Verywell Tested: Oral-B Genius 9600 Electric Toothbrush Review

We purchased the Oral-B Genius 9600 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush and tested its performance, ease of use, and battery life to see if it's a smart buy. 

Maintaining your oral health is important, and, to that end, a good toothbrush is essential. But finding the right one can be challenging—and learning proper brushing techniques is even more so. According to the American Dental Association, using gentle pressure helps reduce the risk of gum injury. The Oral-B Genius 9600 is an electric toothbrush that uses advanced features to give real-time feedback on your brushing technique, including advanced pressure sensors that prevent oral damage.

The Oral-B Genius 9600 uses gum protection technology and position detection to help you brush your teeth more effectively. And with a pressure sensor that alerts you when you're applying too much force also helps reduce the risk of gum injury. We tested the brush for performance, smart capabilities, ease of use, battery life, and more to see if it's worth the investment in today's market.

Who It’s For

The Oral-B Genius 9600 is an excellent choice for anyone looking for an advanced, feature-rich electric toothbrush. Multiple cleaning modes, position detection, and pressure sensors offer everything you need to maintain good oral health.

However, this brush may not be the best choice for those on a budget, as it's one of the more expensive options on the market. If you don't have a Bluetooth-capable smartphone, you won't get the most out of its features.

Setup: Useful Accessories and Simple Connectivity

The Oral-B Genius 9600 rechargeable electric toothbrush comes with everything you need, including a toothbrush handle, three brush heads, a charging stand, a power cord, a travel case, and a smartphone holder.

The charging stand is sleek, compact, and stable, so you don't have to worry about the brush toppling over. It’s also easy to use. Just plug the power cord into the stand and place the toothbrush handle on the stand. A full charge takes about 12 hours, but it comes out of the box with enough power for a few cleanings. 

The model includes three brush attachments: a  Pro Gum Care head for gentle cleaning, a Cross Action head with bristles that get between teeth for deep cleaning, and a 3D White head that promises to polish away stains, a great tool to keep teeth bright between the use of whitening kits. When you want to switch out or replace the brush head, place the plastic band on the bottom of the replacement head and push the head onto the toothbrush handle.

The toothbrush uses Bluetooth to connect to the Oral B app on your phone. After downloading the app, turn on Bluetooth and follow the on-screen instructions. The app will guide you through setting up the brush for the first time.

Brush Settings: Multiple Brushing Modes

One noteworthy feature of this toothbrush is its multiple brushing modes. There are six total: Daily Clean, Pro Clean, Sensitive, 3D White, Gum Care, and Tongue Clean. Each one offers a different cleaning power to tailor your brushing experience to your needs. And unlike models from other brands like Phylian and Sonicare (which feature sonic vibrations), Oral-B brushes feature oscillating and pulsating movements to remove plaque and debris from your teeth.

After turning on the brush, change modes by pressing the mode button on the handle. The selected mode will appear in the display window and is also remembered for future brushings—if you prefer to brush in the same mode every time. 

Specific modes are compatible with certain brush heads. (For example, the tongue clean mode is only recommended for use with the gentler Pro GumCare head.) For those with braces, an Ortho brush head that's specifically designed to clean around brackets and wires can be purchased separately. 

The brush also has a built-in pressure sensor that alerts you when you are brushing too hard. When the sensor is activated, the Smart Ring at the top of the handle lights up red, signaling a power reduction to prevent damage to teeth and gums. This brush may be expensive than some other models, but it can be worth it. According to Brian T. Luong, DMD, an Orthodontist at Anaheim Hills Orthodontics and Santa Ana Orthodontics and member of the Verywell Health Medical Advisory Board, the pressure sensor is more sensitive on this brush than on cheaper options like the Phylian Sonic Electric Toothbrush.

Smart Capabilities: Bluetooth Connectivity and Facial Recognition

The Bluetooth function is not just for connecting to the app—it also enables facial recognition capabilities. When you turn the brush on, it scans your face and uses that information to give you real-time feedback on your brushing technique. The smartphone holder comes in handy for this, as it allows you to position your phone so you can see the app while brushing.

The app tracks things like which areas you're missing and how long you're spending on each section of your mouth. Each quadrant lights up white when it's clean, light blue when you need to spend a little more time there, and dark blue when there's still more brushing work to be done. 

After finishing your session, you'll be prompted to note whether you experienced any gingival bleeding. The app then gives you a score for that session and shows other valuable stats like brush time, percentage of area covered, and overpressure alerts—which assist your technique.

The app also allows you to track your progress over time and set goals for yourself. Through the brushing preference menu, you can choose your brushing goals, which hand you brush with, vibration and light setting, and more. 

Ease of Use: Straightforward Design

The Oral-B Genius 9600 is easy to use, even if you’ve never used an electric toothbrush. The included instructions are clear and concise, and the app does a great job walking you through the setup for the first time. After pairing the brush with the app, the app automatically begins a brush session each time you power it on. 

Two buttons on the handle—one to power it on and off and another to cycle through the modes—make the brush very straightforward, so you won’t have to fiddle with any settings before beginning your brushing session.

Battery Life: Two-Week Charge

The battery life is impressive. After a full charge, which takes around 12 hours, you can expect to get around two weeks of use when using the brush twice daily for roughly two minutes each session. The app displays battery life in the upper right-hand corner, so you always know how much power you have left. The brush handle also shows battery life as a three-bar battery icon at its base.

Portability: Premium Travel Case

The travel case is a nice touch, as it protects the brush heads and keeps them clean while you're on the go. One drawback is that you need to remove the brush head from the device before placing it in the case, which may be a bit of a hassle for some. The inner lid doubles as a smartphone holder when you're on the go, but it's small and may not accommodate thicker phone cases.

Use the USB port on the bottom of the case to charge the brush while inside the case. The case itself doesn't have a built-in battery, so it's a good idea to pack the power cord if you leave home without a full charge or plan to be on the road for an extended period. 

The suction cup smartphone holder is convenient for using the app while brushing. It attaches securely to any mirror and can be positioned at any angle. The only downside is that it may not be compatible with larger smartphones, and some phone accessories may also interfere with the proper use of the holder.

How We Tested

We tested the Oral-B Genius 9600 by using it to brush our teeth twice a day for two weeks. We also tried out the included brush heads and tested the app thoroughly. We charged the brush fully before its first use and tracked battery life throughout our testing. Our testers also noted any accessibility issues, unexpected findings, and general annoyances we experienced while using the brush.

Price

The Oral-B Genius 9600 is feature-rich, easy to use, and has a great selection of accessories. It’s also one of the more expensive toothbrushes on the market, with a price tag of around $200. Replacement brush heads are expensive, about $25 for a set of two CrossAction heads and $40 for a four-pack that includes a variety of head types. 

The smart features are helpful for your daily oral care regimen—but only if you use them. If all you are looking for is a thorough cleaning, there are other electric toothbrushes we tested that can get the job done for a fraction of the price. 

The Competition: Not the Only App-Enabled Toothbrush

Philips Sonicare Prestige 9900 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush: Priced at around $380, the Philips Sonicare Prestige 9900 is a comparable toothbrush on the market. It has features similar to the Genius 9600, including pressure recognition, an app, and five brushing modes. The main difference is that the Philips Sonicare uses an all-in-one brush head.

Colgate Hum Adult Smart Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush: Priced at around $70, the Colgate Hum is a more budget-friendly option that still offers some high-end features, such as an app and three brushing modes. However, it doesn’t have the technology to recognize optimal pressure while brushing. The battery life is shorter than the Oral-B Genius 9600, only lasting around ten days on a full charge. 

Blu Smart ToothBrush and App: The Blu Smart Toothbrush is another budget-friendly option, priced at around $100. It doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles of the Oral-B Genius 9600, but it is an app-enabled toothbrush that can track your brushing habits. It also has five brushing modes and the capability to share your brushing data with your dentist.