I choose my electric toothbrushes for their teeth-cleaning performance, not for convenience. It’s a strategy that’s served me well as I’m still free of fillings, while visits to the dentist are neither terrifying nor expensive. (It hasn’t done much for my smugness, however.)
My brush of choice is the Oral-B iO4 because it brushes brilliantly, it’s not insanely priced and it has all the features I need: a two-minute brushing timer and a highly visible red/green pressure sensor that tells me when I’m brushing too hard and when I’ve got it exactly right.
(If I were buying now, I’d probably go for the Oral-B iO3 as it costs less and I don’t use the iO4’s smart features at all.)
So, yep, I love the brush. But I absolutely hate its old-fashioned charger. The £9.99 USB-C replacement I got from Amazon UK (also available from Amazon US for $9.90) has proved life-changing.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Let me explain why.
In spite of their excellence at teeth-cleaning, Oral-B brushes aren’t flawless. First off, they have a fairly limited battery life. It varies from brush to brush but is nowhere near as long as the one-month-plus offered by some of the best electric toothbrushes on the market.
That means you’ll need to use your charger often, and likely take it away when you go on holiday. That’s definitely the case if you share it as a couple or a family.
But if you’re in the UK, your Oral-B electric toothbrush will come with a two-pin charger that fits a bathroom socket. That’s only useful if you happen to have a shaver socket in your bathroom and if anywhere you travel is similarly equipped. Otherwise, you’ll need to buy a bulky adaptor.
US models come with a standard two-pin plug, which is somewhat better. But neither option is nearly as handy as a USB charger, in my opinion. And that’s something you won’t get with any Oral-B iO model.
Just to be clear, the USB-C charger I bought isn’t Oral-B branded. It’s a compatible model, but I’ve been using it for a month without any issues. If anything, I’d say my brush is charging faster than it does with its branded charger. I’d recommend it wholeheartedly.
This USB-C charger will work with any classic Oral-B electric toothbrush, and any iO model from the iO2 to the iO6. (The iO7 and above use a fast-charging puck instead.)
Having a USB charger has made a huge difference. It’s made it much easier for me to keep my brush topped up and in use all the time, which means I’m taking better care of my teeth.
Considering buying an Oral-B brush, or upgrading? You can see our top recommendations in our round-up of the best Oral-B electric toothbrushes of all types. If you want an iO but aren’t sure which model to get, check out our complete iO guide, which breaks down the differences between models, their pros and cons, and lets you know what you should pay for each one.
