Best Water Flosser Reviews: An Objective Guide

Best Water Flosser Reviews

With so much choice on the market, and ever changing models, finding the best water flosser can be a real struggle. I have since tried many different models, from many different brands, and have decided to put this review together to help you make the right decision. The last thing you want to do is waste money on a water flosser you’re not happy with.

Given that this article is relatively comprehensive, please use the table below ​to jump to the section that interests you.

The Top 5 Water Flossers

My Journey to Using a Water Flosser

Almost everyone that I talk to has a sincere dislike towards flossing and struggles in keeping it up. I’m probably one of the worst. Every time I visit the dentist, they keep reminding me how important flossing is as part of your total oral hygiene which spurs me into the action of taking up flossing again. It never lasts long though. After a few weeks (if I’m lucky) of regular flossing, the habit starts to fade and I’m back into my old pattern where I don’t floss at all. Why is it so hard to stick to flossing? Maybe because it’s just plain old boring.

That’s until one of the large producers of water flossers came to me and asked me to evaluate their product through the standard product tests that we run at Testing Team. I was quite surprised by how effective the product was; to top it off, it was pretty cool and fun to use. It was also a lot quicker than regular flossing and the amount of gunk that is removed from between your teeth is pretty amazing. This is the kind of stuff that a regular, or even electric toothbrush could never reach.

This is a couple of years ago now and I’m proud to say that I’ve been using the water floss regularly ever since. Although experts say that ideally, you would still floss regularly as well in addition to using the water floss, in my opinion, this is certainly better than not doing anything at all. I have since also evaluated a number of different flossers with the Faxily Team, and have decided to put together this “best water flosser review” guide to help you have a look at a number of products that might be right for you.

What is a Water Flosser?

If you have reached this page, you probably have a pretty good idea of what a water flosser is so you can skip over this. For those that don’t know, a water flosser (also known as an oral irrigator or Waterpik water flosser) is a device that is essentially able to floss between your teeth by pressuring water through a small hose and nozzle.

It is able to reach places that a toothbrush never could and can provide a more comfortable experience than using standard string. Basically, it’s just a small pressure washer for your mouth, but the pressure is low enough so that it doesn’t hurt your gums and often provides much better cleaning than using floss string. They’re pretty cool little devices if you ask me.

Why Buy a Water Flosser?

Let’s have a look at the main advantages of water floss over the traditional flossing method.

  • Gums are less likely to bleed. Given that most dental water jets will give you the option to adjust the speed and amount of pressure you apply, you’re able to adjust it to a setting that you’re comfortable with. This generally results in less bleeding than what you would experience with standard dental floss.
  • Ideal for people with braces. Water flosses are particularly great for those that wear braces. The water is able to get into the nooks and crannies between your teeth but can also easily access the space between the wires and brackets of your braces easily. A standard floss string is unlikely to be able to access these places.
  • Easier to use. Rather than messing around with a string and ensuring that you hit all of the spaces between your teeth, water floss is typically a lot more simple to use in the sense that you simply point the jet at the area where you are hoping to clean and press a button. You’ll also avoid cutting into your finger like you may do when using a traditional string.
  • More effective in reducing gingivitis. Some recent studies have shown that using water floss is 51% more effective in reducing gingivitis versus the more traditional methods of practicing oral hygiene – like brushing and flossing. A 4 week study resulted in significantly oral health versus those who didn’t use a water flosser.

What Types of Water Flossers Are There?

Before buying a water flosser, there are a couple of types of water flossers that you should be aware of.

Corded Flosser with Basin

These water flossers have cords attached to a basin that holds the water. You fill these basins and this is the water that sprays from the nozzle once you press the button. These types of water flossers are probably the most common and also the most user friendly.

Cordless Flosser

These flossers are typically battery operated and hold small amounts of water in the unit themselves. As a result, they are more mobile and more maneuverable. The only drawback is that you’ll have to refill them quite frequently as the water contained within them finishes quite quickly.

Corded for Faucet

These are the least common type of water flosser and they operate by connecting them directly to your faucet. As such they draw water from your faucet which then sprays from the nozzle as you press the button. In my opinion, these are probably the most cumbersome to use and I would recommend one of the two options above.

Oral Breeze QuickBreeze Oral Irrigator

What Factors to Consider When Buying a Water Flosser

  • Your budget. How much are willing to invest in your water flosser? There’s a wide variety of water jets available on the market all with different prices. Ultimately, you need to decide on what the advantages are for you in owning a water flosser and determine how much money you are willing to spend on it. Just be careful to buy one that is of high-enough quality to stand the test of time. Ultimately you will want to see this purchase as an investment that will improve your oral hygiene.
  • Who will be using it? You may have different needs depending on who will be using the water flosser. If you have children with more sensitive gums you may want to buy a water flosser that has an adjustable setting for pressure. This will allow you to lower the intensity when your children use it, and allow you to increase it when you use it yourself so that you still get an optimum clean.
  • Warranties and guarantees. Before buying your water flosser, you will also want to have a look at what types of warranties and guarantees are included with the unit. Many will include a minimum warranty of 12 months these days, while some will also include a money-back guarantee for between 14 and 30 days. This is definitely worth looking into before you buy your water jet.
  • Last but not least, you’ll want to think carefully about the type of water flosser to buy by looking at the types I mentioned above. There are advantages and disadvantages associated with each that you need to think about before deciding on which one you ultimately want to go with.

Detailed Reviews of Top Water Flossers

1000ml Portable Electric Water Flosser Oral Irrigator Dental SP

The best water flosser at the moment is definitely the Electric Water Flosser Oral Irrigator Dental SP, and it is corded with a water basin. Waterplus is the only brand in the position to be able to claim that its product is 50% more effective than standard floss in terms of removing plaque as they had this officially tested. This makes it one of the most popular brands of water flossers out there, and for good reason.

What features does it have?

  • Corded with water basin
  • Swiveling head to clean hard-to-reach places
  • Adjustable dial to adjust water pressure
  • Pulsating pressure that allows maximum plaque removal
  • 7 tips are included (3 color-coded standard tips, a toothbrush tip, plaque seeker tip, orthodontic tip, and a pickpocket tip)

What is good about it?

As I mentioned above, this is the only water flosser that is backed by official research that shows it is 50% more effective than using standard floss in terms of removing plaque. At the same time, when we tested this unit, we were surprised by how quiet it was. Some water flossers can be rather noisy which means you have to be careful about when and where you use them in case your significant other is already asleep. That wasn’t the case with this particular model. You also get a great number of tips included when buying the unit – 7 to be exact. Our favorite is the orthodontic tip which is made specifically for those that have braces and is perfect for getting between the wires.

What could be improved?

The one slight downside of this particular model is that it is rather large and can take up quite a bit of space in your bathroom. The height of the unit is fixed at around 8 inches, which can make it difficult to store on a shelf or inside a cabinet. If, however, you’re planning to store it in the open on a counter, then this will most likely not be a problem for you.

What features does it have?

  • Corded with water basin
  • Includes an electric toothbrush
  • Combination of water pressure and pulsations for maximum cleaning
  • Hard-sided travel case for a toothbrush
  • 5 changeable flosser tips
  • 2 toothbrush tips

What is good about it?

The great thing about this is that you can kill two birds with one stone. This unit includes an electric toothbrush as well as a water flosser at a price that is more affordable than some of the standalone units. Moreover, it comes from a reputable brand – Waterpik. The great thing about the toothbrush is that the replacement heads are also much more affordable than some of the other electric toothbrush brands out there – they will set you back less than $7 versus some of the other brands that may cost you as much as $20. In terms of the water flosser, the water pressure is adjustable so that you can ease into the flossing as you’re just starting out. Once your gums get used to it, you can up the pressure to get a more thorough cleaning.

What could be improved?

The only slide downside of this model is that when you leave the battery plugged in for too long the toothbrush will overheat. Essentially you can avoid this by making sure you just leave the brush on the counter once it is charged, but we still felt that it was a minor inconvenience. Overall though, this doesn’t take away from the great deal that you are getting when buying this electric toothbrush and water flosser combo.

Waterpik Water Flosser For Kids (WP-260)

Waterpik Water Flosser For Kids

We couldn’t give you a complete review of the best water flossers without at least having an option for the kids out there. I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t try this one myself, but my little nephew seems to love this water flosser. Generally speaking, brushing your teeth is seen as a chore by the kids, but they simply love using this device. It’s almost a toy for them. Just make sure that you keep an eye out when they use it, because before you know it your whole bathroom may be soaked.

What features does it have?

  • Corded with water basin
  • Colorful
  • Comes with stickers
  • 3 different pressure settings
  • 2 tips: one regular, and one for braces
  • Designed especially for children between 6 and 12 years

What is good about it?

The great thing is that this is a unit that your children will love and will allow you to teach them how to take care of their oral hygiene. Regular floss is a pain for children, and certainly, most of the kids that I know don’t practice it, and if they do, they absolutely despise it. This unit includes a couple of stickers as well that the kids can use to personalize the unit, and the great thing is that you can kind of turn the whole flossing exercise into a game for the children. This is what a number of my friends have done with great success. It also has 3 different pressure settings, which allows you to start off on a lower setting allowing the gums of your children to get used to it before moving to higher pressures.

What could be improved?

The biggest complaint on this unit is that it doesn’t have a “pause” button on the handle which some of the adult versions do have. The problem is that when your children start using it and take it out of their mouths, the water will likely go everywhere. Ultimately it comes down to sitting down with your children and teaching them to turn the device off when taking it out of their mouths, or pointing it into the sink. However, in the case of the brother’s children, it seemed much more fun to point the device at him than turn it off beforehand!

Cordless Water Flosser Teeth Cleaner with Rechargeable IPX7 Waterproof

I added this to the list because I wanted to give you another option for a cordless and portable water flosser. The great news about this unit is that it has a rechargeable battery, unlike the unit from Panasonic above which is a lot more convenient in my opinion. There are a number of disadvantages as well though, which I’ll cover in more detail below.

What features does it have?

  • Cordless and portable
  • Single setting
  • Microbursts as you press the button
  • Rechargeable base

What is good about it?

The great thing about this water flosser, as I alluded to earlier, is that it has a built-in rechargeable battery and comes with a base. This saves you the hassle of having to manually replace or charge your batteries. It’s also a cordless and portable unit, so is great for taking with you when you travel to make sure that you are still able to follow your flossing routine. It also looks pretty sleek if you ask me, and wouldn’t look out of place in your bathroom.

What could be improved?

This unit works a little differently than other units. When you press the button you will only have a short and sudden burst of water that goes in between your teeth rather than having a continuous or pulsating stream like with some of the other units. Some people like this, but others don’t. It also holds only a small amount of water, and I often find myself refilling the unit at least once or twice before I finish my entire routine. These are slight annoyances with this unit, but the fact that it’s fully rechargeable unlike some of the other portable units more than makes up for it.

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