Don’t be tricked by an electric toothbrush on Black Friday

This year’s Black Friday deals are fast approaching, with the big day scheduled for November 26, but some of the most impressive offers aren’t necessarily what they seem – particularly when it comes to electric toothbrushes.

We always see some impressive Black Friday electric toothbrush deals, with brushes from big names like Philips and Oral-B on sale for less than half price. The offers are extremely tempting, but before you take the plunge and click that ‘buy’ button, it’s worth taking a moment to check out how much your chosen brush sells for the rest of the year.

Top-end electric toothbrushes are often very pricey when they launch. For example, our current top-rated brush, the Oral-B iO Series 9, cost $300 / £500 when it first went on sale in 2020. However, those premium prices rarely last long, and the iO Series 9 now typically sells for around $200 / £250. With that in mind, a Black Friday discount of 60% off the RRP isn’t quite so impressive.

Similarly, the excellent Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 cost $475 / £340 when it launched last year, but can now be found for around half that price, even outside the big sales periods.

We’re not saying that none of this year’s electric toothbrush deals will be worthwhile; only that the savings likely aren’t as huge as they first appear. If you’re in the market for a new brush and want to be certain that you’re really getting a good price, we’ll be rounding up all of the best offers right here on TechRadar, so you won’t miss the real savings.

Heads up

If you do decide to pick up an electric toothbrush in the Black Friday sales, take a moment to check what type of head it takes (they aren’t universal) and see if you can find a good deal on replacements.

Toothbrush heads don’t drop in price as rapidly as the brushes themselves, and Black Friday can be a great time to stock up so you don’t end up paying full price for replacements further down the line.

Electric toothbrushes to look out for

With the clock ticking and many deals selling out fast, it’s easy to make impulse purchases on Black Friday. To avoid making a snap decision, or spending more cash than you originally intended, it’s a good idea to make a list of products to watch when the sales arrive.

If you’re looking for a new electric toothbrush on Black Friday, these are the ones to watch out for. We’ve tested all these brushes ourselves at TechRadar, and they come highly recommended.

The Oral-B iO Series 9 is very quiet (much more so than a typical oscillating brush) and feels smooth as you work your way around your mouth. The in-built pressure sensor not only warns you if you’re pressing too hard, but also if you’re not applying enough pressure to get a good clean, helping you achieve an optimum result.

For more in-depth guidance you can turn to the Oral-B app. This will detect which section of your mouth you’re currently brushing, with graphics that update in real time to show when you’ve thoroughly cleaned each surface. When you’re done, you’ll get a report on your performance, and you can earn awards along the way..

Read our full Oral-B iO Series 9 review

The Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige is another very impressive electric toothbrush designed to improve your technique long-term by monitoring your brushing and giving real-time feedback. If you make too much of a scrubbing action, the app will display an alert advising you to reduce your movements, and the handle will buzz gently. Press too hard, and the handle will pause, then resume with a lower intensity in reaction to your technique.

The Sonicare app monitors the brush’s position in your mouth, helping ensure you clean every surface thoroughly, with on-screen graphics and timers to ensure you don’t miss a spot.

Read our full Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige review

The Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 is an extremely versatile electric toothbrush, with four brushing modes and three intensity settings for each one. All the essential controls are right on the sleek brush handle, and our tests with disclosing tablets showed that it did an excellent job at removing plaque, even at a lower intensity.

Like the Sonicare 9900 Prestige above, it connects to the Sonicare mobile app on your phone via Bluetooth to give you advice on your brushing, but you won’t get real-time feedback as the brush lacks the necessary sensors.       

Read our full Philips Sonicare DIamondClean 9000 review