Connected Objects

Oclean Flow : test / review

Published on: 25-12-2021 / Modified: 22-07-2022

I started testing products with a very simple rule. As this blog is a hobby, I have to test products that I use on a daily basis so that I don't have to find extra time to test other products. I started by testing smartphones but diversified over time and last year I tested my first connected toothbrush. It's a simple product (even for a connected toothbrush) and one that I use every day, I hadn't thought about it before.

I first tested the Oclean X Pro Elite which represents the top of the range at Oclean, this toothbrush retired my Oral-B brush prematurely and after almost a year of use, I have not yet found a successor. Oclean is launching a new model called Oclean Flow at the end of 2021 and I thought I'd give it a go to see if I'd like this brush as much as the first.

Who is Oclean?

I figure that before you buy a product that will end up in your mouth, it would be interesting to know where this product comes from. Oclean is a Chinese brand with global ambitions, Oclean markets mouth care products and is positioned more at the top end of the market to compete with well-known brands like Oral-B. Oclean is not a small company that makes toothbrushes in a garage, Oclean has been around for a few years and has already marketed many models before I discovered their products.

I now have just over a year's history with the brand and I'm quite happy. If one of my Oclean toothbrushes were to backfire on me and chase me around hopping, I wouldn't hesitate to share my experience.

Special offer

A special offer from Oclean for families over the Christmas holiday:
Offres de Noël

The Christmas offer consists of 3 packs:
Oclean Flow brush white + blue + 8 spare brushes (£63.95)
Oclean Air 2 brush white + green + 8 spare brushes (81.95€)
Oclean X Pro brush blue + pink + 8 spare brushes (144.95€)

Unpacking

The box of the Oclean Flow is radically different from that of the previous model, one can see at a glance that Oclean targets a younger audience. The box contains the lack, a brush, a USB-C cable and a manual. You can buy other brushes on the Oclean website, I already did it for the previous model, I was delivered very quickly.

Oclean Flow

The Oclean Flow toothbrush is clearly aimed at a more mobile and younger audience than the previous brush I tested. The Oclean Flow is not equipped with a screen to configure it, nor do you have to use an application to manage the settings. So the Oclean Flow offers a simplified experience, it has buttons on the handle to switch from one pre-configured mode to another.

The modes offered by the brush are as follows:
- morning mode with medium brushing (strength 3 out of 5)
- night mode with more intensive brushing (strength 5 out of 5)
- standard mode with intensive brushing (strength 4 out of 5)
- whitening mode (strength 4 out of 5)
- soft mode (strength 2 out of 5)
Beyond the intensity, the behaviour of the brush changes depending on the mode chosen. Each mode follows a 2 minute cycle with a micro-vibration every 30 seconds to indicate that you should change sides. So you can divide your mouth into 4 zones (top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right) and give each zone 30 seconds of brushing time. Here is a video where I show the effect of the different modes on the brush.

Features

Testing an electric toothbrush is much easier than testing a phone, the features can be summarized in a few key points. Firstly, there is the autonomy. The Oclean Flow is equipped with a 2500 mAh battery, which is more or less half of a smartphone battery...for a toothbrush! I was positively surprised by the autonomy of the X Pro Elite, this Oclean Flow should do even better.

The Oclean Flow is capable of producing 38000 vibrations per minute and with such a speed, you don't feel the movements so much unless you turn the brush against your teeth, then you will feel the vibrations in your whole jaw. The Oclean X Pro Elite was a bit faster but I guess in use I shouldn't see too much difference.

You don't have to put the toothbrush on a stand to charge it, a simple USB-C cable is all you need (the cable is included). So here I could consider this as a positive point as well as a negative point because having a base means you don't have to take the toothbrush out of the bathroom but having a cable also means you don't have to carry a base with you. This is a positive point for a nomadic public and a negative point for a sedentary public.

Oclean has gone for simplicity with this model, no configuration required, you use one of the pre-configured modes and that's it.

Operating noise

When I tested my first Oclean I compared the operating noise with my Oral-B which was much louder. Will the Oclean Flow be as quiet as the X Pro Elite? Let's take a closer look with the following video.

The X Elite Pro is clearly the quietest, the Oclean Flow makes a little more noise depending on the mode you choose but it makes significantly less noise than the Oral-B.

Autonomy

Oclean advertises a 180 day battery life for this model, this may sound like a lot but it is quite possible. With the previous model I got 70-90 days autonomy and as this brush should be less power hungry and has a bigger battery, the autonomy should be better but I haven't been able to use it for 180 days yet to check it.

Daily experience

I only have a few days of hindsight but it's enough for me to share a first experience. I was positively surprised by the strength of the vibrations because in "night" mode, the vibrations are as strong as with the top model. The intensity and type of brushing then varies according to your preferences. Operation is very simple, just press the power button a few times to switch from one mode to another. The movements of the brush remove the dirt between the teeth and on the gum line, I have the same fresh feeling as with the top model. I didn't feel any pain in my gums like with the Oral-B.

The grip is very similar to the Elite model, the weight and size are quite similar, you have to get used to the size of the brush as it is really big. Its coating is completely smooth, this gives it a more modern feel than the Elite version but on the other hand its handle is more slippery.

Test Opinion/Conclusion

The main purpose of a toothbrush is to ensure you have good dental hygiene and this new Oclean Flow is almost as effective as the Elite model. It's not possible to customise your brushing programme, but the programmes available are varied enough to find the one that suits you best. I much prefer the night mode to the others, as it has the most intense movement. Like the Elite, this toothbrush will not damage your gums, the vibrations are intense but not so intense as to hurt you. The quality of brushing is undeniably a strong point of this toothbrush.

The autonomy will allow you to take it with you on a trip without having to think about recharging it, this was already the case for the Elite model but the autonomy is even more important with this Oclean Flow.

In summary, the qualities:
* cleaning efficiency
* autonomy
* ease of use
* noise
* brushes compatible with other models

Besides the qualities, I also found some weaknesses. These are not blocking problems but as I tested a more advanced model, my requirements were also higher:
* switching from one mode to another is done one by one, so you have to go through all the modes before you get to the chosen mode
* it is not possible to start in the right mode without turning on the brush, so you "lose" some brushing time
* the brushing time is limited to 2 minutes where the Elite model allowed you to choose the brushing time and I got used to 3 minutes so going back to 2 was a regression for me
* the handle is smooth and slippery when wet