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Oral-B 3D White Action Review

An inexpensive option that adds a little vibration to an otherwise normal toothbrush
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Oral-B 3D White Action Review
Credit: Oral-B
Price:  $9 List
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Manufacturer:   Oral-B
By Buck Yedor ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Jul 21, 2021
55
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#18 of 19
  • Cleaning - 40% 5.0
  • Comfort - 30% 4.2
  • Ease of Use - 20% 6.3
  • Battery Life - 10% 10.0

Our Verdict

The Oral-B 3D White Action is underpowered and bulky. The electric vibrations meant to clean your teeth felt fairly ineffective, and our testers found that they got a similar level of cleaning by using this model like a manual toothbrush. Its one redeeming quality is its terrific battery life, as one AA battery powered this little device for 103 days of daily use. Given its low price point, you may find it's worth giving a try; if nothing else, you'll walk away with a backup toothbrush that is perfect to bring along while traveling.
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Long battery life
REASONS TO AVOID
Bulky
Poor cleaning abilities
Difficult to keep clean

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards  Best Buy Award
Most Gentle, Great Battery Life and Value
Best Buy Award
Best Value Electric Toothbrush
Best Buy Award
Best Value for Included Brush Heads
 
Price $9.00 List
Check Price at Amazon
$40 List
$25.96 at Amazon
$50 List
$39.96 at Amazon
$60 List
$39.95 at Amazon
$12.00 List
$9.33 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
55
77
77
66
59
Star Rating
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Bottom Line A budget option that works marginally better than a manual toothbrushAn gentle, minimalist toothbrush with a long-lasting battery that cleans wellInexpensive yet fully capable, this electric toothbrush is a solid choice for just about everyoneAffordable, effective, and user-friendly — this device offers value with good cleaning and extra brush headsOnly marginally better than a manual toothbrush, though incredibly affordable for an electric model
Rating Categories Oral-B 3D White Action Philips One Philips Sonicare 4100 Aquasonic Black Series Colgate 360 Total A...
Cleaning (40%)
5.0
6.9
7.9
6.8
4.4
Comfort (30%)
4.2
8.1
8.3
6.4
6.9
Ease of Use (20%)
6.3
8.0
7.8
8.0
5.5
Battery Life (10%)
10.0
9.0
5.0
4.0
10.0
Specs Oral-B 3D White Action Philips One Philips Sonicare 4100 Aquasonic Black Series Colgate 360 Total A...
Measured Battery Life 103 days 30 days 49.5 days 31 days 170 days
Pressure Sensor No No Yes No No
Number of Brushing Modes 1
Clean
1 mode:
Clean
1 mode:
Clean
2 sensivity levels
4 modes:
Clean, Soft, Whiten, Massage
1 mode:
Clean
Estimated Annual Brush Head Cost $53.98 for (2) three packs $15.92 for (2) two packs $44.96 for (1) four pack $19.90 for (2) two packs NA
Charger or Battery Info N/A USB USB
(block not included)
100 - 240VA
50-60Hz
0.8 - 1.6W
1 AAA battery
American Dental Association accepted? No Not Listed Not Listed Yes Not Listed
Waterproof / Resistant Yes, can use in shower No, cannot be used in the shower Yes, can use in shower Yes, can use in shower Not Listed
Number of Brush Head Styles Available 3 1 style available in multiple colors 8 styles, most available in 2 colors 3 NA
Number of Included Brush Heads 1 1 1 8 1
Thirty Second Reminder No Yes Yes Yes No
Two Minute Alert No Yes Yes Yes No
Travel Case Included No Yes No Yes No
Measured Handle Weight 2.5 oz 1.4 oz 3.2 oz 3.6 oz 1.2 oz
App No No No No No
Available Colors 1 4 3 1 4
Decibels from 6ft Away N/A 40 dB* 42 dB 53 dB 41.1 dB
Decibels from 3" Away N/A 40 dB* 58 dB 68 dB 42.0 dB

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Oral-B 3D White Action was a low scorer in the two most heavily weighted metrics, comfort, and cleanliness. Its overall score was slightly improved due to its long-lasting battery and its simple functionality.

Performance Comparison


oral-b 3d white action - the vibrating head doesn't provide for great cleaning performance.
The vibrating head doesn't provide for great cleaning performance.
Credit: Laura Casner

Cleaning


The 3D White Action finishes at the bottom when it comes to cleaning abilities. The large head makes it tough to get the backside of your teeth and your back molars. Our testers found this brush was almost more effective when used as a manual toothbrush, which defeats the purpose of purchasing an electric toothbrush. Your experience may vary, but we had a tough time getting our teeth to feel like they had a proper cleaning.

oral-b 3d white action - the bulky head can make it difficult to reach the back corners of...
The bulky head can make it difficult to reach the back corners of your mouth.
Credit: Laura Casner

Comfort


The brush head on the 3D White Action is large. For those with small to medium-sized mouths, you will likely have a hard time getting this brush to the back of your molars. While we wish the cleaning vibrations were stronger when it comes to cleaning ability, this underpowered brush generates very little noise while in use. While some higher-end brushes offer low-intensity modes and pressure sensors for people with sensitive gums, this brush only offers one mode.

oral-b 3d white action - the oral-b 3d is a simple brush with a long-lasting battery.
The Oral-B 3D is a simple brush with a long-lasting battery.
Credit: Laura Casner

Ease of Use


This brush is about as simple as you can get. With no interchange heads, only one mode, and powered by a single AA battery, there isn't much going on with this brush. The simplicity might be attractive for some; however, if you're after a basic brush, you may just want to opt for a manual toothbrush. While it is easy to operate, cleaning it is a little more challenging. The grooved grip collects gunk, and the mechanism that controls the head has small holes that let water in. We could not locate a built-in drain, and as a result, we noticed that it became stinky fairly quickly.

oral-b 3d white action - with only one operating mode, this brush is incredibly easy to use.
With only one operating mode, this brush is incredibly easy to use.
Credit: Laura Casner

Battery Life


This device is energy efficient. It runs off of a single AA battery and lasted for a total of six hours and 52 minutes before it died; that equals about 103 days of brushing for two minutes, twice a day. There is no built-in battery level indicator, so it would be wise to have a spare AA on hand.

oral-b 3d white action - the one redeeming quality of this model is its incredibly...
The one redeeming quality of this model is its incredibly long-lasting battery.
Credit: Laura Casner

Value


The D White Action is a low scorer in the two most heavily weighted metrics, comfort, and cleanliness. Its overall score is slightly improved due to its long-lasting battery and its simple functionality. While it's cheap, we'd hardly call it a good value.

oral-b 3d white action - oral-b offers a range of electric toothbrushes; the 3-d is the...
Oral-B offers a range of electric toothbrushes; the 3-D is the cheapest.
Credit: Laura Casner

Conclusion


The Oral-B 3D White Action has a bulky head that makes it difficult to properly clean the back of your teeth and navigate to the far reaches of your mouth. Its vibrating head feels underpowered, and our testers were able to get a better clean using this like a manual brush. This model comes with no interchange heads and only has one cleaning mode. It's difficult to keep clean, but it does have an incredibly long battery life. Given its poor performance, we'd recommend buying a manual toothbrush if you want something at this price point.

Buck Yedor