Oral-B Vitality

The Oral-B Vitality is a budget range electric toothbrush that sits below the Oral-B Pro 600 in the Oral-B range. As with most budget range electric toothbrushes, it provides great value for money however at the cost of some features. The Oral-B vitality comes in three main versions:

• Oral-B Vitality D12.013 – this comes without the 2 minutes timer
• Oral-B Vitality D12.513 – this comes with the 2 minutes timer

The only difference between these models is the type of brush head that it comes with, and the color of the handles. The handle is exactly the same. Of the 2 main versions, we will be looking at the Oral-B Vitality Cross-action electric toothbrush today. We will be exploring whether the lack of features impact the overall value for money and providing the low down on whether it is really worth buying.

2 Minutes Timer
The Oral-B Vitality D12.513 comes with a limited number of features. It has a 2 minute timer (without the Quadpacer) which is a helpful. We have often stated that a 2 minute timer is a must on an electric toothbrush and are really glad that a budget ranged electric toothbrush contains this feature.

Handle
The handle is a slightly thicker profile than the Oral-B Pro 2000 or 3000 however it is still easy to grip with the rubberized material. The handle is also waterproof which is useful if you want to use the electric toothbrush in the shower or accidentally drop it in the sink.

The On/Off Button on the Oral-B vitality feels a little cheaper in construction than the more expensive Oral-B Electric Toothbrushes. It has a hard “plasticy” feel to it instead of the soft touch plastics used in higher-end models.

Missing features
There is no visible pressure sensor on the vitality which does score it lower points. Pressing too firmly with a toothbrush causes tooth abrasion. This is where the toothbrush starts to remove the enamel of a tooth and can lead to gum recession and tooth sensitivity.

The Battery indicator is non-existent on the Oral-B vitality and so it is extremely difficult to predict when the toothbrush is about to run out of battery (usually it is before you are just about to go on holiday)

Portability
The Oral-B Vitality is fairly light weighing in at 109g. It is also reasonably sized despite the larger handle size. One major negative is that it does not come with a travel case so you will have to wrap it in some clothes when travelling to protect it.

2D Brushing
The Oral-B Vitality uses a slightly inferior 2D oscillating rotating mechanism of action. This means that it only oscillates and rotates instead of oscillating, rotating and pulsating for the 3D models. The 2D mechanism of action will clean your teeth better than a regular manual toothbrush however not as well as the 3D.

Cleaning Mode
The Oral-B Vitality only comes with one mode of action – daily clean. This happens to be Oral-B’s best cleaning mode and will suffice for the vast majority of people. The Oral-B daily clean mode cleans at 8,800 oscillations per minute and brushes away plaque very effectively.

Battery Life
The battery life for the Oral-B vitality is adequate at 5 days of continuous use (4 minutes each day cleaning twice a day for 2 minutes) which is a total in use time of 20 minutes. If you share the toothbrush handle between a couple then that would mean a 2.5 day usage which is not acceptable. The more expensive Oral-B Pro 600 has 7 days of use which is more user-friendly.

The lack of a battery indicator is also quite annoying coupled with the low battery life. It is next to impossible to work out when the toothbrush is going to run out of battery.

The charging station for the Oral-B vitality is well designed and seems to be of solid construction. As with most electric toothbrush chargers, it comes with a 2 pin plug so you will need to get a shaving adaptor. This can be picked up from any decent hardware store.

What are the best alternatives to the Oral-B Vitality?

The Oral-B Pro 600 and Oral-B Pro 2000 is the nearest competitor to the Oral-B Vitality. Oral-B Pro 600 and 2000 comes with an upgraded 3D mechanism of action cleaning. The Oral-B Pro 2000 also comes with another cleaning mode and a visible pressure sensor so it is definitely worth a look at.