Oral B Genius Pro 8000 vs 9600 Electric Toothbrush: Ultimate Comparison

Both brushes really do give you a good clean, but the price is different—so which one do you choose? Between the Oral B 8000 and 9600, we’ll help you make your choice here.

Oral B 8000 vs 9600 At A Glance

• Both brushes include 6 brushing modes, along with a smart timer, a pressure sensor, and the ability to pair with your phone so that you can see your progress on an app.
• Only the 9600 includes the gum protection technology to prevent you from brushing too hard, even though both have pressure sensors.
• Both brushes have a 14-day battery life, so you only need to charge every two weeks
• You have only a standard charger on the 8000, but you have an international charger on the 9600 that means you can transport it more easily with you.
• The app on both models has issues figuring out where your brush is in your mouth; the tracking isn’t perfect, although the app does show you some good progress to help you set your daily schedule
• Both clean very well, and have a strong cleaning power on people of all ages and people who have eaten more sugary foods

Oral B 8000 Advantages

• Usability

One of the best things about the Oral B 8000 is that it’s easy to use, making it a good option for you if you haven’t ever used an electric toothbrush before. The six buttons for each of the six different modes are easy to understand, and are easy to push—although they don’t push randomly, so you won’t need to worry about changing the mode on your toothbrush while you’re brushing.

• Battery Life

You get two weeks of battery life when you pick up the Oral B 8000. This means that you don’t need to remember to charge it all that often, but the thing is, you never really need to remember to charge the battery anyway. That’s because you have a battery indicator on this brush, which will show you three bars so that you can see the charge level. A red light will also flash when your battery begins to run low, and by this point, you will notice a drop in the brushing power.

• Storage

With the 8000, you get a little more storage for all of your items, which means less clutter on your counter. You can use the included brush storage compartment to hold up to four brush heads, which is something that the 9600 does not have.

Buy on Amazon

Oral B 8000 Disadvantages

• Comfort

Just know first that in terms of the comfort that comes with holding this brush, there’s no issue. It’s easy to hold onto the Oral B 8000 and to use it to brush your teeth. The problem is that it’s a very intense brush when you use it even in sensitive mode.

It’s very rough on your teeth and gums and is actually very uncomfortable for people with sensitive gums to use. You might find it difficult to continue to use this brush because even if with the pressure-sensors, the intensity of this brush is a little too much to handle for some people.

• The App

Honestly, the app isn’t truly that bad. It can be upgraded to match the features that come with the 9600, and it really does help provide you with daily goals and progress so that you can track how well your brushing is going.

On the other hand, it has serious problems in tracking where your brush is in your mouth, and does require an upgrade for you to get the gum protection features that already come with the 9600.

• Color Options

This may not matter to you that much, but you do have fewer color options with the 8000. You will certainly see your brush every day, after all, and it does sit on your counter all the time, so you might like the fact that the 9600 has more color options.

Oral B 9600 Advantages

• Comfort

You can hold onto this toothbrush as easily as you can hold onto the 9600. The rubber grip especially ensures that you won’t accidentally drop it even if it gets wet. The real comfort factor here is the super small brush head though, which is made to make it easy for people with small mouths to brush, and which more easily reaches all the way in the back of your mouth to get your molars more comfortably.

• The App

To be clear, the app works the same on both the Oral B 8000 and the 9600. You will still have issues with the tracking on the app, but the fact that the app for the 9600 already has the gum guard and gum protection technology makes it a little easier for you to use the app right out of the box. You will need to upgrade your app on the 8000 for these features, which you will not need to do with this brush.

• Durability

This brush is made to be durable, which is good considering that you’re using it in your bathroom. It won’t break if it gets knocked to the floor, and is completely waterproof too, so you never need to worry about getting it wet.

Buy on Amazon

Oral B 9600 Disadvantages

• The Buttons

The problem with the buttons on this model is that for one: there are only five buttons, but there are six modes. It might be difficult for you to figure out which mode you’re using too, especially since the pictures for the modes aren’t necessarily easy to understand. You won’t push these buttons accidentally, which means that you don’t have to worry about going between modes randomly, but you might not exactly know which mode you’re entering into.

• Price

In the end, you’re paying more money for only a few more features on the 9600. This might not be worth it to you, especially since you may prefer the button structure on the 8000 instead. If you want the extra features though, like gum protection, the price of this option shouldn’t matter to you.

• Upgrades?

The issue with this brush isn’t so much that it doesn’t work well, because it really does do a nice job of keeping your teeth clean. The issue is that most of the features, like those in the app, can be available on 8000 if you choose to upgrade the app. You don’t technically need to rely on the 9600 to get these features, especially if you would prefer the 8000.

What’s The Difference Between Them?

Whether you’ve decided on the Oral B 8000 or the Oral B 9600, you’ll be getting a high-end toothbrush. They look so similar though that you might not be able to decide on which one is the best value, especially since they do cost a pretty penny compared to your regular toothbrushes.

Get the toothbrush that will keep your teeth feeling clean, and that you’ll feel the most comfortable with.

Bluetooth Connectivity

With both of these toothbrushes, you have the option to help you clean using your smartphone. This is the gum protection technology, which can connect to your phone and let you know when you’re brushing too hard for your gums.

All you have to do is connect your toothbrush for it to show you your brushing trends, which will also mean that you’re able to see the spots that you’re missing when you brush. Overall, this Bluetooth connectivity means that you should be able to improve your oral health.

The position sensing with the 8000 was somewhat questionable though. It didn’t always sense well with the app, which means that those of you with smaller mouths or sensitive gums might experience some problems with your brushing.

Verdict: Both of these brushes do connect well to Bluetooth, but the 9600 might just edge out the 8000 just a little thanks to the sensing abilities.

Buy on Amazon

Style and Storage

This may not matter to you much, but your toothbrush will be sitting out on your counter every single day. It would be nice if it looks good and if it has the storage options that you need to keep your counter looking relatively clean.

First off, know that the 9600 does come in one more color option than the 8000, which is the Sakura Pink. It also comes with a new thin sensitive brush head that you can change out. The 8000 is what has the included storage for all of these though, with a brush storage compartment that holds up to 4 brush heads; this does not come with the 9600.

Verdict: These two brushes tie here, since the 9600 has a little extra style with an extra color, but it’s the 8000 that has the extra storage to help you keep all of your brush heads safe.

Buy on Amazon

Price

You can’t put a price on your smile, but you can put a price on your toothbrush. If price is an issue, you’ll want to pick out the 8000, which clocks in at $135 or so and the cheaper option. By contrast, the 9600 costs $171, which makes sense considering that it is the upgraded version.

With the price in mind though, it’s really only a $35 difference. You might find that this price jump is worth it when you think about the extra features that you’re getting though.

Verdict: In terms of raw price, the Oral B 8000 is indeed the cheaper option.

Buy on Amazon

International Usage

This is likely something that you’re not spending a lot of time thinking about—whether you can use your toothbrush internationally. But if you do travel a lot or if you think you might do so in the future, you’ll need to make sure that you’re able to charge your toothbrush properly. You may prefer the 9600 then, which includes an international charger made to be used with other voltages.

By contrast, if you’re only using your toothbrush at home, you will be fine with the standard charger in the 8000.

Verdict: The Oral B 9600 is perfect if you plan on traveling internationally, although you will be fine with the standard charger if you aren’t traveling.

Buy on Amazon

Comfort

It’s important that your brush feels good on your gums. You need an option that won’t be too tough on you and that won’t hurt when you use it. That’s where the 8000 falls short. It cleans so well, with such strength, that it can be a little bit too much on your gums, especially if you have more sensitive gums.

While the 8000 is easy to hold and to keep in your hand, and it definitely cleans your teeth really well, it is quite rough on the gums. Even if you use it in its sensitive mode, it can be difficult to keep using it for the long-term. It can also be less than comfortable if you have a smaller mouth, since it’s a little big to reach the back molars comfortably.

This is in contrast to the 9600, which does include the pressure sensor visible right on the toothbrush. This will help you to reduce how hard you’re brushing to prevent any damage to your teeth and gums as you keep brushing.

In terms of the comfort level that comes with physically holding the brush, the 9600 is perfect thanks to the rubber grip. It’s easy to hold onto, and since the buttons require you to give them a firm push, you won’t accidentally change your settings or turn your brush off while you’re working.

Verdict: Ultimately, the 9600 is the better option here. While both brushes are comfortable to hold onto, the 8000 can be a little intense for some people to use, especially people who have more sensitive gums. This doesn’t mean that it’s a bad toothbrush though, since it still cleans very well.

Buy on Amazon

Battery Life

Both of these options are said to last for a total of 14 days—which is great. You only have to remember to charge them every two weeks, and they do generally hold their charge for that entire time. This is a great battery life compared to many other options out there, although both of these last for around the same amount of time.

Verdict: The 8000 and 9600 more or less last for the same chunk of time. You can use each of them for around 14 days before you’ll need to charge them again.

Buy on Amazon

Cleaning Features

Obviously, the ability of your toothbrush to clean your teeth is important. It helps then that both the 8000 and 9600 have six cleaning modes that are made to keep your teeth looking good. Use the daily clean mode for your usual brushing. The pro-clean mode will go a little bit faster, and the sensitive mode will slow down the oscillation so that you don’t hurt your teeth as much.

Granted, the sensitive mode doesn’t help much with the 8000, which is so strong that many people still struggle with pain in their teeth. You then have the whitening mode, which gets rid of tougher stains, and the gun care mode that massages your gums gently. You can also use the tongue cleaning mode on each brush. With so many options, you can get a solid clean with either brush, but all the modes don’t matter if you can’t actually get your teeth clean.

It helps then that both of these brushes have a smart timer that will force you to brush for two minutes, and that you can use the quad pacer technology to ensure that you spend thirty seconds in each corner of your mouth. The smart ring on your handle will glow if you brush too hard since these toothbrushes sense pressure, and can be set to different colors if you share the handle with other people.

Verdict: The Oral B 9600 edges out the 8000 just a little bit because of the very intense sensitive mode on the 8000, but really, both of these brushes have the same cleaning modes and timers to help you get a good clean.

Buy on Amazon

Cleaning Performance

You can have all the features in the world, but it won’t matter if the brush doesn’t actually get your teeth clean. It’s nice to know then that the 8000 does clean very well. It removes all visible plaque, but the only issue is that the brush head is so big that it can be difficult for you to reach your back molars.

By contrast, the 9600 does come with a smaller brush option that you can use, which means that it might be easier for you to reach the back sections of your teeth. Other than that, the cleaning on this toothbrush is more or less the same as the 8000. It’s capable of removing all visible plaque, and is able to more easily reach the plaque at the back of your mouth thanks to the smaller brush and the improved tracking of the app.

Verdict: These toothbrushes more or less tie when it comes to cleaning performance. The only difference that you might find is that the 9600 includes a smaller brush, which means that it’s a little easier to reach the molars all the way in the back.

Buy on Amazon

Ease of Use

Both of these toothbrushes are fairly easy to use. There isn’t much that you should struggle with. On the 8000, all of the buttons are visible and easy to push, so you should never get confused. You should never push the buttons accidentally either, because they require a legitimate push.

On the 9600, you might struggle a little more with figuring out what buttons you should be pushing, if only because there are only 5 buttons on the brush handle for a total of 6 cleaning modes. It’s not impossible to figure out, but it’s something that you need to think about—especially since the icons are not the easiest to figure out sometimes.

You’ll also notice that the position detection system is a bit unreliable, although this is true for both options.

Verdict: The 8000 is the better option here, mostly because all of the buttons are visible and easy to see, which makes this brush just a little easier to figure out, even though both of them have issues with using the position detection in relation to the Bluetooth.

Buy on Amazon

The App

You do have an app that works with the Bluetooth on both of these brushes. By using this app, it’s possible for you to keep track of what you’re doing and where you’ve already brushes. These types of apps aren’t for everyone though, and it’s true that if you get the 9600, you already get the updated version of the app. You have to upgrade the app for the 8000 if you want the gum protection features that you get included with the 9600.

The position detection on both of these brushes aren’t the greatest either. The app doesn’t always pick up on where your brush is, but it might be just the reward system that you need as it tracks your data and provides you with personalized goals to improve your cleaning.

Verdict: For the most part, the app is the same across both brushes. You can easily upgrade the app if you have the 8000, although you might not need to or might just prefer having the upgraded app already with the 9600.

Buy on Amazon

Conclusion

In the end, both of these toothbrushes work well. They both clean your teeth excellently, they both have problems with their app, and they both help you maintain a good oral hygiene routine.

The 8000 is probably your best option if you’re on a budget, if only because it comes at a cheaper price, the buttons are easier to understand, and it has many of the same options as the more expensive 9600. However, to enjoy the full range of upgraded features and better comfort, the 9600 is perfect.

Also Read: 

• Oral B Genius Pro 5000 vs 7000 Electric Toothbrush: In-Depth Comparison
• TOOTHBRUSH HUB: BRUTALLY HONEST REVIEW
• Tooth Crown Cost: How Much EXACTLY Will You Pay