AutoBrush Sonic Pro toothbrush review

The AutoBrush Sonic Pro is an automatic 360° toothbrush that claims to clean and whiten teeth in just 30 seconds, removing the need to brush for the recommended two minutes. It does this by brushing all your teeth surfaces simultaneously, thanks to its unique shape, instead of quadrant by quadrant. 

It uses dental-grade non-UV blue LED light to whiten teeth and red LED light to improve gum health — reducing inflammation and preventing receding gums. You can also choose to use the blue and red LED lights together. 

With three cleaning modes — Care, Deep Cleaning, and Massage — and patented ADA-approved BASS technology with high-frequency vibrations of up to 30,000 per minute, the AutoBrush Sonic Pro claims to remove plaque effectively. It also promises to clean beyond the gumline and massage gums to dislodge debris and improve circulation. 

Boasting impressive claims, we were keen to get our hands on the AutoBrush Sonic Pro and give it a go at home. Can it really give us that 'whole-mouth clean' feeling in just 30 seconds?

We also wanted to see if our regular toothpaste would work just as well as AutoBrush's own expensive paste. As with the other toothbrushes featured in our best toothbrushes guide, we tested the AutoBrush Sonic Pro over a couple of weeks, trying out each feature and testing how well it dealt with everyday plaque and stains. How easy is it to use and charge up, and what other users make of this unusual U-shaped toothbrush? Here's what we found.

AutoBrush Sonic Pro Electric Toothbrush: Design

The AutoBrush Sonic Pro is the most unusual electric toothbrush design we've come across. Having never used a U-shaped toothbrush before, we weren't sure what to expect, but the design is surprisingly pleasing.

The AutoBrush Sonic Pro handset is available in black, white, baby blue, or powder pink and is encased in a soft, waterproof rubber that looks and feels expensive. At the top of the handset are 12 LED lights that light up red, blue or a mixture of both, depending on which light mode you choose. At the center of the 'U' is a small steel peg where you attach the brush head to the handset.

At the front of the handset are four discreet buttons to power the toothbrush on or off and toggle between settings of the cleaning mode, light mode, and timer.

The double-sided nylon brush head comes separately. If you're not used to U-shaped toothbrushes, using this may initially seem a little mind-boggling! The whole toothbrush head is designed to fit in the mouth at once, and it features 58,000 ultra-soft bristles to clean every surface of the teeth. You assemble the toothbrush by pressing the brush head firmly onto the base.

The charging base is also attractive enough to sit on any bathroom shelf — it's a simple, circular dock that has the look and feel of an iPhone charger. The base light on the dock turns green when your AutoBrush Sonic Pro has a full charge.

A travel case isn't provided, but you can purchase one for the brush head on the AutoBrush website along with other accessories such as a whitening kit, silicone brush heads, and tongue scrapers.

AutoBrush Sonic Pro Electric Toothbrush: Functionality

Once you get the hang of the different cleaning, light and timer modes, the AutoBrush Sonic Pro is super-easy to use. You only have to remember what each light indicates, which the manual explains.

First up is cleaning mode. There are three sonic vibration cleaning modes: Care (gentle), Deep Clean, and Massage for specialized cleaning. Press the button that looks like a volume setting to choose between Care (green), Deep Cleaning Mode (blue) and Massage Mode (red).

Choose your light mode by pressing the lightbulb button — blue for whitening, red for gum health (reducing inflammation and preventing receding gums), or a combination of the two.

Finally, choose your timer setting. Although the AutoBrush Sonic Pro claims to clean all of your teeth in just 30 seconds, it's reassuring that you can extend the time — we tended to favor the 90-second setting.

We used AutoBrush's foaming toothpaste with the AutoBrush Sonic Pro, but you can also use your own (undoubtedly cheaper) toothpaste if you prefer. Squeeze three spots of toothpaste front and back of the brush head, then pop the brush head in your mouth, ensuring you let it touch all your teeth surfaces by biting down gently. To brush your teeth, grip and move the handset from left to right in your mouth. To reach the back molars, move the brush to the far end of each side. To reach the gumline, tilt it towards the top and bottom row of your teeth and continue brushing from left to right against the gums.

It takes a few attempts to adapt to this style of brushing. It initially felt like we weren't getting a whole-mouth clean feeling, but this improved as we got the hang of it. It really is a whole new style of teeth brushing (compared to the method you will have been doing for as long as you can remember), so it's no surprise it takes time to master.

To clean the AutoBrush Sonic Pro, simply run the brush head under warm water to remove any leftover toothpaste and pop it somewhere cool and clean to dry out before your next brush. You'll need to replace the brush head every three months, as you would a standard electric toothbrush head.

• Related: How to use an electric toothbrush

AutoBrush Sonic Pro Electric Toothbrush: Performance

To understand whether the AutoBrush Sonic Pro was living up to its claims to remove plaque as efficiently as a regular electric toothbrush, we decided to test it by using a disclosing tablet before and after brushing our teeth. 

A disclosing tablet is a small tablet used to help identify plaque buildup on teeth. It temporarily dyes areas of plaque buildup, making them visible so you can see where you may have missed brushing thoroughly.

We were pleasantly surprised to find that the AutoBrush Sonic Pro removed all the plaque that was identified by the disclosing tablet but we did struggle to get the fresh 'just brushed' feeling with the AutoBrush Sonic Pro. That said, we did like the 10-minute light mode feature.

Press the lightbulb for two seconds to put the handset into light mode. We opted for the blue 'whitening' light mode. This runs for 10 minutes, but whether you need to use the nylon brush head provided or a separate brush head is unclear. In any case, we just popped the brush head in and let it do its thing for ten minutes. Although it's early days, it looks like it can subtly whiten your teeth, session by session. We wish the manual was clearer on how exactly you can use this feature and how the red LED lights benefit fighting gum inflammation if you use them for 10 minutes.

AutoBrush Sonic Pro Electric Toothbrush: What's good about it?

We like the whitening LED lights — everyone wants a whiter smile these days, so having this was a welcome feature and not something you typically find with a regular electric toothbrush. 

We also admire the design and the easy charging functionality of the AutoBrush Sonic Pro. It uses a USB charger but comes with an additional socket charger, so you have choice and flexibility in how you charge, whether at your desk via your laptop or in your bathroom or bedroom. One charge takes four hours and lasts for around a week. 

AutoBrush Sonic Pro Electric Toothbrush: What's not so good about it?

We weren't so keen on the foaming toothpaste that was provided with the AutoBrush Sonic Pro. It tasted too mild and didn’t give us that just brushed feeling we wanted. We preferred using our own toothpaste, which costs much less than the AutoBrush toothpaste too.

As you'll use three spots of regular toothpaste on the front and back of the head (six spots in total), you will likely get through toothpaste quicker than usual, so extra costs may be involved for you. It’s also unclear whether using more toothpaste than your dentist would recommend (typically a pea-sized amount) is beneficial or harmful to your teeth.

AutoBrush Sonic Pro Electric Toothbrush: User reviews

The AutoBrush Sonic Pro has a respectable, but not hugely impressive, 3.5 stars out of 5 on Amazon. Those who have given it more than four stars say it's great for kids, people with disabilities (e.g. limited hand dexterity), or users with sensory issues, as it reduces the need to move the brush around the mouth. 

One mum comments, 'My daughter is not good with traditional electronic toothbrushes. She just doesn't move the brush around her mouth enough. This is a GREAT solution. It blankets ALL her teeth, and it only takes 30 seconds. We are seeing a nice difference in her smile from yellowing teeth to whitening teeth.' Others enjoy the built-in whitening LED functionality and how quickly it cleans your teeth.

Disappointed reviewers criticize the fact that you still have to move the AutoBrush Sonic Pro around in the mouth to get an effective clean, while others say their teeth still feel 'dirty and gritty' after cleaning. Some users have also experienced problems with the charging unit.

Should you buy the AutoBrush Sonic Pro Electric Toothbrush?

We're not sure the AutoBrush Sonic Pro will replace our regular electric toothbrush, but if you have a reluctant brusher in your family, it could help them brush more regularly or effectively.

If this product isn't for you

If you're not sure a U-shaped toothbrush is right for you but want a toothbrush that delivers on innovation, the Oral B Genius X could be perfect. Users who have been advised to improve their brushing technique by their dental hygienist will enjoy the unique coaching programs available on the app, while data junkies will love tracking their dental habits and patterns over time. 

The Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush is ideal for a much more affordable but still very effective clean. With five cleaning modes, a pressure sensor and a handy travel case, it has pretty much everything you'd come to expect from a more expensive toothbrush, and at a fraction of the price.

If you prefer sonic toothbrushes, consider the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000.  With four modes that can be tweaked in intensity to suit you, you can truly personalize your brushing experience.