It’s been five years since the launch of the Oral-B iO series, which set out to provide a gentle, yet powerful, clean. It did this by incorporating micro vibrations, while Oral-B electric toothbrushes had previously relied solely on oscillating action and a pulsing effect, which some people found too harsh.
Now, there are nine models in the iOS series, and the iO9 is one of the more premium options, offering top-of-the-line features seen on the more expensive iO10. These include AI brushing recognition technology, which is a very fancy way of saying that the brush is app-enabled and should – in theory – help you become a better brusher. There are also seven cleaning modes on the iO9, which is more than a lot of the Oral-B line-up.
But what is the brush really like to use? Would opening up the app every time I cleaned my teeth become second nature? And how confident would I feel that the brush was delivering a superior clean that was also kind to my teeth? I was curious to find out how this brush would fare, so I swapped my usual brush for the iO9 to find out.
How I tested
From cleaning power to battery life, I assessed the brush on the following criteria:
- Ergonomics: I thought about how lightweight and comfortable the brush felt in my hand, including when the handle was wet.
- User experience: I factored in how easy it was to use the brush. I downloaded the app and used it as you will be using it at home, noting the in-app features and how effective they were when using the brush.
- Cleaning power: In terms of the brush head, I made a note of the configuration of the bristles and how effective and comfortable the brush was in use.
- Modes: I used all of the cleaning modes available and assessed the experience, from comfort to cleaning power.
- Battery life: I charged the battery up to full and then timed how long it lasted before needing to be recharged, factoring in how this was affected by the modes and features we were using.
Why you can trust us
John Axworthy is a writer with nearly 30 years of experience reviewing the best products on the market. He’s very particular about the toothbrush he uses, and has assessed brands including Philips, Oral-B and Spotlight. From cycling through modes to assessing the post-clean freshness, Jon’s reviews are always based on rigorous real-world testing.
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Oral-B iO9
Cleaning action: Oscillating-rotating with microvibrations
Pressure sensor: Yes
Cleaning modes: Seven
Two-minute timer: Yes
30-second pacer: Yes
Travel case: Yes
Operating time (full to empty): 10 days
Charging time: Three hours
Weight: 0.64kg
Why we love it
- Powerful cleaning
- AI helps you brush
Take note
- Some will find the AI pointless
- Relatively short battery life
First impressions
The brush is styled well and comes in three colour schemes: black, light blue, and light pink.
The handles are finished top and bottom with a chrome cuff, and at the top, just beneath this cuff, is an easily visible light ring that glows red to tell you that you’re brushing too hard and green when you’ve got it just right.
In hand, there’s plenty to like, with good ergonomics and a handle material which never feels like it’s going to slip, even when it’s wet; although it doesn’t have the addition of rubber grips, which some users will look for to give some extra friction.
Considering the handle contains the motor and its attendant parts, as well as a gyro sensor and accelerometer that feeds data to the AI of the app, the brush is impressively lightweight to pick up and use.
There’s plenty to like about the iO9 when it’s up and running, too. This is largely thanks to the addition of springs and a counterweight, which protects the hand from any vibration from the iO9’s powerful magnetic motor.
Read more: 12 best electric toothbrushes for a professional clean
The user interface features a full colour OLED display recessed into the handle between the two large buttons – one for turning the brush on/off and the other to toggle between the seven different brushing modes: daily clean, whitening, sensitive, super sensitive, gum care, tongue clean and intense.
The iO makes full use of the OLED screen, greeting you with a brightly coloured image of a sun and a “hello” when you first turn it on each day and every cleaning mode has an appropriate coloured image (a feather for sensitive, a diamond for whitening etc), after which the timer will track your dentist-recommended two minutes on screen.
When you’re done, the display shows you the remaining battery life, and you’ll get feedback for your brushing in the form of a smiley or sad face. Whether you want your toothbrush to be imbued with this kind of personality will vary with each user.
User-experience
Before your first outing with the iO9 and to get the most out of the connected experience, you’ll need to download the app and sync it up, via Bluetooth, to your phone. The aforementioned gyro sensor and accelerometer communicate with the app, and the AI interprets the data as you brush in real-time, so the virtual mouth that you’ll see on your phone’s screen will continue to light up until you reach 100 per cent coverage.
This means that if you’re using the software, you might be going longer than just two minutes in order to make the app happy and achieve total coverage.
Read more: Ordo sonic+ electric toothbrush review
Anecdotally, I’ve heard that some users experienced a disconnect between where the brush was in the mouth and the location in-app, but I didn’t have any issues with this, and the sophisticated AI (which was six years in development) worked extremely accurately.
The app also records brushing history, an overall percentage score, and there are some gamified elements, like badges and awards, that will appeal to some. Finally, the app will alert you when you need to replace the brush head after three months of usage.
Cleaning
Of course, all the quantification and tracking are wasted if the cleaning power and efficiency of the brush itself aren’t up to scratch. The typical Oral-B round brush head has been adapted for the iO series and boasts more bristles, which are designed to get to the areas of the teeth where bacteria hide. In combination, the short, long and twisted groupings feel like they’re doing a good job of covering more surface area than a manual brush head.
Equally important is the fact that the brush head works in combination with the motor by transferring all the energy to the bristles themselves rather than the entire head, which is why some electric toothbrushes can feel too powerful and might do more harm than good. If you do have sensitive gums or are making the switch to electric brushing for the first time, we would advise that you start off brushing in sensitive mode and keep a close eye on the pressure sensor and app to guide your technique, then step it up to daily clean mode when you have more control.
Battery life
From a full charge, I managed to get around 10 days' worth of brushing out of the battery, but that was reduced if we opted for the longer cleaning modes or spent too long fiddling with the OLED display, which clearly saps battery life.
However, if you always replace the brush in the magnetic charger after your morning session, then you won’t have to think about the battery, especially as Oral-B have included a failsafe to keep it from overcharging and damaging the battery.
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The verdict: Oral-B iO9
You’re certainly paying for the six years of R&D that went into the AI of the iO9, so you have to decide how much you’re going to commit to the app and whether your current dental hygiene is really lacking.
If you do commit, you will be rewarded with a guided deep clean, but be prepared to spend more time in front of the mirror every morning and evening.
In isolation, Oral-B has succeeded in delivering a robust yet gentle clean throughout all the modes and the settings and sensors will enable people with sensitive teeth and gum disease to find a sweet spot that will help them maintain good oral health without ending each session with excessive bleeding or inflammation.
Still unsure? Head over to my full review of the Oral-B iO6 electric toothbrush
