Is the Gleem Battery Toothbrush Worth It?

For the best dental hygiene, electric toothbrushes are the recommended products nowadays. After all, manual toothbrushes lag far behind because of its need for maximum user effort which means that different people may have different cleaning results because of different cleaning intensity, styles, etc. Electric toothbrushes can reach thousands of strokes per minute with ease, making it easier to break down plaque and food debris in the teeth. This makes it very easy to use for those who are always on the rush, for children still learning how to brush their teeth, and for those with limited mobility.

Gleem is a dental hygiene brand. They were formerly owned by Procter and Gamble and have since branched out to making electric toothbrushes. They have created two versions, one that can be charged and one that operates using batteries. These are standard brushes that are capable of thousands of strokes per minute. These come with simple straightforward designs. It is mainly designed for those looking for a simple brush given its simple features and entry-level pricing that is competitive with brands such as Sonicare and Oral B.

For this question, the best way to see is to compare the product with similarly priced products from Oral B and Sonicare which are the top brands for electric brushes. Specifically, these are the Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100 and the Oral B Pro 1000 brush. Both of these brushes are priced at $40 at most while the Gleem Battery Toothbrush is priced $20 at most which means that the two are priced at a double rate. Given that both these products are designed for entry-level usage and contain only the most basic features, we can say that they are equal in terms of their developer’s design. We do a shorter article here but if you need to know more just read our full Gleem electric toothbrush review here. 

Among all features, cleaning performance should always be the priority of the user. This ensures that they will receive the best dental hygiene by having the brush capable of breaking down plaques and food debris.

Being battery operated, we were quite disappointed with Gleem’s performance which felt weak and simply not on par with Sonicare and Oral B’s. The latter two product’s everyday cleaning mode was on par even with its expensive counterparts. This is mainly made possible with its use of lithium-ion batteries which can be charged. The same technology powers mobile phones and LED lights which is mainly why it is capable of more power compared to triple A batteries. 

This is a huge deal breaker, especially for those who are already used to the cleaning performance of the other two brands which are among the best in the market.

When it comes to cleaning modes, all three only have one. This can be used for everyday cleaning and is advisable even for those with sensitive teeth. Given that it is priced cheaply, this is only expected from all of the products.

Another downside with Gleem is its lack of access with the brush heads offered by Oral B and Sonicare. Given the popularity of the latter two, they have created a lot of different types of brushes such as those for 3D cleaning, whitening, sensitive teeth, and more. In comparison, Gleem only has a single brush head type which greatly limits the cleaning action that its users can have access to. 

When it comes to design, we were not disappointed with Gleem even when compared to Oral B and Sonicare. It held its own with its light design that can be easily guided through the different parts of the teeth. It has a medical aesthetic that makes it simple and clean. 

In the end, Gleem is only recommended for those looking for a very cheap option. With only $40, you can receive better cleaning with Oral B and Sonicare products which can greatly affect how much plaque and food debris is removed from regular brushing which is why this is more recommended. So if you are looking for a throw away for $20, then Gleem might be for you but for everyday use we can't suggest using this to keep your teeth as clean as possible as there are better choices if you save up a little more money.