Best electric toothbrushes for kids 2024 | Live Science

We have tested the best electric toothbrushes for kids: From toddler-friendly products to fun-filled gadgets for pre-teens, these are the best toothbrushes to look for during the Black Friday sale.

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Whether it is the customizable Philips Sonicare for Kids or the quirky-shaped AutoBrush Sonic Pro, investing in one of the best electric toothbrushes for kids could make a big difference to your children's dental hygiene — and with the Black Friday sale on the horizon, you can now snap it at a fraction of the price.

Toddlers and pre-schoolers are notorious for refusing to brush their teeth regularly, mostly because it is a tedious and time-consuming task. However, these clever gadgets can turn the dreaded chore into a fun activity. "Children’s toothbrushes have lots of colour and characters which can appeal to children and help get them more into looking after their teeth," Karen Coates, a dental nurse and oral health educator, told Live Science. Scroll down to the Electric toothbrushes for kids FAQs for more information.

We know that picking the right product is not an easy task, which is why we have tried and tested plenty of electric toothbrushes for kids to help you make t. We have looked at price, design, features, and battery life, taking note of any pros and cons that you need to know about before making a purchase. You can read more about our testing protocol in the How we test section down below.

Best overall

Best overall

The Oral-B Kids electric toothbrush takes the top spot thanks to its good battery life, four brush heads, colorful design and a fun-filled app that helps kids improve their brushing technique.

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Best for monitoring progress

Best for monitoring progress

This toothbrush comes with an app packed with personalized brushing tips and animated rewards that encourage the child to brush properly — and it also allows the parent to monitor their brushing progress.

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Best looking

Best looking

Coated in colorful silicone and ergonomically designed, the Foreo Issa Kids will brighten up your bathroom shelf. However, it is pretty pricey and comes with no connected apps.

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Best for reluctant brushers

Best for reluctant brushers

The innovative and fun-shaped AutoBrush Sonic Pro takes only 30s to brush, and features three light modes for added sanitation. However, it may not reach some of the back teeth.

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Best for interactive play

Best for interactive play

This affordably priced toothbrush features fun games capable of transforming your child's dental hygiene, but its brush heads fray quickly, and it can be loud, too.

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Why you can trust Live Science Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best ones for you. Find out more about how we test.

Our expert review:

✅ You want to instill good brushing habits: Its app is packed with fun brushing challenges.

✅ You are looking for a toothbrush for a younger child: It features a sensitive mode that is easy on the gums.

✅ You want excellent value: This affordable toothbrush boasts great performance, and it looks good, too.

❌ You need multiple spare brush heads: Only one head supplied.

❌ You want a feature-packed app: The app is a valuable addition, but it comes with no frills.

🔎 Oral-B Kids: This Disney-themed toothbrush won our seal of approval with its excellent brushing performance, customizable design and affordable price. The caveat? No spare brush heads. ★★★★½

The Oral-B Kids electric toothbrush uses oscillating-rotating movement to clean your kid’s teeth, and it’s suitable for children as young as three years old. In our Oral-B Kids Electric Toothbrush review, we tested the Frozen-themed toothbrush, but other themes are available including Star Wars, Disney Princesses and Pixar Kids. Prices may vary.

The first thing we noticed with the Oral-B Kids electric toothbrush is that it comes with just one toothbrush head, so you will need to purchase refills.

On the plus side, this rechargeable electric toothbrush lasts for up to eight days between charges too, so you can take it away on short breaks or sleepovers without having to remember to pack the charger.

A free Disney Magic Timer app is also available with selected toothbrushes, including the Frozen II model. Simply download the app, scan the toothbrush and your child is all set to brush along with their favorite Disney and Pixar characters. They can unlock and collect stickers for good brushing technique too.

A 30-second reminder prompts little ones to switch brushing position, and a 2-minute timer tells them when it’s time to stop brushing. Younger children may prefer to choose the Sensitive mode, while the Daily Clean mode may suit older children better.

However, negative reviews mention problems scanning the toothbrush to match favorite characters in the app, and some parents report a build-up of mold and dirt on the toothbrush where the head connects with the handle. It’s worth pointing out that these negative reviews are few and far between.

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Our expert review:

✅ You want a customizable design: The toothbrush comes with 10 colorful stickers to wrap around the handset.

✅ You want to monitor your child's brushing progress: Both the brush and the app store brushing history.

✅ You are looking for great brushing performance: It offers a thorough clean that is easy on the gums.

❌ You are on a budget: The brush and the spare heads are on the expensive side.

❌ You have a very young child: The handset may be too big.

🔎 Philips Sonicare for Kids: This toothbrush is a fabulous all-rounder: sturdy, reliable and packed with features that encourage good brushing habits. It does not cost the earth, either. ★★★★★

The Philips Sonicare for Kids impressed us with its customizable design and smart features, which is why we gave it a rare 5-star rating in our Philips Sonicare for Kids review.

Suitable for kids aged three and older, the Philips Sonicare for Kids features an interactive app to help make brushing sessions more fun. Simply download the app to a phone or tablet and connect the Bluetooth-enabled handset for personalized brushing tips, coaching and animated rewards that encourage your child to brush hard-to-reach spots.

The app also features data on your child’s brushing history, so you can double-check they’re staying on track. The brush itself records up to 20 sessions without requiring a sync to the app, so if you haven’t got your phone or tablet to hand, you won’t miss out on a session’s data.

A handy two minute timer encourages your little one to brush for the recommended time. A bonus quad pacing feature prompts them to move the brush around the four quadrants of the mouth, resulting in a thorough clean.

The colorful design of the Philips Sonicare for Kids is also customizable, with 10 stickers provided that wrap around the handset, instantly updating your child’s toothbrush to the design of their choice.

This electric toothbrush comes with 2 power modes - a low mode for younger children and a more powerful mode for older kids. You can also buy smaller toothbrush heads for younger children if the toothbrush head provided is too big for your child.

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Our expert review:

✅ You want a stylish design: The toothbrush is a real looker, and it is soft to the touch, too.

✅ You are looking for soft bristles: Its shallow silicone bristles are easy on the gums.

✅ You want a long battery life: Up to a whopping 265 uses on a single charge.

❌ You are on a budget: It is one of the most expensive toothbrushes on the market.

❌ You want a dedicated app: No useful content to help with brushing technique.

🔎 Foreo Issa Kids: This beautifully designed toothbrush boasts long battery life and an ergonomic handset. It is, however, quite expensive, and it comes with no connected apps. ★★★★

Foreo is known for its beautifully designed sonic toothbrushes, and the Foreo Issa Kids electric toothbrush is no exception. Available in four bright colors, its distinctive design adds cheer to any bathroom shelf.

Foreo toothbrushes and toothbrush heads are made with silicone, making them easy to keep clean and hygienic. Plus, the shallow silicone bristles make these toothbrushes kind to little gums, giving a gentler clean. Foreo claims their toothbrushes remove 30% more plaque to give your child’s oral hygiene a 140% boost.

During our Foreo ISSA Kids review, we found that children enjoy the soft and silky feel of the ergonomically designed handset. Each color choice comes with its own animal character, and you can choose from rose nose hippo, true blue pony, merry berry shark, or mellow yellow gator.

The handset also features a light-up smiling ‘Glee’ or sad ‘Glum’ face, depending on your child’s brushing habits. For example, Glee appears at the end of the recommended two minute brushing time, while Glum appears if they switch off the toothbrush before two minutes, and when the toothbrush hasn’t been in use for 12 hours.

A 30-second quadrant pacer prompts your child to switch position, while a one-hour charge gives up to 265 brushing sessions. A USB cable is also provided, offering ease and flexibility when charging, especially while travelling.

There’s no doubt you get what you pay for with the Foreo Issa Kids, but it is still one of the most expensive kids’ toothbrushes on the market. Replacement toothbrush heads are almost impossible to track down in grocery stores or pharmacies, so you’ll probably need to find and buy them online.

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Our expert review:

✅ Your child struggles with regular brushing: Its unique design allows for an ultra-quick clean.

✅ You want a brush that actively improves gum health: It features a gum massaging mode and LED light therapy.

❌ You are on a budget: It costs nearly $100.

❌ You are looking for a thorough clean: It may not be able to reach back teeth.

🔎 Autobrush Sonic Pro for Kids: With its 30s brushing cycle and three light therapy modes, this fun-shaped toothbrush is a game-changer for reluctant brushers. However, its innovative shape is tricky to get used to. ★★★★

The Autobrush Sonic Pro for Kids is anything but ordinary — instead of a single brush head, it is equipped with innovative U-shaped bristles designed to encompass all the teeth simultaneously, and it only takes 30s to complete a brushing cycle —making this quirky-looking toothbrush a perfect choice for reluctant brushers.

The Sonic Pro is not only time-efficient, but eye-pleasing, too. It will brighten up your child's dental routine with colorful designs and catchy music tunes. However, during our AutoBrush Sonic Pro for Kids review we found that its quirky shape may be tricky to get used to.

The AutoBrush Sonic Pro for Kids features three cleaning modes: Care mode for those with sensitive gums and teeth, Deep Clean, and Massage mode for gentle gum stimulation. Its BASS technology uses up to 30,000 high-frequency vibrations per minute to remove plaque and leave the teeth squeaky clean, while its three LED light modes help to remove bacteria and boost gum health.

On the other hand, the AutoBrush Sonic Pro for kids may struggle to reach some of the teeth, especially those at the back, and can be relatively noisy.

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Our expert review:

✅ You are on a budget: It is affordably priced, and so are the replacement brush heads.

✅ You want to instill good brushing habits: It is packed with fun features that encourage your child to brush regularly.

❌ You want sensitive sensors: The brush struggles to detect pressure.

❌ You are looking for a durable brush: Its bristles frail quickly.

🔎 BriteBrush: This colorful toothbrush is a real joy to use, but its durability and brushing performance fall short of expectations. ★★★

Suitable for children as young as three, the BriteBrush comes in a choice of three distinctive designs: Baby Shark, Sesame Elmo and Game Brush. Each design comes loaded with fun, interactive games and music, to encourage your child to brush more effectively.

During our BriteBrush GameBrush review, the brush did a good job of encouraging our little one to brush up and down. However, we did find that the smart sensors sometimes didn’t recognize that we were brushing up and down already. So the constant reminders, and the fact that the game stopped to remind us, was often a source of frustration.

The ‘side recognition technology’ didn’t appear to work at all. The games continued on, regardless of whether we changed sides or not, so parents may wish to continue supervising their little ones to ensure they’re covering the whole mouth.

Our verdict? Affordably priced, and with lots of features, there’s no doubt that most kids will find the BriteBrush fun to use at first. But it can be a frustrating experience for kids and parents alike.

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Dr. Roopali Kulkarni is an assistant professor of oral medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She teaches predoctoral and postdoctoral students in the Oral Medicine clinic and lectures on topics within dentistry and public health. Dr. Kulkarni is also a consumer advisor spokesperson for the American Dental Association (ADA) and a peer reviewer for the Journal of the American Dental Association. She advised Live Science on when to use use an electric toothbrush for kids.

Karen Coates is a registered dental nurse and oral health educator for the Oral Health Foundation, a UK-based charity dedicated to promoting the benefits of good oral hygiene. She is also a lead co-ordinator of the Tooth Whitening Action Group, a coalition of British dental societies and toothbrush industry representatives that provides tooth whitening guidance to the public and healthcare professionals. For this piece, she gave advice on how to choose an electric toothbrush for kids.

Studies suggest that children who brush their teeth with electric toothbrushes may be able to remove more plaque that those who use manual toothbrushes, according to a 2023 meta-analysis published in the Dentistry Journal. However, both electric and manual toothbrushes are effective at keeping the teeth clean and healthy, Kulkarni said.

Children's electric toothbrushes are different from the best electric toothbrushes for adults — they have smaller handles and softer bristles, and they often come with games, rewards and other motivational features. They do, however, offer the same benefits, according to a 2023 meta-analysis published in the Dentistry Journal.

“Most children can begin using their own electric toothbrush from age three. However, they should be supervised by an adult until they are seven years old,” Coates said. That is because children often need a lot of help with developing their brushing technique, she said.

Children younger than three should have their teeth brushed by a caregiver. "They should be using a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste and whatever toothbrush best fits their specific needs," Kulkarni said.

If you’re shopping around for an electric toothbrush for your child, look for age-appropriate models. There's a lot of choice around these days, with some toothbrushes designed for older children only. Also, try to pick a model that has the Seal of Acceptance from the American Dental Association (ADA). "The ADA Seal was established to help the public identify oral health products that have been independently reviewed by the ADA to ensure that they are safe and effective," Kulkarni said.

Consider how you want the brush to be powered. Battery-powered brushes tend to be cheaper, but the cost of replacement batteries can add up. Your child’s toothbrush runs the risk of slowing down as batteries run out, making brushing less efficient. Electric rechargeable models may end up being a cheaper investment in the long run.

If you’re not sure, you can always start with a cheaper battery-operated model and see how your child gets on with it, before investing in a more expensive rechargeable device.

Examine the size of the brush head and make sure it’s small enough to be used comfortably by your child. "Children may have difficulties with manual dexterity, so you should be looking at electric toothbrushes which have long thin necks that can easily reach the back of their mouth," Coates said. The width and shape of the handset are also important — a good ergonomic design will make the toothbrush more comfortable to hold for two minutes in tiny hands.

Next, look for features that can help your child set good brushing habits. These may include a two-minute timer and quadrant pacing. "This is a timer which helps you to spend equal time over all the parts of your mouth. Every thirty seconds it would send out a noise telling you to move to the next section or quarter of your mouth," Coates said.

A nice design can go a long way, too. "Children may find that brushing with a powered toothbrush is fun; particularly with all of their colors, sparkles and cartoon characters," Kulkarni said. However, it may mean your child outgrows their favorite TV character before they outgrow their brush, and you may find yourself splashing out on a new toothbrush sooner than you’d like.

Above all else, don’t forget adult supervision. Watching your child brush their teeth and helping them out when they need it makes the biggest difference to your child’s oral hygiene. A little praise and encouragement go a long way, too.

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Our reviewers. We test the electric toothbrushes for kids on the people they are actually designed for — the little ones. Supervised by a parent or guardian, our child testers will run the toothbrush on its various settings and modes to give their ultimate verdict. They have tested nearly a dozen different models over the years, so you can trust them when they say if something does the job well or falls behind expectations.

However, we know that children are not the most objective reviewers, which is why we rely on our adult testers to provide a detailed assessment of every toothbrush that lands in their hands. After spending at least a week with each gadget, we rank it across the following categories:

Design. This is where we assess how well the toothbrush was made. We look into its size, durability, looks, and ease of use. We give our verdict on its controls, brush head, handle and general appeal, and we make note of any design tweaks that can help the children develop good brushing habits. We also check whether it comes with any accessories or spare brush heads.

Features. We want to know every single feature of the toothbrush in question. For example, we check how many brushing modes and intensity levels it has to offer. Also, does it come with connected apps and smart features? Can this toothbrush guide your children on their brushing technique? Does it allow you to track their brushing progress? How customizable is it?

Performance. We measure how loud the toothbrush is with a decibel counter app (such as the Sound Meter app). We then compare these results to other appliances and noise levels. We run and use the toothbrush on its different settings and modes, noting any differences in intensity and durations between settings. We also test the charging process, including how long it takes to reach a full charge, and for the battery to deplete.

Value for money. Finally, we give our verdict on the important issue: is it worth the money?

After testing, all feedback is collated to award electric toothbrushes a final star rating, with a maximum score of five.

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Joanne Lewsley is a UK-based freelance writer and editor, covering health and lifestyle news and features. She mainly creates evidence-based health and parenting content and has worked with a number of global sites, including BabyCentre UK, Medical News Today, Fit & Well, Top Ten Reviews, and Yahoo!

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