We updated this guide in July 2022 to include new products tested and vetted by theGood Housekeeping Institute Health, Beauty and Sustainability Lab based on their latest evaluations. Our five Lab-tested picks include the Philips Sonicare Power Flosser 7000 Oral Irrigator HX3911/30, Smile Direct Club Large Tank Water Flosser, Waterpik ION Water Flosser and more.
Like a gentle power washer for your mouth, water flossers leave teeth with that clean just-left-the-dentist-feeling. People with braces, denture implants or anyone who just wants to go that extra mile can benefit from one. So how exactly do water flossers work? "Water flossers use a pressurized stream of water, in many cases a pulsating stream, to remove food particles and plaque stuck between teeth and along the gum line," says Adam S. Harwood, DMD, a New York City-based endodontist. They come equipped with a wand-like handle that makes it easier to navigate between teeth than string floss. While water flossers don't replace traditional floss, it's a great way to clear out extra debris.
The Good Housekeeping Institute Health, Beauty & Sustainability Lab put 12 of the best water flossers on the market to the test, observing their ease of use, performance, noisiness and overall satisfaction. To see how these worked in real life, we sent water flossers to 119 testers who used their flosser every day for at least one week. After gathering nearly 2,000 survey responses and evaluating Lab data, we rounded up the best water flossers of 2022.
Our top picks:
1
BEST OVERALL WATER FLOSSER
Power Flosser 7000Philips Sonicare
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2
BEST VALUE WATER FLOSSER
ION Water FlosserWaterpik
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3
BEST WATER FLOSSER FOR BRACES
Aquarius Water FlosserWaterpik
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4
BEST CORDLESS WATER FLOSSER
Large Tank Water Flosser with 2 Flossing TipsSmile Direct Club
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5
BEST COMPACT WATER FLOSSER
Cordless Water FlosserWaterpik
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Keeping reading for dental professionals' answers to FAQs at the end of this guide. Looking for more ways to up your dental care game? Check out our roundups of the best electric toothbrushes and the best natural toothpastes, as well as the best teeth-whitening kits.
1
BEST OVERALL WATER FLOSSER
Power Flosser 7000
2
BEST VALUE WATER FLOSSER
ION Water Flosser
3
BEST WATER FLOSSER FOR BRACES
Aquarius Water Flosser
4
BEST CORDLESS WATER FLOSSER
Large Tank Water Flosser with 2 Flossing Tips
5
BEST COMPACT WATER FLOSSER
Cordless Water Flosser
6
BEST WATER FLOSSER FOR TRAVEL
Pop-Up Water Flosser
How we tested the best water flossers
Thanks to a team of scientists across different specialties, the Institute is home to all product and reviews testing at Good Housekeeping. For our most recent water flossers test, the Health, Beauty & Sustainability Lab experts evaluated 12 water flossers in Lab, sent them out to our partner lab, Quiet Mark (to compare the amount of noise they generate) and surveyed them with consumer testers.
We selected a panel of 119 testers who already use a water flosser regularly — to avoid negative responses from people who did not know what to expect from a water flosser — and who had good dental hygiene habits such as brushing twice a day and having a professional cleaning every six months. The testers were asked to use their flosser every day for at least one week and rate their agreement or disagreement with positive descriptions of the water flosser on a Likert scale. These questions were grouped into three sections: ease of use, performance and satisfaction. Then, we calculated these percentages to help narrow down the best water flossers.
Our list includes options for all types of preferences, but we also searched for ones that met certain criteria. When compiling our list, we first kept the American Dental Association Seal in mind. Products approved by the ADA meet certain criteria that prove they are safe and effective. (But it's important to note that only two water flosser brands carry the ADA seal: Waterpik and Philips.)
What should I look for when buying a water flosser?
✔️Cordless vs. corded: If you're looking for portability, opt for a cordless water flosser, so you don't need to bring a bulky charging base on vacation with you.
✔️ Pressure settings: Some water flossers only have a couple of pressure settings, while others feature way more options. Some offer deep cleaning for extra work on the gums, while sensitive options offer a thorough clean but with a gentler intensity.
✔️Tips: Though the classic tip works just fine, some tips serve a savvier purpose: "Really, the ortho [tip] is what I find helpful for younger patients, especially," said Sharon Huang, DDS. "You know, a 10-year-old is not going to floss, so this is something that's going to help them." For someone who doesn't have the dexterity or has braces, the ortho tip makes cleaning easier, she says.
✔️Water capacity: If you opt for a handheld version, keep in mind you'll have to sacrifice a bit of reservoir space. Countertop flossers can run the gamut of 10 to 20 fl oz, which means you can usually clean your teeth in just one fill.
Is water flossing as effective as regular flossing?
Not quite, and that's because the two methods work differently. Water flossing covers more surface area, while regular flossing is best for getting into the spaces between your teeth and below the gum line to prevent tartar buildup and cavities between teeth. String floss is also able to wrap all the way around the teeth, something water flossers can't accomplish. And, of course, water flossers are much pricier than standard string floss.
"Both [water flossing and flossing] have their own specific areas of effectiveness, so the ideal dental hygiene program takes advantage of both methods," says Dr. Harwood. Here's a good rule of thumb to follow, according to the dentists we spoke with: Brush your teeth first, then use traditional string floss to loosen anything stuck between your teeth and to keep gums healthy, then finish off with a water flosser to flush it all out.
Do dentists approve of water flossers?
The dentists we spoke with agreed that people with braces will definitely benefit from a water flosser because the wires make it hard to use traditional floss. Sally Cram, DDS, a practicing periodontist in Washington, D.C., says that water flossers "are very good at flushing out food and debris that gets caught in and around the brackets." Water flossers are also a great option for elderly people or anyone with manual dexterity problems. "[For these people], wrapping floss around their fingers can be discomforting, especially if they suffer from arthritis," adds Dr. Harwood. Beyond these examples, however, dentists don't recommend giving up on regular flossing in favor of using a wet flosser.
The bottom line: For most people, water flossing should be done in addition to (not instead of) regular flossing. But if you know that there's no chance you'll actually use regular floss, using a water flosser is better than nothing.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Our Good Housekeeping Institute experts teamed up for this best waterpiks guide, informed by the latest Lab tests led by Beauty and Health Reviews Analyst Chiara Butler, who regularly conducts hands-on testing of beauty and health products. Her time as a cosmetic chemist includes evaluating ingredient efficacy and scrutinizing product claims. Associate Editor Jacqueline Saguin regularly collaborates with the Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab to translate their top picks into comprehensive product guides; she updated this piece with our latest recommendations.
Former Editorial Assistant Amina Abdelrahman interviewed some of the outside experts above.We consulted dental professionals Dr. Sharon Huang, Dr. Sally Cram and Dr. Adam S. Harwood to inform all the most frequently asked questions that come with buying water flossers.
Jacqueline Saguin, Good Housekeeping InstituteJacqueline Saguin is the associate editor of products and reviews at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she covers all things e-commerce in beauty, home, lifestyle and more.
Amina Lake Abdelrahman, Good Housekeeping InstituteEditorial AssistantAmina is an editorial assistant at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she works with lab experts (who test all the latest products) and writes original content based on their recommendations.
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