Oral-B iO Series 10 Limited Edition Electric Toothbrush Review: High Quality, High Price

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There are nine models in the Oral-B iO series, ranging from the most budget-friendly, the iO2, to the flagship iO10. Or at least it was, until Oral-B tweaked the functionality and appearance of its top model and re-released it in a limited edition.

I’ve been using the iO10 Limited Edition for two months now and in this review I discuss what it’s like to use, how it compares to other iO models and how it compares to the standard iO10.

When choosing a brush, read our Oral-B iO comparison guide, which details the features of each model and their regular and retail prices. You can see our top Oral-B recommendations in our best Oral-B toothbrushes review.

Design, accessories and brushing modes

• Seven brushing modes
• Brighter, clearer OLED screen
• Sensitive, visible pressure sensor

The iO10 Limited Edition has a matte gold handle – the color is much more muted and subtle than you might think if you heard the obnoxious and Trumpian words ‘golden electric toothbrush’. There are two colorways: Lunar Gold, which comes with a black brush head, charging base, travel case, and brush head case, and Eclipse Gold, whose accessories are white.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

By the way, there’s only one brush head in the box, which doesn’t feel particularly generous considering the price and the fact that this is the iO flagship. The luxury experience should actually be expanded with the addition of a second brush head.

On the same topic, you can plug in the travel case and charge your brush that way, which is handy for travel, but it doesn’t have the luxurious feel of the beautifully made travel case with UV cleaning light that comes with the Suri 2.0.

I’ll use the Suri 2.0 as a comparison in this article because it’s a new, comparably high-quality brush (although it’s significantly less expensive), but I think the iO models have better brushing performance and some great features that the Suri lacks.

The Limited Edition has a very different look to the original models, which come in black or white, with matching accessories and a contrasting dotted starburst design on the handle.

There is a full-color OLED screen on the handle, with a power button above it and a mode button below it to scroll through the options. The Limited Edition’s screen appears brighter and brighter than the original, but Oral-B doesn’t disclose peak brightness in nits.

However, the display is very easy to read and the text and icons are sharp and detailed. The screen greets you when you pick up the brush and shows the remaining battery life and the number of days until you need to replace the brush head.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

It has seven brushing modes: smart adjustment, daily cleaning, sensitive, whiter, gum care, intense and tongue clean. That’s an impressive number of options, and it makes it easy to find something that works for you, or choose a gentler option on days when your teeth are more sensitive or you have headaches.

You can also adjust the brushing time, choose whether to pause the brushing after the brushing is complete, and turn off vibration alerts – all in the app.

There’s a light ring around the neck of the brush, the color of which you can change, but the main feature is a highly visible pressure sensor that lights up red if you press too hard and green if you’ve done it just right.

It is very sensitive and it will really help you take better care of your teeth if you tend to press too hard when brushing. But it’s not exclusive to this model – it’s an excellent feature shared by all iO models from the iO3 onwards.

The iO10 weighs 138 grams, which is about the same as most iO models. But it’s considerably chunkier and heavier than rivals like the Suri 2.0, so personal preference matters here. I found it comfortable to hold and use.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

It’s worth saying here that you can find a significant number of complaints online from people saying that their iO brush is difficult to keep clean, or that the connector between handle and brush head is moldy.

I’ve been using iO brushes for years and have never noticed this happening, although I do follow the guidelines and regularly remove the brush head, rinse both parts and let dry. It may therefore require slightly more maintenance than some competing brushes. Be prepared for this when you buy.

Performance and features

• Real-time in-app brushing feedback is excellent
• Feedback through the charging puck is less
• Other app features of limited use

The big difference between the iO10 and iO9 is the iO Sense magnetic charger that comes with this model. It’s a puck-shaped device that plugs into a shaver socket and has a digital clock on the side, which is useful if you install it in your bathroom.

But I don’t like that the brush can be removed from the charger very easily and I would prefer something sturdier to protect something so expensive.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

It also features a blue light display around the edge, with six segments corresponding to parts of the mouth. As you brush, the lights turn white, giving you visual feedback as you brush.

But as my colleague Chris noted in his review of the original Oral-B iO10, there is some delay between the brush movements and the charger’s light response. The brushing feedback in the app is much more accurate, so I recommend using that instead.

Speaking of which, I think the brushing feedback in the app can help anyone whose technique needs an overhaul. If your dentist regularly turns you down, this brush could definitely be worth investing in. It is much cheaper than any dental work you may need.

To use the app features, you must download the free Oral-B app for iOS or Android, register and pair your toothbrush. In the app, in addition to real-time 3D tracking technology, you get detailed brushing feedback, custom settings, brush head replacement reminders, and other less useful features like badges and goals.

If you really want to take better care of your teeth, you’ll find it useful, but I think most people will abandon the app once they get the brushing settings the way they want.

The other major difference between the regular iO10 and the Limited Edition is the Smart Adapt brushing mode, which is exclusive to this model. It should intelligently adjust the pressure of the brush to your technique. Since I tend to press too hard when brushing, I used it daily. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice that Smart Adapt mode improved my tendency to over-brush at all.

In other respects, the iO10 Limited Edition has the same virtues and the same shortcomings as other iO models. The main advantage is the excellent cleaning performance.

My dentist recommends the iO range, as does another dentist I met at a competing brand’s event, but bear in mind that any brush from the iO Series 3 onwards (which you can buy for £50) will clean your teeth just as well. The iO2 has a different motor and gentler cleaning performance, and I wouldn’t recommend it as enthusiastically.

The main limitation of the iO10 is its battery life, which lasts around 10-14 days depending on how long you brush, and is certainly not the best in the industry. The Suri 2.0 lasts over a month.

Furthermore, in the UK it only charges via a shaver socket, with no USB charging options. However, it charges quickly in three hours, which is the same or better than its fastest rivals.

Price and availability

The Oral-B iO10 Limited Edition has an RRP of £800 in the UK, but you’ll find it’s almost permanently sold at half price, so it’s regularly available for around £400 – and this is the actual price. For comparison, in the US the iO10 has a suggested retail price of around $400, which is what it costs all year round (Best Buy, $368.99).

But prices change enormously in Britain. At the time of writing, you can buy the iO10 Limited Edition in Eclipse Gold (with white accessories) for £300 from Oral-B. The Lunar Gold model, with black accessories, currently costs £400 of Boots. If you want this brush, I recommend trying it out for a few days to get the best possible price.

See our Oral-B iO comparison guide and our best Oral-B toothbrush review to compare with other recommended models.

Should you buy the Oral-B iO Series 10 Limited Edition?

There are two types of people who should buy the iO Series 10 Limited Edition. The first are those who want the highest quality, luxury electric toothbrush model on the market. This is it. There are some compromises to be made in terms of battery life and charging, but if you are aware of them before purchasing the device, you won’t be disappointed with the performance and features.

But the iO Series 10 Limited Edition could also be really useful for anyone who has neglected their teeth and needs help from home to change the situation. The brushing feedback and detailed dental care data collected in the app can give you the guidance and structure you need. But even then, you’d do just as well with an iO Series 9 or a regular iO Series 10 if you find one on sale.

Still, it’s a pleasure to use and while the OLED screen and all-round high-end experience are far from essential, I’ll miss them immensely. It’s easy to get used to luxury.