning technology that makes the iO range so good, but bring the price down by stripping away most of the sillier bells and whistles of the more expensive electric toothbrushes in the series. This is an iO-series brush pared back to the bare essentials, focusing on the thing that actually matters: getting your teeth properly clean.
After months of testing, I’m convinced the iO2 is not only the best-value brush in the iO lineup, but one of the most sensible electric toothbrushes you can spend your money on. Nobody needs an AI brushing coach or 101 polishing modes. This does all the simple things well.
How I tested
Without wanting to seem too obvious, I used this like a toothbrush. I squeezed a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on the bristly end of the Oral-B iO2 and cleaned my teeth, morning and night. I tested the Oral-B iO2 for six weeks, swapping out my usual Philips Sonicare 9900 – though I do still pick up the Suri electric toothbrush whenever I travel. Throughout my testing, I paid attention to these key criteria:
- Cleaning performance: I used the iO2 twice a day, paying close attention to the smoothness of the tooth surface and along the gumline. I used all three brushing modes to see if there were any noticeable differences in the results.
- Battery life and charging: I used the iO2 normally, brushing twice daily to measure how long a single charge lasts. Once it was fully depleted, I timed how long it took to get back to 100 per cent, to test Oral-B’s claims.
- Design and comfort: I considered the ergonomics and build quality of the brush, how comfortable and secure the handle felt to hold and move around, especially when wet.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
As a tech journalist who has tested more electric toothbrushes than I care to admit, I’ve become an expert in dental hygiene. I’ve spent four years swapping between brushes, evaluating everything from the most basic models to the smartest, app-connected gadgets from Oral-B and Philips. My focus is on separating the genuinely useful innovations from the marketing gimmicks, with a view to identifying the features that actually contribute to a better, healthier clean.
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Oral-B iO2
Cleaning style: Oscillating
Cleaning modes: Two
Battery life: 30 days
Travel case: Included
Replacement head: About £7.50
Why we love it
- Great cleaning power
- No-frills, functional design
- Good value
Take note
- Slow charging speeds
Design and features
While the more expensive brushes in the iO series run the gamut of smart features, the iO2 keeps things simple, while retaining the same linear magnetic drive system that defines the premium range. This technology, which uses magnetic forces to create tiny oscillations at the bristle tips, is a step above the brand’s older, gear-driven models. It’s significantly quieter, replacing the familiar mechanical “brrrr” with a smoother, lower-pitched hum. The cleaning action feels less like a vigorous scrub and more like a precise, powerful polish.
Alongside the core oscillating tech, the iO2 retains the features that actually matter. There’s a visible pressure sensor that alerts you when you’re brushing too hard. It also has a dentist-recommended two-minute timer, which pulses every 30 seconds to remind you to move on to the next part of your mouth, ensuring you don’t miss a spot.
So, which features have been left on the cutting room floor to bring the price down? Thankfully, it’s all the stuff you don’t really need. There’s no flashy colour display on the handle, no Bluetooth connectivity, and no AI-powered app to remind you to replace your brush heads. While these features might look impressive on the box, they don’t remove a jot of plaque – the iO2’s back-to-basics approach is a welcome dose of common sense.
The rubberised grip is comfortable and secure, though the handle is noticeably bulkier and feels less premium than the sleek, sculpted bodies of the iO9 or iO10. The only real design flaw is the placement of the pressure sensor light. It sits right where your thumb tends to rest, meaning you often can’t see its helpful red glow in the mirror. However, the motor audibly changes pitch when you press too hard, which serves as a more than adequate warning.
Cleaning power and performance
This is where the iO2 truly shines. Because it uses the same magnetic drive and accepts the same high-quality iO brush heads as the rest of the range, the cleaning performance is effectively identical to that of an Oral-B brush costing hundreds of pounds more.
After two minutes, my teeth felt smooth and polished, delivering that satisfying, just-left-the-hygienist sensation. The oscillating-rotating head is adept at getting into the tricky spaces between teeth and along the gumline, and it’s small enough to navigate orthodontics effectively.
The iO2 keeps things simple with just three brushing modes: ‘daily clean’, ‘sensitive’, and ‘whitening’. In practice, these amount to high, low, and pulsing polishing speeds, which are really all you need. You cycle through them with the single power button, and you can even set the brush to remember your preferred mode, so it starts up just how you like it every time – no screen required.
Battery life and charging
The battery life on the iO2 is average for an electric toothbrush, lasting a good three to four weeks of twice-daily use on a single charge. However, when the battery does finally run out, recharging it from flat is an oddly slow process.
A full charge from empty takes 24 hours, in stark contrast with the three-hour fast charging found on the more expensive iO models. This isn’t a deal-breaker if you tend to leave the brush on its charging stand when not using it, but if, like me, you keep your brush in a cabinet and only charge it when it dies, the wait can be a real pain.
Buy now £42.00, Amazon.co.uk
The verdict: Oral-B iO2 electric toothbrush
When it comes to value, the Oral-B iO2 is the smartest purchase in the entire iO range. For a fraction of the price – you can regularly find the iO2 on offer for under £50 – you get the same powerful cleaning performance as the most expensive brushes in the premium iO series. So long as you’re happy to sacrifice pointless luxuries like colour screens and brushing apps, the iO2 delivers where it counts.
Want more recommendations? Check out my guide to the best electric toothbrushes
