Quip Toothbrush Review - Everything You Need to Know

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Clinical Content Reviewed by Dr. Jay Khorsandi, DDS
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Table of Contents

  1. How Does Quip Work?
  2. The Difference
  3. Cost
  4. Pros & Cons
  5. Reviews
  6. Quip vs. Sonicare vs. Oral B
  7. Where to Buy
  8. References

Quip is a popular sleek, battery-powered electric toothbrush that utilizes sonic vibrations to clean your teeth. The design and timer features of this electric toothbrush ensure that you brush all four quadrants of your teeth for the recommended duration. Quip has been approved by the American Dental Association for plaque removal and combating gingivitis.

How Does Quip Work?

The Quip toothbrush features a single mode. You activate it by pushing a button in the middle of the handle.

The toothbrush head does not oscillate. Instead, it vibrates gently as you move it over each quadrant of your mouth. Because the toothbrush does not oscillate, the vibration intensity is not as strong as other electric toothbrushes. This ensures its brush mode is gentle yet effective, making it an excellent option for people with weak gums.

Quip features 30-second pulses with a pause in between that alert you to switch brushing areas. It then switches off automatically after two minutes.

Quip’s design and features help reinforce proper brushing habits. The brush is powered by a single AAA battery that can last for three months. It also has a travel cover that doubles up as a mirror mount.

Quip toothbrushes also feature replaceable heads. If you join Quip’s subscription plan, the company sends you a new brush head every three months, as the American Dental Association recommends. The refill plan also includes a new battery, Quip’s whitening toothpaste and dental floss.

The company offers two brush sizes, one for adults and one for children, with optional toothpaste for both groups. The adult toothbrushes come in two material — metal and plastic. Each type has several color options.

What Makes Quip Different from Other Toothbrushes?

Compared to other electric toothbrushes, Quip is relatively small, slim and lightweight. The design gives it an upper hand in hand comfort and portability.

Because Quip uses sonic vibrations instead of oscillations, it provides a gentler low-powered brushing mode that, together with the soft nylon bristles, facilitate non-irritating brushing.

Quip was designed around accessibility and convenience. Unlike other electric toothbrushes, you can brush your teeth using Quip the same way a manual toothbrush would.

Each new Quip brush comes with its own holder — or cap, depending on your needs. A peel-off sticker on the holder can adhere to a wall or a mirror, and the brush fits perfectly in it after use. If you use Quip as a travel toothbrush, the holder becomes a cap on the brush head, protecting it in a dop kit, purse or backpack.

Quip’s online subscription model is also unique. It helps automate often-forgotten dental practices such as replacing your brush heads. A subscription is auto-set to refill your brush heads every three months, but consumers can adjust the refill time as needed. Refills also come with AAA batteries to keep the toothbrush freshly charged.

Within the past year, though, large big-box retailers like Target have started carrying Quip brushes and accessories. Replacement shipping is free for subscribers.

Cost of Quip

Quip electric toothbrushes start at $25 for the plastic models and $40 for metal models. Limited-edition colors are more expensive.

New brush heads and whitening toothpaste cost $5 each. Quip has an optional refill plan to get brush heads, whitening toothpaste, a new battery, and dental floss every three months for $10.

Pros and Cons

The Pros of the Quip electric toothbrush include:

  • Slim and lightweight

  • Sleek minimalist design

  • Gentle single low-power mode

  • Two-minute timer plus 30-second alerts

  • Subscription options

  • Replaceable brush heads

  • ADA approved

Drawbacks of Quip include:

  • Lack of a large brush head size for the adult toothbrush

  • The brush head is only one size

  • Non-rechargeable

Reviews

Quip toothbrushes have primarily positive reviews. The Insider noted that Quip combines good design and simplistic convenience to provide an effective oral care solution.

The New York Times recommended the smaller Quip option as a great choice for children. However, the news outlet didn’t recommend the adult version for everyday use but praised its travel-friendliness and sleek design.

According to Consumer Reports, the Quip toothbrush was lauded for its ease of use and minimalist design. However, users found replacing the battery and brush head challenging.

A Forbes review of the Quip toothbrush praised its design, subscription model, cool factor, and cost savings over other electric toothbrushes. However, the piece noted that the electric toothbrush does not offer significant improvements over alternatives in the market, but it helps reinforce correct brushing habits.

Quip vs. Sonicare vs. Oral B

Sonicare and Oral B are other popular electric toothbrush brands comparable to Quip. The main difference between Quip, Oral B and Sonicare are the power levels. Quip and Sonicare toothbrushes utilize sonic vibrations, while Oral B utilizes oscillations.

Quip sonic vibrations pulsate at 15,000 vibrations per minute. Low-tier Sonicare brushes begin at 31,000 vibrations per minute, with the top-tier models reaching 62,000 vibrations per minute. The oscillations of Oral B electric toothbrushes range between 22,000 and 50,000 rotations per minute.

Quip, Sonicare, and Oral-B electric toothbrushes feature a two-minute timer, and their basic models start at around the $25 price point. However, Sonicare and Oral B offer high-end models that cost between $180 and $270.

The toothbrush heads of Quip toothbrushes are the same size. On the other hand, both Sonicare and Oral B have a wide variety of brush heads for different brush heads. Quip and Sonicare toothbrushes are battery-powered, while Oral B toothbrushes are rechargeable.

Where to Buy

You can purchase Quip toothbrushes at the following sites:

Disclaimer: This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about general oral health topics. It is not intended to serve as dental or other professional health advice and is not intended to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any condition or symptom. You should consult a dentist or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.