In our opinion, Oral-B’s iO Series models are among the best electric toothbrushes you can buy. iO brushes have a quiet, magnetic-driven motor and brush using both oscillation and micro-vibrations for extremely effective cleaning.
But the brand doesn’t make it easy to tell them apart. There are now nine models, from the iO2 to the iO10 (plus a limited-edition flagship model), and each one has a different feature set and price. Below, we explain the pros and cons of the line and describe the differences in the hardware and features of each one. You’ll also find links to full reviews and the best prices currently available below each model.
You can also check out our guide to the best Oral-B electric toothbrush overall to see how iO models compare to classic brushes, and find out which we rate highest.
Oral-B iO Series pricing: What you should pay
In the UK, pricing is complicated, with iO brushes launching at an inflated price and regularly dropping to what appears to be a huge, often half-price discount. In reality, this regularly available ‘discount’ price is what the brush is worth and you shouldn’t pay more than that. These sales periods come along regularly, so you shouldn’t need to wait long to buy.
We’ll provide specifics on what we think UK buyers should pay for each iO brush in the sections below.
In the US, the iO brushes’ long-term prices remain fairly close to their launch price and any discounts you see during sales periods are real.
Oral-B iO pros and cons
We consider the iO range to have excellent brushing performance and some of the best feature sets available. But there are compromises to be made. Here are the pros and cons of the series as a whole.
Pros
- Whichever iO brush you buy, they all have the same, excellent brushing performance, with a brush head that both oscillates and vibrates as it cleans. The exception is the iO2, which has a different motor and provides gentler brushing that’s much more like a classic Oral-B brush.
- A highly visible light ring pressure sensor that glows red when you press too hard and green when you get it just right (again, except for the iO2). The light ring is also customisable on all smart brushes: you can choose to personalise your brush from a selection of colours.
- Two-minute brushing timer: all brushes have a two-minute brushing timer in one form or another and a change in brush vibrations every 30 seconds to alert you to move onto the next part of your mouth. Those with a screen (iO6 and above) have an on-screen countdown timer. All brushes with smart features have a countdown timer in the app. The models without a screen ‘celebrate’ when you hit two minutes of brushing: the light ring cycles through the rainbow of colours. Almost all the brushes will let you customise the brushing time in the app.
- Choice of brushing modes (this varies by model, with the pricier models providing more options, but all have a selection of modes).
- Brushing feedback and smart features (again, this varies by model). All the models with smart features will deliver some form of brushing feedback. The higher-end models will deliver real-time brushing coaching.
- iO models from iO7-iO10 (inclusive) feature 3-hour fast charging.
- iO brushes are fairly quiet in use and don’t have a high-pitched whine or a lot of mechanical noise.
Cons
- No Oral-B brushes have USB charging. In the US, they charge with a standard two-pin plug, and in the UK, they have a shaving plug.
- Apart from the iO2, all iO brushes have an average battery life of around two weeks. Bear in mind that Oral-B’s official estimate is only for 4 minutes of brushing per day. If you brush for a bit longer, or also brush after meals, or before going out, it won’t last nearly as long. The battery life is a pretty annoying flaw in an otherwise premium product. Plenty of electric toothbrushes now have a battery life of a month or more.
- iO brushes are not ideal for sharing as smart features are a key component of the functionality, so brushing data will be meaningless and you’ll need to share the same settings. Also, bear in mind that sharing a brush will halve its battery life between charges.
- There are a number of online reports of battery life issues, especially with the pricier models. These do not seem to be brushes that will last you a lifetime.
- Some people have also noted issues with keeping the brushes clean and with mould growing in the connector between handle and brush head. But we should say that none of our testers have ever had a similar issue. You should remove the brush head and rinse it out after use, so bear in mind that they might require a bit more care than rival models.
All the iO models: their features and what you should pay for them
Oral-B iO 10 (iO 10)
This is the current flagship model. The key feature that sets it apart from other iO brushes is its smart charging base, which has a brushing countdown timer and a light display that delivers real-time brushing feedback.
Key features:
- iO brushing performance
- Colour OLED screen
- 7 brushing modes: daily clean, sensitive, gum care, intense clean, super sensitive, tongue clean, and whiten
- 3D real-time brushing feedback and other smart features
- Light ring pressure sensor
- Fast charging
Unique to the iO10: Smart charging base
Colour options and accessories: The brush has a speckled finish and comes in two colour options: cosmic black or stardust white. It comes with a travel charging case and smart, fast charging stand with clock and display.
What you should pay for it in the UK: The iO10 had a UK launch price of £800 and was regularly available for £350-£400. Depending on the time of year, it’s now available for around £300-£350. If you’re buying it on sale, you should look for a price of £300 or less.
Buy it if: you want to use the smart charging base as a brushing guide and countdown timer.
Read our full Oral-B iO 10 review
Oral-B iO10 Limited Edition
This Limited Edition is a variant of the flagship model. It has a number of features that set it apart from the original iO Series 10, including a brighter display with redesigned icons and a pre-brushing battery level reminder. Altogether, it’s easier to read and a bit more helpful. Then there’s the way it looks. It has a matt gold handle and comes with either black or white accessories. It also has more obvious reminders to change your brush head when it’s getting worn down. Finally, instead of super-sensitive, there’s a smart adapt brushing mode that aims to help correct your technique if you brush too hard or not hard enough.
Again, the key feature that sets it apart from other iOs is its smart charging base, which delivers real-time brushing feedback.
Unique to the iO10: Smart charging base
Key features:
- iO brushing performance
- Brighter colour OLED screen
- 7 brushing modes: smart adapt, daily clean, sensitive, gum care, intense clean, tongue clean, and whiten
- 3D real-time brushing feedback and other smart features
- Light ring pressure sensor
- Fast charging
Colour options and accessories: There are two gold-handled variants – Eclipse Gold, which comes with white accessories, and Lunar Gold, which comes with black accessories. It comes with a travel charging case and smart, fast charging stand with clock and display.
What you should pay for it in the UK: The iO10 Limited Edition also had a UK launch price of £800 but you should be able to buy it for £400 or less. It’s currently available from Boots and Oral-B where prices are shifting by the day, but the best price we’ve seen is £300.
Buy it if: you want the flagship model, or one of the models with serious brushing feedback, especially as you may well spot a deal that makes this a more cost-effective option.
Read our full Oral-B iO Series 10 Limited Edition review
Oral-B iO Series 9 (iO9)
The iO9 has all the features of the iO10 except for the smart charging base. Instead, it comes with a simpler, magnetic, puck-shaped fast charger.
Features:
- iO brushing performance
- Colour OLED screen
- 7 brushing modes: daily clean, sensitive, gum care, intense clean, super sensitive, tongue clean, and whiten
- 3D real-time brushing feedback and other smart features
- Light ring pressure sensor
- Fast charging
Colour options and accessories: The brush comes in several colour options, including black onyx, rose quartz and white alabaster. Comes with charging travel case and magnetic puck-shaped fast charging stand.
What you should pay for it in the UK: The iO9 had a launch price of £500, and was regularly available for £250. At the time of writing, you can get it for around £200, and you shouldn’t pay more than this.
Buy it if: you want all the best iO features but you don’t care about the light-up charging stand.
Read our full Oral-B iO Series 9 review
Oral-B iO Series 8 (iO8)
The iO8 has most of the same features as the iO9 and iO10. The key difference is that the iO9 and iO10 have more detailed tooth tracking, measuring 16 zones. The iO8 only measures 6. In practice, we didn’t notice a huge difference in the quality of brushing feedback while testing. It also has six brushing modes, instead of 7, missing tongue care.
Key features:
- iO brushing performance
- Colour OLED screen
- 6 brushing modes: daily clean, sensitive, whiten, gum care, intense and super sensitive
- Real-time brushing feedback and other smart features
- Light ring pressure sensor
- Fast charging
Colour options and accessories: The brush comes in several colour options, including white, violet and black. It comes with a travel case and magnetic, puck-shaped, fast charging stand.
What you should pay for it in the UK: The iO8 had a launch price of £450 but is now available for around £150-£160. Don’t pay more than this and try to find a lower price during major sales events.
Buy it if: you want the deluxe, full-colour screen for a bit less than the iO9.
Read our full Oral-B iO Series 8 review
Oral-B iO Series 7 (iO7)
The iO7 has one key hardware difference from the high-end models. Its on-handle display is black and white, instead of full colour. But it still features fast charging, which sets it apart from the iO6. Like the iO8, it features six-zone brushing feedback.
Key features:
- iO brushing performance
- Monochrome screen
- 5 brushing modes: daily clean, sensitive, whiten, gum care, intense and super sensitive
- Real-time brushing feedback and other smart features
- Light ring pressure sensor
- Fast charging
Colour options and accessories: The brush comes in a choice of alabaster white or black onyx, plus, in the US only, purple amethyst and sapphire blue. It comes with a travel case and magnetic, puck-shaped fast charging stand.
What you should pay for it in the UK: With a launch price of over £400, the iO7 is widely available now for around £150. If you see it on sale, £150 is the price to beat but if you can’t get a great deal, consider buying the iO8 instead.
Buy it if: you want the best-priced iO to feature fast charging.
Read our full Oral-B iO Series 7 review
Oral-B iO Series 6 (iO6)
The iO6 has the same monochrome display as the iO7 but it lacks fast charging. Instead of your brush charging from flat to full in 3 hours, it’ll take up to 16 hours, so you might want to keep it on the stand.
Key features:
- iO brushing performance
- Monochrome screen
- 5 brushing modes: daily clean, sensitive, gum care, intense clean, whitening
- Guided cleaning mode and other smart features
- Light ring pressure sensor
Colour options and accessories: There are several colour options, including black onyx, grey opal and pink sand. It comes with a travel case and charging stand but these accessories are different from those that come with the more expensive models. The travel case isn’t as nicely finished as the one that comes with more high-end models and, instead of the magnetic charging puck, you’ll get a standard Oral-B charger – the same model that fits non-iO brushes.
What you should pay for it: The iO6 had a launch price of £299.99 but is now widely available for £130. Don’t forget: this model doesn’t have fast charging, so you shouldn’t be paying as much as you would for the iO7.
Buy it if: you want the iO on-handle screen but don’t care about fast charging.
Read our full Oral-B iO Series 6 review
Oral-B iO Series 5 (iO5)
The iO5 has the same foundational design as the more expensive brushes but – like all models below it – it has no digital display in the handle. In its place, it features a rubber panel with light-up icons to show the different brushing modes. Some of the brush’s functions have been shunted from the handle to the app, which means you do need to use the app to be able to change some settings, even if just to set it up. But the app also offers you a real-time coaching mode that will be useful if you need to improve your brushing technique. This mode isn’t available in the less expensive models.
Key features:
- iO brushing performance
- On-handle mode icons
- 5 brushing modes: daily clean, intense clean, whitening, sensitive and super sensitive
- Real-time coaching mode and other smart features
- Light ring pressure sensor
Colour options and accessories: The iO5 comes in pink or black. It comes with a travel case and charging stand but these accessories are different from those that come with the more expensive models. The travel case isn’t as nicely finished as the one that comes with more high-end models and, instead of the magnetic charging puck, you’ll get a standard Oral-B charger – the same model that fits non-iO brushes.
What you should pay for it in the UK: The iO5 had a launch price of £280 and its price varies now from site to site, but as it has fewer features than the models above it, you should pay much less. Don’t pay more than £120 for it and consider whether you could get a similar deal on the iO6 (which has a screen) or the iO7 (which has a screen and fast charging).
Buy it if: you want real-time guided brushing and spot a really good deal.
Read our full Oral-B iO Series 5 review
Oral-B iO Series 4 (iO4)
The iO4 doesn’t have the light-up icons you’ll see on the handle of the iO5. Instead, there’s just a grippy, rubber strip. This means that you can only tell which brushing mode you’re in by the difference in vibrations or by checking in the app. The does mean that you’ll need to use the app to make the most of the brush. There are fewer app features available with the iO4, but you can still change the brushing timer and adjust the settings to account for braces or bleeding gums.
Key features:
- Light ring pressure sensor
- iO brushing performance
- 4 brushing modes: whiten, daily clean, sensitive and gum care
- Limited smart features, including customising brushing time
Colour options and accessories: The iO4 comes in black, violet, blue or white. It comes with a standard Oral-B charger – the same model that fits non-iO brushes.
What you should pay for it in the UK: The iO4 had a launch price of £240 but it’s generally available for £80-£90 now. If it’s on sale, you should look for a price around £75 or less.
Buy it if: you want an iO, are happy to compromise on features, and see it on sale.
Read our full Oral-B iO Series 4 review
Oral-B iO Series 3 (iO3)
The iO3 is one of only two brushes (along with the iO2) that has no smart features whatsoever. If you don’t want brushing feedback and don’t want to bother with an app, this is the model to go for.
Key features:
- Light ring pressure sensor
- iO brushing performance
- 3 brushing modes: daily clean, whitening and sensitive
Colour options and accessories: The iO3 comes in black, pink or blue. It comes with a standard Oral-B charger – the same model that fits non-iO brushes.
What you should pay for it in the UK: The iO3 launched at £160 but £70 is the most you should pay now. You should be able to buy it for less than £50 in the sales.
Buy it if: you want an iO for the brushing performance but don’t care about smart features.
Read our full Oral-B iO Series 3 review
Oral-B iO Series 2 (iO2)
The iO2 is a little different from all the other iO models. It doesn’t feature the light ring pressure sensor and its brushing performance feels different. It’s much gentler and more like a classic Oral-B electric toothbrush. It’s been designed for people who are used to a manual brush and don’t want a powerful electric toothbrush. We wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else.
Key features:
- Small pressure sensor
- 3 brushing modes: super-sensitive, gentle and daily clean
- 2-minute brushing timer
- Better battery life than any other iO model
Colour options and accessories: The iO2 comes in black, pink, white or forest green. It comes with a standard Oral-B charger – the same model that fits non-iO brushes.
What you should pay for it in the UK: The iO2 has launched in the UK with an RRP of £100, but is currently available from the Oral-B website for £45, and that’s a good price for it. But only buy it if you’re specifically looking for a gentle electric toothbrush.
Buy it if: you’re looking for an entry-level electric toothbrush.
Read our full Oral-B iO Series 2 review
Author: Emma Rowley, Deputy Editor, Tech Advisor
Tech Advisor's Deputy Editor, Emma has been a journalist and copywriter for over 20 years and has been testing and writing about home tech and appliances for seven years. She tries out every appliance she writes about at home, and aims to recommend time- and energy-saving products that will last.