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Best water flossers 2026: tried and tested for healthier teeth
We reveal the best water flossers for cleaning in between your teeth, including those from Oral-B, Philips, Waterpik and more
The best water flossers leave your teeth feeling squeaky clean, are comfortable to use and can hold a charge for weeks. We've tested bestselling corded and cordless water flossers – from £25 to more than £100 – to bring you our top picks.
We tested a range of popular Waterpik water flossers against other leading oral healthcare brands, including Oral-B and Philips, as well as a few cheaper picks from Amazon. We discovered that most water flossers provide a decent interdental clean.
However, the Best Buys in our reviews below excel above the rest when it comes to battery life, cleaning time and how easy they are to control.
We've also spoken to a dentist for expert advice on how and when to use a water flosser as part of your brushing routine.
How our test finds you the best
15 water flossers tested
To find the best of the best, we put more than a dozen of the most popular water flossers through our rigorous tests.
Cleaning performance
No one wants to hear ‘you missed a bit’ after eating lunch. Our panel clears pesky seeds from their teeth, and tougher food is tested on a dental model.
Comfort
Flossers aren’t exactly comfortable, but you shouldn’t be left with sore gums. Our panel assesses how each flosser really feels in your mouth.
We also test...
ease of use and how long the battery and reservoir last on the highest setting, because running out mid-clean is always frustrating.
The water flossers we tested
The biggest brands and the most popular 10 water flossers are listed below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the water flosser test results.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations.
| Water flosser | Price | Score | Cleaning performance | Battery life | Cleaning time from a full reservoir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations Unlock tableGet Digital access £8.99 per month, cancel at any time. Already a member? | 93% | ||||
| 88% | |||||
| 87% | |||||
| 87% | |||||
| 83% | |||||
| 81% | |||||
| 79% | |||||
| 75% | |||||
| 69% | |||||
| 68% |
Sign up to reveal
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Unlock tableGet Digital access £8.99 per month, cancel at any time.
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Date tested: November 2025, September 2023. Page last checked: March 2026. We're not able to show every retailer, and cheaper prices may be available.
See a selection of the water flossers we tested, listed below in alphabetical order.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best water flossers from our tests.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendation below.
Binefia Portable Oral Irrigator
Available from Amazon (£29)
Most recently tested November 2025
Type Cordless
Attachments Five standard tips, one orthodontic tip, one periodontal tip, one tongue cleaner and one toothbrush tip
Reservoir capacity 300ml
Cheapest price for replacement heads £7.99 at Amazon
Need to know 23 x 4.5cm x 6.5xcm (HxWxD), USB charger, five power settings
Coslus C30 Oral Irrigator
Most recently tested November 2025
Type Cordless
Attachments Two standard tips, one orthodontic tip, one tongue scraper
Reservoir capacity 300ml
Cheapest price for replacement heads £4.29 at Amazon
Need to know 22 x 7 x 8cm (HxWxD), USB charger, four power settings
Hangsun Oral Irrigator Hoc760
Most recently tested November 2025
Type Cordless
Attachments Five classic tips, one periodontal tip, one tongue cleaner, one orthodontic tip
Reservoir capacity 300ml
Cheapest price for replacement heads £9.90 available at Amazon
Need to know 26 x 7 x 13cm (HxWxD), USB charger, three power settings
Nicwell Smart Oral Irrigator
Most recently tested September 2023
Type Cordless
Attachments Three standard tips, one plaque tip, one tongue cleaner
Reservoir capacity 200ml
Cheapest price for replacement heads £4.29 at Amazon
Need to know 26.5 x 6 x 8cm (HxWxD), USB-C charger, three pressure settings
Oral-B Aquacare 6 Pro-Expert Water Flosser
Most recently tested September 2023
Type Cordless
Attachments Two standard oxyjet tips
Reservoir capacity 150ml
Cheapest price for replacement heads £9.20 at Amazon
Need to know 26.5 x 5.5 x 7.5cm (HxWxD), two-pin plug charger that requires an adapter, three pressure settings
Discover our pick of the top electric toothbrushes, as well as our selection of the best toothpastes to go with them
Ordo Hydro Sonic Water Flosser
Most recently tested November 2025
Type Cordless
Attachments Two premium cleaning tips
Reservoir capacity 260ml
Cheapest price for replacement heads £3.50 at Ordo
Need to know 25 x 12 x 13cm (HxWxD), USB charger, three pressure settings
Panasonic EW-DJ86 Series 800
Most recently tested November 2025
Type Cordless
Attachments one orthodontic tip, one ultrasonic tip
Reservoir capacity 200ml
Cheapest price for replacement heads £9.99 at Panasonic
Need to know 24 x 9 x 14cm (HxWxD), USB charger, comes with a pin plug, five pressure settings
Philips Sonicare Cordless Power Flosser 3000
Most recently tested September 2023
Type Cordless
Attachments One standard tip, one quad stream tip
Reservoir capacity 250ml
Cheapest price for replacement heads £22.07 at Amazon
Need to know 29 x 6 x 6cm (HxWxD), two-pin plug charger that requires an adapter, three pressure settings, includes storage pouch for attachments
Waterpik Cordless Plus Water Flosser WP-450UK
Most recently tested September 2023
Type Cordless
Attachments One classic jet tip, one orthodontic tip, one plaque seeker tip, one tongue cleaner
Reservoir capacity 200ml
Cheapest price for replacement heads £8.99 at Waterpik (Out of stock)
Need to know 28 x 6 x 9cm (HxWxD), two pressure settings
Waterpik Ultra Professional Water Flosser WP-660UK
Most recently tested September 2023
Type Corded
Attachments Two classic jet tips, one plaque seeker tip, one orthodontic tip, one pik pocket tip, one toothbrush head
Reservoir capacity 600ml
Cheapest price for replacement heads £8.99 at Waterpik (Out of stock)
Need to know 19 x 12.5 x 10cm (HxWxD), two-pin plug charger that requires an adapter, 10 pressure settings
More water flossers from our tests
Here are the rest of the water flossers from our tests, listed in alphabetical order.
| Water flosser | Price | Score | Type | Cleaning performance | Battery life | Cleaning time from a full reservoir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panasonic EW1511 water flosser | Boots(£119.99) (Out of stock) | Cordless | ||||
| Panasonic Series 300 EW-DJ26-V311 Water Flosser | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50023420 | Cordless | ||||
| Waterpik Cordless Advanced Water Flosser WP-560UK | Waterpik(£94.99) | Cordless | ||||
| Waterpik Cordless Freedom | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50023419 | Cordless | ||||
| Waterpik Whitening Professional Water Flosser WF-05UK | Express Chemist (£133) | Corded |
Date tested: November 2025, September 2023. Page last checked: March 2026. We're not able to show every retailer, and cheaper prices may be available.
How we test water flossers
To find the best water flosser, we choose the most popular models available at UK retailers and enlist a panel of testers to try them out. Each person tests all the water flossers we review, and we buy all the products that we test.
We regularly revisit the water flossers on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing, and when we find them, we do so.
Each water flosser is rated on the following:
- Cleaning Our testers rate each water flosser for how effective it is at removing a teaspoon of seed mix stuck between their teeth. We also test how well each one removes food from a dental demonstration model that replicates adult teeth. The best water flosser can effortlessly dislodge small bits of food between teeth, while the worst doesn't have enough power to provide a thorough clean.
- Battery life We fully charge each water flosser and run it on its highest setting until the battery drains, timing how long this takes. The best can last nearly five hours, but the worst gives only around 40 minutes of cleaning before the battery drains.
- Ease of use Our panel assesses how easy it is to set up each water flosser and move through the settings while in use. All testers also check to see how comfortable each one is to hold and use. Some flossers have water jets that are too powerful, so they can be uncomfortable, particularly if you have sensitive teeth. However, keep in mind that no water flosser is going to be entirely comfortable, and you may prefer to use ordinary dental floss if that's a significant factor for you.
- Cleaning time We fill up the water reservoir on each flosser and time how long it takes for the tank to drain. Some provide only 30 seconds of cleaning time before the tank needs refilling. The best have large water tanks that give more than a minute and a half of cleaning time, which is plenty to floss around your whole mouth.
- Noise While we don't give a score for this, our panel kept an ear out for any that produced too much noise or just sounded irritating.
Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturer and retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent
Do dentists actually recommend water flossers?
We asked Dr Praveen Sharma, a scientific advisor to the British Dental Association and specialist in restorative dentistry, if dentists advise using a water flosser for teeth. He says: 'As a dentist, the preference would be for mechanical cleaning in between teeth with interdental brushes, where the anatomy allows.
'Water flossers can be an additional aid, over and above interdental cleaning, and some patients like using these.'
See our advice on how to find the best dentist, including NHS and private options
Are water flossers as good as flossing?
A water flosser is brilliant for people with braces, dental implants, sensitive gums or limited dexterity. Quality water flossers can do a solid job of flushing out food particles and reducing gum inflammation, and some people may prefer the experience to traditional floss. However, string floss is not as expensive, and you may prefer the control it gives you.
For most people, the ideal approach is whichever method you’ll actually stick to consistently. If you hate string floss and avoid it, a water flosser is absolutely the better option. But if you don’t mind flossing and want the most thorough clean, using traditional floss alongside a water flosser can give you the best of both worlds.
How to use a water flosser
Dr Sharma recommends using a water flosser alongside brushing. He says: 'It’s best done first thing in the morning, ideally before breakfast or 30 minutes after, and last thing at night before going to bed.'
As water flossers dispense a continuous jet of water, you need to keep your mouth partially closed while running the cleaning nozzle along your gum line. This allows the water to drain out but prevents it spraying everywhere.
If you struggle with this technique, which some of our testers did, you could use your cordless water flosser while in the shower if the instructions say it's safe to do so. Of those we tested, the Waterpik Cordless Advanced and Nicwell Smart Oral Irrigator both specify that they're safe to use in this way.