While other brands, such as Oral-B, offer a range of child-geared toothbrushes, Sonicare guarantees a high-quality brushing experience by focusing on its brush’s interactive features.
In contrast to other designs, Sonicare uses Bluetooth technology to sync the toothbrush to a built-in app. As a result, the Sonicare for Kids toothbrush is a carefully enhanced product, putting children’s enjoyment and education at the forefront of the brushing experience.
This Sonicare for Kids review is here to help you decide if this is the brush for you.
Sonicare for Kids Performance
- Superior cleaning power of over 500 strokes per second.
- 75% more effective than manual toothbrushes.
- Recommended by 91% of dental professional parents.
How does Sonicare for Kids work?
Unlike rival toothbrushes, Sonicare for Kids uses a Bluetooth-enabled app to help teach children how to brush effectively and for the right length of time. The app’s character mirrors the child’s brushing experience, showing them how to use their brushes to kill bacteria. Like Sonicare’s adult models, the sonic power works to remove plaque while the app’s quadpacer tracks the recommended 2 minutes of brushing time with every use.
The interactive brushing coach reminds children to focus on each section of the mouth while brushing, ensuring an even and thorough clean every time. As a reward for good brushing, children can obtain accessories for their coach and track their progress. Along with this, the brush has 2 cleaning modes, respectively geared towards younger and older children (view on Amazon).
What’s in the box?
The standard Sonicare for Kids toothbrush comes with:
- 1 bluetooth-enabled rechargeable toothbrush.
- A standard size brush head.
- 1 charger base.
- 8 handle stickers for customization.
- 2 bonus sticker sheets.
Sonicare for Kids options
While the Sonicare for Kids model comes with 1 standard size brush heads, these can also be purchased separately.
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In addition, Sonicare has compact-sized brush heads to fit smaller mouths.
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Key features of Sonicare for Kids
| Features | Sonicare for Kids |
|---|---|
| Brush per Minute | 62000 |
| Brushing Mode | 2 clean modes |
| Smartimer | Yes |
| Battery Life | 2-weeks |
| Phone App | Bluetooth connection to app |
| Charging Options | Charger base |
| Brush Head Replacements | 1 standard replacement brush head |
Sonicare for Kids Pros and Cons
Pros
- Bluetooth-enabled app to encourage active brushing.
- 2 brushing modes to protect children’s teeth.
- 75% more effective than manual toothbrushes.
- KidTimer and KidPacer to help reach the recommended 2 minutes of brushing.
Cons
- Less effective when used without a Bluetooth connection.
- Less suitable for children under 4.
6 Key features unpacked
1. Brush per minute
The Sonicare for Kids toothbrush uses sonic technology to produce up to 62,000 brush strokes per minute. This high brush speed is what makes a sonic toothbrush.
In contrast to other models like PowerUp, which has only 15,000 brush strokes per minute, Sonicare for Kids uses more brush strokes per second which results in a deeper clean.
2. Brushing mode
The Sonicare for Kids model has 2 cleaning modes, geared towards younger and older children. This means that children who are new to electric toothbrushes can transition to a higher speed gradually and adjust to the Sonicare experience. In addition, this also decreases the risk of damage to younger teeth and gums.
3. Smartimer
According to the ADA, the average brushing time for Americans is 45 seconds. As a result, Sonicare uses the KidTimer to ensure children meet the recommended 2-minute brushing time while cleaning. Unlike the standard Smartimer, the KidTimer increases the brushing time over 90 days to more easily transition to the recommended amount. This is also made more fun and interactive by the use of an on-screen character who guides children through the cleaning process. The app ensures that each quadrant of the mouth is evenly targeted.
The quadrants are:
- Top teeth: back left to center
- Top teeth: back right to center
- Bottom teeth: back left to center
- Bottom teeth back right to center
4. Battery life
The Sonicare for Kids toothbrush has a battery life of up to 3 weeks, which is longer than most Sonicare models and on par with more expensive models. While rival brushes like Oral-B have an average battery life of 7 days, Sonicare for Kids makes the brushing experience more efficient and eco-friendly by having an extended battery life.
5. Charging options
Like many of Sonicare’s products, the Sonicare for Kids toothbrush comes with a charger base to ensure the brush is ready whenever it is needed.
6. Brush head replacements
Similarly, to its charging options, Sonicare for Kids follows the standard Sonicare package by providing a standard-size replacement brush head.
How does Sonicare for kids compare?
The listed Sonicare products all include 1 replacement brush head. Interestingly, while 2 Series Plaque Control is a costlier model than the Sonicare for Kids brush, the children’s model has a longer battery life and more brush strokes per minute.
Who is Sonicare for Kids suitable for?
- Children aged 4-10 due to its kid-friendly app and functions.
- Those new to electric brushes because of its low/high settings.
- Children who are still learning how to brush effectively.
With this in mind, Sonicare for Kids is less suitable for those under 4 years old. This is because the sonic technology can produce pressure when brushing which may cause damage to younger mouths. Similarly, the product is less suited to older children who have learnt how to brush effectively and have outgrown the kid-based app.
Reliability and long-term use
In general, Sonicare is praised for its immediate battery life, which outshines many of its rival companies. However, with brushes lasting 1-2 years on average, Sonicare is sometimes criticized for falling short in its longevity. At the same time, many still choose to use Sonicare as the brand is reputable and trusted among dental professionals and the immediate battery life outweighs the negatives.
It is worth bearing in mind that the correct use of Sonicare products is important. Sonicare recommends charging your new brush for 24 hours before its first use and to avoid keeping it on charge at all times in future.
How to use Sonicare for Kids
Although the Sonicare for Kids app has step-by-step instructions on how to brush, the overview is:
- Apply a pea-sized amount of toothpaste to the brush head.
- Wet the brush with cold water.
- Angle brush towards the gum line and press ‘on’.
- Glide the brush slowly across each quadrant of the mouth along with the screen.
Sonicare warranty and customer support
If you run into trouble using your Sonicare toothbrush you should consider warranty and support options. The Sonicare for Kids model has a 2-year warranty and the following support options are available:
Phone: 1-800-682-7664
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhilipsPR
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhilipsSonicare/
According to the website’s reviews, most buyers were satisfied with their purchase and found the company’s information accurate and helpful.
Conclusion
Overall, the Sonicare for Kids toothbrush is a unique product to help support a child’s brushing skills. The brush is most suited to children between 4 and 10 years of age and offers an interactive experience with Sonicare brushing. While Sonicare for Kids is costlier than some models, its features are specially designed with an optimal brushing experience in mind.
Because of its tailored brush heads and settings, the Sonicare for Kids brush is an excellent product to help children to brush efficiently and independently. Unlike other children’s brushes, which focus solely on color or design, Sonicare considers every second of the brushing experience and makes cleaning both informative and fun.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this brush suitable for children younger than 4?
Sonicare advises not letting toddlers use this brush unsupervised. This is because the sonic technology produces high-speed brush strokes which can cause damage to young teeth and gums if used with too much pressure. For children under 4, allow them to use a manual toothbrush if brushing alone and/or use the Sonicare for Kids gently while supervising your child.
What size brush head does Sonicare for Kids have?
The Sonicare for Kids toothbrush comes with a standard size brush head which is interchangeable across Sonicare models. Sonicare also sells a compact-size version separately.
Do I need to connect to the app to use this brush?
While Sonicare recommends using the Bluetooth-enabled app, it is not essential. The app is there to guide children through the brushing process and to encourage even brushing. If you choose not to use the app, it is still recommended that you monitor children’s brushing time to ensure a thorough clean.
Aside from the app, how is this brush different from adult models?
The Sonicare for Kids toothbrush is specially designed to be comfortable in a child’s hand, and with the parent’s hand if necessary. Along with this, the brush has two settings (low and high) to help children adapt to the Sonicare experience.
Will this work on Android phones as well as iPhones?
Yes; the Sonicare app is compatible with both Androids and iPhones.
Is it safe to use this brush in the shower?
While the Sonicare for Kids brush is waterproof, Sonicare does not recommend immersing the entire brush in water as it can harbur bacteria.
Can more than one child use the app?
Yes; you are able to create multiple profiles on one account. However, only one profile can be used at a time.
Will this model be too large for my child to hold?
While the brush has larger dimensions than a manual brush, the Sonicare for Kids toothbrush has a rubber grip suitable for children’s handling. It is worth bearing in mind that this brush is also designed so that a parent can hold onto the brush as well.
How often should I change the brush head?
Sonicare recommends changing the brush head every 3 months. Frayed bristles are usually indicators that it’s time to replace the brush.
Does the brush itself track brushing time?
Yes; the low setting runs for 1 minute while the high setting runs for 2 minutes.
- 98% of parents say it’s easier to get kids to brush longer and better.
- 91% of dental professional parents prefer Sonicare for Kids for their own children.
- Interactive free app educates and gets kids excited about brushing. Exciting rewards for successful brushing...
Last update on 2024-12-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API