Philips Sonicare EasyClean HX6511/50 review: A great sub-£50 electric toothbrush

With all the exotic features and dramatic claims made of the latest Philips Sonicare electric toothbrushes, it’s reassuring to see that the EasyClean HX6511/50 has just one cleaning mode. You’re not paying extra for pulsating gum massages or Bluetooth connectivity here – this is just a good quality electric toothbrush which retails at well under £50.

READ MORE: The best electric toothbrushes you can buy

Features and design

There’s nothing wrong with simplicity, but I suspect that many people would happily pay a little more for some kind of dedicated travel case. Is this a toothbrush for people who never go away? The brush head does at least have a little plastic cap to keep it clean, so you could sling it straight into a wash bag, but bear in mind that there’s nothing to stop the power button getting switched on by accident.

The design couldn’t be much simpler, with a single power button and some subtle raised contours to give a bit of grip. There’s just the one brush head in the box, plus a two-pin conduction charger. Additional brush heads are a little pricier than Oral-B brush heads, though, and currently they’re retailing currently at £28 for eight at Amazon.

Brushing performance

The Sonicare system takes its name from the high-speed motor that rotates at 250Hz to give 500 brushes per second — along with an audible hum. The motion is almost imperceptibly small to the eye but it’s certainly noticeable to the touch. It feels less like a brushing motion and more like a polishing action, rattling food, plaque and stains off your teeth. According to Philips, the action also pushes fluid between teeth — something I saw some evidence of in my tests.

Compared to other brushes, the Sonicare can take a bit of getting used to, but it does make teeth feel really clean and smooth. Unlike Oral-B brushes, there’s no warning light for when you apply too much pressure, but that’s not a problem – Philips’ high-speed action feels like it doesn’t need much pressure to be effective, so as long as you direct it evenly around your mouth, the results are excellent.

Battery life

Battery life was outstanding in my tests, lasting for 114 two minute-long brushes before giving up — way ahead of the other brushes I’ve reviewed. This was tested in a single day, so don’t expect two months of use between charges. Philips quotes two weeks. It started reporting a low battery after 94 brushes; with plenty of notice it should last the distance if you’re away for a few days without the charger.

Best of all, because this is a lithium ion battery, it doesn’t matter when you charge it up. That’s in contrast to the Ni-MH batteries used by most Oral-B toothbrushes, which need to be fully drained and then charged in order to preserve battery life. If you need to top up the Philips’ battery before going away for the weekend, then you don’t need to worry about damaging the battery.

Verdict

It’s tough to find any major moans when brushing performance and battery life are this good. The lack of a travel case is a tad annoying, but it’s certainly not a deal-breaker. For under £50, the Philips Sonicare EasyClean HX6511/50 is one of the best electric toothbrushes you can buy.