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Mar 17, 2024

Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 review: A gem of an electric toothbrush

By Aaron Toumazou Those who know their molars from their premolars will also know that when it comes to electric toothbrushes, oscillating and sonic varieties have long been at loggerheads. While

By Aaron Toumazou

Those who know their molars from their premolars will also know that when it comes to electric toothbrushes, oscillating and sonic varieties have long been at loggerheads. While market leader Oral-B has always favoured the former, Philips has doubled down on the school of sonic brushing, continuing to develop even sleeker, sexier models that pulse the plaque away – so long as you double it up with quality toothpaste.

The Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 is one such device that sets out to balance a high-end oral care tech spec with a design that won’t look out of place next to your carefully-curated Aesop tinctures. Employing advanced technologies your gnashers never knew they needed, it promises exceptional cleaning performance via various modes as well as longer-term dental upshots, all starting at the premium yet competitive price tag of £175. But is Philips’ market-leading sonic toothbrush a diamond by name and nature? We spent a month with the device to find out.

Much like books and their covers, even in the current era of visually-appealing devices, no toothbrush should be judged purely on appearance. Fortunately, the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 surpasses expectations and lives up to the praise bestowed upon it by dental professionals.

More than just a good-looking design, the DiamondClean 9000’s slim form offers practical advantages in manoeuvrability within the mouth. Unlike with bulkier electric toothbrushes, I was able to reach the depths of my wisdom teeth effortlessly, as well as the upper and lower edges of my gums. As a result, my mouth felt noticeably fresher by the time the toothbrush shut down intuitively at the two-minute mark.

Powered by the advanced sonic technology found throughout the range, this Sonicare toothbrush offers an impressive 31,000 brush pulses per minute, delivering a thorough and effective cleaning experience with next to no effort from he who stands before the mirror.

If upgrading from a lower-tier Philips toothbrush, these mouth-quivering vibrations will likely go unnoticed. If, like me, you’re transitioning from an oscillating model, your first few uses will likely tickle or even feel uncomfortable. This is because the DiamondClean 9000's bristles are densely packed and able to reach deeper around the contours of the teeth and along the gum line, compared to what you may be accustomed to. Any initial discomfort I experienced passed quickly, and the feeling become second nature – dare I say, enjoyable – within the week.

Past the getting-to-know-you phase of sonic brushing, one of the standout features of the DiamondClean 9000 is its four different brushing modes, each tailored to personalised oral care needs and boasting three intensity settings to tune to your liking. The major frustration for other branded toothbrushes is that each new mode can feel like only a slight variation on the last, but here we used each to achieve a different result, based on what we'd eaten.

Premium toothbrushes today are expected to not only aid in cleaning teeth but also provide assistance along the way. The Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 fulfils this expectation by incorporating intelligent sensors that offer real-time feedback on your brushing technique. It alerts you when you apply too much pressure and reminds you when it's time to replace the brush head.

For an extra boost, the DiamondClean 9000 can also be hooked up to the Sonicare app for more personalised progress reports that’ll chart your brushing technique over time. To me, this addition felt somewhat gimmicky and lacked the sophistication of the much-more expensive toothbrushes currently integrating this feature to the fullest, such as the Oral-B iO10.

One final noteworthy aspect of the DiamondClean 9000 to point out is its impressive battery life. We’ve all experienced the inconvenience of travelling with an electric toothbrush sans charger, only to be left searching the supermarket for a cheap manual alternative when it runs out of juice on day two of your trip. The DiamondClean 9000 alleviates this concern by providing a battery that lasts for two weeks of regular use, plus a slim carry-case that makes it easy to go away with.

If you’re looking to go sonic, this is the all-rounder you’ll want by your sink, balancing exceptional performance and luxurious design in equal measure. An oral-health master-of-all, its four modes offer versatility without overcomplicating matters, while its slender build and impressive battery life make it an ultra-convenient toothbrush to travel with.

While the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 might not have the full gamut of smart app features and added extras of much more expensive models, it’s a crowd-pleasing device with more than enough features to keep you busy in the five-ish minutes a day you’ll spend with it in your mouth. To that extent, it’s about the best smart toothbrush we’ve tried that you won’t have to sacrifice a substantial amount of your monthly paycheck for, more than holding its own when compared to devices from Oral-B’s iO-series.

The Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 toothbrush is currently available from £147 at amazon.co.uk, philips.co.uk, boots.com and argos.com