It’s long been thought that brushing wasn’t enough, which is why regular flossing was invented in New Orleans, way back in 1819, but ever since then, people have generally had a love/hate relationship with it. They know that they should do it, but it’s not much fun when pulling a waxy strip of cotton between your teeth or cleaning them with interdental brushes.
So, enter the oral irrigator in 1962—invented by Aqua Tech Corporation, which later became Waterpik delivering a more enjoyable type of flossing.
Just as all domestic vacuum cleaners were called “Hoovers” when that brand became the most popular vacuum, so every water flosser is called a “Waterpik“. That’s what happens when your brand becomes the most popular on the market—it becomes synonymous with the thing that it does, and Waterpik has risen to that level of popularity. It is now the default name for water flossers, but which one should you choose? We look at five of the company’s products and see which works best.
What makes a water flosser so good at cleaning teeth thoroughly?
The reason that water flossers have become so popular is that they are so effective and enjoyable to use. Regular tooth brushing is known to clean the plaque and tartar from 60% of your enamel, but what about the other 40%? That’s where flossing comes in.
The spaces between your teeth are important to keep clean because when they trap food, they act like a petri dish in a laboratory, offering the perfect combination of organic material (food), warmth and moisture that bacteria love to grow in.
I’ve had sore and bleeding gums for a little while now, and brushing has often been uncomfortable, trying one of these technically-advanced water flossers has been something of a revelation because you don’t get anything like the amount of discomfort from applying a waterjet along the gum line compared to dragging bristles across it.
Once I had gotten over the novelty of using a Waterpik and gotten used to the technique (which does take a bit of getting used to) I put on my critical hat and started to think about what kind of features you getting for your money.
The main benefit (and this goes for all water flossers) is that nothing else is quite
so effective at cleaning your teeth with so little effort. You plug the thing in, fill the reservoir with water, switch it on, and then put the nozzle inside your mouth.
The best technique I find is to close your lips around it to make a seal. While one hand is holding the ‘wand’, the other needs to be on the controls and you need to be within spitting distance of a sink! So, you turn the thing on, the pressure builds up, and a waterjet shoots out of the nozzle, which you are holding close to a tooth. You let the powerful water pulses dislodge any debris, before moving onto the next tooth, but it doesn’t take very long at all before your mouth (See what I mean about that technique. It’s a little different to brushing…).
5 Best Waterpik flossers review
Waterpik Countertop WP-660
What’s in the Box?
- Waterpik WP-660 X 1
- Classic Jet Tip X 3
- Plaque Seeker Tip for Implants X 1
- Orthodontic Tip for Braces X 1
- Pik Pocket Tip X 1
- Toothbrush Tip X 1
With the WP-660, you can choose from 10 pressure settings with the pressure ranging from 10 to 100 PSI (0.689 to 6.895 Bar), you can start on the lower one just to get your senses used to this new experience. As you get more confident that you aren’t going to dislodge a tonsil, you can turn up the pressure to one that you’re comfortable with.
The flossing tip goes all the way up to more than 400ml water and 1400 pulses a minute, which feels strong enough to strip the paint off your car. Larger particles of food get blasted away, and 360° of rotation makes it easy to get the tip into the nooks and crannies where it needs to be. Those nozzles clip in and out quite easily, which makes them ideal for family usage.
You’ll notice from this picture that as well as the pressure settings you get two different modes. The Floss mode includes something called pulse modulation technology which is supposed to be better at removing plaque, and the Massage mode which feels gentler thanks to shorter pulses.
The Waterpik claims that it can remove up to 99.9% of plaque and is 50% better at improving your gum health than conventional string floss. I wouldn’t know how to measure these claims, but I can confirm that they do make your teeth feel very clean!
The WP-660 comes with seven flossing tips. They’re designed for different uses but chances are you aren’t going to be able to take advantage of all of them. Still, it’s nice to have a choice especially for family use, the WP-660 offers an tips storage space (holds 2 extra tips) under the reservoir lid so that you can share the flosser with your family easily.
You also get a one-minute timer and 30-second pacer to let you know when to switch from top to bottom teeth.
You get 90 seconds of constant water pressure so you shouldn’t have any need to stop and refill the tank half way through. I found it more than enough time to get my mouth so clean that it felt as if I had just come back from the dental hygienist.
Key features of WP-660
- Dimension: 4.7w x 3.8d x 10.35h (inches)
- Unit Weight: 1.46 Lbs (0.662 kg)
- Removes up to 99.9 % of plaque and gum health improvement
- 2 Flossing modes
- 10 pressure settings (from 10 to 100 PSI)
- 90 seconds flossing reservoir capacity
- 1-minute timer with 30-second pacer
- 7 color coded flossing tips included
- 3-year warranty
For more product specifications, please see our comprehensive analysis of:
Waterpik Countertop WP-670
What’s in the Box?
- Waterpik WP-670 X 1
- Classic Jet Tip X 3
- Plaque Seeker Tip for Implants X 1
- Orthodontic Tip for Braces X 1
- Pik Pocket Tip X 1
- Toothbrush Tip X 1
- Flosser Tip Storage Case X1
My experience with the WP-670 was pretty much the same as with the WP-660, for the simple reason that they are pretty much the same device.
Compared with the WP-660, the WP–670 comes with a storage case which holds four standard tips. While that might not sound too important, don’t forget that whichever one you buy is going to be sitting on your bathroom counter taking up space for a long time, so you might as well choose something that you can live with, right?
With the WP–670, you get multiple colour options, LED display, and a chrome finish. Here’s a look at the front plate of the 660 on the left and the 670 on the right. You can see from the knurling on the 670’s dial that the emphasis is on better looks.
The WP 660 is available in white, black and blue, while the WP-670 includes more choices including pink and teal.
In terms of usage, as I said, there is nothing to choose between them. They have all the same features and so naturally the WP-670 feels every bit as good to use as its cousin.
One thing that I noticed with both of them was that the motor is a little noisy in use, but it’s something that I soon got used to. The fact that it’s developing that much water pressure means it’s never going to be silent, but that’s something you might want to consider if you think it will put you off.
Key features of WP-670
- Dimension: 4.7w x 3.8d x 10.35h (inches)
- Unit Weight: 1.46 Lbs (0.662 kg)
- Removes up to 99.9 % of plaque and gum health improvement
- 2 Flossing modes
- 10 pressure settings (from 10 to 100 PSI)
- 90 seconds flossing reservoir capacity
- 1-minute timer with 30-second pacer
- 7 color coded flossing tips included
- 3-year warranty
For more specifications, please see our comprehensive analysis of:
Waterpik countertop WP-100
What’s in the Box?
- Waterpik WP-100 X 1
- Classic Jet Tip X 2
- Plaque Seeker Tip for Implants X 1
- Orthodontic Tip for Braces X 1
- Pik Pocket Tip X 1
- Toothbrush Tip X 1
The next one I tried was the WP-100. As you can see from the picture it looks a little more ‘plasticky’ than the first two, but maybe I’m being a bit harsh. If it had been the first one that I’d seen then I might have been perfectly happy with its looks.
It’s cheaper than those first two, and only loses a couple of features (namely massage mode and timer/pacer) and you also get one less classic jet tip. If you are only concerned with getting your teeth clean for less than you can probably live without those two.
The most significant differences on appearance including less color option (limited to white with blue accents) and more concise front panel (no LED indicator). In terms the product size (width and depth), the WP-100 will need 50% more occupying space than WP-660/670.
PIC: Concise design of WP-100
However, the WP-100 it still holds the same amount of water and equally powerful water pressure settings, the tips storage space is also preserved (on the top of the water reservoir). So, if you’re looking to save money but you still want to get the same kind of high-quality cleaning experience, this could be the water flosser for you.
Key features of WP-100:
- Dimension: 5.6w x 5.3d x 9.9h (inches)
- Unit Weight: 1.48 Lbs (0.671 kg)
- Removes up to 99.9 % of plaque and gum health improvement
- 10 pressure settings (from 10 to 100 PSI)
- 90 seconds flossing reservoir capacity
- 6 color coded flossing tips included
- 3-year warranty
For more specifications, please see our comprehensive analysis of:
Waterpik cordless WP-560
What’s in the Box?
- Waterpik WP-560 X 1
- Classic High-Pressure Jet Tip X 2
- Plaque Seeker Tip for Implants X 1
- Orthodontic Tip for Braces X 1
- Microfiber Travel Bag X 1
- Travel Water Plug X 1
- Flosser Tip Storage Case X1
- Charger X1
The WP–560 is a different beast entirely. The “cordless” means it is “portable” so you can carry it everywhere, so I think this model will be favored by travelers.
Compared with the “countertop” series, due to the more compact body, the WP-560 only has a 45-second flossing capacity (the reservoir contains 207ml water) and the water pressure has been reduced to 45 to 75 PSI (3.10 to 5.17 Bar) with the controlling of 3 pressure settings.
In everyday usage, it felt much less powerful than its corded cousins (this is one of reasons why the WP-560 works quieter than above three countertop models), and the reservoir seemed to run out quickly in comparison too. But I suppose I’ve been spoiled by the mains-powered versions, and this is a compromise with the WP-560 between power and portability. Sure, they could have made it with a 5-liter tank and put a car battery in it but you wouldn’t be picking it up! As it is, unless you have giant hands, the WP–560 is about as big as you’d want a water flosser to be.
Another key difference is that the cordless series have a separate power charger which features the magnetic connecting to the body, while the countertop series have integrated the power system into its body (No battery system).
The good thing is you don’t need to plug it in to take advantage of the four-hour rapid charge feature, so you can still give your gum line the VIP treatment even if you’re on a camping trip in the middle of nowhere.
Extras include as a tip storage case and a microfiber travel bag that should avoid any unpleasant leaks in your suitcase while you’re travelling.
You get a two-year warranty (one year less than the WP-100/660/670/), the global voltage makes it work anywhere in the world and as a bonus. It’s waterproof so you can take it into the shower with you. To me, this seems like the ultimate in luxury and it was a pleasure to use because for one thing, I could slobber everywhere and not have to worry about it!
Key features of WP-560
- Dimension: 2.8w x 4.0d x 11.6h (inches)
- Unit Weight: 0.80 Lbs (0.363 kg)
- Removes up to 99.9 % of plaque and gum health improvement
- 3 pressure settings (from 45 to 75 PSI)
- 45 seconds flossing reservoir capacity
- 4 color coded flossing tips, 1 travel bag, 1 travel plug included
- 2-year warranty
For more specifications, please see our comprehensive analysis of:
Best Cordless Water Flosser 2018
Waterpik cordless WP-360
What’s in the Box?
- Waterpik WP-360 X 1
- Classic Low-Pressure Jet Tip X 1
- Classic High-Pressure Jet Tip X 1
- Charger X1
Last but by no means least is the cheapest one that I tried. It’s another cordless design.
The WP–360 is basic, the 148ml water re just 30 seconds of flossing, but it still has 45 to 75 PSI (3.103 to 5.171 Bar) pressure range with two pressure settings and 1450 pulses per minute. So all-in-all you do get enough performance to clean your teeth well.
The Charging is via a socket built into the base, so it isn’t quite as elegant as the WP–560 and you can’t take it into the shower for that reason too.
It comes with 2 tips including a Low-Pressure Classic Jet Tip for gentle cleaning and the other High-Pressure Tip for deep cleaning. I used it twice a day and managed to get about 10-days’ use out of it, which seems pretty good.
Again, it still did a good job, even though it wasn’t as powerful as the others, and as it was about half the cost of the WP-560, I thought that the value for money was exceptional.
Refilling it was easy and using it daily was perfectly acceptable. I won’t pretend it was any better than that because I couldn’t use it in the shower since this flosser is non waterproof, and you know how much I like to do that!
Still, the WP-360 has a lot to offer and I can still recommend it as a great low-price portable water flosser.
Major features of WP-360:
- Dimension: 1.8w x 3.0d x 11.9h (inches)
- Unit Weight: 0.66 Lbs (0.299 kg)
- Removes up to 99.9 % of plaque and gum health improvement
- 2 pressure settings (from 45 to 75 PSI)
- 30 seconds flossing reservoir capacity
- 2 color coded flossing tips included
- 1-year warranty
For more specifications, please see our comprehensive analysis of:
Best Cordless Water Flosser 2018
Considerations and conclusions
Choosing an overall winner out of all of these water flossers is a little bit difficult since they all serve slightly different needs. But, of the two portable designs, I would go for the WP-560 because it offers the best trade-off between cost and features, and of the corded designs, I would choose the WP–660, because you get every feature of the WP–670, the differences only come from the accessories.
Extensive Readings
