The iO Series has made a name for itself thanks to the premium design and features the brushes offer.
The iO3 is the cheapest model within the iO range that I have used to date.
Just because it is more affordable, doesn’t mean it is a bad brush. The compromises
that have been made are as a result of doing away with non essential features.
The iO3 isn’t perfect, but you gain some of the best
iO exclusive benefits, without the high price.
Hey, it’s Jon from Electric Teeth here.
I can confirm that the iO3 cleans the teeth well,
as you would expect. It lives up to the claims Oral-B makes.
The American Dental Association has awarded this brush their Seal of Acceptance,
giving you and me that extra peace of mind.
It’s personal preference but the small round brush head is fairly easy to move around the
mouth and get into some of the tightest spots, removing plaque and bacteria as it goes.
Compared to non iO models from Oral-B, the iO3 is about 10 decibels quieter
at 64 decibels and offers a slightly softer brushing experience. This is
thanks to the magnetically driven brushless motor the handle uses.
The handle is water resistant and sealed inside along with the
electronics required to make this work, is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery.
Available in black, white and blue color options, the iO3 has a minimal design. There
aren’t lots of large rubber grips on the handle. This makes it easy to keep clean.
You don’t get a display built into the brush as you do with the iO6, 7,
8, 9 and 10. Nor do you get any cleaning mode labels or icons on the brush handle. Therefore
it is almost impossible to tell which of the 3 cleaning modes you have selected.
There is a dedicated button to switch between the modes,
it is the lower of the 2 found on the front of the handle.
The lack of icons is frustrating, as is the fact that there is no option
to change the mode prior to turning the brush on.
The modes choices you have are daily clean, sensitive and whitening.
The iO3 benefits from the features our in-house dentists recommend
most. These are a 2 minute timer, pacer and visible pressure sensor.
The timer and pacer are designed to encourage you to brush for the correct time and to do so evenly.
Split the mouth into 4 sections and spend 30
seconds cleaning each. A brief pause in the brushing motion,
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
Do this and you will be on track to surpass the 45-70 seconds per day that most people brush for.
As for the pressure sensor, this is very clever in that it shows
you when you are applying the correct and incorrect amount of brushing force.
Too much can be damaging for the teeth, so if it is lit red, reduce the force.
Apply just the right amount and the light will be green. You want to ensure that the
light ring around the neck of the brush remains green as you clean the teeth.
If the light ring is white, then you are not applying enough pressure.
It would be useful if the handle vibrated differently when applying
too much pressure, but sadly it doesn't.
To get the best results yourself, make sure you are using the correct brushing technique
and doing everything else you need to, to master your oral health. The video
linked in the top right corner explains all you need to know.
Included in the box is 1 Ultimate Clean brush head.
It has 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 Gentle Care head.
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.
The iO3 has a brush head replacement reminder system to alert you when it is time. A yellow
light will be lit within the cleaning mode button, the handle will vibrate too.
Unlike all the other iO Series brushes available at the time of review,
the iO3 does not have Bluetooth.
You can’t connect it to a phone or track your brushing habits
in real-time. You need one of the other iO models for this.
The supplied charging stand is always white in colour.
That stand is the usual Oral-B charger supplied with most Oral-B brushes. It
will recharge the iO3’s battery fully in around 16 hours. You don’t get the
quick charging magnetic charger like you do with the iO7, 8 and 9.
You get just over 2 weeks of use on a full charge. This is
acceptable but not the best usage time available on brushes today.
Feedback on the charge level is given via the backlit power icon on the handle.
As standard, you don’t get any value added extras in the box with the iO3
although there are variants with a travel case included. They typically cost more though.
The iO3 has a retail price of $79.99 in the USA.
Although brushes are often discounted, don’t expect big discounts here. A $10 saving maybe.
Compared to a non-io model, the ongoing cost of
ownership is much higher as iO heads cost double that of a standard Oral-B refill.
Expect to pay around $12 per head rather than $5.
The reliability of Oral-B products tends 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.
At the time of recording, the iO3 is only available in the USA and Canada. It isn’t
available in Europe. I wouldn’t be surprised if it did become available here at some point.
Price and box contents are generally going to be the main differences
between US and European variants. I suspect my verdict will be the same.
I will pin a comment below if and when it becomes available with more details.
If you think the iO3 is the brush for you, go for it. You could do a lot worse.
But, I think you can do a bit better too. I want you to gain real value from the brush you buy.
The iO6 is more expensive than the 3,
but offers the best blend of features and price of all the iO models in my opinion.
Or if you don’t need all the extra features then consider the recommendations made in this video.