Yes, some may have a display built-in; the iO3 doesn’t. But it does mean the Series 3 looks much more premium and desirable than some of the more affordable models from Oral-B. Its brush heads are made from petroleum-based plastic, which uses up the planet’s finite resources compared to using plant-based plastics. The iO heads are still fairly small and round, but they are marginally taller, which might, for a small minority, pose a bit of an issue reaching some spaces in the mouth.

This is a result of the brushless magnetic drive system used exclusively in the iO Series. It directs the cleaning energy to the bristle tips along with what is known as micro vibrations. An intentional design choice, it does make for a more enjoyable experience. It feels solid and is well balanced. It stands upright on a countertop and doesn’t roll when laid on a flat surface. Each function button has a slightly concave shape and a different material finish to the rest of the handle, thus it’s obvious to the fingertip where it is positionedIt will stand upright on a countertop and strategically placed raised dots on the rear of the handle prevent the brush from rolling along a flat countertop. The Lithium-Ion battery holds a charge that can last more than two weeks. The charging station is small enough to fit on a bathroom counter or sink.

Experience Oral-B Pro 3 from the #1 brand used by dentists worldwide. The sleek handle of the Pro 3 electric toothbrush helps you brush like your dentist recommends: It helps you brush for 2 minutes with the professional timer and it notifies you every 30 seconds to change the area your are brushing. While you are just moving the brush around your mouth, Oral-B's unique round head does all the rest. You need to press the power button 3 times, each and every time you use it, if you want whitening mode. On average, they operate at 10 decibels (dB) less. The iO3 registers a maximum of 64dB. But, on the sensitive mode, it was a couple of dB quieter still. There are no gloss plastics here. Instead, there is a matt finish to the plastic body that somehow feels quite grippy to the touch despite the reduced number of textured surfaces and gripping points compared to models like the Vitality Pro.

Great cleaning, useful features and superb battery life – this is the best affordable electric toothbrush

Unlike the Smart 5 5000 and older models from Oral-B, the Pro 3 doesn’t have any large rubber panels on the handle to aid with grip. There’s a small section around the power button, but the result is a much cleaner look to the handle. This is a fantastic price given the cleaning performance and dentist recommended features it boasts. It really is a must buy.

For the vast majority of us, 1 cleaning mode is all we need. I don’t use all 7 modes on my iO Series 9. To be frank, there’s little difference in the clean from some of Oral-B’s more expensive models – once you move up the price range, you’re mainly paying for the extra features that help you get the best clean that you can. The worst thing you can say about this brush is that it’s noisy, and even then only the Whitening mode is unusually so. Without moving up to the iO range and its more advanced motor system, you’re not going to get much better.The PRO 3, on top of the Daily clean and Sensitive modes, comes with a specialized whitening clean mode. This feature protects your gums by signalling you if you're brushing too hard. The 360° pressure sensor turns red and automatically slows brush speed. While Oral-B has partnered with schemes such as TerraCycle in some countries, it does not yet have its own recycling scheme for used brush heads or faulty products. The pressure sensor implementation in the iO Series handle is one of the best enhancements to electric toothbrushes I have experienced in recent times.

I’ve been using the iO Series 9 since it launched in the summer of 2020 and it still functions as you would expect.weeks is the claimed usable life of the Lithium-Ion battery sealed inside the brush handle, based on 2 cleans per day each 2 minutes in length. I achieved 19-20 days and have noticed much more consistent battery performance than the iO Series brushes. Oral-B PRO 3 and brush heads are designed to work together for an optimal clean. From CrossAction to Precision Clean, to 3D White, to Floss Action, Oral-B brush heads deliver a superior clean vs. a manual toothbrush.