Oral B 500 vs 1000 vs 1500 Pro Toothbrush: Brutally Honest Comparison

Electric toothbrushes have come a long way. Now, you have timers and pressure sensors that help you figure out how to brush your teeth properly.

With so many options on the market, you might be already gravitating towards a popular toothbrush brand: Oral B.

Confused about Oral B pro 500, the oral-b pro-1000, and the oral-b pro-1500? In this guide, we’ll compare them side by side to help you make your decision.

Oral B 500 vs 1000 vs 1500 at a Glance

• The Oral B Pro 500 does not have a pressure sensor to prevent you from pushing too hard, unlike the oral b pro-1000 and oral b pro-1500
• All three brushes have one toothbrush head, but 1500 does have 2 cleaning modes rather than one and the brush head is really good. Especially the 500 as it comes with a precision clean brush head and features a lithium-ion battery.
• These oral-b products come with replacement brush heads and a travel case.
• Each brush has a varying amount of battery life, so you have to charge the 500 every 7 days, oral-b pro-1000 every 10 days, and the oral-b pro-1500 every 14 days
• The oral-b model includes movements like oscillating, rotating, pulsating.
• The 1000 model tooth-brush comes with nickel-metal hydride batteries.
• It’s true that oral b pro-1500 tooth-brush, being the most recent model, does cost more than the other two models. Oral-b pro-500 is the most cost-effective model. It also features an ergonomic brush handle and a sensitive cleaning mode.
• All three toothbrushes do include certain features, like every 30-seconds reminder and a smart timer to help you brush more efficiently and lets you know if you are brushing too hard.

Oral B 500 Electric toothbrush Advantages

• Price

The cost isn’t everything when it comes to your toothbrush, but you might not want to drop a bunch of money on a brush either, especially when you’re just starting out. That’s why you might love the Oral B 500, which has a price tag that’s accessible while still including all the general features you would expect out of your basic electric toothbrush.

• Clean Teeth Timers

Ultimately, if you have a little trouble keeping your teeth clean, the Oral B 500 can help. Set the 2-minute timer so that you know how long you have to brush for, and every thirty seconds, the brush will vibrate so that you know to move to a new section of your mouth. With the powerful brush head, you’ll be able to remove more plaque as you go with this brush head. They have 20,000 pulsations or 9900 rotations per minute. It also comes with a precision clean brush head. It removes 10 times more plaque than a manual toothbrush. It does not come with a 3D cleaning action mode. Make sure you brush twice a day with two minutes of brushing time to remove dental plaque and to ensure great oral health.

• Easy to use

This is a great entry-level brush. You don’t need to put in much work to get started, and can start by plugging it in right away. They come with a lithium-ion battery.

Oral B Pro 500 Electric toothbrush Disadvantages

• Lack of Features

You are getting an entry-level brush when you pick up the 500. This means that you do not have features like a pressure sensor, and you don’t have more than one mode of usage either. It’s a good brush, but it includes no extra features.

• One Cleaning Mode

For a brush at this price point, it’s not really a problem to have only one mode of cleaning. Still, you might wish that you had another mode to adjust the pressure or the power to make cleaning more comfortable.

• 2D Cleaning

This type of cleaning means that the brush doesn’t pulsate when it brushes. This may not bother you, but this means that you may not be able to clean your teeth as much when you’re using this model.

Oral B Pro 1000 Electric toothbrush Advantages

• Pressure Sensor

Unlike 1500, you don’t have a visible pressure sensor that you can see, but there is a pressure sensor in this brush to prevent you from exerting high pressure on your teeth and gums. If there’s high pressure, the powerful motor will slow down on its own, and you’ll hear a slight difference in the sound that the brush makes. The brush heads are phenomenal. They come with nickel-metal hydride batteries and not a lithium-ion battery. It removes 10 times more plaque than a manual toothbrush. The 3D cleaning action mode is great. Keep in mind to brush twice a day to remove dental plaque.

• Price

The Oral B electric toothbrush is a great choice if you’re looking for some of the advanced features of 1500, but don’t want to pay the price of 1500. You can get a cheaper brush that will still allow you to clean your teeth without breaking the bank.

• Cleaning Effectiveness

Thanks to the CrossAction brush head, the brush head works using oscillation, rotation, and pulsation, your teeth will be cleaner than with comparable brushes with this brush head. The 3D cleaning action is actually proven to remove about 300 percent more plaque than other options, which means that it’s three times more effective than the Oral B 500. We feel these have great brush heads. These toothbrush models are great for gum care. It runs for 14-days on a single charge.

Oral B Pro 1000 Disadvantages

• One Mode

Similar to the 500, you only have one cleaning mode with the Oral B 1000 (one cleaning mode, daily clean mode). This means that you won’t be able to adjust the pressure, which may annoy you if only because this brush costs more than the previous model.  They have  20,000 pulsations or 9900 rotations per minute.

• Battery Life

In the end, the Oral B 1000 (one cleaning mode, daily clean) tends to only last for about the same amount of time—in terms of battery life—as the 500. You may find yourself struggling to remember to plug it in when you might have expected it to last longer.

• Pressure Sensor

Yes, your pressure sensor is also a bit of a negative. This is because there’s no LED light to help you know when you’re pushing too hard, which may be problematic for you if you need a more visual representation.

Oral B PPro 1500 Advantages

• Two Cleaning Modes or brushing modes

Oral B 1500 stands out due to the fact that it has two cleaning modes or brushing modes rather than one. It includes one cleaning mode, Daily Clean mode, which both of the previous two models have. This mode is for everyday usage. Then you have the Sensitive /gum care mode, which is gentler and will offer you a less powerful and softer brushing experience, although you will not be using the full power of the brush. It removes 10 times more plaque than a regular manual toothbrush.

• Visible Pressure Sensor

In 1500, you have what’s called a visible pressure sensor. It’s basically a red/orange panel along the back of the brush that will shine if you push down a little too hard. This lets you know that you need to reduce the pressure that you’re using. When you do, the light will go out.  They have 20,000 pulsations or 9900 rotations per minute. It comes with a powerful motor as well and these models are dentist recommended.

• Extra Features

You have a few extra features available to you in 1500 that really sets it apart from your other options. This includes a 2-minute timer, a pacer, and a huge battery life that will let you use it for weeks at a time without you needing to charge it. It also helps that it has the same type of 3D cleaning action as 1000 (daily clean).

Oral B 1500 Disadvantages

• Price

The thing is: this brush costs more than your other options, and may cost more than you’re willing to spend on something like a toothbrush. This may not be worth it when you think about the fact that you have a lot of the same features in 1000 (2 cleaning modes, sensitive, gum care).

• One Color

You might not want the white color of 1500, which can be a little difficult to keep clean when you’re always brushing your teeth. Other brushes offer you different colors that may be more convenient.

• Too Much

Ultimately, you might decide that this toothbrush just has too much for you—so you might not need the extra pressure sensors or the various features that you’re paying more for.

What’s The Difference Between Them?

Battery Life

It’s just annoying when you wake up in the morning, get ready, and then—oh no, your toothbrush isn’t charged. It happens, and it’s, unfortunately, more likely to happen if you have a toothbrush that doesn’t have as long of battery life.

When we compare Oral-b pro-1000 vs Oral b 500 vs 15000, the Oral B 500 will last for about seven days, while the oral-b pro-1000 is said to last for 10 days, although with our tests, we’ve found that it perhaps might only last for 8 days. The 1500 can go for a total of 14 days before you need to think about recharging it.

Verdict: The Oral B 1500 lasts for about twice as long as the other options, meaning that you likely won’t run out of charge. You will need to still remember to charge it though.

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Pressure Sensor

The whole point of this sensor is to ensure that you don’t accidentally hurt your teeth with too much pressure, since some of these toothbrushes can have a lot of power. When we compare Oral-b pro-1000 vs Oral b 500 vs 15000, the 500 doesn’t have any sort of pressure sensor to stop you when you push too hard. By contrast, the Oral B pro-1000 does include a sensor that will change the sound of the brush and slow the bristles when you’re pushing too hard. It will return to its usual power when you reduce some of the pressure.

If you really want a brush that will help you use the right amount of pressure, your best option is 1500. This brush includes a visible pressure sensor with an LED light that will let you see exactly when you’re using too much pressure. It will stop lighting up when you reduce the pressure on your teeth. These oral-b brush heads are great we feel.

Verdict: The Oral B 1500 electric toothbrushes are the easiest option for detecting pressure, if only because the pressure sensor is actually visible, and not only based on vibrations.

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Price

Cost matters. When you’re contemplating spending a lot of money on a toothbrush, of course, cost matters. As you might expect, the earliest model—the 500—costs the least, and the 1500 costs the most, while the oral-b pro-1000 falls in between. If you’re looking for something that’s entry-level, you’ll want the 500, but if you really do need the extra mode and features, it might be worth it to spend more for something higher-end.

Verdict: When we compare Oral-b pro-1000 vs Oral b 500 vs 15000, the Oral B 1000 electric toothbrushes, if only because it’s not overly expensive, but it does have more upgraded features as compared to the 500 electric toothbrushes. It’s a good compromise between both models.

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Cleaning Modes

If you have more sensitive teeth, you need potentially a brush that is a little more sensitive too. The only issue is that the Oral B 500 and 1000 only have one cleaning mode. You’ll have to use these brushes at full power even if they’re a little too strong for your teeth. If you want a toothbrush that’s a little better for sensitive teeth, When we compare Oral-b pro-1000 vs Oral b 500 vs Oral-b smart 15000, it’s best to choose Oral B 1500. These oral-b brush heads are phenomenal.

This includes a sensitive mode that you can adjust to if you find that the normal power is too intense for you.

Verdict: The Oral B Smart 1500 electric toothbrushes, which is the only model that has two cleaning modes, although if you don’t have super sensitive teeth, you might not really need the extra mode.

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Timers

Both Oral B 1000 (daily clean) and Oral B 1500 includes a 2-minute timer as well as quad pace technology. This means that they will time you for 2 minutes so that you know how long to brush for, and will make a little pulse every 30 seconds so that you know when to switch from one section of your mouth to another. You’ll get all of your mouth equally clean, and don’t need to remember when to switch sections.

The 500 does not include the quad pace technology, although you do still have a 2-minute timer that will let you know when you’ve got your teeth nice and clean. If you don’t need the 30-second timer, this is a great option.

Verdict: Oral B 1000 (daily clean) has both the timer and the quad pace technology, and comes at a cheaper price than 1500 too.

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Grip

All three of these brushes have good grips that you should be able to hold onto without any problem, but it’s true that the Oral B 500 is a little bulkier than the other two, which are made to be sleek in appearance and easy to hold onto. Of course, the 500 is easy to hold too, and all three of them are low-profile enough for you to keep them on your counter.

All three of them also have some rubber grips on the sides to make them easier to hold onto.

Verdict: It depends on your hand size here, and if you think you’ll need a bulkier handle. If you do, the Oral B 500 is your best bet.

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Brushing Action

This is important since a strong brushing action will help you clean out even the crevices in your teeth. The Oral B 500 brushes well, but does not include the cross-action brushing that you get with the 1000 and 1500.

By cross-action brush heads, we mean the fact that the brush head will oscillate, rotate and pulsate in order to remove more plaque than comparable options. Compared to the 500, brushes with the cross-action brushing will allow you to clean up to 300 percent more plaque. The 500 may be a great entry-level option, but you might want a more expensive option if only to be sure that your teeth are as clean as possible. Also, it is important to know that there are no different brush heads for different batches.

Verdict: The Oral B 1000 is the best option here, since it does include the cross-action brushing, but it also comes in at a cheaper price point as compared to the 1500.

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Conclusion

You can’t go wrong with picking any of these three brushes, but the Oral B 1500 really does stand out as unique. With more features and even a gentler cleaning mode, 1500 is worth the investment if you have the budget.

Coming in at a close second is the Oral B 1000. Not only is it set at an affordable price range, but it also includes some of the advanced features of 1500.

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