Now there's a guaranteed way to better oral health. It's the new Philips Sonicare FlexCare electric toothbrush that adapts to your oral care needs. Search terms. Philips Sonicare FlexCare Sonic electric toothbrush. Advanced Cleaning. Removes up to 2x more plaque than a manual toothbrush. Shop Philips Sonicare 7 Series Flexcare + Toothbrush Cooper Frost at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. Price Match Guarantee.

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The FlexCare Plus is the entry into the top-end electric toothbrush models offered by Philips Sonicare – everything has been kicked up a notch, from features to accessories. The FlexCare promises a lot and for the most part delivers.

Join us as we examine everything you could possible want to know about the FlexCare Plus. Our detailed review will allow you to make the right choice when buying your new electric toothbrush.

Flexcare Models

There are three different models of the Flexcare. While they are similar in looks they have very different features and accesories.

FlexCare Platinum – The top model of the Flexcare range. Features 3 brushing speeds, 5 brushing modes, a hard travel case, a UV Sanitizer, travel charger and two brush heads. You can read our full review of the FlexCare Platinum here.

FlexCare Plus – The middle model of the FlexCare range and the subject of this review.

Flexcare – The basic model of the FlexCare range. Features 3 brushing modes, a deluxe charging base, a soft carry case and one brush head. Originally released in 2008, This model is becoming harder to track down and with such a small price difference between this and the superior FlexCare Plus we simply do not recommend it.

Unboxing The Sonicare FlexCare Plus

If you open up the box of your brand new FlexCare Plus, this is what you would find inside:

Let’s break it down:

• Sonicare FlexCare Plus handle
• Gum Health brush head
• Travel case
• Deluxe battery charger

Also included in the box is an instruction manual, coupons for savings on brush heads and other Philips Sonicare products as well as a product registration card.

Philips Sonicare FlexCare Plus

Sonicare Flexcare Plus Handle

The Flexcare Plus handle is a sleek mixture of Metalic and white plastic with a rubber back.

Located towards the top of the handle are two distinct buttons:

The top most button is your power button. Pressing this turns your toothbrush on and off. Nothing exciting here.

The next button down is a little more interesting. Pressing this button cycles through the different brushing modes.

While some Sonicare models combine the brush mode and power button into a single button. While a single button may look nicer design-wise, splitting the functions up into buttons is much more practical.

The buttons are set into what seems to be little more than a piece of metallic plastic:

But when you press the power button the panel bursts into life. Indicator lights hidden behind the panel light up to reveal what brushing mode you are using as the battery level indicator.

I will be examining the panel indicators in greater detail further down the review.

On the on the base of the handle you will find a small socket:

This socket keeps the FlexCare Plus upright when you place it down on the charger base. The small rod on the charger base slides inside and stops the toothbrush from toppling over.

Around the outside of the socket you can find information on the FlexCare Plus handle including:

• Model Number: – HX6960
• Battery: – Lithium-ion
• Country of Manufacture – China

Every single Sonicare toothbrush we have reviewed has been made in China and the FlexCare Plus is no different. While Oral-B manufacture most of their toothbrushes in Germany. There is no noticeable difference in build quality between the two brands.

If you flip the handle over you will find will see that the rear is covered in a white rubber grip:

No matter how wet or slippery your hands are, the rubber grip allows you to easily grasp the handle of the FlexCare Plus. The grip works so well that it seems strange that Philips Sonicare chose to remove it in favor of an all plastic case on the next model up, The Flexcare Platinum

Towards the bottom of the handle you can make out a small piece of raised rubber. The handle is round in shape and this piece of rubber acts as a stand, preventing the FlexCare Plus from rolling off your bathroom countertop and onto the floor.

You will find a small metal shaft sticking out the top of the handle.

The shaft is the part of the handle that you connect the brush head to. Simply slide the brush head over the shaft and it will lock into place. Removing the brush head is just as fast, a quick pull and it will come right off.

Because brush heads can be swapped out, it is not uncommon for people to share a single handle with more than one user. Each user has their own brush head and places it on the handle when they go to brush their teeth. Much more cost effective than buying an electric toothbrush for every single person in your home.

Philips Sonicare Whitening Toothbrush R…

Philips Sonicare FlexCare Plus

Sonicare FlexCare Plus Brush Head

A single brush head is included in the box. Sonicare calls this brush their ProResults Gum Health brush head. Despite the name, the brush head gives an exceptional clean to both your teeth and gums.

The bristles are end rounded providing a smother feel than bristles that are cut flat. While you won’t notice the difference on your teeth, the softer feel of the bristle ends is much more pleasant when it passes over your gums.

The Gum Health is roughly the same size in length as a traditional brush head but half as wide. The narrower bristle layout helps give you more control over the brush head, particularly around trouble spots like your back teeth.

If you prefer a larger brush head or perhaps one with a different bristle lay out then you will be pleased to know that Philips Sonicare has another 9 brush heads to choose from, click here for a comparison. With proper technique, all brush heads clean your teeth equally as well so it all comes down to personal preference.

If you look closely at the bristles you will discover that two clusters are a darker colored blue than the rest. These are the indicator bristles and with regular brushing, will begin to fade.

Dentists recommend you replace your toothbrush once every three months and the Sonicare brush heads are no different. The indicator bristles will fade around three months of use to remind you to change out your brush head.

Included in the box is a plastic cap that you slide over the bristles of the brush head:

There is nothing worse than brushing your teeth only to discover that your toothbrush tastes of hairspray or deodorant. If you store your toothbrush out in the open then the bristles are going to get coated in anything that floats through the air; from dust to deodorant.

The plastic caps are a lovely addition and help keep your brush head clean and hygienic when not in use. After all, these things go in your mouth. You want to keep them clean.

Philips Sonicare FlexCare Plus

Sonicare FlexCare Plus Travel Case

If you love to travel or just want a designated spot to store your electric toothbrush then you will love the travel case included in the box:

The case itself is made up of a rigid plastic. While it is nowhere near as fancy as the amazing case on the top-of-the-line Sonicare DiamondClean, the case itself will provide more than enough protect your toothbrush during everyday use.

During our testing we did find that the white plastic had a bad habit of marking, particularly if you have makeup on your hands. Fortunately cleaning was pretty simple with little more than warm soapy water and a cloth required to leave the case looking shiny and new.

On the base of the case are two vents, allowing air to circulate throughout the case. The simple addition or vents helps prevent mold and mildew from growing on your damp brush heads.

The travel case has a designated slot for the FlexCare Plus handle and two sonicare brush heads.

If you wanted to share the handle with more than one other user then you will be pleased to know that with careful positioning I was able to fit an extra two brush heads inside the case . While the extra two brush heads do rattle around loose, it beats having to pack them separately.

Philips Sonicare FlexCare Plus

Charging the Sonicare Flexcare Plus

The charging stand of the FlexCare Plus is much larger than the lower models of Sonicare toothbrush, with perhaps the exception of the bulky Sonicare Essence. The added size makes the charger much less top heavy, a complaint we had with the smaller Sonicare charging stands.

Those two small rods sticking up on the rear of the charger base are your brush head holders. Sonicare brush head’s simply slide over the rod and are held in place until you need them.

You can set the deluxe charger up to be a designated all in one teeth brushing station. Now if only Philips Sonicare included somewhere to hold a tube of toothpaste.

Those of you who do not have much space on your bathroom counter may not be happy with the larger charger size. I have good news for you. Splitting the charger in half reveals…

The deluxe charger stand is simply the smaller sized Sonicare charger in disguise. If you wanted to you can simply remove the smaller charger from the casing and only use that to charge your FlexCare Plus.

But there is another reason why you might want to stick with the Deluxe charger. And that is the built in cord shortener. With the Charger in half, simply wrap the cord around the base before putting the top cover back on.

The cord shortener is great for eliminating excess cable from your bathroom counter, keeping the area looking clean and clutter free.

Flipping the charger over reveals 5 small rubber feet to stop the charger from sliding around on your slippery countertop. Printed in the middle of the charger you will find some good news for those of you who love to travel…

The charger works on any voltage that falls between 100-240V (also known as dual voltage or multi-voltage). That’s nearly any country in the world. From America to Australia and everywhere in between, you will be able to charge the battery of your FlexCare plus anywhere on earth.

The battery of the FlexCare Plus will begin to charge the moment you place it on the charging stand. Like all electric toothbrushes, Sonicares charge wirelessly. No plugging in cables. Simply place the handle on the charger and you are good to go. Talk about simple.

You will be able to tell the your FlexCare plus is charging because a flashing battery Icon will appear on the indicator panel on the front of the handle.

The indicator is shaped like a battery and is made up of three lights. Eachlight represents roughly a third of the battery charge. As you brush your teeth the lights will deplete until the indicator flashes yellow at you, warning you that the battery will die soon.

Charging the battery takes around 24 hours to recharge. If you set the charger stand up in a permanent spot on your bathroom counter, you can place the FlexCare Plus on the charging stand after each use. Doing so will ensure the toothbrush is fully charged when you need to use it.

Battery life is fantastic. Philips Sonicare claims the Lithium-ion battery can provide up to 3 weeks worth of brushing. I found this claim to be fairly accurate and was able to get 20 days worth of brushing (2 minutes, morning and night) on average before the battery was die.

This is incredibly battery life as far as electric toothbrushes are concerned and offers up to an extra week of brushing over Brauns top of the line models (which offer up to 14 days).

Philips Sonicare FlexCare Plus

Testing the Philips Sonicare FlexCare Plus

When the time came for testing I called in some extra help. Four additional testers and myself tested the FlexCare Plus. The following contains our summaries of our experience using the toothbrush.

The first thing that you will notice when you pick up the FlexCare Plus is just how nicely weighted the toothbrush is. Not so heavy that it feels bulky when brushing but not so light that you don’t notice it is there. Just right.

Whether you hold your toothbrush normally, clench it in a fist or hold it like a pencil at least part of your hand will cover the rubber grip on the back. Even with wet hands I was surprised at just how easily I could grasp the FlexCare Plus.

Pressing down on the power button sees the FlexCare Plus brust into action. The sound is best described as a higher pitched hum. While it’s much quieter than your blow dryer or electric shaver, it is still loud enough to wake someone sleeping nearby.

The FlexCare Plus has a whole bunch of fancy features packed inside the handle. Let’s check them out!

1. Cleaning Modes

As I touched on earlier in the review, the second button allows you to cycle through one of five different cleaning modes.

As you cycle through each cleaning mode, its name will shine through the indicator panel on the front of the FlexCare Plus handle.

Each cleaning mode provides you with a slightly different brushing session. Here are the cleaning modes presented in the order that you cycle through them:

Clean -The standard brushing mode found on all models of Sonicare electric toothbrushes. Brushes for 2 minutes.

Gum Care – A mixed mode providing you with 2 minutes of brushing in the standard cleaning mode for your teeth and 1 minute of brushing in the sensitive mode for your gums.

Refresh – A quick 1 minute touch up clean.

Sensitive – A gentler mode for those of you with sensitive teeth and gumes. Brushes for 2 minutes.

Massage – A pulsating mode designed just for massaging and stimulating your gums. Brushes for 2 minutes.

You cannot cycle through the brushing modes with the power on. Instead you must select your preferred cleaning mode before you press start. The FlexCare plus will remember the brushing mode you last used for next time you need to brush your teeth.

Now while the testers may not have agreed on all areas of this toothbrush, they did agree one thing. Only two of the brushing modes are useful. Sensitive and standard clean.

Refresh was the brushing mode that puzzled us the most. Why would you chose a quick one minute clean when you can simply use your regular brushing mode and turn the power off when you were done. Useless.

Gum Care and Massage were also lost on us. The sensitive mode worked just fine along the gum line for a gentler gum scrub.

One of the testers who had sensitive gums claimed she could not brush with the other modes. Despite the lower power, she was just as happy with the clean provided by sensitive as those of us that used the higher powered standard clean.

SmartTimer

The SmartTimer is a built in timer that automatically turns the FlexCare Plus off after the brushing for the duration of the selected cleaning mode.

If you wanted to continue brushing for longer you will need to press the power button again to turn the toothbrush back on.

One tester referred to this as a dumb timer since she took longer than 2 minutes to brush her teeth because she likes to spend time making sure she has completely removed plaque around her dental restoration (a crown). She’s vocally told us that the toothbrush turning off in the middle of brushing really threw off her rhythm.

However, other testers loved the auto shut-off feature. One commented:

I had no idea 2 minutes of brushing my teeth would take so long. I must not have been brushing my teeth for long enough before. That timer couldn’t come quick enough.

And another:

…Very impressed with just how efficiently I could clean my teeth in the two minutes before the toothbrush turns off.

So if you normally brush your teeth for two minutes then the Smartimer will not bother you. But for those of you who need to brush longer for whatever reason will have to turn the brush back on to continue with your teeth brushing session.

Note: The Smartimer is a feature that is found on all Sonicare models and cannot be turned off

Easy-Start

The vibrations given off by Sonicare toothbrushes can take a while to get used to. Brushing with the toothbrush for the first time can cause a slightly unpleasant tickling sensation in some people. Fortunately with continual brushing, most people quickly get used to the rapid vibrations given off by the toothbrush.

To make the transition a little easier, the FlexCare Plus features an Easy-Start mode. Over the first 14 brushes the motor will slowly increase in power until it is brushing at the full 31,000 brush strokes/minute.

Now all the testers including myself have previously used Sonicares, so we simply chose to disable the Easy-Start feature following the instructions set out in the user manual.

But I can tell you that my first time brushing with a Sonicare toothbrush (with the Sonicare Essence) was made much easier with the inclusion of this feature. I initially found the vibrations way too ticklish and jarring. The Easy-Start was a huge help and without it I probably wouldn’t have continued to persevere with using a Sonic toothbrush.

The general consensus amongst all the testers was that if the vibrations do not affect you then you will get a better clean without it.

4. QuadPacer

Dentists recommend that you brush your teeth for a minimum of two minutes. But brushing your teeth is boring and while the time may feel like it drags on, a sad fact is that many of us do not come close to the recommended two minutes of brushing.

The FlexCare Plus has a handy feature to make sure that you spend the recommended 2 minutes brushing your teeth every single time. And that feature is the Quad Pacer

The QuadPacer is a built in timer that causes the FlexCare Plus to momentarily pause each time 30 seconds has passed. It gets it’s name from the way Philips Sonicare recommends you brush your teeth.

If you split your mouth into quadrants (quarters) and spend 30 seconds brushing each then you will have effectively brushed your entire mouth for the recommended 2 minutes.

My brushing routine is as follows:

1. Brush left half of top teeth for 30 seconds
2. Brush right half of top teeth for 30 seconds
3. Brush left half of bottom teeth for 30 seconds
4. Brush right half of bottom teeth for 30 seconds

By focusing on a small section of your mouth for 30 seconds you can really give each section a really good clean before the QuadPacer alerts you to move on to the next.

But how does it brush?

Those of you who currently use a Sonicare toothbrush will be instantly familiar with the standard 31,000 brush strokes per minute offered ins tandard clean.

For those who are new to the world of sonic toothbrushes I will quickly cover the technique, which many beginners find a little unusual at first.

Simply load up the brush head with your regular toothpaste, wet as usual and place the bristles against a section of your teeth at a slight angle (roughly 45 degrees), pressing with slight pressure.

Press the power button and gently move the toothbrush back and forth the rapid vibrations will help remove the plaque not only from the center of the teeth but also along the gum line and between the teeth (remember to floss after for best results).

The trick is to let the toothbrush do most of the work. While this may take some time for you to get used to, especially if you are swapping over from a manual toothbrush, but before long you will be using the correct technique without thinking about it.

The clean is exceptional. Far greater than you could get from that of a manual toothbrush.

With proper technique plaque is effortlessly removed from your teeth and along your gumline. I enjoy licking my smooth teeth after each brush, it honestly feels like you have just gotten your teeth cleaned at the dentist.

Final Thoughts

The FlexCare Plus is our favorite out of the entire FlexCare range. Well designed with just the right amount of features (compared to the over-the-top FlexCare Platinum).

The Clean is as effective as any other Sonicare toothbrush and the inclusion of a Deluxe charger and travel case makes it a nice step up from the other models.

While some of the cleaning modes were more misses than hits, you can chose tosimply not use them and will not impact your brushing session.

Overall this is a highly recommended electric toothbrush.

Philips Sonicare FlexCare Plus

Further Resources:

• Electric Toothbrush Guide – Testing notes on all the different electric toothbrushes.
• Philips Sonicare Brush heads – We review all the different Sonicare Brush Heads
• Instructions – Philips Sonicare Felxcare+ PDF user manual
• Specs – Philips Sonicare Felxcare+ Specifications

Moo Review may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.

The Flexcare Platinum is perhaps Philips Sonicare’s most feature packed electric toothbrush to date. From a well designed travel case to a brush head sterilizer that uses UV light to kill germs, there is no doubt that you are getting a whole lot of electric toothbrush for your cash.

But do these features enhance the Flexcare Platinum? Or are they unnecessary bells and whistles designed to get you to spend more money than is necessary on an electric toothbrush?

Join us as we answer both of these questions and more, allowing you to make the right decision when buying your new electric toothbrush.

Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum Unboxing

Curiously, on the front of the box the Flexcare Platinum is referred to as the 8 series, however this is the only mention you will find of 8 Series anywhere on the toothbrush or in the manual.

If you open the box of your new Flexcare Platinum electric toothbrush, this is what you will find inside:

Let’s break it down:

• Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum handle
• Adaptive Clean brush head
• Intercare brush head
• Brush head protectors
• Travel case
• Charging base and UV sanitizer
• Travel charger
• Instruction manual

You will also find some paperwork to extend the warranty an additional 6 months by registering online as well as a coupon book offering discounts of replacement brush heads and other Philips Sonicare products.

Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum

Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum handle

Despite the box containing a lot of contents, the star of the box is almost certainly the Flexcare Platinum handle. Here you will find more bells and whistles than on any other Sonicare model.

Unlike other Sonicare’, the Flexcare Platinum has three separate buttons on the front face of the handle. Working your way from top to bottom, the first button you will come across is the power button:

The power button is made from steel and definitely helps give the Flexcare platinum a premium feel.

As you would expect, the power button does little more than turn the toothbrush on or off.

Moving down the face of the handle you will come across another two buttons, this time made from a hard gray plastic:

If you press the longer of the two buttons you will toggle through the speed settings. There are three speeds to choose from and pressing the plus and minus button toggles between each.

1. Low – The equivalent of “sensitive” mode on other Sonicare toothbrushes.
2. Medium – A middle ground between fast and slow.
3. High – The same as “standard” mode on other Sonicare models

The speed setting has been designed for those of you with sensitive teeth and gums. If you find the high speed a little too aggressive you can slow it down to a gentler setting for a more comfortable brushing experience.

The small round button closest to the base of the toothbrush handle toggles through three brushing modes:

• Clean – The default brushing mode
• White 2 minutes of brushing and 30 seconds of polishing
• Deep Clean 3 minutes alternating between cleaning and massaging.

I’ll be straight up; the White and Deep Clean brushing modes are little more than gimmicks. The vast majority of you will only use the standard Clean mode on one of the three speed settings. If the brushing mode button didn’t exist on the Flexcare Platinum, you would not miss it.

On the base of the handle you will find a small socket:

The charging base slides into the socket and charges the battery of the Flexcare Platinum. I will cover in detail how charging works further down the review.

Around the outside of the socket some specifications are printed including model number (HX9160), the battery inside (Lithium-Ion) and the country the Flexcare Platinum was manufactured in (China).

Flipping toothbrush handle over will reveal the rear:

The entire rear is covered in a hard plastic case. If you look closely at the above picture you will be able to make out small bumps molded into the plastic.

When you hold the toothbrush in your hand your fingers will naturally fall over the bumpy rear, providing extra grip even with wet hands. While the bumps are not as effective as the rubber grips you find on other toothbrushes, they do their job.

The small rectangular piece of plastic at the base of the handle stops the Flexcare Platinum from rolling off your bathroom counter when you place it down.

A metal shaft sits out the top of the toothbrush handle.

The toothbrush heads slide over the metal shaft and lock into place. A slight tug is all that is required to remove the brush head from the shaft.

Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum

Flexcare Platinum Brush Heads

The Flexcare comes with two different brush heads and each offers a very different brushing experience.

The larger of the two brush heads is the Adaptive Clean. It contains a mixture of soft and medium bristles to help remove as much plaque as possible as well as to help polish teeth (works particularly well with a whitening toothpaste).

The smaller of the brush heads is the Intercare. The clusters of longer bristles on the Intercare are designed to remove plaque from between your teeth and along your gum line.

All up there are 10 different types of Sonicare brush heads that can fit on the handle of the Flexcare Platinum. With proper brushing technique, all of the brushes provide an effective clean. Which is right for you all comes down to personal preference (Bristle layout, size, bristle firmness etc.). For more information, check out our detailed guide on Philips Sonicare brush heads.

Also included in the box is a protective cap for each brush head:

Have you ever brushed your teeth only to discover that your toothbrush has the faint taste of deodorant or hairspray? If you answered yes then you will immediately understand the appeal of these brush head covers.

The plastic caps slide over the brush head bristles protecting them from dust, sprays and whatever else you throw at it. A simple and effective way to keep your toothbrush bristles clean and hygienic.

Just like a regular toothbrush you will be required to change your brush head once every three months to keep it cleaning effectively. Like the Oral-B range, all Sonicare brush heads have dark blue indicator bristles that fade over time, visually reminding you to change your brush head.

Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum

Sonicare Flexcare Platinum Travel Case

Whether you travel for work or are just taking a much needed vacation, there may come a time when you need to pack your electric toothbrush up and take it with you. That’s where this handy travel case comes in:

The travel case is surprisingly well made (Unless you compare it to the amazing case of the Sonicare DiamondClean) and will be more than enough the majority of you.

A clear lid allows you to quickly make sure all the brush heads are inside, so that you don’t leave any behind while on holiday. Vents in the base allow air to circulate, preventing mold and mildew forming around damp brush heads.

The travel case has designated slots for the Flexcare Platinum handle and as well as two brush heads.

If you share your electric toothbrush handle with more than just one other person then you will be pleased to know I was able to fit in an extra two brush heads inside. However, with four brush heads inside, two will rattle around loose but at least you can close the lid.

The white plastic of the travel case shows makes any grime or toothpaste build up easy to spot. No mention of whether or not the travel case is dishwasher safe in the instruction manual but cleaning is as simple as rinsing under hot running water and rubbing at stubborn sections with a cloth.

Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum

Flexcare Platinum UV Brush Head Sanitizer

The Flexcare Platinum comes with one of the most over-the-top features I have seen on any electric toothbrush we have reviewed to date, A UV sanitizer.

It is well documented that UV-C light is very effective at killing germs and bacteria. Since you put your toothbrush in your mouth twice a day it makes sens that you would want it to be free of such nasties and the UV sanitizer can do just that.

The sanitizer itself is attached to the larger of the two battery charging stands:

It immediately becomes obvious why Philips Sonicare chose to include two different chargers in the box of the Flexcare platinum. The UV sanitizer adds some serious bulk and if you are not going to use it then the sanitizer just gets in the way.

Let’s take a look inside the UV Sanitizer:

Inside you will find a UV light surrounded by a metal guard and spots to place two Sonicare brush heads.

So how does the sanitizer work?

First you place your brush heads down onto the holders:

You angle the bristles in so they are facing the light. Then you simply close the door and press the green power button located on top of the Santizer.

The Santizer will then proceed to bath your brush heads in UV light for a period of 10 minutes, killing any germs and bacteria that are hiding in the bristles.

With the button turned on the UV sanitizer does not make a noise. The only way you will know it’s working is by the light shining through the blacked out window on the front of the santizer:

Now I’ll be honest. I used the Sterilizer once just to test it and never again. In my many years I have never needed my toothbrush sterilized by UV light and I have no intention of starting now.

The brush heads do not feel any cleaner and unless you are a scientist with a microscope on hand will be unable to tell just how effective the UV clean was.

The fact that Philips does not include the UV santizer on their top of the line DiamondClean model also makes me lean towards the santizer not being as important as they make out.

There is one crowed I do see falling instantly in love with the UV santizer. Germophobes. If you cannot make sure something is clean enough then you will be appreciative of the added peace of mind the UV sanitizer brings.

Philips Sonicare Flexcare Whitening Edition User Manual Free

Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum

Charging the Sonicare Flexcare Platinum

Before we take the Flexcare Platinum for a test drive we are going to have to charge the battery.

As I touched on earlier, the Flexcare Platinum ships with two chargers:

Since I have already covered the UV sanitizer base, this section of the review will look at the smaller charging stand.

If you travel you will be appreciative that you do not have to lug along the bulky UV santizer base and I do applaud Philips Sonicare for at least giving you the option to choose between the two.

If you flip the charger over you will notice some good news:

The charger works on any voltage that falls between 100-240V. From America to Australia and everywhere between you will be able to charge your Flexcare Platinum. Great for those of you that travel frequently. Just be sure to pick up a travel adapter so that you can plug it into the odd shaped electrical sockets you come across on your travels.

It is also worth mentioning that the charger with the UV Sanitizer is 100-240V AC compatible as well but due to the size of it you will probably skip packing it in your luggage.

Like the rest of the Sonicare range, the Flexcare Platinum charges wirelessly. No plugging in cords, no messing around. Simply slide the handle down onto the small knob on the charger your toothbrush will immediately begin to charge.

The moment you slide the Flexcare platinum on charge the battery lights will begin blinking. Each of the three battery lights represents approximately a third of the battery charge. As you brush your teeth the lights will deplete until a yellow light flashes, warning you that the battery will die soon.

The battery indicator lights are very small and are actually quite hard to see in the bight daylight. This can make identifying how full the battery is quite difficult. These indicator lights definitely could have been made larger as the whole purpose of an indicator light is to be seen.

Battery life of the Flexcare Platinum is fantastic. The Lithium-ion battery brush it’s way through 21 days of use (Brushing twice daily for two minutes). This is incredibly battery life as far as electric toothbrushes are concerned and absolutely smashes the relatively small 14 days that Oral-B’s top model offers.

Also, good news for those households with more than one Sonicare toothbrush. Most modern Sonicare models share the same charger, meaning you only have to set up one charger on your bathroom counter for the lot of them.

The smaller charging base is a little top heavy with the Flexcare Platinum sitting on top. Be careful where you set the charger up because a slight bump can knock the charger over, sending your toothbrush tumbling to the floor.

Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum

Testing the Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum

When the time came to test the Flexcare Platinum I enlisted the help of 5 other testers. So including myself there were 6 people that tested this toothbrush. The following contains summaries of our experience with the Flexcare Platinum.

The first thing you notice when you pick up the handle of the Flexcare Platinum is that it is very nicely weighted. Not too heavy and not too light.

Your fingers will wrap nicely over the textured grip on the rear allowing you to get a good grasp of the toothbrush, no matter how your hand naturally holds it.

The metal power button is surprisingly responsive. A quick press the Electric toothbrush bursts into life. The sound is best described as a high pitched hum and while it is much quieter than an electric razor, it still has the potential to wake someone sleeping a single room over.

In addition to all the fancy features on the front of the Flexcare Platinum handle, there are four hidden features that won’t become apparent until you start using the toothbrush. You may find these features familiar, they also exist on various other Sonicare models.

Let’s check them out.

1. Easy-Start

If this is your first time brushing your teeth with a sonic toothbrush then you may find the feeling overly ticklish or mildly unpleasant. To get your mouth used to the rapid vibrations of the Flexcare Platinum, the toothbrush will gradually increase the power over the first 14 days of brushing from the first time you use it until it reaches regular power.

Easy-Start only works on the highest speed setting. The FlexCare Platinum comes with Easy-Start deactivated by default and is activated by following the steps in the instruction manual.

One of our testers who was new to sonic toothbrushes had nothing but praise for this feature and said that he could not have gotten used to the highest speed setting without it

Another tester who had owned many sonic toothbrushes prior to testing the Flexcare Platinum complained that the starting mode was two week. Instead he chose not to activate it.

2. QuadPacer

Philips Sonicare Premium Whitening Edit…

Now if your dentist is anything like mind he ask if you have been brushing for the recommended 2 minutes. My answer used to be a not so confident “Um.. Maybe?”. After using Sonicare toothbrushes with the Quadpacer my reply has changed to “You know it!”

The Flexcare Platinum has a built in timer that causes the toothbrush to pause momentarily and beep once 30 seconds has passed. Philips calls this timer the “QuadPacer”.

The Quad pacer gets it’s name from the way Philips Sonicare recommends you brush your teeth. If you split your mouth into quadrants (quarters) and spend 30 seconds brushing each then you will have effectively brushed your entire mouth for the recommended two minutes.

My brushing routine is as follows:

1. Brush left half of top teeth for 30 seconds
2. Brush right half of top teeth for 30 seconds
3. Brush left half of bottom teeth for 30 seconds
4. Brush right half of bottom teeth for 30 seconds

By focusing on a small section of your mouth for 30 seconds you can really give each area a good scrubbing before the QuadPacer alerts you to move on to the next.

Smartimer

The Smartimer automatically turns the Flexcare Platinum off the automatically once two minutes has passed.

One tester commented on this being a bit of a dumb timer since she had a preference for brushing her teeth for three minutes and to do so she had to manually turn the Flexcare Platinum handle back on after it cut out.

Another tester reported that 2 minutes was more than enough to brush his entire set of chompers and liked the that the toothbrush shut itself off.

4. Pressure Sensor

All dentists agree that brushing too hard is bad for your teeth and gums. If you press down too hard while brushing the Flexcare Platinum will alert you with a sound that I can only describe as a stuttering humming sound.

Now the presser sensor was actually something that all testers unanimously agreed upon. It just wasn’t that great. You can press incredibly hard before you even trigger the pressure sensor. Hard to the point where you are almost certainly damaging your teeth and gums.

Unfortunately the pressure sensor just isn’t a reliable way to determine whether or not you are brushing too hard.

But How does it brush?

Those of you who are new to sonic brushing will find using the Flexcare Platinum a little unusual at first.

Simply load the brush head up with your regular toothpaste, wet as usual and place the bristles against your teeth at a slight angle (roughly 45 degrees), pressing lightly.

Turn the power on and gently move the toothbrush back and forth. The rapid vibrations will help remove plaque along the gumline and between the teeth (remember to floss after).

The trick is to let the toothbrush do most of the work. While it can take some getting used to, particularly if you are swapping over from a traditional toothbrush but before too long the you will be using the correct technique without thinking about it.

If you take away all the fancy features the Flexcare Platinum moves at the exact same 31,000 brush strokes per minute as the lower models. Coupled with the fact that most models with 31,000 brush strokes can all use the same brush heads and the experience is identical. Identically good.

We have been impressed by all the models that can brush at 31,000 brush strokes, even by the cheapest Sonicare model we reviewed, the old but reliable Sonicare Essence.

With proper brushing technique the Flexcare Platinum leaves you with that smooth tooth feeling that leaves you constantly licking your teeth.

Our Sonicare veteran tester reported that on the highest brushing intensity, the Flexcare Platinum provided him an identical clean to the top of the line DiamondClean.

Final Thoughts

It is amazing just how many features Sonicare have packed into an electric toothbrush. However, the usefulness of the features all depends entirely on the weight you place on them.

The travel case is well designed and the UV santizer is an interesting concept but at the end of the day these add little to the brushing experience.

If you want an electric toothbrush with every bell and whistle under the sun then this is probably the Sonicare you have been waiting for. But if it is just the brushing experience you want then you can get the same from lower models.

Either way, the Flexcare Platinum offers the great 31,000 brush strokes per minute that results in an amazing clean.

Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum

Further Resources:

• Electric Toothbrush Guide – Testing notes on all the different electric toothbrushes.
• Philips Sonicare Brush heads – We review all the different Sonicare Brush Heads
• Instructions – Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum PDF user manual
• Specs – Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Specifications