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Our picks at a glance
- 1Pick for a Rotating Round HeadOral-B Pro 1000 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush4.5165,519 ratingsSee it on Amazon
- 2Pick for a Sonic BrushPhilips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush4.655,509 ratingsSee it on Amazon
The Oral-B Pro 1000, with more than 165,000 ratings, and the Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100, with more than 55,000, are the most-rated Oral-B and Sonicare listings we found on Amazon. Oral-B describes a round head that oscillates, rotates and pulsates; Philips describes a sonic brush. Oral-B lists a quadrant timer that alerts you every 30 seconds, Philips a 2-minute timer with QuadPacer, and both list a pressure sensor.
How we picked
We chose the most-rated Oral-B and Sonicare listings that cleared our floor of 4.3 stars across 200 ratings and had a main buy button when we checked, then saved each one's title, bullets, specification fields, seller and return terms. Neither model is a pick anywhere else on the site.
For more choices, see the best electric toothbrushes, which includes another Sonicare and an Oral-B iO, and the best water flossers.
Oral-B Pro 1000 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush
Oral-B's description says the Pro 1000 uses 3D cleaning action that oscillates, rotates and pulsates, with a CrossAction head whose bristles are angled at 16 degrees. It lists 3 modes including a sensitive mode, a pressure control that stops the pulsations if you brush too hard, a quadrant timer that alerts you every 30 seconds and an LED charge indicator; it gives no battery-life figure. Its plaque claim differs within the listing: up to 100% more plaque in a bullet and 300% more in the description, both against a manual toothbrush.
What the listing says
- Oscillates, rotates and pulsates (per Oral-B)
- 3 modes, including sensitive
- Pressure control stops the pulsations
- Quadrant timer every 30 seconds
- No battery-life figure given
Shipped and sold by Amazon.com, with free 30-day returns, per the listing.
Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush
Philips describes a sonic brush at up to 62,000 brush movements per minute. The 4100 lists a pressure sensor that gently pulses to warn you, a brush head replacement reminder, a 2-minute timer with QuadPacer, and a 14-day battery with an indicator light. Philips says it removes up to 7x more plaque than a manual toothbrush. The listing does not say how many cleaning modes it has.
What the listing says
- Sonic, up to 62,000 movements a minute (per Philips)
- Pressure sensor that pulses
- Brush head replacement reminder
- 2-minute timer with QuadPacer
- 14-day battery with indicator light (per Philips)
Sold by CASTLE and shipped by Amazon, with free 30-day returns, per the listing.
Side by side
| Oral-B Pro 1000 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush | Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush | |
|---|---|---|
| Motion (as listed) | Oscillates, rotates, pulsates | Sonic, up to 62,000 movements a minute |
| Modes | 3 | Not stated |
| Pressure sensing | Stops the pulsations | Pulses to alert you |
| Timer | Quadrant timer, every 30 seconds | 2-minute timer with QuadPacer |
| Battery (as listed) | LED charge indicator; no figure | 14 days; indicator light |
| Plaque claim (vs manual) | Up to 100% (bullet) or 300% (description) | Up to 7x |
| Ratings | 4.5 from 165,519 | 4.6 from 55,509 |
| Seller | Amazon.com | CASTLE, shipped by Amazon |
What to look for
Head and motion
Oral-B describes a round head that oscillates and rotates; Philips describes a sonic brush. We do not rank one motion over the other.
Battery
Only the Sonicare gives a figure, 14 days. The Oral-B listing says long-lasting and has a charge indicator.
Modes
The Oral-B lists 3 modes, including sensitive. The Sonicare 4100 listing does not state a number.
Plaque claims
Each brand states its own figure against a manual toothbrush, and Oral-B's listing gives two different figures. These are not a head-to-head result.
The bottom line
The Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100, with a stated 14-day battery and a head replacement reminder.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between Oral-B and Sonicare?
On these two listings, the motion. Oral-B describes a round head that oscillates, rotates and pulsates; Philips describes a sonic brush at up to 62,000 movements a minute.
Which one cleans better?
Neither listing compares the two. Each brand gives a plaque figure against a manual toothbrush (Oral-B up to 100% or 300% more, Philips up to 7x more), and those figures cannot be turned into a ranking.
Which has the longer battery life?
Only the Sonicare 4100 gives a figure: 14 days. The Oral-B Pro 1000 listing calls its battery long-lasting without a number.
Do both have a pressure sensor?
Yes. Oral-B says the Pro 1000 stops the pulsations when you brush too hard; Philips says the 4100 gently pulses to alert you.
Why are the ratings different from what I see on Amazon?
Ratings change over time. The figures here are what each listing showed on the date at the top of this page.
Ratings and listing details were checked on Amazon on the date shown at the top of this page. We have not used these; everything above is from their Amazon listings.
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