Philips Sonicare for Kids - Testers please add your feedback here and have a chance to win a pair of adult brushes worth £160

[carriemumsnet]

Thank you for testing the Sonicare for Kids rechargeable toothbrushes ? we hope you and your children are enjoying trying them out. Please answer the feedback questions below. If you have more than one child aged 4-10 trying the brush it would be great if you could say what each child thinks of it by referring to their gender and age (eg ?DD age 4 thinks xxx?).

Philips will be monitoring the thread, so please feel free to post any queries and they will be happy to answer them. The brushes apparently get more powerful after being used for 2 weeks so please come back to the thread again in another week or so and let us know how things are going.

Remember everyone who adds feedback here will have a chance to win a pair of adult brushes (worth £160)
Questions:

1. How easy was it to get your child to brush their teeth using Sonicare for Kids, compared to a normal brush? What did they particularly like about the brush/what did they dislike?
2. Did your child find the brush easy to use? Did you encounter any problems?
3. Would you say your child prefers Sonicare for Kids or their previous toothbrush?
4. Did your child report that their teeth felt cleaner?
5. How likely is your child to continue using Sonicare for Kids?
6. Would you or have you recommended this product to a friend or relative?
7. Any other comments/ questions?

Thanks
MNHQ

[sweetkitty]

Daughter 1 age 5y1m

1. How easy was it to get your child to brush their teeth using Sonicare for Kids, compared to a normal brush? What did they particularly like about the brush/what did they dislike? My 5yo wasn't that keen, she said it hurt her wobbly teeth, I don't know if her teeth are actually wobbly or not, she said it hurt and tickled too much my nearly 4 yo then wanted to try it out will answer her questions below.

1. Did your child find the brush easy to use? Did you encounter any problems? I found it very easy to use as I was brushing her teeth, she wouldn't open her mouth enough and would clamp down on it causing it to vibrate too much.

1. Would you say your child prefers Sonicare for Kids or their previous toothbrush?

Previous toothbrush

1. Did your child report that their teeth felt cleaner? no

1. How likely is your child to continue using Sonicare for Kids? Don't know right now am going to persevere for a little longer

.

1. Would you or have you recommended this product to a friend or relative? yes I would

1. Any other comments/ questions? I thought the idea of the child choosing which cover they wanted was good, however, I found the designs quite bland and too gender neutral and boyish, out of the 3 I would think one could be boy orientated, one obviously pink and girly and one could be more neutral, I know not very PC but we have pink and sparkly girls here

daughter 2 age 3y 8m

1. How easy was it to get your child to brush their teeth using Sonicare for Kids, compared to a normal brush? What did they particularly like about the brush/what did they dislike? quite easy she saw her sister using it nad of course wanted a turn herself, she loved it said it was tickly

1. Did your child find the brush easy to use? Did you encounter any problems? I brushed her teeth for her, fine if they kept their mouths open

1. Would you say your child prefers Sonicare for Kids or their previous toothbrush?

hard to say

1. Did your child report that their teeth felt cleaner? not really

1. How likely is your child to continue using Sonicare for Kids? as above going to persevere for a few weeks more

1. Would you or have you recommended this product to a friend or relative? yes

1. Any other comments/ questions? thought of another thing, if you have two children close in age, are you going to have different colour heads for them available to buy, annoying there is only one head per box for little ones. In this house we would need a range of different coloured heads to know which head belongs to who, think the coloured heads are much better than the Braun head we have just now that have those silly little coloured disc things.

[mustrunmore]

1. Yes, easy at first, bit harder once the novelty wore off. They like the beeping and the different coloured fascia options!
2. Yes quite easy, although changing the heads took a bit of practice to line it up right. Second chld found it harder.

3.I think probably this one. Ds2 doesnt care either way.
4.No.
5.Very likely because we threw the old toothbrushes out after holiday!!
6.Yes.
7.Ordinarily, there's no way we'd have bought this due to cost. But they do like it. I'm glad its ont as noisy as some other electric toothbrushes. I am worried that its so expensive and ds2 is so likely to drown it or trash it or lose it in the garden or something (he's 3)! How much would new heads be though?

[brandonsflower]

1 How easy was it to get your child to brush their teeth using Sonicare for Kids, compared to a normal brush?
The 1st time, v easy, the others- as easy as usual, ie not very!

What did they particularly like about the brush/what did they dislike? Much easier for DD (10) as she is v lazy, so was less work for her! I don't think she disliked anything, although I was cringing slightly at the noise ( had v lightsleeper DS in bed!) though it wasn't loud enough to wake anyone !)

1. Did your child find the brush easy to use? Did you encounter any problems?

Yes, and no problems

1. Would you say your child prefers Sonicare for Kids or their previous toothbrush? Sonicare, without a doubt.

1. Did your child report that their teeth felt cleaner? No

1. How likely is your child to continue using Sonicare for Kids? Very likely

1. Would you or have you recommended this product to a friend or relative? Yes, probably

1. Any other comments/ questions?

It would be useful if a UK 3 pin adaptor of some sort was included, as many people ( well at least us!) don't have a razor plug point in the bathroom.

[sweetkitty]

brandonsflower - I forgot about that a UK 3 pin would be helpful, I had to use the adaptor from our Braun electric toothbrush.

[DottyDot]

Here are the results from the Dotty dot household...

1. Yes, it was pretty easy - no problems for ds2 (5) and ds1 (7) wasn't sure about the "tickling" effect at first but the novelty of an electric toothbrush (and the fact that his brother liked it!) meant he persevered and within a day or so was fine.

1. Both ds's find the brushes easy to use - they like the tunes but the whole routine of top outside/top inside etc. fell by the wayside pretty quickly! Having said that, they do use the brush for as long as it's on and this is great from a parental point of view.

1. Ds's have reported that they much prefer the Sonicare to their previous (boring) non electric toothbrushes

1. Yes, ds's say their teeth feel different just after brushing

1. Yes, both of them want to carry on using their Sonicares

1. Haven't recommended it as such, but have told friends we won them in a competition and that ds's love them!

1. Agree that it was a bit of a palaver to get 3-pin converter thingies - ds's were v. disappointed they couldn't use them straight away - but they had to be charged anyway.

Also, I didn't really like the choice of colour thingies you can put on the front of the brushes, as I thought they weren't very child-oriented, but have just checked with ds's and they loved them...

Thanks again!!

[heymammy]

Hello...dd1 aged 6.2

1. dd1 is quite diligent about brushing her teeth anyway so was easy to get her to use the new toothbrush. likes: "that it goes so fast and is tickely on my teeth" dislikes: "the devil in me keeps telling me to switch it on before putting it on my teeth so the toothpaste splats around"

1. Yes easy to use and no problems.

1. Prefers the new toothbrush because "...it goes faster and is really nice."

1. "...it felt a tiny bit cleaner."

1. Will definitely continue to use the sonicare brush as she loves it and I love the fact that she now brushes for the full 2 minutes.

1. I would recommend it to others but I think the price would put most people off

1. I am wondering how much replacement heads are going to be as dd1 always ends up chewing them .

Thank you Philips and Mumsnet, this was a brilliant trial.

[IlanaK]

I have two children using it.

Ds1 (8 years old)

1. How easy was it to get your child to brush their teeth using Sonicare for Kids, compared to a normal brush? What did they particularly like about the brush/what did they dislike?

It is much easier than a normal toothbrush as the musical sounds mean that they not only brush their teeth for longer (as they don't stop until the music plays), but it also ensures they spend the right amount of time on each part of their teeth.

1. Did your child find the brush easy to use? Did you encounter any problems?

He did not like the tickly feeling at first, but did not object too much.

1. Would you say your child prefers Sonicare for Kids or their previous toothbrush?

Sonicare

1. Did your child report that their teeth felt cleaner?

No, but he did notice that the tarter buildup (that he gets quite badly) is turning whiter!

1. How likely is your child to continue using Sonicare for Kids?

Very likely

1. Would you or have you recommended this product to a friend or relative?

Yes

1. Any other comments/ questions?

Ds2 (aged 5)

1. How easy was it to get your child to brush their teeth using Sonicare for Kids, compared to a normal brush? What did they particularly like about the brush/what did they dislike?

It is much easier than a normal toothbrush as the musical sounds mean that they not only brush their teeth for longer (as they don't stop until the music plays), but it also ensures they spend the right amount of time on each part of their teeth.

1. Did your child find the brush easy to use? Did you encounter any problems?

No problems.

1. Would you say your child prefers Sonicare for Kids or their previous toothbrush?

He loves this brush and fights to be the first to use it!

1. Did your child report that their teeth felt cleaner?

No

1. How likely is your child to continue using Sonicare for Kids?

Very likely

1. Would you or have you recommended this product to a friend or relative?

Yes

1. Any other comments/ questions?

[TitsalinaBumsquash]

We really like the Sonicare here.

1. DS can't stop brushing, he really likes the little tunes it plays and it tickles which is a bonus to him!

1. No problems really easy and fun to use.

1. Deffinatley prefers the Sonicare to a regular brush.

1. DS says he teeth feel smooth and shiney (hes only 4)

1. Deffinatley will be using the Sonicare from now on and will be getting DS2 one when he is old enough.

1. We have reccomended it to everyone. [blush'

1. I would just like to say thanks for letting us trial it, DSs teethe were a nightmare and pretty stained but are now looking really clean, (i had a go to and my teeth felt really "dentist" clean afterwards.)

[TitsalinaBumsquash]

Would also like to ask how old DS2 has to be before using one and is thier an adult equivilent, can i just buy an adult head or would i have to get us all new brushes? TIA

[Paolosgirl]

I have a dd aged 9 using it.

1. Very easy. She liked the choice of designs for the cover, and the tune. She's not the worlds best at cleaning her teeth, either with a manual or an electric so found the count down tune helpful.

1. Yes, easy to use and no problems.

1. Definitely Sonicare

1. Yes - said her teeth felt cleaner

1. Yes, will definitely continue.

1. Yes, would recommend.

1. DD has reported that the head feels too small for her mouth. The cost would put me off - it's a great toothbrush, but not £60 great! I'm also a bit concerned about buying replacement heads, as I haven't seen any in the shops. If I had to send away for them I'd be disappointed.

[hellymelly]

DD aged 4 and a half.We are loving the sonicare!
1.She is good about having her teeth brushed (too young to do her own)but she was really excited about the sonicare and liked choosing the coloured stick on exterior,before starting to use the brush.
2.She liked the tickly feel of the brush,and laughed a lot (still laughing)when we used it,the only slight hiccup was that I think I used too much pressure at first on one section of gum (as obviously I can't feel it myself)and that was slightly sore when brushed the next day,so I have been extra careful to let the brush do the work.
3.She vastly prefers the sonicare to her old manual brush and it is easy to brush for the correct time as opposed to her getting wriggly with the manual.
4.I didn't ask her if her teeth felt cleaner,but I think they do look cleaner.

1. she will definitely continue with this brush,neither of us would go back now.

6.Yes I would recommend it to my friends,I am going to show it to them.

1. I wish I could use it on my smaller daughter (aged 2)in fact I wonder if I could,but it says for four and up.I would happily buy her one now if there was a version for slightly younger children.She has close together teeth that are harder to clean,I always worry that they aren't clean enough,whereas now I really feel my 4 year old's are properly clean.Honestly I am delighted with it,and with how my daughter has reacted to using it.(although she does think it is hilarious to creep up behind me and zzzzz it on me to make me jump.) Only thing that would improve it aside from being able to use it on my toddler,would be a girly choice of stick on facade,glitter or fairies etc would have been greeted with even more squeals of delight-maybe a boy/girly choice?

[forkhandles]

1. It was much easier than normal to get DD (6.3) to brush her teeth. She really enjoyed using it, she like deciding weather to have it on the gentle or harder setting. She started off gentle but is now on the harder one. She likes that the buttons light up, Mummy's doesn't! She likes that it's soft to the touch and she likes the tunes that tell you it's time to move on. She also likes that it switches itself off when it's finished.

1. Yes she found it very easy to use, it's small and light enough for her to hold and the buttons work well. The only difficulty we've had is that it's really tickly behind her front teeth but she's getting used to it now!

1. Yes absolutely, she perfers it to her normal one and prefers it to my electric one too.

1. No she didn't, but I didn't ask her and she's a bit young to volunteer info like that!

1. Yes she will definitely continue, it's her only toothbrush now.

1. I would recommend it to friends but I doubt that many of my friends would spend £70 on a toothbrush.

1. DD would have preferred it if there was a more girly pink front to stick on. I would have liked it if the fronts were easier to change so you could just click them on and off again. I've not done it yet but the washing and air drying sounds a faff so we have just stayed using the red one we put on first.

I also think for the price you should get more than one brush head in each size, most people have a couple of kids and it's a bit tight to expect them to go and buy another head. I would expect two of each.

I have also been using this on my twins who will be 4 in October and they have loved it too! It has made teeth brushing so easy as they look forward to using it and the screaming battles are gone! We use it on the light setting and it workds really well.

I like the fact that the brush remembers where you are in the 2 min cycle and if you turn it off mid brush it doesn't start from the beginning again.

I also like that it brushes their teeth better that we would by hand. I'm happier now to let DD brush her own teeth and I can just keep an eye that she's gone over every tooth and maybe finish off at the end.

[thornrose]

My dd is 9 and has Sensory Issues and dyspraxia. She normally finds brushing her teeth qute difficult to co-ordinate especially the backs. I was a little concerned with how she would react to the sensations and sounds of an electric toothbrush.

1. Very easy, she was quite excited. She initially "freaked out" a bit at the tickling sensation but we persevered and she's getting used to it.
2. She finds it easy as she can hold the brush virtually still and let it do the work instead of doing a brushing motion which is fantastic and she can hold it on the backs of the teeth.
3. Definitely prefers Sonicare, can't see us going back to manual.
4. No
5. Without a doubt we will continue.
6. I would recommend it definitely, especially for children with any kind of Motor skills problems who find it hard to brush their teeth effectively.
7. Not at the moment

[hellymelly]

I forgot to add that I also really like the fact that it remembers where you are in the cycle if you have to stop it temporarily to deal with a tantrumming little sister etc.And the nice little tune that changes along with the cycle with the little fanfair at the end!

[SOLOisMeredithGrey]

My Ds turned 11 just as I found out he'd been chosen, so is slightly out of the age group ~ however, he is pretty bad at cleaning his teeth, so I thought I'd butter him up a bit and tell him he was an 'official tester'. I also thought it wouldn't matter that he was 11 and a few days rather than 10 and 335 days...

Dd is 2.8, but I decided to try it on her too as she's a nightmare when I try to clean her teeth. It worked a treat ~ twice! but she won't let me use it now so the questions are answered for Ds.

1. How easy was it to get your child to brush their teeth using Sonicare for Kids, compared to a normal brush? What did they particularly like about the brush/what did they dislike? Ds doesn't need to be nagged into cleaning his teeth with the Sonicare...bonus! and he shows me his shining teth with pride whether I want him to or not!
2. Did your child find the brush easy to use? Did you encounter any problems? Yes, easy to use and no problems once the tickling was gotten used to.
3. Would you say your child prefers Sonicare for Kids or their previous toothbrush? Yes, definitely.
4. Did your child report that their teeth felt cleaner? Yes ~ with great enthusiasm!
5. How likely is your child to continue using Sonicare for Kids? Very likely.
6. Would you or have you recommended this product to a friend or relative? I would recommend.
7. Any other comments/ questions? Not yet!

[Jux]

Thank you! It arrived on dd's birthday!

1. How easy was it to get your child to brush their teeth using Sonicare for Kids, compared to a normal brush?

Easy

What did they particularly like about the brush/what did they dislike?
Liked: the ability to change the colour from one day to the next.
Dislike: when changing the cover it sometimes takes the whole head off! (that's what dd says; I'll check it out)

1. Did your child find the brush easy to use?

Yes

Did you encounter any problems?
No

1. Would you say your child prefers Sonicare for Kids or their previous toothbrush?

Prefers Sonicare

1. Did your child report that their teeth felt cleaner?

Definitely

1. How likely is your child to continue using Sonicare for Kids?

Almost definite (she says maybe one day she'll want to try a different toothbrush, which is why it's 'almost'; I say she ain't getting another one for the foreseeable future!)

1. Would you or have you recommended this product to a friend or relative?

Yes

1. Any other comments/ questions?

DD says: it is efficient, def cleans my teeth, feels good. She also really likes the shape of the brush.

[hayes]

My 7 year old daughter is using the Sonicare for Kids, here are her comments:

1. How easy was it to get your child to brush their teeth using Sonicare for Kids, compared to a normal brush? What did they particularly like about the brush/what did they dislike?

Because it hits all the places that a regular brush would. I like the timer so I know I have brushed my teeth for long enough.

1. Did your child find the brush easy to use? Did you encounter any problems?

I did find it easy to use, I had no problems. The first time I used it I thought it was quite strong but I am used to it now.

1. Would you say your child prefers Sonicare for Kids or their previous toothbrush?

Sonicare one

1. Did your child report that their teeth felt cleaner?

much cleaner

1. How likely is your child to continue using Sonicare for Kids?

will keep using the Sonicare one now

1. Would you or have you recommended this product to a friend or relative?

I would although it is quite pricey especially if you have more than one child in your home.

1. Any other comments/ questions?

It would be fab if you could download music from the internet onto the toothbrush as the tune is a wee bit boring.

[cornsillk]

1. How easy was it to get your child to brush their teeth using Sonicare for Kids, compared to a normal brush? What did they particularly like about the brush/what did they dislike?

Very easy. The novelty factor plays a big part here but also the different covers help and the noises the brush makes.

1. Did your child find the brush easy to use? Did you encounter any problems?

Very easy to hold. No problems.

1. Would you say your child prefers Sonicare for Kids or their previous toothbrush?

yes

1. Did your child report that their teeth felt cleaner?

No but I think they are!

1. How likely is your child to continue using Sonicare for Kids?

very likely

1. Would you or have you recommended this product to a friend or relative?

yes but it is expensive - I looked at the price to get one for my older ds - ouch!

1. Any other comments/ questions?

I would like the brush to have an option to brush for longer.

[hunkermunker]

1. How easy was it to get your child to brush their teeth using Sonicare for Kids, compared to a normal brush? What did they particularly like about the brush/what did they dislike?

DS1 (the 5yo for whom the brush was intended) point blank refused to have anything to do with it. DS2, however, adores it. He talks of it incessantly, asks if it is his, can he keep it, etc and requests to brush his teeth many times a day. He is 3.7yo, so not quite in the age bracket for testing (sorry!), but since he loves it so much, I hope that's OK!

1. Did your child find the brush easy to use? Did you encounter any problems?

Very straightforward. No problems.

1. Would you say your child prefers Sonicare for Kids or their previous toothbrush?

DEFINITELY this one, by a country mile.

1. Did your child report that their teeth felt cleaner?

Yes. Probably because they were cleaner - because he sometimes sneaks off to use it...!

1. How likely is your child to continue using Sonicare for Kids?

Incredibly likely - I would imagine he will use it until, ooh, I don't know - his wedding night.

1. Would you or have you recommended this product to a friend or relative?

Yes and yes.

1. Any other comments/ questions?

Can you do a front for it with hearts on, because it would be nice for DS2 to think his toothbrush loved him as much as he loves it...

[shinyshoes]

1. How easy was it to get your child to brush their teeth using Sonicare for Kids, compared to a normal brush? What did they particularly like about the brush/what did they dislike?

My son was actually very enthusiastic about brushing his teeth, more than he ever has been before. He was excited about using it and it wasn't boring compared to an ordinary toothbrush. This is his first electric toothbrush so he was excited about the novelty of it all. He also liked that you could change the fascias to make it look different when he wanted to.

There wasn't anything he disliked about it.

1. Did your child find the brush easy to use? Did you encounter any problems?

No and no. He found it very easy to use, knowing what the sounds were and why they were making them. The beeping for example, he knew that it was beeping a number of times because he had to focus on a different areas of the mouth.

1. Would you say your child prefers Sonicare for Kids or their previous toothbrush?

Absolutely yes he preffered the Sonicare.

1. Did your child report that their teeth felt cleaner?

No he didn't say the felt cleaner but smoother, but I noticed a difference, I notice it got right in between the teeth and I felt that they looked cleaner.

1. How likely is your child to continue using Sonicare for Kids?

He will definitely carry on using it, he has thrown his other toothbrush in the bin.

1. Would you or have you recommended this product to a friend or relative?

Absolutely yes.

1. Any other comments/ questions?

The inside packaging was very easy to open it wasn't fiddly like some plastic containers can be. I especially liked the beeping function telling them to change brushing to a different part of the mouth during the brushing cycle. It didn't seem like a tedious task to brush his teeth as the vibration and the different noise effects made him focus on that rather than clock watching.

[AnnMumsnet]

Thanks for all the feedback so far - glad they are being enjoyed (for the most part!). I've asked Philips to come back to you on the questions raised so watch this space!
Ann, MNHQ

[PhilipsS4K]

Hi everyone, many thanks for the detailed feedback so far, it's great to hear so many of you (and your offspring!) are enjoying your Sonicare for Kids experience. With regard to some of the questions, answers are as follows:

Brush Heads are currently available at larger Boots stores, on Boots.com, and soon they will also be available on Amazon.co.uk
The SRP for a pack of 2 is £16 and each pack contains one blue and one red brush head, so if you have two children sharing a handle they will know which brush head is theirs.
Unfortunately we don't supply a 3-pin adaptor with any of our power toothbrushes (this I think is standard with all rechargable toothbrush brands) but the adaptors are widely available in hardware stores and many supermarkets. If anyone needs one I can send one out, just let MNHQ know.
Re. minimum age, we state ages 4 to 10 as this is the age range when most children learn their lifelong brushing habits, and some smaller children may lack the dexterity to comfortably grip the handle for the duration of a brushing cycle. If you have a child younger than 4 there is no reason you cannot try the brush with them, just make sure it's on the lower power setting with the smaller brush head and that you help them brush.
Brushes for Adults: Sonicare for Kids is really designed for children and the power has been reduced to be more suited to smaller mouths. We have a range of Sonicare brushes for adults which offer different benefits - more info can be found in the Consumer Products/Personal Care section on philips.co.uk. Don't forget, one lucky reviewer can also win a pair of our FlexCare adult brushes worth £160 each, so good luck! Also be sure to check out leading retailers for special offers in the run-up to Christmas.

I hope that helps, I'll check back at the end of the week to see if there are any more questions. Thanks again!

[flier]

Sorry its taken me so long to post our feedback

1. How easy was it to get your child to brush their teeth using Sonicare for Kids, compared to a normal brush? What did they particularly like about the brush/what did they dislike?

My son has really enjoyed brushing his teeth with his sonicare. He loves the noises it makes and the fact he could chosse which colours to have on it.

1. Did your child find the brush easy to use? Did you encounter any problems?

The only problem we really had was him using it like a non electric toothbrush to begin with, but he soon learned the correct way to use it.

1. Would you say your child prefers Sonicare for Kids or their previous toothbrush?

He definitely prefers his sonicare.

1. Did your child report that their teeth felt cleaner?

Yes

1. How likely is your child to continue using Sonicare for Kids?

extremely likely

1. Would you or have you recommended this product to a friend or relative?

absolutely

1. Any other comments/ questions?

not that I can think of just now.

[comewhinewithme]

Hello sorry for the delay in posting .

. How easy was it to get your child to brush their teeth using Sonicare for Kids, compared to a normal brush? What did they particularly like about the brush/what did they dislike?

It was very easy to get them to use the brushes they were very excited about them .
DD3 (age6) liked the fact it was very fuzzy on her teeth and she liked the tunes .

1. Did your child find the brush easy to use? Did you encounter any problems?

It was quite easy although I think a little hard for very small hands my dd found it a bit hard to swap from one side of the mouth to the other .

1. Would you say your child prefers Sonicare for Kids or their previous toothbrush?

Yes my dd's love it.

1. Did your child report that their teeth felt cleaner?

Yes

1. How likely is your child to continue using Sonicare for Kids?

Very likely I have to go and buy 2 more now for other dd's .

1. Would you or have you recommended this product to a friend or relative?

Certainly.

1. Any other comments/ questions?

I think all in all a brilliant product the only concern was my dd fnding it akward to hold the brush although I am sure she will get the hang of it it just seemed a little too chuncky for tiny hands .
Maybe with the sounds too you could choose if you wanted the sounds to prompt you or a voice telling you top teeth /bottom teeth etc etc .

Many thanks again .