The Oral-B iO Series 9 is the top of the range electric toothbrush.
If you want the very best of Oral-B today, and are prepared to pay for it, then this is it.
It has all the dentist recommended features and many more.
It cleans the teeth really well and looks very stylish.
Hey, it’s Jon from Electric Teeth here.
At the time of review, the iO9 is the flagship model within the iO Series.
It is the most capable of them all.
There are 2 main functions that set the iO9 apart from the rest.
The first is the real-time 3D teeth tracking that it offers.
As a Bluetooth enabled brush you can connect the
iO9 to your Android or iOS devices with the free app.
It doesn’t just log how often you brush and for how long.
It is in real-time monitoring how well you brush by tracking 16 different zones within the mouth.
Sensors in the brush handle gather multiple data points,
including the position of the brush in your mouth and relay this to your smartphone.
Clever tech or Artificial Inteligence (AI) as
Oral-B calls it, processes this into more meaningful information
The on-screen visual then show you where you have and have not brushed,
so that you can take immediate corrective action.
You are rated on your coverage and brushing time and pressure used. The
app uses the data available to educate and encourage you to do the best job possible.
For those who know their brushing routine isn’t great,
this tech can help as it will highlight areas for improvement.
If you brush too hard, miss certain areas,
or don’t brush for long enough, the app will let you know.
Because it is tracking 16 zones, and not 6 like many other iO models
the quality of the feedback is better. If you are failing to
clean the upper right biting surface all the time, you will know about it.
All very clever it is, but it isn’t perfect.
The tracking can lag at times and it won’t always register the correct zones.
But it is a very powerful tool if you are committed to using it.
Whilst the app does educate, it doesn’t hurt to make yourself away of the correct
brushing techniques and things you can do to help improve your oral health.
The video linked in the top right corner has lots of helpful information in it.
Another way the iO9 stands out is the provided travel case.
This durable hard plastic case doesn’t just hold the handle and 1 brush head,
but it allows the brush to be charged inside the case too.
You do have to connect up the proprietary power adapter, that is included in the box.
It doesn’t charge over USB and there is no battery built into the case itself.
Unfortunately the power adapter is a bit bulky and has to be carried separately
from the the case itself. It does support 100-240 volts so it is useful for travellers.
The iO9 has a clean and minimalistic design to the brush handle.
There is an obvious lack of textured surfaces, which actually makes the brush easier to keep
clean. And it isn’t as big a compromise as one might suspect. This is because the finish to the
plastic is slightly restitive aiding with grip. A stand out feature that captures the attention
is the interactive colour display that is built into the handle.
It is flanked by a power and mode button.
Whilst it is far from necessary, it is a neat feature and certainly adds to the premium feel.
You get emoji style feedback on your brushing, an on screen timer during a cleaning session and you
even have the ability to control settings that are usually reserved for the app.
The display isn’t touchscreen which is somewhat surprising,
but preferred for a more reliable user experience.
All the electronics including the rechargeable battery are
sealed inside the handle. It feels pretty solid and durable in hand too.
There are no less than 7 different cleaning modes to choose from. Simply
switch between them by using the lower of the 2 function buttons on the handle.
As you do, the icon and text on screen will change to show you the modes available.
Honestly, you don’t need 7, Daily Clean and Sensitive are my go to choices and are
more than enough for most users. But, you have the choice if you so desire.
You can actually disable and re-order the modes via the app if you want.
Each mode is designed to be used for 2 minutes,
with the exception of tongue clean which is designed for 20 seconds of use.
The iO9 doesn't power off automatically after each brushing cycle, you will need
to press the power button. If you achieve the 2 minutes you will get
a smiley face on the screen to acknowledge your achievement.
Many people brush for just 45-70 seconds per day,
far less than the recommended 2 minutes twice a day. This is why the iO9 has a pacer and timer.
They are designed to encourage you to brush for the correct time and to do so evenly.
Spend 30 seconds in each of the 4 quadrants of the mouth being sure to brush all surfaces.
A brief pause in the brushing, along with a vibration in the
brush handle will alert you to move from one section to another.
You will then get a similar, but different notification at 2 minutes.
The timer and pacer are 2 of the dentist recommended features that
this brush has. Another is the visible pressure sensor.
The iO series has one of the best sensor implementations going. It has
a smart pressure sensor that changes colour based on the pressure applied.
If it’s lit white, you’re not applying enough pressure.
If it’s red, you’re using too much.
You want to see a green light all the time you brush.
Brushing with too little force won’t clean the teeth as well, whilst too much can be damaging.
It would be useful if the handle vibrated differently when applying
too much pressure, but sadly it doesn't.
Given that the American Dental Association have awarded the iO9 their Seal of Acceptance,
you can be assured the brush lives up to the claims Oral-B make.
I can too confirm from my own hands-on testing that the brushing results are fantastic.
It is cliche, but I do have that dentist clean feeling with each use.
The small round oscillating,
rotating and micro vibrating brush head gives a deep and invigorating clean.
For existing Oral-B users, the brushing sensation with the iO
Series is a little more gentle than other brushes.
The magnetically driven motor sealed inside the handle works differently
but still achieves great plaque removal.
Another bonus is that the brush is quieter, at 64 decibels when in use.
The iO9 comes with 4 Ultimate Clean brush heads included in the box, if you are located in the
USA. For those in the UK and central European countries, normally just 1 is included.
But, making up for the fewer heads is the inclusion of a separate brush head refill holder.
Other variants and box contents configurations do exist, but whatever the box contents,
the brush handles are technically the same.
The ultimate clean head offers slightly firmer angled bristles for an effective clean.
It is 1 of 4 different brush head styles to choose from. A
preferred head for many is the softer bristled option called Gentle Care.
Unfortunately the iO specific brush heads command a price point double that of replacement heads for
other Oral-B handles. This has a negative knock on effect on the ownership costs.
Like a manual brush, the bristles need to ideally be replaced every 3 months.
Being a smart toothbrush the head is tracked via the app,
so you will get a notification right when you need to replace it.
Sealed inside the handle is the rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery.
This gives just over 2 weeks of use on a full charge. This is
acceptable but not the best usage time available on brushes today.
The brush recharges via the supplied magnetic charging stand. A premium option,
it has a 2 pin power adapter and support for 100-240 volts.
You can place the brush on the charger in any orientation and it can be replenished in just
3 hours. That is significantly faster than the 12-16 hours of most other Oral-B brushes.
Feedback on the charge level is given via the smartphone app and via the display
The handle is also water resistant,
allowing you to rinse the brush under the tap or use in the shower if you so desire.
The reliability of Oral-B products tend to be pretty good. You will likely get a usable life
far greater than the 2 year period that the supplied warranty supports you for.
It is a shame that in an age where we are becoming more environmentally considerate,
Oral-B have yet to make components like the battery easily replaceable.
Heres to hoping design approaches change in the future to allow such.
The iO9 is available in 3 different colour options. You can choose between rose quartz,
white alabaster and black onyx.
The iO9 has a retail price of £500 in the UK or $300 in the USA.
Selling prices are often lower. Expect around 50% discount in the UK and European countries,
with the potential for up to 20% off in the US.
Over 3 years the Series 9 will cost about £338 or $336,
when you factor in the expensive iO brush heads.
If you want the best and are committed to using the smart features, the iO9 is superb.
You could save yourself over 100 pounds or dollars by opting for the iO6.
You will get only 6 instead of 16 zone tracking, a standard charger
and a black and white display. But, it still cleans the teeth just as well.
More affordable and less feature rich alternatives are linked in the video description and would
leave your bank balance looking healthier without compromising on the cleaning results.
Linked in the description also is a written review that accompanies
this video and covers some parts in much more detail than I have in this video.