An in-depth review of Telegraph Recommended’s highest rated electric toothbrush. Copy link. twitter. facebook. whatsapp. Price: Currently £71.50 at Spotlight, £84.99 at Amazon and £110 at Lookfantastic. Telegraph verdict: 9 out of 10. We like:. We don’t like:. Spotlight Oral Care first launched in 2016 with a selection of whitening kits and pens. Three years later, female founders and dental sisters, Lisa and Vanessa Creavan, expanded their collection with the Spotlight Oral Care Sonic Toothbrush – the predecessor to the newer Sonic Pro device.
According to the brand, the Sonic electric toothbrush was designed to be a gentle, non-abrasive, alternative to more aggressive devices which often left users with sore gums and sensitive teeth. Instead of traditional oscillating heads, Spotlight’s design uses sonic technology, which delivers high frequency vibrations to achieve (as they boast) a post-dentist fresh feeling at home. Another feature is that this long battery life toothbrush promises 70 days of use after just one 15-hour charge.
With an RRP of £110, the Spotlight Sonic toothbrush is a more affordable option compared to premium models and considerably cheaper than the similarly-specced Philips Sonicare 5100 toothbrush. We voted it the best electric toothbrush overall in our round-up last year, but does it still hold up, and is it worth investing in?. After wearing braces for one year in my teens to straighten my incisors, I am rigorous when it comes to my oral care routine and pride myself on having no fillings. I was even told by my dentist I have ‘perfect teeth’, so there’s pressure for me to maintain my pearly whites. I floss most days and brush my teeth twice a day. I traded in my trusted Oral-B Smart 6 White Electric Toothbrush for Spotlight’s Sonic electric toothbrush to assess its ease of use, runtime, and ability to clean my teeth gently and effectively.
To match the toothbrush’s two-minute self-timer, I brushed the front of my top teeth for 30 seconds before I cleaned behind them, and repeated these steps for my lower set. I also trialed brushing my teeth across all three modes, Sensitive, Clean and White, to assess the speed and pressure of the settings on my gums and teeth. Our thorough, real-world tests will always help you find the best product at the best price. No manufacturer ever sees copy before publication and we do not accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more.
The Spotlight Sonic Toothbrush may be one of the easiest electric toothbrushes I’ve ever used. Unlike other electric toothbrushes I’ve tried with multiple settings and the option to connect to an app for data on my brushing technique, Spotlight keeps things simple and straightforward. This fuss-free device has a single button for powering on and switching seamlessly between the three settings. The settings are self-explanatory; Clean is a normal setting and the one I relied on most, Sensitive offers a gentle operation, while the White programme is the most intense mode to remove stubborn stains. For those who are used to an array of options, this trio may seem basic. However, I like its simplicity.
The memory mode is a clever touch that saved me time, and confusion, as I didn’t have to flick through numerous programmes to find my preferred setting when I woke up bleary eyed in the morning. The automatic two-minute timer kicks in the moment I switch on the toothbrush. During the two minutes the timer is split into four 30-second intervals, which is a useful reminder for me to move onto the next section, and make sure I clean my teeth evenly. When the two minutes are up the toothbrush automatically switches off.
One small grumble is having to click through all the remaining programmes if I want to switch the toothbrush off ahead of the timer, which can be messy business with toothpaste spraying everywhere. The electric toothbrush uses sonic technology, which involves high frequency vibrations instead of oscillating or rotating heads. This technology is said to help promote oxygen flow as well as removing plaque. At first, I didn’t notice a difference in the sensation on my teeth between the sonic device and my former oscillating toothbrush. What I did notice was my teeth felt cleaner after around a week, my breath fresher, and my gums were not irritated by a new bristle brush – though the jury is out on whether my teeth look whiter.
I tried all three settings; Sensitive mode is the gentlest setting as it vibrates at 31,000 strokes per minute, Clean delivers 41,000 reps, while White runs at an intense 48,000 reps. Clean mode was my most used setting for a thorough and gentle clean. When I wanted a deeper clean, after feasting on sweet treats that day, I opted for White mode. However, I found this quite abrasive and noisy, and without a pressure sensor I worried it would damage my enamel if used too often.
