The Best Electric Toothbrush Is Reasonably Priced and Ridiculously Easy to Maintain
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There is absolutely nothing sexy about toothbrush talk. Dental hygiene habits? Plaque? Flossing?! There is one venue for these topics and that’s your ever-humbling, biannual (OK, annual) visit to your dentist. Except for today, that is, because we’re making an exception here on Esquire.com with a spot of good news that ought to make each of those issues a bit less pressing in your daily life: That’s right, there’s an actually good electric toothbrush that you need to own. Hum by Colgate is a modestly priced, easy to travel with, and easier to maintain smart electric toothbrush that’s better than anything else I’ve tried in the market.
Maybe you’re feeling unconvinced. That’s alright. Frankly, I was too when I first looked at the listing. I’d been using a (reportedly) high end alternative for years. It broke often, died quickly, and replacement parts were pricey. The cup-shaped holder took up a lot of space. Also—were my teeth any cleaner? I was tempted to return to the stone ages and start brushing manually again. But things are better with the hum. Let me tell you how.
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First Of All, This Charge Lasts Forever
Can the hum die? I’m not convinced. At home, the toothbrush (mine’s teal, BTW) sits each night on its slender charger, so sure, no problems in daily life. But I travel regularly and have taken the hum for 8 and 9-day trips, leaving the dock behind with no problems—which means that the 10-day battery lifespan that the brand touts on their product page is no bullshit. (Another huge plus for travelers: This thing is light! And the travel case takes up hardly any room at all.)
If you’re not a traveler, by the way, this long-lasting runtime is still a huge pro. It means you can put your toothbrush away in your vanity or cupboard after every use if you don’t want to sacrifice any precious sink-side real estate and you’ll only need to get out the charger—which is very efficiently-sized, if I may say one more time—every week and a half, tops.
Shop Now $89, amazon.com
Replacement Parts Are Cheap
If you’ve spent much time exploring the electronic toothbrush market, you’ll know that sourcing replacement heads can be annoying. Pricey, slow to deliver—there are a whole host of problems. But for $10 you can get two replacement heads for the hum, fuss-free. (My last toothbrush? It was $10/head—double!)
If you’re new to the electronic toothbrush market, maybe this doesn’t seem like such a big deal. But replacement heads are hardly an issue of a device breaking, though that did also happen with my last model. For the sake of your teeth and gums and even your mental health come check-up time, you want to replace your toothbrush head every three months.
Shop Now $89, amazon.com
My Teeth Are Cleaner. My Dentist Actually Told Me So*.
*OK, did he say, wow, Madison it looks like you’ve recently switched toothbrushes and I am pleased with the results? No! This is the dentist we are talking about, there’s always some bad news come chair time. But he was pleased at my last check-up and I attribute this solely to my hum. Because while the 30-second timer on the device (which vibrates to tell you to switch sections of your mouth) is helpful, it’s also common. What’s better is that the hum actually tells you how to brush your teeth via its accompanying app. Yes, how. I don’t use it all the time, I admit, but when I first brought the hum into my home, it was a great time to do a reset and get a detailed read on my teeth-brushing habits. Spots I hit too frequently, spots I frequently miss. It’s a level of smart home tech that still feels accessible—even necessary.
Also, before we part, I want you to know that there are three brush speeds on hum: normal, sensitive, and deep clean. I'd go into detail on my setting (sensitive usually, deep clean occasionally) and why (my gums!) but as we've already agreed, there's simply nothing sexy about toothbrush talk.
Shop Now $89, amazon.com
Photography by Timothy Mulcare. Prop styling by Caroline Colston for Halley Resources.
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