This slim, stylish and durable metal handled brush is possibly
the most environmentally considerate electric toothbrush available today.
Cleaning results are good and you get most of the dentist recommended features.
It isn’t the cheapest, but there are some worthwhile benefits for the premium.
SURI sets a new benchmark for electric toothbrushes that I am excited about.
Hey, it’s Jon from Electric Teeth here.
It’s well documented that the modern world needs to become
more environmentally considerate. Oral care is no exception.
Electric toothbrushes don’t fare well on their impact on the environment.
They have been found to be 11 times more impactful than that of a manual bamboo brush.
But, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use one. As consumers,
we need to balance effective cleaning and disease prevention against the environmental impact.
Electric toothbrushes can reduce the need for dental treatment
and avoid the need for planetary impacts that come from procedures such as fillings.
This sonic toothbrush from SURI is a step in the right direction. They don’t claim to be perfect,
but they are consciously working to be a better and less impactful option.
They are the first electric toothbrush company that I know of
that are carbon neutral. They are too pending B Corporation certification.
Whilst it does have the 2 minute timer and 30 second pacer that dentists recommend,
it does unfortunately lack a pressure sensor.
This is a shame. Just be sure to avoid brushing with too much force.
The aluminum handle wraps around an inner steel core.
It is thinner and lighter (just 84g), than most electric toothbrushes whilst feeling very robust.
There is a very clean and minimal design with just 1 function button.
A lack of raised or textured grips might be an issue for some,
but the benefit is a handle that is easy to keep clean.
Attaching to the handle are the plant based brush heads that are color matched to the handle.
Both are available in 3 color options, winter fern, midnight black and sea mist.
Made from cornstarch and castor oil,
these heads perform comparably to the nylon bristled heads available on other brushes.
The W profile to the bristles cup and clean the teeth as well
as you would expect. They are fairly soft too.
SURI have placed a tongue scraper on the back of the brush head.
The tongue is often the cause of bad breath, so well worth making use of this.
Unlike some brush heads that have fading indicator
bristles to remind you when to replace the heads, these don’t.
It will be up to you to replace it every 3 months, sooner if it is obviously worn or damaged.
When you do, you can recycle the heads and prevent them going to landfill
by making use of the free recycling scheme SURI offers.
A pre-paid compostable mailer is included with your brush and any replacement heads you order.
It is the MicroSonic magnetic motor inside the handle that delivers up to 33,000 vibrations
per minute to the bristles.
You have 2 cleaning modes, a more gentle everyday clean and then a polish mode.
The brush remembers the last mode used and you know
which mode you have selected via the LED on the brush handle.
White for everyday clean, blue for polish.
The cleaning results are good, I can’t complain. My teeth felt clean
after each use. The only thing is I didn’t get quite the same invigorating post clean
feeling as I do with Oral-B or Sonicare brushes. This isn’t a negative as such,
just something to be aware of, for existing electric toothbrush users.
Both modes last for 2 minutes and the brush turns itself off automatically.
If you turn the brush off, you haven’t brushed for long enough.
Sonic brushes tend to be quiet, but this is quiter than most producing around 54 decibels.
Despite being slim, the battery inside the brush still delivers impressive usage time.
SURI claim 30 days, but I achieved 42.
The brush can be recharged in just 3-4 hours using the supplied charging stand or travel case.
The LED on the handle flashes red when the battery is low,
blue when it is charging and changes to a solid white light when fully charged.
Included in the box is a charging stand. This also doubles up as a a
very useful magnetic wall or mirror mount too, thanks to an adhesive pad.
This means you can store the brush
up and away from the countertop. Ideal for small bathrooms, with limited space.
Detach the stand from the adhesive mounting plate when the brush needs to be recharged.
It then mangetizes upright on the stand.
Supplied is a detachable USB A to USB type C cable to power the stand.
You don’t get a power adapter included in the box.
This is a pro and a con depending on your viewpoint.
SURI have done this to limit environmental impact as most of us own a USB plug adapter.
The same USB cable can be connected to the supplied
travel case to charge it inside that too.
Inside the case is a UV-C light to sanitize the bristles of the brush head.
An innovative feature rarely seen in travel cases, the cycle lasts for 1 minute.
Unfortunately this only works when the case is connected to a power outlet.
There is no battery in the case to power the UV-C cycle or recharge the brush.
The case itself is slim and lightweight and well designed. It protects that brush from damage
and accidental activation. It is fitting of the premium design and price tag this brush commands.
Including a case, with electronics inside seems to counter the intention to be less
impactful on the planet. But, it is a very handy accessory that even the most
infrequent traveler will likely make use of.
The handle is waterproof so a rinse under the tap and use in the shower is fine.
SURI offers a 100 day money back guarantee,
which is a nice touch as not all of us will get on with sonic toothbrushes.
Reducing planetary impact is core to SURI and one of the ways
they work to achieve this is by making the brush repairable.
Many existing brushes are not designed to be repaired or prove uneconomical to fix.
The battery and other internal components are able to be replaced when they wear out or fail
at what SURI suggest will be fair prices.
These repairs will need to be carried out by SURI, it isn’t designed to be a DIY
job. But service centers will be located in the UK and USA.
Disappointingly the standard warranty is only 1 year.
Most brushes come with a 2 year warranty and given SURI are promoting long term ownership
I would have expected a longer support times.
You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a good electric toothbrush.
Our top recommendations are usually around £50 or $50.
But, that is based on the typical selling
price and not the retail prices that manufacturers give them.
More often than not toothbrushes from Philips Sonicare and Braun Oral-B are
discounted by about 20-50% subject to location.
This means a toothbrush selling for £50 or dollars
usually has a retail price of around £100 or dollars.
Take the Oral-B Pro 3 for example,
its retail price is £90 and the actual selling price is normally £45.
The retail price of SURI is £120 or approximately $150.
I am reviewing this brush several weeks after the first brushes began shipping.
I can’t say for sure, but I do suspect the average selling price of SURI will be around £100 or $125.
This is more expensive and a much smaller discount, but as you probably know,
doing the right thing often means paying more.
At the time or review the Oral-B Smart 1500 is my top recommended brush in the USA,
whilst the Pro 3 3500 is the best option in for those in the UK.
The value for money Oral-B offers is the primary reason here.
However, Oral-B (and other leading manufacturers) don’t come
anywhere near as close in terms of environmental pledges and actions.
When you factor in the unique design, materials, accessories
and the premium for doing the right thing and I do believe the price asked for SURI is fair.
Using an electric toothbrush undoubtedly has a greater impact on the planet than
using a manual one. Whether you opt for electric over manual is a personal choice.
If you do want to opt for an electric toothbrush,
SURI is the leading product when it comes to environmental pledges.
It has set a standard that should encourage other manufacturers to improve their own offerings.
In the description below is a link to buy SURI as well as a more detailed written
review of the brush and analysis of SURI’s environmental pledges.