Philips Sonicare Reviews

by Kirbyt

PhilipsSonicare crashes more times per day than the number of times I brush my teeth. And I brush at least twice a day. As an attempt to stop the frequent crashes, I decided to delete PhilipsSonicare , then re-install it. My data is stored in the cloud. What harm could that do? I’ll tell you. I lost the last four weeks of data. I like the toothbrush but hate PhilipsSonicare .

Updated review: PhilipsSonicare continues to crash but not as often. Takes a long time to load PhilipsSonicare when it actually runs. I have to log back in to my account from time to time, which is annoying. Oh, and I can’t update the firmware of my toothbrush. I get the update notice daily, but the update fails every time. My current firmware version is 2.4.1. The update firmware version is 2.11.1.

Another update: I contacted support through the Philips website. They stepped me through the factory reset process for my DiamondClean toothbrush. After the reset, I was able to update the firmware. However, the firmware update stalled at 99%. I let PhilipsSonicare sit with it showing 99% complete for an hour, then I canceled the update. PhilipsSonicare then said the firmware on the toothbrush handle was up to date. So the update was successful, but PhilipsSonicare didn’t realize the final one percent was complete.

by Pa2001

Tracking only works when you brush with PhilipsSonicare , and even then, it’s completely inaccurate. I’ve been following directions for a week and PhilipsSonicare shows I’ve missed 3/4 of my mouth when brushing, even though I’ve been getting a “complete clean” message every time I brush. Also, PhilipsSonicare constantly crashes and restarts even while I’m brushing. I bought the toothbrush to use with PhilipsSonicare and better my oral health, but as of now, I’ve spent $270 on a regular toothbrush with a useless app.

Following my review, I got a response from a developer telling me to connect the brush to PhilipsSonicare . I clearly stated saying that I’ve been brushing with PhilipsSonicare . So, how else am I supposed to connect it to PhilipsSonicare , I’m already brushing with PhilipsSonicare open, giving me instructions on how to brush. I was also told to contact customer support, which I did a while back, and I discovered that even the customer support associates didn’t know how to properly connect/when to connect the brush to PhilipsSonicare . So I’m currently lost as to what to do when both Philips, and it’s developers don’t seem to know exactly how their own product works.

For the last time, developers that keep telling me to connect my toothbrush to PhilipsSonicare , MY TOOTHBRUSH IS CONNECTED.

by Crashing Insanity

The Sonicare brushes are probably some of the best if not the best brushes I have ever had. Unfortunately, their app does not live up to that standard of quality. I have lots of respects for the developer there is some fantastic ideas here but the design is very dated and the lack of support is apparent. My brush constantly disconnects from PhilipsSonicare , and sometimes even after connecting. My brushing is not being reflected on PhilipsSonicare . Which means there is a definitely a connection bug. Additionally, PhilipsSonicare lacks total support for Apple Health. There is no way for you to have all your records to share with your dentist in one place. I keep everything on Apple Health, but unfortunately PhilipsSonicare does not send data over to be recorded which can easily be done by using healthkit, and the reason why I bought a smart brush in the first place. Lastly, I have a major issue with the design of PhilipsSonicare itself. PhilipsSonicare has tabs that are completely unnecessary and makes it hard to get to the information that is relevant and useful. Some aspect of PhilipsSonicare are beautifully design however. Overall, the brush is fantastic but PhilipsSonicare leaves a lot to be desire. It is slow, clunky, very very buggy, and has zero support for Apple Health to the point where I never use it. Very disappointing!

by Mrufka

I had hoped for really cool features when getting PhilipsSonicare /toothbrush. Instead got annoying tips that do not change or there is a way to disable it. Right in front of your eyes: “30% of Americans don’t brush for ... blah blah“ how many times do I need to read this before I start to brush?! I be seen it once, so I really need to see it every time I brush?! So annoying :/ Also I have two iDevices and when I used one for few days than another one and back to first one, my progress data would not transfer instead it showed another toothbrush (but I only have one) so the progress is missing some days on one and some on the other toothbrush. What’s the point? Also it has a lot of menu options but seriously, there is nothing useful, mostly it is just links to buy more products or how to care for your teeth. Nothing really that you would need to know ... after all, it is huge disappointment and waste of money. Would not recommend at all ... the only exception: there is nothing better so hopefully those guys will rethink and redesign it so it makes much more sense and would encourage you to use it!

by SendingOutAnSOS

Rarely have I ever felt so ripped off. Despite being a long time loyal Philips Sonicare user, the depths of a money grab and privacy concerns have never been as apparent as with this product and software. First, $300+ for a toothbrush?? What the heck was I thinking! I was much happier with my less than $100 Sonicare toothbrush. What have I received for spending more than $200 extra? I get an app that does a poor job of detecting which teeth are being brushed (and Philips tech experts had no solution), Philips pushing to allow location services to be turned on (for a freaking toothbrush?! NO WAY!), notification services to be turned on (again NO WAY for a stupid toothbrush), and the biggest money grab of all time? The ability for PhilipsSonicare to detect and automatically sense when the brush needs replacing and ordering replacement brushes. DO NOT use this service! Toothbrushes are meant to last for 6 months between replacing but PhilipsSonicare insists that the brush be replaced in only 2 months! Give me a break Philips and nice try! I’m absolutely disgusted and disappointed at the over reach and greed of Philips. This has me considering other toothbrush makers going forward. Something I never would’ve considered previously to using PhilipsSonicare.

by Ithalia77

Update: I still love the toothbrush, HATE PhilipsSonicare . Now when I tap PhilipsSonicare it takes a solid minute to pop up. It doesn’t actually teach the age of the toothbrush head based on wear but rather time. If you pop a new head on and don’t use PhilipsSonicare PhilipsSonicare has no way of knowing if it’s a new head or the same old head. I was under the impression that there was a sensor that can tell the wear of the brush... NO it doesn’t. PhilipsSonicare itself is also inconsistent... sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t. It definitely doesn’t know where you are in your mouth. Not worth the extra money. I barely use PhilipsSonicare anymore. Also, if you happen to be using PhilipsSonicare you have to stay in it while you’re brushing. There’s no checking the news or weather or toggling between apps bc it will stop the progress on your brushing.

Great toothbrush, great app. There have been a few connectivity issues which I’m not crazy about given I’ve had it for less than a week but, technology, right. On the other hand almost $300. The other thing, it would be nice if PhilipsSonicare could sense that you’re not brushing where you’re supposed to be brushing and ding you. I moved to the opposite side of my mouth just to test it....nada.

by Bigsnappy

I’ll borrow part of a phrase used on PhilipsSonicare. Almost a decent of an app to call it good but you’re this far off!! The brush handle is hands down twice as good as my old Sonicare brush. PhilipsSonicare on the other hand I continue to get no data posted on one or more sides of my teeth during a full session. I’m so sick of reading “almost clean” when I know I did the area just as the others!! Phillips won’t like hearing this but they need to make PhilipsSonicare more for the user than for satisfying some old corporate mule that knows nothing about software to recommend what categories should be considered a fixed non changeable field and other fields that could be adjusted to better match the user. Either make some drastic changes or at least let others have a chance at developing alternative apps that would be fair. I’m sure Phillips doesn’t even see the whole picture on a success some of their products could be just by tweaking a couple of details. As a big fan of their products it’s fair to say it becomes less and less dealing with this type of controlisms implemented into the products

by Point Of View

I like my new Sonicare Digital, it was a replacement after my previous brush stopped working. I was disappointed to find that I would have to purchase the travel charger separately. My previous brush came with the travel charger, apparently this not standard with series 9300. As this is designed to work with an app, including the travel charger should have a given. The item is very expensive I purchased it from Kohl’s on sale and received a $20 rebate. I like PhilipsSonicare it tells you what areas you need to focus on, but it’s not intuitive beyond the amount time it’s programmed to record brushing in each section. For example, if I brush out of order it does not record that, which will give you an inaccurate report. Also I checked no, I did not floss accidentally, but I was not able to correct it. My mouth and teeth feel clean after using the brush. I noticed that if I used it twice a day I didn’t have any plaque build up, but if I used it only once a day I noticed a little build up. The two rating is for the lack of consideration for the including the travel charger and the lack of intuitiveness with PhilipsSonicare , as discussed earlier.

by Tavy R

I’ve found PhilipsSonicare misses my brushing times about 25% of the time. I go through the brushing cycles using PhilipsSonicare to time each of the areas so it seems to track that I’m brushing but at the end it doesn’t record that I brushed at all and I can’t go in to override the miss. In addition it misses sections of my mouth that I’ve already brushed by showing it in yellow as though I missed that area. When I go back to brush over that area it records it fine, like it should’ve done initially. At this point the only thing PhilipsSonicare is good for is as a timing device. Everything else is hit & miss but not reliable. Too bad.

To update my previous review, the issues I’ve noted have gotten worse rather than better. I brush 2 times every day but despite PhilipsSonicare tracking, as much as it tracks accurately, my brushing event when I’m finished it doesn’t show that I brushed at all. I get these missed brushing events at least 3 out of 7 days so not an impressive tracking record. I’ve not heard from anyone at Sonicare addressing this & I’m sure this isn’t unique to me. As I said before, PhilipsSonicare is just a complicated timing device. You could use a stop watch as effectively. Updates don’t make a difference. It’s a shame.

by Rt941546

Ultimately, PhilipsSonicare does exactly what it’s supposed to - provide paced brushing routine to help achieve a better clean and market other Sonicare products to the consumer. My gripe is that PhilipsSonicare seems like an afterthought rather than a priority to the brand. Firstly, it has been almost 6 months since the release of the iPhone X and yet, there has been no update to the user interface to complement this device.

Next, from my experience with my DiamondClean 9700, it seems that there is only communication in one direction (brush -> app), not the other way around. When everything goes according to plan, the usage of PhilipsSonicare is clean and polished. The issue is when completing a touch up - PhilipsSonicare will day “All Done” but the brush will continue a regular cleaning without a care in the world what PhilipsSonicare thinks. Also, why doesn’t the whitening cycle allow for extra cleaning? Once it’s done, it’ll complain about missed spots but provide no way to retouch these areas. This could be fixed if PhilipsSonicare could control the brush.

Finally, I wish there was a way for the brush to log cleanings when PhilipsSonicare isn’t open and then transfer that information on the next app connect. I’m not sure if it’s a memory constraint within the brush, but having offline logging would be great for those times when it is inconvenient to go grab the phone.

by 4SterNJ

Like all Sonic toothbrushes, this one does a fantastic job cleaning my teeth. There are new brush heads and new modes although I was always happy with my old ones. My last one didn’t last as long as my first one so I believe their is planned obsolescence so they can sell you the new and improved version. I was excited about the Bluetooth app that tracks your brushing, monitors pressure and “scrubbing” and shows you on the screen areas you missed, theoretically. The Bluetooth function is so spotty it makes PhilipsSonicare worthless. It will tell me I have the wrong brushhead loaded when I haven’t changed the head or the setting. It shows me missing areas of my mouth I didn’t miss and wants me to brush them again. It fails to recognize that the toothbrush is on and ready to brush and records nothing. It loses connection all together and makes me go through the entire setup process again. It tells me to install new firmware, but when I turn on my brush, it says it’s up to date. I have quit using it all together out of frustration. Stick with a cheaper model. PhilipsSonicare is not worth the extra money.

by Floridag

I used the Sonicare app with a previous toothbrush but ultimately abandoned it because PhilipsSonicare was poor at identifying where I was brushing. It didn’t work with some features of my brush. With a new brush, I revisited it and have noticed some improvements. It still has issues recognizing where brushing is occurring. No amount of changing the angle or pressure will result in it showing activity in certain areas.

But, what’s worse is the negative reinforcement it uses now. PhilipsSonicare has a default message “ It seems you are only brushing once per day, for less than 2 minutes each time...”. It doesn’t matter if your average is greater than 2 minutes, it still indicates the same message until you brush the second time in the evening. The reminder should be split into three messages: one for when brushing less than 2x daily, one for brushing less than 2 min on average (which is nearly impossible considering all modes on the brush are a minimum of 2 minutes), and one for both. This is just one example.

There is so much potential in an app like this, but sadly, Philips continues to maintain an overall average product.

by AndersWanders

PhilipsSonicare is, on the surface, great. Especially given that when working properly, it provides real-time and detailed feedback on where and how you should be brushing, as well as creating a record of your brushing activity. However, recent updates to PhilipsSonicare have all but made it impossible to use.

Beginning a few months ago, PhilipsSonicare started to take far longer to load, crash somewhat more frequently, have trouble connecting to the brush via Bluetooth and inaccurately record where in your mouth you are brushing. With the more recent updates, it began crashing consistently in the middle of brushing, and now, it is impossible to open PhilipsSonicare at all, rendering it completely useless. Hopefully, the team at Philips can address these software/firmware issues, because again, when working well, this is a great and innovative product/app pairing.

Additionally, Philips introduced auto-refill ordering through PhilipsSonicare a few versions back. However, they do not offer replacement tongue scrapers that are the same as the one that came with the brush originally, or even ones that are compatible with PhilipsSonicare /brush. This is the case both with the auto-refill and their online store. It would be nice if they could remedy this.

by English Major/minor

I have been using Sonicare for over 20 years easily. Great toothbrush. I’ll use it as long as they’re made. But this review is about PhilipsSonicare . If this is something they will continue to push then it will need major improvements: 1) I was in the dental field for years so I assumed the quadrants reflected opposing based on what the dds saw. I was wrong. 2) I’m also a lefty. 3) it forces you to start on what it tells you to start on. Not ok. 4) when you start it doesn’t pick up immediately so when you’re finished it’s still “yellow” which leaves your mouth “unclean”. 5) it switches so quickly but doesn’t pick up your movement as you’re moving so when you push harder it yells at you that you’re “pushing too hard”. 6) you have to look down at your phone to keep up or you fall behind, thereby dripping toothpaste all over your counter tops or shirt. 7) even at your best, you’re still not at 100%.

I could go on, but I’m actually bored with this review. I will, however, say, the new toothbrush head design leaves my teeth a lot cleaner. I’ve always brushed and flossed my teeth twice a day at least. I like the technology and I will say PhilipsSonicare has told me I’ve been brushing too hard and too fast.

by JJHUGS🐷

There is no way to delete a program or a day of brushing or being able to delete a malfunction I like to brush my tongue and the tops of my teeth separately than the routine because on PhilipsSonicare it does not allow enough time to get these done there are areas that I am brushing and it never highlights some white the front outside upper other than that I’m really enjoying PhilipsSonicare I’m new at all of this I called in to ask a question and he just sent me the paperwork with all the details concerning my toothbrush I like a clean record when I look at my weekly or monthly cleanings and I’d like to be able to lead some of the spots where I accidentally push the start button or just needed to pause for a minute and it seems to mess up please look into it I’ve been reading a lot of other people‘s comments they’re very clear as to what is wrong with PhilipsSonicare and no one seems to have taken care of that there are people that I’ve complained two or more years ago about the same problem they have put a little more time into PhilipsSonicare so we can use it as a better selling point when we’re talking to our friends if you’re unhappy with it you’re unlikely to recommend it to your friends.

by TechWoody

I don’t mind change, as long as it isn’t just for the sake of change. Version 10 appears to be all about analytics..... but there doesn’t appear to be a place to tell PhilipsSonicare that you changed your brush head. Yes, you can see how many sessions you have left before you are due to change the head. But, what if I wanted to change it ahead of time because I used it a few times when PhilipsSonicare didn’t connect to the handle. How is something like that missed in the QA process?
My wife and I have two of the exact same model handle and phone. My wife has to go through a soecific process to connect her handle with her phone. If she follows the same process I do with my handle and phone, PhilipsSonicare doesn’t recognize that the handle is on and ready to brush.
Instead of working on a fancy dashboard, why not make sure you don’t lose critical functionality between versions and fix what should be an easy pair of the handset to the phone. My Bluetooth speakers have never failed to connect to my phone, yet an advanced toothbrush has issues and even sometimes causes PhilipsSonicare to crash during the pair process.
Are we new to Sonicare? Nope, been using them for 12+ years.

by Moranke

PhilipsSonicare is good but it has the potential to be so much better. The biggest issue I have with it is that the “tips” really have absolutely nothing to do with the user’s behavior. I got this brush in September and started using it in the middle of a week. The first week I started using it I started on a wednesday. That means that since then, the only “tip” I ever get is it says I only brush my teeth once a day and it shows my average at 1.4 times a day….because on week one I didnt use it the first three days. In other words, IT NEVER UPDATES based on user feedback. That part is a big fake….it is trying to make you think it is updating based on the user’s use…but I have brushed my teeth two even three and four times a day since that first week and yet the “tip” shows me that I should brush my teeth more than once a day and the average has never updated past 1.4 times (based on that first week). I even attempted to reset the data and that proved impossible. The tips seems
to only be there to make you think its monitoring your individual behavior but it isn’t…its just there to capture data and sell brush heads. I wouldnt have an issue with that if it was accurate but the fact that it’s inaccurate makes it pretty lame. PhilipsSonicare should definitely be improved.

by Ljstrick74

PhilipsSonicare often does not recognize where in the mouth you are brushing. For example, in touch up, where the zone inside is yellow, I am brushing on the inside, yet PhilipsSonicare is highlighting the outside area that is already a clean white. I can appreciate if the device does not think that I have brushed adequately, but when it does not register that any brushing has taken place, it is quite frustrating. Called technical support and went through a series of resets with no improvement. They then sent a new handle (under warranty), but still having same issues. It is a great concept and very good incentive to good oral care, I just wish that the bugs could get sorted out! Firmware and app are both up to date...
This is an update to previous review. The solution to my problem was found in another review—-the toothbrush must be level for the feedback to PhilipsSonicare to be accurate. The only way to achieve this is to have the phone mounted in front of you on the mirror. My husband’s Oral B toothbrush came with this mount, which he does not use. It works like a charm and should be part of the package when buying the brush along with instructions to mount the phone and keep the toothbrush level! I would give this 5 stars, if the mount were included.

by Alex (Chicago)

I bought the original Sonicare model in 2015 on Black Friday and loved it. I decided to upgrade after seeing the Sonicare 9700 DiamondClean Smart on sell at a good price on Black Friday of this year (2019). There is not one con about this product. It’s all positives... There are three features that I love about this product: The Phillips Sonicare app shows your how to brush without going fast, or applying pressure to the bristles making them last a little longer. The second is get a decent amount of bristles for your Sonicare for the amount of money I paid. But I also got the deal on Black Friday too as well... Finally, the scraper for your tongue is a game changer. Not only does your teeth get a good cleaning, but so does your tongue lol. The best product for your teeth and mouth, and it’s not even close. I would still buy this at full price and would recommend this to ANYONE who likes having super clean teeth.

by Jperry1

This is my second Sonicare, the first I got maybe 20 years ago. It came with 2 handles, it was the classic style with the screw on heads. One handle actually died after a few years, the second lasted until maybe a year or so ago, the handle never died but the brushing intervals became erratic so it was time to move up to this current model, can’t remember the name but it comes with the charging cup that you can also use to rinse your mouth with. It also has a more fashionable look than the former plastic charger. As far as performance, these brushes really have your teeth feeling like you got a professional deep cleaning, especially when paired with a waterpik session or a good flossing. And although I have had some minor work done over the years, I always get a great report from the dentist so I know it works. I highly recommend this brush.

by Bakchisel

I have become completely frustrated with PhilipsSonicare. I want to love my toothbrush that I have had since December 2018, however PhilipsSonicare crashes/freezes constantly. The brush is connected and it works from time to time, but other than that it either crashes or stalls the entire first section of my mouth. There is no way to back track cleaning cycles that did not happen with PhilipsSonicare open which is frustrating as well. That eliminates PhilipsSonicare feature of tracking sections of your mouth while cleaning and your brush head health.

The brush tracking is also inaccurate. It works when it wants to. Some days it works well, others it misses sections of my mouth and when it turns to touch up mode it works perfectly saying that I am cleaning that section even though my brushing is exactly the same as what I performed during the original cleaning cycle.

My frustration has grown to the point where I get I needed to leave a review. With that being said, I would not recommend buying a $200+ toothbrush just to get fed up with an app that doesn’t work efficiently.

by Wizalicious

I’ve been using my Diamondclean smart for over a month now without PhilipsSonicare . It just won’t connect. My iPhone 10 can’t find the brush and on my wife’s Galaxy s9 plus it see the brush but when trying to connect I get “ unable to connect please check other devices settings and try again”. I have tried everything. I keep Bluetooth on only on the phone that I’m trying to use PhilipsSonicare on since I heard the brush will get confused if more than one phone have PhilipsSonicare and Bluetooth is on. I have restarted both phones and sell as the brush . I have deleted and reinstalled PhilipsSonicare . I have put the brush literally touching the phone nothing. The brush leaves your mouth feeling amazing. But I just can’t connect. I have also tried my sons LG phone and still nothing. If I would of known PhilipsSonicare was gong to be useless i would of purchase a different brush. I also called customer support and they are useless. All they did was tell me to delete PhilipsSonicare & reinstall . Restart the phone. And to make sure I’m not retarded I was asked if I was sure my Bluetooth was on.

by AIM Fan For Years

PhilipsSonicare is solid but it has some important security risks: 1) You can’t logout so anyone who can access your device can access your health data. 2) Logins are single factor authentication only. There’s no SMS PIN or TouchID option available. Again this is a concern because anyone can login to your personal data if your password is hacked then entered correctly. 3) The password is not linked to your stored passwords on iCloud so you have to go to the website and login up store it, or store it manually (but then the Password is not recommended when you go back to PhilipsSonicare to enter it (after you delete and reinstall it so that you can login again.) I would also ad that PhilipsSonicare - in addition to brushing data, which could be useful - is a sales pitch for oral care reporting services and a subscription for a brush head replacement service. That’s a lot of commercialization for an application that only purports to be a value added feature of the toothbrush.

by Mary_claire

My sweet boyfriend got me this Sonicare — he’s a dentist & highly recommended this product. I had a different electric toothbrush before this sonicare, but he INSISTED I try it. I was skeptical that it would be ANY different or better than what I was already using. I was pleasantly surprised when I felt the results! My teeth feel INCREDIBLY clean after I used it. Surprisingly, they were more clean than they had been with other electric toothbrush! My teeth really feel a LOT cleaner after I use the sonicare. Needless to say, my boyfriend was right— at least this time around😉!

I also LOVE PhilipsSonicare . I love documenting my flossing, mouthwash use, etc. It keeps you accountable and shows you the work you put in toward your oral health. I’ve never had an app that lets me document my oral health, so I really appreciate having PhilipsSonicare.

The product has great technology! When I’m brushing the teeth while using PhilipsSonicare , it follows where I’m brushing. & it’s very precise! It always lights up exactly where I am brushing. I really appreciate the feedback (eg— too much pressure, missed this area).

If you want a toothbrush with great technology AND a brush that really does its job taking care of your teeth, I highly recommend this product. I think many of you will love that clean feeling and feel assured you’re taking great care of your oral health!

by Neshia Marie

This is my first Sonicare and I absolutely love it! Thanks to Philips Sonicare’s DiamondClean Smart Brush, I’m able to actually see which areas of my mouth I need to add more brushing to. I love how it keeps me in check: cuing on if I’m moving the brush too fast; applying too much pressure; if I flossed, rinsed, or scraped; brushed twice a day. I can go on and on. The best part is that my ENTIRE mouth has a deep clean feeling ALL DAY! This feeling leaves me anxious and eagerly awaiting the next brush! I finally found my PERFECT toothbrush!

P.S. I couldn’t be the only one in the house with a mouth so clean, so I had to buy my 2 kids and my husband a Sonicare (and before they laid a finger on mine)!

Thanks again Philips Sonicare!❤️