Colgate Electric Toothbrush


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A Colgate electric toothbrush, be it a Colgate 360 Optic White or the latest Colgate Smart Electric Toothbrush, is a decent, functional device that’s affordably priced and delivers an excellent performance with dental plaque removal and cleaning your teeth.

With two cleaning modes and an in-built timer, the 360 Optic White Colgate electric toothbrush is slim and lightweight with a long battery life. On the downside, the brush isn’t stable when placed on the charging station.

The more recent Smart AI-enabled Colgate electric toothbrush that debuted on the Apple Stores in 2018 is a mixed bag. Its full-featured mobile phone app that lets you track and monitor brushing activity and ensure that you brush adequately has some users annoyed at being critiqued by a piece of technology!

Smart Colgate Electric toothbrush

3 Questions To Ask Yourself About The Colgate Electric Toothbrush

Before you think of buying an electric toothbrush, there are a few important things to consider.

1. Is there anything seriously wrong with the Colgate electric toothbrush?

No, there is not. It is a functional toothbrush that does a good job of cleaning your teeth, getting rid of plaque and improving oral hygiene. It is a simple toothbrush that gets the job done. It is affordably priced and rated highly by reviewers and dental care professionals including dentists.

2. What other alternative brands or models should you consider instead of the Colgate electric toothbrush?

There are other types of Colgate electric toothbrush like the ProClinical 250+ and ProClinical C600 as well as other brands including Oral B Pro 1000 that has a few extra features not seen in the Colgate models.

Even with the Colgate 360 Optic White, there are two types – the Deep Clean brush head model and the Whitening model.

3. Which is the best place to buy a Colgate electric toothbrush?

In 2017, Colgate revamped the product line and introduced newer models with better, improved features. If getting the latest models is important to you, a great option is to browse online shopping portals like Amazon.com where you can check features and specifications to make sure that you’re not saddled by an older, out dated version of the Colgate electric toothbrush.

Why Listen To Us?

A Dentist’s Daughter‘ is a website set up to offer unbiased reviews of dental hygiene products and services. The audience we’d like to help are consumers like you who are looking for reliable, in-depth electric toothbrush reviews.

Because our effort is not sponsored by any dental brands or healthcare corporations, our reviews and analyses are not driven by the need to make our advertisers look good. We are not dental health professionals or dentists, so please make sure to consult your doctor for specific medical advice.

Colgate electric toothbrush – What’s inside the box?

  • Colgate electric toothbrush 360 Optic White
  • Recharging stand for battery
  • One ‘Deep Cleaning’ brush head
  • Warranty and User manual


Colgate Electric Toothbrush 360 Optic White

Important Features of Colgate Electric Toothbrush

  • Cleans by sonic action, brush head vibrates at 30,000 strokes per minute
  • Rechargeable battery with 3 week life following full charge
  • 2 minute timer built-in
  • 30 second quad pacer
  • Turns off automatically at the end of a brushing session
  • Removes plaque better than most other electric toothbrush models
  • Slender and light

What We Like About the Colgate electric toothbrush

There are many features in this electric toothbrush that are noteworthy.

Cleaning Modes

The Colgate electric toothbrush comes in 2 different cleaning modes – Deep Clean and Whitening. The Deep Cleaning mode delivers more brush strokes per minute, and thereby a powerful cleaning action

Slim, Sleek Design

The Colgate 360 Optic White electric toothbrush is more slender and lighter than other models.

Turns Off Automatically

At the end of a cleaning cycle, the toothbrush switches off instantly and this helps conserve battery power.

Long Battery Life

Following a full recharge, you can use the Colgate electric toothbrush for 3 weeks (21 days). This means you’ll get 84 minutes of brushing (or 42 cleaning sessions) from just one complete recharge.

Colgate electric toothbrush smart head

And What We Don’t Like…

A few features might be considered drawbacks of the Colgate electric toothbrush.

Handle Gets Slippery

It might have helped to have a brush handle with different texture for a better grip while brushing.

Recharging Station

The charging stand of a Colgate electric toothbrush is wobbly and at risk of overturning. The charger only supports 220 to 240 volts.

Colgate Electric Toothbrush Review – Design & Usability

The 360 Optic White Colgate electric toothbrush has the look and feel of any conventional electric toothbrush. It is bigger than earlier models but still thin and light enough to be a convenient travel toothbrush.

The angle of the brush head has a clear inward tilt which offers better reach for the back teeth and helps clean the crevices between your teeth. The red accents set off the otherwise uniform white color, giving the brush a stylish and slick appearance.

Colgate electric toothbrushes are all plastic, with no rubberized grip on the handle which makes it a little more slippery while wet than other models. There’s just one power button, and the rest of the handle is uncluttered by other lights, indicators or buttons.

Colgate electric toothbrush on stand

The Colgate electric toothbrush operates in two modes (Optimum and Deep Clean) which are indicated by a glowing LED that also hints about the battery status. The rest of the brush handle is empty but for a statutory sticker near the bottom.

A press on the power button turns on the motor and pressing it again turns it off. The same button is also used to change the brushing mode. A tiny raised dot helps identify the area to be pressed. A gentle pressure is enough to activate the sensitive button.

  • The ‘Optimum‘ cleaning mode of your Colgate electric toothbrush is most often used. The brush oscillates from side to side at a fixed speed.
  • Deep Clean‘ mode, on the other hand, causes the brush to move up and down at a much higher speed, delivering better cleaning effect.

The shift from one mode to another is indicated by a louder hum and the power with which the toothbrush vibrates. At 35,000 strokes per minute, the Deep Clean mode is even more powerful than a Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush. This is why a Colgate electric toothbrush is five times more effective at clearing dental plaque as other brushes.

The brush comes with a 2 minute timer and quad pacer that reminds you every 30 seconds. This way, you can change quadrants and ensure a uniform cleaning experience. At the end of 120 seconds, the brush turns off automatically. This is in accord with typical dentists’ recommendations to clean your teeth for 2 minutes twice daily.

The Colgate electric toothbrush is quieter than the Oral B electric toothbrush, but still produces a soft humming noise along with a vibration the courses along the brush handle. It’s quite similar to the Philips Sonicare range of electric toothbrushes. The Oral-B, on the other hand, has a rather metallic sound, but handle vibration is less.

When you turn on the Colgate 360 Optic White, it will operate in the brushing mode it was last set. You can tell from a glance at the glowing LED at the bottom of the handle whether your battery charge is strong, or needs recharging. If it glows red or flickers, it means the power is low and you’ll have to charge it again.

The bottom of the handle has a recess in which the prong of the charging station inserts to keep the instrument stable. It also conducts current to charge the battery. However, this fit isn’t snug causing the Colgate electric toothbrush to wobble slightly on its base.

The Colgate electric toothbrush package includes a single replaceable brush head. The type of brush head will vary based on the version you buy. The 360 Optic White comes with a Deep Clean brush head. The 360 Optic White Whitening model is accompanied by a Max White brush head.

Colgate electric toothbrush max white

The Colgate electric toothbrush Deep Clean brush head is composed of soft thin bristles that gently clean your gum line, as well as longer power bristles that can get into the difficult crevices between and behind your teeth for a thorough cleaning effect. The result is cleaner, healthier teeth and gums.

Because the brush head is small, it is comfortable to manipulate and move around within your mouth. It is also not inconvenient when you reach behind your molars. The brush heads can be swapped easily, so that you can use the appropriate brush head for your needs. All you have to do is pull the handle and brush head in opposite directions to disengage, and then snap them back together to reconnect.

The manufacturer recommends replacing the brush head once every 3 months for effective cleaning. Fading of the blue color bristles on the Colgate electric toothbrush head is a good sign that it needs replacing promptly. If they fade to white, replace the brush head immediately.

The back of the brush head has a tongue cleaner that you can run along your tongue to remove bacteria, debris and other coating that leaves your breath feeling and smelling fresher.

A Colgate electric toothbrush 360 Optic White is water resistant, but not waterproof. This means you can confidently use it to brush and clean teeth, but shouldn’t immerse it entirely inside water. Moisture or damp may not damage it, but soaking it completely can ruin the electrical circuitry. So don’t use this in the shower!

There are some design changes that might make this an even more attractive option. For example, the Colgate electric toothbrush comes in only one color option – white. Also, there isn’t a pressure sensor like other models including Oral-B and Sonicare. If you press too hard, the motor will slow down until you ease off, but the protection against accidental damage isn’t as good.

Best Electric toothbrushes

The Colgate electric toothbrush comes with a money-back refund guarantee if you’re not entirely happy with your purchase. All you’re out is the shipping charge. Within 30 days of your order, you can send back the toothbrush in its original wrapping with your receipt and receive a full refund of your price.

The device also comes with a regular two-year warranty against manufacturing flaws or failure.

In summary, the Colgate electric toothbrush 360 Optic White

  • looks slim, light and elegant
  • comes in one color only – white
  • has a single, easily activated button for controls
  • gets slippery because of the slick handle
  • operates in 2 cleaning modes – Deep Clean and Optimum
  • ships with 1 brush head
  • features a 2 minute timer and 30 second quad pacer
  • powers off at the end of a 120 second cycle
  • is water resistant, but not waterproof
  • includes a 2 year warranty

Colgate Electric Toothbrush Review – Battery Life

The way in which Colgate has managed to deliver such excellent battery life with such a slender device is amazing. It costs much less than most Oral-B electric toothbrushes of comparable specifications, and yet offers better battery life and performance than them.

On testing, the Colgate electric toothbrush can operate for 85 minutes on a full charge. That’s almost 3 weeks of brushing twice every day for 2 minutes. If you use the more intensive Deep Clean mode, this period will be shorter. But even then, expect to need a recharge only once in 15 days or so.

Interestingly enough, the manufacturer’s website doesn’t highlight the battery life as a major feature!

The auto-shut down function may help conserve battery charge. And a light indicator glows red when it is running low and informs you of the need for a prompt recharge. But even at this stage, you’ll usually manage to get 3 to 4 cleaning sessions from the depleted battery!

The recharging station is designed to fit a bathroom socket and supports 220-240 volts current. Adapters are available for other sized/shaped pins. A prong projects from the station and fits into a recess in the base of the Colgate electric toothbrush handle. Although this isn’t snug and the handle might wobble when standing, it doesn’t interfere with the charging efficiency.

You can leave the Colgate electric toothbrush charging on the stand overnight. It is also safe to leave the brush on the station whenever you’re not using it. Once every 6 months or so, run the battery down fully before recharging it.

In summary,

  • the Colgate electric toothbrush battery gives you 84 minutes of cleaning on a full charge
  • a charging stand is included
  • the brush wobbles slightly on the stand, but won’t fall
  • full recharging takes 10 to 12 hours (leave it overnight)
  • a red glowing LED (or blinking lights) indicate need to recharge
    the charger works on 220-240 volts


Colgate electric toothbrush power clean

Colgate Electric Toothbrush Review – Price

A Colgate 360 Optic White electric toothbrush is a reasonably priced alternative for a powerful, effective dental cleaning device. The retail price varies, but you’ll get the best deals on online shopping portals like Amazon (sometimes as high as 50% off!).

Be sure to compare pricing on the model you’re looking for. The Deep Clean brush is slightly costlier than the Max White brush head. Replacement brush heads are readily available, and both kinds are exchangeable using the same brush handle. Ordering them in packs of 4 may be more cost effective.

The Colgate electric toothbrush is a durable instrument and you can reasonably expect it to last for 3 years. A brush head will need replacing every 3 months, so be sure to factor in the cost of those changes. But from any perspective, this is a very affordable toothbrush, especially given the range of features.

Colgate Electric Toothbrush Review – Reliability

The manufacturer’s warranty on a Colgate electric toothbrush lasts for 2 years, which is reassuring. But since your device is likely to last much longer than that, what if anything goes wrong?

It’s hard for any reviewer to conduct extensive lab or field tests on durability of a particular electric toothbrush model. But judging by user feedback on large customer portals, it appears that the Colgate electric toothbrush has fewer complaints than other brands.

Most owners of a Colgate 360 Optic White feel there aren’t many flaws or weaknesses that might turn them off recommending one to their friends. The Colgate electric toothbrush is a robust device with good design elements, satisfactory performance, adequate power, excellent battery life and is backed by a solid guarantee.

Conclusion

The Colgate 360 Optic White electric toothbrush does what you might expect from it. It’s a simple, efficient and functional electric toothbrush. There aren’t too many bells and whistles, but for the price it delivers great value. A smart, sleek design, long battery life, efficient plaque removal and affordable price are the biggest benefits.

Colgate electric toothbrush buy

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