Everyone brushes their teeth, but why do so many people settle for low quality toothbrushes? Most dentists recommend using an electronic toothbrush, but if you are like us and like to supplement your electronic toothbrush with a manual toothbrush or if you prefer manual toothbrushes in general, you are in the right place. We decided to review a wide variety of manual toothbrushes and come up with the best manual toothbrush for specific categories.

Best Overall Toothbrush – Oral-B Pro Health All In One Soft Toothbrushes

This manual toothbrush proved to be our favorite to use. It has a very large toothbrush head with several unique features – crisscrossing bristles with rounded rubber bristles on the outside of the head. This combination of features made the brushing experience very comfortable. The crisscrossing bristles felt like they cleaned the hard-to-reach areas of our teeth. The rounded rubber bristles on the outside massaged our gums when brushing, just adding to the brushing experience.

Other than the toothbrush head, the handle has a very ergonomic design that made it easy to use and it fit in all of our testers’ hands easily. Out of all of the manual toothbrushes we tested, the Oral-B Pro Health All In One Soft toothbrush gave us the most comfortable and deep cleaning experience.

Best Eco-Friendly Toothbrush – Preserve Recycled Toothbrushes

With the influx of plastic that is being dumped into our oceans year after year, opting for an eco-friendly option when it comes to our dental routine is a small change we can make. Preserve is a company focused on making products that are good for both people and the planet. Their recycled toothbrushes are made with recycled yogurt cups and the bristles are made of new nylon.

Best Sensitive Teeth Toothbrush – Dr. Collins Perio Toothbrush

If you have sensitive teeth, you’ll want to opt for a gentle solution that caters to your mouth. Dr. Collins Perio toothbrushes are soft and prevent tooth enamel from abrasion while efficiently removing plague and debris between your teeth. Consider these toothbrushes if you have sensitive teeth, gum recession, braces, or just finished gum therapy.

Best Kids Toothbrush – Colgate Kids Toothbrush with Extra Soft Bristles and Suction Cup Holder

Starting positive oral hygiene habits at a young age pays off in the long run. To make brushing teeth less of a chore for your kids, find a toothbrush that matches their style! Colgate has the best kids toothbrushes that are available in different styles and are small enough to reach every area of their mouths.

Best Whitening Toothbrush – Oral-B Charcoal Toothbrush Whitening Therapy

The Oral-B Charcoal infused toothbrush claims to make your teeth whiter in just 7 days. It does have an asterisk that states “by removing surface stains.” To test this toothbrush’s bold claim, we had two of our team members use this Oral-B Charcoal infused manual toothbrush instead of their usual toothbrushes for a week. It would be good to know that both testers use a daily regime of mouthwash, flossing, and brushing their teeth at night using electronic toothbrushes. So, after a week of using this brush, one tester had slightly whiter teeth, while the other’s teeth whiteness remained the same.

We doubted the claim that this would make your teeth whiter in 7 days, and it is fair to say that you would probably need to use this consistently for a couple of weeks before seeing results (if no other part of your teeth hygiene routine is changed).

One last thing to note for this toothbrush is that it has a medium softness rating, so if you have sensitive gums, this may not be the toothbrush for you as it has fairly hard bristles.

Best Budget Toothbrush – Colgate Extra Clean Full Head Toothbrush

You don’t have to break the bank or choose a top of the line electric toothbrush to maintain great oral health. Colgate has one of the best budget toothbrushes on the market with their Extra Clean toothbrush line. For less than $5, you can buy six toothbrushes that you can keep in your bathroom for future use or for your entire family.

Best Disposable Mini Toothbrush – Colgate Max Fresh Wisp Disposable Mini Toothbrush

Sometimes you are on the go and need to quickly freshen your mouth. Most people don’t keep a toothbrush laying around while traveling or at work. A disposable mini toothbrush can be stored in your office desk, backpack, or travel suitcase so in a stale breath scenario, you will be ready. Colgate’s Max Fresh Wisp disposable mini toothbrushes were great on-the-go and even have a built in freshening bead that make them worth using.

Final Thoughts

While most will agree that a manual toothbrush isn’t quite as efficient as an electronic toothbrush, it is always good to have excellent manual toothbrushes as well. Whether you use the manual toothbrush exclusively, interchangeably with an electronic toothbrush, or as a travel toothbrush, you can’t go wrong with any of the manual toothbrushes we reviewed.

Overall, our favorite, and our team’s pick for the best manual toothbrush is the Oral-B Pro Health All In One Soft Toothbrush. This toothbrush not only cleaned our teeth extremely well, but it was very comfortable in our mouths and left our mouths feeling clean and healthy.