Oral B Pulsonic Electric Toothbrush

Suggested Retail Price: $69.99

Rating: 7/10

Advantages

• Many good features
• Timer signals 30-second intervals
• Very quiet
• Limited 2 year warranty 

Disadvantages

• Brush head isn't very stable
• Does not come with brush head covers

Included Accessories

• Base station charger
• One Oral B Pulsonic brush head
• One Oral B Precision Tip brush head
• Owner's manual

Review

The Oral B Pulsonic stands out among other Oral B models by being more slender and compact.  Like other Oral B models, the Pulsonic does a great job at cleaning teeth, though this model suffers from more downsides due to reliability issues and annoyances than the typical Oral B brush does.

The main selling point of the Oral B Pulsonic is its small size.  As Oral B boasts, this electric toothbrush gives "sonic brushing in our slimmest form," and that it "makes your bathroom look bigger," and these statements are true.  Using the lightweight Pulsonic is more pleasurable that using an uncomfortable, bulky toothbrush, plus it saves space in the bathroom.  Additionally, it's one of the quietest electric toothbrushes to operate.

Even though the Oral B Pulsonic is one of the smallest electric toothbrushes around, it still packs quite a punch.  It uses their sonic technology to give over 27,000 vibrations per minute, and can reduce 94% of surface stains after only a couple of weeks. 

Another nice bonus of this electric toothbrush is that it can use two different brush heads.  The default one is the Pulsonic Brush Head, which is great for brushing teeth and gums.  Then there's the Precision Tip Brush Head, which uses Oral B's Interspace® design to get to hard to reach places and between teeth.  Your brushing experience can be further customized with the Pulsonic's two modes: clean and sensitive.  The sensitive mode is ideal for brushing the gums, or is nice if you're not used to the power of an electric toothbrush.  Clean mode, on the other hand, will give a more vigorous brushing.

Unfortunately, the Oral B Pulsonic does have its problems.  The most glaring downside is the instability of the brush heads.  Some people find they pop off during brushing, as they aren't able to lock in very securely, as in most electric toothbrushes.  So if you're not careful, the brush head will twist off.  This can happen even when the lower powered "sensitive" mode is being used.

Other than that problem, there are some other annoyances with the Oral B Pulsonic.  For starters, it doesn't come with brush head covers, which some people like to use for sanitary purposes.  In addition, the two-minute timer has no auto shut-off, which can be a nuisance.  If you're not paying enough attention--and many people who have just rolled out of bed and are still half-asleep often aren't--then you can miss the recommended two minute time.  And without an auto shut-off, you have to fumble around pushing buttons while the electric toothbrush in your mouth, which is also annoying.

Although the Oral B Pulsonic has some problems, most people find it to be a nice electric toothbrush.  If you don't think you'll want to deal with the annoyances, then by all means, avoid it.  However, if it's important for you to have a compact electric toothbrush, then this might be the model for you.