Best water flossers 2024: Upgrade your dental routine with these tested options
Want cleaner teeth and healthier gums? These are the best water flossers we’ve tested
Flossing daily helps remove plaque and debris from your teeth, and using one of the best water flossers is a convenient – and less wasteful – way to implement this into your routine.
We’ve thoroughly tested a wide range of options to bring you these powerful recommendations. Every water flosser on this roundup delivers a fantastic clean, and no matter your budget or any specific dental concerns, you’ll find one that’s suitable for you here.
If you already use an electric toothbrush and the best toothpaste, a water flosser will definitely step up your dental routine. Keep reading to find out which water flossers are our top picks, or click the link below for some more detailed information to help you choose the best water flosser for you.
JUMP TO: How to choose the best water flosser
Best water flossers: At a glance
| Best water flosser | Panasonic EW1511 (~£120) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best budget water flosser | Oclean W10 (~£60) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best for orthodontics, crowns and implants | Waterpik Cordless Advanced (~£120) | Check price at Waterpik |
How we test water flossers
We test water flossers by using them daily for at least two weeks. During this time, we can get a good feel for how the water flosser performs, its controls and the cleaning modes it offers. Any control issues are noted, as well as how each cleaning mode works and feels in different areas of the mouth. This allows us to decide whether a water flosser is a suitable choice for those with sensitive teeth and gum problems, or people who want a more intense clean.
When testing cordless options, we perform battery life tests by timing how long the battery takes to run down from a full charge. We also time how quickly the water tank runs down from full on its highest power setting. This, alongside our daily tests, allows us to get a good idea of how regularly you’ll need to refill and recharge the water flosser.
Throughout testing, we also get a good feel for each water flosser’s build quality, noting how easy the water flosser is to refill and clean. We also test any attachments or alternative floss tips to see whether they help clean common problem areas such as between the back teeth or in-between braces.
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The best water flossers you can buy in 2024
1. Panasonic EW1511: Best water flosser
Price when reviewed: £120 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for: Intense clean
- Keep in mind: Bulky charging cradle
This water flosser has everything most people will need. During our tests, we found it was simple to fill and assemble, had a great amount of power and its battery lasted us a full week of flossing. Its five ultrasonic cleaning modes cover all your flossing needs, such as cleaning out periodontal pockets in the gum line and in-between the teeth, and our reviewer found that it did a brilliant job of leaving teeth and gums feeling spotless. We think it’s the best water flosser you can buy right now.
While a week isn’t the longest battery life you can find, charging the Panasonic EW1511 is easy. Simply place it on the convenient charging cradle, which can be plugged into any 2-pin wall plug, and it will be ready to go again in an hour. The cradle also comes with a spot to store spare floss tips, which is perfect for couples sharing a water flosser.
That being said, the charging cradle is a bit on the bulky side if you don’t have much storage space, compared to a flosser that charges via a USB cable, for instance.
Key specs – Tank Capacity: 200ml; Modes: 5; Tips provided: 2; Battery life: 10 mins; Battery type: Li-ion; Dimensions (WDH): 75 x 85 x 210mm
2. Philips Sonicare Cordless Power Flosser 3000: Best ultra-powerful water flosser
Price when reviewed: £120 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for: The most intense, quick clean
- Keep in mind: No specialist cleaning tips for specific dental concerns
The Philips Sonicare Cordless Power Flosser 3000 is easily the most powerful water flosser we’ve ever tested, making it the best option to buy if you fancy getting an intense clean every day. While there are only two cleaning modes – a high-intensity jet and a pulsating deep clean mode – you can adjust these between low, medium and high intensity depending on your comfort levels. Having tested all the intensity options, we would recommend starting with the medium intensity if you’re new to water flossing, to avoid any discomfort on the gum line.
The flosser comes with two cleaning tips including a standard single-stream tip for dislodging dirt and plaque from between the teeth and gum line. The second quad-stream tip fires out an X-shaped jet of water that can quickly cover a wider area of the mouth – we think this is perfect for a quick, powerful wash on busy mornings. If any areas are missed, we’d recommend going back in with the precision tip for a deeper clean. Thankfully, the tips can rotate 360-degrees to allow you to aim at hard-to-reach areas of the mouth.
The flosser is charged via USB-C cable, it has a 14-minute battery life, it comes with a drawstring travel bag and its controls are easy to use. The only criticism we have is that it doesn’t come with any specialised cleaning tips for orthodontics and other dental problems.
Key specs – Tank Capacity: 250ml; Modes: 2 (3 intensities); Tips provided: 2; Battery life: 14 mins; Battery type: Li-ion; Dimensions (WDH): 60 x 75 x 280mm
3. Oclean W10: Best budget water flosser
Price when reviewed: £60 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for: Range of cleaning heads and modes
- Keep in mind: Not quite as powerful as high-end models
This eye-catching water flosser from Oclean is equally good value and conveniently sized, without compromising on tank capacity or power modes. It comes with four cleaning tips designed for daily use, cleaning around orthodontics, periodontal cleaning and a scraper for tackling the roof of the mouth. Add onto that five cleaning modes that range from a powerful pulsating jet to a gentler stream for beginners, and you’ve got a great value water flosser that’s suitable for most people.
We also thought its faux-leather strap also made the flosser easy to handle and manoeuvre around the mouth. Just bear in mind that the flosser didn’t have quite as much power as high-end water flossers in our tests, but we still loved its long 30-minute battery life and convenient USB-C charging.
Read our full Oclean W10 water flosser review
Key specs – Tank Capacity: 200ml; Modes: 5; Tips provided: 4; Battery life: 30 mins; Battery type: Li-ion; Dimensions (WDH): 50 x 70 x 270mm
4. Waterpik Cordless Advanced: Best water flosser for orthodontics, crowns and implants
Price when reviewed: £120 | Check price at Waterpik
- Great for: Lots of specialised attachments
- Keep in mind: Shorter battery life
The Waterpik Cordless Advanced water flosser is easily our favourite option for those who have dental implants, braces or crowns to take extra care of. That’s because it comes with a whopping four specialist floss tips. Two of these are classic tips, one is an orthodontic tip and the final is dubbed the ‘plaque-seeking’ tip, designed to thoroughly and safely clean around dental implants and crowns. If you have braces, you can say goodbye to having broccoli stuck in your braces, as the orthodontic tip helps to keep the hardware on your braces free from debris.
When we tested the Cordless Advanced, we found that the three cleaning modes provided a good amount of control. In our experience, the lowest setting provided gentle cleaning for those with sensitive gums, and yet the highest power setting provided a powerful jet that effectively cleaned plaque from between the teeth and gum line.
Even though our tests showed it has a middling 14-minute battery life, there’s a handy battery life indicator light that lets you know when it’s time for a recharge. The flosser can be fully charged in four hours using a swanky magnetic charger that can be plugged into any USB port.
Key specs – Tank Capacity: 207ml; Modes: 3; Tips provided: 4; Battery life: 14 mins; Battery type: NiMH; Dimensions (WDH): 71 x 102 x 294mm
5. Oral B Aquacare 4: Best water flosser for sensitive gums
Price when reviewed: £62 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for: Gentle rotary cleaning
- Keep in mind: Small tank size, lower pressure
In our tests, the Oral B Aquacare 4 didn’t measure up to the competition in terms of cleaning power. That makes it a fantastic option for those who have very sensitive gums. It has two cleaning modes, one of which is a focused jet and the other, characteristically of Oral-B, is a rotating spray. The former setting, when used on the highest power mode, provided enough oomph to give the gums a good clean and massage, while the other settings felt a little weedy in comparison. Both can be operated using the floss tip provided and are available at two intensity levels.
Other than the limited powerful cleaning modes, the Oral B is well-designed, with an easy filling inlet on the back and a handy wireless charging station. The battery life is good, lasting for 20 minutes. We did find that the 150ml tank ran out halfway through cleaning on occasion, but for those who have gentler gums looking for a gentler flossing experience, this one fits the bill.
Key specs – Tank Capacity: 150ml; Modes: 2; Tips provided: 1; Battery life: 20 mins; Battery type: NiMH; Dimensions (WDH): 60 x 75 x 280mm
6. Waterpik WF-05 Whitening professional water flosser: Best whitening water flosser
Price when reviewed: £110 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for: Whitening, range of intensity options
- Keep in mind: Large size, needs a bathroom power outlet
You might not realise that water flossers can help to whiten teeth, but the WF-05 whitening professional water flosser from Waterpik can whiten while it flosses, thanks to the whitening tablets that slot into the floss tip. These are designed to tackle any stubborn staining between the teeth and along the gumline. We found these to be mighty effective in our testing, over and above using a normal water flosser. That is especially true since the floss tip is attached to a wand that is separate from the water tank, which made it far easier to manoeuvre to the right areas of our mouth.
We were also impressed by how many intensity options there were. On top of the two cleaning modes – floss and massage – the ten intensity settings allow you to choose a specific power setting that is comfortable for you, even if you have very sensitive gums.
However, the main downside is that the water flosser takes up a lot of counter space compared to its cordless competition, and it needs to be plugged in. That means if you don’t have a power outlet in your bathroom this won’t be right for you. However, if you have the space for it, you’ll get a larger 651ml water tank that won’t need refilling every session, and excellent whitening power.
Key specs – Tank Capacity: 651ml; Modes: 2 (10 intensity options); Tips provided: 4; Battery: Mains powered; Dimensions (WDH): 119 x 965 x 292mm
How to choose the best water flosser for you
Who should use a water flosser?
As water flossing can remove plaque and food from between the teeth and gum line, where a typical toothbrush can’t reach, anyone who wants to improve their dental health should use a water flosser. For many people, water flossers provide a more convenient, comfortable option for those who struggle to use traditional dental floss.
Furthermore, water flossing is a great option for people who have dental braces, as the high pressure jets of water can help remove plaque and food from the tight spaces in between.
If your kids want to get in on the action, major water flosser manufacturer Waterpik suggests that water flossing is suitable for children over 6 years old to use, but only with adult supervision.
How do I use a water flosser?
Using a water flosser effectively can be a challenge, especially if you’re hoping to avoid accidentally squirting water all over your bathroom. Thankfully, we’ve written a simple guide on how to use a water flosser to help you get started.
Bear in mind that no two water flossers are the same, so be sure to also read the instruction manual for your water flosser before you get going.
Are corded or cordless water flossers better?
The answer to this question depends on a few things. Corded options tend to be a little more powerful than cordless options, as well as having larger water tanks that don’t need refilling as often.
However, if you don’t have a power outlet in your bathroom, a corded option is totally impractical. It’s all too easy to switch a water flosser on by accident and, in doing so, cover your surroundings in water. Doing this in a bedroom is less than ideal – we learned this the hard way.
In this case, there are heaps of cordless options that can provide a similar power level to corded water flossers. Their portability may be more convenient for some and thankfully, the best cordless water flossers have a long battery life so they won’t need regular recharging. Look out for an option with a battery life indicator to help remind you when the flosser needs topping up with charge.
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Do I need multiple power settings and floss tips?
It’s a good idea to buy a water flosser that has multiple power settings because if you’re just starting out with a water flosser you’ll want to use a less intense setting. This will allow you to get used to the proper flossing technique, as well as prevent any irritation and sensitivity in the gums. As you get used to flossing every day, you can up the power as you see fit.
Many water flossers also come with a range of floss tips for different cleaning types. These include orthodontic tips designed specifically for cleaning around braces, and periodontal tips for cleaning inside tight pockets formed around teeth in the gum line in those who have gingivitis (gum disease).
Even if you don’t need specialised floss tips, if you’re sharing a water flosser with a partner it’s advisable not to share the same floss tips. Using separate floss tips prevents the spread of bacteria and germs.
Water tank capacity
Of course, a larger water tank allows you to floss for longer without a refill. However, all cordless options will need their ~200ml tank re-filling at least once every session, if not twice. Conversely, a corded option that has a larger tank of around 600ml should need refilling less often.
Cleaning ease
Like anything in a bathroom, water flossers can harbour bacteria and germs, especially since it’s difficult to dry them out. That’s why it’s important to buy a water flosser that can be cleaned easily. Look out for water flossers that can be taken apart, with removable, dishwasher-proof water tanks and make sure to replace any floss tips around every six months.
