Submitted by Marshall Walker on
I've never used an electronic toothbrush before, because I've never seen the point. It doesn't save you money because you must replace the head every few months, and I think I can do a good enough job on my own. After one use with the E1 I was in love. My mouth never felt so clean and I actually looked forward to brushing, but this review isn't about the benefits of electronic toothbrushes. It's about another "smart" device, a toothbrush that connects to your iPhone.
First let me say smart toothbrushes may seem silly to some people, but they must be a godsend to parents. The Colgate E1 monitors your brushing time and gives you a Surface chart so you know what parts of your mouth you're missing during brushing. This eliminates the need to stand over your child while they brush. Now you can just connect your iOS device to the E1 and see how long your child brushed, and if they actually brushed their teeth at all.
The E1 works with the Colgate Connect app on your iPhone or iPad. The handle includes sensors that are supposed to detect the exact position and orientation of your brush to map your mouth across 16 brushing zones, but sometimes it doesn't seem to register. You'll notice this when using the coaching session. The other complaint I have is that the brush shuts off after a preset time and it won't let you use any of the other app features. Sometimes I want to brush a little longer than my set time. You can turn the brush back on, but you cant use the coaching session then switch to something else in the app.
After pairing the E1 to your iPhone or iPad and brushing, the app will give you digital checkup so you can see the spots you missed. This helps you refine your brushing technique and allows you to better fight plaque and cavities. The checkup feature is very useful and it even works when your device is turned off or in another room. This is the best feature for me because sometimes I don't want to drag my iPhone into the bathroom every time I brush my teeth.
The app also includes two brushing games which I'm sure is also helpful to parents.If you like using electronic brushes then you will enjoy the E1. It is equipped with "sonic vibrating technology" that makes your mouth feel very clean after each session. It has Bluetooth support for connecting to the Colgate app, and it is lightweight and well designed. The E1 is availble exclusively through apple.com for $100. You can buy 3 refills for only $19 through colgate.com.