Oral-B Electric Toothbrush Comparison (Chart Included) (2024)

Two of the more cost effective models within the Oral-B range of electric toothbrushes, these two are among the most popular models available on the market today and either serve the vast majority of users very well.

Both models offer most of the benefits of an electric toothbrush without having to pay ‘too’ much for them.

One of the biggest differences is that the Pro 2 2000, which is the more premium model offers an extra cleaning mode.

Both offer the standard ‘Daily Clean’ mode, but the 2000 comes with a Sensitive mode.

As the name implies this mode is more gentle. It is designed to offer a softer, but thorough clean. It helps those with sore or inflamed gums, but reducing the number of movements in the brush head, making for a more comfortable brushing experience, until the sensitivity has gone or reduced. This mode is great if you are suffering from gum disease.

A lot more detail on the differences is provided in our article,Oral-B cleaning modes explained.

A bigger difference and potentially useful feature for first time electric toothbrush users is the inclusion of a pressure sensor on the 2000.

On the rear, at the neck of the 2000 brush handle is a red/orange piece of plastic which has sat behind it an LED. When the brush detects that too much pressure is being applied to the teeth during brushing the LED illuminates and emits red light.

At the same time the brush motors speed reduces and the sound from the brush also changes.

Together these alert you to relieve the pressure when brushing. Once relieved the light will go out, the brush motor speed up and the sound change again.

Bristles of the brush head should just skim the tooth surfaces. You don’t need to brush hard to clean your teeth effectively.

Over time you will learn how much pressure you need to apply and it will essentially become redundant for most within a few month’s.

The next big difference is the battery life. The Pro 2 2000 has over twice the usage time. The Pro 600 will operate for 28 minutes, which is 7 days of cleaning based on one user. However the Pro 2 will last for 66 minutes which is 16 days of usage time.

A big improvement, it means you can go between charges for longer and works better for those who travel and are away from power.

A smaller and final difference between the two models is the colour of the brush handles, or more precisely the rubber grip that runs down the front of it.

The 600 comes in light Blue or Pink whilst the Pro 2 2000 comes in a dark Blue or Pink. Both have gloss white plastic bodies.

Aside from this the two brushes feel the same in hand, weigh the same and have the same warranty, they both come with a charging stand and 1 brush head in the box.

With only a couple of slight differences between these two models, the Pro 3 3000 is the more premium and expensive of the two. But it doesn't make it the one to go for.

The Pro 3 3000 has a slightly revised design. It looks a little cleaner. Unlike the 2000, it does not have a rubber grip that runs the length of the brush handle. Instead, the only grip on the front is the panel that contains the power button.

On the rear of the handle rather than raised plastic ridges, the 3000 has a more subtle dimpled surface.

Both have visible pressure sensors, but the 3000 has a 360 degree sensor that wraps around the neck of the brush, compared to the rear mounted (approx 180 degree) sensor on the 2000.

Both brushes come with thestandard ‘Daily Clean’ mode. They both then have a Sensitive mode. It is only the Pro 3 3000 that has the 'Whitening' mode.

You can learn more about this mode and how it differs but reading our article,Oral-B cleaning modes explained.But, the whitening mode is often overrated.

The 3000 is available in a few different variants, meaning different handle colours and brush heads included. However, typically you will get just 1 brush head in the box. That is usually the CrossAction head, like that supplied with the Pro 2.

Now the brush heads are interchangeable and can be used on any cleaning mode. However, some brush heads are better suited to certain modes and it would have made more sense in our opinion to have included the Sensitive head given that one of the selling points of the 3000 is that cleaning mode. Select models do come with it.

The Genius 9000 is a premium electric toothbrush from Oral-B, but actually, we think that for some the Smart 5 might be the better all round purchase. The only caveat to this is the price at the time of purchase.

Quite often the Genius is discounted and it comes in at a very desirable price.

So, the most obvious difference on first glance is the design.

The Smart 5 5000 is slimmer and lighter than the Genius 9000.

However, depending on your viewpoint the 9000 is has the more premium look to it.

There is not much difference in the size and weight all told, only a few grams but sit them side by side and we think that most would prefer the in-hand feeling of the Smart 5.

BUT, one of the biggest flaws of the Smart 5 is the fact that you can’t easily tell what cleaning mode you are using. The Genius resolves this issue to a point with a series of icons that illuminate on the handle when the selected mode is in operation.

You have a dedicated cleaning mode button too. Press this to change cleaning modes on the 9000. With the 5000 you have to press the power button multiple times.

With either you have to power the brush on to change mode, but the Genius will remember the cleaning mode and start on this next time it is powered on, the 5000 does not.

On the subject of cleaning modes, the Genius 9000 has an extra brushing mode known as ‘Tongue Cleaning’ mode. This is a cycle that lasts for 20 seconds with 7300 oscillations and 30,000 pulsations and designed for as the name suggests, cleaning the tongue.

The reality is that you could use any mode on the brush to clean your tongue just ending the clean sooner. Although the speed and number of oscillations will be different.

Both have pressure sensors built-in, but the 9000 has an LED smart ring that goes all around the neck of the brush. Customisable one of 12 colours, the whole ring lights up when pressure is detected. On the Smart 5, just a smaller rear mounted LED panel illuminates. It’s a nicer design on the Genius, but by no means essential or has limited enhancement on the overall experience.

The marginally thicker profile is also likely as a result of the extra technology that is built into the brush.

Whilst both brushes have Bluetooth connectivity and are considered ‘smart’ as they connect to a smartphone, the Genius has something known as enhanced tracking.

This enhanced tracking uses the front facing camera on your smartphone and sensors in the brush handle to accurately detect the position of the brush within the mouth.

The idea is that it provides and enhanced cleaning experience and feedback as a result. Its clever, but requires dedication and commitment that many are not prepared to give, particularly due to the setup.

What do we mean? Well in the box comes a smartphone holder with the Genius 9000. It has a suction cup on it that needs to attach to a mirror or wall in your bathroom. You put your smartphone in before brushing, stand in front of it and the app, camera, and brush work together to give you this data.

It’s a bit of a hassle as you need to stand almost perfectly still in front of your camera and a smartphone holder like this is not what most of us want in a bathroom.

The Smart 5 5000 does not have the enhanced tracking but does offer still a good range of connectivity features and feedback on how you cleaned. We think on the whole whilst more data is better what the Smart 5 offers is more than enough for most!

The Smart 5 5000 comes supplied with a more suitable holder too. It sits on a work surface rather than needing to be attached to a wall. It is our opinion is smarter and less unsightly. You just need to pop your phone in it, which takes a couple of seconds compared to the tens of seconds with the genius brush configuration. You phone then sits in portrait or landscape orientation and shows the on-screen timer.

The last difference is the battery life and this is a bit of a shocker. Given that the Genius 9000 is the more expensive of the two the Smart 5 actually has the better battery life, lasting up to 16 days or 66 minutes in our testing. That is an extra 16 minutes / 4 days of usage time.

Put these two brushes side by side and the differences between them are much harder to tell, they look almost identical, however there are some subtle differences.

The first is the colour, the Smart 6 has a Silver/Blue front panel and a white body compared to the broader range of colours on offer with the 9000. The 9000 comes in an all White, all Black and Rose Gold and White colour option.

Aside from the colour of the brush the physical size and shape are identical and you would not be able to tell the two apart unless you noticed the additional cleaning mode icon found on the 9000.

Given that this icon only lights up when the mode is selected, it is hard to tell, but the Genius 9000 does offer a Tongue Cleaning mode that the Smart 6 does not.

This is a cycle that lasts for 20 seconds with 7300 oscillations and 30,000 pulsations and designed for as the name suggests, cleaning the tongue.

The reality is, you could use any mode on the brush to clean your tongue just ending the clean sooner. Although the speed and number of oscillations will be different.

Interestingly, despite the similar design, the Smart 6 is actually part of a range of brushes that includes the Smart 4 and 5 that sit below the Genius range.

Both brushes offer Bluetooth connectivity, which means that they connect to an Android or iOS smartphone via an app.

Both brushes will track your cleaning performance and log it in the app whilst providing real time feedback, but the Genius 9000 can go one stage further.

The idea is that it provides and enhanced cleaning experience and feedback as you brush.

Both aim to give feedback as if a dentist was monitoring your clean, but the 9000 just gives the feedback in a more interactive and instant way. Both are designed to educate rather than lecture you on the ‘best’ method. The end goal is better oral health.

The problem is that the 9000’s enhanced tracking requires dedication and commitment that many are not prepared to give, particularly due to the setup.

In the box with the 9000 comes a smartphone holder, with a suction cup, much like you might have in a car. In this instance, you adhere it to a mirror or wall in your bathroom, at head height. You put your smartphone in before brushing and stand in front of it and the app. The camera and the brush work together to give you this real-time data.

All told, whilst the idea and ethos is good it is a bit of a hassle.

We think on the whole most will prefer the experience the Smart 6 offers.

Other in the box differences are the travel case, brush head stand and brush heads.

So, both models come with a place to store brush heads, but the compartment with the 9000 is better than the stand offered with the Smart 6.

The Smart 6’s brush head holder is a moulded piece of plastic that clips around the charging stand and offers up 2 prongs. The brush heads then sit on these. It keeps them upright and they do not touch, but they are not covered like they are with the compartment with the 9000, which can accommodate up to 4 brush heads.

Both do a job and give a home to brush heads, but the 9000 is a neater and more desirable solution.

The Smart 6 comes with1 x CrossAction, 1 x Pro White/3D White and 1 x Sensitive brush head, but the Genius 9000 comes with one additional brush head, that is the FlossAction head.

Despite both brushes coming with multiple brush heads, the travel cases provided with each brush are capable of holding the brush handle and 2 heads only.

The Smart 6 travel case is better than some of the cheaper models. It is a white colour and is fairly robust.

Putting this to shame is the 9000’s travel case which is heavier, bulkier but much more premium to look at and touch. It also has the ability to charge the brush in the case, by connecting the provided charging cable. If this is not enough, a USB cable can be connected to the case and charge a device like a smartphone.

There is no battery in the case, to charge the brush and anything connected via the USB cable the case has to be connected to mains power.

Another slight difference is the 9000’s lovely travel case has a clip built into the lid that holds a smartphone, for using the app when travelling.

The final difference is the battery life. This one will likely surprise you.

Whilst the Genius is the premium brush it offers inferior battery life. Our testing has confirmed that the 9000 offers 12 days of usage time compared to the 18 days on the Smart 6.

The Smart 6 retails typically for around £100 despite its £220 recommended retail price. Normally around £40-50 more expensive than the Smart 6, there are times when the 9000 comes down in price to about the same as the Smart 6, making it the much better buy at these times for the benefits it offers, even if the battery life is worse.

Place these brushes side by side and it is almost impossible to tell the difference between each of them.

There are more similarities between these 2 brushes than there are differences.

However, despite their looks, there is 1 significant difference that separates these 2 brushes.

The Genius X has built-in sensors and Artificial Intelligence which track the movement of the brush handle when in use.

This does away with one of the biggest frustrations of the Genius 9000 when it came to real-time tracking of the toothbrush in use.

With the 9000 you have to stand still in front of the camera on your smartphone for it to track, you do not have to with the X.

The tracking technology is clever on both models and it can encourage and help you achieve a better clean, but the Genius X makes the whole process much more user friendly, with a lot less hassle.

It does not mean the brush will actually clean the teeth better. In fact, both have the same motor inside and the same cleaning modes.

The trade off in many respects is the price.

The Genius X does command a premium for this technological upgrade and you get a little less in the box.

Both come with a premium travel case and a 2+ week battery life. A visible pressure sensor, 2 minute timer and pacer are built-in too.

The Oral-B iO has been redesigned from the ground up. From the motor to the handle, to the brush head, it has all changed.

The new magnetic driven motor is quieter and the way it works produces a cleaning sensation that is similar, but different.

Does it clean the teeth better? No, not really. Both do a great job of removing plaque.

However, there is no denying that the iO looks and feels the part.

There are fewer gloss plastics and large expanses of rubber grips, with a much more exclusive looking design.

A display has been built into the handle that allows you to control certain features of the brush and gain some real-time feedback without the need for the smartphone application.

Just like the Genius X, this is a smart toothbrush, but the technology has been enhanced even further to provide a more accurate tracking and feedback loop so that you and I can brush better.

You get the standard features like the 2 minute timer, 30 second pacer, rechargeable battery and fading indicator bristles on the brush head.

You too get a visible pressure sensor, but this now lights up not only red to alert you when you brush too hard, but green too, to show you are using just the right amount of pressure.

A new magnetic charger means the brush can be recharged in as little as 3 hours, rather than the more typical 12.

It does too come with a premium travel case, similar to that of the Genius X, which allows the brush to be charged whilst inside. However, like the X, this requires a separate proprietary power adapter.

There is a great deal to like about the iO and this is without a doubt a step up for Oral-B. But, the downside is the price. It costs quite a bit more than the Genius X and does not deliver significant benefits that would be justifiable to most for the price.