Electric toothbrushes have become increasingly popular over the years, with many brands competing for your attention.
Two of the biggest names in electric toothbrushes are hum by Colgate and Oral-B by Braun. But which one is actually better? Here is a comprehensive comparison of hum vs Oral-B electric toothbrushes.
A Brief Comparison Table
| Feature | hum | Oral-B |
| Brush Heads | Proprietary | Interchangeable |
| Bristle Type | Nylon | Multi-angled |
| Bristle Texture | Soft | Soft/Medium/Firm |
| Brush Head Movement | Vibrates | Rotates + Pulsates |
| Pressure Sensor | Yes | Some Models |
| Timer | Yes | Yes |
| Modes | 3 | Up to 7 |
| Battery Life | 10 days | 7-10 days |
| Travel Case | Yes | Some Models |
| App Connectivity | Yes | Some Models |
| Warranty | 1 year | 2 years |
| Price | $69.99-$99.99 | $39.99-$219.99 |
Overview of hum by Colgate
The hum by Colgate is a relatively new player in the electric toothbrush market, having launched in 2019. However, it has quickly gained attention for its innovative features.
Some key things to know about the hum electric toothbrush:
- Comes with slim, proprietary brush heads that use soft nylon bristles
- Features a sonic vibration cleaning mode that pulsates at a very high speed
- Has an automatic timer that pulses every 30 seconds to prompt you to switch areas
- Contains a pressure sensor that lights up if you brush too hard
- Provides 3 brushing modes: normal clean, sensitive, and gum care
- Lasts up to 10 days on a single charge
- Includes a USB charging travel case for portability
- Connects to the hum app by Colgate for personalized brushing programs and tracking
- Backed by a 1 year limited warranty
- Priced between $69.99-$99.99
The slim, proprietary brush heads are designed to clean hard-to-reach spots. The soft nylon bristles are gentle on teeth and gums. The sonic vibrations allow it to clean effectively while remaining quiet. The pressure sensor protects enamel and gums from excess pressure. And the hum app integration allows for a high-tech brushing experience.
Overview of Oral-B Electric Toothbrushes
Oral-B is one of the most popular and established electric toothbrush brands. Here are some key features of Oral-B toothbrushes:
- Uses interchangeable brush heads that click into place
- Bristles have angled, criss-cross arrangements for precision cleaning
- Bristle stiffness ranges from extra soft to firm options
- Rotating-Oscillating movement to break up plaque
- Some models feature pulsations for sweeping motion
- Certain models have pressure sensors that stop pulsations if pressed too hard
- Most have quadpacer timers that beep every 30 seconds
- Brushing modes can include daily clean, gum care, sensitive, whitening, deep clean, tongue clean
- Battery lasts 7-10 days depending on model
- Travel cases available for portable models
- Some connect to the Oral-B app for customized brushing programs
- Backed by a 2 year limited warranty
- Price range from $39.99 for basic models up to $219.99 for advanced models
The interchangeable brush heads allow you to choose the texture you need. The special bristle arrangements reach hard-to-clean areas. The rotating-oscillating movement provides a deep clean. And app connectivity allows personalized brushing on some models.
Also Read: Comaparison Between hum and Sonicare
Key Differences Between hum and Oral-B
Now let’s take a deeper, comprehensive look at how hum and Oral-B electric toothbrushes compare across important categories:
Brush Heads
The hum uses proprietary brush heads that are slimmer and sleeker than the average brush head. They are designed specifically for the hum’s sonic vibration cleaning system.
The slim profile allows the brush head to better reach back teeth and other hard-to-access areas in the mouth. The bristles are soft nylon packed densely into the head.
In contrast, Oral-B uses interchangeable brush heads that are compatible across their line of electric toothbrushes. The brush heads click into place using Oral-B’s specially designed mechanism.
This allows you to use any Oral-B brush head on your handle, choosing from options like precision clean, 3D white, sensitive, deep sweep, and more.
The bristles are arranged using angled, criss-cross patterns for targeted cleaning of teeth. Bristle stiffness varies from soft to medium to firm options.
Overall, the hum’s proprietary heads may fit better but limit options, while Oral-B’s interchangeable heads provide more versatility.
Bristle Type
The hum electric toothbrush uses soft, flexible nylon bristles. Nylon is a common bristle type found on many manual and electric toothbrushes. The soft texture helps prevent damage to enamel and irritation to gums. hum’s brush heads have dense tufts of nylon bristles cut to a uniform length for a consistent clean and sweeping away of plaque.
In comparison, Oral-B uses a mix of nylon and PBT polymer bristles. The PBT bristles are designed to be durable and retain their stiffness for months. Oral-B combines nylon and PBT bristles to balance cleaning efficacy and gentleness. Their brush heads tend to have bristles of varying lengths and diameters too. This mixture allows for targeted cleaning of teeth.
Overall, hum focuses on softness and comfort, while Oral-B offers a blend of materials for a balance between gentle and deep cleaning.
Bristle Texture
The hum electric toothbrush heads have soft nylon bristles. This provides a gentle brushing experience that minimizes irritation to gums and enamel damage. The soft texture caters to sensitive teeth and gums.
Comparatively, Oral-B electric toothbrushes have brush heads available in soft, medium, and firm bristle stiffnesses. The softest is for sensitive teeth.
The medium is meant for most users and everyday cleaning. The firm texture provides the deepest clean for those who want vigorous plaque removal. This range of textures caters to all preferences and needs.
In summary, hum has uniform soft bristles, while Oral-B offers more choices in bristle stiffness.
Also Read: Also Read: Comparison Between the Oral-B Genius X and 5000
Brush Head Movement
The hum toothbrush relies on high speed vibrations – up to 19,000 brush strokes per minute. This creates a dynamic fluid action that helps clean away plaque.
The proprietary brush heads vibrate rapidly to break up and sweep away biofilm. This sonic technology is designed to be quieter than oscillating brushes while still providing cleaning power.
Oral-B electric toothbrushes use a mechanical rotating-oscillating mechanism. This round head moves in rapid circles first in one direction, then the other. The rotations help break up plaque while the oscillations sweep it away.
Higher-end Oral-B models add pulsations to this movement. Pulsations create an extra brushing motion for removing debris. These mechanical motions aim to replicate the movement of a manual toothbrush.
In summary, the hum relies on high-speed vibrations, while Oral-B uses a combination of rotations and oscillations for thorough cleaning.
Pressure Sensor
The hum electric toothbrush has a built-in pressure sensor that lights up if you brush too hard. This helps protect your enamel and gums by reminding you to ease off pressure. Many people brush aggressively without realizing it, which can lead to damaged enamel and receding gums over time.
For Oral-B, only certain premium models contain pressure sensors. Lower-end Oral-B brushes do not have this technology. When present, the pressure sensor will temporarily pause the pulsations if you press too hard while brushing your teeth. This alerts you to be gentler.
In short, the hum has a pressure sensor across all models, but Oral-B only includes this feature on select high-end brushes.
Timer
Both the hum and Oral-B electric toothbrushes have a built-in timer that helps you brush for the dentist-recommended 2 minutes.
The hum timer pulses every 30 seconds to remind you to move to a different quadrant of your mouth. This ensures equal brushing time for all areas.
The Oral-B quadpacer also beeps every 30 seconds as a signal to switch quadrants. Some Oral-B models even split each quadrant interval into smaller 10 or 20 second intervals for more precision.
In essence, both hum and Oral-B have excellent timers to encourage proper brushing technique and time.
Modes
The hum sonic toothbrush offers 3 brushing modes:
- Clean – For standard optimal daily cleaning
- Sensitive – Lowers vibrations for gentler brushing
- Gum Care – Focuses vibrations on stimulating gums
In comparison, Oral-B electric toothbrushes can offer anywhere from 2 to 7 custom cleaning modes depending on the model:
- Daily Clean – For regular plaque removal
- Gum Care – Massages gums
- Sensitive – Gentle motions for sore gums
- Whitening – Polishes surface stains
- Deep Clean/Pro Clean – Boosted cleaning for stubborn plaque
- Tongue Cleaner – Removes bacteria from the tongue
As you can see, Oral-B offers more versatility in cleaning modes depending on your needs and priorities. However, the hum modes cover the basics effectively.
Battery Life
The rechargeable battery in the hum electric toothbrush lasts approximately 10 days from a single full charge. This is on par with the battery life of most mid-range to premium electric toothbrushes. It provides over two weeks of cleanings from one charge.
Oral-B toothbrushes typically advertise around 7-10 days of battery life, depending on the specific model. Entry-level Oral-B brushes may last only 5-7 days. Higher-end models with advanced features can run for 10-14 days on one full charge. So the ranges are similar between hum and Oral-B.
In essence, both brands offer comparable battery performance of about 1-2 weeks of runtime before needing to recharge.
Travel Case
The hum electric toothbrush comes with a portable USB charging travel case. This stylish case protects the brush when traveling and charges it via USB. The case has a built-in battery that holds enough charge for up to 3 full brush cycles. This makes the hum convenient for taking on the go.
For Oral-B, travel cases are sold separately and not included with most models. However, many Oral-B electric toothbrushes are available in portable versions that come with a protective case.
The cases allow brushes like the Oral-B Pro 5000 and 6000 models to hold a charge for up to two weeks of travel.
So in summary, the hum includes a nice travel case, while Oral-B offers them separately for portable models.
Also Read: Comparison Between Hum and Burst
App Connectivity
The hum electric toothbrush links directly to the hum app by Colgate. When paired via Bluetooth, the app acts as your personal brushing coach. It tracks your habits, monitors techniques, and gives tips for improving your oral health routine. hum even offers customized brushing plans and goals based on your needs and lifestyle.
Some higher-tier Oral-B electric toothbrushes also integrate app connectivity. For example, the Oral-B Genius X pairs with the Oral-B app to provide real-time feedback and personalized brushing plans. However, many lower-priced Oral-B models do not have Bluetooth capability. So app connectivity varies.
Overall, both hum and Oral-B offer app integration on select models for users that want a high-tech brushing experience and progress tracking. But the capability is standard on all hum brushes.
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Warranty
The hum electric toothbrush comes with a 1 year limited warranty. This warranty covers defects in materials and manufacturing for 12 months from the date of purchase. It provides peace of mind in case you experience issues with your brush.
Comparatively, Oral-B electric toothbrushes come standard with a 2 year limited warranty – twice that of hum. So you get an extra year of coverage against defects. However, for higher price points, Oral-B also offers the option to extend warranties up to 5 years for an added cost.
Therefore, in terms of included warranty length, Oral-B offers better coverage at 2 years versus just 1 year for hum. But hum’s 1 year warranty is still solid for a brush in its price range.
Price
The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the hum by Colgate electric toothbrush ranges from $69.99-$99.99. This positions hum in the affordable to mid-range price tier for electric toothbrushes.
Oral-B electric toothbrushes have a wider price range that covers low, mid, and premium tiers. The cheapest Oral-B models retail for around $39.99. Mid-range models cost between $50-$100. Higher-tech models with extras like Bluetooth connectivity and travel cases go up to $219.99.
The hum toothbrush sits at a comfortable mid-range price, while Oral-B has options spanning affordable entry-level to advanced premium electric toothbrushes.
Also Read: Comparison Among Sonicare C3, G3 And W3 Electric Toothbrushes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, the hum by Colgate is considered a good quality electric toothbrush. It features innovative sonic vibration technology, soft brush head bristles, built-in pressure sensor, travel case, and app connectivity. Reviews indicate that users are happy with its cleaning performance and features for the price. The hum provides an affordable high-tech brushing experience.
Oral-B and Philips Sonicare consistently rank among the highest quality electric toothbrush brands in testing and reviews. However, newer brands like hum show promise too. Ultimately, it depends on your priorities and budget. Oral-B offers the most versatility in brush heads and cleaning modes, while Sonicare and hum provide a gentler brushing motion for sensitive mouths.
For the price, the hum is a worthwhile electric toothbrush option. It delivers comparable cleaning and convenience as more expensive brushes thanks to its slim sonic brush heads, built-in quadpacer and pressure sensor, long battery life, travel case, and app connectivity. The soft bristles make it comfortable to use. Overall, hum represents a solid value in an electric toothbrush.
The main competitors to Oral-B electric toothbrushes are Philips Sonicare and hum by Colgate. Sonicare is known for its sonic cleaning technology and variety of brush heads. hum offers similar sonic vibration at a lower price point. Other brands like Quip, Fairywill, and Greater Goods also compete with Oral-B in the electric toothbrush space, but with more limited features.
Final Thoughts
When comparing hum vs Oral-B electric toothbrushes, Oral-B offers more versatility with its array of brush heads and cleaning modes.
However, the new hum sonic toothbrush puts up strong competition with its comfortable soft bristles, built-in timer and pressure sensor, and app connectivity. hum represents an affordable entry point into high-tech electric toothbrushing.
Ultimately, it comes down to your budget and desired features. But both Oral-B and hum make excellent electric toothbrush choices that outperform manual brushing.