Oral-B iO5 Electric Toothbrush Review: a smart brush that cleans well but isn’t perfect

I’ve been using the Oral-B iO5 in matt black for a bit now, with the travel case and the tiny 15 ml toothpaste that comes in the box. I switched to it from a basic Oral-B Pro model that just had a pressure sensor and a simple timer. So I wasn’t coming from a manual brush, but from a cheaper electric one. That helps put things into perspective: I wasn’t expecting my teeth to suddenly look like a whitening advert, I just wanted to see if the higher-end iO stuff actually makes a noticeable difference in daily use.

First impression: it definitely feels more like a gadget than my old brush. There’s a small screen, different modes, an app that tracks where you’ve brushed, and that pressure ring that changes colour. It’s not hard to set up, but it’s more involved than just pressing one button and brushing. I’d say it took me a couple of days to stop playing with the modes and just settle into a routine that makes sense.

In day‑to‑day life, what matters to me is simple: does it clean well, does the battery last, and is it annoying to use at 7 a.m. when I’m half asleep. On those points, it’s mostly good, but there are a few things that bugged me. Some are minor (the included toothpaste is basically a sample, nothing special), others are more about whether the price is justified compared to a cheaper Oral-B model that already has a timer and pressure sensor.

If you’re wondering whether the iO5 is worth the jump from a manual or an older electric brush, I’ll be honest: it’s a solid brush, but not magic. It’s better than a manual brush, clearly, but compared to cheaper electric ones, the gain is there, just not huge. The rest of this review is basically me breaking down what felt genuinely useful and what felt like extra stuff I could live without.

On value, this is where things get a bit mixed. The iO5 is clearly not the cheapest brush out there, and you feel that mainly when you look at replacement head prices. The iO heads are more expensive than the classic Oral‑B ones, and you’re supposed to change them every 3 months. Over a couple of years, that adds up. So you’re not just paying for the handle; you’re buying into a slightly pricier ecosystem long term.

In terms of what you get for the price: you have strong cleaning performance, a pressure sensor, multiple modes, an app, Apple Health sync, and a travel case. All of that is nice, but if you compare it to a cheaper Oral‑B with a timer and a basic pressure sensor, the actual difference in how clean your teeth feel is there but not huge. You’re mostly paying for extra comfort and tech, not a night‑and‑day improvement in hygiene. If you like gadgets and tracking, that might be worth it to you. If you’re just trying to avoid cavities, a simpler model will probably do the job too.

The included toothpaste is basically a sample and doesn’t add much to the value. The travel case is handy if you move around a lot, but it’s soft and not premium. The 2‑year warranty is standard for this kind of product, nothing special. So you have to decide if the mix of design, comfort, and smart features justifies the price difference versus a more basic model.

Overall, I’d say the iO5 is good value if you really want the iO range and the smart features, but just average value if you only care about cleaning your teeth well. There’s better performance‑per‑euro lower down the Oral‑B lineup, but this one is nicer to use and feels more modern. For me, it’s decent, but I wouldn’t call it a bargain.

The matt black finish looks good and doesn’t scream “bathroom toy”. It’s more discreet than the old shiny white Oral-B handles. It also hides toothpaste splashes better than glossy plastic, which I appreciate. After a couple of weeks, it still looked clean with just a quick wipe now and then. It’s still plastic, so don’t expect anything fancy in terms of feel, but it doesn’t look cheap.

In the hand, the handle is fairly slim and light. I didn’t feel any strain, even during the full 2‑minute brush. The rubberised parts keep it from slipping when it’s wet. The physical buttons are simple: one for power, one to cycle through the five modes (Daily Clean, Intense, Sensitive, Super Sensitive, Whiten). The small screen shows icons, a basic face, and timing feedback. It’s not a high-end display, but it’s clear enough. Personally, after the novelty wore off, I barely looked at the screen except to check the mode.

One thing worth mentioning: the pressure sensor ring around the neck changes colour depending on how you brush – red if you press too hard, white/green when you’re in the right zone. This is more useful than the screen for me because you see it in the mirror while brushing without thinking too much. If you tend to scrub like crazy with a manual brush, this might help you calm down a bit and not destroy your gums.

Overall, the design is pretty solid and practical. It feels like a modern gadget, but not fragile. The downside is that some of the tech bits (screen, faces, app prompts) feel a bit gimmicky after the first week. The core elements – shape, grip, buttons, pressure ring – are good and actually helpful. The rest is nice to have, but not something that changed how I brush in the long run.

Battery-wise, the iO5 is rechargeable and sits on a small stand. In my case, brushing twice a day for 2 minutes on Daily Clean, I got roughly 10–12 days before the battery indicator started nagging me. That’s decent, but not huge. Some older Oral‑B models I’ve used felt similar or slightly worse, so it’s not a big leap forward. If you’re travelling for a week, you can probably leave the charger at home if you start with a full battery. For longer trips, you’ll want to pack it.

Charging is straightforward: you drop it on the stand, and it slowly charges back up. It’s not fast-charging or anything fancy, but if you leave it overnight, it’s full by morning. The downside is that it uses a proprietary charger, not USB‑C or micro‑USB. So it’s one more specific charger to remember, and if you forget it on a trip, you’re stuck with a dead toothbrush after a while. For the price and how many gadgets are on USB‑C now, I would have liked a more modern charging option.

The on‑screen battery icon is clear enough. You see when it’s getting low and can plan a charge. I never had it die mid‑brush; it gives enough warning. But once it’s low, it drops fairly quickly, so don’t ignore the low‑battery icon for too long. It’s not a huge problem, just something to keep an eye on if you hate charging stuff last minute.

Overall, I’d call the battery life fine but nothing special. It’s enough for regular home use and short trips, but if you travel a lot and hate carrying chargers, it’s not ideal. It works, it’s predictable, but it doesn’t stand out in any way compared to more basic electric brushes I’ve used before.

The included 15 ml 3D White Advanced Luxe Perfection toothpaste lists a bunch of ingredients: Glycerin, Hydrated Silica, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Fluoride, and so on. In plain terms, it’s a typical fluoride toothpaste with whitening agents and foaming agents. The Hydrated Silica is the abrasive that helps remove surface stains, and the Sodium Fluoride is there for cavity protection. Nothing shocking here; it’s the usual big-brand formula.

From a user point of view, the paste has a standard mint taste and a normal level of foam. If you’re used to drugstore whitening toothpastes, this will feel familiar. It doesn’t burn, it doesn’t feel too strong, and it rinses off easily. After brushing, the mouth feels clean and fresh, but not in an over-the-top way. I didn’t notice any irritation or sensitivity from it over a week or so of use, and I have average sensitivity, not super fragile teeth.

If you’re picky about ingredients, there are a couple of things to note. There is SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate), which some people avoid because it can irritate gums or cause canker sores in sensitive users. There are also artificial sweeteners (Sucralose, Sodium Saccharin) and colourants (CI 74160). If you usually buy more “natural” or SLS-free pastes, this one will probably not be your thing. For me, it was just typical big-brand stuff: nothing shocking, nothing especially clean-label either.

To be honest, the toothpaste is not the reason to buy this kit. It’s handy for travel or to try the 3D White range, but it’s a small bonus, not a selling point. After the tube runs out, you’ll likely go back to whatever toothpaste you normally use, and the iO5 works the same with any half-decent fluoride paste. I wouldn’t base my buying decision on this tiny tube at all.

Day to day, the iO5 starts to feel like a routine tool rather than a gadget, which is good. It has five modes: Daily Clean, Intense, Sensitive, Super Sensitive, and Whiten. I ended up using Daily Clean most of the time, Sensitive if my gums felt a bit sore, and almost never touched Intense because it felt a bit too strong for me. The switch between modes is easy, but in practice you’ll probably pick one or two and stick with them.

The brushing experience is quite controlled. The head glides pretty smoothly, and the vibrations are strong enough to feel like you’re doing something, but not so strong that it feels aggressive (unless you pick Intense and really lean on it). The quadrant timer is helpful: every 30 seconds, the brush pauses slightly so you know it’s time to move. That alone improves coverage. If you’ve ever finished in 30 seconds with a manual brush because you were in a rush, this forces you to slow down and actually do the full 2 minutes.

The app and Apple Health sync are nice on paper. You can see how long you brushed and get feedback on coverage. The problem is, after the first week, the novelty fades. I found myself not bothering to open the app unless I specifically wanted to check something. It works, but it’s one more thing to connect, sync, and maintain. If you’re into tracking everything, you might like it. If you’re more casual, the built‑in timer and pressure ring are already enough.

Overall, the performance is solid and reliable: it starts quickly, doesn’t lag, and the different modes do feel different, not just marketing. The downside is that some of the smart features feel nice at first but don’t really change your life long term. The core brushing experience is where it shines; the connected side is more of a bonus than a daily must‑use feature, at least for me.

Out of the box, you get the iO5 handle in matt black, one brush head, a basic charger, a soft zip travel case, and a tiny 15 ml tube of 3D White Advanced Luxe Perfection toothpaste. That’s it. So you’re ready to brush right away, but keep in mind: one head isn’t much, and iO heads are not cheap. If you’re switching from a normal Oral-B with the old style heads, those are not compatible. You’re basically locked into the iO heads from day one.

The travel case is soft, not a hard shell. It fits the handle and up to two heads. It does the job for trips, but it doesn’t feel super protective. If you’re someone who just throws things in a bag, you might prefer a hard case. The charger is the usual small Oral-B stand that you leave on the counter. No USB, just a standard plug, so keep that in mind for travel if you go abroad and need an adapter.

The bundled toothpaste is honestly just a sampler. It’s fine for trying the 3D White range, but it’s tiny. If you’re buying this expecting a full-size tube, you’ll be disappointed. The taste is standard mint, nothing weird, but I finished it in about a week. After that you’ll obviously need your usual toothpaste anyway, so I don’t see this as a real selling point, more like a small bonus.

Overall, the package is pretty minimal but functional: you can start using it right away, but there are no extra heads, no fancy charger, nothing that feels premium beyond the handle itself. For the price point, I would have liked at least one extra brush head and maybe a slightly better case. It doesn’t feel cheap, but it doesn’t feel particularly generous either.

On the actual cleaning side, the iO5 does a very good job, but let’s keep it real. Coming from a manual brush, you’ll feel a clear difference: smoother teeth, less plaque in the usual tricky spots, and your mouth generally feels cleaner after the 2‑minute cycle. The combination of the round head and the micro‑vibrations really scrubs around the gum line and between teeth better than I ever managed manually, especially at the back.

Compared to my older basic Oral‑B electric, the difference is there but not huge. The iO5 feels a bit smoother and less harsh on the gums, especially on the Sensitive and Super Sensitive modes. The vibrations feel more controlled and less “jackhammer” on the teeth. After a week, my teeth felt slightly smoother after each brush, and I had less plaque build-up between cleanings. But if you’re expecting drastic whitening or some massive visual change, you’ll be let down. The whitening mode is basically a stronger, slightly different pattern – it polishes a bit, but it’s not magic.

The pressure sensor and the built‑in timer help keep things consistent. The brush vibrates to tell you when to switch quadrant and when the 2 minutes are up. That sounds basic, but it’s what actually improves your brushing: you spend more even time across the mouth instead of rushing the front and ignoring the back. The app can show coverage and timing, but honestly, after a few days I rarely opened it. The built‑in feedback (ring + timer) was enough for me.

Overall, in terms of pure effectiveness, it’s stronger than a manual and a bit nicer and more controlled than a basic electric Oral‑B. It gets the job done and then some, but the jump in performance versus a cheaper Oral‑B isn’t massive. If you’re already using an electric with a timer and pressure sensor, the upgrade is more about comfort and tech than a huge cleaning boost.