HydraBrush Express Power Toothbrush
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Product Reviews of HydraBrush Express Power Toothbrush
Product Review: Its a little noisy, but works well -- its not a gimmick.
Summary: 5 Stars
My initial impression after using it for two days now is favorable. My gums have bled a lot, but that might be because I've never brushed my teeth this insanely till now.
I believe the manufacturer claim that you 'can brush in 40 seconds' is fairly accurate, here's why: Because it uses 6 brush surfaces at a time (instead of 1 in a regular toothbrush), it truly IS a time saver in that respect. You certainly feel like you are geting more out of your typical 1 minute brushing that you ever did before. Someone was really thinking outside the box when they designed this thing.
The big advantage to this product (to me), is that you still only spend 40 second to 1 minute per brushing ... vs. 3 minutes+ for a product like the sonicare. I just didn't see myself making the commitment and keeping to it over the long haul (just being realistic). Also, this product requires very little skill to properly position (just bit down, hold hydrabrush with two fingers, so it can self-pivot ... whereas sonicare and other electric brushes require 30 seconds per quadrant and you must be skilled enough to aim it and angle it ... sure, not hard, but if your using bad technique, then yours also not doing a good job.
I did accidently run it on high the first time, before I realized that low was the second click over, not the first click over, which seems kind of counter-intuitive to me. I should have looked at the unit closer, as it shows "2 dots" (for fast) and shows "1 dot" (for slow) ... they tried, but I still got it wrong somehow. As a result of my first use and the high setting, my rear gums bled a lot. This was documented in the instruction and seem normal (to bleed the first few days).
I think the fast speed will ultimately be what I want to use, but slow is nearly as effective and still quite a workout for the teeth and gums. Clearly, slow is best for newbies like myself. As I write this, I can still feel my gums and they feel like they got quite a workout.
The brush unit itself is quite big, but the brushes were smaller than expected, which was a good thing. The pictures online made these brushes appear to be quite huge and I wondered how I'd have room for it all in my mouth. Some people with small mouths might potentially have an issue using the hydrabrush. Some people with small hands might potentially find holding it a bit cumbersome. It works fine for me, despite the large size. My kids saw me using it today after work and they were like "wow dad, thats cool" ... "it looks like it does a REALLY good job!".
I had read that the brushes were not easy to put on and take off -- but it seems fairly easy, not really hard. I wouldn't want to share an electric toothbrush with anyone in the first place! I took them off to clean off the brushes a little better, so I removed the brushes by pressing in a small metal pin on each brush head (there are two brush heads totaland pull) and pulling each one out -- not hard to do if you ask me. Putting them back on was simply: push on, click ... its on, then repeat for second head.
I worry a litle about the dual motors holding up over time. It seems like the motors almost bog down at times on my rear molars, esp. on the low speed ... but it DOES keep going. You can bite down a little less and it seems to relieve the motor strain somewhat. I've noticed this is mainly only observed after a week of use. Fully charged, it's a powerhouse.
I'm trying to see how many days it'll last on a single charge. So far, two days and still going strong. Its doing a lot of work, so I perhaps worry that the batteries won't last long.
I will say that it "feels" like I just got out of a dental cleaning, for the most part. You know, its a good, clean feeling -- but also one where you feel a bit abused. My teeth and gums feels pretty beaten up in just 1 minute. I will say that I perceive the 1 minute brush time to be VERY effective, based on how clean it feels after such a short period of brushing. It feels like a brushed a LOT longer than I did.
I hope my gums get used to this and stop bleeding in a few more days. The bleeding never lasts long, which I think is a good sign.
I read somewhere that this toothbrush is not waterproof, and that appears to be true, as it came with a 'water shield' to go around the brush unit, just below where the brushes attach. This seems to work pretty well and it doesn't seem to come loose. So far, the unit is staying dry with little to no extra effort on my part. I don't really use the included holder or case, I just set the unit on the side of the sink (on a small washcloth) so it can drip dry into the sink. Thats just me.
The unit charges overnight and they tell you not to overcharge it beyond that. It blinks while charging and then stops after its charged. THey says its good for something like 40 uses, which I'll be surprised if thats true. I'd be happy if it lasted for 20 1 minutes sessions. I've used it 5 times thus far.
Using the hydrabrush consists of holding the unit with two fingers (loosely) and then biting down somewhat on the brushes and letting it glide down your teeth somewhat on its own. You do push and pull it along somewhat, but you don't have to angle or work on brushing technique at all. This is truly a gadget which could turn us all into brushing idiots. This is quite strange, but seems to be pretty easy to do and it's hard to imagine people having a hard time using it, after adjusting to its strangeness.
The small amount of toothpaste I put into each brush seems to get stuck and does take a little extra cleaning to remove after brushing. Maybe I'm not putting in on right. The owners manual makes it sound like toothpaste is 'optional' -- strange.
The feeling I get after using the hydrabrush is -- "wow, my teeth feel really clean". I don't think my back molars have ever been brushed with this much vigor before. I guess the real test will be (the comments I get) at my next dentist appointment.
Update: bleeding of gums has long since stopped and the hydrabrush is still going strong on the original (first) charge. I'm very impressed with the brush, as it appears to be doing a good job with my teeth. I'm hoping for a good comment from my dental hygienist on my next visit. I've also been using the Waterpik ... and its also a very good product.
No, I haven't tried the extra reach brushes. Since my teeth were badly worn down by childhood grinding, I fugured my teeth were too short to require those brush heads. I think I'm getting plenty of coverage with the basic heads, but I could see how people with better teeth (taller teeth) could require the extra reach heads.
The hydrabrush did finally run out of power from the initial charge -- and I would say I got a good 2 weeks on the charge, if not more.
One minor concern that has come up after using the hydrabrush, is the amount of noise it makes, esp. when using at bedtime, when others might already be asleep. It gets louder the more drained the batteries get, so it might be more of a motor strain noise than anything. I've noticed fully charged batteries are more quiet.
I'm still impressed with how good this makes my teeth feel after only 1 minute of brushing. I believe its about time I write a review for amazon, not that I've had some time to use this product.
I would add that the hydrabrush would probably not be so great for little kids, since the brush itself is quite big and might be too much for a little pallete, with little teeth. Probably ages 10+ would be appropriate.
Update: I have since switched to the high speed setting.
I would also say that (for me) this product, like a water pik, can be a tad messy and requires you brush over the sink, so that water and toothpaste can drop into it while brushing. It's not a major amount, but I do find that a controlled 'drool' while brushing is almost necessary, unless you stop in the middle. I just drool and complete it in 1 minutes or less.
I do advise using the included rubber (waterproof sheath) that is included, as it keeps the water from running down onto the handle while in use. Since the unit is not fully waterproof, using this is mandatory in my mind.
I had to buy this to see if this device was "for real", or just another infomercial gimmick ... but I'll say, it's for real ... and if you go into it with an open mind and some flexibility for a little noise and mess ... this will really do a nice job on your teeth.
The replacement heads are cheaper than sonicare as well. A four pack is really two complete replacement sets. A two pack is a single replacement set.
Updated 9/2007 - I'm still using it and its still working fine. I think I would probably review my rating to 4 stars, just because the units build quality seems a little lacking and I worry that its lack of water-proofing might become an issue some day. I rest the unit on the side of the sink for a couple minutes after using, so that the water can drip off the heads. You definately 'get used to it' ... but it is awkward at first. I think using this product with a simple store-bought electric toothbrush makes for a pretty great combination. I could see that kids could benefit from using this, as its really brushed the insides of the teeth well, an area hard to reach for many folks, myself included.
Product Review: Looks different, but works incredibly well!
Summary: 5 Stars
After being recommended by my dentist I researched the Hydrabrush. My first reaction was, "Wow, that's different." What won me over is the 'hygienist clean' feeling every time I use it (except without all the digging and scraping). With a regular toothbrush I always missed my inside surfaces and rear molars, but not with the Hydrabrush. Now I spend a lot less time getting my teeth cleaned and have a whiter smile. Great design!Product Review: My favorite appliance.
Summary: 5 Stars
I've dreamed of this functionality since I was a child. It is wonderful to use it every day now.Product Review: My wife loves it but there is room for improvement
Summary: 3 Stars
I am an 8-year Sonicare tooth-brusher myself and I have no plans of switching but my wife can't stand those ultrasonic vibrations and she had to stay with traditional toothbrushes until a couple of months ago when she decided to try out the HydraBrush. She's been using it, twice a day, ever since and she is happy with it. She appreciates the fact that the brush cleans the back and the front of the teeth AND the teeth from the upper and the lower jaw at the same time. This cuts tooth-brushing time or, better, does more cleaning per time unit so one could have cleaner teeth while not spending a lot of time cleaning them.
I am taking two of the stars for several small reasons and I can see how some of my concerns/observations can be traced to my Sonicare experience and possible bias. I see this as fair because HydraBrush is competing for its share of the marketplace so comparisons with 'the best in class' are healthy and should lead to a better future product.
- Unlike the Sonicare's elegant, plug-free charging console, a wire needs to be plugged into the HyrdaBrush's body for charging to occur. This is a minus because the brush tends to be wet. I am not saying that it makes it dangerous to handle but it's a bit of a messy process.
- The body is a bit wide. Some redesign work focusing on streamlining may benefit.
- The switch 'feels' a bit fragile. The designers should spend some serious time studying the Sonicare and learn a thing or two.
- The overall feel is 'not-long-lasting' or 'cheap'. Like I said, my wife has used it for a couple of months already and it didn't break but my first Sonicare lasted for 5-6 years before I replaced it and one of my kids used it for one year more before he got a new one and it was still working when that happened. Will THIS HydraBrush last for 7 years? Probably not, given the 'physical switch' and the direct plug into the batteries.
To conclude, this is a POSITIVE review - 3 stars mean 'better than average' to me, but they are not a ringing endorsement. If my wife is still using this product one year from now, I will try to remember to come back to this product page and add one or two stars if warranted.
Product Review: Sonicare is better
Summary: 2 Stars
Hydrabrush is below expectations compared to Sonicare which we have been using for years.
Following is a list for Hydracare to improve the product:
Does not clean teeth and gums as well as Sonicare.
Construction is lower than expected for a $100 unit.
Power switch seems cheap.
Plug in recharge is ancient as all expensive electric toothbrushes have wireless recharge cradle.
Brushes are bulky in mouth.
Whole concept of long stroke brushing seems less effective vs Sonicare micro-stroke.
Suggestions:
Upgrade construction quality.
Change to micro-stroke brushing.
The concept of brushing upper and lower teeth at same time is awesome, but the actual product implementation is below expectations for a $100 toothbrush.