Oral-B iO8 Overview: a Little Luxurious

Value When Reviewed

$249.99

Finest Costs Right this moment: Oral-B iO Collection 8

With the iO line, Oral-B has delivered a collection of utterly redesigned electrical toothbrushes, with a contemporary, ergonomic look, improved brushing efficiency and an entire host of latest options. Relying on the place you’re on the planet, there are as much as eight totally different iO brushes out there, at totally different worth factors and with totally different options.

Should you’re out there for a brand new Oral-B brush, the possibilities are that there’s an iO to swimsuit you. Learn this assessment to seek out out if the iO8 is the one for you.

Design

• Full color display screen to point out timer and battery life
• 3-hour quick cost
• Mild ring strain sensor

The iO8 is without doubt one of the high-end iO fashions, third solely to the iO9 and the iO10. As such, it has all the important thing options of the highest fashions, together with three-hour quick charging and a full-colour OLED display screen.

It is available in three color choices: violet, white and black. However do not forget that, as Oral-B solely makes black or white toothbrush heads, when you go for violet you’ll have a dual-colour brush. On this assessment, we’re wanting on the black mannequin.

You possibly can personalise your brush additional by selecting from considered one of ten shiny colors for the sunshine ring round its neck. The sunshine ring will glow in your chosen color while you start brushing. It’ll then swap to inexperienced while you handle the best quantity of strain and glow pink when you’re urgent too arduous. It’s a pleasant type of visible suggestions that you simply’ll be capable of see within the mirror and your peripheral imaginative and prescient.

The iO8 has a full-colour OLED display screen. Decide up the comb and also you’ll be greeted with a sunshine icon, a winky or a smiley face and a hey. Thankfully, these salutations are onscreen solely – the day ChatGPT arrives on electrical toothbrushes is the day I begin brushing my enamel with a twig.

The display screen has extra sensible features as nicely. Probably the greatest is that the remaining battery life is clearly displayed each time you end brushing. Nonetheless, because it’s proven in increments of 10%, by the point you’re right down to the final tenth, it’s arduous to evaluate in case you have yet one more brush left or if it’ll die on you then and there.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

You may also select your brushing mode and scroll by means of settings and, when you begin brushing, the display screen will show a timer. Though I initially felt the display screen was an over-the-top add-on, the timer is now’s considered one of my favorite options. If I’m utilizing one other brush, I’ll instinctively look down for it.

I’ve discovered that it encourages me to brush for longer as nicely, as if I zone out or really feel as if I’ve been brushing ceaselessly, seeing that I’ve solely obtained 30 seconds left spurs me on to finish it.

There’s a second timer within the type of brush vibrations, which provide you with a warning each 30 seconds to maneuver on to the subsequent part of your mouth, and an extended alert while you hit the two-minute dentist-recommended brushing time. You may also open up the app and utilizing the brushing suggestions timer there.

All in all, it’s a shock that with the launch of the iO10, Oral-B added yet one more timer to the combo – within the type of a light-weight show on its charger. To seek out out extra, take a look at our assessment of the iO10.

Purchase the iO8 and within the field, you’ll get a magnetic charging puck, a journey case, the comb deal with and two brush heads. The case is a useful addition nevertheless it’s not as sharply designed because the one which comes with the competing luxurious brush, the Sonicare DiamondClean 9000.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Purchase within the US and the charging puck has a regular two-pin plug. Purchase within the UK and also you’ll get a shaver socket plug. That is true of all Oral-B brushes and it’s my foremost bugbear with the model. For brushes at this worth level, we’d like to see USB charging.

The iO8, like the opposite pricier iO fashions (from iO6 and up), has three-hour quick charging through the magnetic puck. This can be a nice function when in comparison with the usual 12-hour Oral-B cost, though when you’re used to quick telephone charging, it’ll nonetheless seem to be a very long time.

One slight situation right here is that it’s very straightforward to knock the comb off the puck whereas charging, so be sure that it’s in a steady, out-of-the-way spot.

Efficiency

• Glorious brushing efficiency
• Six brushing modes
• 2-week max battery life

The large distinction between iO and conventional Oral-B brushes is that conventional Oral-B brushes oscillate solely, whereas iO brushes oscillate and sonically vibrate.

The distinction is big. The iO brushing efficiency is second to none – and I don’t know anybody who’s tried it who thinks in any other case.

The iO8 has six brushing modes: every day clear, delicate, whiten, gum care, intense and tremendous delicate. It’s one lower than the iO9 and yet one more than the iO7 – precisely as you’d count on. I didn’t discover the variations between the modes as pronounced as another brushes however I believe there’s sufficient selection to discover a mode that’s best for you.

The iO8’s battery will final for a most of two weeks. In apply, I discovered it by no means lasted fairly that lengthy however its clear battery show and quick charging did mitigate that for me.

Sharing

• Not designed for sharing
• App options shall be restricted
• Brush heads function symbols to distinguish them

The iO8 can be utilized as a shared brush, though it gained’t maintain monitor of your particular person brushing document on the app. Oral-B confirmed through a Tweet that though two customers with separate telephones might be capable of use all of the app’s options individually due to the Bluetooth connection (ie so long as the consumer’s telephone is inside vary and the opposite’s is just not), that’s not the way in which the iO was designed.

If multiple individual is utilizing the identical brush, it additionally implies that the comb head alternative reminder within the app gained’t work correctly.

Nonetheless, when you’re keen to forgo a few of the sensible options, the iO8 can nonetheless be used as a shared brush. It’s straightforward to alter the brushing mode on the deal with when you want totally different modes, and iO heads are marked with small symbols to distinguish them.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Linked options and app

• Actual-time brushing suggestions
• Brush head alternative reminders
• Gamification options

The iO8 connects through Bluetooth to the free Oral-B app, out there for Apple and Android. In our check, I discovered it straightforward to make use of and fast to attach. The principle cause to make use of the app is for the interactive brushing suggestions. Watch your telephone display screen when you brush and it’ll monitor the protection as you go.

Foundry

The iO’s real-time brushing suggestions is about pretty much as good because it will get. In my expertise it usually labored nicely, besides I discovered that, in an effort to get an ideal consequence, I used to be brushing for longer than the really helpful two minutes. This impacts battery life and who know – it might be inflicting me to over brush.

One of many causes you’d pay extra for the iO9 and iO10 is their 3D floor AI brushing monitoring however I don’t suppose it’s that a lot better than the real-time assist the iO8 gives. None of them give excellent suggestions however when you want some construction to get your brushing again on monitor, they might assist.

Aside from that, the app permits you to alter brush settings, set brushing objectives, go on “dental care journeys” (maybe to enhance your gum well being), see previous brushing efficiency, gather badges and get reminders to exchange your brush head.

As a lot as manufacturers are attempting to promote us on related options, most don’t but add sufficient to maintain the typical consumer coming again. Until you actually need a strict regime of brushing assist, my guess is that you simply’ll abandon the vast majority of the sensible options fairly rapidly.

Value and availability

The Oral-B iO8’s worth level varies relying on the place you’re primarily based.

Within the US, it’s broadly out there direct from Oral-B, and from different retailers like Goal and Finest Purchase for round $249.99.

Within the UK, the iO8 had a launch worth of £450, which we thought was wildly overpriced. Nonetheless, throughout common gross sales intervals, it might drop to its present worth.

On the time of writing, it’s broadly out there for £170, from websites together with Boots, Oral-B and Currys. We don’t suppose it is best to pay greater than this. It’s nonetheless not a discount worth however it is a luxurious merchandise that’s filled with state-of-the-art options and we expect it’s price it.

Verdict

We expect the iO8 is without doubt one of the finest electrical toothbrushes round. It has all the weather you want to take excellent care of your enamel – a visual strain sensor, detailed timer, alternative of brushing modes and top-notch brushing efficiency – in addition to some nice-to-have options, like quick charging and a transparent battery show. In a super world, we’d like to see longer battery life, USB charging and a extra sturdy charging stand as nicely. However general, it is a well-made brush with a number of extras and it’s a pleasure to make use of.

For extra electrical toothbrush shopping for choices, take a look at our round-up of one of the best electrical toothbrushes we’ve examined. Should you’d prefer to see how the iO8 measures up in opposition to different iO fashions and different Oral-B brushes basically, take a look at one of the best Oral-B brushes we’ve examined.