Oral-B Pro 3 3000 / 3500 / 3900 Review - Electric Teeth (2024)

Pick the 3500 variant, it comes with a travel case

There are several different variations of this ‘Pro 3’: the Pro 3 3000, 3 3500 and 3 3900.

The 3500 is the same as the 3000 but comes with a travel case.The 3900 package contains 2 x 3000 handles, but no travel cases.

My recommendation is to buy the Pro 3 3500, providing it is the same price as the 3000 or within about £5.Sometimes it is on offer and actually cheaper than the 3000, so for less money you get a travel case included.

The case supplied is basic but functional, holding the handle and up to 2 heads. It has vents to ensure air can circulate and dry out the bristles.

If you need multiple handles, Consider the 3900 if you need multiple handles, but as odd as it may seem, it might be better value to buy 2 of the Pro 3 3000 or 3500 variants, depending on the current prices.

Video: Pro 3 3000 vs Pro 3 3500 vs 3900

In this video I briefly run through the differences of these three brushes. For a more detailed look, see my full video review below.

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How well it cleans

I've given the Pro 3 full marks in this section. It's a solid performer that will clean your teeth extremely well if used correctly.

The small round brush head reaches tight spaces and gives good cleaning results

Included in the box with the Pro 3 is a single brush head. Oral-B's oscillating-rotating brush heads are smaller than the sonic ones from the likes of Sonicare and can feel quite aggressive in comparison. They do make it easy to reach the tightest of spaces, though.

If you like an invigorating clean, the Pro 3 certainly doesn’t disappoint. It sounds cliche, but a ‘dentist clean feeling’ really does apply here. It is approved by the Oral Health Foundation and backed by clinical evidence. Used correctly, the Pro 3 will remove plaque effectively.

If you have sensitive teeth and don't like such a powerful clean, the softer Sensi UltraThin brush head and the lower powered cleaning mode can be beneficial.

Whilst power is far from the most important factor in achieving good cleaning results, I am often asked how many oscillations and pulsations models offer.

The Pro 3 3000 series motor generates up to 9,900 oscillations and 45,000 pulsations per minute. The exact number depends on the brushing mode selected.

There are a variety of heads that are compatible with the Pro 3. We take a closer look at them in our Oral-B brush heads guide, but the key thing to know is that each head cleans comparably.

Our preference is the softer Sensi UltraThin or the slightly firmer bristled CrossAction. Most dentists will advise a soft bristled brush, hence the Sensi UltraThin being a great option.

The Pro 3 scores well in this section. Overall, it's a pleasant brush to use. Its construction looks and feels a bit cheaper than some competing models, but this is reflected in the price.

Slim, sleek, and easy to clean

Like most other electric brushes the Pro 3 has a cylindrical handle. Actually, it is not perfectly round, it’s slightly thicker than it is wide, but we are talking millimetres of difference.

It will stand upright on a countertop and strategically placed raised dots on the rear of the handle prevent the brush from rolling along a flat countertop.

Unlike the Smart 5 5000 and older models from Oral-B, the Pro 3 doesn’t have any large rubber panels on the handle to aid with grip. There's a small section around the power button, but the result is a much cleaner look to the handle and less grime buildup.

A softer, dimpled texture to the plastic body also replaces the raised lines that have adorned the rear of brush handles such as the Smart 4.

The brush isn’t slippery by any means. It feels solid and generally secure.

The sleek and minimal design means that the water resistant handle can be rinsed under the tap and easily cleaned off. You don’t get grime building up as it did in the contoured rubber grips.

Of plastic construction, there is a gloss finish to the handle, which is available in white, black and soft pink colour. It is primarily cosmetic, but the matte finish of most Philips Sonicare and even Oral-B’s iO Series handles do look and feel better to the touch.

For lack of a better expression, it just makes the Pro 3 look and feel a bit ‘cheap’ in comparison. But, then again, it does cost a lot less.

On the front of the handle, the power button is housed in a panel with a slightly different texture to the rest of the brush. This makes it easier to locate in the dark, should you need to. As with most Oral-B models, I found the resistance of the button to strike the right balance between firm and gentle.

The power button is pressed to change cleaning modes. It provides haptic feedback to confirm your press has been registered.

This is another section where the Pro 3 scores very well because it has a strong implementation of the key features we look for in an electric toothbrush: a timer, a pacer and a pressure sensor.

The visible pressure sensor is easy to spot out the corner of your eye

Scrubbing and using lots of force as you brush will damage the teeth and gums over the long term. Oral-B has for many years built pressure sensors into its toothbrushes and the Pro 3 is no exception.

When the handle detects you are brushing with excess force the motor will slow the brush head and the light ring at the top of the handle will illuminate red. When it does, you need to relieve the pressure until the light goes out.

I found the light ring relatively easy to spot out the corner of my eye and in the mirror. There's no vibration alert through the handle like you get with the Sonicare 3100 Series, though.

If you know you have a habit of brushing with too much force, the Pro 3 will help you rectify this.

A minor irk, in which no way affects daily use, is that the light is strongest on the back side of the ring where the LED is located. It is not a consistently strong ring of red light as you might expect.

The 2 minute timer and pacer help you clean your teeth evenly

A timer and pacer are included in all but the cheapest of brushes these days and their implementation is fairly standard.

The pacer momentarily pauses the brushing action every 30 seconds to tell you to move on to the next part of the mouth. After 2 minutes the alert changes slightly to tell you that you have brushed for long enough.

Unlike some brushes, the Pro 3 doesn’t power off automatically after two minutes. This isn't an issue, though, especially if you like to brush for longer than 2 minutes.

The Pro 3 has a lower score in this section because it comes with the essentials only – it doesn't have extra items and features that drive up the price. The score shown applies to the Pro 3 3500 variant, which comes with a travel case, as this is often the best one to go for.

The basic travel case is handy for nights away

The Pro 3 3500 comes with a basic but functional travel case. It is a simple, plastic shell that will protect your brush and bristles from damage and dirt. It also prevents accidental activation of the brush when it's in your luggage.

Often the 3500 is priced the same or cheaper as the 3000, but even if you need to pay a few quid more to get the case, it's worth it for the odd occasion when you need to take the brush away overnight.

Oral-B has launched some versions of the Pro 3 that come with a more interesting case design, but these often command an unjustifiable premium. They don't add features or functionality, so unless they really appeal to you skip them and go for the cheaper option.

3 cleaning modes to suit different preferences

You get 3 different modes on all 3 variants of the Pro 3.

• Daily Clean
• Sensitive
• Whitening

Daily Clean is my preference and the one I recommend most people use. The option of Sensitive is great for those who want to enjoy a less intense cleaning action, or for those days your teeth or gums might feel a little more tender.

Sensitive is also a great choice for first time electric toothbrush users. It makes for a more pleasing introduction to the increased power such brushes offer.

Don’t worry too much about which mode you use. Although differences exist, they are minimal, as our article on Oral-B brushing modes explains. Fundamentally, if used correctly, you will achieve a good clean with any of them.

The lack of cleaning mode labels is a minor irritation

Regardless of which mode you finish brushing with, the Pro 3 defaults to Daily Clean each time you turn it on. This may be a minor irritation if you always brush with Sensitive, for example, but I didn't find the extra button press to be much of an inconvenience.

There are no icons, LEDs or labels to show or confirm what mode you have selected. You will learn them in time based on the sound and sensation, but they are ordered as above.

It’s frustrating, as many competing brushes do have labels, but it’s just the way Oral-B design their mid-tier models. It’s a small inconvenience and doesn’t stop me from using or recommending it.

It's one of the louder brushes I've tested

Oral-B brushes are amongst the loudest available today, with the Pro 3 registering at 73.5 decibels in my testing.

It makes quite a mechanical noise, not a gentle humming sound like most sonic toothbrushes.

Personally I haven't found this to be a problem and it doesn't stop me from recommending the Pro 3. If you're in a house where you need to keep toothbrushing noise to a minimum, it is something that's worth factoring into your decision.

If you want a spinning Oral-B style brush that's quieter, the iO Series 3 from Oral-B produces 64 decibels. It's worth noting that Bitvae makes the R2, which is another oscillating-rotating (spinning) brush, but that's even noisier at 75dB.

If you do want a brush that keeps noise to a minimum, consider a sonic brush and see our post on the quietest electric toothbrushes.

It's an easy brush to keep clean

The minimalist design of the Pro 3 and the glossy plastics it's constructed from mean that it's easy to rinse and keep clean.

I've found that a quick run under the tap after each use helps to prevent grime from building up. An occasional wipe with a damp cloth also helps.

Something to be aware of with any electric toothbrush is that grime will build up inside and around the brush head if it isn't regularly removed and rinsed. On Oral-B's older style brushes like the Pro 3, the metal rod where the head attaches is actually easier to keep clean than the newer iO range. There are less crevices for grime to build up in.

2+ weeks is the claimed usable life of the Lithium-Ion battery sealed inside the Pro 3 brush handle, based on 2 cleans per day each 2 minutes in length. I achieved 19-20 days and have noticed much more consistent battery performance than the iO Series brushes.

But, at 2+ weeks it falls short of the industry average which is really at 3-4 weeks. By no means is this a deal breaker when considering the Pro 3 — this level of battery life is more than enough, especially if you charge your brush most nights.

When low, the battery notification LED will flash red and you may notice the motor slow. A full recharge takes up to 12 hours. The battery LED will flash green whilst charging, before turning off once complete.

The supplied white charging stand has a 90cm power cable with a 2 pin plug suitable for UK bathrooms attached. You will need to purchase a plug adapter to connect to a 3 pin socket. It supports 220-240v.

The electronics in the handle mean you can leave the brush on the stand at all times to ensure full battery life. I have found that if the brush is often wet when placed on the stand grime can eventually build up, but it’s easily wiped clean.

The Pro 3 scores full marks in this category because it's such good value for money. It has the essential features we recommend at a very reasonable price. The absence of extra bells and whistles means the price remains low.

Although the retail price for the Pro 3 is £90, don’t pay this. As a general rule, Oral-B brushes are discounted by around 50%, thus a purchase price of £40-45 is more accurate.

Once you factor in replacement brush heads, which cost around £3 each, over 3 years you will have a total ownership cost in the region of £75-80.

This is a fantastic price given the cleaning performance and dentist recommended features the Pro 3 boasts.

Typically, the Pro 3 3500 is the same price, if not cheaper, than the Pro 3 3000, so is the better buy.

There are cheaper alternatives from Oral-B and other lesser known brands but these come with compromises.

Readers often ask me about the equivalents between Sonicare and Oral-B. In this instance, the 3100 is a comparable choice. It is similarly featured, but does work out more expensive in the long run — see our comparison table just below to compare them.

The other brush included in the comparison is the iO3 from Oral-B. The iO Series is Oral-B's latest line of brushes. They are nice and have an updated design, but they are far more expensive. Unless you want it for the fact that it is quieter, you can save a good bit of money by going for the Pro 3.

A 2 year manufacturer warranty is provided as standard, but this can be extended for free to a more generous 3 years if you register the brush with Oral-B. Going by my past experience with Oral-B brushes like this, you should be hopeful of 5+ years of service from the Pro 3.

By the very nature of the product they are not immune to failure, but on the whole reliability and durability is solid. I’ve had no reason to question the build quality and the finish of the handle.

If for whatever reason you aren’t satisfied when you first buy the brush, Braun offers a 30 day money back guarantee.

Environmental impact

The environmental impact is a section that we don’t apply a score to because it’s very difficult to measure without full data on the manufacturing and shipping processes.

However, based on our understanding ofthe environmental impact of electric toothbrushes, we do pass comments on things to consider about a particular brush.

With regards to the Pro 3 3000 specifically, you get the essentials in the box and not lots of unnecessary extras, which reduces its shipping weight. Unfortunately, the box is a little bigger than it needs to be.

Thankfully, Oral-B now uses all cardboard packaging, whereas polystyrene was previously used.

It is not a smart brush, thus reducing component usage and e-waste at the end of its life.

This is common amongst electric toothbrushes, but it has not been designed to be easily repaired at home. Trying to replace parts like the battery will likely break the brush. This makes it more likely to be discarded rather than repaired if broken.

While Oral-B has partnered with schemes such as TerraCycle in some countries, it does not yet have its own recycling scheme for used brush heads or faulty products.

Its brush heads are made from petroleum-based plastic, which uses up the planet’s finite resources compared to using plant-based plastics.

Conclusion: you'll struggle to find something better for less money

The Pro 3 is a brush I have confidence in recommending. The 3500 variant, which comes with a travel case, is our recommendation for the best overall electric toothbrush.

It offers the most essential features of an electric brush and not lots of unwanted and unnecessary extras.

It cleans the teeth well and the choice of cleaning modes means it suits a variety of users.

It is a shame you can’t easily tell which mode you have selected and that it always defaults to Daily Clean mode, but that is how Oral-B configures its mid-range models and it isn’t a deal breaker.

Video review

Below is my latest video review of the Pro 3, published 3 years after I first tested it. You can watch my original Pro 3 review here.