Healthy living
Use our expert advice and recommendations to live your best life every day.
Get startedBy clicking a retailer link you consent to third-party cookies that track your onward journey. This enables W? to receive an affiliate commission if you make a purchase, which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion.
Best water flossers and Waterpik flossers: tried and tested
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 put bestselling corded and cordless water flossers – from £35 to more than £100 – to the test 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 cheaper pick from Amazon. We discovered that most water flossers provide a decent interdental clean.
However, our Best Buys in our water flosser 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.
The best water flossers
Only logged-in Which? members can view the water flosser test results below.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
| 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 tableFirst month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time Already a member? Log in | 85% | ||||
| 83% | |||||
| 81% | |||||
| 79% | |||||
| 77% | |||||
| 73% | |||||
| 66% | |||||
| 59% |
Sign up to reveal
Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations.
Unlock tableFirst month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time
Already a member? Log in
Date tested: September 2023. Page last checked: May 2025. We're not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available.
The water flossers we tested
All the water flossers we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
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.
Nicwell Smart Oral Irrigator
Our score and verdict Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Pros Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Cons Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Type Cordless
Attachments Three standard tips, one plaque tip, one tongue cleaner
Reservoir capacity 200ml
Cheapest price for replacement heads £9.99 at Amazon (currently unavailable)
Need to know 26.5 x 6 x 8cm (HxWxD), USB-C charger, three pressure settings
Oral-B Aquacare 6 Pro-Expert Water Flosser
Our score and verdict Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Pros Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Cons Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Type Cordless
Attachments Two standard oxyjet tips
Reservoir capacity 150ml
Cheapest price for replacement heads £9.39 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
Panasonic EW1511 Water Flosser
Our score and verdict Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Available from Boots (£119.99) (Out of stock)
Pros Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Cons Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Type Cordless
Attachments Two standard tips
Reservoir capacity 200ml
Cheapest price for replacement heads £10.29 at Amazon
Need to know 27.5 x 6.5 x 7.5cm (HxWxD), two-pin plug charger that requires an adapter, five pressure settings
Philips Sonicare Cordless Power Flosser 3000
Our score and verdict Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Pros Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Cons Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Type Cordless
Attachments One standard tip, one quad stream tip
Reservoir capacity 250ml
Cheapest price for replacement heads £23.17 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
See our pick of the best electric toothbrushes, including our top cheaper choices for keeping your teeth clean
Waterpik Cordless Advanced Water Flosser WP-560UK
Our score and verdict Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Available from Waterpik (£94.99)
Pros Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Cons Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Type Cordless
Attachments Two classic jet tips, one orthodontic tip, one plaque seeker tip
Reservoir capacity 180ml
Cheapest price for replacement heads £8.99 at Waterpik
Need to know 28 x 6 x 9cm (HxWxD), two-pin plug charger that requires an adapter, three pressure settings, includes storage case for attachments
Waterpik Cordless Plus Water Flosser WP-450UK
Our score and verdict Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Pros Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Cons Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal.
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
Need to know 28 x 6 x 9cm (HxWxD), two pressure settings
Waterpik Ultra Professional Water Flosser WP-660UK
Our score and verdict Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Pros Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Cons Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal.
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
Need to know 19 x 12.5 x 10cm (HxWxD), two-pin plug charger that requires an adapter, 10 pressure settings
Waterpik Whitening Professional Water Flosser WF-05UK
Our score and verdict Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Pros Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Cons Log in or join Which? to instantly reveal
Type Corded
Attachments Two whitening classic jet tips, one whitening plaque seeker tip, one whitening orthodontic tip, 30 whitening tablets
Reservoir capacity 600ml
Cheapest price for replacement heads £8.99 at Waterpik
Need to know 19 x 12.5 x 10cm (HxWxD), two-pin plug charger that requires an adapter, 10 pressure settings
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 of the water flossers we review and we buy all those 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.
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. We time how long it takes for the battery to drain. The best can last over three hours but the worst only gives around 40 minutes of cleaning before the battery drains.
- Ease of use Our panel assess how easy it is to set each one up 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 can be uncomfortable to use, particularly if you have sensitive teeth.
- Cleaning time We fill up the water reservoir on each flosser and time how long it takes for the tank to drain. Some only provide 30 seconds of cleaning time before the tank needs refilling. The best water flossers have large water tanks that give over a minute and a half of cleaning time, which is plenty to floss around your whole mouth.
- Noise Our panel rates how noisy each water floss is. They all vibrate and dispense a jet of water, so you won't find a water flosser that's completely silent. However some are noticeably louder than others.
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 better than string floss?
'Water flossers can be used in combination with interdental brushes where the gaps in between the teeth allow,' says Dr Sharma.
'Where the gaps between the teeth don't allow for brushes, other aids, such as floss, can be used.'
Eat well, live better and stay healthy. Sign up for our free monthly Food & Health newsletter, it's free monthly
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 avoids 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 it specifies it's safe to do so. Of those we tested, the Waterpik Cordless Advanced and Nicwell Smart Oral Irrigator specify both are.
How to clean a water flosser
Mineral deposits in water can reduce the effectiveness of your water flosser over time, particularly if you live in a hard-water area.
Try to clean your water flosser regularly to stop these mineral deposits building up.
Waterpik advice says to do this by filling the water reservoir with one to two tablespoons of white vinegar mixed with warm water and running this through the water flosser.
We'd recommend that you check the manual for specific cleaning instructions for your water flosser.