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When you’re traveling, the last thing that should cause you stress is your toothbrush. Sure, it’s one of your travel essentials. However, with more pressing concerns during a trip, you don’t need the added worry of possible mold growth on the toothbrush you wrapped in a plastic bag.
Getting the right storage for your toothbrush is essential. We’ve already mentioned the possibility of mold in the damp environment of a plastic bag. Moreover, leaving a toothbrush uncovered and surrounded by the rest of your luggage risks contamination.
Your toothbrush is an indispensable tool for good dental hygiene during your trip. So in this post, we’ve reviewed 9 best travel toothbrushes to keep your teeth clean and your breath fresh while you’re on the go and away from home.
Before we introduce to you the best brands in all the categories, let’s first talk about why it is necessary to have the best travel toothbrush for your next vacation.
Don't have the time read the entire review?
Now, if you're a busy person who doesn't have time to read this entire review, then we've simplified everything. Here is a table to provide you with a quick rating of the best travel toothbrushes.
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Best Overall Choice: Philips Sonicare HealthyWhite+ Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Runner-Up Option: AquaSonic Black Series Ultra Whitening Toothbrush | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best Value for the Money: MOUTHWATCHERS Doctor Plotka's Antimicrobial Floss Bristle Silver Folding Travel Toothbrush | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Most Budget-Friendly: Colgate Travel Toothbrush | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best Manual Travel Toothbrush: Radius Tour Travel Toothbrush | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best Disposable Toothbrush: Colgate Max Fresh Wisp Disposable Mini Toothbrush | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best Electric Toothbrush for Sensitive: Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 5100 Rechargeable Toothbrush | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best Travel Toothbrush for Kids: Oral-B Kids Electric Toothbrush With Coaching Pressure Sensor and Timer | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best Battery Operated Travel Toothbrush: Violife Slim Sonic Toothbrush | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
Why do You Need the Right Travel Toothbrush?
Sometimes it’s easiest to compromise on the things you take with you when you travel. You might not want to risk ruining your best suit, so you pick a spare one out of the back of your closet, or you’d hate for your top-quality toiletries to be destroyed, so you pick up a cheap travel-size alternative to last you the week.
However, you don’t want to compromise on ensuring proper oral health, even while you’re on the move. Whether you’re on a business trip or you’re taking a long overdue vacation, you can’t take a break from properly tending to your oral health. Taking the right toothbrush along with you when you travel guarantees that you can take care of your dental hygiene while you’re away from home.
Also, planning ahead of time and doing your research (such as reading this article) ensures that you’re using the right toothbrush for your oral hygiene needs. Thinking that you can just buy a toothbrush at your destination often results in making one of the aforementioned compromises, as you are stuck getting the wrong kind of toothbrush (bristles are too hard or head is too big) or there’s no available toothbrush for sale at your destination.
Using a medium or hard-bristled toothbrush can not only wear away your enamel, but it can also damage your gums, so you don’t want to take the risk of being stuck with these harsh toothbrushes when you’re traveling.
It’s important to have the right travel toothbrush for hygiene purposes. Aside from wanting to keep your body protected from unwanted germs and bacteria in general, you want to make an especially strong effort to do this while you’re traveling so you don’t end up getting sick when you’re away from home.
Travel toothbrushes are designed to prevent the risk of bacterial contamination and mold growth, especially since you’re storing it in close proximity with the rest of your personal belongings that could be holding onto a variety of germs.
Finally, you need the right travel toothbrush for ease of transport. A full-sized, regular toothbrush is often bulky, while travel toothbrushes are designed so that they can be folded or stored in a compact way to make it fit more conveniently in your luggage.
Furthermore, if you have a compact toothbrush, you can stay fresh during the day even when you aren’t traveling+ by easily storing it in your work bag. Your toothbrush is an essential personal care item that can help you maintain fresh breath, healthy teeth, and make a solid first impression. You never know when a travel toothbrush can come in handy.
Now that you know why you need a great travel toothbrush, let’s look at some of the factors that may make one travel toothbrush more ideal for you than another.
What are the Things to Consider When Looking for the Best Travel Toothbrush?
The choice of the best travel toothbrush actually depends on the kind of trip you’re taking. Some factors to consider are the duration of your trip, your reasons for traveling, and what mode of transport you’ll be taking. With these factors in mind, here are some things to look out for when looking for the ideal toothbrush.
If you prefer a manual foldable toothbrush, make sure to choose one that completely encompasses the bristles when it’s folded and has proper ventilation to discourage mold growth. You don’t want the bristles on your toothbrush to be vulnerable to contamination by coming in contact with any other materials, even if it is your own belongings.
If you prefer a full-sized non-folding toothbrush, get a travel case with vents and possibly a UV light sanitizer to prevent mold and bacteria growth. Having a travel case can help shield your toothbrush from contaminants, but if the case itself has germs on it, it won’t be very effective.
When you're traveling, make it a habit to unpack your toothbrush and take it out of its case as soon as you’re settled. Dark and moist areas create ideal conditions for germs to grow, so allowing your toothbrush to air out as much as possible is important.
If you prefer an electric toothbrush while you travel, make sure to get one that has a long battery life–ideally over two weeks. This way, you don’t have to worry about bringing a bulky charger or finding an outlet to use to plug in your toothbrush.
Other Features to Look For
Bristles. Choose the softest bristles you can find for comfort and better cleaning ability. Harder bristles can lead to receding gums and tooth sensitivity, and the truth is, a soft toothbrush is equally as effective as a hard brush when it comes to removing plaque and getting your teeth clean.
If you’re concerned that you won’t be able to clean your teeth well with a soft toothbrush, you might need to analyze your brushing technique. Make sure that you angle your toothbrush so the bristles are moving toward your gum line, and brush with gentle, circular strokes. You only need to use a little bit of pressure to fully clean your teeth. Focus more on the amount of time you spend brushing rather than how much force you’re using.
Head. A smaller head has been proven to clean more effectively than larger-headed toothbrushes. This is because it’s easier to reach the back of your teeth and the smaller bristles can make more contact with the deeper nooks and crannies of your teeth and the space in between your teeth.
Extra cleaning features. If you have specific needs for dental hygiene because of braces or sensitive teeth or gums, choose a travel toothbrush with features that can accommodate your needs. Any orthodontic treatment is expensive, so you don’t want to risk damaging the wires of braces by using the wrong toothbrush. If you’re dealing with sensitivity, you know the importance of taking the extra steps to ensure your toothbrush is gentle and will not further recede your gum line.
Meets travel regulations. If your toothbrush comes in a kit, the size of the toothpaste tube should meet airline regulations to ensure that you can take it in your carry-on. You certainly don’t want to go through all the trouble of researching and picking out the perfect toothbrush for your needs just to have it confiscated at the airport.
Now let’s take a thorough look at some of the options for the best travel toothbrushes that are on the market today.
Best Travel Toothbrush Options for Your Trips
1. Best Overall Choice: Philips Sonicare HealthyWhite+ Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush
Philips Sonicare is one of the most trusted and recommended brands in electric toothbrushes, and this model gives you all the quality and reliability of a Sonicare in a travel version that can go anywhere. This toothbrush promotes healthy teeth and gums, along with safe and comfortable whitening, with a long battery life and rugged travel case. It's everything you need in a toothbrush for every day, or on the road.
The Philips Sonicare HealthyWhite+ Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush has advanced sonic technology that creates microbubbles for deep cleaning between teeth and along the gumline, creating up to 31,000 brushstrokes per minute. It gently removes up to 7x more plaque from hard to reach areas, and 100% more stains than a manual toothbrush. It has a Quadpacer and Smartimer to guide you through optimal brush pacing and timing, so you always know you're getting your teeth clean effectively.
It has six customizable intensity settings, so you can choose between cleaning and whitening modes, and adjust the intensity levels for comfort and a brighter smile. The long-life battery lasts for up to 3 weeks and has a compact charger to save space in your bathroom. The color-change battery indicator lets you know when it's time for a charge.
The Philips Sonicare HealthyWhite+ Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush comes with the toothbrush, a DiamondClean brush head that effectively deep cleans, whitens, and removes plaque, a 110-240V travel charger, and a hard travel case.
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2. Runner-Up Option: AquaSonic Black Series Ultra Whitening Toothbrush
If you’re looking for a travel toothbrush that covers the bases for features, price, and performance, the AquaSonic is worth a try.
This affordable portable electric toothbrush option provides deep cleaning power guaranteed to take off plaque and whiten and polish teeth. Its waterproof design and long-lasting lithium-ion battery make it the ideal dental care item to take while traveling.
Its ultrasonic motor provides 40,000 vibrations per minute (equivalent to an entire month of manually brushing your teeth), ensuring healthy teeth and gums by completely removing all plaque and food particle residues with every use. The toothbrush lets you know it’s time to move to the next section of your mouth through its 30-second intermittent pauses and automatically stops after the two-minute mark.
The AquaSonic offers four vibration modes to choose from (massage, clean, soft, and whiten), providing options for different users’ dental-cleaning needs. The toothbrush’s sleek matte design provides a luxurious feel when you’re using it, and when you purchase this product, it comes with a hard-shell case. Moreover, you get eight replacement heads good for two years of use, depending on your usage frequency. It also provides wireless charging, doing away with the hassle of packing up and looking after additional chargers. A full charge can last up to 30 days.
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3. Best Value for the Money: Mouthwatchers Doctor Ploka’s Antimicrobial Floss Bristle Silver Folding Travel Toothbrush
This is the best manual travel toothbrush with natural antimicrobial properties. It features silver that is infused into the bristles that naturally eliminate 99% of any bacteria that start to build up on the bristles within 6 hours. Because bacteria can’t survive on this brush, you’re brushing your teeth with a sterile brush every time.
These brushes are also very durable, lasting four months versus the typical three-month lifespan of a toothbrush. This is due to the unique recovery properties of the patent-pending polyester bristles, which are 1/100th the diameter of human hair and 10 times thinner than ordinary bristles. The bristles are soft, yet firm, allowing them to break down plaque in hard-to-reach areas without damaging your gums or enamel.
These brushes come with a comfort-grip handle and a folding cover that protects the bristles from contamination. Each brush has a one-inch head.
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4. Most Budget-Friendly: Colgate Travel Toothbrush
This is the best option for a manual travel toothbrush. This toothbrush is easy to carry with you on-the-go because it folds into a compact size and takes up a very small amount of space. It has a folding cover to keep bristles clean to ensure that your toothbrush stays sanitary until its next use. The cap even has a vent to keep the toothbrush dry between uses or when it is in storage.
This brush offers two levels of bristles to reach the crevices between your teeth as well as the surface area. It is very lightweight and comes with a lightweight holder that won’t add a burden to your luggage. It is shorter than the average brush, even when extended from its folded position, but it has a wider handle that will fit easily in your hand.
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5. Best Manual Travel Toothbrush: Radius Tour Travel Toothbrush
The Radius Tour Travel Toothbrush has a clever folding jack-knife design, in which the replaceable head folds down into the handle for compact, convenient, sanitary travel. This manual toothbrush is also environmentally friendly, affordable, made in the USA, and effectively cleans teeth and promotes healthy gums. It's the perfect manual travel toothbrush.
The Radius Tour Travel Toothbrush has a folding design where the head snaps down into the handle, for safe and clean travel use. The cleaning toothbrush heads are reusable and replaceable, so it's a toothbrush you can use for years and years, with reduced impact on the environment. Speaking of the environment, these toothbrushes have a wood-based handle and vegetable-based bristles, so it has no petroleum, BPA, phthalates, lead, or latex. It's non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty free.
The slim-neck brush design and soft bristles help you reach tight spaces in the mouth, and gently massage gum tissue for cleaning that doesn't cause discomfort. Radius toothbrushes are made in the USA by a woman-owned company, packaged in recycled and sustainable packaging.
The Radius Tour Travel Toothbrush comes in a pack of three color-coded brushes, so you can have one for the whole family. Replacement brush heads are available with soft, super-soft, and medium bristles.
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6. Best Disposable Toothbrush: Colgate Max Fresh Wisp Disposable Mini Toothbrush
This is the best option for a disposable toothbrush. Its bristles gently remove germs and food particles, even if they are stuck in braces or other orthodontics. This is also a convenient brush to take on-the-go, as it is a travel toothbrush that includes toothpaste inside. The built-in sugar-free freshening bead releases minty freshness without the need to rinse.
Because this brush is both compact and disposable, it is great to take with you on-the-go even if you’re not traveling. It is also lightweight, so it won’t add unnecessary weight to your already heavy load. You can choose your flavor between peppermint and spearmint, so you can freshen up to your liking. Finally, it includes a soft pick at the base to help you remove food particles from areas that may be hard to reach.
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7. Best Electric Toothbrush for Sensitive: Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 5100 Rechargeable Toothbrush
This is the best electric travel toothbrush for sensitive gums, as it offers unique sonic technology to loosen up and remove plaque, offering you an effective, yet gentle, cleaning experience. The toothbrush has a built-in pressure sensor to alert you if you're putting too much pressure on your teeth, so you can protect your teeth and gums from excess wear.
It also comes with BrushSync technology in the head of the toothbrush to automatically apply the optimal intensity of brushing for your teeth. So if you have sensitive gums, you can select the “gum care” brush head and the toothbrush will automatically choose the best mode for your gums.
BrushSync also keeps track of how you long you've been using a brush head and how much pressure you apply when you brush. This lets the brush know when to alert you to replace the head so you can always know that your toothbrush is in optimal condition.
The convenient travel toothbrush holder is great for easy transport and hygienic storage, and the compact travel charger keeps your toothbrush charged while you’re traveling. However, you will be able to go two weeks using a single full charge, but if you need to go on a longer trip, the charger will not take up a lot of space in your luggage.
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8. Best Travel Toothbrush for Kids: Oral-B Kids Electric Toothbrush With Coaching Pressure Sensor and Timer
This is the best travel toothbrush for kids, who also need to maintain proper oral hygiene while traveling. It features a visible, light-up pressure sensor and a 2-minute timer, which helps kids give their teeth a gentle, yet effective, brushing. The sensor will alert kids if they apply too much pressure to help prevent them from scrubbing their teeth too hard and potentially damaging them.
This toothbrush is able to remove more plaque than a typical manual option, and the gentle mode is great for children’s gums and teeth. The handle is versatile in that it can be used with the accompanying brush heads as well as any other Oral-B brush head replacement refill.
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9. Best Battery Operated Travel Toothbrush: Violife Slim Sonic Toothbrush
This is the best battery-operated travel toothbrush. It features a compact design so you can put it in your carry-on bag for ease of access. The unique component of this option is that it adds fashion to the functionality of a travel toothbrush. The toothbrush is held in a case that has a small, vented, snap-on mascara-style cap. You can keep it in your bag without any onlookers realizing it is a toothbrush.
With the simple press of a button, you will have 22,000 brush strokes per minute to give you a clean and healthy smile. It comes in a variety of colors to best suit your style and includes two brush heads that will each last you about three months with regular use.
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Final Thoughts on the Best Travel Toothbrushes
All the travel toothbrushes featured today are ideal for travel. However, the winner in today’s review is Philips Sonicare HealthyWhite+ Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush for its features, price, and function.
Connie Mathers is a professional editor and freelance writer. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. When she is not writing, Connie is either spending time with her daughter and two dogs, running, or working at her full-time job as a social worker in Richmond, VA.
