Best electric toothbrushes for kids 2024 (2024)

Investing in one of the best electric toothbrushes for kids can be a game-changer for reluctant brushers. They're often fun-shaped, colorful and packed with features designed to instil good teeth brushing habits. And while it's never easy to make a toddler brush their teeth regularly, the best electric toothbrushes for kids can make this process less stressful and time-consuming.

Children's electric toothbrushes are different from the best electric toothbrushes for adults — they are smaller, softer, and come with a ton of motivational features. They do, however, offer the same benefits, according to theInternational Journal of Paediatric Dentistry.

"Patients that have tartar buildup may not have the best brushing techniques with a manual brush, so an electric brush can be a useful tool to keep teeth clean," Dr. Alina Lane, DDS, founder of All Smiles NYC, told Live Science.

But which electric toothbrush should you invest in? To help you pick the right model, we've tried and tested some of the bestselling brands of electric toothbrushes for kids. We've looked at price, design, features and battery life, taking note of any pros and cons that you need to know about before making a purchase. Here's our ultimate roundup of the best electric toothbrushes for kids— tried by us, approved by our children.

The best electric toothbrush for kids

The Oral-B Kids electric toothbrush uses oscillating-rotating movement to clean your kid’s teeth, and it’s suitable for children as young as three years old. Our buying guide plumped for the Frozen II themed toothbrush, but other themes are available including Star Wars, Disney Princesses and Pixar Kids. Prices may vary.

The first thing we noticed with the Oral-B Kids electric toothbrush is that it comes with four toothbrush heads, giving you up to a year of use without having to purchase refills.

This rechargeable electric toothbrush lasts for up to five days between charges too, so you can take it away on short breaks or sleepovers without having to remember to pack the charger.

A free Disney Magic Timer app is also available with selected toothbrushes, including the Frozen II model. Simply download the app, scan the toothbrush and your child is all set to brush along with their favorite Disney and Pixar characters. They can unlock and collect stickers for good brushing technique too.

A 30-second reminder prompts little ones to switch brushing position, and a 2-minute timer tells them when it’s time to stop brushing. Younger children may prefer to choose the Sensitive mode, while the Daily Clean mode may suit older children better.

However, negative reviews mention problems scanning the toothbrush to match favorite characters in the app, and some parents report a build-up of mold and dirt on the toothbrush where the head connects with the handle. It’s worth pointing out that these negative reviews are few and far between.

• Read our full Oral-B Kids Electric Toothbrush review

Best for monitoring brushing progress

Suitable for kids aged three and older, the Philips Sonicare for Kids features an interactive app to help make brushing sessions more fun. Simply download the app to a phone or tablet and connect the Bluetooth-enabled handset for personalized brushing tips, coaching and animated rewards that encourage your child to brush hard-to-reach spots.

The app also features data on your child’s brushing history, so you can double-check they’re staying on track. The brush itself records up to 20 sessions without requiring a sync to the app, so if you haven’t got your phone or tablet to hand, you won’t miss out on a session’s data.

A handy two minute timer encourages your little one to brush for the recommended time. A bonus quad pacing feature prompts them to move the brush around the four quadrants of the mouth, resulting in a thorough clean.

The colorful design of the Philips Sonicare for Kids is also customizable, with 10 stickers provided that wrap around the handset, instantly updating your child’s toothbrush to the design of their choice.

This electric toothbrush comes with 2 power modes - a low mode for younger children and a more powerful mode for older kids. You can also buy smaller toothbrush heads for younger children if the toothbrush head provided is too big for your child.

• Read our full Philips Sonicare For Kids review

Best looking electric toothbrush

Foreo is known for its beautifully designed sonic toothbrushes, and the Foreo Issa Kids electric toothbrush is no exception. Available in four bright colors, its distinctive design adds cheer to any bathroom shelf.

Foreo toothbrushes and toothbrush heads are made with silicone, making them easy to keep clean and hygienic. Plus, the shallow silicone bristles make these toothbrushes kind to little gums, giving a gentler clean. Foreo claims their toothbrushes remove 30% more plaque to give your child’s oral hygiene a 140% boost.

Children will enjoy the soft and silky feel of the ergonomically designed handset, while each color choice comes with its own animal character. Choose from rose nose hippo, true blue pony, merry berry shark, or mellow yellow gator.

The handset also features a light-up smiling ‘Glee’ or sad ‘Glum’ face, depending on your child’s brushing habits. For example, Glee appears at the end of the recommended two minute brushing time, while Glum appears if they switch off the toothbrush before two minutes, and when the toothbrush hasn’t been in use for 12 hours.

A 30-second quadrant pacer prompts your child to switch position, while a one-hour charge gives up to 265 brushing sessions. A USB cable is also provided, offering ease and flexibility when charging, especially while travelling.

There’s no doubt you get what you pay for with the Foreo Issa Kids, but it is still one of the most expensive kids’ toothbrushes on the market. Replacement toothbrush heads are almost impossible to track down in grocery stores or pharmacies, so you’ll probably need to find and buy them online.

• Read our full Foreo ISSA Kids review

Best for reluctant brushers

The Autobrush Sonic Pro for Kids is anything but ordinary — instead of a single brush head, it is equipped with innovative U-shaped bristles designed to encompass all the teeth simultaneously, and it only takes 30s to complete a brushing cycle —making this quirky-looking toothbrush a perfect choice for reluctant brushers. It is not only time-efficient, but eye-pleasing, too. The Sonic Pro will brighten up your child's dental routine with colorful designs and catchy music tunes.

The AutoBrush Sonic Pro for Kids features three cleaning modes: Care mode for those with sensitive gums and teeth, Deep Clean, and Massage mode for gentle gum stimulation. Its BASS technology uses up to 30,000 high-frequency vibrations per minute to remove plaque and leave the teeth squeaky clean, while its three LED light modes help to remove bacteria and boost gum health.

On the other hand, the AutoBrush Sonic Pro for kids may struggle to reach some of the teeth, especially those at the back, and can be relatively noisy.

• Read our full AutoBrush Sonic Pro for Kids review

Best for interactive play

Suitable for children as young as three, the BriteBrush comes in a choice of three distinctive designs: Baby Shark, Sesame Elmo and Game Brush. Each design comes loaded with fun, interactive games and music, to encourage your child to brush more effectively.

The brush does a good job of encouraging your little one to brush up and down. However, we did find that the smart sensors sometimes didn’t recognize that we were brushing up and down already. So the constant reminders, and the fact that the game stopped to remind us, was often a source of frustration.

The ‘side recognition technology’ didn’t appear to work at all. The games continued on, regardless of whether we changed sides or not, so parents may wish to continue supervising their little ones to ensure they’re covering the whole mouth.

Our verdict? Affordably priced, and with lots of features, there’s no doubt that most kids will find the BriteBrush fun to use at first. But it can be a frustrating experience for kids and parents alike.

• Read our full BriteBrush Games Brush review

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