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| Sonicare EasyClean | vs. | Sonicare HealthyWhite |
… Fight!
Okay, if you were expecting an all-out bloodbath like last time’s Sonicare EasyClean vs Sonicare Essence 5600, I’m sorry to disappoint you. These two brushes are pretty similar, so this week’s electric toothbrush cage match is going to be short and sweet. If you’re Sonicare toothbrush savvy, you probably noticed that there are two Sonicare HealthyWhite brushes on the market right now — the 710 and the 732. You can read my full review of the HealthyWhite 710, but we’ll be talking about the
Brush Design
| Sonicare EasyClean | Sonicare HealthyWhite |
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Winner:
Okay, so I’ll admit that’s a slim victory. The HealthyWhite features LED displays to indicate battery strength and setting selection. It also sensibly comes with a hard travel case for brushing on the go, a lot more useful than the little hygienic travel cap packaged with the EasyClean.
Settings
| Sonicare EasyClean | Sonicare HealthyWhite |
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Winner:
though not for the reasons you’d think. Essentially, “Clean & White” is two minutes of “Clean” with an extra 30 seconds of “White” to focus attention on your front teeth. “White” mode sounds and feels different from “Clean” mode (it’s it’s own setting, not just an extra 30 seconds of “Clean” for show) and Sonicare claims it will whiten your teeth two shades in two weeks, but I’m still a little curious how it works. What really impresses me about this brush is the “Sensitive” setting. If you have sensitive teeth and want a Sonicare brush, this is the cheapest option by far.
Note: “Sensitive” is only available with the HealthyWhite 732 brush. The lower-end model, the 710, only offers “Clean” and “Clean & White.”
Price
| Sonicare EasyClean | Sonicare HealthyWhite |
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Winner:
Not a huge shock, here. The EasyClean is a workhorse of a brush — it cleans your teeth and that’s about it. If you don’t want or need a brush that claims to whiten your teeth or caters to your sensitive gums, from a financial perspective, the decision’s obvious. In any event, try to
and save yourself some money. Keep an eye out for coupons in the “Special Offers and Product Promotions” section, too.
Potential Issues
| SSonicare EasyClean | Sonicare HealthyWhite |
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Winner: This one’s tough. Like I said before, these two brushes are very similar. Of the two, the EasyClean probably holds up best, but that’s because it has less to do. I’m calling this a tie.
Clarification: Li-Ion batteries have to be treated a certain way to ensure their long-term health and, unfortunately, it’s not intuitive. Check out BatteryUniversity.com for more information.
Clarification #2: The HealthyWhite is considered difficult to turn off because the “On/Off” and the “Setting Selection” button are the same thing. If you decide to turn off (or pause) your brush mid-use, you’ll have to cycle through the settings until it stops buzzing.
Customer Rating
| SSonicare EasyClean | Sonicare HealthyWhite |
| 4.6 stars | 4.5 stars |
Winner:
It may seem close, but when you consider that the EasyClean’s hard-earned 4.6 rating is the result of no fewer than 700 customer ratings (compared to the HealthyWhite’s 220 ratings), the number’s all the more impressive.
Drumroll, please…
Winner: … uh.
So here’s the thing. Both these brushes are actually pretty good. There can be no winner in this contest because people are going to pick different brushes based on their own needs and preferences. For most budget-conscious people, the
is probably worth it.
Personally, I’d take the HealthyWhite.
Q&A Cage Match: Sonicare EasyClean vs. Sonicare Essence
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| Sonicare EasyClean | vs. | Sonicare Essence 5600 |
… Fight!
In the last few weeks, I’ve noticed an influx of people looking to compare the Sonicare EasyClean and the Sonicare Essence 5600. Now, I mean, you could kick back and read the full reviews on each brush, but I have a better idea. But I’ll tell you right now, it’s not much of a fight.
Brush Design
| Sonicare EasyClean | Sonicare Essence |
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Winner:
No contest here, really. The Essence did its part for years for the Sonicare line, but the EasyClean (and its current generation siblings) correct a lot of deficiencies in the brush design.
Settings
| Sonicare EasyClean | Sonicare Essence 5600 |
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Winner:
but not by much. The Quadpacer feature (for the uninitiated: your dentist recommends a two-minute brushing session, so Quadpacer times you and breaks each session into 30 second chunks so each section of your mouth gets equal attention) is the only major difference between them. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but I’ve seen Sonicare users who downgraded to the Sonicare Essence cite its absence as a disappointment. Oh, and that Pause function to let you slather on some extra toothpaste without losing your place is kind of handy, too.
Price
| Sonicare EasyClean | Sonicare Essence |
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Winner:
Yeah, yeah, it’s no shock that the Sonicare Essence’s list price is the cheaper of the two models, but I’ll tell you — I can’t remember the last time I haven’t seen it heavily discounted. Amazon.com has sales on all its electric toothbrushes frequently, but when it comes to this brush, they’re not shy about cutting back the price. If you’re looking for a bargain basement option that will still clean your teeth, the Essence has its price tag in its favour.
Potential Issues
| Sonicare EasyClean | Sonicare Essence |
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Winner:
. It’s the gunk, man. I’ll admit, it’s frustrating that the EasyClean doesn’t include a travel case, but supporting 100-240v current makes it the obvious choice for travellers anyway.
Customer Rating
| Sonicare EasyClean | Sonicare Essence |
| 4.6 stars | 4.4 stars |
Winner:
Drumroll, please…
Winner: Sonicare EasyClean
And there you have it. I’ll be honest with you, this is probably as close to a blowout as this website is likely to ever see. If you’re looking to save money and don’t mind a strict cleaning regime (for your toothbrush, not your teeth — I mentioned the gunk, right?), the Essence is reasonable choice, but the
is the better brush by far.