Which Oral-B iO series is the quietest?
The Oral-B iO Series 7, 8 and 9 carry the lowest printed level, "Noise level: 62 dB (A)", in a manual Oral-B files for all three; every other iO model with a figure prints 64.
These are the levels each iO manual prints, by the model names Oral-B's service site attaches to each handle type:
- iO Series 7, 8 and 9 (handle types 3758 and 3796): 62 dB (A)
- iO Series 10 (3758 and 3796): 64 dB (A)
- iO Series 6 (3753 and 3795): 64 dB (A)
- iO Series 5 (3776): 64 dB (A)
- iO Series 4 (3794): 64 dB (A)
- iO Series 3 (3769): 64 dB (A)
- iO Series 2 (3770): no value
All of these come from one maker, in one wording, under the same Specifications heading. That is why we rank them against each other, even though no manual names a distance, a standard or a brushing mode.
A 2 dB gap is small, and Oral-B gives no tolerance for it. Treat 62 and 64 as near neighbors rather than a clear win.
Why does Oral-B's US page give the Series 9 a higher number?
Oral-B's US page for the iO Series 10 says the Series 10 "runs at ~64 dB vs. ~72 dB for Series 9", while two Oral-B manuals for the Series 9 print 62 dB (A).
The 64 for the Series 10 agrees with its own manuals. The 72 for the Series 9 sits 10 dB above the manual filed for the "iO7, iO8, iO9", and the US page gives no weighting, distance or mode for either number.
Oral-B does not say which is right, and we cannot tell from outside the company. A tilde on a marketing FAQ reads as a rounded figure, and a manual line under Specifications reads as a declaration, but both carry the Oral-B name.
So the picks keep the manual figure for the Series 9 and print the US number beside it. The Series 7 and 8 share that manual, and Oral-B's US site names no figure for either.
How many decibels is an electric toothbrush?
An Oral-B rechargeable toothbrush prints 62 to 68 dB (A) in its manual, and those are the only per-model values any toothbrush maker we checked publishes.
The older Oral-B handles print more than the iO. The Genius X manual gives 68 dB (A) for handle type 3771, and the North American PRO 6000 Bluetooth Smart manual gives "Noise level: 68 dB(A)" for type 3765. Same maker, same wording, so the iO handles are 4 to 6 dB lower on Oral-B's own figures.
Values and ceilings
Oral-B's cheaper PRO and Vitality handles print a ceiling instead of a value. The PRO 1 manual for handle type 3791 says "Noise level: ≤ 65 dB (A)", and so do the manuals for types 3708 and 3766.
A ceiling only promises the brush is no louder than 65, and the real level could sit anywhere below that, so it is not ranked against the iO values.
Are sonic toothbrushes quieter than oscillating ones?
No maker figure shows sonic toothbrushes to be quieter, because no sonic brush maker we checked prints a value comparable to Oral-B's noise level.
Philips links user manuals from its US Sonicare pages, and those for 24 models, from the 1100 Series to the Prestige 9900, print no noise figure. Neither do the manuals for six UK Sonicare models.
The product descriptions in Quip's and Burst's US stores give no decibel figure for any toothbrush, and the Waterpik Sonic-Fusion 2.0 manual prints none either.
Laifen and Oclean
Laifen and Oclean do print numbers, just not ones that can be ranked. Laifen's US page lists the Wave at "As low as 55dB", a best-case figure that names no weighting, distance or mode.
Oclean's US pages give ceilings, written with a less-than sign: 45dB for the X Pro Elite and 37dB for Oclean Kids. Neither states how or where it was measured.
Because Oral-B's figure is a single noise level per handle in dB (A), setting 55 or 45 beside 62 would compare unlike numbers. Both brands sit in the list of brushes considered, not in the ranking.
What is the quietest electric toothbrush for kids?
No kids' electric toothbrush we checked has a maker noise value, so none can be named the quietest; the figures that exist are ceilings.
Oral-B's service site lists its Junior and My Way brushes under handle type 3791, the PRO 1 handle, whose manual prints "≤ 65 dB (A)". The Vitality PRO manual and the North American manual covering PRO Jr. give the same ceiling.
The Sonicare for Kids manual prints nothing. Oclean says its kids brush, built for ages 6 to 12, stays under 37dB, with no method.
Among brushes with a printed value, the cheapest is the $69.99 iO Series 3 at 64 dB (A), an adult model; ask Oral-B or your dentist whether it suits your child's age. No manual rates a gentler mode for noise either.
Why is my electric toothbrush suddenly so loud?
An electric toothbrush that turns loud points to its brush head in Oral-B's iO troubleshooting table: the head is either seated wrongly or worn out.
Under "Rattling/loud noise during brushing or turning on", Oral-B's North American iO10 manual lists two causes. The head may be seated wrongly, and the fix is to check its fit, since "Small gap remains in between" when it is on correctly. Or the head may be worn out and need replacing.
If a fresh head, pushed fully home, does not stop the rattle, the table has nothing further to suggest, and Oral-B's service site lists its service centers.
None of Oral-B's manuals says which brush head was fitted when its noise level was taken, so a worn or third-party head may not match the printed figure.
