Concern about dental hygiene is part of my OCD complex, and I do go through an elaborate daily routine of oil-pulling, brushing with an electric toothbrush for the requisite two minutes, then carefully rinsing each tooth with a waterpik. But I’ve never used a sonic toothbrush before, so I was really keen on checking out the realme M1 Sonic Electric Toothbrush.
DESIGN: 4.5/5
The yellow-boxed realme M1 Sonic Electric Toothbrush package contains the brush handle, two brush heads (regular and soft), a clear brush head cover, and the charging base. The rechargeable toothbrush handle is basically a narrow plastic tube with a protruding metal power shaft on which you install the brush head. On the handle is an on/off button below, which are the different modes and battery indicators.
Instead of the round brush heads of most electric toothbrushes, the accompanying brush heads are shaped more like ordinary toothbrushes, although narrower and with just three rows of bristles.
HARDWARE: 4.5/5
The M1 Sonic is powered by a high-frequency sonic motor that can vibrate at 34,200rpm with variations of ±10% depending on your chosen mode. Its built-in rechargeable 3.7V 800mAh lithium battery can be fully-charged in 4.5-hours and delivers about 200 hours of brushing time or about a month of regular daily use.
The toothbrush bristles are made of Dupont 99.99% antibacterial wool to ensure that these are germ-free.
USER EXPERIENCE: 4.5/5
My current electric toothbrush is an Oral-B Genius 9000 with all the bells and whistles, including Bluetooth and travel charging case, so that was my benchmark for the realme M1 Sonic, except that, of course, these are two very different animals. Unlike the high-speed brush rotation typical of electric toothbrushes, the M1 Sonic “vibrates” at a much higher frequency, so you don’t actually see the movement.
The accompanying instructions said to hold the brush head at an angle on the gum line and to gently move the brush over your teeth for at least 30-seconds on each quadrant, for a total of 2-minutes brushing time. Unlike an electric toothbrush where you could actually feel the brush moving over your teeth (sometimes quite vigorously), with the M1 Sonic, you don’t feel the bristles moving. Instead, you feel a hum agitating the toothpaste and reaching into the crevices between your teeth and near the gum line. This very much reminds me of how it feels when you go for the bi-annual dental prophylaxis, particularly when the brush is set to the higher frequency polish mode.
That’s another thing I like about the M1 Sonic — you can choose between soft, clean, white, and polish modes by pressing the on/off button. For sensitive areas, you can go soft, then switch up to clean for regular brushing, then move to white or polish for the front teeth to get that perfect smile.
Initially, I was worried that I wasn’t getting the clean that I was used to with the vigorous cleaning effect of my old electric toothbrush. I did notice, though, that after brushing with the M1 Sonic, there were virtually no leftover food particles stuck between my teeth for the waterpik to dislodge.
And, after a month’s use, my teeth feel smooth and shiny clean — can’t wait to hear my dentist congratulate me on my dental hygiene.
VALUE: 4.5/5
The realme M1 Sonic does not come cheap. In fact, its suggested retail price of PHP 1,990 is a bit more than the base price of the leading electric toothbrush brand. However, if you consider the cost of dental procedures due to poor oral hygiene, then this early investment in self-care will be something your teeth (and pocket) will thank you for over the years.
One concern I do have is the availability of replacement brush heads, considering that realme is new to the personal care category and distribution channels may be quite limited at this time. As it’s recommended that you replace toothbrushes every 3 months or so, an assured supply of replacement heads is an important purchase consideration.
Specifications:
- Frequency : 34,200rpm/min±10% (according to mode)
- Brush material : Anti-bacterial wool
- Brush handle weight : 101.67g
- Brush handle size : 186.3 x 28mm
- Brush head weight : 4g
- Brush head size : 85.5 x 18mm
- Inductive charging base weight : 78.7g
- Charging method : Wireless
- Charging time : approx. 4.5hrs
- Rated input/power : DC5V 1A / 3W
- Battery : 3.7V 800mAh lithium
- Available time : Soft mode ~360min, cleaning mode ~215min, whitening mode ~165min, polishing mode ~220min
What’s Hot:
- Four brushing modes
- Slim brush head
- 2-minute brush timer
What’s Not:
- Nothing comes to mind for now
- Where to get replacement brush heads
Bottomline:
For the ultimate in dental hygiene, make this part of your daily oral care routine.
Also published in Gadgets Magazine December 2020 Issue
Reviewed by Maribelle Alba