When I was a kid, I didn’t always do the best job at keeping my teeth healthy and clean. But, ever since I got my wisdom teeth out at 18, I’ve done a lot better. Part of that was investing in a quality electric toothbrush. I’m currently using an Oral-B Pro 1000 oscillating electric toothbrush. There are so many different varieties of electric toothbrushes, from sonic to oscillating, to choose from. For home use, you can’t go wrong with an electric toothbrush from Oral-B or Sonicare.
As readers of this site would know, I also like to travel light like Jack Reacher, the literary hero who travels with just the clothes on his back and a folding toothbrush. Bringing an electric toothbrush the size of my Oral-B is the opposite of traveling light, however. While rechargeable and wireless, its charging base is bulky and requires an electrical outlet. This is fine if I’m going down to say San Diego to visit my parents where I can leave an extra charging base, but if I’m going on a three week trip, I’m not going to be bringing that.
In the past, I’ve managed with manual toothbrushes that separate into two parts or that fold. But, they are manual, and I prefer the cleaning power of an electric. So, I’ve long been searching for the best electric travel toothbrush. Over the past year, here’s what I’ve ended up buying.
Quip Sonic Electric Toothbrush
I was first sucked in by the marketing of the Quip Sonic Electric Toothbrush. It looked like a great travel toothbrush, but once I got it, I was disappointed to discover that it’s basically a manual toothbrush that vibrates. Unlike my Oral-B electric toothbrush, you’re still expected to do all the brushing yourself. The vibrations are so weak that I honestly wondered if they were there just to remind you when to move to another part of your mouth.
For me, the Quip is the worst of both worlds, and I don’t recommend it. To be fair, Quip has other toothbrushes, some of which feature true sonic or oscillating brush heads. But none of them are compact enough for my travel needs, so Quip is a hard pass from me.
ORDO Sonic Edge Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush
The second toothbrush that I bought was the ORDO Sonic Edge Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush. Unlike the Quip, the ORDO vibrates at a faster clip of 36,000 times per minute. Rather than manually scrubbing your teeth, you gently guide the brush along your teeth and let the rapid vibrations do most of the work. Having used an oscillating Oral-B toothbrush for years, I’m still getting accustomed to the sensation of sonic brushing, but the ORDO feels better than the Quip.
One highlight of the ORDO is that it charges using USB-C, which is great for traveling since I already carry USB-C cables for my other devices. Battery life is estimated at six weeks, which is more than enough for even my longest trips. And since I already carry USB-C charging equipment, recharging it won’t be a problem.
Unfortunately, the ORDO suffers from the same problem as the Quip: it’s just too big! Both toothbrushes are narrower than my Oral-B, but they’re almost as tall. Neither is something I would want to carry in my pants pocket while traveling Reacher-style with just the clothes on my back. Even removing the brush head doesn’t make the ORDO compact enough for my liking.
One other thing worth mentioning: the first time I turned on the ORDO, the brush head actually flew off! I suspect I hadn’t pushed it onto the handle firmly enough, but it certainly wasn’t a reassuring first impression. I’m going to make sure it’s securely attached before using it again!
iMusthav Foldable Sonic Electric Toothbrush
This brings me to the latest electric travel toothbrush, the iMusthav Foldable Sonic Electric Toothbrush. Of the three electric toothbrushes I’ve purchased, this is the first one that actually looks like it could meet most of my requirements for traveling light.
As you can see in the photo above, when folded, the iMusthav is almost the same size as the compact manual travel toothbrushes I’ve used in the past. It’s a little over an ounce heavier than either of those toothbrushes and comparable in weight to the Quip. But when it comes to portability, there’s no comparison. The iMusthav easily fits into a pants pocket, something I can’t say about the Quip, ORDO, or Oral-B.
| Product | Weight |
| Travel toothbrush | 0.6 oz. / 17 grams |
| GUM Folding Travel Toothbrush | 0.7 oz. / 20 grams |
| iMusthav Foldable Sonic Electric Toothbrush | 1.8 oz. / 50 grams |
| ORDO Sonic Electric Toothbrush | 2.4 oz. / 70 grams |
| Quip Electric Toothbrush | 1.5 oz. / 42 grams |
| Oral-B Electric Toothbrush | 4.3 oz. / 124 grams |
| Oral-B toothbrush with charging base | 8.6 oz. / 244 grams |
Interestingly, the Quip is actually lighter than the iMusthav by 0.3 ounces. But for my style of traveling, the dimensions of an object matter just as much as its weight. A long, skinny toothbrush is much harder to carry in a pants or jacket pocket than a short, folding one.
According to the manufacturer, the iMusthav vibrates 32,000 times per minute, which puts it in the same general range as the ORDO. Whether that translates into a comparable brushing experience remains to be seen. I’ve used an oscillating Oral-B for years, so I’m still getting accustomed to sonic toothbrushes and how they feel compared with the rotating brush head I’m familiar with.
One disappointment is that the iMusthav runs on a single AAA battery rather than having a built-in rechargeable battery. The manufacturer claims 240 minutes of total brushing time, or about 60 days of brushing twice daily for two minutes each time. That’s more than enough for even my longest trips, but I would still prefer USB-C charging like the ORDO, especially since I already carry USB-C cables for my other devices. While I could use a rechargeable AAA battery, that would mean bringing along a separate charger or finding one of those AAA batteries with a built-in USB-C charging port. Neither solution is as convenient as simply plugging the toothbrush into a USB-C cable.
On the plus side, the iMusthav comes with five replacement brush heads in addition to the original, providing approximately 18 months of use if I replace them every three months. That’s a nice bonus, especially since I’m not sure how easy it will be to purchase replacement heads separately.
One thing that gave me pause before purchasing the iMusthav was its Amazon reviews. While there are several positive reviews, nearly all of them appear to come from people who received the product for free. Are those reviews biased, despite their claims to the contrary? Who knows. That’s not to say the toothbrush is bad, but I’d rather find out for myself than rely solely on incentivized reviews.
For now, the iMusthav is the most promising candidate for my travel needs. It’s electric, sonic, and, most importantly, foldable. I just wish it were rechargeable via USB-C. Whether it can clean as well as my trusty Oral-B is another question entirely. I’ll be putting it to the test on my next trip to San Diego in November.
I’ve also been investigating portable electric razors, but that’s a subject for a future post!
Product Links
- iMusthav Foldable Sonic Electric Toothbrush
- Oral-B Pro 1000 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush
- ORDO Sonic Electric Toothbrush
- GUM Folding Travel Toothbrush
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