Sure, for many of us, “best floss” sounds akin to saying “best paper cuts” or “best Lego bricks for stepping on.” Flossing is the one dental task we’re constantly scolded about, but no matter how much hounding we get, we avoid it entirely. Oh, we'll buy the best toothpaste we can find. Upgrade to an electric toothbrush. Even submit to a whole teeth-whitening regimen. But ask us to slide that waxen twine betwixt our teeth? That's a bridge too far.

But we’ve got a teeth-related secret to share: if you find the right floss for your teeth and gums, it doesn’t have to be torture, or even a chore. Heck, you may even start to find flossing to be a zen act of relaxation (you know, probably not, but anything’s possible). Floss has come a long way in recent years, with innovations to accommodate different grips, different teeth spacing, and different tastes (sometimes literally!).

You know flossing is good for you, but you may not know how much better floss has gotten since those grueling early days of bleeding gums and string wrapped too tautly around fingers. So let us take you on a tour of the best floss on the market, to help you find the dental tool that will feel nearly tailor-made for your teeth.

The Best Floss

What to Consider

Density: Think about thickness. Have you ever had a piece of floss shred as you ran it between a particularly tight set of teeth? Or conversely, have you ever found that a gap between teeth is so wide, your slender floss strip slips right through? There's now a wide-array of floss thicknesses on the market, from tools like the DenTek Floss Pick for tighter teeth to Oral-B's Super Floss for wider gaps or braces. Think of your gums like Goldilocks: some floss may be too thick, some may be too thin, so keep searching until you find the one that's just right.

Dexterity: In other words, think about ease of use. Once upon a time, the only way to floss was to wrap a strand of floss around your fingers to create a taut strand you then awkwardly angled between your teeth. And while there's still plenty of standard string floss on the market, more and more we're seeing ergonomically designed flossers which can allow some users to more easily clean their teeth. Not every style of floss offers the same level of ease to everyone, so think about what you'll have the easiest time working with.

ADA-Accepted: What does ADA-accepted mean? It means that a product has earned the Seal of Acceptance from the American Dental Association. As their website explains, the ADA has sought to dispel misinformation or over-exaggeration about the advertised benefits of various dental products since the 1860s (back when “snake oil salesman” was a literal job, rather than a figure of speech). In 1930, the ADA created guidelines “...to evaluate these products for safety and efficacy,” which would result in the product being branded with the ADA Seal of Acceptance.

Now, we should point out that a lack of ADA seal does not mean a product is inherently dangerous, especially in our modern marketplace. Dental products aren’t required to pass ADA evaluation before they hit shelves in the same way medications need FDA-approval, with the latter being a government organization, while the ADA is an independent professional association and 501(c). But if you’re looking for extra assurance that your chosen floss has gone through rigorous testing, keep an eye out for that signature ADA Seal.

How We Chose

With so many different floss brands and flossing products out there, the first step was identifying what different needs there might be when it comes to floss, from different types of grips to different types of teeth, and even different types of flavors. Once those categories were determined, we set about scouring the internet and browsing the dental aisles of pharmacies to scope out the most promising prospects. Our ultimate conclusions were based on a combination of passionate online reviews that spoke to results, and our own hands on testing (which meant finally flossing as much as our dentists always told us to).

So whether you struggle with tight teeth, tough-to-reach flossing spots, or simply struggle to find the will to floss most days, we've got a spool here that will help make it easier.

Oral-B

amazon.com

$9.97

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You might have been expecting some secret, boutique brand to take our Best Overall spot. But the truth of it is, the best floss out there is one that's pretty much everywhere. You've likely passed compact boxes of Oral-B's Glide floss in drugstore aisles, or department store checkout lanes. You've probably even received little samples boxes in those little baggies your dentist gives you after a cleaning.

After reading the reviews, and some thorough first-hand testing, Oral-B’s Glide Pro-Health floss came out on top. The Glide floss features a natural wax coating that’s faint enough that your fingers won’t feel it, but effective enough that your teeth and gums will. That’s because that wax allows the floss to more easily slide between teeth, without irritating the gums. With some rigorous, but not strenuous flossing, there was definitely a difference felt when using Oral-B’s Glide Pro-Health. And even little things about the packaging, like the effectiveness of the small metal cutter that separates the floss, impressed us upon testing.

And we're not the only ones who have become Oral-B Glide converts after a few flosses. The brand has enthusiastic fans. "This is one product that I can’t do without. I always have it in my bathroom. I also have one in my purse. Gotta have it," one Amazon reviewer insisted. "My teeth don’t feel completely clean if I don’t use this floss. There are other brands in the market, but I love the Oral-B glide Pro-health Comfort Plus Floss."

More: The Best Water Flossers for Healthier Gums and Instant Plaque Removal

SMARTLIFECO

amazon.com

$15.99

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Do you often think about the environmental impact of your purchases, especially disposable health and grooming products? Have you put off flossing, your mouth plagued with plaque, out of concern for the planet?

Then we have good news for your (or perhaps bad news, if that vocalized environmental concern was more about a fear of flossing). SMARTLIFECO has introduced a biodegradable floss pick, which is vegan-friendly and features no plastic of any kind. The handle is made from biodegradable straw wheat, and the thin thread floss from nylon-4 and a light hypoallergenic wax.

Amazon Basics

amazon.com

$12.38

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Amazon’s listing for their own brand of floss insists “If you like Oral-B Glide Comfort Plus Floss, we invite you to try Amazon Basics Extra Comfort Mint Dental Floss.” Well, that’s an invitation we accepted, and placed an order for Amazon Basics’ Extra Comfort floss.

So how does it stack up to our Best Overall pick? Overall, pretty decent. In our personal testing, it doesn't slide quite as smoothly between teeth as the Oral-B one does, but it did shred a little less under duress. Where it suffers, however, is the packaging, specifically the cutter.

As one Amazon customer pointed out, “Takes a bit more work than most floss to get a cut, if I just pull it against the cutter it’s not sharp enough and just continues letting out more floss or even splits it without cutting.”

However, if you're looking for a cost-effective floss comparable to Oral-B's Glide, this is certainly the way to go.

Cocolab

amazon.com

$19.00

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Floss flavors have evolved beyond just the industry standard of “mint.” Floss now can come in flavors as far ranging as fruit or even cupcake. But the brand that's been crushing it in the flavored floss game has got to be Cocolab.

Made from 500-plus woven filaments sourced from recycled water bottles, this vegan floss’ flavors are paired with a powerfully tasty scent as soon as you open the package. Once you do, slide one of the cruelty-free floss strands between your teeth and enjoy some tasty dessert flavorings like chocolate or vanilla bean. Heck, it’s the only time you’ll enjoy dessert in a way your dentist will approve of.

Quip

getquip.com

$15.00

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Floss picks have proven a popular alternative to standard string floss for many users, making it easier to reach those tricky teeth, and without any winding of floss string around fingers to worry about. But floss pick fans are soon confronted with a new hassle: the abundance of picks, plastic or otherwise, clogging up their cabinets and ultimately filling up their trash.

The Quip refillable floss pick resolves that problem, offering a reusable handle that can be easily refilled with strands of floss from the included floss pod. They note that one single Quip floss pod can replace 180 single-use floss picks, and the included case makes it easy to transfer a floss strand from pod t0 pick. The case even includes a small mirror, so you can get your full flossing done anywhere.

Burst

amazon.com

$12.99

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A lot of speculative claims have been made about the health-benefits and cleaning power of charcoal-activated dental products like toothpaste, brushes, and even floss. And it's worth noting that the Journal of the American Dental Association published a paper in 2017 that discussed the “insufficient clinical and laboratory data to substantiate the safety and efficacy claims of charcoal and charcoal-based dentifrices.” So the decision to use charcoal-activated dental products should be one you come to in conversation with your personal dental health provider.

If you do decide to add charcoal-activated products to your dental routine, Burst's refillable floss dispenser is a good way to go. Including a spool of 32 yards of charcoal-coated floss, this compact case makes it easy to refill with further spools of charcoal floss in either juniper berry or mint flavor.

DenTek

amazon.com

$3.19

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Do you have teeth that are tightly packed together, making flossing a hassle? You're far from the only one. Many flossers with only a scant amount of space between their teeth find that the typical drugstore flosses irritate their sensitive teeth and gums, if they can even reach said gums without an aggressive amount of force. Thankfully, many of them have also found DenTek's Fresh Clean floss picks.

Searching Amazon's over 3,600 five-star reviews will pull up an array of praise from users with self-described "tight teeth," like this reviewer who wrote that “I love this glossy tape floss! I am VERY PICKY with floss because my teeth are SOO tight, and these work so smoothly. They don’t get stuck or rip, is minty fresh, and lasts. They’re silky, smooth, and strong!”

Oral-B

amazon.com

$5.99

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Do you have any teeth with wide-spaces between that traditional floss just can't properly tackle? Or do you have braces or bridges that make it tricky to maneuver floss around?

Oral-B has you covered with their Super Floss, specially designed for braces, bridges, and space between teeth. Coming in pre-cut strands, each piece of floss has stiffened ends that are easy to weave through braces or other tough-to-reach spaces. Once through, the spongey center portion cruises across the area, contorting to clean every curve and crevice properly, making it easier to cover wide gaps properly.

"I've tried different kinds of bridge flosses and picks," one five-star reviewer observed. "...and this is the most comfortable, by far. The hard tip is very thin and therefore easy to get under your bridge, unlike other styles of floss that have a thick waxy thread that can barely fit and that hurts your gums."