By consistently providing dental care devices that do exactly what they’re supposed to, Oral B is always looking to attract new customers and woo existing ones.
The Oral-B Smart 1500 is another on the list of feature-rich, no nuisance electric toothbrushes. If you already have the Pro 1500, you know what we mean. With a few additional changes and minor variations in design, performance, and cleaning modes, these two OralB electric toothbrushes are comparable, to say the least.
ADA-approved Oral-B 1500 seems to be precisely what I imagine an electric toothbrush to be. The affordable price, 3D cleaning, pressure sensor, quad timer, and multiple brushing modes are offerings I’d get my hands on.
Our Oral-B Smart 1500 review tells all about it: what’s good, what’s not so good, whether your gums need it, and whether or not it’s worth the upgrade.
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Things to Consider before Buying Oral B Smart 1500
The Oral B Smart 1500 has decent motor power and cleans gums effectively with 3 different cleaning modes. It promises to clean 500% more than regular brushes, so it fits your budget without compromising.
However, you should keep in mind that “smart” doesn’t indicate Bluetooth connectivity, as it usually does when referring to oral care devices as “smart.” So if you’re looking for an electric toothbrush that you can connect to your smartphone, this toothbrush mightn’t be for you.
Before buying the Oral-B Pro 1500, you should consider a few things.
Related reading: Oral B Pro 500 Review
Cleaning Efficiency
If you buy the Smart 1500, you’ll get a more thorough and precise clean and some degree of whitening.
If you want rotating, pulsating, and oscillating cleaning technology in your electric toothbrush, you should choose the Oral B Pro 1500.
Affordability
If you are looking for an electric toothbrush that offers the best value for your money, then you can’t deny that the Oral B Smart 1500 might be it.
We can see why the company chose to forgo add-ons like an extra travel case for the low price. If you want to spend a little less, the Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100 might also be a good choice for you.
Smart Technology
If you were hoping that Oral-B’s smart toothbrush would come with traditional Bluetooth technology, I’m sorry for bursting your bubble.
Keep in mind that this electric toothbrush doesn’t connect to your smartphone or any other device. The Oral B Pro 3000 offers Bluetooth technology in the Smart Series brushes.
Durability
It’s important to know how long your electric toothbrush will last. Since Oral B has enjoyed a good reputation for years, you can count on the company to make the longest-lasting electric toothbrushes on the market.
What is Oral B Smart 1500?
The Oral B Smart 1500 is an upgrade to Oral-B’s popular electric toothbrush, the Oral B Pro 1500.
If Oral-B’s own words are to be believed, the company claims that this affordable electric toothbrush can brush at least 5 times more efficiently than any other manual toothbrush.
The “Smart” in its name refers to the few technological features the toothbrush is equipped with. One of them is the visible pressure sensor that controls the amount of pressure on your gums.
With the 3 cleaning modes of oscillating, pulsating, and rotating 3D brush, this is one of Oral B’s electric toothbrushes that offers precisely what you need but at an affordable price.
So if you’re looking for an power toothbrush that cleans your teeth and helps with improving your gum health too, and at a reasonable price too, then this toothbrush could be the game-changer for you.
The electric toothbrush has a powerful Li-ion battery that lasts for about two weeks after charging.
While we doubt it’ll last 14 days straight, there’s no questioning its quad timer and pinpoint effectiveness in cleaning your teeth and gums.
Pros:
- Useful pressure sensor
- Keeping time made easy with timer
- Great value for the price
- Great battery life
- Multiple cleaning modes
Cons:
- No travel bag
- Not enough “smart” tech features
- Loud
Oral B Smart 1500 vs Pro 1500
After reviewing both, many other users of these electric toothbrushes kept asking why there were two different models of these brushes in the first place. That said, the differences between the Oral Smart 1500 and the Pro 1500 are tiny. However, there are a few differences in some essential features.
To make a long story short and save your time, if you don’t have a lot of time, I can’t call either of these brushes better than the other. If you’re looking for a solid answer to the question of which one cleans better, I’d say both clean as well as an electric toothbrush should. For daily brushing, both brushes provide a thorough cleaning of the teeth, and there’s little to complaints about the price.
While you won’t lose out if you choose the Pro 1500 over the Smart 1500 or vice versa, you’ll find that the two look very different. What I liked about the Pro 1500 is the rubber grip that continues to the bottom of the handle. This makes the Pro model much easier to hold than the smaller rubber grip on the Smart 1500.
Yet, the Smart 1500 toothbrush comes in 4 different colors, while the Pro 1500 is drab white only. Many people like to have a say in how their toothbrush looks and often opt for black or navy blue for the former toothbrush.
The visible pressure sensor is the main difference between the two toothbrushes that might lead many people to prefer Oral B’s Smart 1500. Without knowing how much pressure you’re putting on your teeth, you wouldn’t know if you’re even brushing the right way to begin with. And we agree with Oral B on this point and understand that the new electric toothbrush is designed to do just that.
Another selling point for the Smart 1500 is the different brushing modes. On paper, the upgraded version of the Pro 1500 has 3 cleaning modes. The additional whitening cleaning mode is what Oral B’s Pro 1500 lacks.
Although none of the 1500 models differ too much from the others when it comes to cleaning in the test, the Pro 1500 has the better motor power.
With more oscillations and pulsations per minute, the Pro 1500 may clean a little better than the Smart 1500. The Pro 1500 has 9,900 oscillations and 45,000 pulsations, while the Smart 1500 has 8,800 oscillations and 40,000 pulsations. You can do your cleaning calculations with that.
To sum it up, the Smart 1500 model stands out with the addition of the whitening cleaning mode and the rotating pressure sensor. Otherwise, the difference between the two models is minimal and both deliver excellent cleaning performance at comparable prices.
Features and Benefits
The Oral B Pro 1500 promises and delivers features galore. For the price, there are many features and connecting benefits. Here are the most important of them.
Technology
The Oral B 1500 promises to clean and remove all debris, plague, and bacteria 5 times better than any manual toothbrush. In our opinion, it does.
The electric toothbrush uses 3D cleaning technology to ensure that no corner of your mouth is left unattended. The 3D cleaning technology uses pulsating, rotating, and oscillating brushes to effectively remove intruders from your mouth. The pulsating effect after minute breaks is especially helpful in breaking up hard plaque that may have been lodged to your teeth for a while.
The Smart 1500 is powered by a powerful motor that uses 8,800 oscillations and 40,000 pulsations to ensure your teeth are sparkling clean. A certain degree of teeth whitening can also be achieved with different powers.
2/3 Cleaning Modes
One of the changes that the Smart model has over the Pro 1500 is the cleaning mode. The Oral-B Pro 1500 has 3 cleaning modes: Daily Clean, Sensitive, and Whitening.
For your everyday brushing, the Daily Clean mode has medium motor power. It, therefore, generates enough pressure to thoroughly clean the mouth.
The sensitive cleaning mode is for people with sensitive gums. Here the speed is changed to gentle, yet the cleaning is 100% thorough.
The whitening mode may not be the most effective. Still, a little polishing of the teeth never hurt anyone, and that’s exactly what you can achieve if you use this mode for a longer time.
Although you can change the cleaning mode with a single button, the default mode is daily cleaning.
If you believe you need more brushing modes, you should check out my recent comparison of Oral B 1500 vs 6000.
2-Minute Timer
Among other necessary features, the 2-minute timer along with the quad paces is what sets Oral B’s SmartSeries electric toothbrushes apart, and this model is no different.
Since dentists recommend that the optimal time to brush your teeth is 2 minutes, you’ll hold your brush for as long as recommended. The quad timing reminds you every 30 seconds that it’s time to change the brush’s position.
This way, you don’t have to brush for too long and only have to focus on one side of your teeth. In addition to the audible pause of the motor, you’ll also notice a notable change in pressure on the bristles.
If you care about your dental health, the timing of brushing can significantly affect the condition of your teeth. In most cases, people barely spend half a minute brushing their teeth without a timer. The alerts constantly remind you to reach all the ends and help in the consistent use of the electric toothbrush.
Pressure Sensor
The Oral B 1500’s visible pressure sensor is one of the most appreciated and intelligent features the company has included in this upgrade.
If you don’t know, the pressure sensor alerts you when it detects that you’re putting too much pressure on your teeth. If you press too hard, the light ring on the brush will glow a conspicuous red.
Although you’ll notice the ring light when it turns on, it’s nothing to worry about if you miss it.
That’s because the audible alert that comes when the motor changes tune to protect your teeth also serves as a warning signal. This is important because it can do more harm than good if you press too hard on your teeth, even if you use the best electric toothbrush.
Charger
Since the Smart 1500 is powered by a rechargeable battery, the unit is supplied with a 2-pin US charger. This charger is designed for a voltage of 110-130 V.
Lithium-Ion Battery
The Oral B Pro 1500 is powered by a lithium-ion battery that lasts about 2 weeks on a single full charge. It takes approximately 12 to 14 hours to fully charge the battery.
Thus, the company’s claim that the battery doesn’t consume much power for several days isn’t false. This is especially helpful for people who want to travel with their electric toothbrushes.
There’s also a battery status indicator LED, which glows red when your toothbrush is running low on charge. When charging, this LED lights up bright green.
Brush Heads
The Smart 1500 comes with an interchangeable CrossAction brush head, which is the company’s most positively reviewed and consistent brushing technology. As the name suggests, the bristles of the brush head are arranged to move in your mouth. The bristles move and dislodge accordingly. This removes all food particles and debris from every corner of your mouth.
A range of Oral-B brush heads are suitable for the Smart 1500 handle. The great advantage of this is that you can choose the head that best suits your needs. You can find the following brush heads for this model:
- FlossAction
- Precision Clean
- Sensitive 3D White
- Ortho Oral-B
- DeepSweep
The size of the brush head is small enough and helps clean your teeth more thoroughly. The indicator bristles of the Oral B brush head will provide you a visible warning when it’s time to change the brush.
Typically, you should replace the brush head every 3 months. Still, when you see the indicator bristles fading or turning yellow, you know it’s time.
Related reading: Oral B Pro 1000 vs Smart 1500 Comparison
Design
As for the design, Oral B has left little room for critics to ponder its precise and useful design.
Unlike the Oral B pro-1500, which is all white, the Smart 1500 scores with 4 different colors it’s available in. You can find the Smart 1500 in black, navy, light rose, and white. It also has the usual cylindrical and tall Oral B handle. However, the handle is thicker and might be challenging to control for people with smaller hands.
Since the rubber handle forms a small circle on the back, users’ only complaint was the slippery grip. The wider handle partially makes up for this loss of grip, while the grooves on the brush body also help.
Next to the replaceable brush head, you’ll find the battery, a button that doubles as a power button, and the controls that let you change the cleaning mode to your liking. When you press the button once, the brush turns on. With the second and third press, the toothbrush changes modes.
However, you’ve to keep in mind that the default cleaning mode is Daily Clean. When you press the button for the fourth time, the electric toothbrush turns off. Some people don’t like the one-button feature because there’s no additional indicator that shows the cleaning mode. I agree with this opinion and see this as a drawback as it can be a possible cause of frustration.
The pressure sensor is a visible red panel along the perimeter of the handle. Finally, the round brush head is small enough to reach the corners of the mouth for thorough cleaning.
User Feedback
When I browsed the internet for similar user experiences and reviews, it stood out to be that the Oral B Smart 1500 performed well among its users.
It looks like the Li-ion battery technology provides satisfying battery life. With a full charge time of 12 hours, the battery often lasts full 2 weeks, exactly what the company states in its feature highlight list. Impressive, I must say!
To people who want to focus on brushing their teeth, the Bluetooth feature doesn’t add much, it just adds to the price. That is why buyers of this toothbrush rarely complain about the lack of Bluetooth connectivity.
The only complaint voiced by some users was the loud noise and somewhat slippery grip. The notches at the back help tighten the hold, but a rubber panel along the handle would be an excellent addition. Despite the issue with the handle, it does not impact the brush’s cleaning performance.
Pros and Cons
Here is a list of benefits and drawbacks you can expect from the Oral B-Smart 1500.
Pros:
- 3D cleaning features
- Multiple cleaning modes are available
- Affordable price
- Quadpace timer helps keep track
- ADA approved
- Various brush head options
- Incredible battery life
- Multiple color options
- Lightweight and slim
Cons:
- It can be a bit noisy
- Does not come with a travel case
- No extra spare brush head
- No mode indicator
Related reading: Oral B 7000 vs 8000
Old Oral B Pro 1500
Do you want to know how to buy this toothbrush and save? I stumbled upon the Oral-B Kids Electric Sparkle & Shine toothbrush that looked similar to Pro 1500. I did a quick research and learned that the Oral-B Kids Electric Sparkle & Shine (and Star Wars) is, in fact, the Oral B Pro 1500 model sold in a different box labeled for kids. Some shoppers claim that the kid’s version is cheaper! Click here to see the Oral-B Kids electric toothbrush price and availability!
Conclusion
Not every electric toothbrush is suitable for your teeth. That’s why it’s important to think about what kind of toothbrush suits you and where you want to invest your money.
With powerful motor performance and a 3D cleaning effect, you can expect the brush to remove most plaque. With a quad timer and pressure sensor, this electric brush is excellent for anyone who wants to take care of their teeth on a daily basis. For the price, the battery life and durability of the material is enough before you need to invest in another electric toothbrush.
After reading the Oral B Smart 1500 review, you should check out the product here if you’re serious about cleaning your teeth.
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