Oral-B iO6 review: A fantastic clean, but is it worth the money?

The Oral-B iO range has quickly become one of the most recognisable names among the best electric toothbrushes, offering everything from affordable entry-level models to premium brushes packed with smart features.

Over the years, we've tested the Oral-B iO2, iO3 and iO7, giving us a good understanding of where each model sits within the lineup. Now, the iO6 has arrived for review, positioning itself as a premium mid-range option that still commands a significant price tag.

This raises the question of whether the iO6 offers enough over its cheaper siblings to justify the extra cost, or are you better off saving your money and avoiding it altogether. After several weeks of testing, here's how the Oral-B iO6 performed.

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Price and availability

The Oral-B iO6 carries an RRP of £300, but like many Oral-B toothbrushes, it's frequently and generously discounted. At the time of writing, it's available for around £105 at both Currys and AO, making it a far more tempting proposition than its original price suggests.

It's available in Black, Pink or Silver Grey, and comes bundled with an iO brush head, travel case, magnetic charger and a hygienic brush head holder.

Design and features

The Oral-B iO6 sits firmly towards the premium end of Oral-B's lineup. The handle is slim, smooth and comfortable to hold, with a matte finish that feels premium in the hand whilst providing extra grip when wet.

At the centre of the handle is a small interactive black-and-white display that shows brushing modes, battery information, brush head replacement reminders and post-brushing feedback.

Whilst it's not as advanced as the colour display found on the more expensive iO8 and iO10 models, it still adds a premium touch and makes navigating settings far easier than relying on a collection of flashing LEDs. The toothbrush itself is controlled via two simple buttons – one for power and one for cycling through brushing modes.

The headline feature of the iO6 is Oral-B's magnetic iO drive system. Rather than relying solely on the oscillating movement found on older Oral-B brushes, the iO6 combines oscillation and rotation with gentle micro-vibrations. The result is a brushing experience that feels noticeably smoother and quieter whilst still delivering a deep clean.

The iO6 offers five cleaning modes, including Gum Care, Intense, Daily Clean, Sensitive and Whiten. There's also a 360-degree pressure sensor, with the illuminated ring around the neck of the brush changing colour depending on how hard you're brushing. Red indicates too much pressure, green confirms you're brushing correctly and white suggests you're not applying enough.

The iO6 also includes Bluetooth connectivity and works alongside the Oral-B app. Once connected, the app can provide real-time coaching, track brushing coverage and help ensure you're spending enough time on all areas of your mouth. For users who enjoy data-driven health tracking, it can even integrate with Apple Health.

Other premium features include a built-in two-minute timer, quadrant pacing to ensure even brushing, brush head replacement reminders and personalised brushing feedback.

Performance

For me, the cleaning performance is where the Oral-B iO6 really stands out, and throughout testing, my teeth consistently felt exceptionally clean after every brush. I found myself using the Daily Clean mode most often, and it struck a great balance between power and comfort.

One of my favourite features during testing was the built-in display. It might sound like a small addition, but being able to see exactly how long I'd been brushing for and how much time I had left made a strong difference to my routine. The feedback screen at the end of each session also made the whole experience feel more interactive and engaging.

I also really liked the illuminated pressure-sensing ring, which provides instant feedback if you're brushing too hard. Combined with Oral-B's clever iO brush heads, which gradually fade in colour as they wear out and need replacing, it's a very easy toothbrush to use and maintain.

The included travel case is also great, particularly for frequent travellers. It keeps everything protected in a suitcase, making the iO6 easy enough to throw into a bag for weekends away. I'm not entirely sure why there's space for two brush heads, but having a back up is always a good thing I suppose?

That said, there are a few frustrations. My biggest gripe is the lack of a proper stand or dock. Instead, the toothbrush sits directly on your bathroom surface, which can quickly become messy after brushing. Having recently used the magnetic pebble included with the SURI 2.0, it's something I noticed immediately and missed throughout testing.

Battery performance was another disappointment. A full recharge from empty took around 24-30 hours, which feels incredibly slow by modern standards, and once fully charged, I was only getting around one and a half to two weeks of use. Compared to rivals like the SURI 2.0 and Quip Lite, which can often last between 30 and 50 days between charges, that's a significant difference.

Factor in the relatively high price tag and the fact there are cheaper toothbrushes elsewhere in the iO range that deliver a very similar clean, and it becomes harder to fully justify the premium.

Verdict

The Oral-B iO6 delivers an excellent clean, feels premium in the hand and includes useful additions such as the interactive display, pressure-sensing ring and intelligent brush head reminders. Throughout testing, it consistently left my teeth feeling polished and fresh, whilst making the whole brushing experience more engaging than most electric toothbrushes manage.

However, the lengthy charging time, relatively average battery life and lack of a dedicated stand feel difficult to overlook at this price point. Add in the fact that cheaper models elsewhere in the iO lineup deliver a very similar cleaning experience, and the iO6 becomes harder to recommend at full retail price.

That said, if you can find it on one of Oral-B's frequent discounts, the iO6 becomes a much stronger proposition. For those who want a premium electric toothbrush packed with useful smart features, but don't feel the need to stretch to the flagship models, it's one of the strongest options in the range.

Alternatives to consider

If you like the idea of the Oral-B iO6 but don't think you'll use all of its extra features, I'd strongly recommend looking at the Oral-B iO2 instead. It's a much simpler toothbrush, but still offers three brushing modes, a quadrant timer, pressure sensor and travel case, whilst costing significantly less.

Another strong alternative is the Philips Sonicare 7100. It's also on the pricier side, but offers more advanced customisation options and delivers a different style of clean thanks to its sonic brushing technology rather than Oral-B's oscillating approach.