These days, every regular electrical device and appliance is getting Wi-Fi connectivity and therefore offering ‘smart’ features. Toothbrushes haven’t quite got to this stage but many offer clever tech features and not just to help you clean that pesky plaque. Check out our round up of the best electric toothbrushes. The Sonicare DiamondClean is the top of the range electric toothbrush from Philips and has a pretty high price tag of £250. However, that’s the price on the Philips webstore and you can pick up the very same device at John Lewis for just £149 which is more than reasonable. We took a look at the black model which looks super stylish with its matt finish compared to the traditional white electric toothbrush, but you can find this model in white if you do prefer it or pink if you feel that way inclined. As with any electric toothbrush, you’ll need to buy replacement brush heads and you’ll only get one in the box to begin with. As well as the stylish design, the Sonicare DiamondClean feels every bit a premium product with the included hard case, glass and the way the modes and battery indicator which light up are completely invisible when the toothbrush isn’t in use.
While smart toothbrushes will typically come with an app, they’re not really necessary as they pretty contain a timer to make sure you brush for the recommended two minutes. This isn’t always practical so the Sonicare DiamondClean does away with this and simply switches off automatically after the two minutes are up – it will even give you a notification of sorts every 30 seconds by very briefly pausing the vibration so you clean evenly. For app-connected toothbrushes read our Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum toothbrush review and Oral-B Genius 8000/9000 electric toothbrush review. Not all the brushing modes last two minutes but you’ll probably use the regular clean mode the most. The others are gum care, polish, white and sensitive. You simply keep pressing the power button to cycle through them. If you’ve never used an electric toothbrush before you can even put it into a mode that gradually increases the strength of the vibration to help you get used to it. Of course, Philips says that the device will help you keep your teeth cleaner, whiter and ensure you’re gums are healthy. We can’t test things like the claim of up to seven times plaque removal but the results after a two minute regular clean. You can easily feel the difference compared to a manual toothbrush. The clever automatically timed modes, up to 31,000 brush strokes per minute and introduction setting are just the start of the smart features available here really. What is particularly neat is how you can charge the Sonicare DiamondClean. The toothbrush features wireless charging so doesn’t need to sit in a dock properly or anything. You simply place it in the supplied glass when then sits on a base which you plug into the wall. This means you don’t even need to think about charging it and you can pick up and use the glass easily while the charging base stays put.
If you do take the Sonicare DiamondClean away from home it will last around 3 weeks on a full charge. The hard carry case will keep it protected and has space for a couple of brush heads but that’s not all. You can also charge the toothbrush while it’s in the case because it has a USB port. You can plug it into a laptop, smartphone charger or pretty much any other USB port to keep it topped up. We’d prefer it if the connection on the case was microUSB rather than the older Type B but this isn’t the end of the world and a cable is supplied. Tech Advisor’s Reviews Editor, Chris has been reviewing all kinds of tech for over 10 years and specialises in audio. He also covers a range of topics including home entertainment, phones, laptops, tablets and more.
