This Quip electric toothbrush review will state the obvious. This electric tooth is for frequent travellers – and for its novel subscription option.
(Updated on 12th January, 2023)
TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Quip Electric Toothbrush Review : Pros & Cons
From a performance standpoint, the Quip electric toothbrush is average. It is as good as a manual toothbrush but more convenient to use.
The Quip toothbrush may not be as powerful as higher-end models, but does a fair job of keeping your teeth clean and white.
Key Features
- Elegant slim design
- Light and convenient to hold and brush with
- Inbuilt timer
- Quad pacer
- Replaceable brush heads
- Replaceable batteries
Pros:
- Light and slender
- Attractive design
- Single cleaning mode
- Inbuilt timer
- Travel case included
- Subscription option
- Batteries are removable
- Quality performance
Cons:
- No battery level indicator
- No pressure sensor
Technical Specs
- Height: 13 cm
- Width: 1.5 cm
- Thickness: 1.5 cm
- Base: rounded
- Weight: 42.5 grams
- Material: metal or plastic
- Batteries: single AAA cell
- Speed settings: one
- Special modes: none
Quip Electric Toothbrush Review
3 Vital Questions If You’re In A Hurry
No time for all the details? Don’t worry. Here are just 3 quick questions to help you decide whether the Quip electric toothbrush is right for you.
1. Is There Any Major Drawback With The Quip Electric Toothbrush?
No, there isn’t any serious problem with this relatively new model.
It looks nice, comes with a subscription option, and is ideal for taking along on trips.
Many a Quip electric toothbrush review will mention the average cleaning efficiency of this model. But it’s no worse than a manual toothbrush – and a lot more convenient.
What sets it apart from other electric toothbrush options is the innovative subscription model. More about it later in this Quip toothbrush review.
2. Are There Other Alternatives to the Quip Electric Toothbrush?
There always are other options you can select instead of any particular electric toothbrush.
Users who prefer the Quip toothbrush highlight the subscription model and its elegant and minimalist design for why they choose it over others.
Other electric toothbrush models to consider include the popular Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100, the evergreen favorite Oral-B Pro 1500, or even any of the premium models that are more versatile and powerful.
3. Where To Buy The Quip Electric Toothbrush?
For a while after it first launched, you could only order a Quip electric toothbrush from the manufacturer – and on a subscription plan.
Today, the toothbrush is available at major retail outlets like Target, Walmart and Walgreens.
It can also be ordered online from either the Quip website or an e-commerce portal like Amazon.com
The advantage from this is that you’ll have it conveniently delivered to your doorstep at no extra cost.
On ecommerce websites, you may also be able to enjoy special deals and discounted prices from time to time.
Refills must be ordered from Quip directly.
Quip Electric Toothbrush Review
There’s a lot to unpack in this exciting new electric toothbrush that has taken the market by storm!
Let’s begin by discussing the creative subscription model of Quip electric toothbrush.
Innovative Subscription Model
It’s this approach that won it a market, both in the US where it launched… and later internationally.
The product and its elegant design were no doubt appealing. But what set it apart in a crowded field with established brands like Philips Sonicare and Oral-B was the unique subscription model.
At its heart is customer convenience.
Any regular electric toothbrush users knows the hassle of remembering when a replacement of brush heads is due – and the trouble involved in going to the store to refill a supply.
Quip solves this vexing problem.
Brush heads are delivered right to your home, on schedule at the perfect time when they are due for replacement.
Not Mandatory, But Convenient
You are not forced to subscribe to the refilling service.
You could choose instead to buy toothpaste and replacement brush heads as and when you need to.
But the Quip subscription model is based on the typical lifespan of a brush head being around 3 months. So the service arranges for timely replacement of new brush heads at this time.
There are 2 starter sets to choose from:
Electric Set
Initial purchase:
- Quip electric toothbrush
- Travel cover
- Large toothpaste
- Small toothpaste
Every 3 months:
- Replacement brush head
- Large toothpaste
- AAA battery
Electric Brush-Only Set
Initial purchase:
- Quip electric toothbrush
- Travel cover
Every 3 months:
- Replacement brush head
- AAA battery
The price is naturally a bit lesser for the Brush-Only set subscription.
Paying for a Subscription
There are 2 ways to pay for a Quip electric toothbrush subscription.
- Prepay Deal: A single payment in advance for the whole year of refills.
- Quarterly Pay: A charge is levied for each refill package when it is delivered.
The former comes with some discounts on the price and a few extra bonuses.
There are also ‘Group Set‘ subscriptions for couples or families.
In addition to this, you can order supplies of any of these components individually.
These include:
- Toothbrush replacement heads
- Toothpaste (large or small)
- Travel mount
- Manual toothbrush
Quip Electric Toothbrush Review
About The Quip Electric Toothbrush
There are many different variants of the Quip electric toothbrush.
They are almost similar in construction and design. The primary difference is whether the handle is of metal or plastic.
The Quip electric toothbrush comes in different colors and materials.
Metal:
- Slate
- Gold
- Silver
- Copper
Plastic:
- Green
- Blue
Special Editions:
These are priced higher, and a donation supports charity work from every sale made.
- Red metal
- All-black metal
Depending on which material the toothbrush is made, the price also varies.
Quip even offers a manual toothbrush which looks similar to the electric toothbrush.
Quip Electric Toothbrush Review
First Impressions
The packaging is elegant and matches the entire user experience.
The whole package offers a premium look and feel, which has helped build the brand’s reputation.
A travel cover mount is included. This is great at protecting the brush head when you carry it along on trips.
The auto-shut down feature helps conserve battery life by switching off automatically after the brush has been idle for a few minutes, or after finishing a 2-minute brushing cycle.
Reassuringly, the Quip electric toothbrush has been approved by the American Dental Association, an indicator of quality and safety.
One drawback in the design which may be fixed in future iterations is the lack of a battery indicator. So it’s hard to know how much life is left in the device, and when it is due for a recharge.
A pressure sensor that would reduce the risk of injury to sensitive teeth and gums is another minor drawback, but one shared by other budget electric toothbrush models also.
What’s In The Box?
- Quip electric toothbrush
- 2 brush heads
- 1 AAA battery
- 1 Travel cover mount
- 1 small tube of toothpaste (lasts 2 weeks)
- 1 large tube of toothpaste (lasts 3 months)
- Documentation and user manual
Quip Electric Toothbrush Review
Performance
The Quip toothbrush has an inbuilt 2-minute timer and quad pacer.
This helps ensure that you’ll brush your teeth for the dentist-recommended 2 minutes per session. The pacer will help you determine when it’s time to move to another quadrant.
In this way, all areas of your mouth will be brushed for the same duration. Cleaning your teeth is more even and uniform.
By itself, this is a big benefit of using an electric toothbrush over a manual one.
The motor in the Quip electric toothbrush handle vibrates the brush head at 15,000 rpm. This is adequate to provide a reasonable cleaning action on your teeth and gums.
In contrast to the best Sonicare or Oral-B toothbrushes, the Quip electric toothbrush is often described as being ‘less powerful‘.
There is nothing to suggest, however, that this impacts the effectiveness of cleaning. And even if it feels like brushing with a manual toothbrush, there’s no denying that it is more convenient.
Noise levels are really low.
Quip Electric Toothbrush Review
Design
Much effort has gone into designing this toothbrush.
And the entire experience – all the way through from ordering the brush online and receiving periodic refills on the subscription plan – are consistently high quality.
- The images displayed on the website to help explain the Quip electric toothbrush and its features are crystal clear and informative.
- The packaging of the toothbrush is elegant and classy. You won’t regret ordering it for someone else as a gift, too.
- Documentation is detailed and excellent. You will not have much trouble getting started with a Quip toothbrush after going through this material.
It probably helps, too, that the user manual doubles as a ‘sales letter’ to highlight the advantages of a subscription plan.
Otherwise many users might miss out on the value and convenience that comes at a very reasonable cost.
The toothpaste tubes are made of recyclable plastic. The metal used in the brush handle construction is sturdy and feels smooth. The plastic version isn’t bad either.
There’s little flourish or redundancy in designing this brush.
The bottom is rounded, so the toothbrush will not stand vertically on a countertop.
The brush head snaps off from the handle, and can be re-attached by applying firm pressure.
Controls & Buttons
The Quip is a minimalist electric toothbrush. No buttons or grips or LED indicators or controls.
A power-on button is built into the upper part of the handle itself, recognizable by a ‘Q’ icon on it. Press once to turn on the toothbrush. Press again to switch it off.
There is a single cleaning mode, so there are no controls to adjust any other settings.
The brush handle houses the motor that activates the brush head. It also contains the AAA battery which can be replaced.
Quip Electric Toothbrush Review
Usability
The handle is rather slim and smooth, making it somewhat uncomfortable to grip securely. It will take some getting used to.
The power button is located rather strangely, so it takes a few tries to make it work.
But the lack of any fancy controls or adjustments makes this a simple device to operate.
Apply toothpaste to the brush head, press a button, and off you go!
At the end of 2 minutes, the toothbrush auto-shuts off – and you can turn it off by pressing on the power button again, if you like.
There’s a nice holder and travel cap that protects the brush head during travel.
The holder also fastens through a suction cap onto flat surfaces and stays firmly in place.
Quip Electric Toothbrush Review
Brush Heads
The limitation of the Quip electric toothbrush is that it comes with just one kind of brush head.
This head is oval, similar to the Sonicare brush heads. The bristles are made of nylon, arranged in separate tufts (there are 34 of them).
The bristles are soft and unlikely to damage teeth and gums unless you press down extremely hard. However, the lack of a pressure sensor is a drawback.
The back of each brush head has a rough tongue cleaner.
With typical use (2 minutes per session, twice daily use), a brush head needs to be replaced every 3 months.
There are no indicators on the brush head to notify you when it’s time. But if you subscribe to the replacement plan, you’ll automatically get new brush heads delivered on the right schedule.
One less thing to remember – which is really convenient!
Quip Electric Toothbrush Review
Battery Life
Many Quip electric toothbrush reviews emphasize that the battery isn’t long lasting.
With regular usage, each battery lasts roughly 3 months. The Quip toothbrush runs on a replaceable AAA battery, which can be removed from the handle to be swapped for a fresh one.
On the subscription plan, Quip will replace a new battery with each refill.
As there are no special modes or settings, battery life is remarkably predictable. Once in every so many brushing sessions, the motor will slow down and require a battery change.
Unfortunately, there is no visual indicator in the form of an LED to tell you when the battery is wearing down. Only a reduction in cleaning power will tell you that it’s time.
The device having a replaceable battery is a refreshing change from most electric toothbrush models which have fixed internal batteries.
Any AAA battery is compatible with the Quip electric toothbrush, including rechargeable versions.
Quip Toothbrush Review
Price
What you are ready and able to pay for a Quip electric toothbrush often determines your decision to buy one.
For the style, design and features, the Quip toothbrush is affordably and reasonably priced.
In fact, a side by side comparison will reveal that the cost of ownership of a Quip electric toothbrush isn’t much different from an Oral-B or Philips Sonicare toothbrush.
The subscription-style refills that take the uncertainty and hassle out of replacing worn out brush heads and batteries has a certain value to many users.
So if you’re looking for convenience along with a decent electric toothbrush that’s not very expensive, is reasonably good at cleaning your teeth, and have few distracting features and add-ons, then the Quip electric toothbrush may be a great choice.
Sign up for the subscription service to enjoy the comfort and convenience of having refills handled for you automatically.
Quip Review
Durability and Warranty
Quip is a relatively recent model and there isn’t much data on longevity yet.
The toothbrush comes with a 1 year manufacturer’s warranty against defects. If you sign up to the subscription plan, the guarantee extends to the lifetime of your plan.
Quip electric toothbrush reviews suggest that the company lives up to its promise and will replace defective parts promptly.
Quip Electric Toothbrush Review
Our Verdict
The Quip electric toothbrush offers some convenience.
You’ll find this an easy-to-use device which is at least as good as a manual toothbrush in keeping your teeth clean, white and healthy.
A Quip is simple, uncluttered and minimalistic. It is elegantly designed, lightweight and easy to use.
The subscription plan ensures refills of worn out brush heads and drained batteries on a regular schedule.
All of this value is available at modest and affordable rates.
Minor quibbles are the lack of a pressure sensor and being limited to a single brushing mode.
By and large, this Quip electric toothbrush review concludes that this is not a bad choice for the right kind of buyer.
If the convenience element isn’t too important for you, you can skip the subscription plan and buy replacements as and when you wish.
Quip Electric Toothbrush Review : FAQ
1. Is the Quip electric toothbrush an oscillating device?
No, the Quip is a sonic toothbrush that vibrates at 15,000 movements per minute.
2. How many cleaning modes does the Quip have?
Only one cleaning mode. No extra speed settings.
3. Is there a choice of brush heads?
No, as the Quip electric toothbrush review explains, there is only one type of brush head. It has 1200 nylon bristles in 34 tufts. This ensures a gentle and complete cleaning of your teeth, without hurting gums.
4. Is there a timer and pacer?
Yes, the Quip electric toothbrush comes with an inbuilt 2-minute timer and quad pacer.
5. Does it have a pressure sensor?
No, this model does not have a pressure sensor.
6. Is there a warranty?
Yes, the Quip comes with a 1 year warranty from the manufacturer.
If you sign up to the subscription plan, the warranty extends to cover the validity of your active plan.
7. How long is battery life?
The AAA replaceable batteries typically last for 3 months.
8. Can I use the Quip electric toothbrush in the shower?
The Quip toothbrush is water resistant and, according to the Quip website, you may use it in the shower.
9. Is there a travel case included?
Yes, the Quip electric toothbrush comes with a travel case that also serves as a toothbrush holder.
See our ULTIMATE Electric Toothbrush Buyer's Guide - and make an informed and smart choice.
